Faith Driven Entrepreneur

David Green founded the well known American retail company, Hobby Lobby, in 1972. He has continued to run the company with his family for 50 years, earning billions in revenue. Even through the financial success they experienced, the values of the Green family put Hobby Lobby’s future on the line when they refused to comply with the Affordable Care Act’s mandate to provide employees abortion-inducing drugs as a part of their healthcare plan. Hobby Lobby faced fines upwards of $1.3 million a day for refusing to comply. But the faith and convictions of the Green kept them steadfast through the trial season. This episode was recorded after viewing the Hobby Lobby Decision documentary video by RightNow Media. In a conversation with Faith Driven Entrepreneur Executive Director, Justin Forman, and Director of Operations, Sue Alice, David shares about remaining committed to the mission of God in business decisions and passing those convictions to the next generation.

Tim Tebow is a two-time national champion, Heisman Trophy winner, first-round NFL draft pick, and a former professional baseball player. The four-time New York Times best-selling author, speaker, and football analyst shares about his most recent book, “Mission Possible.” In it he explores how the secret to a truly meaningful life is not more comfort or ease, but a clear mission and understanding of our God-given significance. We’re excited to have Tim discuss life, work, and making sure the spotlight is always shining on Jesus.

We talk with former Electronic Arts co-founder and VP Dave Evans. Dave is now the co-founder of Stanford University’s Life Design Lab. He is also the author of the New York Times #1 Bestseller “Designing Your Life,” about how design-thinking enables us to take up our role as co-creators with God. Design-thinking is now globally recognized as a powerful tool for innovation. And it’s especially helpful for solving “wicked problems,” the kind of problems that don’t readily lend themselves to easy answers with questions or spreadsheets. But how can Christ-centered innovators and entrepreneurs think about designing their lives and endeavors while following the will of God? In this episode, Dave tackles sovereignty and free will, the scandal of particularity, and how the word evangelism was first introduced in a business context.

Jennie Allen is the founder and visionary of the women’s organization IF:Gathering, the host of the top rated Made for This podcast (17 million downloads) as well as the New York Times bestselling author of Get Out of Your Head, which was the #1 bestselling religion title of 2020. Her latest book is Find Your People: Building Deep Community in a Lonely World. She has appeared on shows such as Hallmark Home & Family, Fox News at Night with Shannon Bream, and been featured in various outlets such as Woman’s World, Brit+Co, Cosmopolitan.com, and Christianity Today. The estimated viewership for 2021’s IF:Gathering exceeded one million women in all 50 states and 144 countries., live streaming from Dallas, Texas, into thousands of churches, family rooms and dorm rooms. We’re excited to talk with Jennie on the Faith Driven Entrepreneur Podcast. Together, we’re going to discuss in depth some of the powerful topics she writes about and how they relate to us as entrepreneurs.

Inspired by deep compassion for others and informed from a Christian perspective, psychiatrist and author Curt Thompson shares fresh insights and practical applications for developing more authentic relationships and fully experiencing our deepest longing: to be known. With a considerable dose of warmth, and surprising measure of humor, Curt weaves together an understanding of interpersonal neurobiology and a Christian view of what it means to be human—to feel known, valued and connected. His unique insights about how the brain affects and processes relationships help people get unstuck and move toward the next beautiful thing they’re being called to make. Curt joins us to dive deeper into the soul of an entrepreneur.

Jordan Raynor is a serial entrepreneur, best selling author, and community builder who speaks to the eternal impact of work. He has written several best selling books including, “Called to Create: A Biblical Invitation to Create, Innovate, and Risk,” “Redeeming Your Time,” and “Master of One.” Today, we talk to Jordan about his most recent book, “The Creator in You,” which is written specifically for kids. Jordan wants the next generation to understand that on the sixth day of creation, God gave us the calling to be his image bearers and to fill the earth by doing what he did first: create.

Makoto Fujimura is a leading contemporary painter, a well known writer, curator, and founder. At his core, he is a creator. Perhaps best known for his bicultural artwork, Makoto fuses abstract expressionism together with the traditional Japanese art of Nihonga and Kachoga (bird-and-flower painting tradition). His desire is to reframe how we talk about art, love, and beauty from a biblical perspective, and provide a hub that draws creative minds together from around the world. Makoto shares more about partnering with God and the coming of his New Creation.

Peter Greer serves as the President and CEO of HOPE International. Chris Horst is the Chief Advancement Officer. Peter and Chris have co-authored the books Mission Drift and Rooting for Rivals. Just this year, they published their latest book, The Gift of Disillusionment: Enduring Hope for Leaders After Idealism Fades. Based on stories of Christians around the world, this book reframes disillusionment as an invitation to dependence on God in difficult circumstances.

Armed with their faith and a deep conviction that coordinating events should be easier for everyone, Angel and Dan Rutledge created SignUpGenius in 2008. Since then, the tech company has won numerous awards, produced millions in annual revenue, and serves over a million users a year. Although the couple exited the company last year, they continue supporting faith driven entrepreneurs in their home city of Charlotte, NC. They join the podcast today to discuss their unique entrepreneurial journeys and encourage up-and-coming founders.

Together with speaker and entrepreneur Liz Bohannan, this episode of the Faith Driven Entrepreneur Podcast is one of a three-part series focusing on female founders and business owners who are pursuing entrepreneurship in different industries. Today, our conversation is with spiritual leader, author, and justice advocate Danielle Strickland. She has written several books and we’re going to spend much of our time talking about her newest title “Better Together: How Women and Men Can Heal the Divide and Work Together to Transform the Future.” Join us for an impassioned discussion about imagining a better world, embracing our differences as women and men, finding ways to end oppression, and learning how to work better together.

Paula Faris has spent well over two decades in broadcast television. Most recently, she spent nine years at ABC News where she co-anchored “Good Morning America Weekend,” co-hosted “The View” and launched the “Journeys Of Faith with Paula Faris”. The Emmy-Award winning journalist released her first book, “Called Out: Why I Traded Two Dream Jobs For A Life of True Calling.” When she’s not speaking or writing, Paula is running CARRY Media, a company she founded to amplify the story of the working mom. As part of a series of episodes focusing on women entrepreneurs, we’re joined by Liz Forkin Bohannon who serves as co-host today. Liz is a renowned business owner and a previous guest on the Faith Driven Entrepreneur Podcast.

Keren Pybus is the Co-founder of Ethical Apparel Africa, an impact-driven company based in Ghana and Benin. Ethical Apparel Africa was founded based on the core belief that all manufacturing can and should be done ethically. And they work with international brands who are interested in growing a manufacturing base in Africa with a positive social and environmental impact. Keren joins us on the Faith Driven investor Podcast to discuss the importance of leading a company that is committed to more than just looking good.

With a $200 loan and a pocket full of old bullet casings, Carmin Black set out to wage war on hunger. Today, HALF UNITED is sold in more than 300 stores globally and has been able to provide more than 1 million meals to children in need and gainful employment to artisans all over the world.

Mindy Caliguire is the founder of Soul Care, a spiritual formation ministry that exists to increase “soul health” in the body of Christ. She contributes to Leadership and Conversations journals and she is an author. Her books include “STIR: Spiritual Transformation in Relationship” and “Soul Searching and Simplicity,” among many others. We talk to Mindy about why the wellbeing of our souls matters, the dangers of our journey as Faith Driven Entrepreneurs, and how we can practically care for the health of our souls.

Today’s episode is part of a two-part series that will spotlight ways pastors and the local church engage in the conversation of impacting the marketplace for God’s glory. Joining us as co-host is JD Greear, Pastor of The Summit Church in Raleigh-Durham, NC. We’re going to be talking with Chris Evans, an entrepreneur that JD pastors and author of “Fruit at Work”. Chris shares more about how we can successfully integrate Christian virtues with business. Co-hosting our conversation is pastor JD Greear, who is currently walking with Chris on his journey as a Faith Driven Entrepreneur.

Pastor Kyle Kaigler grew up in Dallas, TX, and attended Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, OK. After working in the Employee Benefits business for five years, he made the switch to full-time ministry with Lake Highlands Young Life. In August 2015, Kyle, his wife and several other families started the Plano Campus where he served as Campus Pastor. Kyle has moved to CityBridge Church in Plano, TX, where he is continuing his pastoral ministry. We’re excited to talk with Pastor Kyle on the Faith Driven Entrepreneur Podcast to discuss some practical ways we all can live out our faith on a daily basis.

We often talk about the lonely road many entrepreneurs travel. But rarely do we discuss the pitfalls that come with the pressures to perform. It may sound like hyperbole, but for Mickey Peters, this combination of isolation and expectation ushered him to the doorstep of ruin. Mickey was leading a subsidiary of Duke Energy in Lima, Peru, with hundreds of employees looking to him for guidance. Mickey had no support network to lean upon, no friends to confide in. He soon found himself involved with a prostitute. Not long after, Mickey’s extramarital affair resulted in the birth of a child. Most marriages would have crumbled under the weight of this kind of devastation. Mickey admits that his would have, too, had it not been for the grace and forgiveness of God.

Justin Dillon has been working at the intersection of technology and human rights for over a decade. While advising the White House, United Nations, Fortune 500's and even The Vatican about slavery in supply chains, Justin saw a gaping hole in supply chain transparency tools and began to build what became FRDM. Investor Wesley Lyons is a general partner at Eagle Venture Funds and he recognized the need for accountability as well, which is why he has partnered with FRDM to redeem the supply chain. Justin and Wesley join us on the Faith Driven Investor Podcast to talk more about the demand for better supply chains.

President and COO Meagan McCoy Jones grew up at McCoy’s. She has worked as receptionist, advertising intern, and even shadowed in various departments throughout the company, becoming acquainted with many aspects of her family’s business along the way. Today, she is the fourth generation to lead this family business. Megan joins us on the Faith Driven Entrepreneur Podcast to share with us the bigger story of McCoy’s and what drives her to build better relationships with her employees and customers.

On today’s podcast we have the joy and privilege to hear from an investor and entrepreneur team that met via the Faith Driven Marketplace. Investor Tom Lernihan was moved by the mission and simple solution of the company Pureflow founded and led by Jared Fulks and Collin Wenrich. After traveling around the world to Uganda, Collin had a revelation as his calling zipped past him on the road in the form of a motorcycle… also known as a boda. Anyone who has visited this part of the world knows that motorcycles are the one primary way to get around. In fact, being a “Boda Boda” driver is one of the fastest growing occupations in East Africa–home to more than 1 million motorcycle drivers. However, after further research, Collin discovered that less than 20% of all these drivers actually own their motorcycles. And so began Pureflow. After investing a few thousand dollars of his own money and striking up a deal with only 6 boda boda drivers, Collin went pedal to the metal. Since launching Pureflow and partnering with Tom, Pureflow has grown to more than 100 drivers and counting. Together Collin, Jared and Tom share why they do what they do and how they continue to grow without outscaling their culture, purpose and impact.

Amy King is the founder and CEO of Pallet, a social purpose company working to end unsheltered homelessness and give people a second chance at employment. And while this endeavor alone would be enough for most people, Amy’s involvement doesn’t stop there. She’s also the owner of Square Peg Development, a general contractor, and a founding member of Weld, a nonprofit that provides previously incarcerated people with housing, employment, and other resources to help them reintegrate back into society. We’re talking to Amy about her desire to do more than just eradicate homelessness. She’s on a mission to demonstrate God’s abundant love through practical and tangible ways.

A 20-year veteran of the financial industry, Helen Young Hayes has survived a bear market that gutted her funds portfolio in the early 90’s and a horrific plane crash that nearly took her life in 1989. Serving as portfolio manager of the Janus Worldwide and Overseas funds, Helen built and invested a $50 billion franchise in global and international equities. In 2016, she changed course and founded Activate Workforce Solutions to help employers find and keep loyal and engaged employees. Helen is a respected voice and staunch advocate for the overlooked and undervalued workforce.

Sharing food is a powerful way to bring people together. Feast World Kitchen enables refugees and immigrants to serve their traditional recipes to local residents, who get to learn about—and enjoy—authentic, international cuisine without leaving town. This food business incubator is building bridges between cultures and knitting its local community together. Executive Director Ross Carper is partly responsible for making this idea a reality in Spokane, Washington. Listen to Ross’ story and how God has uniquely called him to welcome the foreigner among us.

Janitorial services is a notoriously transitional job that experiences a 400% annual turnover on average. Yet in the midst of a challenging employment landscape, JANCOA has discovered what it takes to solve this people problem. For them, it all began with listening to their employees and then purchasing a 15-passenger van. CEO Mary Miller joins the Faith Driven Entrepreneur podcast to share her experiences and provide insights when it comes to retention and turnover. If you’re looking to solve a people problem, then this episode is for you.

The global Faith Driven Movement is well served by a virtual conference that is “attended” by a network of local Watch Parties. Director of Operations Sue Alice Sauthoff sits down with several Watch Party hosts who have gone on to spark a movement in their own neighborhoods as a result. Listen to this inspiring conversation. Who knows how God might inspire you to host or join a local Watch Party of your own?

When it comes to business, are you talking with God on a regular basis? Or do you feel like your days are too packed for prayer? Kim Avery, author of The Prayer Powered Entrepreneur, believes an open line of communication with God is the singular most important discipline every successful business owner should incorporate into their daily routine. Join us on the Faith Driven Entrepreneur Podcast to hear more about the power of prayer.

What many people may not know is that equal to his achievements on the field, Torii is just as proud of his growing portfolio of investments. And yet business is much like baseball—Torii has failed more than he has succeeded. His strikeouts have taught him there are no losers in life, just winners and learners.

Million Dollar Baby has been designing elegant and sophisticated nursery furniture for more than 25 years. Founder Daniel Fong shares about the early days of his enterprise. He talks about what it’s been like to watch his kids grow up in the business, get involved, and continue to be instrumental in leading the organization into the next phase of development.

Star NFL Linebacker Jaylon Smith is a force on the football field. But there’s far more to him than just sporting prowess. Jaylon’s entrepreneurial spirit drove him to start the Minority Entrepreneurship Institute–which has awarded $1.2 million to 13 minority-owned companies since inception–and his own eyewear company – CEV Collection.

Donald Miller's books—such as “Blue Like Jazz,” “A Million Miles in a Thousand Years,” and “Scary Close”—have spent more than a year on the New York Times Bestsellers list. Don has since gone from writing bestselling books to tapping into the power of story for businesses and individuals. Every year he helps more than 3,000 business leaders clarify their brand message. Listen in as he challenges entrepreneurs to lean into their own story, creatively develop and execute the story of their team, and understand the story of their customers so they can serve them with passion.

These are truly unprecedented times as war rages in Eastern Europe. We had the unique privilege to be joined by a member of the Faith Driven Entrepreneur community in Ukraine. Andrew Denysov, founder and CEO of TechVision Global, joins us on the Faith Driven Entrepreneur Podcast to share with us his story, how entrepreneurs play a key role in times of turmoil, and how we as the body of Christ can stand strong in the face of evil and uncertainty.

Struggling with dyslexia and watching his parents divorce, Gary Grant is no stranger to adversity. From a young age, he grew up with very little in worldly terms. And it drove him to work hard and make as much money as he could. That is until God stepped in and captivated his heart. Today, Gary is the CEO of The Entertainer, a massive toy company in the UK. He and his business are dedicated to living generously and impacting the lives of the community around them. To date, they have donated more than $10 million to charity, provided millions of meals to kids in need, and much more.

Mark Whitacre is the highest-ranking executive of any Fortune 500 company to become a whistleblower in US history. He is responsible for uncovering the ADM price-fixing scandal in the early 1990’s. His undercover work with the FBI was the inspiration for the major motion picture, “The Informant,” starring Matt Damon. Drawing from his unique history, Mark provides one-of-a-kind insight into corporate ethics, corporate greed, and the warning signs of a flawed corporate leadership. And he would be the first to tell you that his story is one of God’s redemption—not his own.

Warwick Fairfax was the fifth-generation heir to Australia's most storied media empire, a business started by his great-great grandfather. In the mid-'80s, a couple of decades after the family took Fairfax Media public, Warwick -- fresh from Harvard Business School -- launched a takeover that failed three years later. In just three years he lost the business that had been in the family for 150 years and was worth $2.25 billion. Warwick’s story offers insights into how you can move beyond failure and setbacks to become the leader you were born to be. He joins us today to share how he found his way back from failure and how you too can find your way back by allowing your crucible moments to refine you and help you find your life's purpose.

Brian Roland, Founder of Abenity, wanted to create a company that changed the way corporations offer and manage the perks they offer their employees. More than just seeing an opportunity to innovate, Brian realized that his vision was less about profits and all about people. He wanted his company to have a purpose.

At the helm of a broken company, with no operating capital or viable product offering, Patrick Colletti set out to rebuild an organization with loads of debt and no clear product or market presence. Patrick shares the story of this incredible turnaround and what it means to have a “refounder” mindset.

Bryan Kelley is the chief empowerment officer of the Prison Entrepreneurship Program, or PEP. But to think of this as just another prison ministry would be a grave injustice. PEP doesn’t want to simply change inmates, instead they want to transform the 150,000 men incarcerated in Texas from the inside out. Teaching practical entrepreneurial skills helps release fathers and husbands from generational bondage. Bryan joins us on the Faith Driven Entrepreneur Podcast to share the story of how PEP is doing just that. And he illustrates just what they are doing to set men up for meaningful and lasting success after they are released from prison.

Being bold in today's culture is one thing. Being bold without revealing your own brokenness can sometimes make you a bully. Today we’re privileged to hear the story of the Benham brothers—former major league baseball players, TV show hosts, and now wildly successful Faith Driven Entrepreneurs. David and Jason have lived out their faith boldly even in the face of a cancel-culture that doesn't always embrace Christ. And they’ve tried to do so with equal amounts of grace and humility.

Andy Crouch, best-selling author and a partner of theology and culture at Praxis, is a leading voice in the Faith Driven movement. Andy spoke at a recent Faith Driven Investor Conference on a topic that many faith driven investors are wrestling with regularly: God and money, we cannot serve both. How do we balance out Jesus’ teaching and our calling as Faith Driven Investors? Listen to what Andy had to say for some insights and inspiration.

Carey Nieuwhof knows something about burnout. He was crushed by its devastating effects while over-working as a lawyer. What he discovered is “The people that ultimately pay the price for your overcommitment are the people you care about the most.” In his book At Your Best, Carey provides leaders with practical solutions to thrive both in their personal life and within their organizations. For the faith driven entrepreneur, success can be so much more than an all-or-nothing proposition. Tune in now for our encouraging conversation with Carey Nieuwhof.

Bitcoin is no longer a bit-player investment. According to Matt Jennings, faith driven investors should be investing in digital assets like cryptocurrency. And just who is Matt Jennings? He is the head of Kingdom Trust which is currently custodian to $20 billion in assets from some 150,000 investors. Learn more from this pioneer in the financial industry and thought-leader in alternative and digital assets.

David Platt serves as Lead Pastor at McLean Bible Church in Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical and author of books like Radical… Something Needs To Change and Counter Culture. Today David joins us to talk about what it means to be radically generous and how the world might look if faith driven investors and entrepreneurs stepped into this great opportunity.

Since founding Kingdom Driven Entrepreneurs in 2012, Shae Bynes has reached over a half-million aspiring and current entrepreneurs around the globe through her devotionals, books, courses, and podcasts. She has written numerous books including Doing Business God’s Way and Grace Over Grind. She is a self proclaimed fire igniter and is a gifted storyteller. Shae Bynes, joins us today to share her story, discuss what is happening in the faith driven entrepreneur movement, and explain what it means to walk in grace vs. grinding it out 24/7.

In 1998, Mart Green took a transformational trip to Guatemala that changed the way he thought about return on investment. Since then, he has been involved in Bible translation and distribution efforts from the launch of the YouVersion Bible app to the establishment of a collaborative partnership among 10 of the world’s largest Bible translation organizations, called illumiNations. In today’s conversation, Mart shares where his passion for Bible translation started, the encouraging steps he’s seen in the effort to eliminate Bible poverty, and the power of what happens when competitors become collaborators.

In 1976, 23-year-old David Weekley started his own home building company. Now more than 40 years later, the company has sold more than 100,000 homes, expanded to 19 cities across the nation, and won countless awards. In addition, David and his family launched a charitable Foundation to impact the world through both Christ-centered and secular organizations. David joins us to share the story of starting one of the most successful home building companies in the country and how their foundation is changing the lives of thousands around the world.

John Mark Comer, author of The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, a book that really should be a must-read for every Faith Driven Entrepreneur. As a reference, Scott Harrison, founder of charity:water and previous podcast guest has said “As someone all too familiar with ‘hurry sickness,’ I desperately needed this book.” Does hurry sickness sound familiar? Or maybe, you’re someone who knows that Sabbath is supposedly a great thing but can’t help but ask: who really has the time for that? Well, today, John Mark Comer is going to tell you why slowing down may be the only way to stay emotionally healthy and spiritually alive in the chaos of the modern world.

Randy Alcorn is the founder and director of Eternal Perspective Ministries (EPM), a nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching biblical truth and drawing attention to the needy and how to help them. Randy is also a New York Times bestselling author. He has written over 55 books including Courageous... Heaven… and The Treasure Principle. His books have been translated into over 70 languages and have sold over 11 million copies. Prior to launching EPM, Randy co-pastored for fourteen years Good Shepherd Community Church in Oregon. He is a well recognized voice in the faith driven investing community and today is sharing more about the treasure principle and what it means to invest in eternity.

Dave’s journey started in Mexico where he found a little leather shop that could make a bag just the way he wanted. That bag turned into a dozen bags that Dave peddled from the back of his car which has now become the foundation for a multi-million dollar business. Today, Dave shares how his call to ministry combined with a call to business and why he truly believes that their bags are so good that if you own one, your children and your children’s children will fight over it when you’re dead...

Chris Hodges is the founding and senior pastor of Church of the Highlands, and his latest book Out of the Cave shares how a difficult season of his life and a study of the life of Elijah can show us what it looks like to step into the light when depression darkens what you see. We hope this episode encourages you on your entrepreneurial journey, but if you or someone you know needs help, don’t hesitate to call a friend, a pastor, or any crisis hotline. Listen in and remember that you are not alone...

How homemade trick shot videos filmed in the backyard of a college house turned into a multimillion dollar business for five best friends. Join us as we ask Dude Perfect just how they turned a college hobby into a full time job. With over 56 million YouTube subscribers, Dude Perfect has grown from a college hobby into a household name. Today, we’re going to talk about the early days when they were just making videos for fun, the day they all quit their day jobs and went all in, and what the day-to-day looks like now.