You no doubt have heard the saying that the primary purpose of business is to increase the value for its shareholders. Well, today’s guest might not agree with that. Instead, Bill Job would tell you that that idea is a little shortsighted. Instead, he believes that the purpose of business is to create eternal value. But what does that mean, and how does that work in practice? And how do you hear from God to know that the work you’re doing is having an eternal impact? We’ll let Bill walk you thro...
May 04, 2021•34 min•Ep. 153
In the late 90’s, Dunkin’ Donuts found it so hard to break into the Los Angeles donut market that they gave up. Why? Because of The Donut King . Ted Ngoy has opened over 70 donut shops in an effort to give Cambodian refugees a chance to earn a living and make it in America. At one point, his donut empire netted him over $20 million and a presidential award for achieving the American Dream from George H.W. Bush. Then, he lost everything. Listen in as “Uncle Ted” takes us through every up and down...
Apr 27, 2021•39 min•Ep. 152
The story of today’s guest starts in a recording studio. When Dr. Tony Evans was a student at Dallas Theological Seminary, he was asked to preach on a radio show based out of Houston. After giving countless sermons to an audience he could never see, Tony gathered 10 people in his living room, which was the start Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship. Fast forward and Oak Cliff Bible has roughly 10,000 members, Tony has written dozens of books, and countless people have encountered the gospel of Jesus Chris...
Apr 20, 2021•31 min•Ep. 151
Everyone has a few regrets. Some regrets are inconsequential, others life-altering. Most could have been avoided. Andy Stanley , founder of North Point Ministries, a popular communicator, pastor, podcaster, and television host, has his share of regrets, but he’s found a way to keep the list short. His secret lies in five simple questions, which is what you’ll hear him talk about today. Useful Links: Better Decisions, Fewer Regrets When Work and Family Collide...
Apr 13, 2021•50 min•Ep. 150
We’re so excited to introduce you to today’s guest. Joan Maxwell founded Regulator Marine with her husband, Owen, in 1988. Owen oversees design of their sportfishing boats; everything and everyone else reports to Joan. As the first female chairperson of the National Marine Manufacturers Association, Joan shared with us what it feels like to be in uncharted waters. She was the first person in her family to finish college, and she’s often the only woman in the room when it comes to her professiona...
Apr 06, 2021•38 min•Ep. 144
Dollywood. Silver Dollar City. The Harlem Globetrotters. You’ve heard of all of those, but you might not know about the business behind them. That’s what today’s episode is about. Chris Herschend is a third-generation shareholder and Chairman of Missouri-based Herschend Enterprises, the largest family-owned themed attractions company in the US. Herschend properties span 26 locations and 10 states, employing over 10,000 people who collectively host over 13 million guests annually. Today, Chris is...
Mar 30, 2021•46 min•Ep. 149
Frank Kelly serves as CEO of Kelly & Associates Insurance Group, Kelly & Associates Financial Services (KELLY Payroll/KELLY Work Comp), KELLY Exchange Services, and KELLY Integral Solutions – collectively known as KELLY. As a group insurance administrator, broker, and consultant specializing in health care, KELLY has been recognized as the largest employee benefits administrator in Maryland and one of the largest in the Mid-Atlantic region. Since Frank was named President in 1994, KELLY ...
Mar 23, 2021•53 min•Ep. 148
If you’re a part of the Christian conservative community, you’ve probably heard of The Babylon Bee. It is, and we quote, “the world’s best satire site, totally inerrant in all its truth claims.” With headlines like “Man Who Doesn't Read The Bible Also Chief Authority On What Jesus Would Do Today,” it seems like a fun way for Christians to laugh at themselves. But as today’s guest and Babylon Bee CEO, Seth Dillon , explains, being a satirical site doesn’t come without a fair share of controversy....
Mar 16, 2021•41 min•Ep. 147
October Baby. Mom’s Night Out. Woodlawn. I Can Only Imagine. What do these movies have in common? They’re all creations from the Erwin brothers. Jon and Andrew have had a passion for creating and making movies since they were young, and today, Jon joined to share where that energy comes from. You’ll enjoy hearing the entrepreneurial energy behind making a movie and the business of filming, distributing, marketing, and every other aspect that makes a hit movie a hit. Lastly, Jon challenged the st...
Mar 09, 2021•57 min•Ep. 146
It’s strange how one number has become such a popular tool for defining our characteristics and even our identity. Today, we’re talking to someone who knows more about the enneagram than all three of your podcast hosts combined. Ian Morgan Cron is the author of The Road Back to You and a master teacher of the Enneagram, an ancient personality typing system that identifies nine types of people and how they relate to one another and the world. The Enneagram is a powerful tool for understanding why...
Mar 02, 2021•37 min•Ep. 145
Community . It’s one of the core tenets of the Faith Driven movement. If you’ve been listening for a while, we hope you’ve heard stories from around the world that have opened up your eyes to see that FDEs are everywhere, and they’re faithfully pursuing God’s will right where they are. Today, we’re talking with Sue Alice Sauthoff who has recently joined the FDE/FDI team as our Community Manager . She’s going to share all the new initiatives intended to foster community among FDEs all around the ...
Feb 23, 2021•32 min•Ep. 144
When Cheryl Bachelder took the helm at Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, sales and profits were declining and shareholders and franchisees were unhappy. But during the nearly 10 years of Cheryl’s leadership, Popeyes stock moved from $11 in 2007 to a remarkable $79 at the time of its 2017 sale to Restaurant Brands International. So what's the secret ingredient to Popeyes turnaround? Cheryl joined us today to share how her unique strategy of servant leadership proved to be a recipe for success....
Feb 16, 2021•42 min•Ep. 143
Phil Vischer, author, filmmaker, and creator of VeggieTales, shares how the rise and fall of his first “Big Idea” led him to a new understanding of identity and what it means to be rooted in a relationship with Christ. He challenges Faith Driven Entrepreneurs to consider that God’s call on their lives is much more about walking with Him than it is doing things for Him. Listen in to hear him explain why it’s more important to know your identity is secure in who God is, rather than what you do or ...
Feb 09, 2021•15 min•Ep. 141
If you’re a fan of Mike Rowe’s television show Dirty Jobs, then I think you’re going to like today’s episode. While working on telephone poles isn’t exactly a dirty job, it is a high-risk, challenging, and technical one and today’s guests are going to tell us all about it. David Powell and PJ Nardy own and operate the Southeastern Lineman Training Center where they lead the premier training school for apprentice lineworker training. Their job is so interesting and unique that it has its own show...
Feb 02, 2021•36 min•Ep. 140
One thing that makes this show so special is the feedback we receive from listeners just like you. Today’s episode is the fruit of your feedback. Many of you have talked about how helpful it would be to connect the Faith Driven Investor world with the Faith Driven Entrepreneur world. Well, we heard you. And out of that has arrived something we are beyond excited to share with you. It’s called Marketplace , and it’s a space for like-minded investors to find faith-driven deals and funds that help ...
Jan 26, 2021•34 min•Ep. 139
We're so grateful for the feedback that we've received from so many of you, the encouragement you've shared, and the questions you've asked. And today, we're going to attempt to answer one of those questions. Fundraising is such a critical part of the entrepreneurial journey. It can be scary and uncertain and overwhelming at times, but it's, quite literally, a part of the job. So, we're going to talk to Jake Thomsen who is a Partner at Sovereign's Capital leading the venture practice, which mean...
Jan 19, 2021•48 min•Ep. 138
No one likes to be a part of a dysfunctional relationship. Yet, entrepreneurs and investors can often be on completely different pages with completely different goals and expectations. Today’s conversation between Henry Kaestner and Jessica Kim gives both sides of the story. Jessica shares how setting unrealistic expectations hurts the entrepreneur’s ability to follow through and the investor’s ability to determine success. And Henry talks about the fundraising side of his entrepreneurial journe...
Jan 12, 2021•26 min•Ep. 137
We’re just as happy as you are that 2020 has finally come to an end. There’s been turmoil, turnover, and uncertainty around every corner. Yet, here at FDE, one thing has remained constant—this podcast. Week in and week out, we’ve recorded these conversations as we always do, and we couldn’t be more grateful for all the guests that joined us as well as the grounding consistency that this routine has provided. For those who have listened along all year, this will be a time to reflect on what we’ve...
Jan 05, 2021•37 min•Ep. 136
No one ever prepares to speak at their spouse’s funeral. But after a tragic car accident, Coach Monty Williams found himself burying his wife long before they had a chance to grow old together. But what happened in that moment was something powerful and unforgettable— he offered forgiveness to the driver who had killed his wife. Monty took us through this story, every painful detail, but he also talked about the hope he has found on the other side of tragedy and what he loves about coaching in t...
Dec 15, 2020•44 min•Ep. 135
Dave Blanchard , co-founder of Praxis , inspires faith-driven entrepreneurs and investors to pursue redemptive entrepreneurship--“following the pattern of creative restoration through sacrifice”--as they venture into the business world. In today's episode, he presents a gospel-centered plan encompassing redemptive strategic vision, a biblical operating model, and the value of intentional, sacrificial leadership....
Dec 08, 2020•14 min•Ep. 134
When Brittany Underwood founded Akola Jewelry, she had no idea what the future of the jewelry handcrafted by women in Uganda would look like. Now, you can find Akola jewelry in Nordstrom's all across America. Today, you're going to hear her whole entrepreneurial story, but you're also going to hear from Sheeba Philip , the current CEO of Akola. Together, Brittany and Sheeba talked about the relationship between founders and CEOs, some avoidable pitfalls, and how their collaboration best serves t...
Dec 01, 2020•41 min•Ep. 133
Andy Crouch , partner for theology and culture at Praxis, joined us to talk about the drama of leadership and how to navigate the tensions of authority and vulnerability as a faith driven entrepreneur. Andy presents a 2x2 matrix and explains the surprising reality that “authority and vulnerability go together at the moments of greatest flourishing in our lives.” Listen in to hear his call to reconsider the role authority, vulnerability, control, and safety play in our lives....
Nov 17, 2020•15 min•Ep. 132
If you're in America, you may think of the company Grab as the Uber of Southeast Asia. Of course, if you live in Southeast Asia, Uber is the Grab of America. Whatever way you look at it, with 198 Million Downloads of the App, 9 Million Drivers in 352 Cities in 8 Countries, and a $14B valuation, Anthony Tan and Grab are making huge waves in the ridesharing industry. Today, Anthony shared his entrepreneurial journey which started with a simple question: how can I best take care of other people?...
Nov 10, 2020•40 min•Ep. 131
Today's guest has over 25 years of CEO experience at major corporations, and he's got some wisdom to show for it. Joel Manby's most recent job was as the President and CEO of SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment. Before that, he served as the CEO of Herschend Enterprises, the largest family-owned theme park and entertainment company in the United States with popular brands such as the Harlem Globetrotters and Dolly Parton’s Dollywood theme park and dinner theaters. All that experience led him to wri...
Nov 03, 2020•42 min•Ep. 130
Jewel Burks Solomon is the Founder of PartPic, which raised over $2million before being acquired by Amazon. And that was just the beginning of her entrepreneurial journey. Now, she’s a managing partner at Collab Capital—a group working to provide a viable pathway to sustained wealth for the black community. She’s an incredible story, a fascinating entrepreneur and investor, and someone we can’t wait for you to hear from......
Oct 27, 2020•39 min•Ep. 129
Today’s guest comes to us from Nashville, Tennessee. Will Acuff noticed he was surrounded by talent all over his community, but these people were lacking a clear path to opportunity. So, he and his wife Tiffany co-founded Corner to Corner , where they created The Academy, which works to give underestimated entrepreneurs a clear path to start their business journey. Will joined us today to share his personal entrepreneurial journey, as well as the success stories he gets to see and be a part of e...
Oct 20, 2020•36 min•Ep. 128
Lecrae is the staple of the Christian rap scene. When people are looking to define the genre, they look to him. And with good reason—he has won 3 grammy awards. But before he was the face of Christian rap, he and Ben Washer , now Co-Founder and CEO of Reach Records, were recording songs for summer camps and pursuing their creative dreams in the best, scrappy way they knew how. We talked to both of them about the story behind Reach Records, why Lecrae moved to a traditional label and then back to...
Oct 13, 2020•46 min•Ep. 127
Food & Wine Magazine once called Canlis “one of the 40 most important restaurants in the past 40 years.” They’ve humbly received 22 consecutive Wine Spectator Grand Awards and have been nominated for 15 James Beard Awards and we've won three of them. But today’s podcast guest, Mark Canlis , won’t tell you that. Instead, he’ll talk to you about the lives he gets to interact with every day, both in the kitchen and on the floor. And he’ll also happily tell you about the work they’re doing to pr...
Oct 06, 2020•42 min•Ep. 126
Truth is still truth in the marketplace of ideas. But society has constructed a new moral code that makes it difficult to navigate. So, how do we navigate winsomely in a world when 42% of people think that people of faith are not the help, or the answer, but rather the problem? Gabe Lyons , founder of Q Media has spent a decade wading into the data and bringing out the conversations that we need to have as Christ Followers and to make sure we understand the waters we’re wading into each day when...
Sep 29, 2020•45 min•Ep. 125
Hard to argue that there is a better halftime show than the NBA on TNT crew with Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and today’s guest, Ernie Johnson . Ernie shared with us just what makes that show so special (and so fun), as well as his personal story, which includes calling MLB games with his dad and his battle with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Ernie is an incredible man of faith, and he shared both the hilarious and the serious sides of his life with us today. You won’t want to miss thi...
Sep 22, 2020•52 min•Ep. 124
