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As promised in my last post I gave an historical overview of the Faith and Work Movement and the circumstances that created the need for it. Today my goal is to zoom into the last 40 years of our movement. The trends of the modern era of the Faith and Work Movement are not as […]

As we relaunch the Workmatters blog, I think it is fitting to recognize the major events that we’ve experienced since we last communicated with you. We watched conflict arise in the Middle East, and between Ukraine and Russia. But we’ve also witnessed incredible resiliency around the world as communities pulled together in the face of […]

The story of Joseph in the Bible is one of remarkable highs and devastating lows. His journey from a favored son to a slave, then a prisoner, and finally a ruler in Egypt, is filled with profound lessons for our work lives. This article explores the wisdom we can glean from Joseph’s experiences, emphasizing resilience, integrity, and divine timing.

The story of Joseph in the Bible is one of remarkable highs and devastating lows. His journey from a favored son to a slave, then a prisoner, and finally a ruler in Egypt, is filled with profound lessons for our work lives. This article explores the wisdom we can glean from Joseph’s experiences, emphasizing resilience, integrity, and divine timing.

Steve Graves is an author, coach, entrepreneur, faith-and-work pioneer…and he’s been my friend and advisor for almost 20 years. Workmatters is excited to partner with Steve in sharing his content with you from time to time as a resource in your journey to find purpose and meaning in your work and life! – David Roth, […]

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” Ecclesiastes 3:1 Behind the Book  Ecclesiastes was written by Solomon, King of Israel, son of David, toward the end of his life. Throughout the book, we see Solomon reflecting on all the different facets of life and concluding that all is […]

“When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you […]

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. – Colossians 3:23-24 Behind the Book Paul wrote Colossians, most likely while he […]

Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out. Proverbs 10:9   Behind the Book The initial compilation of Proverbs is traditionally thought to have taken place in Jerusalem around 935 B.C. Most of this book was written by King Solomon, but it is safe to think of […]

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in […]

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”  – Matthew 6:24 Behind the Book  The first of the four gospels to be written, Matthew opens the New Testament with […]

Behind the Book  The book of Ephesians is a letter written by the disciple Paul to the Christians in Ephesus. The city of Ephesus was a large commercial port city in Asia Minor (present day Turkey) located at the mouth of the Cayster River near the Aegean Sea. As a large population centered on a […]

Galatians 5:22-23 gives us a beautiful picture of the fruit of the Spirit being produced in our lives. Like apples on a tree – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control naturally flow from us. It’s such a stirring image that we often stop there. However, if we read on, we see […]

For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. – Romans 7:15 As I’ve started reading The Mountain is You by Brianna Wiest, I’ve used it as the opportunity to look at my internal brokenness through the […]

Jordan Raynor is an entrepreneur and national best-selling author who leads a growing community of Christians following God’s call to create culture. In addition to his writing, Jordan serves as the Executive Chairman of Threshold 360, a venture-backed tech startup which Jordan previously ran as CEO following a string of successful ventures of his own. […]

In the past six months, the phrase “I am” has been brought to the forefront of my mind. We use it many times a day. “I am going to work on this project.” “I am headed into a meeting.” “Nice to meet you, I am ____.”  “What do I do for work? Oh, I am […]

When talking about integrating your faith and work, we can’t over-emphasize Jesus’ words in John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” Abiding with Christ is critical for the Christian leader. Many of […]

“The armor we use to try to protect ourselves.” This is how researcher and author, Brené Brown refers to perfectionism. It’s the thought that, if I can be perfect enough, if I can say just the right thing, if I can be attractive enough, smart enough, productive enough, wealthy enough, then I can protect myself.   […]

Jordan Raynor is an entrepreneur and national best-selling author who leads a growing community of Christians following God’s call to create culture. In addition to his writing, Jordan serves as the Executive Chairman of Threshold 360, a venture-backed tech startup which Jordan previously ran as CEO following a string of successful ventures of his own. […]

Conflict is everywhere, and it’s unavoidable. At work, tensions rise because of misunderstandings, ineffective communication, tight timelines, failed projects, and hurt feelings.   Conflict can lead to low productivity, high employee turnover, burnout, low net promoter scores, and a lack of connection and engagement in our work. Therefore, how we address and resolve conflict is extremely […]

I learned about the Don’t Break the Chain method of productivity in 2012 and it has weaved itself in and out of my bullet journals, trackers, and planners ever since. Simply put, it’s creating a chain of X’s in a row for every day you complete something. Physically marking off that you completed a habit […]

Change is inevitable. We were created as creatures that constantly grow. When we choose to follow Christ, we commit to a life of being redeemed. As the gardener prunes branches so that they may bear more fruit, God prunes us so that we can grow to be more accurate image-bearers.   I have found that some […]

Countless times in scripture, we are called to be like Christ.  Jesus speaks in John 14:15, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” 1 John 2:6 reads, “Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.” 1 Peter 2:21 commands us to “follow in his […]

As someone who has felt emotions very loudly my whole life, I consider it a privilege to have grown up watching Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. In case you’re unfamiliar, Fred Rogers was an American author, producer, Presbyterian minister, and television host of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, an educational children’s television program that ran from 1968-2001 and taught […]

What is your calling?  Think about that question for a moment. When you think of someone who “has a calling” who do you envision? What type of work are they doing? Do you think about someone running a food pantry? An orphanage? Someone finding a solution to the water crisis? What about your hairdresser or […]

Balance matters in our work, and because our work is biblical, so should our pursuit of balance. God established a rhythm of work and rest in creation (Genesis 1:1-2:2), called us to play multiple roles in our work, family, and the church (1 Corinthians 12:27), and even spoke on the importance of understanding the seasonality […]

It should be no surprise that leaders who follow Jesus prioritize serving, and they serve at work. The New Testament is filled with examples of how he humbled himself to meet the needs of those around him, but I want to focus on two passages that you are probably familiar with. I’d bet you have […]

When we get caught up wondering if our work is excellent, if it’s the best that it can be, we need to make sure we’re not defining it by the world’s definition of that word.  Sure, you can have the highest profiting company in the city (state, country, world) but if you got there by […]

“The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.” – Proverbs 11:3    Company values can help you connect purpose and meaning to your work. And there are times when those values can also help you make some tough decisions.  One of our Workmatters Institute participants shared a story with me […]

I remember first hearing the phrase, “Love at work.” As someone who worked all of my professional life in a secular job, that sounded like an HR nightmare. But if we are to truly and fully integrate our faith and work, and love is at the foundation of our faith – it only makes sense […]

Jordan Raynor is a serial entrepreneur and national best-selling author who leads a growing community of Christians following God’s call to create culture. In addition to his writing, Jordan serves as the Executive Chairman of Threshold 360, a venture-backed tech startup which Jordan previously ran as CEO following a string of successful ventures of his […]

Storytelling is one of the most effective way to connect with people and make a memorable message. It was Jesus’ favorite way to teach. Consider how many parables you can think of off the top of your head… that’s effective storytelling! We focus on using storytelling in our Workmatters Institute classes to share how you […]

Steve Graves is an author, coach, entrepreneur, faith-and-work pioneer…and he’s been my friend and advisor for almost 20 years. Workmatters is excited to partner with Steve in sharing his content with you from time to time as a resource in your journey to find purpose and meaning in your work and life!– David Roth, Workmatters […]

Steve Graves is an author, coach, entrepreneur, faith-and-work pioneer…and he’s been my friend and advisor for almost 20 years. Workmatters is excited to partner with Steve in sharing his content with you from time to time as a resource in your journey to find purpose and meaning in your work and life!– David Roth, Workmatters […]

Two weeks ago, we started a two-part series about what it looks like to be the salt and light in our workplaces. With Thanksgiving behind us and Christmas quickly approaching, it’s time we climb into our attics or dig into storage and pull out the lights. Returning to the book of Matthew, which reads, “You […]

The holiday season is upon us, and we can expect many debates about how to cook the turkey, who’s in charge of the stuffing – or if it shouldn’t be called dressing – and which pie is the best. When we cook, the first thing we always grab to season is salt—the most basic of […]

“Therefore since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders, the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith.”                              […]

Steve Graves is an author, coach, entrepreneur, faith-and-work pioneer…and he’s been my friend and advisor for almost 20 years. Workmatters is excited to partner with Steve in sharing his content with you from time to time as a resource in your journey to find purpose and meaning in your work and life!– David Roth, Workmatters […]

We were posed a great question after last week’s blog, “Should we talk about our faith more at work?” I’ll respond with a very solid, “Maybe, but it depends.” Here are a few things I’d encourage you to consider: Before you utter a word, first consider, “What is my life already saying?” In the Sermon […]

The Christian story is anchored in the ancient story of Abraham, a story of leaving everything that was familiar and going to the place God would show him. Hebrews 11 commends Abraham and others for this type of faith: a trust in God that anchored them in reality and moved them toward the unseen possibilities […]

One of my favorite descriptions of Jesus is John 1:14 “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”  Jesus was full of both grace and truth. He wasn’t 50% grace and 50% […]

“Eighteen months,” declared my friend over lunch last week. “That’s about how long my young team members stay on the job. Some only last 90 days. I don’t know how to keep them.”  Indeed, my friend’s experience is not isolated. Gallup released a report in 2016 called, “Millennials: The Job-Hopping Generation.” And Generation Z? They […]

Steve Graves is an author, coach, entrepreneur, faith-and-work pioneer…and he’s been my friend and advisor for almost 20 years. Workmatters is excited to partner with Steve in sharing his content with you from time to time as a resource in your journey to find purpose and meaning in your work and life!– David Roth, Workmatters […]

I’m no artist, but sometimes a simple drawing does wonders in my coaching conversations. Here’s one drawing I use all the time: Sideways eight? Yes, but in math circles, it’s known as the sign for infinity. Perhaps you remember that from high school math. I’m not asking clients to do calculus, though. I’m trying to […]

Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” (John 5:17) I begin my new children’s book by saying, “In the very beginning, a long time ago, God created the world so that we would all know that He Himself is a working God, […]

Last week I shared the story of a community that I’m extremely grateful to be part of and how God uses our annual gathering to breathe life into me. I also challenged readers to pay attention to their own need for rest and begin to dream of convening a group of fellow pilgrims. This week […]

Last month I had the privilege of meeting up with thirteen other nonprofit leaders from across the country, each outstanding in their fields. It was the fifth year we gathered under Montana’s big sky to fly fish on the Bighorn River, but this is not just a fishing trip. It is a pilgrimage. “A pilgrimage […]

12 months and one day ago, I began my journey at Workmatters. 366 days of growing professionally and personally, learning from those on my team, my classmates in the WMI-Arkansas cohort this spring, executive speakers, and mentors alike. One thing has rung true through it all and continues to be important in each season of the […]

Steve Graves is an author, coach, entrepreneur, faith-and-work pioneer…and he’s been my friend and advisor for almost 20 years. Workmatters is excited to partner with Steve in sharing his content with you from time to time as a resource in your journey to find purpose and meaning in your work and life!– David Roth, Workmatters […]

“Daddy, what happens when the cardboard at the recycling center is filled up? Where does it go?”  The question seemed as random as the morning was beautiful. My younger son and I were walking the dog through the park in our neighborhood. The air was cool, and the rising sun danced off the early-summer dew, […]

Welcome back to the Jordan River. When we left off last week, we were discussing the importance of waiting for God and trusting God when facing our own “Jordan River,” just as the Israelites did in the book of Joshua. If you missed last week’s blog, you can read it here. You can also find […]

For most of us, at some point early on in our career, we could relate to the Israelites. You may not have wandered the woods for 40 years, but chances are, you’ve been in their shoes – face to face with a life defining moment with no other option but to trust in the Lord. For […]

Brett Hagler serves as CEO and Co-Founder of New Story, an organization pioneering solutions to end global homelessness. He’s passionate about speaking on leadership, creating a team culture of innovation, helping other social entrepreneurs, and partnering with companies to give their team members the opportunity to make a direct life-changing impact. He is a friend of […]

Steve Graves is an author, coach, entrepreneur, faith-and-work pioneer…and he’s been my friend and advisor for almost 20 years. Workmatters is excited to partner with Steve in sharing his content with you from time to time as a resource in your journey to find purpose and meaning in your work and life!– David Roth, Workmatters […]

I have a hunch that you can do a lot of things. I bet you can teach and train, administrate and organize, reach out to potential clients, and follow up on current ones. I don’t doubt that you have acquired enough knowledge to weigh in on most of the topics that come up at work. […]

The lives of the faithful in ancient Israel were oriented around a calendar of worship to help them stay connected to God and true to their identity. Every year they would take a journey to Jerusalem – the physical and symbolic center of their identity, faith, and culture. The Psalms of Ascent are a collection […]

Through the significant generosity of a friend, I was blessed to take my son to the 2022 Masters in Augusta, Georgia this past weekend. It’s difficult to describe the significance of the Masters experience at the Augusta National Golf Club. It is like no other. Not a golf fan? Stay with me! Late Sunday night, […]

Steve Graves is an author, coach, entrepreneur, faith-and-work pioneer…and he’s been my friend and advisor for almost 20 years. Workmatters is excited to partner with Steve in sharing his content with you from time to time as a resource in your journey to find purpose and meaning in your work and life! – David Roth, […]

When you think about your faith (or spiritual life or Christian walk or whatever you tend to call it) are you building a machine or growing a garden? I ask because words and metaphors are more than ways to identify objects and label ideas. Over time our language shapes us as much as the people […]

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!  Most people don’t know much about St. Patrick’s Day beyond; you’d better wear green or you’ll get pinched, at some point we’ll see a clip of the Chicago River dyed green, and the places we go for lunch or dinner will be serving corned beef and cabbage. So… Why do we […]

We intuitively know we need to pray. And whether we follow Jesus or not – or even have any religious affiliation at all – when crisis hits our impulse is to pray. To realize our assumptions of control and order and security have lost their grounding. To cry out to a higher power. If you’ve […]

Steve Graves is an author, coach, entrepreneur, faith-and-work pioneer…and he’s been my friend and advisor for almost 20 years. Workmatters is excited to partner with Steve in sharing his content with you from time to time as a resource in your journey to find purpose and meaning in your work and life!– David Roth, Workmatters […]

This probably doesn’t happen to you, but I can go for days, maybe even weeks, thoughts racing, digressing from topic to topic, bouncing from one thing to the next, spinning plates and juggling tasks and living in a constant state of reaction. Can I be honest with you? I know it’s not just me. It’s […]

In this week’s video, Justin Whitmel Earley, attorney, and author of the The Common Rule: Habits for Purpose in an Age of Distraction, shares ideas on some small habits that can have an outsized impact on our focus, productivity, and spiritual formation.  Formation is an important concept. It is essentially the action of forming or […]

Steve Graves is an author, coach, entrepreneur, faith-and-work pioneer…and he’s been my friend and advisor for almost 20 years. Workmatters is excited to partner with Steve in sharing his content with you from time to time as a resource in your journey to find purpose and meaning in your work and life!– David Roth, Workmatters […]

In this week’s video, Donnie Smith tackles the thorny topic of work-life balance. The video starts with some helpful practical perspective about how to navigate balance and then gets into the heart of the issue – which is that balance is fundamentally a heart issue. Work – maybe more than any other area of life […]

Over the holidays I was able to reconnect with the man who has influenced me more than anyone outside of my parents. We hadn’t seen each other in person or even spoken on the phone in years. Thirty years ago, Jim was my boss, but also my mentor and friend. He did not treat me […]

Steve Graves is an author, coach, entrepreneur, faith-and-work pioneer…and he’s been my friend and advisor for almost 20 years. Workmatters is excited to partner with Steve in sharing his content with you from time to time as a resource in your journey to find purpose and meaning in your work and life!– David Roth, Workmatters […]

“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Moses penned this prayer several thousand years ago, but it’s as true today as it was then. Our time is finite, and we need to live wisely with the time that we’ve been given if we’re going to live it well. The end of […]

You can feel it in your team meetings, one on one’s, strategy sessions, and even when you are scheduling appointments. Time is ticking away. Christmas is almost here, your final PTO dates have been approved, and the year is quickly coming to an end. Some types thrive in the final push to the annual finish […]

Steve Graves is an author, coach, entrepreneur, faith-and-work pioneer…and he’s been my friend and advisor for almost 20 years. Workmatters is excited to partner with Steve in sharing his content with you from time to time as a resource in your journey to find purpose and meaning in your work and life!– David Roth, Workmatters […]

In this week’s video, former CEO of Tyson, Donnie Smith helps elevate our view of our everyday work. The line of thinking he talks through goes something like this:   We ultimately work for God (Col. 3:23),  God cares about results (Col. 3:23, 1 Cor. 10:31, Ecc. 9;10),  God’s Spirit empowers us to do good work,  […]

“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” ―2 Timothy 1:7 Most of us are facing challenges at work we never expected to have to deal with. And some of the challenges are more intense than the ones we experienced in 2020! We are living in a […]

“I don’t want to turn people into projects….” Have you ever felt this way when it comes to sharing your faith? It’s a path none of us want to go down, but unfortunately, it can happen in subtle ways. More regrettably is when people feel like they have been treated as a project, they’re likely […]

“Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before kings; he will not serve before obscure men.”– Proverbs 22:29 King Solomon penned most of the proverbs in Scripture, and he knew this one from first-hand experience. The key accomplishment of his 40-year term was building the Temple of the Lord (1 Kings […]

This month we are sharing different resources and insights geared around a theme of renewal. This is an essential part of the rhythm of our walk with Jesus, part of what makes us fit for his purposes in our work. Earlier this week we posted a short video teaching and reflective guide focused on how […]

I’ve recently been reading What’s Best Next by Matt Perman to learn ways I can improve on how I use my time. As far back as I can remember, I’ve wanted to make a difference with my work. In my mind that meant that I needed to make sure I am doing things that are […]

The words “work” and “toil” are mentioned over 480 times in the Bible, indicating that God considers our work to be a very important aspect of our lives. Throughout Scripture God communicates how important our work is to Him. Below are just a few verses that contain God’s wisdom and perspective on our work, and […]

There are a lot of reasons to do a word study in the Bible. It may be to dig deeper into a key word in a passage you are studying. It may be to understand a new word that you come across while reading. Maybe you just wonder what the Bible says about a particular […]

I don’t know about you, but my own spiritual formation was once focused solely on hope and vision, that my value as a follower of Christ and a leader was in my ability hold onto them tightly. The people of God are a people of faith, inspiration, and problem solving. I was pointed forward to […]

Isaiah 7:14 contains one of the most simple, beautiful and powerful statements of Advent. The virgin’s son will be called Immanuel, God with us. Immanuel is a name with broad and sweeping implications. He is relational. First, our God is relational, existing in a community of mutual love, respect and friendship eternally in the beginning […]

If you’ve done much reading from the most popular business books, or gotten the Cliffs Notes, you have probably read or heard someone say with great conviction “good is the enemy of great.” The premise is that when we engage in doing work that is good, investing our energy in what we think is good, […]

It’s human nature to fear failure, right? But as Christ followers, we no longer have to be controlled by fear (Romans 8:15). That’s good news, but so many stop there and don’t have a clear strategy for walking in the freedom Christ died to give us. Yes, he not only freed us from sin, but […]

Jesus said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”– Mark 4:40-41 The exchange in these verses occurs immediately after Jesus calmed the storm that had suddenly risen up on the […]

Christmas is a time of great joy and celebration. The lights, decorations, parties, gifts and festivities make this a time of year that people look forward to. But it is also one of the toughest times of the year for people who have experienced loss. Finding hope at Christmas can be a lonely journey for […]

Communication is critical for any of us to do our jobs well. That’s why communication challenges can be one of the greatest sources of frustration at work. Whether we are aware of it or not – or want to admit it – each of us has our own agenda. Sometimes these agendas conflict, or at […]

“What should I do with my career?” “How do I know what I’m called to do?” “I thought I wanted this career, but it no longer feels right – what do I do?” … These are questions I’ve heard from people at all stages of their career. There are those who know exactly what they were […]

“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be […]

“Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.” – Thessalonians 4:11-12 In his executive video on “Making […]

Who doesn’t want to be great at work? Whether it is expressed through recognition, accomplishment or even the private sense of knowing you did a good job, we all desire greatness. The disciples also desired greatness. They followed Jesus because they believed in him (Mark 10:28). Yet they still had a misguided idea of the […]

While more and more people are finding ways to express their faith at work, there are still many more who have concerns about whether it is acceptable or not. And if it is acceptable, what is appropriate? How can we express our faith in the workplace? Thanks to heightened sensitivity to a diverse workforce, corporate […]

Have you ever felt like you were under attack at work? You may never have experienced a physical threat, but the workplace can feel like a minefield of challenges designed to threaten our self-worth, our reputation, our relationships and our livelihood. A disagreement with your boss, tension with a coworker or an unhappy customer can […]

God designed us to be in community – in our neighborhoods, in our churches, and, yes, in our work. We need community at work as much as we do in any area of our lives – sometimes more so. Work puts a lot of demands on our minds, our time and our energy. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 […]

I was catching up with a close friend on the topic of work when we both realized that she has been with her current company for 32 years. That kind of longevity used to be the norm, but not anymore. I, on the other hand, am going for my personal record of five years with […]

The majority of our businesses are missing out on an important resource – women in senior leadership positions. While the numbers have inched up, women still only represent 26.5% of executive and senior level positions and only 5.2% of CEO positions. Why is this an issue? According to a Forbes article, women are wired to have […]

Workplace politics … ugh. Life at work in any size organization is already tough. It’s not easy to navigate competing interests, communicate well and still achieve what’s best for the organization. But when people are motivated strictly by advancing their careers or personal agendas versus  contributing to the organization and the mission of the team, […]

We admire the people who are not afraid to make a gutsy decision. These people seem to have special insight into reality and the courage to follow that insight in a direction that may or may not make sense to everyone else. You know who I mean — the ones who seem to always make […]

It’s easy to “have faith” when everything is going well. It’s harder when things aren’t going so well. And it’s even harder when you have been seeking God, faithfully following Him, and He doesn’t seem to be “coming through.” But that is where true faith is developed, and that is the level of faith we […]

We all face times of uncertainty, especially in our work. Maybe there’s a threat of job loss, perhaps it doesn’t look like you’re going to hit your financial goals, or a big account isn’t going to come through. Whatever the uncertainty is, it can feel like the ground is about to fall out from under […]

I hate….making mistakes at work. I especially hate it when I make a big mistake after a long-term winning streak. Let me give you an example of one I made the other day. I sent an email out to our list of thousands of contacts, only to find out the next morning that I sent […]