As men, we chase so many pursuits. We want to climb the ladder at work as fast as possible. We want to be the best athlete we can be. We want to have the best things – the nicest car, the biggest house, the greenest lawn. We over-involve ourselves in a variety of hobbies. And we put so much attention on our favorite sports teams.
I’m not saying that any of these things are wrong, but I think our focus is often misguided.
If you were to create a list of your priorities and the way you spend your time, where would your wife and kids fit into the list?
If your marriage and your kids aren’t near the top of your list, it’s time for you reconsider your schedule and your priorities.
Last week, I announced the new Stretched Men Group website (www.stretchedmengroup.com), and I opened up sign-ups for first three-month mastermind in 2017. For more information about the group, click here.
The Stretched Men Group is designed to help you understand your current list of priorities, to help you establish your desired list of priorities, and to help you create action steps required to get you from where you are to where you want to be.
The Stretched Men Group is also designed to help you find the accountability you need to make sure your good intentions become a reality.
Your wife and kids need this from you!
Do you feel as though life is rushing by and your opportunities for influence are slipping away?
Does it seems like your parenting journey, your marriage, and your life is a blur as the calendar pages change at rapid pace?
Do you think it’s too late to be the dad, the husband, the leader, or the man you want to be?
You are not alone!
Today, I’m excited to announce the launch of the Stretched Men Group and the new website that goes with this paid mastermind.
The Stretched Men Group is designed to help you take the next step in your journey to becoming the man you were meant to be. Through valuable teaching, customized coaching, and essential conversation with other men, you will be challenged and held accountable to take the next step as you go through the next three months with the men in this group and me.
For more information on the Stretched Men Group, click here.
Also, if you know a man who needs to take the next step, I’d love to connect with him. Let him know about the group and send him to the site, so he can sign up.
Sunday, I introduced the Thanksgiving Tablecloth Tradition. This is a tradition our family started 15 years ago, and it has helped ensure we intentionally reflect on God’s provision in our lives over the past year. To read more about the tradition, click here.
This week, I’ll be sharing the things I’ll be writing on the tablecloth this year. (Monday, I shared the first thing I’ll be writing on the tablecloth. Yesterday, I shared the second thing I’ll be writing on the tablecloth.)
I’m thankful for the people God has put around me this year. And I’m grateful for the mastermind concept that seems to be part of my life. Jim Rohn says, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most with.” And there are some great people around me these days.
I’m thankful for the Catalyst Mastermind. This is a group led by my friend, Ellory Wells. This group of individuals has pushed me to try new things.
I’m thankful for the Stretch Man Mastermind. This is a group I started in September to help men stretch to become better husbands, better fathers, and better men. (I’m planning to open up new spots for this group in January. Let me know if you are interested in talking to me about it.)
I’m thankful for DIBs. This is a group of men I meet with every Friday morning at 6AM. We call our self Dudes In the Basement (DIBs), because we meet in the basement at one of the member’s homes. This group is committed to meeting for the next 20 years, and it’s a place where I am challenged spiritually.
I’m thankful for the Siemens Foundation Leadership Program I attended in April. Specifically, I’m thankful for a group of Siemens leaders from North and South America who meet with me every other month to help each other become better leaders for Siemens.
And I’m thankful for Toastmasters. This is a mastermind type of group which has helped me become a better leader and communicator. Because of my involvement in Toastmasters, I’ve had a lot of opportunities to speak and interact with many people from around the area.
I thank my God every time I remember you. Philippians 1:3
I came back from Guatemala almost six weeks ago with a cough I picked up at the end of our trip. A week after our trip, I figured the cough would go away as I began to feel better. Unfortunately, my cough has persisted.
Finally, I made a visit to the doctor’s office on Monday evening. The doctor prescribed an antibiotic and an over-the-counter cough medication. Next week, I’ll return to the doctor’s office for a follow-up checkup to make sure the cough goes away.
I don’t go to the doctor’s office very often. Thankfully, I’m generally very healthy. But honestly, I tend to try to beat whatever illness I’m fighting with rest, time, and home remedies.
In this case, it was time to get some help.
Men often do a terrible job when it comes to asking for help. We don’t like to ask for directions, and we typically don’t want to appear weak by asking for anyone’s help.
We’ll drive around lost for an hour if it means we don’t have to stop to ask for directions.
Does this sound like you?
It’s great to be independent, but we need people in our lives who will push us forward, who will give us a hand when we need help, and who will hold us accountable to take action on things we’ve been avoiding.
Jim Rohn said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”
Next week, I’m launching the Stretch Man Mastermind. This is an opportunity to get the help you need.
The idea for a mastermind group was developed in part based on a conversations I’ve had with men who have approached me about mentoring them.
“No two minds ever come together without, thereby, creating a third, invisible, intangible force which may be likened to a third mind.”
― Napoleon Hill, Think and Grow Rich
This is humbling – to say the least. It’s also a bit overwhelming. (How do I find time to meet with these guys who want my attention?)
After a lot of prayer, thought, and conversations with other men and my family, I’ve decided to launch a three-month, on-line paid mastermind group for men starting next week.
The group is made of men who want to intentionally “stretch” their marriages, their parenting, and their manhood. The group is meeting on-line (via Zoom) every other week. After our initial kick-off/get-to-know you meeting, the bi-weekly meetings will consist of a 15-20 minute teaching time where I will share with the group. After that, we will rotate a hot seat from week to week. On the hot seat, one guy will bring up an issue or question in which he needs help, and the group will discus the issue/question/topic with the purpose of helping each man STRETCH. (The hot seat time will typically last 30-45 minutes each week.)
I’m looking forward to the community and accountability that will come out of this group.
Most men are missing this kind of man-to-man interaction in their lives. And I believe this mastermind will raise the bar for each of the men in the group. I still have a couple of open spots in the group, and I’d love to fill them before next week.
If this sounds like something you need in your life or if you simply want to learn more, please contact me so we can schedule a phone conversation. Leave a comment below or fill out the form below. Let’s connect. I’d love to talk with you!
Life is way too short to let it pass you by without a plan and without a support team.
I don’t want to get to the end of my life only to realize I had wasted my time here on earth.
I want to be intentional. And I want to know I gave it my all.
Being a man – and specifically being a father and a husband – can be pretty challenging. We have careers, family, friends, hobbies, and finances to balance.
I believe many men want to have deeper, more fulfilled lives, but they don’t know where to start. Guys wander around through life afraid to ask for directions, and they miss out on living their best life ever.
Over the past several months, I’ve had multiple guys approach me in search of a mentor or a guide. While I’m not a perfect parent or perfect spouse, they have seen something in my family and in me that makes them want to learn more.
These conversations are humbling, and I want to help.
Today, I’m excited to announce the launch of the Stretch Man Mastermind Group. (To learn more about the mastermind group concept, click here.)
The Stretch Man Mastermind Group is a group of men committed to meeting together for three months. The group will meet every other week in September, October, and November. The meetings will be held over video conferencing software, so an internet connection, a webcam, and a decent microphone will be important.
Meetings will last 60-90 minutes.
Most meetings will start with a 20 minutes teaching time where I will share on a topic designed to help guys stretch themselves. These topics will focus on helping us become better fathers, better husbands, and better men. Then we will have a rotating “hot seat”. Each meeting, we will focus on a challenge or question brought to the group by one of the mastermind members. The “hot seat” will rotate from meeting to meeting, so everyone has the opportunity to be on the “hot seat” and to focus on their challenge/question.
The first meeting will provide an opportunity for the group to get to know each other. And we’ll jump into our normal format for the second meeting.
In between the bi-weekly meetings, the group will correspond with each other in the group’s private Facebook group.
During this inaugural three months, I will also offer two one-on-one calls with each participant to tackle your additional questions and challenges.
This paid mastermind is designed to provide the support, community and accountability you need to intentionally STRETCH your parenting, marriage, and manhood to the next level.
If this excites you or you want to learn more, connect with me in the comments or by leaving your information below:
Recently, I had the privilege of being on the “Hot Seat” in my Mastermind Group. When it’s my turn to be on the Hot Seat, other members of the group provide input on a business problem, challenge, or idea I am facing. I’ve had the opportunity to be on the Hot Seat before, but this time was different. My fellow mastermind group members encouraged me and pushed me to consider STRETCHING myself even further in my pursuit of helping others. And the conversation demonstrated to me the power of plugging into others who can collaborate with you.
Normally, these mastermind sessions are kept private. We sometimes share information that is only meant for those in our group. This time, we gave our facilitator (Ellory Wells) permission to re-purpose our time together for his podcast (The Ellory Wells Show).
When I listened to this podcast episode, I was encouraged and inspired all over again. And I’d like to give you the opportunity to listen in on our conversation. Click here.
(The other voices you hear in the conversation belong to Matthew Lovell and Amy Robles. You should check them out!)
As a result of this conversation, I am considering the possibility of starting my own mastermind group for husbands and fathers. I haven’t figured out the details yet, but I’m starting to gather names of prospective mastermind members. If this is something that interests you, sign up below. I’ll get back to you as details become clear. Thanks!