In this episode of Can I Borrow Your Car?, I sit down with my longtime friend Mike Cook—entrepreneur, rancher-at-heart, and author of People & Profit—to talk about collaboration, referrals, and why vendors are people first, not just line items. We dig into the faith-driven mindset behind serving everyone who touches your business (customers, employees, vendors, stakeholders), and how an abundance + stewardship framework creates healthier profit.

Mike shares his “first day in outside sales” disaster, how that pushed him toward building a business by referral, and why paying vendors early and with respect becomes a competitive advantage when things go sideways. We also unpack his three-person leadership model (Chief Stewardship Officer for employees, Chief Brand Officer for customers, COO for vendors) and talk legacy: passing down values and valuables so your culture survives succession. If you’ve ever treated vendors as a cost to crush instead of partners to cultivate, this one will reset your compass.

Connect with Mike Cook: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikecookstrategicdoer/ 

Email Mike: 434-841-8707

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