Succes Story Jerry

Jerry Colangelo
Chairman/CEO Phoenix Suns, Arizona Diamondbacks

Jerry Colangelo has been regarded as one of the top owners in professional sports. He is one of the latest members of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Jerry moved to the Valley of the Sun in 1968 to take over the expansion Phoenix NBA franchise as the youngest general manager in professional sports. In addition, he brought Major League Baseball to the Valley in 1998 and serves as Managing General Partner of the Arizona Diamondbacks who won the World Series over the New York Yankees in thrilling fashion in 2001.

He was an outstanding athlete in his own right. He enrolled at the University of Kansas but transferred after his prospective teammate, Wilt Chamberlain, left the Jayhawks for a pro contract. He transferred to the University of Illinois where he earned All-Big Ten honors, captained the Fighting Illini as a senior and was later inducted into the Illinois Basketball Hall of Fame. He also played two years of baseball at Illinois.

The author of a book titled How You Play the Game, Jerry gives insight into the business world of sports and his own life. Proceeds from the book sales go to YoungLife of Arizona, Phoenix Suns Charities and Arizona Diamondbacks Charities.

He and wife, Joan, have four children, six granddaughters and four grandsons.

During press interviews prior to embarking on the now legendary 2001 World Series against the New York Yankees, Arizona Diamondbacks Chairman and CEO Jerry Colangelo was asked what his prediction was for the outcome of the series. Jerry’s response was immediate. “I don’t predict, but I’ll tell you what I would pray for.”

“What’s that?” The reporters asked.

“That the series goes seven games, that we win at the bottom of the ninth inning in front of our home crowd, that the bases are loaded with two outs and that Gonzo is at the plate.”

How'd He Do That?
Amazingly, seven games later, that’s almost exactly what did happen. The only thing Jerry didn’t get was his second out. When Gonzo - All Star leftfielder Luis Gonzalez - stepped up to the plate and made his game-winning base hit, the Diamondbacks had only one man out. As Jerry stood and watched those final, tension-filled moments with his wife, he couldn’t believe his eyes. “I said, this happens to other people; you read about it, see it in movies. But it’s really happening right here, right now!”

Although Jerry realizes God didn’t win the series for the Diamondbacks, he’s certain his prayer and the prayers of others had a hand in all that took place. After all, just getting the Diamondbacks to the series was a miracle in itself, seeing as the team had lost their closing pitcher as well as 40 percent of their starting line-up at the beginning of the year. In addition, this was only the fourth year of the Diamondbacks existence, and it was Jerry’s first year at the helm.

Finding the Answers
While it may seem odd to pray for a win at the World Series, faith has always been as much a part of Jerry’s life as baseball. The way he sees it, a lot of people go through life searching for answers but never really find them. However, Jerry believes the object of their search is a lot closer than they think. “As we consider a realistic, practical approach to some really basic questions like, ’What is life all about?’ ‘Why are we here?’ and ‘What’s expected of us?’ there’s a pretty viable option available, and that is Jesus Christ,” says Jerry. “If we look at his life, his principles and the Bible, there are a lot of answers there, solutions to questions people spend their lifetime exploring without any satisfaction.”

Have you been struggling with the big questions of life? How about looking to Jesus for the answers? If you don’t know Jesus, we encourage you to pray the following:

Lord Jesus, I want to know You personally. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of my life. Make me be the person You want me to be. Amen.

Is it the desire of your heart to make this prayer yours?

If yes, pray now and according to his promise, Jesus Christ will come into your life.

Succes Story Henry

Henry “Hal” Thomas,

co-founder of Dallas-based Corban Communications

The higher you rise in the world of business, the stronger the temptation to exchange your principles for success. Few people know this better than Henry “Hal” Thomas, co-founder of Dallas-based Corban Communications. When he was just starting out, his unwillingness to compromise his beliefs cost him his job. But rather than end his career, that incident was only the beginning of something far greater than he had ever dreamed….

Hal Takes a Stand
In the mid-1980s, cellular phone service was just taking off, and Hal’s career appeared poised to soar along with it. Having been recruited by Southwestern Bell shortly after college, Hal was being groomed to play an active role in the founding of this new technology. But when something went wrong with one of their accounts, Hal was asked to randomly terminate five of his employees as a disciplinary measure. After mulling it over, Hal delivered his answer: “I told them that not only could I not do the task they had asked me to do, but if that’s the type of organization they were, that I could not associate with them at all.”

Help, God! What Next?
Suddenly jobless, Hal and his wife Julie moved back from LA to Dallas, where he spent the next six weeks trying to figure out what to do next. The best idea he could come up with was to become a telecommunications consultant. This proved to be a good choice, and he eventually linked up with several other people who were in the same boat. Eventually, Hal decided to join up with two of these people and form their own company, COM2000+. At the time, the cell phone industry was expanding rapidly, and there was a lot of pressure to broaden the coverage area as quickly as possible. COM2000+ specialized in finding and assessing sites for new cell phone towers. The company expanded rapidly over the next three years, with revenues in the millions of dollars. “This was very exciting for us, to see the success God had brought our way through our commitment to grow the business by trying to honor him.”

An Offering to God
Shortly afterwards, Hal and his partner David Kaltenbach had a falling out with the other principle of the company, who was not willing to submit the business to God. COM 2000+ soon dissolved. But Hal and David decided to reform the company and see if they couldn’t make a go of it again. Within ten months, not only had they reacquired their old customers, employees, and earnings, all of these things began to multiply exponentially. After earning over $1 million in revenue during their first year, COM2000+ quickly acquired ten other companies, with no signs of slowing down.

Thinking it was time to rename this rapidly growing entity, Hal sat down with a Bible dictionary one Sunday looking for ideas. When he hit upon the word, “Corban,” he knew he had it. The word meant “an offering to God,” which is exactly what Hal and David wanted the company to become.

Secret to Success?
What’s their secret? “We owe all success to God’s grace,” says Hal. “The Bible tells us that God’s eyes are looking to and fro throughout the earth for those whose hearts are wholly committed to him. Every day, I pray that God would give us wisdom and that he would find us usable so that we can continue our mission to help others and to show God how much we love him.”

Have you ever felt pressured to compromise your values in order to succeed? If so, perhaps it’s time you asked Jesus to help you stand up for truth and justice. If you don’t know Jesus, we encourage you to pray the following prayer:

Lord Jesus, I want to know You personally. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of my life. Make me be the person You want me to be. Amen.

Is it the desire of your heart to make this prayer yours?

If yes, pray now and according to his promise, Jesus Christ will come into your life.

Succes Story

JOE Gibbs

Super Bowl Champion, Hall of Fame Coach (1996), NASCAR (Team Championships 2000, 2002).

Joe Gibbs is a champion. This humble man from North Carolina has reached the pinnacle of success in two different sports. As the beloved Washington Redskins head coach, he took his team to four Super Bowls in 12 years, winning three of them. He resigned in 1993 in order to spend more time with family.

Along with many of those family members, Joe formed the Joe Gibbs Racing Team. Now, he’s a NASCAR champion. In 2000 his driver, Bobby LaBonte, won the Winston Cup (NASCAR’s championship) and two years later his teammate Tony Stewart won the championship. They continue to be among the top NASCAR drivers. In addition, Joe’s back at the helm of the Redskins.

His journey to the top has not been without its challenges. In 1979, while a backfield coach with the San Diego Chargers, his wife, Pat, was diagnosed with a brain tumor. She nearly died on the operating table and was left with partial facial paralysis. But the tumor was successfully removed.

In 1983, a business investment gone bad left the Super Bowl champ deeply in debt. With much faith and patience, he fulfilled every one of his financial obligations. “I am proof that God will work through adversity,” says Joe. “He loved me through all of it and I wound up stronger as a result.”

He is active in various charities. He founded Youth for Tomorrow, a residential group village for at-risk teenage boys and girls in Virginia.

One question Joe Gibbs’ enjoyed answering during his twelve-year tenure as head coach of the Washington Redskins was, “How did you get the job?” To which Joe glibly responded, “I have no earthly idea! Just strictly through God’s blessing, I guess.”

Indeed, Joe’s rise to success in two major sports - the NFL and NASCAR - is nothing short of remarkable. Born in a small town in North Carolina, Joe had always dreamed of coaching in the NFL. His pursuit of this dream led him through the ranks of NCAA football and into the NFL, where seventeen years after starting out, he was named head coach of the Redskins. Over the next twelve years, Joe led the team to four Superbowl appearances and three championships. In 1996 he was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. But even though Joe had conquered one sport, he wasn’t about to bow out yet.

Biggest Regret
One of Joe’s biggest regrets stemming from his football career was the time he had to spend away from his family, particularly his two sons, JD and Coy. The main reason he got into NASCAR once he retired from football was to work alongside his sons. “I missed so much of their youth because I was spending all of my time at Redskins Park," admits Gibbs. "It got to the point where I felt like my sons would grow up and not know who I was." Continuing his championship streak, Gibbs’ team has gone one to win two Winston Cups - the highest honor in NASCAR - and shows no signs of slowing down yet.

So what makes Joe such a champion? In Joe’s opinion, the turning point in his life came in 1972 when he recommitted his life to God. Although he had been a Christian since age nine, Joe walked away from God during his teen and college years. He still believed God existed but he just wasn’t living for him. As Joe started into his coaching career in the NCAA, he began to run into people whose lives had been changed in miraculous ways by God. The more he began to interact with these people, the more Joe realized his own life didn’t measure up. Joe was further impressed with this fact when he and his wife Pat had their first son, JD, Joe started asking himself what kind of father or husband he could be without God and he didn’t like the answer. So one night, he went to church and recommitted his life to God. Joe hasn’t looked back since. “Establishing a personal relationship with Christ is so important, because it affects every other decision you make in life,” Joe says. Judging from the path Joe’s career has taken from that point forward, he appears to be right.

Have a Game Plan
Joe finds the Bible - what he calls “God’s Game Plan” - particularly helpful in giving him direction. As one would expect from a former coach, Joe frames his approach to Christianity in terms of sports. “We’re playing in the game of life, and God is our head coach. But if we’re not studying the game plan, that’s like the Washington Redskins not studying their game plan. And that’s crazy!”

Have you been trying to play the game of life without consulting the playbook? How about turning to Jesus, our Head Coach, for help? If you don’t know Jesus, we encourage you to pray the following:

Lord Jesus, I want to know You personally. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of my life. Make me be the person You want me to be. Amen.

Is it the desire of your heart to make this prayer yours?

If yes, pray now and according to his promise, Jesus Christ will come into your life.

Be Succes

About Succes

What are your priorities? Is it a job plus car? A trip around the world? Your own home? Or is it a day dream? Good health? An hour of perfect leisure? Whatever your viewpoint, success is all around you. And however rare, quality time is attainable, fortunately. As long as you remember your most important date; the date you have with yourself. Quality time means to save time for free time. To free time means to organize your time well, starting with a Succes Organizer.

Make Time a Succes

This is the site to find all the answers to anything you want to know about Succes Organizers and Leather Goods. Take a look at the wide assortment of covers, leather goods and inserts. And take a minute to learn more about the various qualities of leather, and locate the dealer nearest you.
In January 1928 a remarkable Dutch business magazine named Succes was published. Due to the rapid growth of the publication Succes became active in a wide range of areas; courses were organized, and books for the business sector were published. In 1933 the first Succes Organizer appeared. Within a few years the Succes Organizer had become a familiar item internationally. Despite its meteoric rise in popularity, quality was always of prime concern.To this very day Succes continues to make all of its diaries by hand. The books and courses do not exist any more and Succes focuses completely on the organizers. While the Succes organizer once was only a useful business tool, it has now also become a trend setting lifestyle accessory.