When you think about believers in business, does your mind immediately go to powerful executives or maybe scrappy entrepreneurs? What if God's plan for a believer in business was much less glamorous, uh, but no less power. Today, you're going to hear one of those stories of incredible faithfulness and the small things that is showing eternal rewards. Welcome to leaders moment by FXMissions, podcasting.
We encourage you to take a moment to sharpen the saw of your leadership perspective and performance. We're bringing you interviews and stories of leaders, much like yourself who are taking action learning. Realizing potential and getting results. Welcome to the leader. You can find all things. FXMissions Podcasting at fxmissionspodcasts.com. There's a link in the description and you can find everything for this episode at leadersmoment.org/234. Today.
You'll hear about how success requires both skills and attitude and how both are key in being faithful to your calling. You'll discover how God's using a barbershop as a place of ministry as well. We love hearing from you, especially on social media quick. Thanks for your engagement to Brittany, Tony and Kelsey. You can find us at leaders, a moment on Facebook or Instagram. Hi, Scott McClellan here with your FX missions leadership moment. That's right.
This is the believers in business series, kind of a new series we're doing. I'm excited to be with you for this and happy to be bringing you this recording. Abroad. Yes, that's right. A second episode here that I'm doing from Brazil, south America. If you didn't hear the first one, I encourage you to go back and get a listen on that. Thankful to be reunited south America style with my good friend and a former Coken Spire failed leap CMOs. Hello, Felipe. Are you there?
Ah, here fairly good to be where you bro. And we've been together for, I don't know, maybe close to a week or something. Yes. Yeah. Here in south America. Absolutely springtime is coming on down here, exact opposite of us north American guys in terms of our seasons, but it's been a wonderful time and good, good, good to be reunited with Felipe. We are in our believers in business series. Felipe, are you in business?
Yeah. As I'm business, about five years already.
Okay. Five years already in business. Well, you are an overcomer then because you didn't close up shop in the first year. So that's really cool and important. I think in our times to get past that first year, let's rewind a little bit though, before we get really into the details of your business. And let's talk a little bit about you Philly, where are you from?
I'm from Brazil. The name of my city is cheaper. I'm 40 years old. I've been here since I was born. Besides the time that they stay in us for two years. That's
it. Okay. South of Brazil is the area of Brazil that you live in and a city called Cory Achieva. We will be there tomorrow. It will be my first time. There, there are some big cities in Brazil, but, uh, your city is a large one important city there and they tell me it's one of the more beautiful cities that is as large as yours is. Full of parks and beauty. Is there something you want to
say about Cora Chiba? I have a lot of things to say. You're writing on that, that you said about the parks. We have a lot, a lot of sparks. We have a 2 million people. So as you check it, there are major CDs in Brazil. Like we stay all together, pack it in the back in the capitals. So that's why we have a lot of foreign. 'cause everybody's like my city is too many people. They see that we're recording is 3
million people, big cities in Brazil and Brazil is really big too, and very diverse, thankful to be here and thankful to be with you. Can you tell us a little bit about your background? I know that we met when you were in ministry school in the mid two thousands, you were coming to the U S. Did you always want to travel? Did you always think that you would be living in the states for a couple of years when you were younger?
Uh, so let's make a big story is short. I was on a family, kind of poor. I can say my daddy work with fixing fires and they had the dream to study abroad, Theo college, or didn't know anything about outside. I started studying English and they just didn't. And that's the after dads that's experienced, uh, had a life change. I thoughts with my. We can do a lot of more. So when they came back to Brazil after us, I said, I'm going to do the sat test.
And then we on the past and the past, and this a university, that's one of the best of the country. I studied administration. And after that, I was doing some internships with import export. And after that, I went to start my own business. And then came an idea by my sister and they started to barbershop. So we were there. I ministering there also.
Awesome, man, I know you do good work one day. My beard will be longing enough for you to shape. Great. I'm hopeful. I don't have a beard like you, your beard is very awesome. Has some length, and you're a great advertisement for your barbershop. So I'm excited to know more about your process on the barbershop. An idea came through your sister, you're saying, and you didn't have a background in this kind of work.
You're completely right when I left the US, I left it with the mind actually, uh, we, I had the opportunity to learn with you and a special force. We work working physical training, and we did some things that they were very hard to do. The very phrase that always sad to be born before the trips were be mentally prepared. So I was mentally prepared. And now the other one you're going to remember. That's don't we?
So. Yeah, I know that your last few, because it's very true and it was repeating all the time. So now when I came back, I said, I'm not going to quit. No, I spent four months studying, like I would wake up study. I would sleep study. And for four months I did that and got the SAT. So I started the bees and as I said, I'm against. So I didn't have the back round as you sad when we, we see life with ads, toot, I believe in the 80% of our lives is at two and 20% is skills.
So we, few, we have the attitude, we can change environments. We can start our own business and we just have to go through it. Thinking the problem. I read an article that you wrote that you said I'm not going to remember the whole thing in English, but you are here to help me that thing yet is you can't transcend the obstacle. Looking to them and I, right. Yeah. So that's the thing. So we started the business and I'm going to do it.
I'm going to then work through that's the phrase that they heard Denzel Washington say, and they kept that in my mind. Hard work works, working really hard. It's what successful people do. And that's our
calling good one, just to little context, uh, to folks who wouldn't otherwise know, I was involved in a training program where we were preparing ministry students for missions type of exercises. There was a physical company. There was a spiritual component. There was a teaching component and there was a kind of a readiness mindset that we were trying to impart. And that's where Felipe and I worked together.
I was part of the leadership team and he was at that time a student and he was in the program for a couple of years, ended up being a real leader in and doing some great things. And we were thankful to have him and his contribution. And that program and it was a little while back as the same way to say it. I think we were younger men at that time. Phillip, I think maybe almost 15 years ago when we met. Does that sound right?
Yeah. That is 14 years ago.
We don't want to make it more than it was anyway. The idea that we can't transcend the obstacles, if we're focused on those, we have to focus on a solution or something other than the obstacle, as a part of having a mindset to overcome. We can't get too focused. It's like a saying, I heard one time and maybe you will translate this into Portuguese and, and use it like I'm doing some of your quotes. The guy said, when you're digging for gold, you can't get focused. On dirt.
Wow. That's the way obstacles are. You had already mindset, you were focused, you push through, you did the preparation, you got these testing elements out of the way you decided what business you wanted to be in and you stepped out and you got going, and this was five years.
Yes to all its final years.
Tell us a little bit about your barbershop itself. I know you've shown me around. We'd done some video stuff there. Maybe tomorrow. I'll get there and can take a look and, and spend some time in your barbershop as we're traveling to your city tomorrow. But can you tell me what kind of solutions, what kind of services that you offer?
Uh, I've been thinking about barbershop and the, what do we do there? When I talk to missionaries, they say, I didn't know if it can leave this place. It's the best place for a ministry, because there are shaping beards who are shaving hairs, but the person has to stay with you for 30 minutes. So when you're sharing a life life with their family, your wife, your kids, You're sharing life. It's literally prophesied because it props is about and define comfort build.
So where sharing lives or lives and people would just like stay there and see that they're burning up. They're being comforted with that because they're passing through the same things that you're passing through. So, but the way that you say with the faith that you have, they're encouraged by death. So it's, uh, when I first started, I didn't realize that would be like that. And now.
As we are, again, tolls are with, by the end of the times, we're getting closer to the Lord were opportunities that are coming even more like new believers, asking him about some things. And then we can go deeper there. Of course we don't bother that. Those ones that they are just there because they feel something, oh, the holy Spirit's gonna going there, but we're ministering those ones that they're available. That. Like good place to minister.
I could advise every missionary to do to open business like that.
I think you're one of God's secret weapons in the barbershop. Maybe he's using you to do things there that. What wouldn't expect or maybe other people wouldn't expect it is often said. I think that, especially in the beauty side of things in the beauty shop, that the ladies are therapist for the ladies who are coming to get their hair down. Of course they're spinning. Sometimes two or three hours there at a time.
So of course they need to get into a lot of conversations and those kinds of things, but you're saying you're seeing something similar with the guys there at the barbershop. It's a ministry opportunity. And as you're led by the holy spirit, You're in a position to encourage strengthen, build up and all the things that the Bible says that prophetic things are about. Is that what your. That's what I'm saying.
That's encouraging and being sensitive there, I think is important when we approach our work to have a sensitivity to the Lord's leading so that we don't miss an opportunity. We need to make good on those opportunities because we're has someone's life there in front of us, that person that God loves. So very encouraging to do that. Tell me about a time in your business. When faith was key, maybe you were facing some kind of obstacle. Maybe you're facing some kind of trouble or difficulty.
And the Lord led you out of that. Does something come to mind?
Just came right after you asked that? The one thing is like, uh, when we started, I didn't have much money, but I started by faith. We know as believers, we want to give offerings and, and, uh, help other people. And we do it by faith.
Yeah.
So is everything by faith. So in next month, like w we don't know if the customers are gonna come. But they just come. So I think that faith is taking a step forward. Like our father Abraham. He didn't know what support they land that his going. If there's a, there was food, river, whatever for drinking and having food. It's the same in business, you don't know what's going to happen.
It is really working our job, but people are liking your product, but the thing come, you've got to believe that's that's all about.
Yeah. And I think what you're saying there is believe. Is taking a step out. Yeah. That is, that's an evidence of faith is the step that burst one into the unknown. If you will. I like the way you're explaining that Abraham didn't know where he was going. He didn't have a sense of certainty about the land or the environment that he would be in. He only knew the one who was calling him. So. That's the part, I think we want to focus on a lot of times in business.
I think we want to be so prepared that we will be in a position, not to be surprised by, uh, circumstances or conditions or situations, but it's impossible not to be surprised when you're starting, because you're just beginning and everything is. Are the people coming back. Are they going to like what I'm doing for them? All those kinds of things. I think we just have to step out and take courage leadership. Obviously this is a leadership podcast is about taking action. It's about stepping out.
It's about, even though sometimes it's very uncomfortable. Sometimes we're going to have to be the first ones to move the first one to act. And the first one. Feel the resistance from the environment that we're acting on for the first time. Very important stuff, right there. Very important stuff. What are you hoping for in terms of these next years? How it could develop?
I know you mentioned earlier, That you were training someone to also be involved in the business, help out also take care of the customers. Do you think that your business is an opportunity to prepare other people for similar things? Can you tell us a little bit about your approach? Not just to your customers from a business and kind of a ministry standpoint, but can you tell us about. Your workers are the ones you're working with and the ones you're preparing.
What can you say about that Filipe?
Thanks for asking that. That's a great question. Actually. I have a boy there he's 15 years old. He was my customer about three years, maybe. And, uh, he asked me to teach him and I said, just come. So I started teaching hand and he starting getting better and better. And then he told me, I want you to go to us. My sister wants to go there. I heard dandy leaves there and us, and they said, It's no problem. I'm going to teach you anyways, because we've got a so in people's lives is not the mouth.
Once he's going to give him a back. If he's going to stay there, it's my wasting time. Some people think on about money if they are wasting time teaching somebody, but to where sowing lives and when we are sewing, we're sharing life. And this guy he's 15 years old, but, uh, tomorrow he's going to be in the conference that you're going to preach Scott. So he wants to go there. Why does he want to go there?
Because he has been here and in my testimony, the way that they take life easy and with the Lord, he knows everything. He's 15 years old. My dad talk about my wife about things, deep things, you know, it's, it's a challenge to leave, to pay your bills, to do things. So I thought joking. And one thing that's very interesting about whose working with you that our customers are going to be happy. Should the measurement of how your employees happy.
If the person who is working with you is not happy, your customers are not going to be happy. So it told this guy you're going to leave. But then I'm going to teach you English first. So I started teaching English to this guy, so he's not gonna forget me. Like I didn't charge a painting actually. He's making money because in the barber shop here in Dubuque, the centers, hair saloon, the per cent of their work.
So I believe that he's not gonna forget though, at this time that he can, the Bertrand it's truly. Uh, so young, so it's a great place for ministry. It's awesome.
Absolutely. Was a great quote that you said there. I don't know where you got it or maybe the Lord gave it to you directly, but the idea of, to the degree that your people that are working with you are happy. That's the degree that they're able to make your customers happy and enjoy the experience. That's powerful and. Important. I think as business people, we recognize that we have relationships all around us, right? And these relationships are entrusted to us.
It's relationships with our vendors, it's relationships with our customers and relationships with our coworkers. And our employees. That is something I think it's important to emphasize is that we have to have a sense of the importance and the value of all of those relationships and do everything we can to show each of them, respect and dignity, and to. Approach them in a way that is edifying and encouraging to those.
Each one very well said, failure in closing here, as we're finishing up, is there something that you want to emphasize or mention that I didn't ask you or something that comes to mind? Uh, final thought that you want to share.
I know I'll have no thing. I'm sorry for that.
Don't worry, Matt. Don't worry.
We couldn't repeat the same thing,
Len. No, it's okay. Someone can start the podcast over and get it again if they want to, without us having to, uh, do that, but thank you very much for being willing to join me here on the podcast. I know from time to time you had. Been listening and enjoying the content there with the interviews and other people. So thank you. It's very much a blessing to me to have you as a participant in the podcast and also someone who listens. So you're participating on both sides of the microphone.
So that to me is a real blessing and I appreciate your friendship and I thank you for. Really being my host here in Brazil, along with , who was on the previous podcast. So thanks so much for your friendship, bro. If someone wanted to find out more about you about the barbershop or about who is this Felipe CMOs, how could they find that information?
Uh, about me? They can find the, in the, my page, Instagram, uh, FilipeOSimoes it's Philippe. Oh, Simoes. My job is O Mestre BarberShop. They're going to spell O M E S T R E BarberShop, like in English.
Okay. Okay, cool. I see you put that in English, which was pretty cool. The way you did those words. And we'll also put the links on the show notes and information. So folks can find you pretty easily. And I really appreciate you being here, bro. It's really a blessing to have you on and thank you for what you're doing with your customers. Thank you for what you're doing with the young man you're preparing. And it's a blessing. Your approach to business is very encouraging.
Thank you for sharing that with us. Thanks for invitation. Yes, sir. And I am Scott McClellan and this is. The FX missions, leadership moment. If you need to contact me or us, please do [email protected]. Big, thanks. Going out to Felipe for his friendship and also for his transparency and sharing his story. If you've made it this far, I'd really appreciate it. If you'd take just 30 seconds and share this episode with a friend or two.
Now, if you've ever had thoughts about making an eternal impact, you won't want to miss the next episode, you'll hear from Pierce, from the eternal entrepreneur about the pursuit of excellence, the importance of adding value. How critical our thoughts are and so much more that's coming up next time. We really appreciate you being a part of the leaders moment. If you will visit leadersmoment.org/follow to have this podcast and future podcasts delivered to your favorite podcast app.
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