Faith Driven Entrepreneur

Today’s episode takes us to Silicon Valley to connect with Trae Stephens. You may have seen Trae on CNBC, or you may know him as one of the Partners at Founders Fund. It was an honor to have Trae on to share about his experiences—everything from his time in politics working for Congressmen and in Embassies to now working alongside Peter Thiel. Trae also shares about his life as a Christ-Follower and how it shapes his view of the investing world. In particular, Trae outlines what it means for an entrepreneur to be an outlier. He describes the difference between business ideas that fit into a certain pre-existing category and those that break every mold out there. He also shares cautionary advice about what not to do as an entrepreneur. His perspective as a venture capitalist is helpful to listen to for both investors and entrepreneurs alike. But this podcast doesn’t stop there. As you know, we’re always approaching the conversation of entrepreneurship and investing from a faith-driven perspective. Trae is no exception. In this podcast, he talks about the different areas of theology and philosophy that inform his worldview. Specifically, he goes into detail about the innate tendency of all human beings to imitate something or someone. Here, he reminds us specifically of Ephesians 5:1, “Be imitators of God…” When Trae talks about his relationship with God, you’ll hear both his personal faith journey—what it means to imitate Christ as a venture capitalist and how Silicon Valley opens the door for him to share his faith—and what he thinks about the global Christian movement. He invites listeners to consider what it would look like to be co-creators alongside God, with references to how God and Adam interacted in the Garden of Eden. Our team had a blast catching up with Trae, as it felt like he covered dozens of topics with the fluency of an expert. His intellect and skill are on full display in this interview, but so is his spirit and heart behind what it means to be a faith driven entrepreneur and what faith driven investors can do to create value, not only for themselves, but for the world. We hope you enjoy this episode and pray that it encourages you on your journey! Useful Links: Rene Girard Explains Mimetic Desires Founders Fund Trae Stephens Interview with Fortune

Today’s guest, Sanyin Siang, is the executive director for the Coach K Center on Leadership & Ethics (COLE) at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business and a professor with its Pratt School of Engineer. She is an advisor for Google Ventures (GV), Sports Innovation Labs, Duke Corporate Education and author of The Launch Book: Motivational Stories to Launch Your Idea, Business, or Next Career. If that list isn’t enough to get you to press play on this episode, you should also know that she has over 1 million followers on LinkedIn. Yet, while that is something we felt eager to point out, she shared how she has had to learn to hold on loosely to that following, which was some advice all of us in this busy social-media-driven world needed to hear. In our conversation, she shared why she recently took some time to write her own obituary. Turns out she realized that what she wants to be remembered for isn’t her professional success, or even her number of followers—it’s something bigger and more important than both of these... Listen in to hear the difference between enabling and chasing greatness, what Coach K does to inspire both 19-year-old college athletes and the superstar NBA players on Team USA, and why planning your life with the end in mind might give you some clarity you didn’t even know you needed. Happy listening! Useful Links: How Coach K Wins Consistently 3 Lessons From Sports for Effective Storytelling LinkedIn

When we first learned about Apartment Life it sounded too good to be true. The work they do in apartment complexes improves their overall financial performance, grows their online reputation, and strengthens their resident retention rates. With benefits like these, it’s no surprise that they’re taking off, now serving over 3 million residents from coast to coast. In this episode, Pete Kelly explains just how they do it. We believe this podcast is especially valuable to you for two reasons. One, you get to hear about an incredible business venture in Apartment Life. There’s no doubt you’ll be hearing more about them in the future, and we’re glad we get to share about them early on in this podcast. And two, you get to hear the heart behind the business. Pete Kelly is one of those business leaders who puts his heart into what he’s doing, and it shows in this interview. We’re excited for you to hear about Apartment Life and the potential they have in the real estate market. But even more so, this podcast gives you the opportunity to hear from a business leader about how his values affect his business and how everything he does serves other people. Tune in and enjoy! Useful Links: Apartment Life Best Resources for Real Estate Investing Interview with Pete Kelly Neighborliness on Faith Driven Investor

Join us outside of Austin, Texas where we are connecting with Mark McClain. Mark likes to refer to himself as an accidental entrepreneur. He didn’t grow up as the lemonade stand kid but has since gone on to start two different companies. Today, he leads SailPoint, an identity management business started in 2005 that is publicly traded with a market cap around $2 Billion and 1,200 team members across 33 different companies. Today, you can hear Mark share his powerful story of being an “Accidental Entrepreneur” and find out how that path might be more common than you think. Mark McClain’s entrepreneurial journey is a unique one. But if you find yourself in a startup or new venture that you didn’t anticipate starting a few years ago, Mark’s story will be both helpful and encouraging. He will be the first to tell you that he didn’t envision himself as a creative entrepreneur. Yet, when he found himself frustrated by the difficulty of creating change in mid-size and large organizations, his desire to create sparked a shift in his career and his life. Mark has some great lessons for entrepreneurs. On this episode, he shared about struggling with the idea of control, and he also talked about what happened when he realized he couldn’t be the expert at everything. His humility and vulnerability set the stage for a great interview, and we really hope the story of his journey encourages you along your own. Useful Links: SailPoint It’s Not All Fun and Perks: What Company Culture Really Means Why SailPoint? With Mark McClain, CEO and Co-Founder Books Mentioned: StrengthsFinder The Ideal Team Player Top 50 Books for Faith Driven Entrepreneurs

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 resources the best they can possibly be. Useful Links: Faith Driven Investor Website FDI Executive Summary FDI Asset Map

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 do they put in place to keep both areas of their life healthy and growing? You’ll find the answers to both these questions in this week’s episode, along with some fun stories and a sound that every marriage thrives on—laughter. Useful Links: Every Moment Holy The Sseko Story Video Beginner’s Pluck by Liz Bohannon

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 Links: DIFW Website Jeff Haanen Website The Faith and Work Podcast Articles/Books Mentioned in This Episode: God of the Second Shift - Christianity Today Working by Studs Terkel Our Kids by Robert Putnam An Uncommon Guide to Retirement by Jeff Haanen The Pinkerton Papers

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 culture that views business as a dishonorable career—is one of the ways we can honor or Creator God. Henry’s trip is a living testament to what God is doing through Faith Driven Entrepreneurs worldwide, and we’re excited to share this with you. And finally, Rusty speaks into the idea of what it would look like to work with our hands and live a quiet life—inspired by 1 Thessalonians 4. Although it may not sound like the typical entrepreneurial dream, there may be something to it. He also closes our conversation by sharing what he’s learning from Thirst by Scott Harrison. This podcast may feel a bit different from our usual show, but we hope it provides a chance for you to relax with our show hosts during this holiday week!

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 work in a way that unmistakably reflects the God who made them—and we’re so grateful that Lake joined the show to contribute to this conversation. We hope this episode encourages you on your entrepreneurial journey! Useful Links: Spirituality, Inc Lake Lambert’s Hanover Inaugural Address: Education for a “Tough Mind and Tender Heart” Hanover College Mover of Men and Mountains

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 Tom shared with us on the podcast was both illuminating and exciting. His work has the potential to impact the way churches approach work, and it also helps entrepreneurs understand how work and worship can intersect. We hope you enjoy this episode and pray that it encourages you on your journey! Useful Links: Work Matters: Connecting Sunday Worship to Monday Work Made to Flourish The Gospel Coalition