Photos by Lance Cashion
It was been nearly 3 weeks since Kat and I returned from our week-long adventured to Cancun for Dave Ramsey's Entreleadership conference. I will not go into detail about the structure and the daily sessions. I will say that I regret not keeping a journal. However, I was so mentally drained each day that I doubt I could manage stringing even the simplest coherent sentences together.
I knew that this experience would be unique when
Hurricane Ida was working her way up the
Yucatan Peninsula and thereby delaying our departure from DFW.
Leaving our 6month old son was trying enough, but if I did not deliver sun, sand and paradise to Kat.... It was going to be a LONG week. By the grace of God,
Hurricane Ida cleared out of town before we arrived.
Prior to embarking on this journey with Dave and his team, I had been struggling in my own organization. I knew that I needed to take a bigger leadership role in our family business but I did not possess the tools or the mindset to make that move. Basically, I was highly motivated but frustrated that I did not know "how" to proceed in my organization. My wheels were spinning but I was getting no traction and in a rut mentally and leadership-wise. 
Therefore, I had become stagnant, which is dangerous. This was spilling over into my family life. And like anyone who has worked in a family business knows, the dynamics and tensions are completely different b/c they are emotional and personal. You DON'T just leave work behind at 5:30 or 6pm and go home. You carry the weight of triumph and disaster on your shoulders at all times. When you feel this way, fear, doubt and frustration can seep into your life. "Fear is not a fruit of the spirit". "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." 2Tim 1:7
I had never been to a "conference" like this before. I don't buy 99% of the "self-help" crap out there. I BELIEVE that the Bible, particularly the New Testament, Proverbs and Psalms are the best "self-help" books available to man. That being said, Kat and I have been listening to Dave Ramsey for several years and we've been working his Financial Peace (Debt Free) program as well. It has transformed our lives. B/c we never knew what was obvious to our grandparents... Don't buy something you can't afford, don't borrow money! We know through personal experience that Dave's principles work. Let me remind you, Dave does not take credit for the ideas he espouses. They come straight from the Bible. I decided that Entreleadership was EXACTLY what I needed. 
How much I would actually get out of it was an unknown, so my expectations were skewed down and to the right (low).
My mind set changed when we arrived in Cancun late (6 hour flight delay) and one of Dave's Vice Presidents (and right hand) and video directors were there to greet us as we exited Mexican Customs. We were blasted in the face with 100% humidity leaving the terminal. Let me preface this, that I did not know who these people were at the time. They did not wear their "positions" on their sleeve. I figured they were just kindly gofers for Dave. It was not until our first dinner that I understood that Dave Ramsey had sent his equivalent of Dick Cheney to retrieve us from the airport. I must say, once these kindly, engaging gentlemen offered two weary travelers a cold Cervesas as we waited to board the van to the resort, I felt better about my standing with my wife and the experience in general. The rain had cleared and Dave's folks informed us that the weather forecast was nothing short of awesome. (I let out a sigh of relief and marriage saved) LOL!
After Dave's first lesson and dinner, Kat and I were ready for some rest. Awakened at 4am by a racing mind, I came to the realization that this experience was not going to be anything like I expected. It became clear that I was here for a reason and my life would never be the same. And, for me, there would be some growing pains this week and some tough choices to make. BTW, I will gladly share my personal Testimony if you are interested via email or private message. 
I drifted off to sleep.... Having taken this leap of Faith, searching for what I am designed by God to be.
The daily sessions were engaging and insightful. I never really had a mentor. I have people I have looked up to, but no one had shown me how to be a good Christian leader and follower. I took away so much information during the sessions that I found myself doing homework. If you don't know me, I hated homework and school for the most part... But, I have an affinity and thirst for knowledge and practical approaches to problems. I am an empiricalist and a bit skeptical. So, Dave's way of teaching worked for me. Not to mention, I have the attention span of a 6 year-old boy who's had entirely too much candy on Halloween (btw, I was born on Halloween).
Dave Ramsey opened up his playbook on building and growing a successful business doing "work that matters". I will say this, I thought that this "work that matters" line was just that, a line, a sales pitch before arriving in Cancun. (No offense Dave). I knew his type of work (getting people out of debt) mattered. But, how did MY work "matter"??? Little did I know, THIS was the reason why I was in Cancun. From the ground up and from 30,000 feet in the air, Dave took us on a journey through an organization that makes a difference in the world. He shared stories of triumph and disaster.
The daily sessions were just a small aspect of this experience. Dave created an environment where his team was accessible and jumped at a chance to interact with you. They made us feel like old friends from the moment we arrived in Cancun (notice, I did not say family... family is loving but stressful). We had the opportunity to visit, laugh, share and gain insight from everyone on Dave's team. Fact: I made it a point to visit with everyone on Dave's team and I took something valuable away from every personal I spoke with. Not only that, but until the day we departed, we were constantly asked "is there was anything we could do for you? You let me (us) know."
Another facet is meeting and making friends with other participants. There were some amazing people on this trip who had their own struggles and questions. 
I know some who went home and left their places of work to live by a vision of their own. These were family people. Good Americans... the life blood of this country and they were investing their time and resources to become better versions of themselves for their teams, families and communities. I am honored and humbled to have been able to meet such great people who may be your neighbors. Believe me, these are the kind of people you want living around you.
Finally, there was the time spent alone and with Kat. We had conversations about life and work and family that we have never had before. I found that Kat was not someone I needed to protect from the stresses of my career and decision making. She was to become my most trusted advisor and directly engage work with me. I found that she had been providing me with valuable insight for years but like a normal guy, I had not really listened to what she was telling me. For this I am sorry. In the mornings, I would let Kat sleep and head for coffee and a walk. A moving meditation as I walked along the shore as the sun broke through the clouds. I would take my Bible and camera on these morning excursions. At one point, I was basically alone on a huge beach listening to God speak through nature. It reminded me of the morning before our wedding in Maui. I had woken up before dawn and walked down to the beach alone... completely alone... well, with God. I slipped into the water and turned to the shore and watched at the Creator painted a mighty picture on the canvas of the sky. A one of a kind piece of cosmic art that would never appear in exactly the same way again.. Ever. I had that same feeling return will watching the sun greet the Mexican landscape. This was more than I had envisioned.
I was learning and growing. After a long walk on the beach with my wife. I knew that life was different now, I knew what I needed to come home and do. I had the tools to make my vision a reality. I knew how to make my life and work a mission. 
I know how to share my vision and surround myself with people who share my vision. I know the DNA of my organization and how to improve and change things in a way that improves the lives of my team but overflow into the lives of our families and anyone who we come in contact with. Making an impact like the one that was made on me when I arrived in Cancun.
I visited with Dave after breakfast on the last day. I thanked him and told him that he has an awesome team. Before dinner, I told Sharon (his wife) that Dave is awesome. It's important to sincerely say "thank you" in private and in the presence of people they love. Gratitude brings peace to life and to the lives of those who you are grateful to. I thank God for giving me this opportunity and my family for supporting it.
Thanks Dave and Lampo Group for helping me become a better version of myself. I assure you that your efforts with me will bear fruit.
"Fear has left the building"
(Dave Ramsey-Friday Nov. 13, 2009 Cancun, Mex)
Over and out.
Lance Cashion
Labels: business, faith, family, God, knowledge, leadership, learning
