When I stepped into the back of the training room I could feel the conflicting tension of exhaustion and energy. The group of students, “teachers in training,” had been intensely immersed for several days, not counting the days of preparation, and as they took turn leading the group, you could sense the focus, commitment, passion and nerves.
I was there to encourage. And as I stood in the back of the room, I could think of only one very real way to lift this group, ice cream. I discovered that the next break was in thirty minutes, so I hopped in my car and raced to a local Wal-Mart. Once inside I marched down the frozen food aisle. My objective was clear and it circulated around the concept of an ice cream treat on a stick. There were many options, options with national branding, but there was only one solution that would do. Blue Bunny! For a mission this important and for a group this significant I wanted a brand that I knew something about.
Mike Wells is my friend, an accountability partner, a confidant. Mike also is in charge of the operations of Blue Bunny Dairies in LeMars, Iowa. I’ve walked the floor of one of the production facilities in LeMars with Mike. I know just how committed he is to making sure that what’s done in Iowa is done well.
So when I moved down the aisle at Wal-Mart, on a mission for something exceptional for a group of extraordinary people, Blue Bunny is what I selected, quite simply because I know who is in charge in LeMars.
When we know who is in charge, when we trust his heart to lead, his passion for excellence, and his commitment to serve, it changes the decision process. Packaging and pictures don’t matter, it’s a name, a relationship that matters.
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. ~ Genesis 1:1 (ESV)
In life, and in ice cream, it makes a difference when we know who’s in charge. In fact, it changes everything!
Twenty-eight students were not disappointed, and neither was the delivery guy!
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