Session 7: Mark Burnett

This is the hollywood guy.

Interview. They always interview the people that are a little unpredictable.

He’s the guy that made the Bible show. And Survivor. And Shark Tank. And The Voice.

In doing what God called you to do, take the offense. Don’t be apologetic, don’t be hesitant.

Which takes us back to the theme for the day:

Be Strong and Courageous!

I might be running out of note-taking steam.

The Bible series beat the opening day of Hockey in Canada. “I thought hockey was the religion in Canada!”

It’s hard to get people to talk about the Bible sometimes, but it’s easy to strike up a conversation about the Bible TV show.

“Choose your travelling companions before you choose your road.”

This is a berber saying amongst nomads in Morocco. The travel is hard, but choosing the wrong companions is harder.

I want to raise up people, but I won’t keep energy suckers on my team. Unresolved emotional conflicts will suck your day dry way too fast. Not everyone is the right player on the right team.

He forces creative people and finance people to work together. He makes duos on all of his teams. He creates every management job as a co-job that has to work together with the other. One is worrying about the camera shot, the other is worrying about how much the pyrotechnics are going to cost and where to buy the safety harnesses.

“I don’t allow producers in the edit bay. That’s why we have editors!” He leads people just past an arms reach.

If somebody pitched a show to me without a timeline and a budget, I’d worry about how I was going to fire them tomorrow. That would be crazy and irresponsible.

It’s ok to dream big, but we have to make it.

“This is not a game. This is serious business.”

Every one of us could use a little of this guy’s liveliness and intensity.

“The Bible is the greatest love story in the world. We really wanted people to be a part of it.”

“Just because it’s Christian doesn’t give me license to make it crappy.”

I think it should be noted that he said crappy.

Mary did you know song, pretty amazing. Had to close the laptop and cry.

Bill closed it up with a benediction to go leverage your skills and go do stuff that will make an impact for Jesus.

I find that I’m terribly judgmental of this guy. I need to put that gun away. It’s so crazy how it’s so easy to judge, but this guy’s work is changing the freakin world!