Faith Driven Entrepreneur

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 motivation, effectiveness and longevity of teams. Gamification isn’t just for the gamer but has implications for anyone who seeks to be part of something greater or just wants to live a more joy-filled life. We hope you enjoy this week’s episode on gamification. We’d love to hear of some of the ways you are using gamification in your business model. Feel free to share with us at faithdrivenentrepreneur.org. Useful Links: https://join.octalysisprime.com/op-so/ https://yukaichou.com/gamification-book/ We also have a very brief survey we’d love for you to take that will help us shape the direction and future of the FDE podcast. As always, we love taking your questions and hearing your comments. Feel free to submit your thoughts in general here.

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 all the ways this week’s episode has impacted you at faithdrivenentrepreneur.org. Useful Links: Highly encourage you checking out A Rule of Life. You can also stay tuned for the release of Andy’s new Podcast. Want to see Andy’s WSJ article he mentioned about Steve Jobs? If you’re looking for a great book from Andy, we highly encourage checking these out: Playing God, The Tech Wise Family and Culture Making Want to see where the Faith Driven Entrepreneur started? Take a little flashback to see a blog post featuring Andy's perspective on the Sabbath. We also have a very brief survey we’d love for you to take that will help us shape the direction and future of the FDE podcast. As always, we love taking your questions and hearing your comments. Feel free to submit your thoughts in general here.

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 teams for His Glory and Kingdom. We’d love to hear from you on how you intend on doing exactly that at faithdrivenentrepreneur.org. We also have a very brief survey we’d love for you to take that will help us shape the direction and future of the FDE podcast. As always, we love taking your questions and hearing your comments. Feel free to submit your thoughts in general here. Useful Links: RightNow Media @ Work Story of Naturesweet

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 at faithdrivenentrepreneur.org. We also have a very brief survey we’d love for you to take that will help us shape the direction and future of the FDE podcast. . As always, we love taking your questions and hearing your comments. Feel free to submit your thoughts in general here. Useful Links: The Chuck Knox Development Process

Toxic people, toxic environments and all other possible permutations of how toxicity can be expressed in an organization is the subject of today’s episode. Rusty rests the responsibility of toxic organizations firmly on the shoulders of the founder and William believes that faith driven leaders can still be guilty of making a mess of culture. Henry helps us understand what kind of petri dish is needed for toxicity to flourish and the team together discusses ways to avoid the pains and pitfalls of toxicity that kills community, productivity and creativity. Today’s episode was in response to a mailbag question from New York. We love hearing from you and fielding your questions. Tell us how this week’s episode impacted your thinking on toxic work cultures and encourages you to think about how you can contribute to the health of your organization at faithdrivenentrepreneur.org. We also have a very brief survey we’d love for you to take that will help us shape the direction and future of the FDE podcast. Please help us with your thoughts and opinions here.

We find the team chatting with Julie Barrios, of Nuos Formation, a spiritual formation enterprise focused on helping the entrepreneur develop healthy inner lives as part of purposeful living as a faith-driven entrepreneur. As she shares on her own entrepreneurial journey, Julie helps us see how “hustling” may be nothing more than another hamster wheel and living in obedience to God by surrendering our paths to Him might be the more excellent way. Making sure she makes room to hear from God, that she takes seriously the responsibility of stewarding what He has entrusted to her and knowing the difference between perseverance (a Fruit of the Spirit) and striving (NOT a fruit of the spirit) are all disciplines she’s applied to business and seeks to develop in her clientele. According to Julie, spiritual discipline at the onset is internalizing the structure of God’s Word in your heart then interpreting your world and reality from that structure. How has seeing your business through the lens of the Word of God, preferably written on your hearts, affected your mission and impact for the better? Drop us a line at faithdrivenentrepreneur.org and tell us!

We hear from our hosts this week as they share some of the things God has them thinking about via their personal time with the Lord. Rusty draws parallels to Paul’s trials, specifically found in Acts 27 to the life of an entrepreneur while William shares on how reading the account of Jesus’ baptism by John actually reveals more deeply the importance of having your identity rooted in a relationship with the Father to empower and enlighten your mission. Henry’s been sharing a bit about his sojourn in the Old Testament but is more focused on the Israelite wilderness journey and the strength of Joshua to stay true to his God and his mission. Walking with God in your entrepreneurial journey makes it necessary to meet Him regularly through the study of His Word for direction, strength, creativity and solutions to all each day has to throw at us. Share with us what the Father is teaching you about your entrepreneurial journey these days at faithdrivenentrepreneur.org.

This week the team chats with Ed Silvoso, author of several books including Anointed for Business, Transformation and Ekklesia. He’s the founder of Transform Our World, an international network of marketplace ministers whose goal is the elimination of systemic poverty through actively advancing the kingdom of God via a unified Church. Here’s a few of our favorite moments from this week: “There is a tipping point and that is when that leader understands, usually that leader is a governmental leader or a business owner, that he is chosen by God to transform society, not just to have a kingdom company but to have a King’s company.” “We don’t go to Church, we are the Church. The church doesn’t belong to a pastor, it belongs to Jesus… the word ministry is not associated with the Pastor, the Evangelist, the Teacher, the Prophet or the Apostle. It’s associated with the saint. So the work of the Pastor is not to do the work of the ministry, the work of the Pastor is to equip the people, for the people to do the work of the ministry. ” We hope you are inspired by this weeks episode to begin considering more fully what God has given you with the gift of entrepreneurship. If you've ideas on how you can use your organization to transform culture , systems and and other aspects of the society around you, please share with us at faithdrivenentrepreneur.com.

Steve Cochram and Jeremie Kubicek of 5 Voices Systems, a leadership assessment tool that helps you define, understand and leverage your communication style for optimal influence joins the FDE team this week. They share why their assessment tool is so different from the rest and how it can be quickly integrated into your organizational culture to help you better connect with your team, customers and all the places where you have influence. Committed to helping clients fight for the highest possible good of those they lead, this duo gives us insight on how understanding our unique communication styles helps us to hear as well as be heard for maximum impact and collaboration. We strongly encourage you to take the online assessment to figure out your leadership voice and challenge you to make use of these tools. Share with us your voice and definitely let us know if there were any surprises at faithdrivenentrepreneur.org.

In this week’s episode, we’re talking to Henry’s long-time friend Peter Greer, President and CEO of Hope International, a leading provider of microfinancing for underserved communities around the globe. Peter helps us understand the multi-faceted aspects of poverty, that it’s about more than simply the lack of resources. He shares details around Hope International’s commitment to eradicate spiritual poverty, not just financial poverty as the two are inextricably linked. He gives frameworks for addressing all aspects of poverty and shares a bit on what seems to be a “secret weapon” for ensuring kingdom-impact: the power of partnership and collaboration. We hope this week’s episode gives you new insight on how your organization can begin to address poverty in its many forms for kingdom impact. While your organization may not be a microfinance operation, every kingdom endeavor should seek to eradicate the works of the enemy and poverty is one of his chief tools. We’d love to hear how this week’s podcast has impacted your thinking on what’s available to you for the elimination of poverty in your sphere of influence. Drop us a line at faithdrivenentrepreneur.org.