Fortune and Faith

In 1994, the United States Congress designates June as Men’s Mental Health Awareness month.  Now, almost 30 years later progress is made, but there is still a lot of work to do as societal stigmas regarding masculinity remain.  Narratives such as men don’t show weakness, don’t talk about their feelings, and don’t ask for help.  Unfortunately, this rhetoric is doing more harm than good, and the pro...

In October 2015, then Elder Russell M. Nelson, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles gives a talk entitled, "A Plea To My Sisters", in the Sunday morning session of General Conference.  And when Michelle Gifford hears his words from her home in Southern California, the spirit of inspiration touches her heart and she knows she must act.  Today Michelle is the CEO and Marketing State...

When told he owes the IRS $7.5 million in taxes, Ernie Hewlett is terrified. But not for himself, instead his concern is for those around him he’s responsible for. Over the course of his career Ernie co-founds multiple financial agencies, becoming one of the top producers in the industry. Now having lost a lot of his material wealth as he fights through an 11 year tax audit, he knows where his rea...

When Vanessa Quigley, co-founder of Chatbooks, finds her young son crying in his room she fully expects to find him physically hurt. What she actually finds is him holding a picture book his teacher gave him, and he is sad that he is growing up. And in this moment, Vanessa recognizes the value and importance of printed pictures, even in a digital age, and the idea for Chatbooks is born. But even f...

It's said that experience is one of the greatest teachers. And for Daniel Harmon, co-founder of the Harmon Brothers and VidAngel, a negative experience helps blaze the path for his current venture - The Tuttle Twins TV Show! In 2016 Disney sues VidAngel for copyright infringement due to its filtering technology, which allows viewers to skip, mute, or remove unwanted content from movies and TV show...

Having to sell their family dream home to get enough capitalization to keep his retail sports store equipment businesses afloat, Tom Viniika feels the hand of the Lord in his life guiding him through all the detours he traverses, and the obstacles he overcomes.  Tom is currently the CEO of The Edmonton Screen Industries Office in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.  But before landing this role in 2021, To...

Looking for a way to finance dental school without taking out hundreds of thousands of dollars in student loans, Mark Jennings decides to follow the foot steps of a friend and open a Little Caesars franchise to help pay for tuition. However when the store immediately succeeds, Mark embarks on a pizza journey opening up three more stores and seeing the hand of the Lord in his life after losing his...

Like many teenagers, Jeff Albee thinks he knows it all in his youth.  Growing up as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Jeff feels trapped by the rules of his parents.  Not wanting to continue education beyond high school, and not wanting to go to church with his family, Jeff chooses to move out and start making choices on his own.  But with choices, comes responsibility a...

Steve Jobs, founder of Apple Inc once said, if you look closely, most overnight successes took a long time.  And for Kyle Deever, co-founder and co-owner of Performance Window, his business may seem like an instant hit, growing their sales revenues to almost $50 million in less than three years, but what you don’t see are the years preceding the start of his company. And the lessons Kyle learns al...

Joining the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints during her senior year at Utah State University, Jill Johnsen stays true to her new faith even in the midst of trial and broken trust.  As a newlywed she transitions her life from the State of Washington to North Dakota only to find out her husband is not faithful to their marriage.  But with the foundations of her faith firmly rooted in the...

Using $1500 he is saving to serve a full-time mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Brady Westbrook launches a mobile DJ business at the age of 16.  The lessons he learns as a young DJ, along with having to cope with the death of a high school girlfriend, Brady carries on following through in serving an LDS mission in Guatemala where he witnesses the power of audio and...

Knowing formal education in a university setting is not for him, Brian Harber and his younger brother use their work ethic and a lot of patience to build a multi-million dollar construction company aptly named Harber Companies over the course of 20 plus years.  Now retired and having exited from the business he founded, Brian recounts the struggles they endured, the ways they had to adapt in a con...

With musical talent running through their veins, the Bonner Family makes a name for themselves singing songs centered on Jesus Christ.  Their path to praise isn’t easy as Yahosh, the fifth child of eight describes.  But staying together and supporting one another as an African American family in a gospel culture different than their previous faiths, the family presses forward.  By keeping their li...

With two doctor incomes coming into the home, things feel financially secure for Leslie Temple and her husband Brigham. Yet the opportunity to open up their own juice bar is something Leslie dreams of tackling. However, their entrepreneurial adventure takes the family on a financial roller coaster and a constant second guessing of why, only to have everything come into perspective with a 4th of Ju...

Less than 2% of all college athletes in any sport actually go on to play professionally, and even less make it to the major leagues. Yet these odds don’t stop Tyler Hollist from setting his sights on making it to the National Basketball Association from a very early age. But when the opportunity doesn’t pan out as he dreams, Tyler quickly uses his ability to overcome failure and teach this skill t...

Always one to seek an adventure, Sean Bingham yearns to experience it all. From closing deals on the hit TV show Shark Tank, to visiting over 50 countries while creating a customizable travel itinerary app called Tripio— Sean has no fear of failure. In fact he embraces it as an opportunity to learn, adapt, and adjust. But now In his early 40’s and still unmarried, the pressure mounts to stay faith...

Despite being near the top of his accounting class in college, Mike Baker struggles to find a job after graduation due to fallout from the Enron scandal.  However, a chance meeting with a door to door salesman starts Mike on  a new career path in law.   And with many twists and turns along the way which includes opening his own Tax Law firm, Mike is now facing his biggest challenge to date - his o...

Not being able to find a swimsuit that both mother and daughter feel comfortable about is a real obstacle for Colette Callister and her daughter Jasmine.  But without hesitation, and with only a little experience in business and manufacturing, Colette and her sisters dive head first into solving this  problem by launching Lime Ricki, a line of modest swim wear made especially for women and girls. ...

Growing up without a father in the home and a teenage mother that isn't always present, Anthony Shute has a rough upbringing.  But living through the consequences of his own actions which include multiple nights in jail, Anthony and his wife Jeannie find the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the most unexpected way.  Their new found faith provides an anchor for them to navigate the storms of lif...

As a growing star in the financial world in New York City, Curtis Calder feels his future is secure.  But a diagnosis of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy quickly dims his path in finance, changing the trajectory of his career.  Unwilling to let this diagnosis stop his ambitions, Curtis continues to step forward with faith.  And what starts as a hobby built out of a doctor's or...

When Chris Lee borrows over $1.2 million from his family to finance his first business, he never imagines having to file bankruptcy almost two years later.  But living through his worst business nightmare isn't nearly as bad as he always imagines it would be.  Armed with his faith and patience, and in using the lessons he learns along the way, he perseveres through his failure and builds...

Success is always measured differently, but no matter how it's gauged, there is always something to learn.  Come hear how individuals from all over the world got to where they are now, what failures they had to overcome, and how their faith kept them afloat.  The first episode of Fortune and Faith is coming on August 8th, 2022! Connect with us on instagram! @fortuneandfaithpodcast Please subs...

Coming summer of 2022, Fortune & Faith tells the story of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who have failed and struggled on their quest for success.  Hear how their trials were supported by their faith, and why they keep pushing forward despite the hard times. Connect with us on instagram! @fortuneandfaithpodcast Please subscribe! Leave a Review! Website coming soon!...