Nancy Matheson-Burns
CEO
Dole & Bailey, Inc.
Boston, MA

Dole & Bailey, one of the largest food suppliers in the northeastern United States, sells custom-cut meats, seafood and specialty foods to hotels, restaurants, country clubs, hospitals, colleges and assisted living facilities. The Intl. Food Distributors Association recently recognized the $50 million company as the first national food distributor to implement the prestigious ISO 9000 quality control program.

LifeChasers: You've been at the helm of Dole & Bailey more than a decade.

Matheson-Burns: I love the food business and always aspired to be CEO. However, I now realize it's not important that I'm CEO. It's more important to be where God wants me to be. Fortunately, I think I'm in that place.

LifeChasers: How did you become a Christian?

Matheson-Burns: Shortly after I married, our home was robbed. The thieves took everything - even our books! The only thing the thieves left behind was a Bible I had received in the second grade. I'm a voracious reader, so I picked it up in the weeks that followed and read it from cover to cover. I'd wake up my husband in the middle of the night and say, "Is this true?" (He was an ancient history major in college.) What I read rocked my world. It was the turning point to reaching the decision to turn my life over to Christ. I still read the Bible in its entirety every 12-18 months and it speaks powerfully to me ever time.

LifeChasers: How would you describe your leadership style?

Matheson-Burns: I try to follow Jesus' model of servant leadership. When you get to the level of CEO, if you surround yourself with people who are more gifted and talented than you in specific business categories…and you love, serve and nurture them, then fireworks happen. Everything clicks. People give their best. Everyone is growing. It's like being in your "zone."

LifeChasers: In your view, what is the hardest part of leading a large company?

Matheson-Burns: It's continuously building a team of people who are up to the standard we are looking for. We try to operate by biblical principles - honesty, integrity, treating other with respect, kindness and consideration, regardless of where a person has come from. I believe those qualities are just plain good for business. I expect them of our people whether they are Christians or not.

LifeChasers: I understand you have a real heart for women who must juggle work and family responsibilities.

Matheson-Burns: I have six kids, five of whom we adopted. I have no housekeeper. So I know about juggling! To make it work, it takes an understanding spouse, a lot of flexibility and everybody working together. That's partly why I feel so strongly about being flexible as an employer. I challenge other Christian CEOs and ask, 'Are we doing enough to make sure our female employees have the job flexibility they need?' My line is blurred between work and home…I work for Jesus Christ 24/7. So when I go to work, do I ignore that He said to make family a priority?

My personal assistant is a stay-at-home mom who works 50 hours a week from her home. In fact, she lives 200 miles away in Maine! She used to be an inside sales rep. She moved and quit that job to start a family. She was a high-energy, disciplined person who still wanted to find a way to work. So we worked it out. We bought her a computer and gave her a phone line. She makes it so seamless she could be in China and no one would know. It works great! We have many stories like that in our company.

These people will lay down their lives for you if you work with them to find a solution. I think God blesses our business because of our flexibility. We're profitable and we have great people.

LifeChasers: What if you lost your job tomorrow?

Matheson-Burns: If God asked me tomorrow to leave this job and go off into the desert and do something else, I'd do it. But right now I'm steward of this company, a "shepherd" of this flock. That's the race I'm called to run. There is no better "high" than being in the center of God's will-whatever it is-- and being obedient to what He's called you to do. I've always been a big risk-taker. When I became a Christian I didn't lose my love of risk-taking. But now I take risks for Him.