Here is how I did it…

A major magazine, (Inc.) wants to do an article about me and the interview is today. The section in which the article is scheduled to run is, “How I did it”. As I ponder this question it reminds me of the college philosophy course final exam that consisted of one question that was written on the blackboard by the tough old philosophy professor. The question was simply, “Why?” Most students wrote furiously for the entire four hours dedicated to the exam. One creative student finished the final exam in less than a minute and he walked out of the classroom with a smile on his face. His answer to the question was rather brief; his answer was, “Because!” He received the only “A” for the exam and the course. I suppose I should not similarly answer the question “How I did it?” as the senior editor of Inc. magazine might not think it was as creative as the philosophy professor.

As I reflect back on it I hitch-hiked into town some thirty seven years ago without a penny to my name and one change of clothes as my only possession. I did not know a single person in Atlanta and did not have a college education or a job. My first task was to sell a pint of blood for seven dollars to obtain some working capital and then on to my first job of cleaning old mortar off of bricks with a hatchet in order that they might be re-used for fifteen dollars cash per day. Somehow I went on from there to successfully found and build eight successful businesses and became a multi-millionaire in the process. How did I do it?

Hmmm One thing certain I was not a Christian when I hitch-hiked into Atlanta. I was in fact a drug addict and had the morals of a junk yard dog and was generally as mean as a snake. I was heading for prison, a mental health facility, or the grave yard, not necessarily in that order. Shortly after coming to Atlanta through a miraculous set of circumstances involving a lengthy hospital stay from a car crash I came to read the Bible; I believed it; I accepted Christ as my Savior; I became a Christian. My life began changing for the better almost immediately. I subsequently married a decent and wonderful person who has become my anchor in life and we raised some incredible sons who have grown up into fine and upstanding men.

So if anyone wonders how I indeed transformed my life from being an unsuccessful low-life to a successful and decent person. I would respond first by saying that since I have become a Christian, I have based my belief system in God and His word the Bible and not on my own innate set of rules. This included my personal life and likewise my business life. In other words I have tried to base my personal life and business upon biblical principles. The secular people may not think much of this, but when you think about these principles it makes all of the sense in the world.

Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was and He answered that we should love our God with all of our heart, soul, body, and mind and the second most important law was that we should similarly treat each other in like fashion. In short we should always put God first and second we should treat everyone like we would want to be treated. If a business person treats their customers and employees in such a manner, it is a huge step towards success and in my mind is by far the most important business principle in which one needs to adhere.

It is not surprising that first on our company’s mission statement is that Horizon will provide “outstanding” customer service. That means we intend to “serve” our customers and serve them well! There are other biblical principles that have significant meaning that I implement too, not the least of which is to be “fair” with people; hence the second and third parts of our mission statement that we will provide state of the art products that are only of the highest quality and that we will offer our outstanding services and highest quality products to our valued customers at totally “fair” prices. I want to be “fair” with people and treat them the way I want to be treated by giving them “outstanding” service and the “highest quality products” at “fair” prices just like our Lord has told us to do. The final part of our mission statement is that we will work together in a spirit of honesty, integrity, and pride; this is a no-brainer from a biblical sense.

More biblical principles come into play in that we shall not lie, cheat, steal, covet, etc. I try my utmost to adhere to these principles. In all my years of business I have never been sued or sued anyone. I was told by some high powered executives with grim looks on their faces just yesterday in regard to this subject that it is only a matter of time. They may be right, but it will not be because of me, because I assure you that I will do just as the Bible tells me to do and in as much as it is up to me I will try my utmost to work out a peaceful solution to the problem. I wish to emphasize however that I am no pushover when it comes to negotiations or problem resolution. I try to be fair, friendly, but assuredly I am also firm, and just because I believe in the Bible does not mean that anyone is going to take unfair advantage of me or my company; assuredly that will bring out that old dark side of me that can be likened to a pit bull junkyard dog.

All of the foregoing is necessary and there is another biblical principal to which I have always adhered and that is hard work. The Bible tells us that we should work hard and not be lazy. I do not have a lazy bone in my body. I go all out and I am passionate about my business and my life. God provides everyone with opportunity, but WE must make the most of it and that requires hard work. I would say this is perhaps the number one reason that I see people fail to realize their full potential.

And there you have it, the foregoing is how I did it. I would add that I am as far from perfect as the moon and the sun and cannot lead the perfect life that I want to lead, but I “try” to live my life as the Bible dictates. I believe the Bible is God’s owners manual and the closer we follow it, the better off we will be. No human being is perfect and we cannot always live up to God’s laws, but we can try and with the help of almighty God, (and His loving forgiveness for our failures), we can overcome our weaknesses and succeed mightily.

If you are not living that life and enjoying full success, then do as I have done and turn your life over to God and watch your life being transformed right before your own eyes and the world.

Proverbs 10:4
Lazy hands make a man poor,
but diligent hands bring wealth.