Faith Driven Entrepreneur

It’s no secret that everyone’s day-to-day lives have been turned upside down by the coronavirus. So, in light of current events—the pandemic, along with its economic and social effects—we wanted to bring on a guest to speak into what we’re all experiencing. That’s what brings us to Mark Sears, Founder and CEO of CloudFactory. CloudFactory is using technology to create meaningful work for as many people as possible by building the best on-demand digital workforce known to man. Early on in Mark’s entrepreneurial journey, he faced a global crisis and the way he led his business during that time is an example for Faith Driven Entrepreneurs everywhere. And today, as he leads a company with thousands of employees who live all over the globe, he’s living and working right in the heart of this crisis.So, if you’re feeling a bit lost, overwhelmed, confused, or scared during these trying times, let Mark’s words be a source of encouragement.As always, thanks for listening and stay safe out there!Useful Links:Mark Sears - PraxisCloudFactoryRising Above the DebrisNepal Earthquake

It’s Tuesday. Which means it’s time to gather. Or, as you might say, it’s time to Convene. And that’s exactly what we’re talking about today. Our guest, Greg Leith is from the greater Los Angeles area, and he leads a ministry to Christian CEOs and Entrepreneurs called Convene. His work there has taught him what it means to be a healthy leader, as well as what we as entrepreneurs can do to foster and encourage our growth as both leaders and people. Listen in to catch the wisdom and insight Greg shared with us…Useful Links:ConveneGreg Leith WebsiteHow Do You Grow as a Leader?

We are so excited to share our interview with you today. Diane Paddison is the Founder and President of 4Word—a group where she is a leading advocate for the professional Christian women community. She is a Harvard MBA graduate, the former global executive of two Fortune 500 companies and one Fortune 1000 company, and she serves as an independent director for two corporations and four not-for-profits. She’s also the author of Work, Love, Pray: Practical Wisdom for Professional Christian Women and Those Who Want to Understand Them. Her insight into the experiences of Christian women in the workplace is unparalleled, and we think you’ll be glad you heard it.Diane Paddison is the real deal, and we loved getting to talk with her and hear the incredible things they are doing to mentor businesswomen in the marketplace. So, tune in to learn about the work she does at 4word and why women mentorship matters. As always, thanks for listening!Useful Links:Work, Love, Pray: Practical Wisdom for Professional Christian Women and Those Who Want to Understand Them4wordwomenFind a 4word Local Group

Today features one of our first repeat guests! Vic Ho is the founder of Fivestars—a business with the mission of “transforming transactions into relationships.” He shared a little about what they do, but he also talked about what happened when the start-up hit a rough patch and needed to lay off 50 people. We all hit rough patches, and how we handle those is a unique opportunity for us to be different. Vic felt compelled to take a different approach, one that was consistent with the company’s values: humbly admitting his mistakes, honoring the workers’ contributions, and mobilizing the entire firm to help those being displaced. Tune in to hear this story, as well as lessons he has learned along the way. As always, thanks for listening!Useful Links:Faith & Co Video with Victor HoFivestarsWhat is the Lifeblood of a Business? Previous Podcast with Vic HoUp in the Air - George Clooney shows how NOT to fire people

Today’s episode features a unique entrepreneurial journey that includes 3-D printing of homes. Yeah, you heard that right. Printing homes. Brett Hagler is the CEO and Co-Founder of New Story. He’s a Y Combinator alum, Praxis fellow, author, cancer survivor, and a 2016 Forbes 30 Under 30 Entrepreneur. The list goes on and on.Under his leadership, New Story was recognized as one of Fast Company's 2017 and 2019 "Most Innovative Companies In The World." Brett and his team are currently working with their partner ICON to 3D-print the world’s first community in Mexico. Forbes recently featured a story about how they are building a whole village from 3-D printing. His story is a fascinating one, and we’re so glad we got to sit down and hear it. We think you’ll be glad too. As always, thanks for listeningUseful Links:About New Story3-D Printed Village3-D Printing for the Developing World (Video)The Power of Purpose: How to End Global Homelessness

We have another entrepreneurial adventure story for you today—this time, featuring Brian Mosley, President of RightNow Media. If you haven’t already heard of them, there’s a good chance someone in your church has. They’re basically the Netflix of Bible Video Studies. Their website has thousands of videos and resources from many Christian leaders, which they use to serve over 20,000 churches, schools and businesses. They’ve produced, curated, and published resources on everything from marriage to faith and work to inductive Bible studies and everything in between.We’ll talk more about the work they do on the episode, but before then, you’ll get to hear the story of how their team stewards the mission they’re on. Let’s listen in to hear Brian’s entrepreneurial journey... Useful Links:RightNow MediaSseko StoryHobby Lobby Video

Today we put an end to an age-old question—can a business itself have spiritual meaning? For years as Entrepreneurs, we’ve been called to live out our faith in our individual work activities and relationships. But we are fundamentally about building business enterprises. Can we take it a step further to conceive of the enterprise—the organization itself—as having spiritual significance?Curtis Chang is our guest who’s recently come out with some work that makes the case for all organizations—including secular organizations—as having a deeper spiritual meaning than what Christians have typically been taught. Curtis straddles the world of secular organizations and Christian thinking. He is the Founder and CEO of Consulting Within Reach, a management consulting firm serving secular nonprofits across the country. He has won national recognition from the White House for innovative work in the social sector and teaches on the faculty of American University. At the same time, he is a former pastor, is a Senior Fellow at Fuller Seminary, and is a professor at Duke Divinity School. He’s a deep thinker and someone who we found engaging, encouraging, and challenging, and we think you will too. As always, thanks for listening.If you have thoughts or questions from today’s show, let us know!

If you’ve followed the Faith Driven Entrepreneur podcast for a while, today’s guest won’t be a stranger to you. Tom Nelson is one of those visionary pastors of a multi-site church called Christ Community, and he’s been widely recognized in the Faith Driven Entrepreneur community for his book, Work Matters. He also serves on the board of The Gospel Coalition and is President of Made to Flourish.Today, we had him on the show to talk about a recent article that appeared in The New York TImes—something many of you have read. We were honored to be mentioned alongside some great groups like Praxis and Made To Flourish. But this got us thinking—what does this small piece say about the bigger puzzle of what’s going on in America with faith, work, and entrepreneurship? We’re grateful we had Tom Nelson around to help shepherd this conversation. Hear why he thinks the NYT article is reason for hopeful realism and optimism when it comes to the Faith Driven movement. As always, thanks for listening.Useful Links:What Would Jesus Do About Inequality?The Call - Os GuinnessEvery Good Endeavor - Tim Keller

Too often in business circles, the word Christian can be an adjective for “subpar.” One of the Marks of a Faith Driven Entrepreneur is a realization that excellence matters and it earns us a right to be heard in our industry and the world around us. Today’s guest is Glen Jackson, author of Preeminence—a book based on 30+ years of working with brands like Chick-fil-a, Delta, Coca-Cola, Interstate, Toyota, Lexus, and others. He uses his experience to share what it means to be the preeminent brand that others look to emulate. In this episode, we’ll look at what preeminence means, how to get there, and why this matters to Faith Driven Entrepreneurs looking to impact the world around them.Useful Links:Preeminence: What It Means and How to Sustain ItControl Your Destiny or Someone Else WillInvictus Poem

In the golf industry, there are few more recognized names of excellence than PING. For today’s show we go out to Phoenix to interview today’s guest, John Solheim. He’s the second generation of family leadership since the company’s inception in 1959. As recently as a few years ago, John had the unique opportunity to pass the baton to the third generation of leadership with his oldest son stepping in as company president. Today we take a look at their family’s journey to become a preeminent brand and what faith looks like in such a publicly recognized company. John said it best when he said that business is like the game of golf. It doesn’t matter what happened on the last shot that got you to where you are. You just have to hit the shot that’s in front of you and keep going to make your best score. For those of you used to hitting a lot of uncomfortable golf shots (fore left!), this episode will be a fun one. Useful LinksGolfing for God’s GloryPING’s New President Talks About Family BusinessExcellence in Innovation