Category: Uncategorized

Dedicated to all Rodeo Queen Contestants:

This month has been a busy month of rodeo with many contestants vying for success and ready to ride. It's exciting to see all the activities take place, from the opening Flag ceremonies to the final coronation of the new rodeo queen. This year, I've had the honor of working with several individuals on interviewing and ambassadorship skills who have dreamed of being a queen for their rodeo association. As you watch them go after their goals, you'll see that their determination will restore your confidence in this generation. They study so hard, they practice horsemanship skills, they work on speeches, interviewing, impromptu questions, modeling, connecting with others, researching current events, and so much more. All in pursuit of being the best leader they possibly can be. The strides they make are remarkable. So remarkable, that you wish every contestant that competed could walk away with a crown, when in actuality only one is crowned per year.

However, one can argue that these contestants aren't just competing to be a queen of a rodeo association or part of rodeo royalty, but preparing for the big rodeo of life. As a rodeo contestant, you may have won your crown, or you may have went home without one, regardless of your result, your life will always be bigger than a crown. Think about this:

Did researching those current events make you more informed?
Could learning those crazy interview skills be helpful when applying for a scholarship, award, or future career?
Did the modeling make you feel more confident and helped you believe in yourself?
Could it be that you've learned how to master riding a horse so that one day, you can teach a little princess down the road how to ride?
And could it be that you put all this effort and time preparing to be the best leader because you were meant to be impacting someone's life forever?

Everyone agrees, it's great to win the title and the crown, but never lose sight of the BIG picture. What you have learned and will continue to learn through your rodeo experience will benefit your life greatly no matter the result on coronation day. So cheer up, be proud, and keep that smile alive, because even if this was your 1st rodeo, I promise you, it won't be your last, because life itself is a rodeo, question is, "Are you ready for the ride?" #RodeoQueenPost #Proud #ReadyForTheRide

Officer Retreat Ideas & Potential Locations:

Needing ideas for your upcoming retreat? Summer is over halfway over and many officer teams, school staffs, and faculties are getting ready to head back to school soon. In order to mentally prepare for the upcoming year, many organizations hold leadership retreats to jumpstart their team’s focus for the year. Below is a list of places/options other organizations have used as activities to do on their retreats to help you generate ideas for your team.

Frontier City
https://www.frontiercity.com

Blue & Gold Sausage Tour
http://www.blueandgoldsausage.com

Tulsa Incredible Pizza
http://tulsaincrediblepizza.com

Beaver’s Bend
http://beaversbend.com/Info.htm

Myriad Botanical Gardens

The Escape OKC
www.theescapeokc.com

Make up a Scavenger Hunt

Grand Lake Camp & Resort-Grove
http://www.grandlakefun.com/where-to-stay/lodges-cabins-and-resorts.html

Braums Ice Cream Factory Tour-Tuttle
http://www.braums.com/tour-braums/

National Wrestling Hall of Fame-Stillwater
http://nwhof.org

White Water Bay -OKC
https://www.whitewaterbay.com/

Warren Movie Theater-Broken Arrow
http://www.warrentheatres.com/brokenarrow.asp

White Barn Estates- Stillwater
http://whitebarnestates.com

Robber’s Cave-Wilburton
http://www.travelok.com/listings/view.profile/id.6415

National Cowboy Western Heritage Hall of Fame, OKC
http://nationalcowboymuseum.org

Helmzar Ropes Course Challenge-Tulsa
http://www.tulsaschools.org/6_Community/01_HelmZar/index.shtm

Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma
http://okfoodbank.org

Tulsa Drillers Baseball Game
http://www.milb.com/content/page.jsp?sid=t260&ymd=20070316&content_id=192590&vkey=tickets

OKC Dodgers Baseball Game
http://www.milb.com/tickets/tickets.jsp?sid=t23

Looking for leadership training for your team at retreat? Brandon Baumgarten has trained over 1,500 student and staff leaders over the years. Check out Brandon’s leadership programs for student leaders, teachers, and staff by emailing bbaumgarten18@gmail.com or by visiting http://www.brandonbaumgarten.com for more information.

2018 Leadership Curriculum is called:

Worry is the Most Common Thief of Joy.
 A statistic done in the U.K. found that the average person spends approximately 5 years of their lives Worrying about something. Yep, you read that right. 5 YEARS….
We worry about so much in life. Some of us worry about every single facet as evidenced by the many fingernails we bite. However, worrying has a huge effect on how we operate and function too.
I once had a gentlemen reach out to me awhile back about asking me to coach him on interviewing skills for this dream job he was applying for. When I met with him for our first session, he was already worried about the application & interview process. So worried he began to question his qualifications, resume, and work ethic so much that he almost talked himself out of even applying for the job. After trying to encourage him, he finally let go of his world of worry and began to focus on getting the job. 
Fast forward a few weeks later, I followed up with him, he did in fact get his dream job. He was so excited about it and woke up every morning joyfully to live out his passion. However, worry sat in again, as his dream job started, he began to worry about his calendar, his salary, his networking skills, and his career longevity. His worry gets out of control, as he worries even more about matters that don’t even pertain to him. Soon he finds himself consumed in excess stress surrounded by a mountain of anxiety, and eventually, a disdain for the very job he once dreamed of doing. All because he couldn’t Wear Off His Worry. 
Worry is the Most Common Thief of Joy.
Does this story relate to you? I know it relates to me, because Worry is something I’ve struggled with in the past. You see when we allow what worries us to steal our focus it will soon steal our joy. Worries no longer become worst case scenarios, but constant what ifs that cloud our minds and impact our judgement. If not handled correctly, worry will control you, it will rob you, and it can even dictate the way you live. Have you wore off your worry yet? If not, we’ll soon see just how fast 5 years can go by. #WearOffWorry #LeadershipPost #Matthew6:34

Early this morning I was sound asleep, resting and getting some much-needed down time. In my slumber, I felt something brush up against my leg under the covers. Halfway asleep, I ignored it and turned on my side. I soon began to dream a weird dream of a peaceful butterfly flying around me. I felt that butterfly brushing against my legs and could sense a little movement here and there. Finally, the brushing woke me up as it had become more and more intense. Curious, I took off my covers not knowing what was making the butterfly movement. As I took my blankets off, I gasped. For what I saw, was one of the scariest things to ever wake up to. The movement, the brushing was in fact, not butterfly but instead a fiddle-back spider crawling up and down my leg throughout the morning. In my mind, the panic sensors were going off, but in my actions, I calmly and gently brushed the spider off my leg and stepped on it with a slipper. Needless to say, I wasn’t sleeping anymore this a.m. 
After I disposed of the spider, I went into the living room and checked out my email as part of my daily routine. However, in the midst of a very panicky morning, I omitted something which I try to consistently do. I forgot my devotions and prayer time. I quickly stopped my workaholic tendency and began to dig deep into my devotion instead.
For the moments I spent in Scripture, it was as if time stood still in silence and reverence. The panicky morning was no longer the focus of my day. My focus was now on the Conqueror of every fear. It was a much needed time, where in the past, my devotions would sometimes be very easily bypassed by the business of life and my own workaholic attitude. 
This might sound crazy, but today, I’m thankful for that scary spider. Because I may have missed an opportunity to bask at the feet of Jesus this morning. In this world, we can’t afford to make our Prayer lives secondary, for everything we do stems from it. As a Christian, I fail more times than I count in my personal walk. However, one thing I have learned is the poison of an inactive and apathetic leader can be more damaging and more devastating to impact than the poison of spider bite can do. So if takes a storm to get me closer to God, then so be it. If it takes a mountain, then so be it. And if it even takes an arachnid to wake me up early in the morning to get my closer to Him, then Jesus, you can send a spider, but next time I’d prefer a butterfly. #TheWakeUpCall #Leadership #PrayerLife

You might assume I’m on the road quite a bit judging purely from my social media updates. It’s true, and often times, I feel like my office is my car and my car is my office. Sometimes my work as a speaker takes me to places really early in the morning or very late at night. With this variance of scheduling, toll takers on the turnpike become your best friends and the cashier at the gas station can point out very easily which vehicle is yours. However, as predictable as all this seems, never is it all the same, the other night was an example of that statement.
After driving for a good 70 minutes straight, I decided to stop at a nearby heavy duty truck stop off the highway to stretch and get a bottle of water. As I walked in, I immediately noticed a man mopping the floors next to a yellow caution sign standing up on the floor. He was in a full janitorial uniform and was working hard to do his nightly cleaning. He had a peculiar look of sadness on his face. 
I reached out to him and said, “How are you doing tonight sir?” He didn’t reply nor acknowledged I said anything to him. So I went on my way and walked to the back of the store to get a bottle of water. After retrieving the water bottle I walked passed the man again and said, “Well, do you have to work awhile tonight?” He quickly looked at me and said, “All Night Long. Every night, I clean the floors. I clean the aisles. I clean the bathrooms. And, I even clean the showers we have for truckers. I hate my job, but I guess someone’s gotta do it!” 
After hearing his complaint and the clear disgust he had for his work, I replied: “Well sir, it sounds like with all that cleaning, they’ve got you doing the dirty work!” 😊 As soon as I said this his face broke from a sad disgusted look to a small hidden smile and a light chuckle.
He then warmed up a little more and said, “Well, it’s a job, that’s for sure.”

“I believe it.” I replied. “But at least you are making a difference with your job too.”

Immediately, the man stopped what he was doing, cocked his head to the side, and his facial expression changed. He then replied with a smile, “You know, I guess I never looked at it that way.” I shook his hand and told him thanks for all he did. 
You might be thinking what is significant about this story. Fact is I’ve met a lot of people who dislike their jobs. They feel enslaved to their work rather than energized by doing it. We must never underestimate or undervalue the jobs we or others have, the efforts put forth, or the roles played. Whether you are the CEO of a booming business, a chef at a popular restaurant, or even a janitor at a truck stop mopping the floors, your work makes a difference. Take value in it.
As I went to leave and pay for my bottled water, I walked over to the door and suddenly felt a tap on my shoulder. Turning around, it was the janitor holding his mop proudly with a smile on his face. He said, “Thanks for the perspective. I really needed that tonight. You have a safe drive home sir.”

The irony of it all is a janitor who at first didn’t even acknowledge me, but with a little bit of reaching out and listening, I left the truck stop with that janitor now reaching out to me. I’d say the Dirty Work Cleans Up Well when we choose to take pride in what we do and understand it’s not about the mop, but the difference we all can make.
#DoingTheDirtyWork #LeadershipPost 

There once was a farmer who sowed seed on his fields expecting something to happen. The farmer saw this field as something that had potential, opportunity, and room to grow. He didn’t physically see the crops, but mentally envisioned what it could be in the upcoming months. He sowed the seeds in hopes of a bountiful, blooming, and prosperous crop. A crop that will bring in a good harvest and give him, his family, and inevitably the world, a future to believe in. 
You see the ripple effect starts by sowing a seed. This farmer’s produce will never happen until he takes the time to plow the field and sow the seed. In life, it is a mental and cultural error to simply expect the world to give us things and feel entitled to that expectation. If you want something in life, you must do the work, and envision the standard you hope to achieve. The sad reality is we live in a society that says the world is indebted to us simply because we live in it. “You don’t have to work hard, you don’t have to do anything. The world will take care of you.” This false narrative is killing dreams and inspiring laziness in a generation called above the status quo. 
Imagine if that farmer took this false narrative to mind and decided one morning that he didn’t need to take time to work hard, plow the field, or sow the seed because he simply expected greatness to happen on it’s own. A simple majority would quickly point out this farmer’s failure has already happened because his plan of action lacked something very important- ACTION. 

The point is greatness will never happen, achieved goals will never happen, impact will never happen if we only expect things to come. Just like the farmer, we can only expect when we put in the effort. Look at your life. Your field is full of opportunity. How’s your crop coming along? You’ll never know, unless you sow the seed and take the action. #ExpectThroughEffort #SowTheSeeds 
 

If you follow me on Facebook or my blog, you’ve probably noticed I enjoy writing. As an author and speaker, I find myself learning virtue and leadership in different and unique places, personalities, and people. When I discover something of this nature, my passion comes alive and I can’t help but share it with people. Last night was a night where such occurrence took place.
I’m sure I’m not the only NBA fan on Facebook as last night I received the notification on my phone that the OKC Thunder had beaten the Orlando Magic in overtime. Being a Thunder fan myself, the excitement was already evident. As much as I was excited for my team, I clicked on a video to show the highlight reel and what I saw next was remarkable as a force was unleashed. With a few seconds left in regulation, the Thunder were down just a few points, when a guy wearing jersey #0 dribbled quickly down the court with multiple men defending him. The pressure is on, the night is on the line, a bucket needs to be mad. Suddenly, the player pulls up well before the three point, leaps into the air, releases the ball from his hands and watches as the ball goes into the basket and ties the game. Settling the score.
This player is known as Russell Westbrook. What a phenomenal player! If you haven’t been following this NBA Superstar’s success, you’ll find his statistics will make your head spin. 

He has recorded 38 Triple-Doubles in nearly one entire season. Meaning has had double digits in points, assists, and rebounds all in the same night 38 times. Insane! He is currently on pace to break even more records and last night he led the OKC Thunder from a 21 point deficit to overtime then to winning the game and clinching a playoff spot in the postseason. Westbrook, an MVP candidate for the league has shown an unwavering effort, an ability to torch defenses, and a relentless pursuit to achieve excellence. 
Fans from all over the world, pro-Thunder or not have admired his amazing feats of player performance and ranking him as one of the best players in the league. As one ESPN Commentator simply put it, “Westbrook is on another level.” 
Whether you are a basketball buff or not, there is something special about the way Westbrook plays. He displays a mindset that is driven, intentional, passionate, and relentless. Gotta question for you, “What if we lived our lives with a Westbrook mindset?” “What if we lived everyday with passion, perseverance, tenacity, driving not to get buckets, but driving toward success?” If I’m high school senior, a Westbrook Mindset might be a relentless pursuit to make the most of every opportunity. If I’m a corporate CEO, a Westbrook Mindset might be a driven approach, a can-do attitude to reaching your company’s goals. If I’m a parent, a Westbrook Mindset might look like going against the odds of a demanding schedule and striving to spend more time with the wife and kids. Westbrook isn’t perfect, but his intentional mindset of perseverance and effort is wise for us to adopt. 
Many argue that there never has been nor will there be another player who plays with the game like Westbrook. Time will only tell. But every single one of us is in a game called life and the Westbrook mindset is a must. The pressure is on, our purpose is calling, the game has never been more intense, we are down by 3, and the ball is in our hands. We dribble fast, mindful of the clock, we breathe, take a leap, release, then shoot. Falling in the air, the ball goes further and further. Wondering what will happen next. 
If life is like a game, will you settle the score? 
#ThunderUp #WestbrookMindset #Intentional 

Last week I had the chance to go with my fiancé’s family up to Branson, Missouri for a little mini vacation. It was greatly anticipated as well as lots of fun. We had seen a show, ate at Lamberts, and even managed to get a roll or two thrown at us. (Lambert’s fans will get that reference.)
On our way back home, my fiancé was riding along with me and we decided to make a stop at Missouri’s famous Ozarkland Country Store. There are several billboards advertising it, as soon as I saw one, I took the nearest exit to find the store. Unfortunately, using my internal GPS system (circa 1992), I found myself on a dirt road with no entrance back onto the highway. I didn’t know where to go from there except to follow the old dirt road, and hope for the best. As I kept driving, looking for a sign of civilization and an opening back on the main road, something caught my eye. We had just passed a curve in the road, when an old run down still standing church appeared in the middle of a field. 
Being the preacher’s kid that I am, my curiosity was peaked and I quickly turned my car into the old parking lot despite my fiancé’s request to keep driving and not stop. I soon parked the car in front of the church, got out and looked around. The church was definitely abandoned as trees and weeds had overcame it. The building from the outside looked sound, but you could tell the church had not been used in years. What a shame my fiancé and I both thought of the closed down location. It’s capacity to reach people was still there, but it’s living purpose was no more.
As we examined further, we noticed an old cemetery was just off the way. We went and looked at some of the tombstones where the dates went well back to the 1800s. In these moments, it was as if we had taken a time machine and went back to the past. All the while, so many questions are hitting our heads. “Why isn’t this church functioning?” “What made them close the doors?” “Why was this beautiful place abandoned?”
In the stillness of my pondering thoughts and taking everything in, I realized that although this church was built to teach and reach people, it’s functions no longer existed. It had succumbed to its end with no life left, with only a handful of tombstones marked in memory.
In life, it’s easy to get so busy we forget why we are here. It’s easy to succumb to the status quo. However, Every one of us was built for a Purpose just like that old church once was and we must not forget our identity and the people we are meant to reach. You see, I want to leave something more behind on this earth than just another tombstone or an empty house. We must live our lives with vibrance, intention, and purpose because that’s the kind of life we were meant to live. A life Fully alive. If we don’t live life to the fullest now, we may soon find ourselves abandoned of the very ability to live life to the max. This old church displayed what once was and stood frozen in time. My pondering question is this, “Many years from now, when someone is to look back on your life after your time is up, what will they find?” Will they find old relics of a life once lived? Or will they discover a legacy that continues to give and impacts the world for what is to come?” This old and sturdy yet secluded church is an example of a choice we all will make. Let’s hope we all make the right choice. 
If you happen to go on this old road, you will discover this still standing church. As my fiancé and I left the location and arrived back on the highway, I thought of the church’s potential, purpose, and posterity, and all at once, I found an old poet’s words to be true: “Of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these, ‘It might have been.” 

Live your life of purpose to the fullest.
#TheStillStandingChurch

During this week’s hotel stay in Dallas, I’ve been so impressed with the amenities and outstanding staff service here. One unique feature of this hotel is they provide light meals for dinner Monday-Wednesday evenings which is very convenient for the guests. 
The first night I partook in the dinner I had the chance to meet the lady who was cooking in the kitchen and doing the dishes as noted by her coming to restock plates for us. I reached out to her and said, “Hey, my name is Brandon, and I really enjoyed the dinner tonight. Thank you. You are a great cook!” 

She lit up and replied saying, “Thank you! I love to make good food for people.” The next night I told her once again thank you and how much we guests appreciated her hard work. 

Finally, the last night, as we finished our last supper of the week at the hotel, I reached out one last time and said, “Thank You. We ate like kings this week thanks to you.” She responded to me, not with a word or a handshake, but instead, with a warm hug. She said, “You sir, have made my whole week. I have fed off your kindness and I will not forget you.” 
It’s a simple story, but it illustrated to me a point that I’ve needed to see. We live life to consume moments, opportunities, food, experiences, but so many times we forget that as much as we consume things in life, people will always feed off of us. They will feed off our attitudes, our actions, our personalities, our characteristics, our words, etc. What we offer in life will be consumed by eyes and ears and hearts and minds. What is your life feeding others? Is it positive? Is it wholesome? Is it reflecting your life’s purpose? For me, I’m hoping to feed others kindness even when at times I fail. You never know who’s watching or who’s life is feeding off you, being touched by you. But one thing I know to be true, no matter how good the food is in life, never forget the cook in the kitchen. #TheCookInTheKitchen #WhatAreYouFeedingOthers

Allergies have never been my greatest friend. Every now and then, my allergies like to remind me substances like ragweed, pollen, and overall dust, just don’t get along with Brandon. Yesterday, however, was one of the most allergenic days I’ve ever experienced. 
I’m walking to my car to head to Shawnee to have dinner with my girlfriend, when all of sudden, like a Chuck Norris roundhouse kick to the nostrils, I began to sneeze like there’s no tomorrow. It’s not just one or two sneezes, it’s no joke, 25 SNEEZES in a row, commencing in a clockwork pattern. I haven’t even made it to my car yet, as I’m trying to recover and catch my breath. Suddenly, I realize I misplaced my wallet (definitely an important thing to have while driving), something I rarely misplace. I head back into the house looking all over when finally I found it on the bookshelf. Knowing that I’m going to be at least 20 minutes late now, I frantically get in my car with a wad of tissues for my sniffling troubles. 
I’m frustrated that I’m late, but more so, frustrated my allergies would not stop. Finally, after much more sneezing, my allergies at last gave me a break. I drive to Shawnee, while on my way, I realize in front of me that a car accident had happened about 20 minutes prior to me driving by. I prayed for those involved and had the epiphany that had it not been for my crazy allergies and misplaced wallet, I may have very well been involved in this accident. 
You know everyday we have our frustrations. I know I have mine from time to time. But I believe God always has a plan. Even though I don’t get along with my allergies, this weekend I’m thankful for the sneezes. 🤧 #ThankfulForSneezes