Posts by Miami Rooftop Prayers

Monday. Not everyone’s favorite day to begin with—and the Devil was working overtime for Bill Hansen that day. First up, I got to spend two hours in the chair while my dentist removed five old crowns (the ones you see when you smile) to replace them with temps. Mouth still numb, I headed off to…

We were in Grand Cayman on serious business. We were there for Engaged, the ultra-luxury wedding planner and vendor conference. But banana boats are fun to ride along the Caribbean coast. At least, that’s what three Millennials convinced this Old Geezer it would be. Fun. Fun. Fun. Off we go, out into the deep, hanging…

“Bill, you’ve got the attention span of a gnat!” These were the words of a colleague. Okay. Just so you know. This is true about me. Particularly when engaged in producing a wedding or event.  Food preparation, design and décor, service, entertainment . . . this is the life of a caterer/event producer. Details are…

“When you’re up to your neck in alligators, it’s hard to remember that your initial objective was to drain the swamp.” Ah, the corny rhetoric of politicians. But it goes much deeper than that, and right on our own turf. Our minds are the Devil’s playground. The Devil loves to flood them with negative thoughts…

Hijacking and robbery at gunpoint are not uncommon. Lives are in danger while navigating the nearly gridlocked traffic.    That’s the reality in Bogotá. I was on the calendar to deliver a talk to event planners. My host picked me up at the airport in a bullet-proof vehicle. For those of means living in Bogotá,…

Who among us has been bitten by an elephant? What’s your point, Bill?  So glad you asked! In my business we work with contracts. We agree to deliver an experience for a wedding or event. The client agrees to pay us for that experience. There’s more to catering than simply the food. The details can…

That was me. The Country Club Christian. Roll back to the early 1990s. I was going to church most Sundays, yet still questioning and nit-picking. How does He . . . know every hair on our heads? How does He . . . know every thought that we think? How can He . . .…

It was 1978—but I see it in my head like it happened yesterday. With the Kentucky Derby only weeks away (Saturday, May 4, 2019), I can’t help but replay it in my mind. Three duels between two of the greatest horses of all time: Affirmed and Alydar. Spanning a five-week stretch, and in a giant…

“Billy, be careful. When it starts raining the oil on the road makes it slick as glass.” Dad’s wise voice in my head from around 60 years ago. Picture me on a Sunday, southbound in my Tesla just north of SR112 and I-195. It was 5:45 AM and I was headed to work. (You’re right,…

The seed was planted in my heart. Since my single-digit years in the 1950s I’ve known that God wanted me to be an entrepreneur. I sold Christmas wreaths, mailing labels, and rose bushes. While at Cornell I sold clothes, canned goods, ice cream, soda pop—and even beer to my fraternity brothers and other students. Paying…