Category: management

  • Two Small Business Tools for Non-MBA Business Leaders

    Two Small Business Tools for Non-MBA Business Leaders

    My bachelors degree is in youth ministry. I did about half a masters degree in youth ministry leadership. That means I have exactly zero expertise in accounting, bookkeeping, or human resources.  When it comes to my part in leading our small business I’m really good at some aspects of what I do at The Youth Cartel.…

  • Monday Morning Routine

    Monday Morning Routine

    Today is the start of a new week. And a new month. And for new graduates it’s the dawn of a new journey. For many in my world, summer is a time of transition and change. For others, today marks the shifting of gears from school mode to summer mode. For lots of families it’s the home…

  • 3 Keys to a Healthy Ecosystem for Growth

    3 Keys to a Healthy Ecosystem for Growth

    I spent a lot of time in Freshbooks last week. This revealed three important things to me. First, it’s clear that Marko and I have no training in accounting or bookkeeping. We try really hard and we are learning a ton. But it’s way harder than I’d like to admit. Second, while living in the daily grind of…

  • Inspiration is for amateurs

    Inspiration is for amateurs

    Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work. – Stephen King Not a big Stephen King guy, myself. But I love that quote. So true.

  • How to Lead Young

    How to Lead Young

    I got my first “real job” when I was 21. After Kristen and I got married in June 1997 the big boss at my company called me one day. “Adam, we’re going to post a job today supervising your area. I want you to apply for it because I want to hire you.” A couple weeks…

  • Start-up Success: Big Heart, Big Ears, Tiny Head

    Start-up Success: Big Heart, Big Ears, Tiny Head

    The Youth Cartel is my second start-up. My first, Youth Ministry Exchange, had acquisition in its DNA from it’s day one. Launched in 2005 and sold in 2008 we wanted to acquire as many users as possible, as quickly as possible. We wanted as much activity as we could get, as quickly as possible. The “why” of…

  • Undervaluing People in the Age of the Sawzall

    Undervaluing People in the Age of the Sawzall

    One thing that irks me is undervaluing a persons abilities in an organization. Here’s how it works: A rising star gets hired for a starter role. They dominate it. They do a great job and even make their job look easy. A few years of domination go by. A role opens up in leadership of that…

  • To be Dynamic You Need Tension

    To be Dynamic You Need Tension

    Kicking Butt vs. Counting Butts in Seats I’ve been around organizations that are dynamic, where risks are taken, new innovations fly, and the response is incredible. And I’ve been around organizations that used to be dynamic, where it seems people are remembering big risks, iteration has taken over, and the response is flat, predictable even.

  • Don’t Get Bored

    Don’t Get Bored

    The other day I was thinking about all of the people I know going through job changes, struggles, and frustrations. Work isn’t supposed to be fun all the time. In fact, the Bible promises that work will often suck. (Genesis 3:117-19)

  • Simple Growth Strategy

    A big term in college basketball this year was, “Are you the hunter or are you the hunted?” In other words: Are you the aggressor?