Dave Travis Now

If I am the Brand, then the Brand is sick right now

You hear it all the time. You are your own Brand.

You stand for something. Your words, actions, leadership of a team all stand to represent who you are to the world and managing that image/brand creates the value you add to the world.

Well, for the past month, my brand has been sick and nonexistent in some ways.

Some of you have read the previous post about my accident and physical status. Here is the update:

February 3 - accident. Pulled of deck by dog. Smash elbow into a dozen to two dozen pieces.

Week 1 - pain managed by sleep and pain meds. Pretty much useless. Can't sleep, focus, talk on phone. Misery.

Week 2 - Surgery to repair. Drugs and treatment that keeps me knocked out for two days, then struggling in pain for a few more. Still can't sleep. Was able to take a few calls and think between the drug clouds about some issues.

Week 3 - Cast off and start Physical therapy, working hard to regain motion in elbow. Tried to focus on a few things every day that were absolutely essential. Will post more on that in a post entitled "Forced Focus" on the Learnings.leadnet.org blog soon. Agreed to speak at a conference the next week as a way to motivate me to get going.

Week 4 (this past week) - Continued therapy and did the speech. Since I can't drive, I had to be driven to the event. Stayed just long enough to do my deal and then cut out due to fatigue. Took a meeting late in the week with a staff member who came to town. But it wasnt a long meeting.
For a few days, I was able to work 6 hours between therapy sessions.

The pain/drugs/therapy/extra time to do things still delay me quite a bit.

But here are a few learnings from the past month:

I had a system around me which flexed really well and provided me with the margin to help begin my recovery and not be stressed about it. That hasn't always been the case.

1. I have an excellent Lead Team that I have the privilege of sharing the work. Some have been beside me for 14 years, 10 years, 5 years and 2 years. They know how I think. They were able to assume much of the leadership including all the day to day.

The larger team on LN has shielded me from the stupid stuff for the most part, allowing me to give my best energy to the most important.

I have always said that I am not the LN brand and that has really become real to me this month.

2. I have had an excellent "home team" that has taken over most of my duties here around the house. My wife and daughters have stepped it up to provide care for me and cover all the things "dad usually does" at our house.
In addition, my parents, who live on the other side of Atlanta, have been my driver now on a few occasions to help me get around (I still can't drive). They seemed to enjoy my company and watching me do a few essential things.
My in laws have covered a few very critical maintenance chores at our cabin in the mountains for which I am extremely grateful as well.

3. My friends here in Snellville/Lithonia have provided cards, food, calls to keep my spirits up. I have had letters and emails from pastor friends around the country and facebook messages from old friends who have heard of my plight and have extended their good wishes and prayers.

I have always heard of the term "margin" to mean the margin you build in your own personal reserves - be it schedule, energy, time, focus and the like.

But another way to add to that is the team that creates margin for you and I have had a great team around me that have given me this space to begin recovery.

I don't want to tap all that margin during this present crises. I want to start adding back to the reserves. So this week I will attempt to be more active. I think cutting back the pain meds is helping me to focus my mind more allowing me to write and do phone calls that are beyond the surface issues and getting to some deeper issues.

The brand has been sick but I am on the comeback trail.

What happened? And where have you been?

 

I have not posted to the blog and done very little twittering for the past two weeks.

 

Here’s why:

On Tuesday the 3^rd around 6 p.m. I walked over to the neighbors to get our dog, Bella. Bella is a black Lab mix about 55 pounds. She regularly plays with the neighbor dog for an hour or so in the evenings on their deck. They have a gate to keep the dogs in there.

 

I had attached Bella to her lead and was negotiating replacing the gate when Bella took off down the steps. I was not smart enough to let go and Bella pulled me off the top step and I crash landed on the landing. Six steps. Maybe 40 inches. Landed directly on my elbow.

 

I could tell immediately that something was not right as I lay on the ground screaming for help.

 

I staggered back to the house with my arm in severe pain. Almost blacked out a few times before catching my breathe.

 

Shortly thereafter my wife came home and drove me to Emergency room. After a little futzing around they gave me a pain pill to ease the pain and took to me an xray technician.

 

When she took off my shirt, she just said “you are really messed up.”

 

A few hours later they had me asleep and “relocated” my elbow, which helped immensely. They gave me pills, said “you have broken, fractured and dislocated the thing, go see a doctor.”

 

By Thursday I was in doctor’s office and he was planning surgery.

 

Basically, he said hopefully you just have to screw the thing back together.

 

Tuesday the 10^th was surgery. I was knocked out and had my arm numbed electronically. So I didn’t feel a thing for 24 hours.

 

After the surgery I had an apparatus from knuckles to shoulder which was a real pain to manage but the arm felt fine.

 

And then the anesthesia and electro numbing wore off.

 

The pain pills work just fine but made me depressed, paranoid, a space cadet and sleepy.

 

So, No work. Can’t type. Can’t read and stay focused.   About the worse feeling for me ever.

 

Thankfully, I did get some rest. I had lots of calls, twitter notes and real cards. The family and church folk brought food and I was able to lay low. My wife and kids have been good nurses to me.

 

I have just returned from getting the apparatus off the elbow.  They reattached the bigger pieces and are hoping for the best of the rest. I have 70 stables running up the outside of my arm and they sent me over to the therapy torture people. They want me to type and move the arm as much as I can. So I am trying. And trying not to use the pain pills for now.

 

Thanks for all the notes and words of encouragement. And thanks for your prayers.

 

I am working through a little email at a time and trying to get back to normal.

 

I will probably work a few hours each day and add time as I go.

 

And the dog is fine, all you dog lovers.

What I did this week January 22nd until January 31st

 

Sunday –

• On the way to airport learned of the death of Donna Rhodes, sister of one of my running buddies from High School. Tough loss. Car crash.
• Arrived in and had dinner with the i3 major domos Linda Stanley, Todd Rhoades at Maggianos.

 

Monday

• Gathered with our fantastic Leadership Network team at Bent Tree Fellowship to begin i3 prep.
• Spent the afternoon in a pre-meeting session with Scott Thumma, Warren Bird, other scholars and reps from 12 churches that participated in an every member survey program last year. Incredible findings. Will shake up the megachurch world for sure. To be released in the coming months. Not to be missed. I twittered on it as did @daveferguson, @jonferguson, @patmasek and @missyhannon.
• Yankees laughed at weather reports for Dallas.
• Did dinner with same group.

 

Tuesday

• Gathered with an early group put together by Greg Ligon and Chris Willard down at the Hilton to discuss ongoing innovations. You would know the name of all 20 pastors I think that were there, but I will let Greg and Chris share some of the learnings.
• Slipped out after introductions to go join team doing registration at i3.
• Helped set up multiple hundreds of chairs for the gym.
• Had some nervous moments as Mark Driscoll’s airline stuck him on tarmac for a while.
• I3 kicked off with a great session – Pete Briscoe, Tim Keller, Stacy Spencer, Craig Groeschel and Mark Driscoll.
• Running clock on screen unnerves many participants but I think it is the way to go.
• Several hundred hit the confab on our live site www.innovation3gathering.com/live
• See several hundred old friends.
• Sat in on breakout with Anne Jackson – www.flowerdust.com
• As ice storm hits we start making decisions on the fly about “late night” after parties but continue on with our evening sessions
• I introduce Lomenick and Arment to about a dozen people they need to meet for Catalyst in about 15 minutes.
• Bent Tree worship leaders did great all day. Fantastic with theme, selections, songs, worship leadership at its best.
• Fantasmic song to close the night featuring Bent Tree Missions photos and Camron Ware’s great visualworshipper tools. www.visualworshipper.com – Incredible. “Greater things are yet to come, greater things are still to be done in this city…”
• I walk over and tell Linda and Todd how proud I am of them.
• Rescued by participant from Omahawho is the only person in conference to have ice scraper.
• Takes an hour to drive back to hotel.
• Collapse.

 

Wednesday

• Up early to get to conference to get things started. Luckily, all is well.
• We push it morning open back 15 mins to allow for some of the traffic issues.
• Kickin session in the a.m.
• I have a front row seat during entire conference to help keep stage running on time.
• Robbie Seay band that day.
• Front row seat and other responsibilities prevent me from meeting and seeing the dozen of blogging and twittering friends that are doing a great job covering conference via the internet for those online. @tonymorganlive @cynthiaware
• John Atkinson runs the sound and tech stuff flawlessly for the live experience.
• We have a few issues on the online side of the conference but we were trying just to offer it to help out some friends.
• Robbie Seay band closing song “Rise, Rise, people of God rise and give yourself away.”
• We close the final session with a blessing on participants.
• As I exit the big room I have lots of folks to thank. And our team has packed up most of the things as we have to get on over to a big bash banquet celebrating 25 years of Leadership Network.
• We celebrate and honor Linda and Bob Buford for all their contributions as well.
• At my table, Chuck Fromm, head honcho or Worship Leader, my editor, Sheryl Fullerton of Jossey-Bass, Reggie and Cathy McNeal, Mark and Janet Sweeney, Mel Lawrenz of Elmbrook Church and me and my wife.
• I am disappointed that I didn’t get to see lots of old friends at banquet but that is part of the deal when you have 500 folks.
• , Banquet was great. Allen Levi (www.allenlevi.com) the most famous folksinger in Hamilton, Ga with music. More frivolity and speeches including tributes by Randy Pope of Perimeter Church, Dale Dawson of Bridge to Rawanda, Robert Lewis of our board.
• I have the job of recognizing former presidents Fred Smith of the Gathering, Mark Sweeney, and Brad Smith, now president of Bakke Graduate University. Also our current president, Tom

  Wilson

• Finally get to bed about 1 a.m. Long day. A blur.

 

Thursday

• Mostly at airport waiting for planes to catch up.
• Delayed but made pleasant by time with Sam Chand (www.samchand.com) and Allen and Dwayne, the musicians from last night.
• Pull into house around 5 and have dinner with girls.
• The Dog is excited to see me.
• Watch Earl.
• Collapse in pile of mush.

 

Friday

• Catch up on the blogs and twitters. Incredible response to our conference.
• Warmed by reading my friend Steven Hunters “25 thing” notes including:

“Of all the things I am involved with at church, my favorite is being a Greeter one Sunday a month. Each Sunday, I know I will meet at least one person who hasn't set foot inside a church in years, or thinks he/she is unworthy, or thinks all churches are snooty and full of hypocrites. And it is my responsibility to make that person feel welcome and accepted right from the start. I love that responsibility.

 

24) I always give money to panhandlers, if I have money on me. I know it's usually a scam. I don't care. It's not my money, anyway, it's a gift I'm the steward of.”

Steve is an old friend from High School

• Connect with a few of Steve’s friends and other old high school folks via Facebook.
• Call a few folks on our team.
• Record intro and outro for our February “Leadership Network Audio Advance” – our most popular podcast download, with Dr. Warren Bird. (www.leadnet.org/resources)
• Reflect on how many people commented on my dirty gray hair. I don’t color it to look this good, I really don’t.
• Saw myself do a walk through Hitchockian cameo in Rickwsmith.com’s first video from i3.
• Decide that since I was in several classes with Ken Wisenhunt at Ga. Tech, I must cheer for the Cardinals.