Faith Driven Entrepreneur

Today’s guest comes from a group that you almost certainly have heard of. Their values are faith, family...and ducks. Not sure if you guessed that third one, but if you did, then you’re probably a fan of Duck Dynasty, the television show about the Robertson family and their business. What started as a one man job making duck calls out of Louisiana Cedar trees has now exploded into a multi-million dollar business and cultural sensation. And today, we’re talking to Al Robertson to hear the story of how it all started.Hear Al talk about Duck Commander, his life in ministry, and the power of forgiveness. As always, thanks for listeningUseful Links:In the Woods with PhilAlan & Lisa Robertson on Duck DynastyOur Story: Alan and Lisa RobertsonA New Season

Today’s guest has argued in front of the United States Supreme Court. Now, normally we try to list multiple accolades and interesting facts about the guest, but do you really need anything other than that? Kelly Shackelford is the President & CEO of First Liberty, the largest law firm in the country dedicated exclusively to protecting the first amendment rights of Americans—that is, freedom of religion. Kelly came on to talk to us about his entrepreneurial journey in starting First Liberty, how business leaders can better understand their constitutional rights, and yes, what it’s like to argue in front of the Supreme Court.Useful Links:First LibertyThe Shackelford SessionsJudge Rules in Favor of Kentucky Church

Do not skip this episode. That’s all we have to say. We have a lot of great stories on this show, but today is a powerful story told from the perspective of two parties. On one hand, you have an entrepreneur who finds out one of his best friends and business partners has stolen six figures from the company. And on the other hand, you have a man who has made a series of personal decisions that have gotten completely out of hand. The story of Rob Thomas and Jeff Parker tells a powerful tale of deception, confession, repentance, forgiveness, redemption, and all the messy steps in between.It’s the long, tough road of what it looks like to walk through our brokenness and how each of them stewards their stories to point others to the Gospel. Listen in to hear them both share their side of the story and then talk about it together…

We spend a lot of time on this show talking about entrepreneurs. Duh, right? That’s the name of the show. But today, we want to veer off our normal business strategy conversation and talk about life outside of work—primarily, time with our family. Today’s guest is Les Parrott. He works alongside his wife Leslie who shares the same passion for helping others build healthy relationships. The Parrotts have been featured in USA Today and the New York Times, and they have also appeared on CNN, The Today Show and Oprah. As #1 New York Times best-selling authors, their books have sold over two million copies in more than two dozen languages. In addition to all of that, Les is a professor of psychology at Northwest University, and together they are founders of the Center for Healthy Relationships. Today we had Les on to talk about one of their new releases—a video project with RightNow Media, called “The Time Starved Marriage.”It’s a fitting topic for entrepreneurs. Listen to Les shared with us some of their relation

When Adam LaRoche, Golden Glove Winner and Standout for the Chicago WhiteSox decided to retire from professional baseball, his decision seemed like one of the most unexpected moves in sports. But for those who know him, this move aligned perfectly with the integrity of his character. In today’s episode, you’re going to get a peek behind the curtain of the life of Adam LaRoche—his MLB career, the factors surrounding his decision to retire, and his journey as a Faith Driven Entrepreneur. Hear all about how he’s making an impact through his E3 Team along with other friends like Willie Robertson, Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan. We love talking to faith-driven athletes and faith-driven entrepreneurs, and Adam gave us a little bit of both! As always, thanks for listening.Useful Links:Adam LaRoche Goes DeepAdam Laroche Speaks White Sox ExitBuck CommanderE3 Ranch & Co.

Today’s guest is a special one and someone you’re probably already familiar with. Patrick Lencioni is a renowned business consultant and the author of 11 books—including The Ideal Team Player, The Advantage, and The Five Dysfunctions of a Team—which have sold over 6 million copies. Today, we got to hear him talk about his new book, The Motive, that dials into the why behind every great leader. Few people have more expertise on the subject than Patrick Lencioni, so stop reading this and start listening!Useful Links:The MotiveThe Motive VideoTable Group

What could Scott Drew, the Coach of Baylor Men’s Basketball have to do with entrepreneurship/investing? Well, we’re excited to announce that we’re launching a new initiative—The Faith Driven Athlete. Our passion is to show how God moves in all of our work, as entrepreneurs, investors, athletes and this is the next step in that.We’re bringing you this special episode because, had it not been for COVID-19, this weekend would’ve been the start of the NCAA Final Four. And Baylor is one of the teams who likely would’ve been competing for a title. In our conversation, Scott Drew let us in on the challenges he faced early in his career, the faith that carried him through it all, and how he’s responding to life’s most recent curveball.So if you enjoy this episode, be sure to subscribe to the Faith Driven Athlete podcast to hear from athletes like Kirk Cousins, Jeremy Lin, Adam LaRoche and more in the coming weeks. As always, thanks for listening...Useful Links:Scott Drew’s Long Journey to SuccessFCA Recognizes Scott

Today’s guest is one that needs no introduction, and we’re so excited we got to have a conversation with him and that we get to share it with you. Horst Schulze is co-founder of The Ritz Carlton Hotel Company. He is also partnered with Arch + Tower, a customer and employee experience consulting group, in order to produce a comprehensive masterclass of employee and customer experience training content.Horst is the author of Excellence Wins: A No-Nonsense Guide to Becoming the Best in a World of Compromise. He is full of insight, wisdom, and experience that is ripe for any Faith Driven Entrepreneur, so don’t let me keep you from him any longer. Let’s listen in…Useful Links:Horst Schulze RightNowMedia Leadership SeriesExcellence WinsRitz-Carlton Founder Horst Schulze On Creating A Gold Standard

We’re combining the Faith Driven Entrepreneur and Faith Driven Investor audiences today to continue to address the current events we face. Todd Wagner joined us to speak into how we as believers can respond to the fear and worry surrounding COVID-19. Todd is the lead pastor at Watermark Community Church in Dallas, Texas. If that name sounds familiar to you it’s probably because you’ve heard Henry mention it in the intro to this podcast as the location for where we will be hosting our Faith Driven Entrepreneur and Investor Conferences this fall. In addition to being our host and a speaker at the event, Todd is also a great voice in the faith-driven conversation. His words of wisdom—or as his Twitter handle calls them, words from wags—are encouraging, challenging, and uplifting to all who hear them. And with our current events, we could all use encouragement. Like Todd shared, “worry is not our friend and panic is not our way…”Useful Links:Should Christians Be Anxious About Coronavirus?Coronavirus is redefining

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

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 Wome

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

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

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 Innov

Today we’re talking to Steve Graves. For the past 25 years he's worked with hundreds of organizations from Fortune 100 giants to small bootstrapping start-ups. He’s a regular contributor to the blog site where we love to share his wisdom and he’s also very involved with our friends at Praxis, coaching other young entrepreneurs. Steve’s written some great, practical books that we highly recommend. We like to think of them as Operators Manuals for startups. Today we get to kick off this new year spending time talking about his latest work “The 5 Tasks Every Entrepreneur Needs to Do.”If you’re looking to treat this new year as a fresh start, or if you want to get a jump on continuing the success of last year, this episode is a great place for you to start. As always, thanks for listening! Useful Links:Steve Graves WebsiteBooks by Steve Graves3 Stages of Business Growth