I recently went one on one with James Barnett. James is the president of DaySpring and the author of Blue Skies: How to Live in Extraordinary Expectation of What’s Around the Corner.

Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your advice. First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. How did you get here? What experiences, failures, setbacks or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth?

James: During my MBA program, I met two guys who had just moved to Arkansas and owned a fledgling Christian greeting card company – Outreach Publications (now DaySpring). I asked them for an internship and conducted a graduate school marketing project on the ‘salability of Christian greeting cards in the secular market.’ I loved every minute of it. When I finished school a few months later, I was hired on full-time. As a small company doing a little over $1M in sales with about 30 employees, it seemed like the perfect fit. Within a few months, I became the national sales manager and soon after that I started a marketing department. The vision of DaySpring – to see every person experience and express the life-changing message of God’s love – energized me. 

The company continued to grow and, in 1999, after being acquired by Hallmark, I became DaySpring’s President. Just last year I celebrated 40 years with DaySpring.

As far as what has been most instrumental to my growth, I would sum it up like this: To succeed in business, you have to have perseverance and persistence. Things are going to go wrong; things are going to need adjustments. You can’t give up.

Ask yourself, how do I exercise the gifts I have, learn from others, and have an attitude of service? When you hit a snag, don’t be afraid to ask for help. You’re not in control of anything, except your response and your attitude. You can’t control the outside world around you. 

Sometimes you fail. It’s just part of it…so don’t be surprised when obstacles inevitably come. Use difficulty as a tool to innovate and improve.

Adam: What do you hope readers take away from your new book?

James: I wrote Blue Skies: How to Live in Extraordinary Expectation of What’s Around the Corner, to help us move from living in worry and fear to a life full of excited anticipation of what is coming next. The truth is, even on the cloudiest days, there are always blue skies and sunshine to be found. We just need to know where to look!

It’s all about perspective. We can get so caught up in the day-to-day stuff, we truly just forget. We lose perspective and we get dulled. Blue Skies encourages readers to look again and to find the beauty and the opportunity even in the challenges. My personal belief is that God is at work all the time—growing us, guiding us, and calling us into a greater purpose. My hope is that through this book, perspectives will be changed, and readers will find that no matter what they may be facing today, amazing things are in store just around the corner. When we look again, we can see that there is an exciting adventure ahead for each one of us regardless of the circumstances we face today! It may not be easy, but it will be worth it. Are you ready to embrace your adventure?

Adam: In your experience, what are the key steps to growing and scaling your business?

James: One question has proven key in this area for me – and it has to do with our consumer: What problem am I solving?

By clearly defining the problem, we can then define who we are helping, where to find them, and how to share our solution to their problem. Then – and this is how you scale – excellent execution. Good business process is everything – the how you get things done. Followed up by amazing people, and more importantly, the right people in the right seats. 

Adam: What do you believe are the defining qualities of an effective leader?

James: An effective leader must have a clear vision. And not just vision of what is on the road ahead of you, but also vision of what’s just around the corner. An effective leader is looking ahead and can quickly make adjustments when required.

The ability to build relationships is also a critical quality of being an effective leader. Effective leaders value people, communicate clearly, lead with humility, and have a high level of adaptability.

For me personally, I have found that the stronger my faith is, the more effective of a leader I am. Each morning, before I even get out of bed, I say a prayer. I’ve said the same one for over 25 years. It goes like this:

“God, you have a plan today and it is not mine. I have a lot of things planned today, but you can move anything on my calendar. Help me to watch and listen and then obey.”

This keeps me grounded in what matters--for me personally, and for our business.

Adam: How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level? 

James: Watch and learn. Understand, you just don’t know it all. I have a saying, “I like my ideas until I hear a better one.” Watch others, see what they are doing well, and emulate them! That will help you take your own career to the next level. Study other good leaders. Another important step is to have mentors in your life to help you with your business, your family, and your relationships.

Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives, and civic leaders? 

James: Number one, invest in relationships. Life was meant to be lived together, not alone. A lot of times, we want to do our own things, but I find that it is through relationships we find energy and really get to live life.

Number two, hold strong to your values. Put stakes in the ground. You will be constantly challenged to compromise. Make sure you know what those values are and let them guide your decisions. 

Number three, stay adaptable. Be open to change and don’t be afraid to innovate. 

Adam: What is your best advice on building, leading, and managing teams?

James: People want to know the plan. They want to know where they are going, and when they do, they want to help you get there. After 40 years with DaySpring, I am convinced that a strong, well-communicated vision of the road ahead is critical to building, leading, and managing teams. 

Communicate clear expectations, define goals, and identify and empower other leaders to get the work done. And then…don’t forget to circle back, compare results to the original plan or vision, and use that information to set strategy for what’s next.

Adam: What are your best tips on the topics of sales, marketing and branding?

James: When I came to DaySpring years ago, I read The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing by Trout and Ries. One of the things that stuck with me was that you cannot own two positions in the mind of the consumer, you can only have one. If you do not have things you say “no” to, then your brand is not defined enough. In addition, if you can’t be number one or number two in the category, then divide the category. 

With this in mind, we said, “Let’s be the best Christian greeting card and gift company out there.” We were number three in the overall greeting card category at the time, and we divided the category in order to focus exclusively on the Christian space and faith-based messaging. We ultimately ended up becoming the number one player in that space.

Also, don’t be afraid to tell your story. The story behind the brand is critical. Have clearly defined brand pillars, core values, and product attributes. This gives you a firm foundation to stand on when something else comes along in the marketplace.

From the sales side of things, once you understand the story and are adept at telling it, understand the features and benefits you bring to the table.  Figure out what makes your brand unique. The consumer will define them for you if you don’t define them. That’s not what you want. Be clear - it is up to you to deliver the truth about your brand.

After all that, you simply have to get out there and hustle. Get out and tell the story. Do something – don’t just talk about it. Set the plan…and then get out there and execute it.

Adam: What is your approach to managing work-life balance? 

James: Work-life balance is something I’ve worked on my entire career. The big shift in this area came for me when I attended a leadership conference in 1988 where a man named Bob Buford told his story. This mega-successful businessman told us about his season of deep searching after the death of his only child. It was through this experience that he realized he had been focusing on the wrong things and discovered a newfound intentionality. He raised two hard questions that I think on to this day: “Are you driven, or are you called? And do you understand the difference?”

These questions often help me refocus my thinking. My success is not measured just by what I accomplish, but also whether or not I am leaning into the bigger purpose and greater calling on my life. 

Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received? 

James: The best piece of advice is probably from Rick Warren where he said, “It’s not about you.” I think about this every day. I get up and remember it’s not about me, but instead, it’s about God’s plan FOR me. When I keep that perspective, I work on the right things with the right attitude and right spirit.


Adam Mendler is the CEO of The Veloz Group, where he co-founded and oversees ventures across a wide variety of industries. Adam is also the creator and host of the business and leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, where he goes one on one with America's most successful people - Fortune 500 CEOs, founders of household name companies, Hall of Fame and Olympic gold medal winning athletes, political and military leaders - for intimate half-hour conversations each week. Adam has written extensively on leadership, management, entrepreneurship, marketing and sales, having authored over 70 articles published in major media outlets including Forbes, Inc. and HuffPost, and has conducted more than 500 one on one interviews with America’s top leaders through his collective media projects. A top leadership speaker, Adam draws upon his insights building and leading businesses and interviewing hundreds of America's top leaders as a top keynote speaker to businesses, universities and non-profit organizations.

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