Catholic Founders

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket CastsOur world used to be covered in art that lifted us up to God. Now it’s not. Today’s guest is trying to help solve this. Hey everyone! Silas here 👋Before you dive in, ICYMI, we launched a newsletter!It goes out Mondays. It’s called The Saintly CEO. Each issue offers (1) a tactical tip to insert Faith into your business (in under 5 min) and (2) serves a curated list of other Catholic entrepreneurs to discover and connect with. Check it out today: The Saintly CEOIn Today’s Podcast:* Advice for artists who want to turn their art into a business* How Chris deals with the anxiety of running a business* The role of artists in bringing the culture back to GodFirst time here? Learn more about our mission. And don’t forget to subscribe.About Today’s Guest:* Chris Lewis | Catholic Convert | Illustrator | Family Man* Baritus Catholic* Pope Saint John Paul II’s Letter to ArtistsKey Moments:* 12:45 Taking the Leap: Going Full-Time* 15:48 Building a Family Business* 21:23 Core Principles for Aspiring Artists* 25:50 Balancing Ambition and Spiritual Guidance* 30:24 The Importance of Creativity and Spiritual Recharge* 33:42 Integrating Prayer into Business Practices* 37:13 Reclaiming Beauty in a Degraded Culture* 39:10 The Role of Art in Cultural Restoration* 44:50 Gratitude and Purpose in EntrepreneurshipCatholic Founders is Sponsored by Paraclete VAConsider hiring a Catholic Virtual Assistant through ParacleteVA.Thousands of Catholic VAs in the Philippines want to work for a Catholic employer. Instead of working for morally questionable companies that do not view them with dignity, they want to work for you. They want to be part of a bigger mission.If you’re looking for support as your business grows, reach out to me or Karen with what you’re looking for (dearcfpod@gmail.com) and we’ll connect you.How it works: Pay a $500 finder’s fee when you hire, and $500 if you’re still happy with the hire 30 days in.Change the life of a family today using ParacleteVA.Core Lesson:When we’re at our best as entrepreneurs, we become God’s paintbrush.Chris says he wants to keep the business a family business. When he and I spoke in preparation for this episode, he shared that he’s not trying to make it some big, huge business. In the episode, he explained this is in part because, as an artist, people want to work with you.However, the business is already bigger than he originally thought it would be. He also admitted that he’s constantly reevaluating how big this is meant to be. He frequently asks God what He wants of him.Resigning to the possibility that it might be bigger than he originally imagined is part of accepting God’s will. God gave us these skills, and if we’re seeking unity with Him, we’ll go as far as He asks us. Even to the ends of the earth.It’s even more moving to consider this from the perspective of an artist. God clearly gave you some basic skills and interest in the craft, so you really are His paintbrush.It’s not as romantic for business owners generally, but it’s the same principle.At our best—at our closest unity to God, we become a conduit of what He wants us to do in the world for Him.This is the ideal we ought to strive for.God Bless & Happy Building!~Silas MähnerDon’t Build Alone, Join the Catholic Founders GuildThere is no perfect playbook to pursue sainthood through entrepreneurship. That’s why we’re building the Catholic Founders Guild.A vetted group of Catholic entrepreneurs who are building for God.If you’re looking for Fellowship, Advice, Network, & Resources, the Catholic Founders Guild is for you.To sign up, upgrade to paid today.For a limited time, all paid supporters of Catholic Founders get access. It’s $10/month or $100/year.This offer is only for a limited time, so sign up today.Support us further by becoming a member of The Magis Club, starting at $360 a year.*Magis is derived from the Ignatian principle of Magis, meaning doing more for God’s glory. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.catholicfounders.com/subscribe

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket CastsWelcome back to Catholic Founders. Our mission is to help you learn how to run your business like a saint. Hey everyone! Silas here 👋News:* ICYMI, read our latest blog post (free for all) Stop Trying to Leave Your Faith at the Door. * If you’re in Central Wisconsin, we’re hosting a Catholic Founders meetup on April 22nd. Reach out for more details. * We’re launching a weekly newsletter! Stay tuned for that (don’t worry, you’ll be automatically included b/c you sub here). In Today’s Podcast: * How Taylor went from Anti-Catholic Baptist to building a Dating Coaching Business to help Catholic Men find their wives. * Taylor Ross | His Biz: Trad Chad Dating* Take Initiative First time here? Learn more about our mission. And don’t forget to subscribe. About Today’s Guest: Today we’re speaking with Taylor Ross. He grew up initially as a non-denom Christian. But later on they joined an anti-Catholic Baptist church that really turned him against Catholicism. It wasn’t until later that some inter-protestant arguments started to make him wonder what was true. But he was still committed to the idea that Catholics were headed to Hell. Eventually, all his core beliefs were shattered, so he figured he’d give Catholicism a try. About a year later, he was accepted into the Church. This led to his family, friends, and girlfriend all dumping him. He had to find new friends and start a new life. Shortly after this, he got back on the dating track because he knew he wanted to be a father. This led him to a dating coach. He’d end up working for that coach. He helped that business get to over $100k in monthly revenue. Then he decided to start Trad Chad Dating, his own dating coaching business, but for Catholics. Now he’s well on his way to making this his full-time business. And he’s helping Catholic men find their wives and get many steps closer to marriage. * Trad Chad DatingKey Moments:* 04:17 The moment he realized he was not meant for the 9-to-5. * 12:38 The moment he was creating far more value than he was capturing. * 17:30 The importance of avoiding debt.* 19:19 The basic thing you need to start a business. * 31:00 Perils to avoid when you start to see success. * 34:14 How his business taught him to appreciate prayer. Catholic Founders is Sponsored by Paraclete VAConsider hiring a Catholic Virtual Assistant through ParacleteVA. Thousands of Catholic VAs in the Philippines want to work for a Catholic employer. Instead of working for morally questionable companies that do not view them with dignity, they want to work for you. They want to be part of a bigger mission. If you’re looking for support as your business grows, reach out to me or Karen with what you’re looking for (dearcfpod@gmail.com) and we’ll connect you. How it works: Pay a $500 finder’s fee when you hire, and $500 if you’re still happy with the hire 30 days in.Change the life of a family today using ParacleteVA. Core Lesson: To be an Entrepreneur, Learn to Take InitiativeIn explaining how someone could get started in their entrepreneurial journey, he brought a lot of examples. Things that to he and I, would be obvious/likely actions. The reason they are obvious to us is that we take initiative. The good news is, you can learn initiative, so there’s no excuse if you were not born with it. And here’s the truth. Even the saints took initiative. They acted on their faith. They went out to the poor. They started religious orders. They wrote books. If they lacked a particular virtue, they took the initiative to study how they could develop that virtue. They were anything but stagnant. How could they not take initiative? After all, they had divine motivation. So this is your call! Practice taking initiative. Start small. Look back at your day. What is one way you could have taken initiative? After you start to see what the opportunities look like retroactively, you’ll begin (slowly) to notice them in real time. Once you develop the habit of noticing, start acting. Make it a habit. Over time it will be natural to you. Then, finally, you can refine. This is where you figure out what God is calling you to, and you can focus your initiative on that area. Chances are you’ll already be going in the right direction because He puts certain interests on our hearts so we eventually find our way to Him. God Bless & Happy Building!~Silas MähnerDon’t Build Alone, Join the Catholic Founders GuildThere is no perfect playbook to pursue sainthood through our entrepreneurial endeavors. That’s why we’re building the Catholic Founders Guild. A vetted group of Catholic entrepreneurs who are building for God. If you’re looking for Fellowship, Advice, Network, & Resources, the Catholic Founders Guild is for you. To sign up, upgrade to paid today. For a limited time, all paid supporters of Catholic Founders get access. It’s $10/month or $100/year. This offer is only for a limited time, so sign up today. Want to support our mission further? Consider becoming a member of The Magis Club, starting at $360 a year (give more if you like). *Magis is derived from the Ignatian principle of Magis, meaning doing more for God’s glory. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.catholicfounders.com/subscribe

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Pocket Casts Hey everyone! Silas here 👋Hope your Lent is going well! If not, now’s the time to recommit to your practice. If you’re not already, subscribe to our YouTube channel to help us get closer to who wants to play it who wants to play it 1,000. This will allow us to participate in monetization. Thanks for taking 10 seconds out of your day.In Today’s Podcast: * Topic: How to live an undivided life.* Our Guest: Jeff Schiefelbein* Core TakeawayFirst time here? Learn more about our mission. And don’t forget to subscribe. About Today’s Guest: Jeff is an absolute legend. He is someone whom I genuinely look up to as an example of Catholic entrepreneurship. He is the managing partner of Undivided Life, a consulting firm helping business leaders live… you guessed it… an undivided life. He co-hosts the BeatiDUDES podcast. He and his partners also run a few other businesses with about 60 people on payroll. Jeff is a gem. As you’ll see, he’s also full of amazing stories. * Jeff on LinkedIn* Undivided Life Website* The BeatiDUDESKey Moments:* 16:12 Traveling the country asking for free food and what that taught him* 29:30 Work is made FOR man and not man for work* 32:50 Is entrepreneurship the closest we come to acting ‘Imago Dei’? * 36:30 Becoming a conduit for God* 46:20 Building a culture of coaching* 49:50 How he manages so muchCatholic Founders is Sponsored by Paraclete VAConsider hiring a Catholic Virtual Assistant through ParacleteVA. Thousands of Catholic VAs in the Philippines want to work for a Catholic employer. Instead of working for morally questionable companies that do not view them with dignity, they want to work for you. They want to be part of a bigger mission. If you’re looking for support as your business grows, reach out to me or Karen with what you’re looking for (dearcfpod@gmail.com) and we’ll connect you. How it works: Pay a $500 finder’s fee when you hire, and $500 if you’re still happy with the hire 30 days in.Change the life of a family today using ParacleteVA. Core Lesson: Run your business so that when you face God at the end of your life, you’ll be proud of what you built and how you did it. Instead of trying to live a life separated into the various ‘compartments’ we often create. Live a life fully in alignment with the fact that you’ll one day face your creator. This is especially important for entrepreneurs because to whom much is given, much is expected. In other words, don’t settle for the standard level of expectations. Ask yourself genuinely, in the silence of adoration or on a walk… “What more could I do to be a builder for God while I’m here on earth, using the skills that He gave me?” Please spend some time on this in the coming week and figure out what you’re going to commit to. God Bless & Happy Building!~Silas MähnerDon’t Build Alone, Join the Catholic Founders GuildThere is no perfect playbook to pursue sainthood through our entrepreneurial endeavors. That’s why we’re building the Catholic Founders Guild. A vetted group of Catholic entrepreneurs who are building for God. If you’re looking for Fellowship, Advice, Network, & Resources, the Catholic Founders Guild is for you. To sign up, upgrade to paid today. For a limited time, all paid supporters of Catholic Founders get access. It’s $10/month or $100/year. This offer is only for a limited time, so sign up today. Want to support our mission further? Consider becoming a member of The Magis Club, starting at $360 a year (give more if you like). *Magis is derived from the Ignatian principle of Magis, meaning doing more for God’s glory. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.catholicfounders.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.catholicfounders.comHey everyone! And we’re back — this time with a CF Mini Episode for the paid subscribers. So, if you’re not a paid subscriber, this is where we’ll have to drop you off. If you’d like to become part of our paid member community, all you have to do is upgrade to paid by clicking on the top right corner of your screen. It’s $10 a month or $100 a year and you get access to all this extra content AND you can join our amazing peer group of other Catholic entrepreneurs. We hope to see you on the other side… of the paywall.

Complete the listener survey to help us understand how to better serve you. All of us want our project to make an impact. How do we make an impact? There are many things that can help in this pursuit. One of them is certainly eyeballs. Another is a strong endorsement. So, it naturally follows that we might, as Catholic Founders, pursue the approval of our local bishop for our project. This would give us some street cred AND eyeballs when promoted from their pulpit. But how does one go about engaging their bishop? We discuss this and much much more with our esteemed guest today. Cristofer Pereyra is the CEO of Tepeyac Leadership Initiative. A fellowship to form Catholic Leaders among the lay people. I’m currently going through this fellowship and this topic of engaging our bishops is one that came up for me during one of our sessions. Cristofer has a lot of wisdom to share and I think we can all take note from his founding journey with TLI. Topics: * When to engage your bishop* How to get started * What the bishop cares about * Discerning and answering the call to start a project * The importance of personal transformation And much more. Get the Takeways Episode (Paid Subscriber Perk)As an FYI, for all paid subscribers, we will have a 15-minute takeaways episode coming out tomorrow. So if you’re strapped for time, keep an eye out for that. If you’d like to check it out, become a paid subscriber today. You’ll get access to that special episode, as well as all other special podcast content AND full access to all of our written content (we usually only share ~50% of each article). It’s $10 a month or $100 a year. Just select upgrade to paid in the top right corner and go from there.IN ADDITION to the paid content, you also get access to our paid community of Catholic Founders. A place for you to seek advice from your peers.Timestamps / Chapters:* 00:00 Cold Open* 02:45 Engaging Bishops for Effective Projects* 05:49 The Journey to Founding TLI* 09:05 Ambition and the Call to Leadership* 12:03 The Role of Faith in Personal Development* 15:00 The Genesis of Tepeyac Leadership Initiative* 18:00 Navigating Relationships with Bishops* 20:46 Building Support at the Parish Level* 23:46 Transforming Ideas into Action* 27:03 The Importance of KPIs in Church Leadership* 30:03 Understanding Canonical Blessings and Their Importance* 35:04 Crisis Management in the Diocese* 39:47 The Entrepreneurial Spirit in Catholic Initiatives* 45:08 Discernment and Risk in Pursuing Ideas* 50:08 Investing in Our Interior Life for Effective MissionCore Lesson:Nothing is more important to our mission as Catholic entrepreneurs than seeking FIRST to allow Jesus to transform our own hearts. Without this, we can never truly touch those around us. Because we need to be a conduit for Jesus to reach through us and touch the hearts of the men around us. So, delay no longer! Begin today. Ask God for the grace to desire Him above all things. Ask Him for the grace to have a transformed heart that is wholly and fully His. PS: Need help in your business? Is it time to hire a virtual assistant?Consider hiring a Catholic Virtual Assistant through ParacleteVA. Reach out to me or Karen with what you’re looking for (silas@erthtechtalent.com or karen@erthtechtalent.com).You pay $500 when you hire, and $500 if you’re still happy with the hire 30 days in.This is a pilot we are running to help Catholic VAs in the Philipines find employment with more ethical companies. Help change a life today.Become a Member of Catholic FoundersI humbly ask you to consider joining our paid members community. It costs $10/month OR $100/year. This gets you access to all our paid content and our peer group of top-notch, highly-vetted Catholic Entrepreneuers. Having a peer group of serious Catholics who are also builders has been refreshing for many of our participants. We’re no longer — we have a home. If you’d like to do more and believe in our mission, consider joining The Magis Club* for $360 a year.Upgrade to any of these by selecting ‘upgrade to paid’ in the top right corner and select the option that works best for you.*Magis is derived from the Ignatian principle of Magis, meaning doing more for God’s glory. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.catholicfounders.com/subscribe

* There are ~2.3m small businesses owned by boomers who want to retire soon* Over 60% of small businesses have NO formal succession plan* Of businesses offered for sale, 80% never find a buyerThese stats give you an idea of what we are discussing today. My guest today is a former colleague from my days working as a Field Agent (Insurance Agent) with the Knights of Columbus, Zach Scardino. Together, he and his brother Cody are running Scardino Strategic Partners. They help business owners with a variety of financial planning needs. However, a core item they spend their time on is succession planning and transition planning. Zach has a wealth of knowledge in this space given how many situations they see on a weekly basis. So, I wanted to bring him on the pod to discuss some of the following topics: * How to hand down your business to a family member (and the typical pitfalls that occur)* What key actions you can take to increase the value of your small business if you’er prepping for sale* If you’d like to buy a small business, what to keep in mind* What you should do if you’re expecting to inherit a family business in the futureWe discuss these items and a LOT more. Before we get started, consider upgrading to a paid subscription. You’ll get access to all content and will get to join our growing peer group of Catholic Founders.It’s $10 a month or $100 a year. Just select upgrade to paid in the top right corner and go from there.If you haven’t paid already? What are you doing here? It can’t be super valuable if you’re not willing to put those digits in, so what is it?Timestamps / Chapters:* 00:00 Cold Open, Intro to Guest, Disclaimer* 06:04 The Importance of Succession Planning* 06:40 Types of Business Valuations* 09:49 Building Intrinsic Value in a Business* 12:51 How to Prepare for a Business Transition* 15:37 Navigating Family Business Succession* 18:47 Common Pitfalls in Business Transition* 21:38 Using Advisors in Business Succession* 25:48 Avoid Tax Surprises and Financial Burdens* 26:37 The Art of Buying Businesses* 29:42 Don’t Tie Yourself to ONE Deal* 31:08 Balancing Fairness and Legacy in Business Acquisitions* 35:43 Charitable Considerations in Business Sales* 38:49 Creative Ways to Honor Faith in Business Transitions* 39:14 When to Seek Professional Planning Help* 44:51 What Nukes a Deal* 48:39 Opportunities for Catholic Entrepreneurs* 53:57 Join Our Paid CommunitySSP Website: https://www.scardinostrategic.com/Core Lesson:To grow in your business, seek external support and advice.There are many things I could note as takeaways from this episode, but I think this is the most important thing. Why? Because if you heard the stories Zach shared, soo many of the mistakes come down to not seeking counsel. Accidentally being out of compliance. Not having generally acceptable practices. Failure to disclose certain things. Lack of knowledge in how to structure a deal. It goes on. If you run a small business, seek guidance from others who have gone further than you. They will have so much value to share. Learn from the mistakes of others. As you can hear in today’s episode, failure to ask for help could mean trying to sell an unsellable business. That’s especially dire if that was your retirement plan. Do the right thing - set aside your pride - and ask for help. PS: Need help in your business? Is it time to hire a virtual assistant?Consider hiring a Catholic Virtual Assistant through ParacleteVA. Reach out to me or Karen with what you’re looking for (silas@erthtechtalent.com or karen@erthtechtalent.com).You pay $500 when you hire, and $500 if you’re still happy with the hire 30 days in.This is a pilot we are running to help Catholic VAs in the Philipines find employment with more ethical companies. Help change a life today.Join the Movement!I humbly ask you to consider being a paid supporter of this project.$10/month OR $100/year is our standard membership which gets you access to all our paid content and our peer group of top-notch, highly-vetted Catholic Entrepreneuers.If you’d like to do more and believe in our mission, consider joining The Magis Club* for $360 a year.Upgrade to any of these by selecting upgrade to paid in the top right corner and select the option that works best for you.*Magis is derived from the Ignatian principle of Magis, meaning doing more for God’s glory. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.catholicfounders.com/subscribe

Ever wonder if you could start a business in a sector that you know nothing about? Well, truth is, it doesn’t take long to learn. Colin went from knowing nothing to being an expert in less than 3 years. How can I tell he’s an expert? He’s now got his own business and he’s saved probably at least 100 families huge amounts on their travel expenses. He does that through healing them leverage their credit card points wisely. But that’s not what we’re here to talk about. We’re here to see what it’s like to look back on your initial journey after having set out on your own. Many of you want to start a business, but are not sure when to really go and not sure what it will look like. Thankfully, we have a great example today. Colin is super open with us. And in today’s discussion, he takes a moment to reflect on where he is now. He gives all the credit to God. But more than this reflection session, we get to learn what it’s like for Colin’s wife to also be running her own business. Is there a bit of spousal rivalry? Does it stress them out? These and much more we get into during today’s episode. Before we get started, consider upgrading to a paid subscription. You’ll get access to all content and will get to join our growing peer group of Catholic Founders. It’s $10 a month or $100 a year. Just select upgrade to paid in the top right corner and go from there. If you haven’t paid already? What are you doing here? It can’t be super valuable if you’re not willing to put those digits in, so what is it? Timestamps from today’s conversation: * 00:00 Introduction and Background* 04:50 Early Life and Influences* 08:46 Struggles with Purpose and Career* 12:18 Finding Passion in Triathlons* 12:50 Concept of Success in Youth* 16:39 First Entrepreneurial Ventures* 22:15 Starting the Travel Points Business* 30:35 Transitioning to Full-Time Entrepreneurship* 37:35 From Side Hustle to Full-Time Success* 40:20 Navigating Business Growth and Challenges* 44:23 Balancing Family Life and Entrepreneurship* 44:55 The Spousal Dynamic in Entrepreneurship* 50:24 Managing Work and Family Responsibilities* 55:08 Reflections on Faith and Provision* 01:02:16 Reconciling Ambition with Faith* 01:05:37 Finding Community as a Catholic Entrepreneur* 01:09:17 Travel Tips and Business Insights* 01:13:16 Introduction and Call to ActionCore Lesson:Entrepreneurship offers us a way to understand our identity further. As you heard in the opening clip, Colin found his sense of identity through his entrepreneurial journey. Not in the sense that his business IS his identity, but that he started to feel he came into himself through the experience. In many ways running a business just heightens the senses. Everything is more exaggerated, and most things feel existential. This helps us find out more about ourselves and who we really are. Yes—our faults will be more visible, but so will our virtues. Having this clear feedback allows us to focus our efforts so we can improve.Until next time—God bless and happy building!Silas MähnerPS: Need help in your business? Is it time to hire a virtual assistant? Consider hiring a Catholic Virtual Assistant through ParacleteVA. Reach out to me or Karen with what you’re looking for (silas@erthtechtalent.com or karen@erthtechtalent.com). You pay $500 when you hire, and $500 if you’re still happy with the hire 30 days in. This is a pilot we are running to help Catholic VAs in the Philipines find employment with more ethical companies. Help change a life today. Join the Movement!I humbly ask you to consider being a paid supporter of this project.$10/month OR $100/year is our standard membership which gets you access to all our paid content and our peer group of top-notch, highly-vetted Catholic Entrepreneuers.If you’d like to do more and believe in our mission, consider joining The Magis Club* for $360 a year.Upgrade to any of these by selecting upgrade to paid in the top right corner and select the option that works best for you.*Magis is derived from the Ignatian principle of Magis, meaning doing more for God’s glory. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.catholicfounders.com/subscribe

Today’s conversation is beer’y fun and insightful. Trevor Alcorn is one of the owners of the Twitter-Famous Tridentine Brewing Co. — Brewing beer for the greater glory of God. They started brewing for fun in their basement. After the brand took the internet by storm, they realized there was a real demand to grow this. Recently, they made the leap to commercial production and are selling in my home state of Wisconsin. Given they are doing something unique to the culture wars and are running this as a family business with several strong personalities, we thought it would be a great conversation to have. We were not disappointed. In today’s discussion, we primarily cover: * 02:27 The Tridentine Brewing Co. story* 11:16 How they are scaling and the challenges with that * 15:25 The dynamics of running a business with your family and Succession planning* 18:15 Discerning the Call to Entrepreneurship* 21:52 The Value of Side Hustles for Families* 26:15 What it means to be a responsible consumer goods company * 32:24 Managing lifestyle creep so that you CAN take the leap to entrepreneurship * 40:28 His spiritual learnings from building Tridentine * 52:12 What it means to pursue greatness as a Catholic entrepreneur * 59:31 What Catholic entrepreneurs can do to help steer the culture towards God Core Lesson: Do not let lifestyle creep prevent you from answering the call to entrepreneurship. It’s okay to create a better life for you and your family, but most of us will let our lifestyle creep up to a point that we are actually spending much more than we would if we approached spending with first principles. Do I need to be in a neighborhood that costs $500 more per month? That’s $6,000 a year that could have gone towards savings/investing, or charity, or investing in a side business. With Alessandro, we saw that he had a dilemma on his hands when starting Hallow. Because he had just signed a new lease in a more expensive part of town. Thankfully he had sufficient savings to go all in. When listening to a book by near-billionaire Steve Houghton the other day, he pointed out how he and his wife ended up friends with another couple who owned a bank but still lived in a simple apartment. By living below their means, they could compound and be open to more opportunities, allowing them to make more impact on the world around them. It comes down to deferred gratification. This is a core principle all entrepreneurs understand at the end of the day. Until next time—God bless and happy building!Silas MähnerJoin the Movement! I humbly ask you to consider being a paid supporter of this project.$10/month OR $100/year is our standard membership which gets you access to all our paid content and our WhatsApp community of top-notch, highly-vetted Catholic Entrepreneuers.If you’d like to do more and believe in our mission, consider joining The Magis Club* for $360 a year.Upgrade to any of these by selecting upgrade to paid in the top right corner and select the option that works best for you.*Magis is derived from the Ignatian principle of Magis, meaning doing more for God’s glory. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.catholicfounders.com/subscribe

In this engaging conversation, Sondre Rasch, founder of SafetyWing and a Y Combinator alumnus, shares his unique journey from tech entrepreneur to Catholic convert. He highlights the intriguing rise of Christianity in Silicon Valley and how his faith transformed his approach to business. Topics include reconciling techno-optimism with faith, fostering community values in a tech culture, and the potential for a spiritual revival among entrepreneurs. Sondre's insights illuminate the evolving landscape of faith and business in today's ever-changing world.

In this episode of Catholic Founders, we continue our conversation with Alessandro DiSanto, co-founder of Hallow, the #1 Catholic prayer app. If you missed our first episode with Alessandro, go back and check it out—we focused on how to pray as a Catholic entrepreneur, how to discern your call to entrepreneurship, and how to integrate prayer into both success and failure.But today we’ve got something a bit different. This time, Alessandro pulls back the curtain on the founding of Hallow—including a never-before-shared moment of full commitment to launching the app. We also dive deep into:* Alessandro’s Entrepreneurial Roots – From family businesses in pizza and real estate to a career in finance, Alessandro’s path to entrepreneurship wasn’t the obvious choice. (In fact he never planned to start a biz) * The Unexpected Call to Found Hallow – How a journey of rediscovering prayer led Alessandro and his co-founders to leave cushy careers and take the leap into building a prayer app. (We got a pretty unique version of the founding story out of him today) * The Financial Realities of Quitting for a Startup – How the founders made it work with zero income for over a year, living frugally and taking personal financial risks. * Hallow’s Early Days – The scrappy beginnings of recording prayers, coding the first version, and testing it with friends before realizing the impact it could have.* The Church & Technology: Hallow at the Vatican – Alessandro shares insights from a recent Vatican conference on AI and evangelization, discussing the Church’s approach to guiding technology’s role in society.Final Takeaway:At the heart of this episode is a simple but crucial lesson: You’ll never discern God’s call for you without prayer. Alessandro’s story is a powerful testament to the importance of not just knowing about prayer but discovering and truly listening to God’s voice in your life. If you’re serious about deepening your prayer life, download Hallow today. There’s a free version available, with guided prayers, Lectio Divina, the Examen, and much more. Don’t just think about praying more—start now! Visit https://hallow.com/ to get started.If you enjoyed the content - please subscribe and share with one other person who will benefit from the insights provided. Until next time—God bless and happy building!Silas MähnerBe actionable — as you listen pick one thing that you’ll implement in your routine. Don’t be greedy — once you get one down, you can always listen back and get more ideas of what to do next.Be accountable — comment below with the action you’re planning to take. We’ll check in with you in a week to see how you’re doing (no seriously, we will). 💭Be collaborative — share this episode with a founder buddy of yours so you can help sharpen each other and grow in holiness together as you build your companies.Be included — if you’re new here, subscribe to get every new episode, and the special show notes, delivered into your inbox.Be involved — if you want a community of Catholic Founders to be part of, become a paid subscriber today. You’ll get access to the group chat, where we support each other in various ways throughout our business journeys (hiring, service provider recommendations, feedback, ideation, accountability, resources, and much more). We all know that entrepreneurship is tough — it’s even tougher if you don’t have a community of people who share your values and are striving towards the same goal.If this is for you, upgrade to paid today by clicking “Upgrade to Paid” on the top left.Thank you for the generosity of your time today!Housekeeping* Where to listen:* Type “Catholic Founders” into your favorite podcast app.* NOTE: you will not get all of the show notes on these other platforms as they have a much more limited character count for their show notes sections.* Apple Podcasts (please leave 5 stars and a written review — it helps massively! 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