Faith Driven Entrepreneur

Vic Ho, CEO of Fivestars, talks about the importance of customer acquisition and retention in business. He shares how Fivestars helps small businesses retain current customers and find new ones. The podcast also discusses the shift from customer acquisition to customer retention, the value of relationships and personalization, and the concept of net promoter score in driving customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Dave Blanchard, CEO of Praxis, joins the podcast to discuss how to discern your calling as an entrepreneur. They explore the founding of Praxis, the importance of aligning vocation with passion and abilities, and the significance of community when discerning one's calling. They also share upcoming events and resources for leadership development.

In this episode, the hosts discuss how to do performance reviews as a way to love and encourage team members. They emphasize the importance of continuous feedback, setting goals, and understanding individual needs. They also explore the relationship between performance, pay, and compensation, and highlight the value of receiving feedback and seeking advice for personal growth. The hosts wrap up by expressing gratitude for listener support and seeking feedback and suggestions.

In this week’s episode, we have a SPECIAL GUEST!  Missy Wallace, Executive Director at the Nashville Institute for Faith & Work (NIFW) joins us and gives us her insights into the convergence of faith and work.  She tells us a bit about her own journey, how she developed her theology of faith and work, the founding of NIFW and how she is equipping entrepreneurs today.  One unique takeaway is that Missy noticed how in Genesis, we see that God basically brought structure from chaos.  Similarly, Missy observed that in the marketplace entrepreneurs' job is also to bring structure from chaos.   Throughout the interview, Missy will tell us of stories of various entrepreneurs who have been part of NIFW's entrepreneur support group and how they have grappled with the ups and downs of their chosen career path.  These stories range from an entrepreneur coming into a 7-figure event being scared of wealth, to an entrepreneur wrestling with a bankruptcy, to a woman who knew she was called to elderly healthcare from the age of 16. The program is a 12-week closed group where participants agree to a 90% attendance rate.  The program includes a video curriculum with faith and work theology.  However more than anything else, the group provides a place where the masks can come off; participants can process the anxiety/stress with running a company; they can stop posturing and practice honesty with one another.   In redefining success (from a worldly one to a Kingdom one), Missy has found that these entrepreneurs find more peace in their work.  For the faith driven entrepreneur, it’s not about the score all the time.  Like raising children, the parent can’t just singularly focus on results; they should enjoy the process of their child’s growth as well. In sum, the NIFW provides a great resource to support entrepreneurs who need community and spiritual encouragement.  And, Missy is a great storyteller ... join us to hear more!

In this episode, Henry, Rusty, and William tackle questions from our valued listeners.  Marty asks, "how do we keep a Christ-centered attitude while growing a business?"  For Henry, It’s about identity. It’s almost impossible when the goal is solely financial success.  We should seek God first. If there’s frustration at work, it’s an opportunity to pray to God.  Rusty brings a tactical point of view, and recommends starting the day prepared.  Spending time with God is top priority.  We should boot up with God first in order to avoid crashes, or at least minimize them.  William reminds us that we can’t forget our first vocation; we are beloved children of God.   Our friend, Mike, asks "As a founder, how do i shift work responsibilities over to new employees as I get overwhelmed and simply can't do it all anymore?"  For Rusty, it goes back to trust.  His litmus test for delegating work is to 1) assess if he himself is good at it; 2) is it routine? and 3)  does he like to do it?  If so, he will typically delegate those tasks to empower his teammates even though it seems counterintuitive.  This allows for employees to grow in his/her capacity which is of paramount importance if you want a long-term employee. Adam, asked "how do we make remote team-members feel engaged and offer them a meaningful culture?"  Rusty admits that this is one of the hardest questions. In many ways, culture creates itself.  Rusty recalls that at Electronic Arts they had employees all around the world.  Rusty sat with the CEO and proposed that they create a one page roadmap for team members to provide a clear picture of the company’s values.  This way everyone could align with the most important goals of the company - Rusty is happy to share his framework with anyone. Rick asks "how do we offer to pray for someone at the workplace?  What about corporate prayer?"  Recalling his own experience, Henry offered that at Bandwidth he would conduct a corporate prayer at picnics and dedicate them to families.  In the first 8 years, when an employee was in a crisis Henry would offer to pray for him but he slowly realized that a Corporate Chaplain was a better approach. Henry also shared a story involving an American Express executive.  She was in the legal department.   She got permission from higher ups to do a corporate prayer.  Eventually, she had 150 people in the lunch room meeting to pray.  The AE executives came back and asked her if she and her group would serve as a focus group to see how the Christian community would respond to certain products and services.  What an incredible witness within a larger organization.  Rusty mentioned that he thought it would be an incredible testimony to have a corporate prayer, so we wrote ONE!!! See our blog to check it out. Finally, in responding to Jeffrey’s question on seeking out a Christian business networking group, Henry and William shared about the “Inklings,” a group of Christian entrepreneurs here in Northern California who would gather together to encourage each other in a positive way. 

In this week's episode, we discuss how we should view the “40-hour work week” in relation to our faith, family, and overall balance of life?  When we unwrap this topic, it touches on issues of prioritization, and leadership. As entrepreneurs, we are wired to work, and work a lot.  It’s almost romantic to admit that we work 50-70 hours per week (or much much more :).  But at what cost? We must recall that there are at least two groups of people whom we affect with how much we work: family/spouse, and employees/teammates. From the employee’s perspective, they see what we do.  We are modeling to them all the time. If they see us working long, ridiculous hours they will feel compelled to do same.  If we send emails at 2am, they will think they need to be ready to respond at 2:01am.  Remember, the shadow of a leader is large. The second group of people that we impact with how much we work is of course our loved ones.  Rusty shares with us a personal experience during his early career. In 1998, he and his wife moved to California so Rusty could join Electronic Arts.  After a year or so, his wife suggested that she should move back to New York because Rusty didn't spend much time with her anyway - he might not even notice she left. Bam - that was a wake up call. As a litmus test, William chimes in with a story he heard recently about seeking the “fellowship of the unimpressed.”  No matter how big of a deal you are at work, your kids, your spouse or your best friends will just never be that impressed with you.  No matter if you are William Norvell or Warren Buffet.  If you find yourself in a situation where everyone at work can't stop talking about how wonderful you are while simultaneously your friends and family are giving you criticism, it might be time to pause and reflect.  In short, it pays to remind ourselves of our motives.  As faith driven entrepreneurs, we should promote the motive to know God,  As opposed to looking at “work-life balance,” we should adopt the “work-life priorities” model. As the late Dr. Stephen Covey said, “we should never put ahead what matters most with what matters least. “

n this episode, Henry, Rusty, and William tackle the very difficult issue of when a coworker or a colleague feels that he or she has been wronged. One of our listeners from Northern California asked the question, “How do I deal with burned relationships with former founders, employees, or colleagues, who are also Christians?” As Faith Driven Entrepreneurs, we of course all try to keep Christ and scripture at the center of our work. When conflict arises, what framework can we look at to help us process conflict and reach a Godly resolution? William suggests a three part framework in this area: forgiveness, reconciliation, and restoration. It should be noted that forgiveness only takes one person, while it takes two to reconcile. Lastly, it takes maturity to restore the relationship after tough trials, and this is a step often forgotten. Rusty offers that it is best to address the conflict quickly while Henry suggests that we have to check our motives and make sure our actions give God glory. What happens though when it doesn't work out - when a leader has exhausted all options, then what? When this does occur, we have to consider a range of compassion with regards to personal relationships and practical realities - i.e. severance or letters of recommendation. It's also important to remember that no matter what you do to try to reconcile two people, there are sometimes unresolved feelings that cannot be worked through (at least they can't be worked through on earth). Ultimately, we all must patiently await the renewal of all things in heaven.

Whether it is in personal relationships, marriage, or business, being equally yoked with other Christ followers is no doubt highly advantageous. In 2 Corinthians 6:14, the Apostle Paul said, “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?” While this passage historically is Paul’s warning against idolatry (as verses 7-18 seem to support), this scripture highlights the question of what are we to do in business relationships when it comes to working with those who may not be Christ followers. In this episode, Henry, Rusty, and William provide their experience and viewpoints on the issue. Henry starts off by providing the evolution in his own thinking about the subject matter. Initially, Henry was focused on hiring or partnering the most qualified and best person for the job regardless of the person’s faith. Over time, he began to see that going through the hills and valleys of business, the person whom you are yoked with is incredibly important. If the person whom you are joined does not share your convictions, faith, and beliefs there may come a time when the institution/business enterprise may be compromised. Rusty observes that it is often very difficult to hire someone who is equally yoked with you. In high level positions, there may be more opportunity to engage in executive searches and networks to identify those individuals. As a whole, given the size of the marketplace it may not possible to be yoked with a fellow Christian. Frequently, one may come into a business headed by non-believers. Interestingly, the Apostle Paul addresses this scenario in the context of husband and wife. In sum, if a husband joins with an unbelieving wife, or vice-versa, Paul warns that you need not divorce. (1 Cor. 7:12-16) The point is we do not know if the unbelieving spouse would actually be saved through the believing spouse. Similarly, in business God can work through the believer and sanctify those who may not believe. At Snocap, Rusty ended up working with a great person, Mr. Ali Aydar. While Mr. Aydar’s beliefs were not readily known at the time, Rusty built a relationship with him. Mr. Aydar now goes to church where Rusty goes; in fact, Rusty teaches Aydar’s kids in Sunday school. No matter the circumstances God seems to be able to work through it for his glory. From William’s perspective, he comes back to his “why.” He reminds that we are guided by God’s word. We need to use discernment. William makes sure he shares his why with others in any venture when possible. In fact, it’s important for your potential business partner to know everything that makes you tick. It is an opportunity to be authentic. To be clear, Henry, Rusty and William all agree that employers in the United States must abide by all employment laws. And as faith driven entrepreneurs, we arguably may be held to even a higher self-imposed standard. We are by no means endorsing any type of discrimination in hiring practices. As faith driven entrepreneurs, we are in the world but not of the world. In business, we are confronted with issues that come with a spectrum of possibilities, i.e., gray area. Through thorough and honest vetting, prospective business partners may opt out if they do not share our convictions. Weaving together William’s point about sharing your “why,” and Rusty’s comment on how the hiring process can be a self selection process, prospects have ample opportunity to pursue the business opportunity or to pass. In the end, as faith driven entrepreneurs we not only abide by the law of the land, but also the word of our God. In the multiplicity of business scenarios, we can be authentic, faithful, and integrous in our work.

In this episode, Henry, Rusty, and William discuss the issue of calling. Many of us have heard God calling us to a particular purpose. Romans 8:28 says “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” To fulfill God’s purpose, we may be individually called to contribute through our lives and work. In the work context, Rusty reminds us that you can be a Faith Driven Entrepreneur in any sector, whether it is in private, public, or the ministerial space. We look for God for drive and direction. How do we know that we are being called? What does it mean to have a calling? Citing Pastor Tim Keller, William gives us a framework, which consists of three elements: Affinity - what are you naturally drawn to Ability - strengths and weaknesses Opportunity - what’s needed of me We all have an affinity towards something, whether it is a particular type of work, or industry. Of course, it is not enough to be attracted to a type of work, we need to play off our strengths while recognizing our own shortfalls. And all the while it is important to identify opportunities that match the two prior criteria. Simply put, for our affinity we should “look out”; our ability - “look in”; and opportunity - “look up!” When we are called God will place a burden in our heart. The burden could be so deep that it occupies a person’s being. By analogy, in the venture capital world the person seeking funding has a type of conviction and hunger fuels entrepreneurs during lean times and when investors say “no.” Now, God may not speak to us audibly. The calling should not violate scripture or what God represents. This is why it is so important to have a framework that helps guide us in our calling. On the opposite of the spectrum, some of us may not even know that we have been serving in our calling. It isn’t until we look back that we realize that we have been doing what God has called us to do.

In this engaging conversation, Andy Wood, lead pastor of Echo Church in San Jose, shares how his upbringing and his father's entrepreneurial journey shaped his ministry. He discusses the unique role pastors can play in empowering local entrepreneurs, emphasizing tailored resources and community support. Andy highlights the vibrant mix of faith-driven and secular attendees at his conferences, revealing the transformative power of business within culture. With humor and insight, he illustrates the parallels between church planting and entrepreneurship, fostering innovation in faith communities.