With five kids, and an abundance of vocational transition in our lives, there's been no shortage of chaos as me and my wife navigate the challenges of parenting. And as our five kids get older, I suspect the craziness of life is going to kick into high gear. On top of the natural craziness of life, there’s also the real challenges of parenting with excellence.

There’s an abundance of advice mixed with our own experiences to figure this out and end up with kids that want to spend time with us when they’re no longer required to do so. But, it’s not easy and requires an abundance of grace for ourselves and our children. 

So, in the worst case scenario where I fail miserably in every area of parenting, what’s the one thing I could do to that would not only make up for my shortcomings but would rise above them in a powerful way? 

My new blog for building a strong business foundation is up at StartupNation. One of my 2019 goals is publishing 5 articles on other websites. So, I've knocked one with four to go.

In this new blog for small business owners, I explain the Formula for Intentionality, and how to answer the critical questions that build strong foundations for every meaningful company. While it's uncommon to be this deliberate on the front end of a business launch, its essential for enduring the numerous challenges faced along the entrepreneurial path. The focus created also minimizes the numerous distractions that come along the way.

In the article, we'll explore purpose, mission, vision, and core values in a way that's helpful but also makes sense of how these elements connect together. So, what are you waiting for, go read it!

Click here to read "The Formula for Intentionality That Will Bring Your Startup’s Vision to Life" on StartupNation.com.

My blog is focused on sharing stories and systems to help you live better and work smarter. And, this interview series gives you the opportunity to collect insights from people I know and work with, and provides a break from my ramblings :-)

In the following interview, we'll connect with my longtime friend, now entrepreneur, Ivan Alfaro. Ivan is a former freelance web developer. We originally met to discuss a potential web project during the years running Noodlehead Marketing. While we never had the opportunity to work on a project together, we did connect on a personal and spiritual level becoming friends and sharing life over the years. 

Ivan has made a significant series of transitions going from a Senior Web Developer at Turner, leaving the comforts of corporate America, for the rewards of entrepreneurship. He's also now engaged to be married, so he's got exciting insights to share.

Let's jump right into the interview with my friend, and explore how he lives better and works smarter. 

“Why doesn’t everyone in American go to church?”

That was the question pastor Andy Stanley received on a trip to China from a local Christian woman. At the time, he didn’t have a satisfactory answer, but it began a journey back to the roots of Christianity and its centerpiece. According to Stanley now, the main reason for the decline in the American church is how resistible it has become. 

Ironically, it would be an irresistible message, ethic, and ultimately a historic event that would transform the world and turn the very empire that crucified Jesus into a vehicle for spreading the great news about Him. And this story is the one Andy unpacks for us in his book, Irresistible: Reclaiming the NEW that Jesus Unleashed For The World (affiliate link). 

While I failed to complete my goal of finishing the Jump by end of 2018, I still made significant progress on my second book, getting me most of the way to the finish line.

During my December blogging break, I was inspired to continue working on the project after making significant progress on the cover (see below). 

My goal now is finishing the manuscript, and reading through it numerous times digitally and in-print by the end of March 2019. 

I'm also seeking small business owners and friends who are willing to read the book before its completed to provide feedback on making it better, and a review when it's eventually published. If you're interested, shoot me an email and I'll connect with you when I'm ready to share. 

Let’s talk about the cover.

Click to read what's in store for 2019

I love blogging, but its place in my life will shift in 2019, once again. Now that I've completed my race to 400 total published articles, my focal shift is now towards finishing my second book for discouraged small business owners. Thus my goal will be much less ambitious here on the blog with a much smaller target of 50 new total articles (compared to 117 in 2018).

Last fall, I unexpectedly was contacted by the staff of Airtable. One of my favorite and widely recommended tools, Airtable let me know Entrepreneur magazine was creating a piece about hot new tools for freelancers. They asked if I’d be interviewed for the section highlighting their tool. I agreed and the subsequent interview was conducted!

While I first assumed it was simply going to be an article on the website it turned out it was an actual section of the printed magazine as well. Here’s a photo of the magazine section, of yours truly.

You can read the entire article on their website here. If you're interested in my Airtable Universe templates, click here to check them out.

I’m excited and grateful for this opportunity and look forward to landing more of these as I continue growing my personal brand.

In several months, it'll be the five year anniversary from when we shut down Noodlehead Marketing. It's mind boggling to think we've almost had as much time away from the company as we have had while managing it. 

But, it's been a positive new journey (although not always easy). Let me recap.

I was grateful in the first year for the unexpected freelancing success, while 2015 was a year of taming this new wild ride. 2016 Involved another child, closing some loops on the transition, excelling as a freelancer and beginning the journey to buy our first home. In 2017, I published my first book, launched into a blogging challenge, changed churches, and bought a house, to name a few of many expected changes that year. 2018 was the year to build up these new foundations for a more prosperous and margin filled life. 

With one of my online digital business clients, where I manage online marketing efforts, I've had numerous opportunities to respond to bad reviews. The number includes responding to over a hundred one and two-star reviews (due to their high customer volume).