Faith Driven Entrepreneur

We’re so excited to finally launch the Faith Driven Investor podcast. Over the next several weeks, we’ll feature episodes tailored for fund managers, investors, business owners and pastors that believe God owns it all and who care deeply about how we steward our investments for financial return and gospel-centered transformation. If that sounds interesting to you, tune in today! This week’s episode features Henry Kaestner of Sovereign’s Capital and Aimee Minnich of Impact Foundation. Together they discuss the faith driven investing movement, what God has been and is doing, and what the future of this movement looks like. As you listen, we hope you get as excited about the launch of the new Faith Driven Investor website and podcast as we are. Our hope is that both of these resources will help you on both your spiritual and professional journey. Check out the link below to see the new FDI site and don’t hesitate to let us know what you think! As always, we’re relying on you, our community, to make these resourc

Is it possible to have a healthy family while building a successful business? That’s the question at the heart of this week’s episode with Ben and Liz Bohannon of Sseko Designs. Their business began as a way to generate income for high-potential, talented young women in Uganda to continue on to university. Since then, it’s grown rapidly from a Shark Tank phenomenon to a global success. Hear how Ben and Liz are navigating the world of global business while still managing to focus on their home, their marriage, and their family. So many times we hear the story of a business being started by one person. But beneath it we know that any business is a tremendous effort and is a family adventure. That’s certainly the case of Sseko designs. The story of Sseko closely follows the story of Ben and Liz’s relationship. From meeting in college, to Liz’s move to Uganda, everything they’ve experience has happened together. So, how do they balance building their business and strengthening their marriage? And what boundaries

Join William and Henry in the Mile-High city as they talk to Jeff Haanen from the Denver Institute for Faith and Work. His article, God of the Second Shift, made waves in the faith and work world, and we’re excited to have him on our podcast today to talk more about how we can move this conversation around theology and business from the corner office to the manufacturing floor. Tune in to hear what Jeff has to share about what a theology of work means for those in the working class. As you’ll hear, Jeff asks and answers the same questions he posed in his article for Christianity Today. Have we been blind to the “daily humiliations” of those whose work we depend on each day? Have we been interpreting Scripture through our own professional class bias and failed to ask how working-class Americans think and feel about their work? The honest answers to these questions may provide the exact conviction we need. Listen to hear what a whole new side of the conversation around faith and work might sound like. Useful Li

Every once in a while we like to take a break from interviewing guests to give our hosts a chance to riff on what God is doing in their lives and what they’re learning through the process. In this episode, you’ll hear about William’s upcoming move to Atlanta, Henry’s journey to India, and some wisdom Rusty has recently picked up from a book he’s reading. Pull up a chair and join our hosts around the table to enjoy a chat about life, God, and entrepreneurship. In the first section of this episode, William shares about how he has been prayerfully considering a move for a long time, but he has never felt the “peace” that so many Christians seem to talk about. Well, now that he’s decided to make the leap and move all across the country, hear what he has to say about this whole idea of finding peace before you go where God has called you. Next, Henry shares about a trip he recently took to India where he got to teach students at a school about the lessons of entrepreneurship and why creating—specifically in a cult

It’s common to think of corporate values as a concept that has always been around, but Lake Lambert, President of Hanover College in Indiana, is here to educate us and show that this isn’t actually the case. Lake is the author of Spirituality, Inc—a book that examines the history of religion in the American workplace—and he joins Henry, William, and Rusty to share what he’s learned about workplace spirituality from the past and what we might expect for the future. In this episode, you’ll hear from a professional academic. Lake Lambert is clearly an expert on the subject of corporate spirituality and the different forms it has taken over the years. In this episode, you’ll hear him talk about the influence of religion on work, the value of meaning making and creativity in the workplace, chaplaincy, and the theological movements that have shaped the history of the faith and work conversation. As always, we’re looking for the voices that speak to faith driven entrepreneurs—people who intertwine their faith and wo

We are always looking at how faith and entrepreneurship go hand in hand, and generally, we speak to entrepreneurs about their work and how their faith is involved. On this episode, Tom helps us look at this same topic from the other perspective—he explains first about his faith and then how it affects his work. What he shares in the process is a helpful theology of work, reminding us that we serve “an entrepreneurial God.” Even while providing a theological framework, Tom also shares what it was like starting a church from the ground up—an entrepreneurial journey all its own. He shares how this experience shaped him and how it informs the way he interacts with entrepreneurs as a pastor. He introduces us to the idea of workplace visits and what it means for us to be willing to step out of our own comfort zone to meet someone where they are. As he says himself, “It’s important to be conversant in the world of others.” In this podcast, you’ll see that Tom not only believes that, but he lives it out as well. What

Today we’re on the road, connecting with Jeff and Ally Davidson down in Austin, Texas. They’re the founders of Camp Gladiator, a Fitness Franchise that has over 3,500 locations across the country with 1,000 trainers and 100,000 members. They have a remarkable story of how God used a unique experience in the early days of reality TV to propel them in their entrepreneurial story. Just to give you a little taste, it started when Ally decided to try out for American Gladiators on the morning of their wedding. It’s an origin story unlike any other! As you listen, you’ll find that not only is their beginning remarkable, but the way their faith interacts with their work is as well. They know the value of community and of running a business on Biblical principles, and in this episode we get to hear them talk about both! Listen to find out more about their entrepreneurial journey, how it started, the hard decisions they’ve faced, and how they’re using their business to glorify God and serve others. Useful Links: Ally

Today the team took a trip deep into the heart of Texas to hear from Drayton McLane, the visionary business leader behind McLane Company and former owner of the Houston Astros. Drayton is widely known for his leadership within Walmart, as well as his generosity toward his two alma maters—Baylor University and Michigan State. On this episode, you’ll hear a list of lessons that we were able to glean from Drayton’s extensive experience as an entrepreneur, business leader, and philanthropist. The stereotype of today’s entrepreneur centers around young, sleek tech startups. If you’re reading about the new and popular businesses, you’re likely to hear about twenty-somethings who have come up with market-busting ideas. And maybe you’re one of those people—if so, great! This podcast is for you too. Drayton McLane provided a look at entrepreneurship over the past 50 years. His scope is immense and so is all the wisdom he has learned during that time. While McLane Transportation was anything but glamorous, Drayton shar

Today we’re connecting with Matt Bird, who is based in the United Kingdom. Matt is the author of several books, including Relationology, The Secrets of Story, and Freedom: How to Live Your Life for Jesus Free From Anxiety and Worry. Another one of his books, Transformation, takes a look at how God is connecting churches across communities, cities, and countries to bring about social, political, economic, cultural, and spiritual transformation. This book is the product of Matt’s work with business and churches in helping them both improve one another as they increase their impact, which is the subject of this episode. In addition to writing books, Matt runs a company called Cinnamon International. What they’re doing is looking at how cities and churches can work together to increase their respective impact. In this episode, Matt breaks down what churches and businesses are good at and how they can help each other. All you have to do is listen to just the handful of stories he shared with us today to see that t

Today we’re in Cincinnati, Ohio connecting with Scott Weiss with Ocean Accelerator. They have an incredible birth story—coming from the lobby of Crossroads Church in Cincinnati they launched into an accelerator for fast-growing tech companies. For the past few years, they’ve been on a mission to equip faith driven entrepreneurs and owners that bravely step out to change the world. Whether it's their Ocean Conference or their accelerator, they’re committed to investing in entrepreneurs who have a faith in God and a passion for success. As you listen to Scott’s story, you’ll likely hear echoes of what many entrepreneurial journeys sound like. They started in a church lobby where young entrepreneurs gathered for the free WiFi and coffee. What they found was that even though all these startups worked in the same geographical area, they possessed very little community. Scott sheds some light on the loneliness that plagues so many entrepreneurs and how Ocean Accelerator started as an attempt to combat isolation wit

In this episode we’re on the road in Oklahoma City, connecting with Steve Green, President of Hobby Lobby, the world’s largest privately owned arts and crafts retailer, with more than 700 stores and employing more than 30,000 people. He also is chairman of the Board of Museum of the Bible and is the visionary leader in establishing one of the world's largest private collections of rare biblical artifacts. Their 430,000-square-foot Museum of the Bible was opened in 2017 just three blocks from the Capitol in Washington, D.C. Henry, William and Rusty had the chance to hear about the incredible entrepreneurial journey of the Museum of the Bible and how it became a movement across the country. Steve Green shared about his ten year journey that started when he bought an early manuscript of the English translation of Psalms and led to what is now the Museum of the Bible. What’s exceptional is his insight into the opportunity to create this kind of world-class museum. Steve saw a way he could bring God’s Word to peop

In this episode we’re just outside of Chicago connecting with Phil Vischer, the visionary, creative who founded Veggietales. To date it's the most popular direct to DVD series of all time with more than 65 million copies sold. It led to feature films, Netflix Original series and became a cultural icon. Phil tells us the story of Veggie Tales meteoric rise to success, the struggles and pitfalls of maintaining that success and truth about what is required to find and keep one’s identity rooted in the one who created us. While his story is not unusual, the wisdom and lessons learned via the journey are exceptional and is deserving of a close listen on what it means to belong to Jesus – not simply as your Savior but as your Lord. Salvation was never really the goal just the tool that is to lead us all towards a relationship with God rooted in His lordship and the restoration of what was lost in the Fall. This week’s episode is calling us to ask that all important question: as we’ve accepted Jesus as Savior have w

Byron Loflin, founder of the Center for Board Excellence, joins the team this week, helping us get a handle on the importance of good governance within our organizations. He shares with us his views on why governance is core to servant leadership and promotes healthy, humble accountability that provides a stable runway for your organization’s success. Even early stage firms can benefit greatly from a modestly sized board (3 plus the entrepreneur). Thoughts on how unanimous boards may actually be a sign that the board isn’t providing the robust thinking needed, how they should provide credible challenge and constructive dissent are all topics the team works through to help provide a framework on selecting and maintaining a board that will contribute to the success of your business or organization. And yes, we even broach the subject of how this is too often the least favorite part of the entrepreneur’s job with all giving pointers on how to balance the tension between stewardship and control. A great deal of

Bobby Gruenewald of YouVersion joins us this week giving us the low down on the origins of this wildly popular bible app with 370M+ downloads and counting. This pastor, entrepreneur and former rap artist (who knew?) shares with the team how the desire to become better engaged with scripture was the impetus to developing YouVersion, the first iteration of which proved to be a failure - a web app because there was just no iPhone yet (remember the days?). The team’s approach to failure, commitment to being faithful to God’s leading step by step and the desire to be the best stewards of all God gives them are all elements contributing to YouVersion’s success and Bobby gives us the details as well as a reveal into the future direction of the app to deepen the relationship between God and His People. Bobby’s community is an example of how a church actively chooses to live within the realm of innovation to further the message of the gospel. Share with us the ways you are innovating within your organizations for the

The team talks to Jon Hart, Partner at Praxis Labs about his work with Praxis Academy, a week-long on ramp into the Praxis community of redemptive entrepreneurs targeting the under 25. For 5 years, this organization has encouraged college-aged entrepreneurs to more actively view their aspirations within the context of their faith, impacting 750 people, from 160 universities and 20 countries. Reminiscent of and deeply influenced by the 18th century Clapham Group of England, Praxis seeks to encourage thought and action around changing culture by producing superior alternatives that are also redemptive in both for and non-profit arenas. Jon explains to us how Praxis Academy is adding to the sea of vocational “hero stories” that influence our career decisions, or using his term, “vocational imagination” that include a wholistic view of Christianity because it’s just missing. University business programs spin the stories of wild success and wealth as a natural part of its cultural lore but too often the Christian

This week’s guest is Alan Barnhart of Barnhart Crane and Rigging of Memphis, TN. Originally a small family business started by his parents, Alan and his brother, Eric, grew the company into one of the largest Heavy Lift and Heavy Transport organization in the United States with 1,000 team members in more than 40 locations across the country and a nationwide reputation for solving problems (Even if it means building a 200+ wheel truck!). They accomplished this by actively seeking out a way to express their faith through their business and the team sits down with Alan this week to hear his story. Alan tells us how he and his brother’s decision to view their lives and their company from a stewardship vs. ownership mentality created a productive environment for Barnhart Crane & Rigging to grow in not only its ability to create wealth but to be an intentional investor into the Kingdom. He shares how his decision to live life within boundaries to support his and his families desires to be kingdom investors actu

Today we’re talking with one of the pioneers of Gamification, Yu-Kai Chou, author of the book Actionable Gamification and creator of the Octalysis Framework which encompasses 8 core drives of motivation that govern human behavior. He's a speaker on gamification and behavioral design at places like TED, South by Southwest, Google, Stanford and consulted with governments like UK, Singapore and South Korea. His work has affected over 1 Billion users experiences across the world. Henry spends some time with Yu-Kai discussing his unique research into what motivates us and how that can be used to achieve the remarkable in this world. Yu-Kai gives us an overview of his gamification methodology alongside poignant examples while helping us see how our goals as citizens of the Kingdom and entrepreneurs can be reached by understanding the right ways to motivate ourselves and the ones we lead. He steps us through both White Hat (intrinsic) and Black Hat (extrinsic) motivators and reveals optimal scenarios to increase mot

On this episode, the team spends time with Andy Crouch, partner for theology and culture at Praxis, an organization that works as a creative engine for redemptive entrepreneurship, as well as an accomplished writer and journalist, having authored several books as well as articles published in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Time Magazine. Andy shares with us the basis of the book he, in collaboration with Praxis, has written called “A Rule of Life for Redemptive Entrepreneurs”. In it, they have outlined 6 key disciplines needed to define a redemptive entrepreneur: time, money, imagination, decision-making, power and community. Andy spends the bulk of today’s episode unpacking each. We believe, as does Andy, that faith driven entrepreneurs have a distinct callings and giftings. We hope the time we spend outlining the key disciplines that define this community is helpful to you with regards to identity formation – a running theme this year for us hear at Faith Driven Entrepreneur. Let us know al

Today we’re on the road, connecting with Bryant Ambelang, President and CEO of NatureSweet, the largest greenhouse producer of tomatoes in North America. Currently, NatureSweet has over 8,000 associates and operates seven facilities—six in Mexico and one in the U.S. NatureSweet products are distributed in major grocery stores in all 50 states and across Mexico and Canada. Their headquarters are in the San Antonio. We had the chance to hear about the incredible things God’s doing to unleash people through Naturesweet. Bryant shares with us the ways he has cared for his employees by doing a better job of connecting their purpose and passions to their work. He specifically cites a time where the company decided to triple output and therefore growth and outlines the steps he uses to get buy-in from his people by first remembering that they are unique creations with callings, passions and desires there to be tapped for His glory. We hope today’s podcast is inspiring to you as you seek to do the same with your team

In this episode, Henry sits down with former NFL player and first round draft pick Phil Olsen, currently President of Know Your Strengths, a human resource consulting firm that guides clients and executive-level management through processes for talent discovery, training and people management. Phil helps us see how hiring people who are clones of ourselves leaves our organizations open for execution issues and why learning to appreciate and collaborate with those who are just wired differently from us actually builds a stronger organization. He takes a lot of queues from the sports arena and shares a great deal on his learnings from Coaches John Wooden of UCLA fame and Chuck Knox of the Buffalo Bills and L.A. Rams. God’s treasure is people. Knowing how to be the best stewards of them is the fastest way of ensuring you give Him pleasure in how you do what you do within your organizations. Share with us some of the ways you are fulfilling the responsibility of stewarding people in a manner that gives Him glory