So, if you haven’t really been on social media lately, you may not know that I am having a pretty good month so far. A week ago was my birthday, which was a blast! I am amazed year after year at the out pouring of love from my friends and family, just in celebrating one day. I smile simply thinking about it.
A few days ago, I was selected as Outfitter of the Month at my “job.” I work at Cabela’s, the World’s Foremost Outfitter, and one of the most amazing companies I have ever had the privilege to be a part of. That’s not lip service, that’s the truth. I now have an awesome frame above my desk with my name on it, as well as some pictures with our founders and one of my most recent hunting trips (and favorite bird dog Molly).
The reason I’m writing this post is because of what happened yesterday, when I won $10,000.
Yes, you read that correctly. $10,000.
I wanted to explain my point of view, which I have only been able to share with a handful of people at this time. As always, I pride myself on being open and honest. So, here is the open and honest truth to the last few days. Per usual, another long post ;)
At Cabela’s they say it over and over again, “We’re a different kind of retail.” It’s this idea that we’re not another Walmart, or Sears, or JC Penney, etc. There is nothing wrong with any of those places, but that is not Cabela’s. Our company is built around a culture that focuses on taking care of its employees (known as outfitters). I’m not saying that Cabela’s is perfect in that. Just like any company it has its pain points and struggles, but the fact that taking care of the people that work there even gets talked about is a step above so many other places. Here are a few examples:
- A retail competitive hourly wage
- Commissions on things like Kiosk orders
- Multi-level, huge discounts (which increase after the amount of time you work there)
- After 90 days you are eligible for benefits
- Special discounts which are only available to Cabela’s employees
- Contests, incentives, and other giveaways for selling particular products or completing training
All of that is just the tip of the iceberg.
Tomorrow is my one year anniversary at the store. I still remember walking in on my first day to sign my paperwork and thinking to myself, “Wow. I’m really going to be working at Cabela’s.” We opened on June 26th, 2014. Because Cabela’s is just a bit different from other retailers, every year they have a companywide “Store of the Year” contest. Recently they added the “New Store of the Year” contest, specifically aimed at those that just opened.
With the close of 2014, our store won. Our CEO, COO, and other corporate big wigs (as well as one of our founders) flew to our store to announce the accomplishment in person. It was amazing to see. When they announced it, they let us know that a $10,000 gift card to Cabela’s was going to be the top prize to one lucky outfitter, among several thousand dollars of additional prizes. There was going to be a huge party, with great food, and it was going to be awesome.
As the event grew closer and closer to May 7th (our party date), I started wondering more and more about what I would buy if I was to win the gift card for $10,000 to Cabela’s. I haven’t really been a “lucky” person in my life, so I didn’t really expect to win the grand prize. Because of my personality, however, I often joked around that they just need to put my name on the check since I was going to win the whole thing anyways. Again, I didn’t really think that. I haven’t won much in regards to drawings, giveaways, etc.
If you don’t know much about me, I’m a bit of a nerd by nature. On Monday before the party, I decided to create a spreadsheet of everything I would buy with the $10,000 gift card if I was to win it. A lot of people at the store were asking, “So what would you buy first?” I really struggled with that question. I had made a list of everything that I wanted, but nothing really stuck out, and I felt really weird about the whole thing.
That’s when I had a bit of a coming to Jesus moment, legitimately. Not to get too “Christian-ey” on you, but I’m a God-fearing man. Trust me, this is not one of those, “Do you know Jesus” posts. Nor is it saying, “If you find Jesus, you’ll win $10,000 too.” That is not at all what this is about, but the truth is that if I didn’t include this, I wouldn’t be telling the whole story. And that’s unfair to you.
Back to the story, I was having issues figuring out what I wanted to buy first. I was probably making a bigger deal about it than I needed to, but it was then that I thought about, “What is in your nature?” It’s a phrase that gets thrown out at Cabela’s all the time. It’s this two-fold idea about what gets your heart beating outdoors, but also what gets your heart beating in life.
I remember sharing one of my “In Your Nature” stories when we first got hired. I discovered that it is in my nature to help people. To be helpful. A friend of mine was not able to afford a new starter to be replaced in her car, so I offered to install it for her, because I had the time and talent to do so. It took me a bit longer than it should have, but I realized that is who I am. I like to help people, whether that is with my knowledge, talents, abilities, or treasures.
As I sat there thinking about what I was going to by first, it quickly dawned on me that I was going about this all wrong. If I was going to win a $10,000 gift card, I was going to follow one of the main pieces of my faith. I was going to follow what is in my nature. Before I bought anything for myself, I was going to give to others first.
I wasn’t totally sure what that looked like. I didn’t know if it was going to be coats for homeless people or shoes for orphans or clothes for single mothers. I had no idea, but I did know that if I was provided the means, I would carry out the work. That was my promise.
All of this transpired into a lot of personal growth over the last few days. I continued to wrestle with what I would donate if I was to win, and it was causing me some anxiety. I was also wrestling with, “well what if I don’t win?” I ended up having some very real, personal prayers and conversations.
First, I promised that if I won $10,000, I would provide for others before myself. I didn’t “make a deal” with God. That is childish to think. I made a promise. I simply stated that if I won this, here is what I would do and I would do it because of who HE is. Second, if I didn’t win, I simply prayed that I would have peace with that. Third, if I didn’t win, I hoped that whoever did truly deserved it even if they didn’t have the same plans that I did. Lastly, if the person that won was someone I didn’t think necessarily “earned” it, I needed to be at peace with that too. This drawing wasn’t based on merit. It was going to one lucky person.
I shared this with a few people before the party, but not many. I didn’t want to make a big deal of it, or talk something up that wasn’t mine.
The party rolls around, and we’re all starting to get food and sit down to eat delicious fajitas. At this time, our CEO and COO wanted to pull the top names for the top prizes. There were five top prizes (all valued between $1000 and $3000, I think). Then there was the grand prize. Six names would be chosen out of about eighty eligible people. Once those six names were chosen, it would start from the “least” valued prize and go all the way up.
They started out the selection round by letting everyone know that they would be getting a $50 gift card to Cabela’s, just for being on the team. Between that and a gift bag with a retail value of over $100 (and free food), that was a good deal.
As I watched and listened to them call six names, I was not any of them. I let out a big sigh and thought to myself, “Well, there you go. I’m okay with that. Clearly it wasn’t for me.” Our CEO and COO then spoke up and said they didn’t think that six was a very good number, so they were going to up it to ten instead, and the other four people were going to get $500 gift cards. Game on!
I was the eighth person called out of ten.
They took all ten of our names and put them in a separate drawing. We all sat down for about half an hour, when the prize drawings were actually going to start. As I sat there for the next thirty minutes I thought, “Wow! I am actually going to win something!”
Half an hour passes and we’re all called back up and asked to line up in order. As they explained how the process was going to work, I looked around at all of the prizes that we were eligible for and I thought to myself, “I am absolutely okay with winning any of these prizes.” The first person whose name was pulled during the selection round was to go up on stage and pull from the top ten names.
They gave away the $500 gift cards first. I thought for sure that my name was going to be called in those first four drawings, but I made it into the six. That’s when they started giving away prize packages.
The first one was a camping package. A tent, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, etc., valued at a $1000 or more. Again, I thought to myself, “I’d be cool with winning that.” But my name wasn’t called.
The next was an amazing outdoor cooking package. Pellet grill with two bags of pellets, utensils, grill cover, etc., valued at $1500 or more. Again, “I’m cool with winning that.” But it went to someone else.
This continued through with the gun/hunting rifle package (probably around $2000), as well as the gun safe package (probably around $3000 or $4000). That’s when it got very real, very quickly. It was between me and one other person and I was one drawing away from $10,000.
The last package was a hunting package in New Mexico or cow elk. All expenses paid, tags and licenses included, as well as a $300 gift card to Cabela’s, a new hunting rifle, and another gift card. It was a three or four day trip that would also allow you all of the fishing you wanted, and you could bring another person (just to hang out) for $300. I was absolutely cool with winning that.
As they explained the “runner-up” prize, as well as some thanking us for all of our hard work this year, I looked at the other guy and put my hand out. I said to him, “Hey, good luck to you.” I guess it was sort of a good-sportsman kind of thing, but it was me telling myself, “He may win this too, and I’ll be okay with that.” Our CEO pulls the name out of the hopper, reads it, and everyone erupts in excitement. I had just won $10,000 to Cabela’s.
Funny enough, I b-lined past my GM who had the gift card, as well as the $10,000 novelty prize check, and hugged my CEO (FYI, that’s probably not something that happens very often, but it did. I’m cool with it). After they handed me everything, they asked me for a speech, which I wasn’t really prepared for. It took me a few moments to gain my composure, but I started by sharing how I grew up going to Cabela’s. Heading there for weekends with my family, eating at the McDonald’s across the street, and spending all day in the Sidney, NE store (store #1). I then shared my story about what I was going to buy first. I choked up a bit. Flashes of homeless people, single moms, and other people in need flooded my mind. It was overwhelming. Again, I didn’t really know what this donation looked like, but I knew it was going to happen.
I spent the rest of the party shaking a lot of hands and getting congratulations. I also got a lot of, “You made me cry.” I apparently am really good at doing that. It’s not intentional. Sometimes I think that happens naturally when you’re open and honest with people. I also spent some time talking with our COO regarding pricing for what I wanted to buy and that Cabela’s would help me out with that. The most “bang for my buck” as it were.
So that’s what happened yesterday, that a lot of people knew about. But (as Paul Harvey would say) here’s the rest of the story…
One thing I didn’t share, because I knew I would start bawling, are two values that my grandfather taught me when I was younger in relation to work. First, always work harder today than you did yesterday. It’s an impossible standard and you’re going to fail at it, but failure is also a part of hard work. Ultimately it is this idea that you never stop going. You never stop working. You never stop pursuing. Never, ever, stop. Second, never leave someone else having to do your job. It’s okay to ask for help, but never leave someone having to pick up your slack because you decided to be lazy. I take those two principles with me absolutely everywhere I go. I am always striving to learn more, be more, do more. I would rather break because my body and mind cannot physically handle anymore versus breaking because it was too weak to take on anything to start. I wanted to share that, but I didn’t, because all I would think about is how proud my grandfather would be, and subsequently how proud my parents are. I pride myself on my work ethic, and when I am recognized for that hard work, it fills my heart to the point of bursting. I almost cried several times yesterday when people congratulated me, and spent time talking about how hard I work. That grabs my soul.
Another thing that I didn’t share is that after I got home yesterday, I spent some time weeping. Yes,
weeping. Like I said earlier, this whole thing has been incredibly overwhelming. $10,000 is almost double my first year of income when I got out of college. For some people, $10,000 is a drop in the bucket. For me, I’ve never even seen $10,000 in one place. Well I say that. I’ve probably done some cash pickups for more than that, but I digress. All I could think when I got home was, “I can’t believe that I get to do this. I can’t believe that I get to do this.” That’s pretty cool.
The last thing that I didn’t share is the details of our donation. Mandy and I still don’t know all of the details about what we’re going to do, or how it’s going to work, but I’m trusting that we will be guided in the right direction. Here is what I do know, we’re going to be giving to something baby related for sure.
Many of you know (if you’ve read this blog before), that we found out earlier this year we were pregnant and expecting our first child. On February 1st, we lost our first child. It was a heart-wrenching experience that I’m still working on day to day. This weekend is mother’s day, and I can’t think of a better way to honor our lost child than a donation in their name.
…all of this because I work at a place called Cabela’s. You don’t get that anymore. That is amazing, I don’t care who you are.
Like I said, we’re still working out the details, and I am hoping to finalize who we are donating to and how much by Monday. Look for that soon!
Thanks to everyone that reads this, following our story, and sharing life with us. I love being able to do this and to see the outpouring of love and compassion from the people that surround us.
1 John 4:7-8 “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”
