Catholic Founders #26 Key Lessons From 25 Episodes of Catholic Founders, Part 1
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In celebration of 25 episodes of Catholic Founders, we’re looking back at the biggest lessons and takeaways from those 25 episodes.
It was too much to put into one recording so we are breaking it up into part 1 and 2. Part 2 should be out tomorrow or Saturday…stay tuned.
If you’re a newer listener, please use this as a sort of directory of past episodes to explore where you think you should listen. The Holy Spirit may call you to some specific episode. Don’t ignore it. Follow that tug.
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Core Lessons:
If any of these pique your interest, we encourage you to check out the full episode by clicking on the headline with each one. Especially something we encourage new listeners to take advantage of.
* Episode 1: Alessandro DiSanto, Hallow — How to Pray as an Entrepreneur
* Prayer is the essential first step for entrepreneurial success, helping you discern God's specific calling for you.
* Episode 2: Mini Episode - Parables — God Only Reveals the Meaning of the Gospel to His Disciples
* To truly understand Jesus and the Gospel, we must first become disciples and believe.
* Episode 3: Alessandro DiSanto, Hallow — Origin Story, Hallow Founding Story, Church & AI
* Make time for silence to hear God's subtle whispers, especially as a busy entrepreneur. If you don’t, you won’t hear what He’s calling you to.
* Ambition is good or bad depending on the intention; pursue it for God's glory—not your own.
* Techno-optimism is acceptable as long as it adheres to the Church's boundaries on ethics and human dignity.
* Living below your means creates financial freedom to take risks and start businesses.
* Grow your business at God's pace, even if it means going slower due to external factors like regulations.
* Following your passion can lead you to your business calling.
* Continuously seek to increase your value per hour by developing skills. This is the first stage of becoming an entrepreneur.
* Fully commit to the Lord and trust in His provision; don't constantly hedge your bets. When you trust in God, He’ll reward you.
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* Seek expert help and embrace humility in areas you lack knowledge. As Catholics, the virtue of humility should be one of our most unfair advantages. Lean into it.
* Put in the effort to be professional and continuously improve your business for your customers' benefit. If you don’t, you may not have anything to sell to retire on or won’t be able to pass it along to your children.
* A significant wave of companies is coming up for sale, creating opportunities for entrepreneurship through acquisition.
* Lay people have a responsibility to lead and evangelize in the world, beyond the parish. See paragraph 900 of the CCC. If we don’t do this, the mission of the apostolic mission of the bishops cannot be fully fulfilled.
* Building something truly impactful requires full-time commitment and trust in God. You can’t build something great as a hobby.
* Company culture, especially Christian virtue, must be at the core of your business, starting with the founder's spiritual life. If you as the founder are not truly living in virtue, it will not permeate through the organization.
* Every decision has eternal consequences; integrate your faith into all aspects of your life. All your decisions, business and personal, have eternal consequences.
* Minimize financial risk and expenses to enable entrepreneurship. If you don’t, you might miss the call God has for you.
* Prioritize prayer even when busy building your business. The busier you are, the more you need prayer.
* Do not force your children to join a family business; encourage their interest and involvement.
* Having a family business often inspires children to pursue entrepreneurship.
* We have a responsibility to create and promote good art because beauty speaks to the heart.
* Always prioritize your vocation (e.g., family) before business endeavors. There is a hierarchy to our life. God, Family, Business.
* Look for business opportunities by identifying and solving current problems you or others face.
* The Catholic business community needs its own funding mechanisms that align with Catholic morals.
* It's okay to embrace and own your role as a leader in your business. God put you in this situation for a reason, don’t shy away from it. Lean in and do it well.
* Allowing employees (and yourself) to fail is necessary for personal and team growth. Without it you’ll never scale.
* When considering giving up, ask yourself if you'd rather be doing anything else; if not, keep going.
* Share your vision publicly to allow others to help you and to embrace a God-like ambition.
Okay, stay tuned for part II soon. (Hoping later today or sometime tomorrow).
And please do us a favor, share this around to serve as a sort of mini-directory of our episodes.
God Bless & Happy Building!
~Silas Mähner
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