According to Mike, a self-described “creative,” the #1 challenge for creatives is how to handle criticism and overlook offenses.

“If you are going to survive and fulfill your God-given calling,” he told us, “you must learn how ot handle criticism and overlook offenses.”

Offense, Mike argued, is a “tool of the Enemy,” and he has used it to “take many people out.”

In order for us to effective in the work that God has given us, we need to learn how to handle criticism and overlook offenses.

Here are some of the notes from Mike’s talk…

Three Truths about Offenses:

1. Offenses are inevitable (Matthew 18:7). We have daily opportunities to be offended. “God has a purpose for our life that only those offenses can accomplish.” Since he cares more about our character than comfort, “God will often deliver us in a manner that seems intiially to destroy us” (Daniel Defoe, author of Robinson Crusoe)
2. God intends offenses for our good. (2 sam 16:11)
3. Being offended is a choice (Proverbs 19:11). “You don’t have to engage in every offense… sometimes the best thing to do is overlook [it] and just keep going.”

When Should You Overlook an Offense?

1. When it is intended as a correction.
2. When you discern that the other person was reacting because of something else.
3. When it is undeserved. (Ecclesiastes 7)
4. When no one else is affected but you.

How Can You Overlook an Offense?

1. Acknowledge that you were offended. “There is nothing to be gained by pretending.”
2. Remind yourself that you have a choice. “Between the stimulus and response, there is possibility.”
3. Remember that you are “dead” to these things.
4. Release the other person and move on. (Col. 3:12-13)

“As a creative, you must learn to deal with criticism and overlook offenses.”

For more on this subject, read the following blog posts on Mike Hyatt’s blog:

• Why Leaders Cannot Afford to Be Easily Offended
• The Number One Way Leaders Get Derailed

is the Chief Executive Officer of Thomas Nelson Publishers, the largest Christian publishing company in the world and the seventh largest trade book publishing company in the U.S.
He began his publishing career at Word Publishing while a student at Baylor University. He worked at Word for a total of six years. In addition to serving as Vice President of Marketing at Thomas Nelson in the mid-80s, he also started his own publishing company, Wolgemuth & Hyatt, with partner Robert Wolgemuth in 1986. Word eventually acquired their company in 1992.

He was a successful literary agent from 1992 until early 1998. He has also written four books, one of which landed on the New York Times bestseller list where it stayed for seven months. He is currently working on two new books, which he plans to announce closer to publication.

He joined Thomas Nelson for the second time in 1998. Since that time he has worked in a variety of roles in both divisional and corporate management. He was promoted to President and COO in February 2004 and CEO in August 2005. He is also the former Chairman of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (2006–2010).

While he loves his work, it is not the most important thing in his life. That position belongs to his family. He has been married to his wife, Gail (follow her on Twitter @GailHyatt), for thirty-two years. They have five daughters, a grandson, and three granddaughters. They live outside of Nashville, Tennessee.

In his free time, He enjoys writing, reading, running, and golfing. He is a member of St. Ignatius Orthodox Church in Franklin, Tennessee, where he has served as a deacon for twenty-three years.

Mike will be speaking about “The Business of Creativity: How to Monetize Your Art Without Selling Your Soul”

Follow Mike on Twitter: @michaelhyatt

Read his informative and invaluable blog: MichaelHyatt.com

Patsy Clairmont

Petite, profound, and playful. These words help to describe her size, her message, and her humor. She has a command of God’s word and with her quick wit and fast Patsy Clairmont paced humor she will keep everyone laughing. This light touch combined with scriptural knowledge makes Patsy an unusual package. You find yourself laughing God’s truths right into your heart.

Patsy comes from an uncommon background. Her years of suffering as a prisoner in her own home, a victim of agoraphobia, have given her a deep appreciation of God’s healing power. God has pulled together the emotionally fragmented pieces of her life. From her emotionally troubled background God has combined her humor and her knowledge of story to remind you that imperfect, “cracked” Christians are God’s specialty.

Patsy now travels throughout the U.S. providing humor for the heart and hope for the healing. Currently, she is a speaker with the Women of Faith conferences, speaking to tens of thousands of women each month. In her fourteen years with Women of Faith she has reached over 4 million women.

Patsy is also the million-selling author of the best-selling books “God Uses Cracked Pots”, “Normal is Just a Setting on Your Dryer”, “Under His Wings”, “Sportin’ a ‘Tude”, “Tea with Patsy Clairmont”, “It’s About Home; Creating a Place to Cherish”, “I Love Being a Woman” and “Stepping Stones; A Garden Path”, “Mending Your Heart in a Broken World, “The Hat Box”, “The Shoe Box”, ‘I Grew Up Little’ and ‘Pillow Prayers’, ‘All Cracked Up’, Dancing Bones, Living Lively in the Valley, I Second that Emotion and “Catching Fireflies”. She also has written her first book of fiction, “Stardust on My Pillow; Stories to Sleep on”. Her latest book is “Kaleidoscope“.

Patsy is excited to now be a children’s author! The ‘Tales from the Pantry’ series contains five children’s books ‘Meatball’, ‘Soccer’, ‘Stinky’, ‘Spud’ and “Basil and Parsley”.

Patsy has been married to Les for 43 years and they have two sons, Marty and Jason, daughter-in-law Danya, and grandsons, Justin and Noah.

She will be speaking about “Shaking Your Tree,” a guided discovery of the multi-layers and golden nuggets of our individual stories and how to more effectively communicate them.

Follow Patsy on Twitter: @patsyclairmont

Read her insightful and beautiful blog: PatsyClairmont.com

Dan T. Cathy

He loves to garden.

He says he probably should have started this page with a sentence like, “I am the President and Chief Operating Officer of Chick-fil-A, Inc.” but he wanted to begin things with something few people know. He could have said, “I love riding motorcycles” but then his riding buddies wouldn’t have been surprised. Or “I play the trumpet” but then the 70,000 people who saw him play one time would have known that. Or maybe “I love being a pilot” but then anyone who has flown with him is aware of that.

So gardening seemed like a good place to start. But to really start, to really take things all the way back to the beginning, He needs to talk about his dad S. Truett Cathy, and a childhood spent in Chick-fil-A restaurants. Customers were his passion and service was his driving motivation. Watching his heart for people over the decades instilled in Dan a love for the Chick-fil-A family that he gets to live out everyday. Although Dan became the President and Chief Operating Officer in 2001, the truth is, he works in customer service. And with more than 1,400 restaurants around the country and more than 50,000 employees, he has a lot of customers to serve.

Dan says, to tell you the truth, it doesn’t feel like work. He truly believes that we all have the responsibility to Live, Love and Lead in our communities. That’s why he pursues healthy outdoor passions like gardening and running in marathons. That’s why he loves continuing to build a strong relationship with Rhonda, his wife of 36 years, and their two sons, Andrew and Ross. That’s why he teaches Sunday School.

There are a million opportunities for each of us every day to Live, Love and Lead. He says, maybe he should have started this bio with that sentence, because at the end of the day, that’s really what Dan Cathy is all “about.”

Follow Dan on Twitter: @dancathy

Read his LIVE LOVE LEAD blog: DanTCathy.com

Ken Davis

Best-selling author, frequent radio and television guest, and one of the country’s most sought after inspirational and motivational speakers—Ken’s mixture of side-splitting humor and inspiration delights and enriches audiences of all ages. His books have received national critical acclaim, including the “Book of the Year” award and the Gold Medallion Award. The video and audio tapes of his live appearances are in constant demand.

Ken has been the keynote speaker for hundreds of major corporate events. He was a featured speaker for Promise Keepers and is a frequent guest on “Focus on the Family”. Ken has made thousands of personal appearances around the world. As president of Dynamic Communications International, he teaches speaking skills to ministry professionals and corporate executives. Ken’s daily radio show, Lighten Up!, is heard on over 1500 stations in the United States and around the world.

Ken was born and raised in Minnesota and is a graduate of Oak Hills Christian College. He and his wife, Diane, live in Tennessee and have two daughters. Traci, their oldest, is married to Brian and they have three daughters and a son. Taryn, is married to Scott Fowler of Legacy Five and they have two sons. The entire family is involved in Ken’s ministry, bringing much laughter and liberating truth to people around the world.

Ken has become a vital part of the cre:ate family. His cre:ate talk is called Fully Alive and will be a mixture of intensely serious challenges and side-splitting humor about the dimensions of our personal lives.

Follow Ken on Twitter: @liteNup

Read his hilarious yet poignant blog: KenDavis.com

Randy Elrod

Randy Elrod is described by his friends as a Renaissance man. A dreamer, artist, author, speaker and mentor, he enjoys a marriage of 30 years with his childhood sweetheart, Chris. They enjoy traveling the world, the sacraments of food and wine, the culinary arts, and hosting guests at their home “La Maison des Reves” in historic downtown Franklin, Tennessee. They have two daughters, a son-in-law & a maltese named Taffy.

He loves reading and favorite authors include Ayn Rand, Frederick Buechner, Madeline L’Engle and David McCullough.

He also enjoys painting nature and the female figure with watercolor,  and revels in the sensory overload of climbing America’s highest mountains. He navigated the Uganik River with only a tent and raft in grizzly country for a week in the wilderness of Kodiak Island, Alaska. He has completed nineteen full marathons (yes, 26.2 miles each).

A self-taught artist, Randy began painting in the winter of 2002 at the age of forty-two after his wife Chris gifted him with an easel and paints. A lifelong love affair with graphite sketching provides the foundation for the watercolors and anchors his distinctive style. Originals and limited edition prints can be purchased at his art gallery, SacramentalLife.org.

All profits from SacramentalLife.org benefit his charity, Kalein, a 2,000 acre non-profit Rustic Elegant Retreat for Creative Solitude that provides world-class master teachers and retreats for gifted artists, pastors, corporate executives and leaders.

Randy Elrod grew up in the poverty of the Appalachian mountains. The first person in his family ever to graduate high school, he recalls teaching his grandfather to read and write. Isolated and without television, he turned to the magic of used classic books that his mother would buy for a nickel. These books opened a world of dreams and possibilities, many which ultimately have come true.

For 16 weeks, his book Sex, Lies & Religion (Enjoying The Freedom of Unconditional Sexuality) remained on the Amazon.com bestseller list.* It is currently utilized as “an invaluable resource” by the director of a well-known Woman’s Institute for Sexual Health. Randy was cited as “writing with the pen of an artist, philosopher and poet, painting pictures that glisten with supernatural love, acceptance and eroticism.”

* Rose to #2 in Amazon Hot New Releases in Popular Culture, Sociology and Love & Romance Categories

Randy will be presenting a talk called The Messiah Gifts. A look at 5 invaluable yet often overlooked aspects of the effective leader’s life.

Follow Randy on Twitter: @RandyElrod

Read his sometimes controversial and always creative blog: RandyElrod.com