Faith Driven Entrepreneur

The middle of February is often filled with commercialized images of love. Flowers, chocolates, those little chalky tasting heart candies with sweet messages.  It all revolves around Valentine’s Day.  And in between booking restaurant reservations or talking about how you reject the hallmark holiday, we might stop to ask ourselves, what do we really love? Most of us know the right answers here: fa...

Can we just be honest with ourselves and admit that, for most of us, our prayer lives stink?  We all know we’re supposed to pray.  We’ve read where Paul tells us to pray without ceasing. Maybe we’ve even tried instilling new habits, only to have them fall apart shortly after we test them out.   It might even feel defeating at this point–as if prayer is just another task we can’t work into our chao...

In this conversation, Jordan Raynor challenges the belief that the only way our work matters for eternity is if we use it to share the gospel, arguing that our work has intrinsic value to God.  He’ll build upon half truths to make them whole by tracing the story back to what he calls “the first commission:” the command to be ambassadors for God on this earth, creating culture in ways that honor an...

As Christians, we can easily get wrapped up in this belief that the church is on the losing side of history.  We feel the shifting winds of culture blow away from us.  We hear story after story of major church leaders either leaving the faith or succumbing to some sort of moral failure.  It makes sense to ask ourselves: where are our wins? Where does the Church have victory in times like this? In...

Entrepreneurs are on the cusp of a mental health crisis.  Anxiety. Depression. Loneliness.  These are just as familiar as innovation, grit, and leadership. We feel the stress that comes from building something new. We carry the burden of our teams, knowing they and their families have trusted us and the vision we’ve been given. Entrepreneurship can be heavy, but there are ways we can lighten the l...

The New Year brings new opportunities to examine our goals, to get focused both personally and professionally. So how do we do this well? How do we establish goals that actually get done? How do we make sure those goals align with our faith? And most importantly, how do we stop ourselves when we start putting our value in the things we achieve? In this special edition of the Faith Driven Entrepren...

Entrepreneurs build things. We create. Innovate.  We follow in God’s footsteps by forming new things. But, how often do we think about our own formation? How our habits and our work are shaping us into becoming certain kinds of people? This week on the show, Rusty talks with Jeff Haanen , the founder and former executive director of the Denver Institute of Faith and Work and the author of the rece...

Entrepreneurs often navigate unique challenges while holding onto their faith values, but what about those who work in unconventional spaces, like tattoo studios? In this episode, Henry and William are joined by Sara and Rodney Carrera , the duo behind Anomaly Lifestyle Art and Tattoo in Plano, Texas. Sara handles most of the business while Rodney is They open up about the challenges and victories...

Entrepreneurs are often thinking about how to build the best team. But how often do we think about the teams under our own households? In this episode, we’re joined by Jeremy Pryor , an experienced entrepreneur who has recently co-founded the organization “Family Teams” We get into practical ways we can care for our spouses and our kids. We’ll also unpack what he calls the failed experiment of Wes...

 Who protects the people who are meant to protect us?   First responders daily risk their lives for the sake of others and the people who put on those uniforms need others who will help keep them safe as they go about their  jobs. That's why Josh Richardson started Angel Armor with his brother JC. The two discovered something that many of us just don't think about. Like any product in the modern w...

In-N-Out Burger is one of the few local burger restaurants that has transcended into a cultural icon. What started as one of the first drive-thru restaurants ever in 1948, has grown into one of the most recognizable brands in the country with nearly 40,000 employees in millions of happy customers.   The restaurant was founded by Esther and Harry Snyder, a husband and wife team with a passion for e...

In this special episode of the podcast, we’re flipping the mic over to our co-host: Rusty Rueff as we interview him and his pastor, Terry Brisbane .  The two have been close friends for years and offer unique insight into what it looks like for entrepreneurs to partner with their churches. They’ve also recently co-authored a book called “The Faith Code: A Future-Proof Framework for a Life of Meani...

Entrepreneurs are deeply rooted in data and research. And one of the best Christian sources for what’s going on in the world is the Barna Group. On today’s podcast, we’re talking with Barna’s President David Kinnaman about what it means for us to understand the times.

What does it look like to lead in the midst of chaos, brokenness, and division? The recent events in Israel and Gaza have made the brokenness of the world even more acute and visible.   There are a lot of thoughtful places where you might go to find perspective on politics, faith or even breaking news, but we wanted to bring something different to the table. We’ve brought on two Faith Driven Entre...

How does childhood shape the entrepreneurial journey? For Ryan Walker , the two are deeply connected.  The Third-generation President of Walker Mowers grew up around the family business. But more importantly, he grew up in a family that honored and glorified God in all they did.  He joins the podcast to talk about how his upbringing shaped his view of entrepreneurship, fatherhood, and faithfulness...

Most entrepreneurs dream of a successful exit. For many of us, it’s the reward for a job well done.  But is there a way that Faith Driven Entrepreneurs should think differently about exits than our secular counterparts? How do we exit well? Are there ever times where God calls us not to exit and to continue our work instead? In this episode, we wrestle through these questions and more with 1 Flour...

One of the core marks of Faith Driven Entrepreneurs is to be active in the local church. But many entrepreneurs struggle to know what that could look like. Unfortunately, the gap between businesses and churches have often felt insurmountable.  But something powerful can happen when these worlds come together. Matt Parfitt has started and is scaling multiple businesses in the UK in partnership with...

We had over 5,000 entrepreneurs gather in more than 300 cities around the world for Faith Driven Entrepreneur Live.  It was an incredible event filled with talks and stories that helped us understand what it means to surrender our businesses over to God.    One impactful talk came from David Platt , and it was just too good not to share with others. So sit back, take it in, and send it to another...

Faith Driven Entrepreneurs understand that their businesses are gifts from God. Even if they carry the title “Founder,” they accept that God is the ultimate owner.  In this compilation episode, we feature segments from Daivd Platt , Pete Ochs , Alan Barnhart, and Angel and Dan Rutledge talking about what it means to act as stewards, not owners of our businesses. We’ll also be diving further into t...

Ever wonder where you should start when it comes to bringing your faith to work? Today’s podcast guest, Tom Ferguson wrestled with this question when he took over as CEO of a billion dollar public company.  So he started small and worked his way up.  Now, he offers a wide array of programs including chaplaincy, care teams, and bible studies.  Hear him give a systematic outline that will help every...

If you've been listening to the show or following the ministry for any amount of time, you've probably heard us say that entrepreneurs have a God-given call to create. It's actually one of what we call the 12 marks of a Faith Driven Entrepreneur.  And in this episode, we're diving deep into our catalog to unpack this mark with leaders like Lecrae, Michael Hyatt, Curt Thompson, Makoto Fujimura, Pau...

Entrepreneurs are all too familiar with disappointment.  We battle negativity on a daily basis. We face criticism and fight comparison. And yet, you probably desire to inspire your employees, your stakeholders, and clients with the vision you have for your endeavor. How can you stay positive and enthusiastic in the midst of loss and rejection?  Today’s guest, Jon Gordon is known as the ‘king of po...

How much do you know about where you come from?  There’s lots of talk about legacies and family stories we leave behind, but what about those that we’ve inherited? Today on the show, we mix together a conversation about family histories, practical leadership skills, and the early days of Silicon Valley with Deb Liu . Deb is the CEO of Ancestry.com, and she’s spent the last two decades as an execut...

Innovation and ideas are at the core of entrepreneurship, right? A lot of it comes naturally to us, but what would happen if we treated these things like habits to be practiced? Today’s guest, Jeremy Utley , likes to say that innovation is a practice, not an event. Jeremy is the co-author of Ideaflow: The Only Business Metric that Matters, a General Partner at Freespin Capital, and an Adjunct Prof...

How can Christians thoughtfully approach the topic of artificial intelligence? How should we use it? What are the ethical considerations? Is it good or dangerous? These are relevant questions for Faith Driven Entrepreneurs as AI continues to be a topic for conversation in both the business world and the broader culture.  That’s why we’re excited to feature James Cham on the podcast.  James is an e...