“Jeff, in 2015, you gave Mark from Donuts Deluxe a book called Cowboy Ethics. I'll be honest - it doesn't look like Mark opened it. I bought it used, and I am reading through it now.

When I saw the handwritten note you penned on the inside cover, I decided to look you up. I’m always searching for leaders in different segments to connect with to see what I can learn.

Regards, GK”

I received this message via LinkedIn on July 30, 2020, over five years after mailing Cowboy Ethics to one of our new energy consulting clients during my days in the power business. Mark, the client, either overlooked my personal touch or maybe didn’t care for the organizational development stuff I loved so much. Either way, the book ended up in the hands of someone who cared a lot about intentional culture building, and I was about to make a new friend - - Guin Kendrick.

At my old company, we added our logo on the front cover of an incredible book about the Code of the West and how business should be done called Cowboy Ethics. We also added a page near the front with our logo and website for writing notes to clients, partners, recruits, and prospects. I always said this book was multifaceted. The message was important, and it guided our business practices. The marketing move we used by mailing many of our stakeholders a hard-cover coffee table book became a trojan horse. Our gift was usually displayed in a prominent part of the recipient's office, and it was rare that this gift would be thrown away, unlike the koozies, pens, notepads, and other junk that most people gifted. In the case of Guin, the book had worked again but somehow skipped from the intended recipient to the person it was meant for all along.

Soon after exchanging messages, Guin and I were on a phone call that started with the normal background sharing and some Q&A about leadership before quickly moving into matters of great importance like faith, family, the narrow path, and our shared desire to serve God and others in all that we do.

Guin was a rising salesperson for a hotel and restaurant supply company and a family man who loved to share stories about his wife and three kids. He loved to read, listen to podcasts, study the Bible, learn more about his industry, and seek mentorship from multiple sources. We both felt blessed by the conversation and planned to video chat six weeks later.

Over the next twelve months, Guin was my accountability partner for living an undivided life. We dove headfirst into every aspect of our lives, sharing stories and lessons learned as we grew closer, knowing that iron sharpens iron. The following summer, we each drove three hours to meet for lunch halfway between Jackson, Mississippi, and Dallas, Texas.

The restaurant we picked was Herby-K, a legendary seafood spot in Shreveport that opened in 1936. Guin and I spent a few hours swapping stories and planning for the future. Our friendship was more like a brotherhood built upon a solid foundation of trust, challenge, faith, and desire for growth. Before long, we were back together in the marshy bayou of Southern Louisiana on a duck hunt with a great group of guys.

Today, Guin is one of my closest friends, and I cherish the times we can connect during long drives or in times of need when facing life's challenges. Guin is a mentor, friend, and great source of prayer and wisdom. I’m grateful that the hyper-intentionality of culture-building at my last company led to my encounter and eventual friendship with Guin. And tonight, Guin will join my wife, kids, and donkeys for another family meal full of life, love, and great conversation.

I’m so grateful that Mark from Donuts Deluxe sold the book I mailed him so Guin and I could connect according to God’s will.