Trent Renner

There is no competition…

Have you ever been in the presence of something or someone and heard them say, “I have no competition!” The odds are you haven’t. Its got to be a rare thing to say or hear.
I heard it first hand this morning. I am tempted to not mention any names, but if someone says they have no competition then they have nothing to worry about…right?
So I’m at Starbucks this morning and I hear a Barista talking to a customer in front of me. The discussion was focused on why the customer was by himself and didn’t have his usual business partner with him for the daily morning ritual of satisfying the coffee monster that lives within so many of us. The customer replied that the new Dunkin Donuts had opened and the person was trying it out instead of Starbucks. I was intrigued to hear what the Barista had to say about that! The Barista replied, “Oh, that’s okay…Starbucks has no competition that can even come close to us and it will always be that way…he’ll be back soon.”

I have to admit, I love confidence. We must admit that Starbucks is amazing. They have earned the reputation of Champion status.

Just like…
Goliath.
The Roman Empire.
and
The Titanic.

Its not that the defeaters of the Champions are greater. David was so small.
Nothing compared to the size of the Roman Empire.
The iceberg was nothing the size of the ship.

So what brought the “champions” down?
What will bring Starbucks down?
What will bring you to your knees?

Of course I have my opinions….
But…
I would love yours
Please share…

Hey Boss!

Even if you’re not self-employed, your boss is you. You manage your career, your day, your responses, your faith. You manage how you sell your services and your education and the way you talk to yourself, the way you pray.
How’s your boss doing?
If you had a manager that talked to you the way you talk to yourself…what would you do? If you had a boss that wasted your time like you might waste your own time…would that boss be fired. If an organization developed its employees as poorly as you might be developing yourself, would that Org. soon go under? If your church treated your faith like you treat your own faith…would that Church survive?
I’m amazed at how often people choose to fail when they find that right church that encourages one to set their own agenda and manage and spiritually grow themselves. Faced with the freedom to excel in their faith, they falter and hesitate and stall and ultimately punt.
Are you surprised when someone self-directed/self led arrives on the scene? Someone who figures out a way to work out their faith and then turns that into a life-long journey, Bible in hand, as they impact their neighborhood/work/and church. Most people are shocked that someone uses evenings and weekends and their vacation to do a mission trip, or start a useful new ministry that helps bring fortune to the less fortunate. Are you envious when you encounter someone who has managed to bootstrap themselves out of depression and nasty circumstances into hope, faith and happiness, as if that’s rare or even uncalled for.
There are few good books on being a good manager, a good boss, a good Christian. Fewer books still on managing yourself and your faith…there really is just the Bible…the Bible doesn’t need you to read more books from Rick Warren, Andy Stanley, Francis Chan, Billy Graham, Joel Osteen, Mark Driscoll…God…the list is endless. What the Bible wants? The Bible wants your Boss to get out of his/her spiritual bed, and be self led and self fed. Become whole, someone who figures out the solutions…drives with work ethic to complete-ness. The Bible wants your Boss to be the best boss you’ve ever had.
You are your own Boss.
What must your boss begin to do?