The Finish Line Podcast

John Hanger, founder of BiblioNexus, is a serial entrepreneur and a passionate giver who found himself deeply called into Bible translation. After supporting the movement for several years, John felt the need to get his hands dirty with what he knows best—launching a tech start-up. BiblioNexus is a nonprofit tech company with the culture of a Silicon Valley start-up that is making waves in the Bib...

Jesse and Krista Casler have a deep understanding of the currency exchange between earthly dollars and treasure in Heaven. Jesse is the Chief Operating Officer of Hope International, having served Hope over the last 20 years. Together, Jesse and Krista have allowed generosity to touch nearly every part of their lives. Their stories touch on many aspects of the generous life, from financial account...

Kate Williams-Whitley is the cofounder and Chief Impact Officer of EIG Insights. Early in her career, several pivotal experiences led Kate to realize the need for data in the nonprofit space to help leaders steward their decisions and finances well. Now through EIG Insights, Kate provides customized consulting services for nonprofits, helping them to identify their core theory of change and ensure...

Mike Kocolowski’s early years were formed by scarcity as part of a large family with little income. But a call to ministry in his twenties led him to take radical steps on a faith journey to trusting God with his finances and tackling many of the most common barriers to generosity. As the Chief Stewardship Officer of Christian Financial Resources, Mike has been working with churches for decades to...

Karla Merrell was the first in her family to immigrate to the US from Panama to pursue the American dream. After years of success in the corporate world, Karla still struggled with the scarcity mindset that was passed down in her family’s culture. But during the beginning of COVID, Karla faced a sequence of events that led her to step deeply into both faith and generosity. One memorable act of gen...

Mary Helen Klingen began her career in accounting but transitioned to financial advising after a few years in the corporate world. Currently with Blue Trust, she regularly supports clients in embracing deeper generosity. As a single woman in a male-dominated field, Mary Helen has grappled with her singleness in relation to her faith, career, and purpose. This journey has inspired her to encourage...

Jeff Waldron, a gift planning attorney at the National Christian Foundation, began his career in corporate law before God got his attention in a powerful way. He later found his way to NCF and discovered that his love for the Lord, his desire for pastoral ministry, and his experience in tax law beautifully intersected to help givers amplify the impact of their generosity. Jeff acts as a guide to h...

Brian Holtz, CEO of Compass, spent his early years without clear intentionality for his finances. But when the recession hit in 2008, Brian found himself in a moment of crisis that forced him to depend fully on God. That season led him to dive into Scripture in search of financial wisdom. What he found not only transformed his family’s financial life but set him on a course to help others do the s...

Bethany Frymire is a Financial Advisor with Blue Trust whose passion for serving people began early in her life while working at her family’s John Deere and Kubota dealership in northwest Florida. This early experience set her on a path toward financial stewardship, with a calling that was affirmed through a series of divine open doors and moments of clarity. Now a Certified Financial Planner and...

Ruth McKeaney, the author of Hungry for Home and host of At Home with Ruth McKeaney, grew up in an environment marked by transitions. However, her strong family culture, centered around Christ, taught her that home is defined by family rather than a specific location. Carrying this lesson into her adult life, Ruth transitioned from a successful law career to flipping homes with her husband while r...

Drew Formsma, CMO of I Like Giving and author of Everyday Generosity, is a prominent voice for generosity among Gen Z. Drew was raised in a home where the generous heart was encouraged and modeled. By his late teens, he had already become a seasoned speaker on generosity platforms.   Drew developed a passion to use his unique perspective on generosity to empower his generation to give freely and g...

Courtney Markley is the co-founder of The Center for Financial Discipleship, an organization that trains pastors and financial advisors on how to engage in heartfelt conversations about money. She also hosts The Heart of Money Podcast, where she interviews a diverse range of guests on this important topic.   Courtney’s path into the realm of stewardship began with her own stewardship journey. Afte...

Christina Mangino, financial planner and Las Vegas native, has had two decades of experience in financial advising, and has worked with hundreds of families in that time. After navigating a complicated multigenerational wealth dynamic in her own family, Christina developed a passion for helping families manage the relational aspects of wealth more effectively. She founded Heart of Generosity to gu...

Wendell Anderson was the first in his Michigan-based family to pursue a college degree. After graduating, he served four years in the U.S. Air Force before embarking on a long and successful career with General Motors. Along the way, countless seeds of faith were planted in his life, and in his early thirties, Wendell made the life-changing decision to follow Christ. From that moment on, he was al...

Lauren France, founder of the Lydia Network, encountered the Gospel after graduating college and was immediately captivated by its transformative power. Her passion for sharing Christ and making disciples quickly took root, leading her to serve in various capacities where she honed her skills in organization and fundraising. As she grew in leadership, she recognized how these gifts could be levera...

Speaker and author Brian Kluth has been deeply involved in the generosity space for decades and has thought deeply about how to effectively communicate the joy and adventure that is to be had in the generous life. For the last forty years, Brian has been teaching biblical financial principles and helping countless people discover the joy of living a generous life through international seminars, bo...

Alisa Hoober has been connected with Hope International since her elementary school years. During that time, her family and church began partnering with a sister church in Ukraine, which laid the groundwork for Hope’s mission today. Through family trips abroad and a strong foundation of biblical values, Alisa was raised in a culture that emphasized stewardship, generosity, and contentment.   Alisa...

Kurt Avery, founder of Sawyer Products, began his business career as a top MBA graduate and found himself working for two Fortune 500 companies. With a vision to reach success by making things that people need and solving world problems, Kurt branched out and founded Sawyer Products which manufactures outdoor products for enthusiasts and military applications.    In particular, Sawyer is the maker...

Davis Powell, CEO of Seed Company, was raised in a Christian home in South Carolina and at a young age, decided to become a medical missionary. However, in his junior year of college, he felt led by the Spirit to follow a different path. Through a series of providential events, Davis was exposed to the work of Bible translation and a passion was ignited within him. Davis now serves as the CEO of S...

Russ Crosson is the former president and CEO, and current chief mission officer of the financial advising firm Blue Trust. For over 40 years, Russ has helped individuals and families to grow in generosity and wisely steward what God has entrusted to them. Ken Boa is a well-known author and theologian, and founder of Reflections Ministries. Ken has an inspiring personal testimony and powerful bibli...

Rachel McDonough, an experienced financial advisor, was raised in a missionary family in Kenya. At a young age, Rachel had a deeply impactful encounter with poverty in Africa which led her into an unexpected calling as a financial advisor. Today, Rachel has a particular interest in impact investing and strives to help others align their hearts and finances in taking risks for Kingdom impact. Wes L...

David Hazell was raised in a religious home, but his relationship with Jesus truly began in the Jesus Revolution in the 1970s. With a mindset of radical obedience, David felt called into an adventure with God and moved his family to Siberia to help with Bible translation. During his time on the mission field, he was awakened to the power of business to fuel the work being done.   Since then, David...

Ed Michaelson, founder of The 500k, was raised in the UK by parents who regaled him with adventurous tales of missionaries for his bedtime stories. As he grew in his relationship with Jesus, he became inspired to become a physician to serve on the mission field. But after a trip to India, Ed realized that his greatest capacity to move the gospel was to empower native missionaries who were already...

Cherise Vermeulen, Executive Director of Generous Generations, had several childhood experiences that radically impacted her faith and her understanding of generosity. At the age of six, she woke from a coma following a severe car accident, where she felt the healing touch of prayer. This life-altering event left her with visible scars, but it also prompted her to explore her identity in Christ an...

Scott Cheatham, CEO of e3 Partners and I Am Second, was raised in a Christian, entrepreneurial family in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Scott started off in the business world as a successful entrepreneur living the American dream. But God got his attention in a powerful way, and led him to sell it all without knowing where God was taking him next. Through baby steps of radical obedience, God led his fam...