I graduated from college in May 2015 with a firm belief that God would provide the right job at the right time for me. I interviewed for seven jobs before I accepted the Sales position at The Marketing Squad. I was offered three before it, and I turned them down because I knew God had something better in mind for me.

I've been working at this amazing, godly place for three weeks now, and I have loved every moment of it. Every day I am excited to go to work because I love what I do and because I know that God has placed me here for a reason. Whenever I get discouraged, I remind myself, "God has appointed me to this position."

In the last year, TMS has hired six new people. It has provided six new jobs. The unemployment rate in Louisville, KY is 4.5%. That number may seem small, but it actually means that there are 37,750 people who are unemployed in this city alone.

When you grow your business, you are not only helping people with the services or products you provide, you are helping people by giving them a reason to get out of bed every morning.

During the five months that I was unemployed, I struggled everyday to keep believing that I had a purpose, that God had a plan. I fought to keep myself from becoming depressed, from feeling empty. Now, I can't help but think about all the people out there who feel like they aren't contributing to society or that they don't have something to look forward to because they don't have a job.

God gave us our ambitions, our dreams. It's not a greedy or glutinous to desire to grow your business. God placed you in your position for a reason.

The Parable of the Talents
14-18 "It’s also like a man going off on an extended trip. He called his servants together and delegated responsibilities. To one he gave five thousand dollars, to another two thousand, to a third one thousand, depending on their abilities. Then he left. Right off, the first servant went to work and doubled his master’s investment. The second did the same. But the man with the single thousand dug a hole and carefully buried his master’s money.
19-21 "After a long absence, the master of those three servants came back and settled up with them. The one given five thousand dollars showed him how he had doubled his investment. His master commended him: ‘Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.’
22-23 "The servant with the two thousand showed how he also had doubled his master’s investment. His master commended him: ‘Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.’
24-25 "The servant given one thousand said, ‘Master, I know you have high standards and hate careless ways, that you demand the best and make no allowances for error. I was afraid I might disappoint you, so I found a good hiding place and secured your money. Here it is, safe and sound down to the last cent.’
26-27 "The master was furious. ‘That’s a terrible way to live! It’s criminal to live cautiously like that! If you knew I was after the best, why did you do less than the least? The least you could have done would have been to invest the sum with the bankers, where at least I would have gotten a little interest.
28-30 "‘Take the thousand and give it to the one who risked the most. And get rid of this "play-it-safe" who won’t go out on a limb. Throw him out into utter darkness.’ Matthew 25: 14-30.

Playing it safe and being comfortable isn't serving God. Good is the enemy of great. God has greater plans for your life than for you to just be average.

If you feel that God wants your business to thrive, come chat with me about how The Marketing Squad is doing God's work to help businesses just like yours rise to new levels. My goal is to help you grow so much that you have to hire new people. Let's chat.

TCS recently has its quarterly retreat. We all met together at UofL's Shelby campus and sipped bad coffee, played Apples to Apples, and played trivia games to grow more as a team. In the past year, there have been six new team members (including myself) which means we have almost doubled in size. Our office is tightly knit. Even though we have separate offices and desks, a good majority of our time is spent in conference rooms and community tables. It's amazing how much work gets done amidst all the laughing we do.

From the time when TCS was only Bryce and Jessie, to today with a team of 13 (and growing) we are so proud of how far we have come. Our growth truly reflects our success because we have grown purely through cash flow. That means each position has been created out of a need for more hands and more ideas, not for the sake of hiring.

At the retreat we went over productivity, looked at numbers, and set high and attainable goals. As a new hire, it was an exciting conversation to be a part of.

The part of the day that stayed with me was at the very end. We had about an hour to just have open conversations with one another. Presidents, Partners, Managers, and New Hires all at the same table (as per usual with us) but all talking from the heart. We expressed how blessed we felt to be a part of a business like TCS, and to work among such wonderful people and with such great clients. It definitely means something when you give a group a platform to speak openly, and instead of complaints or concerns, you receive gratitude.

We want to take a moment and relay that gratitude to our clients, new and old, who have trusted us to grow their marketing-- Thank you.

There ain't no shame in the snacking game! Here at The Content Squad, when we are not working feverishly for our clients, we indulge in the occasional snack. A well-stocked breakroom is essential to employee morale. If you are in need of a few pointers in quenching the snack-atite, look no further. We have provided a simple breakdown on essential steps, and our favorite snacks.

First, there are a few things you should have prior to snack-stocking...

1. Costco Membership: Like Nike says, just do it. Your employees will thank you for it. It's a quick and easy way to grab all the goods in bulk. #noregrets
2. Hungry Employees: Done.
3. Will to Shop: Find it. Keep it. You'll be doing a lot of it.

Now, you should get some ideas on what your employees enjoy nibbling. Are they health nuts, or the founding board members of Choco-holics Anonymous? Either way this is a vital ingredient to keeping the hunger at bay.

We have a wide variety of snack styles here at TCS. Some healthy, some not so much. But even when we cheat, we buy Coca Cola and Root Beer with cane sugar, not high fructose corn syrup. Below is a list of our favorite snacks, all found at our beloved Costco.

• Chocolate Bark: Because - chocolate.
• Annie's Fruit Snacks: Delicious, fruity & organic!
• Skinny Pop: Something has to balance out.
• Coffee: No Walking Dead here.
• Coconut Water: Replenish and hydrate!
• Roobie Red Tea: A local company that is expanding. We like locals.
• Protein Bars: Kind and Caveman are our gluten-free favorites.

Next time employees are scavenging for food, just head on out to Costco. With these helpful tips, you are sure to win it big in the snack-time arena.