We were lucky to catch up with Richard Land recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Richard , thanks for joining us today. Let’s kick things off with talking about how you serve the underserved, because in our view this is one of the most important things the small business community does for society – by serving those who the giant corporations ignore, small business helps create a more inclusive and just world for all of us.
I think it’s important to maximize your influence in society. The most challenging part is reaching and speaking out for the underserved. As a Christian, I’m commanded to be salt and light. Matthew 5:13. Salt is a preservative and disinfectant. As a Christian, I am to seek in all that I do to stop the negativity. Light penetrates the darkness. It is working for those solutions that will encourage others to be part of a system. Recent studies have shown that a child should be at their age reading level by grade 3. If they are not reading at that level, they get lost in the system and have an 80% chance of being in poverty. I encourage churches to help schools by playing an interactive part in helping improve education.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I’m in my third career. I started out as a Baptist minister at Princeton and then seminary. During this process i realized i wanted to do academic research. And got my PhD at Oxford. I started writing in seminary and was writing columns for journals, I was the Head of ethics commission when I was called upon to write columns. I discovered the essay is my most natural and easy form of communication. You must find what works for you. I find that it is important for me to write them out cursively. It is very beneficial to the creative process. Then I became president of Southern Evangelical Seminary and served as Executive Editor of The Christian Post. As a journalist, I’m excited about the opportunities with social media and how the reach is so much farther and worldwide. The world has shrunk, and I find that exciting. I don’t ever plan to retire. I’m 77 and i think that if you’re called to ministry, you will never retire from ministry. I’ll probably pass away writing an essay.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
When I came back from England, the shipping company lost my research when I returned home. I had to redo it and that was hard, but I wasn’t going to let all that effort go to waste. When that was finished, I got my PhD in Oxford. So, I would say stick to it, and to small business owners, my wife started her PhD after our younger daughter started kindergarten, she was 37. She graduated when she was 42. My kids loved it because I cooked more, which was usually hot dogs and hamburgers.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
I assumed when I first became a supervisor that when I told somebody to do something, they would automatically do it. Subordinates and children do what you inspect, not what you expect. I believe in continuous review. Tell someone if they’re doing a great job, and if they aren’t telling them what they can do better next time. In terms of expanding markets, if you look then you’ll find needs and to meet. Customer service is critical. You want a reputation who stands by their work and if something is wrong you make it right. One pro of having a small business is you can have close and personal contacts.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thelandline.org
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=119976214715228&paipv=0&eav=AfbfGsTgfhj6g64oISTvoYkM5uc9UTRuk5LzXCgeozmV0F5IqgRKwRTDX2ON8m7xKdc&_rdr
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-land-26263054/
- Twitter: @rdland