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Marketplace Proverbs & Coffee With Ernie · Marketplace Proverbs and Coffee with Ernie-A Proverb Per Day Keeps Stinking Thinking At Bay

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Did you know the most challenging person to lead is you?
• 0:05
  SPEAKER_00: We all like to think we make decisions based on wisdom and principle.
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  SPEAKER_00: But when ego,
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  SPEAKER_00: pressure,
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  SPEAKER_00: and outside voices get louder than God's,
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  SPEAKER_00: even seasoned leaders, seasoned customer success masters stumble.
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  SPEAKER_00: Today, our focus is Proverbs 28, 26, because it's the 28th day of the month.
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  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to Marketplace Proverbs and Coffee with Ernie,
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  SPEAKER_00: where a proverb a day keeps stinking thinking away.
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  SPEAKER_00: I'm Ernie Lansford,
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  SPEAKER_00: and my desire is to help you connect biblical wisdom
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  SPEAKER_00: to everyday marketplace decisions,
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  SPEAKER_00: allowing you to build relationships that outlast any So,
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  SPEAKER_00: per the podcast title,
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  SPEAKER_00: Coffee with Ernie, grab a cup of coffee and let's get started.
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  SPEAKER_00: Today I'm sharing from Chapter 28 of Marketplace Proverbs 3, Ego,
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  SPEAKER_00: Humility,
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  SPEAKER_00: and the KPI that Matters the Most,
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  SPEAKER_00: written by yours truly and published earlier in 2025.
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  SPEAKER_00: Now, when the trinity of me, myself, and I takes over, whoa, the end result usually stings.
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  SPEAKER_00: Proverbs 28, 26,
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  SPEAKER_00: Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool,
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  SPEAKER_00: but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.
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  SPEAKER_00: This verse stings me personally because I've lived it.
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  SPEAKER_00: And the cost wasn't just professional.
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  SPEAKER_00: It cost me a relationship.
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  SPEAKER_00: Frankly,
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  SPEAKER_00: it was a moment I regret,
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  SPEAKER_00: and if we could go back and get a do-over, I wish I could rewind it.
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  SPEAKER_00: Let me unpack this.
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  SPEAKER_00: There was a season when I let the metrics of
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  SPEAKER_00: the key performance indicators dashboard,
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  SPEAKER_00: you know,
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  SPEAKER_00: that corporate KPI,
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  SPEAKER_00: and the noise of external voices outweigh the voice of the Holy Spirit.
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  SPEAKER_00: I made a decision to dismiss an independent contractor in a territory in the Northeast.
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  SPEAKER_00: And not because of a character issue,
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  SPEAKER_00: not because of breach of values,
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  SPEAKER_00: or even a really glaring performance failure indicator,
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  SPEAKER_00: but because I caved to outside pressure and competitor noise.
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  SPEAKER_00: There was no prayer.
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  SPEAKER_00: I did not pause.
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  SPEAKER_00: I did not seek counsel.
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  SPEAKER_00: I just reacted.
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  SPEAKER_00: And wow, that ripple effect created some major, major issues.
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  SPEAKER_00: I gave this contractor their typical contractual 30-day notice, but without any warning.
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  SPEAKER_00: They had no idea it was coming.
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  SPEAKER_00: I didn't coach them prior.
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  SPEAKER_00: I had not given them any indication that there were some concerns.
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  SPEAKER_00: I didn't even give them a chance to adjust.
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  SPEAKER_00: And I didn't give them the opportunity or engage in a conversation
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  SPEAKER_00: that could have led them to grow.
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  SPEAKER_00: Yep, my decision created issues.
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  SPEAKER_00: Throughout the network, it fractured unity.
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  SPEAKER_00: I planted seeds of distrust among the other reps because they were thinking,
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  SPEAKER_00: whoa, if he did it to them, he could do it to me.
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  SPEAKER_00: And that altered the dynamic for that particular territory for years.
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  SPEAKER_00: Now, that particular rep firm, thankfully, praise the Lord, went on to thrive.
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  SPEAKER_00: Because they began working with a major competitor,
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  SPEAKER_00: and they're still out there doing exceptionally well.
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  SPEAKER_00: Every time I see them at a trade show,
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  SPEAKER_00: I'm reminded,
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  SPEAKER_00: I follow the trinity of me,
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  SPEAKER_00: myself, and I, instead of seeking the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
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  SPEAKER_00: And that rep firm principle has gone on to pivot out of the daily process Working as
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  SPEAKER_00: a rep firm, and he's coaching and consulting, kind of like me.
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  SPEAKER_00: But I learned a lesson.
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  SPEAKER_00: There was no reconciliation.
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  SPEAKER_00: I didn't seek to reconcile, and that's on me.
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  SPEAKER_00: You see, customer success mastery isn't about saving face.
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  SPEAKER_00: It's about building trust and owning it.
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  SPEAKER_00: And when we've broken it, Proverbs 28, 26 remind me, whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool.
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  SPEAKER_00: You bet.
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  SPEAKER_00: I paid that tuition, and I earned that degree.
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  SPEAKER_00: Unfortunately, the cost was very high.
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  SPEAKER_00: But here's the hope.
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  SPEAKER_00: I truly believe God redeems what we surrender.
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  SPEAKER_00: Even our mistakes can become wisdom, especially if we stop listening.
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  SPEAKER_00: And walk in humility.
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  SPEAKER_00: Today's customer success code, when we lead from our mind, we often misstep.
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  SPEAKER_00: But when we seek God's wisdom through the Holy Spirit, we find the path back to integrity.
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  SPEAKER_00: Oh Lord, forgive me for these times.
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  SPEAKER_00: I've trusted my own understanding more than your wisdom.
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  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes I still do it today.
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  SPEAKER_00: So pray.
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  SPEAKER_00: I know I'm forgiven.
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  SPEAKER_00: I'm just confessing it publicly here.
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  SPEAKER_00: And then teach me,
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  SPEAKER_00: continue to teach me to pray, to pause, and to listen before I act or respond.
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  SPEAKER_00: Please restore the humility that puts people over pressure and principles over number.
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  SPEAKER_00: And may my leadership and customer success mastery be marked by reconciliation,
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  SPEAKER_00: trust, In Jesus' name, amen.
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  SPEAKER_00: So our action points for today, the theme is guarding against the Trinity of me, myself, and I.
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  SPEAKER_00: Action point number one, reflect honestly.
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  SPEAKER_00: Think of a time when your ego, now keep in mind, our acronym for ego is edging God out.
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  SPEAKER_00: Think of a time when ego or pressure drove you to make a decision without prayer or counsel.
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  SPEAKER_00: Action point number two, based on number one, seek reconciliation.
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  SPEAKER_00: Who can you call from your past or email or meet to make things right?
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  SPEAKER_00: I'm prompted that later today,
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  SPEAKER_00: I'm going to reach out via LinkedIn to that principal and I'm going to arrange
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  SPEAKER_00: a call to seek reconciliation and to ask for forgiveness.
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  SPEAKER_00: Action point number three, document your philosophy.
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  SPEAKER_00: Write down your non-negotiable leadership customer success principles and keep them
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  SPEAKER_00: where you'll see them often.
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  SPEAKER_00: Action point number four, pause before big decisions.
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  SPEAKER_00: When pressure rises, don't react.
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  SPEAKER_00: Stop.
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  SPEAKER_00: Pray.
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  SPEAKER_00: Ask the Holy Spirit for guidance.
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  SPEAKER_00: Action point number five is share the lesson.
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  SPEAKER_00: Tell your story like I'm doing here so that others can learn from the mistakes
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  SPEAKER_00: because transparency builds trust and humility shapes legacy.
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  SPEAKER_00: Well,
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  SPEAKER_00: thank you for joining me for today's episode of Marketplace Proverbs and Coffee
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  SPEAKER_00: with Ernie.
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  SPEAKER_00: I speak chapter 6, 24 through 26 from the book of Numbers over you.
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  SPEAKER_00: May the Lord bless you and protect you.
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  SPEAKER_00: May the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you.
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  SPEAKER_00: May the Lord look with favor on you and give you peace.
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  SPEAKER_00: If this message encouraged you, please share it.
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  SPEAKER_00: In our next episode...
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  SPEAKER_00: We'll explore the danger of speaking before we listen.
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  SPEAKER_00: Because in the marketplace, the fastest voice isn't always the wisest.
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  SPEAKER_00: I leave you with this.
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  SPEAKER_00: Success is temporal.
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  SPEAKER_00: Adding significance to others is infinite.
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  SPEAKER_00: I look forward to seeing you or talking to you or speaking with you or sharing
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  SPEAKER_00: with you on the next episode of Marketplace Proverbs and Coffee with Ernie.