Heart and Hustle: Connecting and Growing The Best We Can

Big thought: Many people allow their years to somewhat fold over on each other as they are in a constant state of playing catch up. Without having a clear process of building their plans and goals, they feel overwhelmed at the thought of planning for the year because they struggle with simply planning their week. But if you want something to change in your organization, it requires you to make a p...

Big thought: Every year people typically like the idea of having a type of reset in their lives through a New Year’s resolution. One thing that I like to do is have an end of the year reflection to look back and critically think about what lessons I have learned. Each year, I feel like I am able to grow as an individual and leader as I consider these different kinds of life experiences, and I am a...

Big thought: One of the hardest parts about becoming a leader is the weight of responsibility that comes with it. It can feel overwhelming to feel like different initiatives or even sometimes the entire organization is relying on you. It can feel either frustrating or discouraging when you run into problems or failed goals with all of that pressure coming down on you and your ego/identity. Learnin...

Big thought: One of the biggest mistakes that ministers and leaders make is making their desired audience too broad. If you try to reach everyone, you’ll often reach no one. But if you try to reach someone, you’ll feel like you’re reaching everyone. This all boils down into finding out what your niche of expertise is in. In today’s episode, we’re going to talk about how to find your niche when it...

Big thought: The longer that you are a leader, the greater demand of your attention grows. It can feel overwhelming as you begin to have too much on your plate, and with feeling exasperated comes feeling confused on what you should be doing first. On top of that, the minute that you finish one thing, it seems like three more things arise asking for your focus again. In today’s episode, we’re going...

Big thought: Most leaders start out with a simple aspiration to make a difference by stepping up in some way shape or form. As simple as it starts, there are so many complex situations and ideas that we run into along the way. At the same time, there are different levels of leadership and different things that you should practice depending on how far into it you are. What you do at the beginning o...

Big thought: It’s easier now than ever to project a message for others to hear because of online platforms. You don’t need anyone’s permission to start a live video or launch a podcast. Any person who is convincing enough can create an online following that goes to them for guidance, lessons or advice. The only problem is that if your only experience is online experience, you will run out of relat...

Big thought: A person’s own personal transformational experience with Jesus Christ can be one of the most powerful tools one can use in bringing others to Christ. But the problem is that many people struggle to go through their story in an effective and easy to follow way. Learning how to sharpen your testimony can dramatically alter how you’re able to use it. In today’s episode, we’re going to ta...

42. Make Your Message More Approachable Big thought: So many times, we have a great life giving message that can truly help impact a person’s life and soul, we’re left deflated and confused when people reject that message on the spot. While saying things like, “they just can’t handle the truth” lets us off the hook, being better at how we say certain things can make our messages more effective and...

In today’s episode, we have a conversation with Pastor Mario Nava. Mario is married to his beautiful bride, Irma, and the father to Rebekah and Andrew. He leads and pastors the church Living Faith in San Antonio, Texas. His church is outreach minded and holds true to the idea to “BE THE CHURCH." His messages are inspiring and uplifting as he challenges people in thought provoking ways. He tea...

Big thought: It’s common to read even passages of scripture that are powerful yet feel like your audience isn’t connecting to it. Oftentimes it’s not as much as what we are talking about as it is how we are talking about it. As leaders and communicators, we have to learn how to better develop our storytelling abilities so that we can help people to visualize what the passage is saying. In today’s...

Big thought: Many leaders carry vague ideas of different recordable metrics in their heads, and many times their ideas of these numbers give a false perception of what success looks like. A leader can be making a valuable impact in people’s lives while thinking that they aren’t making a difference at the same time. Someone can go through a slow down period and think that all of their efforts were...

In this episode, we're joined by Abe McIntyre, a remarkable individual who, after overcoming addiction, became a leader in the field of recovery at the San Antonio Recovery Center. Abe's personal journey as a recovering addict has uniquely positioned him to provide leadership and inspiration to others on the path to recovery. Discover how Abe leverages his lived experience to lead and guid...

Big thought: Connecting with people is often easier said than done, and many people psych themselves out of it before they even get the chance to try. Building rapport is one of the most coveted skills in almost any business or organization. It seems to be the essence of being a people’s person, but it is actually so much more than that. It is building trust for the brand in which you represent. I...

Big thought: Deciding whether you want to stay or leave a workplace is one of the most difficult and confusing decisions you can make. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and lost as to what to do as you go back and forth between what you think are the pros and cons. And it’s even more confusing when you’re wondering if you’re supposed to stay or go according to God’s will. You ask yourself over and ove...

Big thought: A leader’s organizational skills are pivotal within an organization or ministry because everyone else that you’re leading is dependent on your level of clarity and sophistication in handling business. When you finish something last minute, someone else is now more stressed over their role because you didn’t organize enough time. Your level of organization affects your volunteers, staf...

Big thought: Procrastination is one of the most damaging traits to have because not only does it typically stain your presentation, but it builds up anxiety for a special moment that you should actually be excited about. Instead of being able to appreciate the privilege of responsibility, you feel like an imposter who isn’t ready for the task.  Today we are going to talk about how to find your men...

Big thought: One of the biggest mistakes that I made early on in ministry was neglecting the potential of meaningful relationships and networks of people that I was a part of. At the time, I had a mixture of trauma led isolation and pride that made me believe that I didn’t necessarily need other people in my life to do what God had called me to do.  While that can be true to some extent, the reali...

In this episode, we talk with Harry Benard about how he found his unique niche of ministry after he combined student ministry and his barbershop. For the past 14 years, Harry's journey began with cutting hair, evolving into a seasoned barber with 2 years of professional expertise. Beyond being the proprietor of Lifestyle Haircare, he proudly spearheads Madison East High School's inaugural...

Big thought: Many times in early leadership, we want to break the status quo by shaking things up. We feel ambitious and determined as we are set on making a difference. But, it’s easy for that passion to fizzle out once nothing necessarily seems to change and the people around us are more irritated by us than grateful for us.  Today, we are going to talk about the power of consistency and how it...

In this episode, I share an audio excerpt from a talk that I gave at a secular recovery event. Not only do I share my own story of recovery, but I share the Gospel through my story even though I wasn't technically allowed to preach the Gospel. Take away: 1. Think creatively about how to present the Gospel in ways that fit into limiting spaces that typically don't allow it. 2. Be open minde...

Big thought: Meetings within organizations can feel like life or death! While it sounds overly simple at first, learning how to hold and lead a productive meeting is crucial to your leadership.  When done effectively, it can help build clarity, community and collaboration. When done dis-orderly, it can drain vitality, discourage morale, and distort the vision of the team. In this episode, we’re go...

Big thought:  Ministry can quickly take a toll on your marriage if you’re not careful. Many marriages experience difficult times, regardless of you doing ministry or not. But, there are certain aspects of ministry that have the potential to create specific problems within a marriage. Many great marriages have been damaged and even broken because of the unexpected toll that ministry brought into it...

Big thought:   One thing that comes with the role of being a leader is being heavily criticized. You become the focal point of the organization with a fish bowl effect, and some people will feel no hesitation in voicing their disagreements on how you handle certain things. While many aspiring leaders expect some criticism from the role, I think that many are surprised by who ends up getting upset,...

Big thought:  An important aspect of leadership is recognizing how others perceive you. You should actually care about how others see you (to some extent) because, to some degree, it reflects your leadership. Today, we are going to talk about how to build part of your personality and rapport as a leader. We are going to talk about how to balance being authentic while still being gracious, we are g...