Nate Fietzer .:. Leading the Future
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Monday, January 23rd, 2012
An Interview with Jon Gordon on Leadership

Jon Gordon An Interview with Jon Gordon on LeadershipRecently I was afforded the awesome opportunity of interviewing Jon Gordon. Jon is a husband, father, and author. His best-selling books and talks have inspired readers and audiences around the world. He is the author of The Wall Street Journal bestseller The Energy Bus, as well as The No Complaining Rule, Training Camp, The Shark and The Goldfish, Soup: A Recipe to Nourish Your Team and Culture, and his latest book The Seed: Finding Purpose and Happiness in Life and Work. I could literally write pages and pages about all Jon’s accomplishments from sharing his principles with NFL Teams such as the Atlanta Falcons to the many Fortune 500 Companies like Noodles & Company, Campbell Soup, and Pepperidge Farm however Jon would tell you today that his past accomplishments are meaningless. What matters most is that something he says will inspire you to take action.

Please take a look at this short clip that Jon recorded sharing with you some thoughts about his new book “The Seed: Finding Purpose and Happiness in Life and Work“.

As you can see, Jon is inspirational. He has found his greater purpose and today is inspiring millions to find their’s as well. Like I said, I was afforded the awesome opportunity of interviewing Jon. So without further ado …. my interview with Jon Gordon.

What was your first recollection of experiencing great leadership?
I would say meeting and spending time with Ken Blanchard, the author of the One Minute Manager.

Who had the most significant influence on shaping you as a leader?
Honestly the answer is God. I wish I had better leaders in my life growing up and in my early career but I didn’t. People often ask me where my leadership principles come from and they come during my walks of prayers in the morning.

What are three words people would use to describe you?
Energetic, sincere, real.

What do you believe is the biggest challenge facing leaders today?
Busyness, stress, fear and negativity.

What is one characteristic that you believe every leader should possess?
Optimism. It’s the most important characteristic of a leader.

What advice would you give someone who is considering a leadership position for the first time?
Know what you stand for. Know your purpose and vision and share them. Read leadership books. I’m amazed at how many don’t read to improve themselves as a leader. Books will help you clarify what you believe and shape you and your actions as a leader. It’s not just about reading. It’s about applying.

Over the years, what is one behavior or trait that you have seen derail great leaders?
Pride. It comes before the fall. The best leaders are humble and hungry.

If you could study leadership with anyone in the world with whom would you study?
Abraham Lincoln. For a leader who is living I would say Bob Iger the CEO of Disney.

If you could give my readers one piece of advice on leadership, what would that be?
Lead with optimism. Leadership is a transfer of belief. Steve Jobs had the ability to convince people they could do things they never thought possible and they did it.

What’s next for you? Is there another book in the works?
Yes. The Positive Dog. It’s about the benefits and strategies of positivity.

Do you have question you would like to ask Jon? Please share your question below, you may get your question answered.

If you are interested in finding out more about Jon Gordon I encourage you to visit his website at www.JonGordon.com or follow him on Twitter @JonGordon11 or Facebook.

Disclosure: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links” which does mean that if you click on the link and purchase the item through Amazon that I will receive a small commission however the purpose behind this post was not for monetary reasons but yet to introduce you to an incredible leader and motivator. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”




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Monday, January 23rd, 2012
Jade Raven Design – Review

Contrary to the belief that has floated around the office I am no graphic artist. As a matter of fact, a couple of months ago I put out feelers on several networks for a graphic artist to create a logo for me. A logo for my blog no less. Within a few days I had a huge list of people interested in this project. With this project opportunity I requested the designers to show me a portfolio of past work. I gotta say that several of the designers had amazing portfolios and so I offered the project to several designers with the understanding that whoever comes back with the best design would get the opportunity to design for me.

Within 24 hours I had already gotten the first designs and was less than excited about them to be honest. Then came over some designs from a guy name Justin at Jade Raven Design. Not only did he take the time to check out my site to find out really what my site was about and create a logo centered around its subject matter but he also provided a complete scan with several (6+) different mock ups. From there I requested a few more ideas and finally he hit it on my mark. I told him that was the one and he created it for me within 24 hours. It was amazing, not only how fast he was but also how creative he was.

Now, granted after the fact, I decided to go a different direction with the look of my site and so his design is not being used on my site right now but I wanted to take a moment and share with you all about his amazing service. Below are just a few of the designs he provided.

Concepts1 Jade Raven Design   Review

Justin is the owner of Jade Raven Design. In his early years of design he focused mainly on website design but later began designing print such as flyers, logos, album designs and more. One thing that I really enjoyed about Justin’s work was he provided concepts first instead of jumping right into the design software. Like I said, he literally sent me a scan of pencil sketches he made for my site. Great sketches! He shared with me that concepts are the foundation for a lot of his work. He has found that starting with a pencil and paper has helped achieve very consistent, strong designs that truly shine with his clients. He believes firmly in professional results that capture his client’s message and captivates their audience.

Like I said, Justin has design down. He is the man. He believes that design done right and executed well can be very positive and effective when communicating an idea – whether it be for a small business owner, musician, artist, or even a blog owner like myself.

If you are looking for a graphic artist, check out Justin at Jade Raven Design. I guarantee you will love his work.

Disclaimer: While Justin (Jade Raven Design) did provide services for this review please note that I had the complete freedom to speak my mind about his services. He provided me with great service and design options. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”




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Sunday, January 22nd, 2012
My Top 5 Productivity Android Apps

Android phones to me are all about productivity. Not saying that Apple phones aren’t … I am just a PC guy and as of the writing of this post, nobody has convinced me that Apple is better. So with that being said, I would like to share with you what I would consider my Top 5 Productivity Android Apps.

Planning Center Online

PlanningCenterOnline My Top 5 Productivity Android AppsThis app is one of my focal apps. Our children’s ministry (and worship ministry) utilizes “Planning Center Online” for scheduling, service planning and communication with our teams. This one small app will not only show me the serving schedule for each area of our children’s ministry but it also puts the contact information of every servant leader at my finger tips. I would say without a doubt that this one app is used more than any other app on my phone. Check it out!

Cost: FREE
Created by: Ministry Centered Technologies

Download to your phone through the Android Market


Google Docs

Google Docs My Top 5 Productivity Android AppsI am known for two things, one is my love of bleach (meaning, I like things sanitized) and two is for my love of Google products. Of all the products that Google has made available, I use Google docs is the product I use almost as much as Gmail. As a matter of fact, as I write this post I am looking at my January website usage stats and I can tell you that 22.1% of my time online is spent in Google Docs. Google docs is heavily used in our ministry because of its collaborative functions. Everything from attendance records, ministry budgets, and even curriculum is prepared and shared on Google docs. Obviously, having this information on hand as you are busy changing the world makes everything so much easier. Google is helping our ministry impact the world BIG TIME!

Cost: FREE
Created by: Google Inc

Download to your phone through the Android Market


Group SMS & Scheduler

Group SMS My Top 5 Productivity Android AppsThis app is a little secret of mine … well was a little secret of mine. I love this app because I am able to send out a mass text message to my entire team but yet have each text message sent out as a personalized message. This is great for showing appreciation to your team or even reminding everyone about an important meeting coming up. I recommend this app to every leader because it’s easy to use and is a great tool for sharing information to your team via SMS.

Cost: FREE (premium options avail)
Created by: AntTek Inc.

Download to your phone through the Android Market


Contact Finder

Contact Finder My Top 5 Productivity Android AppsI am a visual person so this app has saved my life many times. There is nothing that drives me nuts more than when I receive a call from someone but yet I can’t picture who they are. This app is easy to use and searches for photos on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google and other social networks based on your contact list. If you see a photo of the person you’re looking for, all it takes is a tap on the picture and it will save it to your contact list which helps me BIG time when they call or text me. Like I said, this app has saved my life many times! A must have for leaders!

Cost: FREE
Created by: Eclipson

Download to your phone through the Android Market


Busy Me

Busy Me My Top 5 Productivity Android AppsThis app recently has helped me stay focused. I am that guy that feels that every text and every phone call needs to be taken care of right away and so my phone doesn’t go far from my side HOWEVER there are times when you really need to focus on what you are doing without any distractions. I have used this app for many things recently including meetings, prayer time, and even while sleeping. For those of you who have a hard time silencing your phone this app will help you BIG TIME!!

Cost: FREE
Created by: Fernando Dunn

Download to your phone through the Android Market

These apps are just a few of my favorite productivity Android apps. Are there any Android apps that you would recommend to me and anyone else reading?


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Friday, January 6th, 2012
Unforgettable Moments Of The Week

Would like to share with you some “Unforgettable Moments Of The Week”.

AiF nBxCMAAlGT6 e1325909224164 Unforgettable Moments Of The Week
This is what Wisconsinites woke up to on January 1st, 2012. The snow held tight to every branch and made a beautiful landscape. God’s turned the drab into beauty. Talk about starting the year off right!
Sunday, January 1st, 2012


AiW1XrlCMAAYJNx Unforgettable Moments Of The Week
Wednesday evening Pastor Chris Kliner lead our Konnect ministry (Grades 1st through 4th) into worship. Seeing kids worship like this is what it’s all about. Kids developing a personal relationship with the King.
Wednesday, January 4th, 2012


AiaRcLFCQAEPijg Unforgettable Moments Of The Week
While returning straw from our live nativity at Pathways Church we (Justin V and I) somehow got stuck on the farm for a bit. The animals were beautiful.
Thursday, January 5th, 2012

Were there any unforgettable moments this week for you? Care to share?


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Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012
Bursting Out … Through Vision

vision Bursting Out ... Through VisionThis is the time of year when everyone is making new years resolutions. As with many, my new years resolution is to become a healthier man. This not only includes losing that unwanted weight but also eating healthier foods and exercising more. According to statistics, 38% of all new years resolutions are related to weight but yet we are the unhealthiest country in the world. Why is this? I believe it’s an issue with our vision.

You see, it’s what is in front of us that dictates our actions. Let me give you an example, this morning the daily routine started in the bathroom like usual however today I decided to make a change. Today I stood in front of the mirror and pictured myself as a healthy fit guy. Yeah, it took some time but it was worth it. That extra 60 seconds changed my entire day and the amount of energy and motivation that I got was unbelievable. Why? It was because I was able to see the vision.

I can’t help but connect this with serving. I have seen so many people walk away from ministry because they lost the vision. They had lost sight of what they were working towards and how they were impacting the lives of people. The truth of the matter is that whatever we keep in front of us (in our vision) determines our success and impact.

God wants to blow our mind away. He has BIG plans for us all in 2012. Plans that we can’t even comprehend (Eph 3:20).

As you we launch into 2012 I want to encourage you to get a vision of the future. Save a snapshot in your heart. Remember that God said in Isaiah 43:19 “I’m about to do something brand-new. It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it?”. God is about to do something brand new in you and me. Do you see it?




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  • Great night tonight! So proud of our Konnect, Crosstown and All-Star servant leaders. #lovewhatido
    January 25, 2012 - 9:40 pm
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Honors

  • 2010 Top 100 Children's Ministry Blogs
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Non-Profits I Support

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