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Dear Sam

Weekly encouragement and practical business wisdom for Christian business men who want to lead well, steward wisely, and build businesses that leave room for life.

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Why Dear Sam Exists

Hi Reader, For the man called to build Dear Sam began with a real man. A friend. A client. A businessman carrying real weight. Like a lot of men, he was trying to build something good - provide well, lead faithfully, grow the business, shoulder responsibility, and make something of the opportunity God had put in front of him. And like a lot of men, he was also living in the tension that comes with that calling. Because it is possible to gain ground in business while losing ground everywhere...

holding a person's hand while visiting in the hospital

Dear Sam Reader, 1. A quick word from Zach It’s easy to tell yourself you’ll build margin later. But if you don’t intentionally build a business with room for family, church, sickness, emergencies, and the unexpected, you may wake up one day inside a profitable cage of your own making. 2. Something worth listening to This week, check out the EntreLeadership episode, “The Real Reason You’ll Never Grow Your Business.” It’s a fitting companion to this topic because it gets right to the heart of...

Hi Reader, 1. A quick word from Zach This week, I’m wrestling with a question a lot of Christian men in business quietly carry: should you try to grow your business as much as you can, or keep it intentionally small? I don’t think the deepest issue is growth or restraint by itself, but the motive underneath either choice. 2. Something worth reading Read Proverbs 14:23, Proverbs 16:8, Matthew 25:14-30, 1 Timothy 6:6-19, and Matthew 6:19-34 in that order. Together, these passages surface the...

Hey Reader, 1. A quick word from Zach Lately I’ve been wrestling with that knife-edge tension between my work and God’s work – how hard I should push, and while balancing the ever-present need to trust the harvest to Him. Isaiah 30:23 has been re-anchoring my heart in that tension. 2. Something worth reading Og Mandino’s The Greatest Salesman in the World, especially the tenth scroll, “Pray to God for Guidance,” is a short, story-driven meditation on taking daily action while consciously...

Reader, 1. A quick word from Zach Lately Proverbs 28:19 has been pressing on me. My calendar says I am busy, but if you watched how I actually spend my hours, you would not always see me working the land that is most likely to produce the bread I am praying for. This week I want to invite you to take that same hard look at how you are spending your time. 2. Something worth thinking about “ Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty...

Hey Reader, 1. A quick word from Zach Most leaders I coach don’t mind serving people. They just hate the feeling of selling. And I get it. Nobody wants to be pushy, manipulative, or “that guy.” But there’s a shift that’s been clarifying for me lately: if what you offer genuinely makes someone’s life better, it’s service to offer it. If selling feels gross, it’s probably because you’re making it about you. This week, let’s make it about them - and watch how that changes everything. 2....

Reader, 1. A quick word from Zach One of the easiest ways to get discouraged in business is to assume every kind of work should produce results on the same timeline. But some businesses solve immediate pain, while others require a much longer runway of trust before the fruit shows up. 2. Something worth listening to If this issue resonates with you, John Maxwell’s Discipline Keeps You Growing is worth your time. It reinforces a simple but important truth: lasting growth is usually built by...

Dear Sam Reader, 1. A quick word from Zach As leaders, we’re often quickest at the thing that matters least: inventing new rules. In this week’s short, I want to talk about why your real leverage isn’t in better policies, but in slowing down long enough to lead from principles. 2. Something worth listening to This conversation is a great companion to today’s topic, because it shows what happens when organizations choose clear principles and trust over dense policy manuals. If you’re feeling...

Hi Reader, 1. A quick word from Zach When you’re staring at a 50-50 decision and the clock is ticking, it’s easy to freeze or lunge at the wrong thing. In this week’s video, I walk through two simple filters I use with clients to move toward peace instead of regret. 2. Something worth listening to On this EntreLeadership episode, Christy Wright walks through short decision filters - questions you ask before saying yes - so you only commit to what fits your current season and avoid...

Dear Sam Reader, 1. A quick word from Zach What do you do when something blindsides you and your first instinct is to fix everything right now? In this week’s video, I talk about why our crisis brain is such a terrible decision maker and what to do instead. 2. Something worth listening to When COVID first hit, a lot of leaders felt like the floor dropped out from under them and every day brought a fresh round of uncertainty. This EntreLeadership conversation with Ken Coleman on leading in a...