The Undivided Life Blog

“I wish everything I tried always worked out like it does for you, Jeff.”

I’ve heard this ridiculous statement many times over the past 25 years, and it drives me crazy. Not only is it fundamentally ...

How do you get someone to give your technology platform another shot after they’ve already convinced themselves that it isn’t good enough?

At First Choice Power (FCP), we had the best technology in t...

John Ruhlin passed away at 44, leaving behind a wife and four daughters. He was a business hero of mine, and his legacy continues today through the GIFT-OLOGY concepts taught to so many of us.

GIFT-O...

Well, it’s 3:00 o’clock, so you have about five hours to convince me this cannot work. Until you successfully demonstrate that we cannot combine all seven of our existing online experiences into one m...

I heard the car horn and the screeching brakes. Then I looked over just in time to see that I was about to be t-boned by someone from the cross traffic at an intersection.

My life didn’t flash before...

“We cannot have another lame company Christmas party that no one will ever remember,” I interjected. “I want to volunteer to be in charge of the entertainment for the evening, and if it’s okay with th...

I couldn’t figure out why my Wednesday morning alarm sounded just like my ringtone.

Ring, ring.
Ring, ring.

I cleared my eyes to see the clock.

3:50 am.

Then I grabbed the phone. Oh wow, this was ...

Kathy was slow to answer the door and appeared caught off guard by my kids as they shouted, “Merry Christmas!” before handing her a round tin box. The kids had spent the previous day in the kitchen ma...

“I can’t believe your team is attempting to automate part of my job. Meet me in the parking lot after work, and I’ll show you what I think of your plan.”

I was reading an email invitation to an after...

We were several hours into a very productive exercise to establish the company’s core values, and it looked like we were headed for extra innings as we sensed that something was still missing. Our ini...

It’s 98 degrees outside, and once again, I am drenched head to toe in sweat as I reinforce yet another section of our fence. This is the third time I’ve been called to the pasture to retrieve our mini...

“I don’t get it. Why would Undivided Life purchase a construction company?”

That is the second most common response when people hear that Undivided Life acquired McKnight Construction. The other resp...

I never expected to see his name on the calendar when the team was preparing for my two-day marathon test of a new concept we called Open Interviews. Our initial post announcing that anyone could book...

He was pacing back and forth on a phone call during my son’s baseball game, obviously engaged in a serious work conversation. His intensity was clear, but he also seemed to have the patience of a good...

“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 h...

“Alright, kids, grab your stuff. We need to finish eating our ice cream somewhere else.”  

On hot summer days in Texas like this, air conditioning and ice cream are your two best friends, and here I ...

In a competitive situation, it’s important to be the best in at least one of the main areas of comparison – speed, service, or price.

In the early 2000s, our energy company was near the bottom in eve...

After fifteen minutes, my new friend thanked me for the incredible conversation and said it was just what he needed. He walked away with renewed confidence and a plan to engage with more with his fell...