Fortune and Faith

In 2016, a devastating wildfire sweeps through Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada, forcing nearly 100,000 people to evacuate. Over one million acres are scorched, and more than 3,000 structures lost. Remarkably, Ripley Construction’s buildings and equipment remain unharmed, but the business still grapples with the aftermath more than eight years after due to its strong ties to the community. Amidst th...

As one of the creators of Etherfuse, a financial technology company, David Taylor and his brother AJ are on a mission to reduce global barriers to entry into financial markets by tokenizing investments through stable bonds. But growing up a young boy, David’s life is anything but stable. Moving around about every two years from city to city and state to state doesn’t allow him to build a solid fri...

Known for its quality workmanship and superior customer service, South Coast Incorporated is a leader in Design/Build projects in Southern California, offering a seamless transition from project inception to completion. However, Ray Miller, owner and founder, is faced with an unfixable situation—a brain bleed affecting his wife—and there's nothing he can do to help. But before the brain bleed,...

Discovering the right ‘one’ applies to both relationship and career and Brittany Skipper, owner of Royal Entertainers, exemplifies this truth. As a single mom with three children, Brittany seeks her Mr. Right even appearing on VH1’s show, ‘Making Mr. Right’ which gives her perspective, but not her eternal companion. However, her quest extends beyond personal relationships. Driven by the need to su...

Always one to march to the beat of his own drum, Clay Johnsen, owner of Pacific Coast Podiatry, embodies fearlessness and ambition. With unwavering determination, he sets lofty goals for his career and strives to achieve them. Yet, fate often intervenes, leading him down unexpected paths. As Clay meticulously arranges the pieces of his professional puzzle, the Lord often seems to have a different...

Not getting the career fulfillment he’s searching for as one of 12,000 employees at Raytheon Missile Systems, Troy Tegeder leaves his 9-5 job for a life of entrepreneurship. First as an independent app developer, and eventually to physical product development, Troy is the founder and owner of Lake Surf LLC. His company creates balance board trainers for wake surfing, inflatables for boating, and c...

Currently serving as the President of the California San Bernardino Mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Marcus Pinnock leaves the business he founded to serve the Lord full time for 3 years. His business, Sterling Financial Group is based in Utah and currently manages over a billion dollars in assets. But with great faith, trusted partners, and the opportunity to lead clos...

When Scott Shumway embarks on his college journey, he grapples with uncertainty about the path he should pursue. And after a few years in school, he actually leaves without earning his degree, but his career arc becomes clear as Scott seizes upon every opportunity that comes his way. During his tenure with his first employer, Scott rapidly attains expertise in the theory of constraints, which prop...

At the tender age of five, Cortland Brady’s world is forever altered when his father becomes paralyzed in an ATV accident. This pivotal moment triggers a series of reactions that reverberate through Cortland’s life and family dynamics. From navigating the complexities of his parents’ relationship to grappling with teenage embarrassment over his father’s condition, Cortland faces adversity head-on,...

Mauli Bonner, a Grammy-winning music director, award-winning filmmaker, and accomplished public speaker, boasts numerous accolades. However, his journey to success isn’t glamorous; it begins with Mauli sleeping on the streets of Los Angeles as he seeks to navigate his path, and more importantly become attuned to how the Lord communicates with him.

With the 2008 recession personally impacting his sense of stability, Spencer Jan's fear morphed into a potent fuel. Driven by the icy fingers of uncertainty, he and his brother Jeff plunge into the entrepreneurial forge. Together the brothers hammer out numerous concepts, discarding each lukewarm creation until one - Solo Stove, born in the humble glow of their garage in 2010 - roared to life. A d...

Clint Brown, owner and partner of Trusted Business Advisors Team, learns the true meaning of investment after a series of tragedies in 2021. His brother’s and his brother-in-law's sudden passings force him to refocus on life's most precious treasures - family and connection. This episode peels back the curtain on Clint's journey: from a tight-knit military family to navigating loss and prioritizin...

Coral Ward Barajas is a fighter. When life throws unexpected curves, she doesn't just navigate them, she builds bridges for others facing similar obstacles. From divorced parents to dietary hurdles, failed ventures to shattered marital dreams, Coral finds purpose in her trials, transforming them into lifelines for those battling their own storms. She’s an intentional entrepreneur, life coach, auth...

For Andi Asay, owner of Z1 Consultants, the climb to entrepreneurial success is nothing compared to the mountains she scales off the court. A former Division 1 and pro volleyball player, Andi builds a Zoho software consultancy that increases business revenue 20x in three years, all fueled by the same tenacity and grit that once sent her skyward on the volleyball court. But life's most challenging...

“How do you measure success in your life?” This is the question I ask every one of my guests as we close out our conversation. In today’s bonus content, we hear from Elder Hartman Rector Junior and his 1973 General Conference talk entitled Success: A Journey or A Destination. I hope you enjoy. Merry Christmas!

With a goal of opening up a school in the Czech Republic, keeping an eye on the prize is paramount for Patrick Sedivy, founder of Cumorah Academy. After Patrick and his wife Allyse both feel the need to start a school in the country where they serve full time missions, the journey to get there is one full of failure and heartache, but also of grit and determination. But never letting an obstacle g...

Making a name for himself as a banking leader who turns around failing institutions , Richard DeVries, his wife Dyana, and their six children leave the upward trajectory of his career to serve as Mission President of the California Oakland Mission from 2000-2003. Not knowing how this will work financially for his young family, the DeVries press forward with faith, and do hard things. But previous...

With over a million followers on Instagram, Karalynne Call, Founder and CEO of Just Ingredients, is a growing force in the natural and organic segment of consumer products. From protein powders to deodorants and much more, Just Ingredients continues to grow their line based on gaps in the market place. If Karalynne can’t find something she wants to use, she finds a way to make it. But her company...

In this open discussion on men’s health, professional artist Jeff Hein shares how a diagnosis of testicular cancer while on his two year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints almost takes him to the brink of death. But it's not the cancer that almost kills him, it's the erroneous diagnosis of some of Jeff's medical providers. Now mostly recovered, Jeff discovers as long as he...

Wanting to be a mother of at least four children, Keri Lister Pratt quickly finds out our righteous desires aren't always what we get. Due to an auto immune disorder diagnosed during high school, Keri and her husband are able to have two children, but the risks are too high for any more. Grateful for the blessings she has, Keri begins a path of entrepreneurship despite her continual health challen...

When the big shoe brands won’t create the running shoe Golden Harper knows needs to exist, he blazes his own trail and founds Altra Running Shoes, a shoe brand that now does hundreds of millions in sales each year. And while he is no longer involved with the company he started, he is off to the races on another project in the running world - P.R. Gear which continues his goal of helping humans mov...

Abandoned and left at the hospital by his biological mother as a newborn, life is no cake walk for Dusty Headley. Statistically, his life has a higher probability for uncertainty and trial. Today Dusty owns and operates the Animal Medical Center in San Jacinto, California . However, it’s a turbulent ride full of twists and turns as he leans heavily into his family and his faith to make something m...

With 18 years of military service under his belt, Logan Curtis decides to exit the Army leaving behind his golden parachute in the form of a federal pension. When it comes to service years in the military, the magic number is 20. Members with 20 years of service are eligible for retirement pay, and for the average retiring officer the amount could be valued at well over a million dollars. With the...

Projected to be the Number 1 draft pick in the National Football League, Dan Clark suffers a paralyzing injury in practice, dashing any hope of him playing professional sports.  Yet when doctors tell him he has a very small chance of recovery, Dan sets out to prove all the doubters wrong.  With persistence, fortitude, and a strong mental attitude, Dan makes a miraculous recovery and even though he...

Utah is known for consuming Jello.  Idaho is famous for its potatoes.  But what you may not know is that these two states also boast quite a diverse food scene due to it being a popular landing spot for many returned missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  These young men and women, who serve all over the world, bring back with them a love of the people, the culture, and...