It was a big day for Debbi—the grand opening of her small business. Banking on a cookie recipe, she’d rented a storefront and turned on the lights. And who came in? No one. Not one single customer.

Next day, Debbi opened her doors again—and she walked out to invite people in. Now, on the street, the wafting aroma of fresh cookies grabbed people by the nose. Free samples drew them inside. “Debbi” was Debbi Fields, founder of Mrs. Fields Cookies. Today the firm bearing her name has cookie shops worldwide.

This is Howard Butt Jr. of Laity Lodge. You can wait for people to come to you, or you can get out and engage them where they are … in the high calling of our daily work.

“Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.”— Proverbs 21:5