Mike Sharrow on LinkedIn: #current19 (2024)

An Axis of GoodI've shared before that I'm really, really good at disappointing people. I'm kind of a professional at it, frankly. One of the many categories I practice this skill set is in the area of strategic relationships for C12. When you serve a community of over 4,400 Christian CEOs, Owners, Executives, high net worth individuals who employ nearly 1M people and steward >$100B and share a #gospel vision - a LOT of great organizations want to partner. So many are fantastic, whether in the service they provide or the cause they represent.My wife is introverted and likes to say relationships are like playing legos - and her lego piece is just..."small." She's not wrong. There are only so many relationships you can maintain as an organization with a level of engagement, fidelity, and effect. So we have this notorious protocol for what organizations we bring on as official "Business as a Ministry (BaaM) Resource Organizations," and then even fewer within that we invite into a "Strategic Alliance" of shared efforts. We host this biennial conference (#CURRENT25) which is the largest in person gathering of Christian peers for days of practitioner-delivered best practice case studies and powerful networking. A ton of brands then seek out sponsoring that event for obvious reasons. We turn down 6-figure checks from would-be sponsors because to preserve the purity, alignment, values and to contain the commercial noise of the event only those organizations we've already been working with in the macro programs are eligible to get to sponsor. It's counter-intuitive and doesn't make the most commercial sense on the event economics, but it also creates a very high engagement zone and brand experience. The exhibitors are thus not just pay-to-play brands, but friends, allies, partners in mission whom we vet, trust, work with and most often are subscribers of ourselves. So when I say "meet our great sponsors," they really are trusted allies and friends. Check out some of these great organizations @ https://lnkd.in/ghfuJT82 #C12 #BaaM

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Collective Impact -- 1+1+1 = >5?I first started networking area pastors for increased collaboration and impact in my city in the 90s living in Alaska. In the early 2000s I was part of a county-wide collaborative in the northern suburbs of Chicago called “Shine.” After moving to Texas in 2006 I helped launch some #CollectiveImpact ventures around city transformation (Unicity SA) and foster care (South Texas Alliance for Orphans). Stanford University has probably been a fore-front publisher on “social innovation” research on how “Collective Impact” endeavors yield efficiency and compound capacity for achieving macro goals.I’ve been involved in the pursuit of alleviating what’s termed #Bible #poverty since 2008 primarily through initiatives by Faith Comes By Hearing around reaching oral people groups, the illiterate and deaf populations of the world. I’m excited to be now volunteering on the steering committee for the most audacious new collective impact endeavor in this arena since the famous Every Tribe Every Nation (”ETEN”) effort - Close the Bible Gap. There is momentum and deep commitment to get the Bible available in every language by 2033. Now the “gap” issue is how to get translations technically available truly accessible to all people groups in all mediums, modalities and methods for the reality of unreached, restricted, and difficult to access places? In conjunction with great platforms like YouVersion, Biblica, One Hope, Faith Comes By Hearing and others we’re mobilizing a global commitment to close the gap. It will require innovation, collaboration, solving logistical and technical barriers and resources. It is also part of fulfilling the Great Commission.If you want to learn more, check out https://lnkd.in/gw36peJd and stay tuned!

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I’m excited that we’re getting to engage Jarrell Flowers and the RISE Movement on some creative elements for #CURRENT25. He helped us in 2021 with this famous spoken word piece - https://lnkd.in/g8cndSxq If your business is looking for spoken word creative production, music production (background sets for marketing/videos, custom pieces), event music or ways to engage local artists for company, customer, industry events - check out Jarrell and the creative capacity of https://risemovement.co/ You can also come see him live at www.C12Current25.com - but don’t wait until then to explore things they might do for your company or non-profits (galas, campaigns, etc) you support.

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Timely TopicsOne of the distinctives of the C12 Business Forums product offering within peer advisory groups is rigorous, proprietary, MBA-credit eligible curriculum to fuel the learning portions of our forums. Content with assessments, video case studies, application guides, instructional design for peer processing is mapped out through a dynamic discernment editorial process. What's remarkable to me is how God has faithfully guided this product process for over 30 years. There are so many ridiculous examples of where we mapped out content up to a year in advance and then when it deployed it was a wildly "Just in Time (JIT)" moment. Like when we mapped out the 2020 content in late 2019 (remember how rosy 2020 looked then?), it included brand new content on things like #VUCA, leading teams when anxiety due to disruption is high, risk mitigation, caring for distressed customers and vendors, dealing with pivots in plans and more. We looked brilliant.Similarly, this fall has proven to be a great line-up in light of the lateral winds of economic factors hitting various industry sectors so differently. Check it out:August 2024 - defining Robust Good Health in all areas of the business (optimal capacity maximization)September 2024 - strategic planning for integration of Business-as-a-Ministry (#BaaM) principles and new content on how 3-5 year vision plans inform near term action planningOctober 2024 - Lean DIsciplines, Waste Elimination & Family as a Ministry (#FaaM) as business leadersNovember 2024 - delegation, maximizing contribution & creating a culture of loveDecember 2024 - preparing clarity on 2025 plans/focus and an annual audit of integrated living, true flourishing and anchoring accountability frameworks for 2025No matter whether your business has tailwinds or headwinds in this economic moment, the line-up is on point. Over 700 CEOs, Owners and Executives have joined local forums in 2024 already. Don't drive by braille, settle for loneliness or succumb to the idea that doing the "same ole, same ole" with extra effort will deliver excellence. Join us in pursuing how to build a great #business for a greater #purpose, together!www.joinC12.com has eligibility and access information #C12 #CEO #BusinessOwner

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It’s a joy to get to tour living case studies of entrepreneurs building great Business-as-a-Ministry (#BaaM) ventures like HTS Coatings led by Ashley Hunsaker and Jason Hunsaker. Innovative product (thermal coatings), great vision, culture and story.

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A Travelers Ode to Airline WoesI wish upon a star that when I travel near or far that my flights wouldn’t have delays; remember the days when weather was the primary reason? That is not this season for commercial flights, it is of late late nights though…can I get a witness!?!

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great model

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