The last episode of Secrets Of Success was shot sometime in 2006. Over the years the production of each episode had gradually grown further and further apart. None of us producing the show really understood the decision to discontinue production. The weekly viewing audience at the time was still astronomically high and there were certainly more highly successful business individuals available to interview.
Internal politics may have played a part in the show’s demise; Campus Crusade for Christ had slowly been losing enthusiasm for the show and they eventually just pulled the plug. Without their fund raising and far-reaching distribution network the series simply did not have a future.
I will always have fond memories of my experiences during production of the Secrets Of Success series. The people working with me were and still are extremely talented. They are people of strong faith and strong character, and each of them cared deeply about the product we were producing. Travelling all over the United States and Canada together we got to know each other extremely well.
The greatest value received by all of us working on the series came directly from the business people featured in each episode. Witnessing firsthand how they lived each day and used their success to benefit others created in all of us the desire to do the same. All of our featured guests had experienced failures, and some had staggered their way through personal tragedies. Family members and colleagues who witnessed these struggles most often provided the descriptions of how our subjects reached out to God to overcome their challenges, and how they drew strength from their faith. Both the processes and the results were nothing less than extraordinary.
In introducing this compilation of stories I provided a list of commonalities shared by the individuals featured on the Secrets Of Success television series. I think it is well worth reviewing them here. With only one or two exceptions, all of our show subjects had built their financial success from nothing, or next to nothing. They all place a high priority on their families. They care deeply and sincerely for, and value, all people. Finally, they judge their success not on how much they own or profit, but in how much they are able to give to individuals or charitable organizations in need. God, of course, knows our hearts and it seemed to me that He knew well in advance how these individuals would use the success He helped them achieve.
Money is certainly important to each and every one of these professionals; they are in business to make money, they know that their businesses must show profits in order to thrive. But for all of them the desire to generate greater profits is less about amassing more personal wealth and more about creating greater resources to benefit employees, better serve the community, help the less fortunate, and most of all to serve God.
Obviously, each of these successful people benefit from and enjoy their wealth, but it is important to understand that accumulating more cash is not what drives them forward or controls their lives. Every one of them will tell you it is their love of God, seeking to understand God’s plan for them, and walking in faith which is what brings true value to their lives.
© 2012 Philip Kassel
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