Fruit, Faith, & Followers

Before we begin, let me tell you where I’m writing from. I’m a PGA Professional and a Career Consultant, but those titles don’t tell the whole story. I’m also a husband, a father, and a Christ-follower. That’s the lens through which I view my work and my life. These reflections, shared every two weeks from October 1 through April 1, are meant to connect those worlds. I’ll share stories from leadership, family, faith, and culture, always with the hope that something here resonates.

There’s an old proverb I return to often: “Trees don’t eat their own fruit. Rivers don’t drink their own water. Clouds don’t keep the rain for themselves.” The reminder is simple: what we produce isn’t meant to be stored away; it’s meant to nourish others.

Scripture echoes the same truth: “By their fruit you will recognize them” (Matthew 7:16). People can’t see intentions, but they can taste what our lives produce. Ask anyone who’s worked under a life-giving leader, or a draining one. The evidence is in the culture that the leader leaves behind.

In my consulting work, I’ve noticed a pattern. When PGA Members talk about those who shaped their careers, they don’t mention résumés or budgets. Nobody pulls out a spreadsheet at a retirement party. What they remember is whether that leader created opportunity, built trust, or made them feel valued. The fruit is in the stories people still tell. In fact, it’s those same stories that I find employers lean into at the interview table.

Here’s the twist: fruit rots when it’s hoarded, but it multiplies when it’s shared. Giving away what we’ve been given doesn’t leave us with less...it leaves us rooted and growing.

Ted Lasso captured this paradox beautifully: “For me, success is not about the wins and losses. It’s about helping these young fellas be the best versions of themselves on and off the field.” That’s fruit. He didn’t hoard his gift; he gave it away so others could flourish.

And this isn’t confined to work. The same question stretches into our homes. What kind of fruit do our families taste? When my kids look back years from now, I don’t want them to remember whether I hit deadlines or answered emails. I want them to remember that when they needed me, they had my full attention, that the phone went face down, and my focus went to them. Our closest followers, our families, taste the fruit long before anyone else does. Fruit is revealed in the atmosphere we cultivate, not the accomplishments we accumulate.

The truth is, fruit doesn’t grow overnight. It takes seasons. Patient, repeated acts of faithfulness. Sometimes the greatest gift isn’t the fruit itself, but the shade the tree casts for the next generation. That’s the kind of legacy worth tending.

Here’s what I’ve learned: fruit grows best when faith is rooted deep, and the sweetest harvest is tasted by the followers who carry it forward.

Try This (As Fall Settles In)

1. Work: Share one resource you’ve been tempted to keep to yourself. Let it ripple outward.

2. Home: Name one value you want your kids, or someone younger in your circle, to carry forward. Teach it with intention.

3. Mentorship: Offer specific encouragement to a colleague: “The way you handled that member interaction showed real poise under pressure.”

4. Leadership: Block 90 minutes of “watering time” in your calendar: study, reflection, sharpening. Fruitful leaders are rooted leaders.

5. Personal audit: Finish this sentence: “The fruit people most often receive from me is........” Then ask a trusted peer if they’d agree.

My Commitment

The fruit I most want to bear right now is clarity in complexity. In the weeks ahead, I’ll be sitting with Members who feel stuck, helping them cut through noise and see clear next steps. That’s the kind of fruit I want to offer. Not stockpiled, but shared.

And you? As fall settles in, may you plant something small but nourishing, fruit that multiplies forward and becomes the kind of story others will tell long after this season passes.

Next time, we’ll explore how fruit grows out of the way we steward our time, talent, and treasure.