Catholic Founders #51 This Priest was an Atheist Businessman, Now He Guides Catholic Businessmen | Fr. Nathaniel Haslam
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In Today’s Issue:
* Intro to the Guest and Topic
* Core Takeaway
* Episode References
* Select Quotes
* Key Moments
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Today’s Topic & Guest:
Fr. Nathaniel Haslam | Lumen Institute
Scaling a business in the fanatic hurry of the modern world often feels like a zero-sum game between your growth and your soul. Today’s guest, Father Nathaniel Haslam, understands this tension from the inside out. Before being ordained as a priest with the Legionaries of Christ and serving as a chaplain for the Lumen Institute, Fr. Nathaniel was an atheist engineer and businessman with his sights set on becoming a billionaire.
Now, he spends his time mentoring top-tier executives on how to integrate Christ into the boardroom. In this episode, we explore the inherent nobility of the entrepreneurial path, the danger of burying your talents out of fear, and a practical tool called the generosity thermometer designed to keep your heart detached from the grip of success.
Core Lesson:
Your business is the primary environment where your spiritual life is meant to flourish. In other words, your business is how you’re meant to become a saint.
Many founders carry a heavy existential angst, a lingering feeling that they chose a secular path while the “holy” work is happening elsewhere — in missions or rectories. Fr. Nathaniel shatters this misconception by pointing to the Church’s own teaching: business leadership is a noble calling.
As entrepreneurs, we are called to be co-creators with God. This is a specific commission to take the unique talents of leadership and wealth creation and put them to work for the Kingdom. Our role is one of stewardship and divine trust. When we anchor our company culture in human dignity and treat every person as an individual to be loved, we are participating directly in God’s ongoing work of creation. Our work in the marketplace is a vital, sanctified mission.
God Bless & Happy Building!
~Silas Mähner
Hire Catholic Overseas Talent In LatAm and the Philippines, there are millions of Catholic remote workers (across all domains) who want to work for ethical bosses. Often they’re treated as second class citizens or work for organizations that ask them to do questionable things. They reach out to us in search of a Catholic boss. So, we started ParacleteVA (website coming soon). With ParacleteVA, we’ll find you vetted, Catholic overseas talent who will help you move your business forward. How it works: Pay a $500 finders fee when the candidate starts and $500 if you’re still happy with them after 30 days. To get started reach out to admin@catholicfounders.com with what you’re looking for and we’ll get started.
Key Episode References:
* The Vocation of the Business Leader
* The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace
* Fire of Mercy, Heart of the Word
* Biblical Passages: Genesis 1-2, Matthew 25, John 15:5
Select Quotes:
* “The noble callings are not just the priests and the nuns... the church specifically said in that document, you have a noble calling. Business leadership is a noble calling.” — Fr. Nathaniel
* “Humility is to live in the truth of who God is, who others are, and who you are.” — Fr. Nathaniel
* “Will you trust my trust in you? That’s God speaking to the person.” — Fr. Nathaniel
* “If he gave you a mission as a business owner, he’s also empowered you to live this out.” — Fr. Nathaniel
* “There’s a lot of good desire, and there’s a lot of goodwill, but there’s also a tendency to delay giving… are you depriving yourself of the joy of giving now?
…It’s more joyful to give than to receive.” — Fr. Nathaniel
Key Moments: (outline)
* [00:00] Intro: The Nobility of the Entrepreneur. Why business leadership is not just a job, but a high vocation on par with any other calling in the Church.
* [03:40] Fr. Nathaniel’s Journey. The shift from an atheist engineer seeking wealth to a priest seeking souls, and how that background helps him mentor executives.
* [08:25] The Mission of the Lumen Institute. How spiritual coaching and virtue-based leadership are transforming the way CEOs approach their daily grind.
* [10:59] Breaking the “Existential Angst.” Addressing the feeling that business is “secular” and providing the theological proof that it is actually a holy endeavor.
* [15:10] Incorporating Christ into the Boardroom. Practical ways to bring faith into a professional setting without being performative.
* [18:45] Leadership and Human Dignity. Using the “Five Languages of Appreciation” to build a culture where employees feel seen as children of God.
* [22:36] Reframing the Parable of the Talents. A deep dive into why “burying the talent” is a sin of fear, and why God’s trust in us is the real story.
* [33:15] The Danger of the “Fanatic Hurry.” How the noise of the world kills our ability to hear God’s direction for our companies.
* [41:14] The Generosity Thermometer. A practical spiritual exercise to ensure that your heart remains free as your net worth grows.
* [48:27] Outro & Lenten Challenge. Moving from passive sacrifices to active “stretches” that allow God to work through your business.
Hire Catholic Overseas Talent In LatAm and the Philippines, there are millions of Catholic remote workers (across all domains) who want to work for ethical bosses. Often they’re treated as second class citizens or work for organizations that ask them to do questionable things. They reach out to us in search of a Catholic boss. So, we started ParacleteVA (website coming soon). With ParacleteVA, we’ll find you vetted, Catholic overseas talent who will help you move your business forward. How it works: Pay a $500 finders fee when the candidate starts and $500 if you’re still happy with them after 30 days. To get started reach out to catholicfounders@gmail.com with what you’re looking for and we’ll get started.
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