LET’S GET ACQUAINTED
I hail from modest beginnings, growing up in the small town of Leslie, Michigan. My childhood was uncomplicated yet vibrant, filled with joy and wonder. Weekdays were spent in school, sports, time with friends and weekends were spent in a cabin on a lake in northern Michigan where I fished and swam.
If you are looking for someone who built a million dollar business from scratch, or written 30 books, or can bench press 400 pounds multiple times I’m NOT THAT GUY. I suspect, I’m more like you.
I’ve known some success but am well acquainted with failure. I’ve known the joy of love and the heartbreak of betrayal. I know what it is to have trust broken and how hard it is to learn to trust again.
I learned how to trust again and found the love of my life. I brought two kids into the relationship and so did she. I know the joys and frustrations of blending a family. Then we added three of her sister’s kids that we raised after both her sister and mother died. We had seven kids in our home at one point so I know what chaos looks like too.
I have spent most of my career as a United Methodist pastor but I worked my way through college as a chef. Along the way I had gigs as a retail worker at Menards and a union organizer for AFSME.
For some reason I have always gravitated to leadership roles: captain of the basketball and football teams, debate team, class president…you get the idea. I started as a pre-law student at Michigan State University (go Spartans) and a ROTC Cadet. At the end of my first year I received a call into the ministry. I know what it is to have your life plans changed and go a completely different direction.
I remember sitting in an auditorium and listening to John Maxwell say, “Everything rises and falls on leadership.” From that moment on I became a student of leadership and spent the last 40 years developing my own and others leadership skills.
My interest in leadership comes from my interest in you.
Probably we’ve never met but that only makes me more interested in you, your hopes, dreams, goals, gifts and shortfalls. One of my greatest joys is just sitting down and getting to know someone. Everyone has a story. Each one unique, different and the same. I’m still writing my story and you are writing yours. I would love to play a part in your story just as you would play a part in mine. That’s the thing about coaching: when one person meets another person both persons are changed. I want to be a force for positive change and if you do too I would love to begin a conversation.
Blessings,
Ron
PS: …in addition to walking barefoot on the beach I love to read. I have a light saber I built that holds a place of honor in my office and oh yeah, I love to play DnD. So I guess I’m a bit of a geek.
