Faith Driven Entrepreneur

We’re just as happy as you are that 2020 has finally come to an end. There’s been turmoil, turnover, and uncertainty around every corner. Yet, here at FDE, one thing has remained constant—this podcast.Week in and week out, we’ve recorded these conversations as we always do, and we couldn’t be more grateful for all the guests that joined us as well as the grounding consistency that this routine has provided.For those who have listened along all year, this will be a time to reflect on what we’ve heard. And for those who are just joining us, this will be a great place to find the episodes you need to listen to next. As always, thanks for joining us on the journey.

No one ever prepares to speak at their spouse’s funeral. But after a tragic car accident, Coach Monty Williams found himself burying his wife long before they had a chance to grow old together. But what happened in that moment was something powerful and unforgettable—he offered forgiveness to the driver who had killed his wife. Monty took us through this story, every painful detail, but he also talked about the hope he has found on the other side of tragedy and what he loves about coaching in the NBA.

Dave Blanchard, co-founder of Praxis, inspires faith-driven entrepreneurs and investors to pursue redemptive entrepreneurship--“following the pattern of creative restoration through sacrifice”--as they venture into the business world. In today's episode, he presents a gospel-centered plan encompassing redemptive strategic vision, a biblical operating model, and the value of intentional, sacrificial leadership.

When Brittany Underwood founded Akola Jewelry, she had no idea what the future of the jewelry handcrafted by women in Uganda would look like. Now, you can find Akola jewelry in Nordstrom's all across America. Today, you're going to hear her whole entrepreneurial story, but you're also going to hear from Sheeba Philip, the current CEO of Akola. Together, Brittany and Sheeba talked about the relationship between founders and CEOs, some avoidable pitfalls, and how their collaboration best serves the overall mission of the business.

Andy Crouch, partner for theology and culture at Praxis, joined us to talk about the drama of leadership and how to navigate the tensions of authority and vulnerability as a faith driven entrepreneur. Andy presents a 2x2 matrix and explains the surprising reality that “authority and vulnerability go together at the moments of greatest flourishing in our lives.” Listen in to hear his call to reconsider the role authority, vulnerability, control, and safety play in our lives.

If you're in America, you may think of the company Grab as the Uber of Southeast Asia. Of course, if you live in Southeast Asia, Uber is the Grab of America. Whatever way you look at it, with 198 Million Downloads of the App, 9 Million Drivers in 352 Cities in 8 Countries, and a $14B valuation, Anthony Tan and Grab are making huge waves in the ridesharing industry. Today, Anthony shared his entrepreneurial journey which started with a simple question: how can I best take care of other people?

Today's guest has over 25 years of CEO experience at major corporations, and he's got some wisdom to show for it. Joel Manby's most recent job was as the President and CEO of SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment. Before that, he served as the CEO of Herschend Enterprises, the largest family-owned theme park and entertainment company in the United States with popular brands such as the Harlem Globetrotters and Dolly Parton’s Dollywood theme park and dinner theaters. All that experience led him to write Love Works where he explains how to integrate love into the leadership ethos and philosophy of any organization. Let's hear him explain how...

Jewel Burks Solomon is the Founder of PartPic, which raised over $2million before being acquired by Amazon. And that was just the beginning of her entrepreneurial journey. Now, she’s a managing partner at Collab Capital—a group working to provide a viable pathway to sustained wealth for the black community. She’s an incredible story, a fascinating entrepreneur and investor, and someone we can’t wait for you to hear from...

Today’s guest comes to us from Nashville, Tennessee. Will Acuff noticed he was surrounded by talent all over his community, but these people were lacking a clear path to opportunity. So, he and his wife Tiffany co-founded Corner to Corner, where they created The Academy, which works to give underestimated entrepreneurs a clear path to start their business journey. Will joined us today to share his personal entrepreneurial journey, as well as the success stories he gets to see and be a part of every day.

Lecrae is the staple of the Christian rap scene. When people are looking to define the genre, they look to him. And with good reason—he has won 3 grammy awards. But before he was the face of Christian rap, he and Ben Washer, now Co-Founder and CEO of Reach Records, were recording songs for summer camps and pursuing their creative dreams in the best, scrappy way they knew how. We talked to both of them about the story behind Reach Records, why Lecrae moved to a traditional label and then back to his own, and how God is using their talents to share His message.