Christian Business Leader with Darren Shearer

On this episode, Brad Pedersen shares his marketplace and faith journey as founder of  Canada's top toy company and co-founder of a rapidly growing company devoted to environmental sustainability. Brad Pedersen is an award-winning entrepreneur, angel investor, thought leader, and sought-after business coach. In 2008, he founded and scaled Canada's top toy company, Tech 4 Kids, and subsequently co-founded Pela, the $100m sustainable phone case startup that created an entirely new category.  In 2021, Brad and the team at Pela successfully launched a record-breaking $9.8M crowd-sourced campaign for the Lomi, the world's first smart waste kitchen composter.  He's the author of the book, Startup Santa: A Toymaker's Tale of 10 Business Lessons Learned from Timeless Toys, which will release November 4, 2023. https://www.bradpedersen.com/ Christianity in Business is the show that helps Christian business leaders to integrate biblical values into business. | Entrepreneurship | Marketing | Nonprofit | Church | Author | Startups | Marketplace | Ministry | Business as Mission | Faith and Work | Faith | Success | Leadership | www.ChristianityInBusiness.com

On this episode, David Kroll shares how his church made the pivot from 13 weekend services to focusing on helping people experience church at home and in everyday life ... right before the Covid-19 pandemic began ... and is now reaching hundreds of thousands of people for Christ online weekly. David Kroll is the Chief Executive Officer for Churchome. Hundreds of thousands of people watch Churchome's sermons online each week, which are mostly preached by their lead communicator, Judah Smith. Prior to stepping into the CEO role, David began his career within investment banking, wealth management, and technology, and he served in a variety of pastoral roles within Churchome. He is husband to Jenna and father to William, Teddy, and Charlotte. David is passionate about helping people everywhere hear the story of Jesus! https://www.churchome.org/ Christianity in Business is the show that helps Christian business leaders to integrate biblical values into business. | Entrepreneurship | Marketing | Nonprofit | Church | Author | Startups | Marketplace | Ministry | Business as Mission | Faith and Work | Faith | Success | Leadership | www.ChristianityInBusiness.com

On this episode, Catherine Gates and Amy Cedrone explain why marketplace Christians ought to collaborate more with each other. They also share how they're facilitating collaborative efforts among Christian women in the marketplace.  Amy Cedrone is the Executive Director for Polished Network, an organization that emboldens women in their faith and work. Prior to Polished, Amy was a pastor for women and young adults at a large church in the Dallas Metroplex. She earned her Master's degree in Christian Leadership from Dallas Theological Seminary, and is currently pursing her doctorate, with a focus on Organizational Leadership, from Southern Methodist University. Catherine Gates is Vice President of Business Partnerships for Polished Network. She is the author of The Confidence Cornerstone: A Woman's Guide to Fearless Leadership. Catherine is on the steering committee for the National Faith & Work Association (NFWA.org).  www.boldlyconference.com  www.polishednetwork.org Christianity in Business is the show that helps Christian business leaders to integrate biblical values into business. | Entrepreneurship | Marketing | Nonprofit | Church | Author | Startups | Marketplace | Ministry | Business as Mission | Faith and Work | Faith | Success | Leadership | www.ChristianityInBusiness.com

On this episode, CEO Matt Neff shares how Sight & Sound and its 800+ employees have inspired over 30 million people with stories of faith through "Kingdom-class" original live theater productions.  Matt Neff is the CEO of Sight & Sound, a ministry on a mission to bring the Bible to life through live theater, television, and film. Since its beginning as a traveling multimedia show in 1976, Sight & Sound has inspired over 30 million people with stories of faith and is supported by a team of 800 employees. Today, Sight & Sound owns and operates two live theater locations, immersing audiences in state-of-the-art original productions and recently released their first theatrical film. Matt joined the company in 1994 as a stagehand and has served the ministry in a variety of roles since becoming the CEO in 2015.  Matt is married to Amy, 3rd daughter of Sight and Sound's founders Glenn and Shirley Eshelman, and has played an active role in the strategic planning of the long-term structure of the family-owned business.  Matt and Amy reside in Lancaster, PA with their four children.  Christianity in Business is the show that helps Christian business leaders to integrate biblical values into business. | Entrepreneurship | Marketing | Nonprofit | Church | Author | Startups | Marketplace | Ministry | Business as Mission | Faith and Work | Faith | Success | Leadership | www.ChristianityInBusiness.com

On this episode, US Christian Chamber of Commerce President Krystal Parker shares practical lessons about employee engagement from Jesus' Parable of the Four Soils.   Krystal Parker is the president of the U.S. Christian Chamber of Commerce. A former executive for a Fortune 200 publicly traded oil and gas company. A former college dropout, Parker advanced her education at Harvard Business School for senior executive leaders, focusing on innovation, globalization, and leadership diversity. As a certified DISC behavioral specialist, trainer, speaker, and coach, Krystal opened a boutique consulting company, Intent & Impact, to help companies increase profit, reduce turnover, and enhance employee engagement. A best-selling author and professor, Krystal teaches graduate and undergraduate-level courses.  Krystal is a wife and mother, and devoted follower of Jesus Christ. And she considers herself a marketplace missionary with a strategic focus on citywide transformation.  JOIN the US Christian Chamber of Commerce: https://uschristianchamber.com/small-business/ U.S. Christian Chamber, SWC 2024, Business Expo and National Conference: https://business.uschristianchamber.com/events/Details/u-s-christian-business-expo-and-national-conference-890187?sourceTypeId=Website Theology of Business is the show for marketplace Christians seeking to explore and apply God's will for business. If you want to learn more about how to do business for the glory of God and shape culture through discipling the business world, this show is for you. | Entrepreneurship | Marketing | Nonprofit | Church | Author | Startups | Marketplace | Ministry | Business as Mission | Faith and Work | Faith | Success | Leadership | www.TheologyofBusiness.com

On this episode, Roger Parrott explains why leaders should reconsider their approach to long-range planning to make room for unforeseen opportunities God may present. Dr. Roger Parrott has served as president of Belhaven University in Jackson, Mississippi since 1996. Belhaven was named in 2021 to "Best University to Work For" by the Chronicle of Higher Education, and Roger was recognized as one of "The 10 Most Visionary Education Leaders of 2021" by Education Magazine.  For a quarter-century he served as in board leadership roles with Lausanne Movement and The Mission America Coalition and was chairman of the 2004 Forum for World Evangelization.  He is the author of The Longview: Lasting Strategies for Rising Leaders (2009) and Opportunity Leadership: Stop Planning and Start Getting Results (2022). Christianity in Business is the show that helps Christian business leaders to integrate biblical values into business. | Entrepreneurship | Marketing | Nonprofit | Church | Author | Startups | Marketplace | Ministry | Business as Mission | Faith and Work | Faith | Success | Leadership | www.ChristianityInBusiness.com

On today's episode, Robert and Kay Lee Fukui share tips for married marketplace Christians on how to prioritize marriage and work.      Robert and Kay Lee Fukui are the co-founders of i61, inc., a business consulting company. They assist married entrepreneurs create better work/life balance by structuring the business to scale while giving precious time back to the owner to invest into their marriage. They have developed an innovative consulting program, Power Couples by DesignTM, which equips the married entrepreneur to build a Thriving Marriage AND Prosperous Business. They are the authors of the new book, Tandem: The Married Entrepreneurs' Guide for Greater Work-Life Balance.

On this episode, three-term member of the Texas House of Representatives Ron Simmons shares why Christian business professionals ought to engage in the political sphere. The Honorable Ron Simmons served three terms in the Texas House of Representatives. He served on the Appropriations, Transportation, Elections, Homeland Security, and Business & Industry Committees while in the Texas House. In business, Ron was the cofounder, chairman, and CEO of Retirement Advisors of America (RAA). RAA is a wealth management company and, at the time of its sale to another investment firm in 2019, managed over $3 billion for approximately two thousand retired commercial airline pilots from all the major airlines who resided in all fifty states and multiple foreign countries. In 2019, Governor Greg Abbott appointed Ron as chairman of the board of Texas Mutual Insurance Company, an exclusive worker compensation insurance provider located in Texas with over $1 billion in annual revenue serving over seventy thousand companies located in Texas. Simmons is an advisor to the CEOs of The Heritage Foundation and the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Ron is the son of two public school teachers and has been married to his wife, Lisa, for more than forty years. He and Lisa have three children: Justin, an assistant US Attorney in the Justice Department; Daniel, who is on the autism spectrum and a fantastic artist and hard worker; and Allie Beth, a podcast host (Relatable), author, and speaker. Their crowning achievement, though, is their five grandchildren! He's the author of the new book, Life Lessons from the Little Red Wagon: 15 Ways to Take Charge and Create a Path to Success. Christianity in Business is the show that helps Christian business leaders to integrate biblical values into business. | Entrepreneurship | Marketing | Nonprofit | Church | Author | Startups | Marketplace | Ministry | Business as Mission | Faith and Work | Faith | Success | Leadership | www.ChristianityInBusiness.com

On this episode, Nate Fischer shares how New Founding prioritizes the entrepreneurial judgment of people, created in God's image, in a society that increasingly suppresses any distinctly human judgment in favor of technocratic/bureaucratic alternatives.    Nate Fischer is the founder and CEO of New Founding, a venture firm and talent network focused on cultural and economic renewal. New Founding builds on high-trust, aligned communities to make high-value connections, creating economic networks that will be resilient to the broader collapse of trust in American institutions. Nate also co-founded American Reformer, which applies Protestant social and political thought to contemporary challenges through its journal, research & advocacy work, and fellowship programs. Nate previously co-founded a real estate investment firm that grew to more than $1 billion of assets and has a variety of other entrepreneurial and investment experience. He is a Claremont Lincoln Fellow, and lives in Dallas, TX, with his wife and four children. https://www.newfounding.com/  Christianity in Business is the show that helps Christian business leaders to integrate biblical values into business. | Entrepreneurship | Marketing | Nonprofit | Church | Author | Startups | Marketplace | Ministry | Business as Mission | Faith and Work | Faith | Success | Leadership | www.ChristianityInBusiness.com

On this episode, Matt Tommey shares how God has equipped and empowered you with everything you need to serve Him in the marketplace.   Matt Tommey is an author, artist, entrepreneur, and mentor who is passionate about helping people live in the abundance of God's Kingdom. Through his personal growth journey and extensive work mentoring artists, Matt learned how to make Kingdom principles easy to understand and apply to everyday life so anyone can experience abundant life in Christ. He currently lives in East Texas with his wife, Tanya, and their son, Cameron, where he enjoys friends and family, gardening, and creating art.   He's the author of several books, including Unlocking the Heart of the Artist, Prophetic Art, Crafting Your Brand, and his latest book, God's Plan for Living: A Simple Roadmap to Your IDEAL Kingdom Life.   Christianity in Business is the show that helps Christian business leaders to integrate biblical values into business. | Entrepreneurship | Marketing | Nonprofit | Church | Author | Startups | Marketplace | Ministry | Business as Mission | Faith and Work | Faith | Success | Leadership | www.ChristianityInBusiness.com