Tag Archives: Encouragement

Nice Guys Always Win

Many of you know my Day Job is in sales. For almost 18 years I’ve been in retail car sales. 80% of you just reached for your mouse to exit this post. Please don’t. I promise it’ll be okay.

For MOST of those 18 years, I’ve loved my job. There is one primary reason.

I thoroughly enjoy helping people sort through their options and make the best decision for their situation.

Easy, right? In fact it is!

The hard part of sales is learning the product. Once you know the product, the selling is easy. And really, you’re not even selling. You’re consulting and advising. You’re sharing the information about the product so the customer can make the best decision.

A couple of weeks ago I helped out a few people with some simple questions. They were definitely in the market to purchase vehicles, but they weren’t quite ready to do it while talking with me.

A few days later, one gentleman came back to the store. In the days between visits he had been to a couple of other dealerships. Before even telling me he wanted to purchase a vehicle, he made sure to tell me why he came back to purchase from me.

His reason had nothing to do with price. It had nothing to do with availability. (I didn’t even have the vehicle in stock he wanted.)

He came back because I took the time to answer his questions. I didn’t pressure him to make a decision. I didn’t try to talk him into a different vehicle.

His final words to me when he left (after placing an order for the exact vehicle he wants), “Nice guys always win.”

I 100% agree with him.

Whether I sell a person a vehicle or not, being nice is the only way to go about my business.

I know there are salesmen who spend their entire day trying to use all the “tricks of the trade” to talk people into purchasing their particular product. I also know I get to go home each night with a clear conscience.

Do I want to sell more vehicles? Yes. Without a doubt.

Do I want more money in my bank account? You bet.

But never at the cost of selling the right way.

Everyone reading this is in sales. Yep. Everyone.

No matter your job. You are in sales. You are in customer service. You interact with other people every day.

Make sure you remember: Nice guys do ALWAYS win.

My Encouragement

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Today on the blog I’m featuring a guest post from the incredible Brandi Goff McElheny.
I’ve become acquainted with Brandi through a couple of outstanding on-line groups. I’ll let Brandi tell you her story, but please make sure you click-through the links at the bottom of the post to learn more about the great work she is doing around the world. Enjoy!
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I’m living my dreams….or at least most of them J

I’m a single mama to 3 and I run 3 non-profits. I get to spend my days walking wounded people to truth, beauty and healing. I get to spend hours every day on skype with my Ugandan team working towards healing and long-term sustainability for 968 single mamas and widows in Uganda. Last week, I got to wire $50,000 to Uganda so that 900 kids could go to school again. I’ve gotten to go undercover in brothels throughout SE Asia to see the oppressed set free. These are the things my dreams were made of for so long. I longed with everything in me to be used by God for His kingdom. I longed to loose the chains of injustice and be a part of setting the oppressed free.

People ask me fairly regularly what they can do to find and then live their passions and change the world around them. Want to know my best piece of encouragement?

Do your work.

No, I’m not talking about working harder or longer hours. I’m not taking about strategic planning or a 5-year plan.

I’m talking about doing your emotional work, your spiritual work, your healing work. Wanna be a world-changer? Go to therapy.

A few years ago, my life fell apart. Completely. Utterly. I dropped out of everything ministry related in those months. I wasn’t helping a single soul. I did nothing for the kingdom of God. I questioned if I would ever be used by God again. I felt guilty for dropping everything, but in those moments it took all my energy to simply breathe.

There’s one thing I did not drop during those days, however, and that is me.

For the first time actually, I began to really observe my own soul. I gave up working for Jesus and I took time to be wounded and broken and to get to know the healer of all healers. I let Jesus deep into my darkest places and simply took time to heal. I went to therapy weekly (sometimes more!) and asked for help in digging into what is good and pure in my life and what was wounded and dysfunctional.

During my months of hiding out in the shadow of His wings, where I focused on healing and my own soul exclusively, I wondered if I was being selfish. What I would later learn, however, is that the best thing I have EVER done for the kingdom of God is my own healing work.

Healing begets healing. Freedom begets freedom.

Since taking that year to focus on healing, I have gotten to walk with countless women through their deepest, darkest wounds to beautiful healing. Since that year of focus on freedom for myself and breaking through my own chains, I have gotten to watch trafficking victims be brought to freedom and raised over 100k to make it happen. Since that year of focusing on learning my own value, I have had the honor of speaking to thousands of Ugandan women on their value.

We can only give what we have received.

So go. Receive. Heal. Be free. Sink into Jesus’ true view of you.

I promise, doing your own healing work is the best thing you will ever do for yourself, or for the kingdom of God. Wanna be a world-changer? Go to Therapy! J

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Marbles and Weekends

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I began writing this post in September of 2013. Yep. 18 months ago. Sometimes ideas and thoughts and words need time to stew and percolate. Either that or I’ve been avoiding finishing it because of the sobering reality it always throws in my face.

What I do know is I’ve spent more intentional time with my sons since I began writing this so many months ago. And THAT is the whole point!

Right now you’re thinking, “What the heck is Rick talking about?”

Okay. To the point.

On a September weekend in 2013 I had the incredible privilege of attending a conference in Nashville, Tennessee. The conference was put on by Jon Acuff in conjunction with his recently released book START.

The key part of the weekend as it relates to this article, was when Reggie Joiner stepped on the stage and proceeded to blow me away. He made me cry. His message that day was about how many weekends we have with our children. His premise was that we have approximately 936 weekends with our kids from the time they are born until the time they leave our home.

936 weekends from birth to age 18.

He used a huge jar of marbles as a visual aid. 936 marbles in a jar to represent 936 weekends. And then he began tossing them out. Slowly at first, and then faster. Marbles were rolling all over the stage, onto the floor, and into the crowd.

And then it hit me.

On that day the marbles remaining in the jars representing my boys looked like this:

Noah = 87
Jared = 243

The marble jars for my boys were almost empty.

I cried right there in my seat.

The number I used is the number of weekends until high school graduation.

Fast forward to today. The number of marbles has changed. Now they look like this:

Noah = 8!!!!!!!!
Jared = 164

EIGHT!!!???? Whoa!

But you know what? Since that day when the numbers were 87 and 243, I’ve spent more intentional time with each of them (and my wife). I have thoroughly enjoyed these weeks, and I will relish the next 8 and 164.

I love my boys. They know it. That will never change. But since that day in September of 2013, when Reggie Joiner made me cry at a conference, I’ve tried hard to show it as well. And I’m going to keep showing it.

Just because they graduate from high school, turn 18, leave the house, etc, I don’t have to stop loving them and spending time with them. My life with them isn’t over. In some ways it has barely begun. I have so much more to teach them. I have so much more I can learn from them.

I’m excited about all the weekends (and weekdays) to come. Imagine the great experiences we can have together. Imagine the conversations we get to have with each other!

Exactly what the future holds is unknown. But one thing I know for sure.

I get to spend it with my boys!