Pillars of Purpose

What if the reason your business feels stuck… isn’t strategy—but purpose? In this episode of the Pillars of Purpose Podcast, Reed Nyffeler shares how he built a $300M business across 48 states and 9 countries—starting in an industry he had zero experience in. His secret? He didn’t start with experience… he started with purpose. Inside this conversation, you’ll learn: -Why starting with purpose giv...

Most leaders don’t fail because they lack effort… they fail because they’re focusing in the wrong direction. In this episode, Matthew sits down with Dalmo Cirne, author of The Four Streams of Leadership, to break down a powerful framework that every business owner and leader needs to understand. If you’ve ever struggled with: -Building the right team -Defining your company culture -Communicating e...

What do you do when life changes in an instant? For Eric McElvenny, that moment came on December 9, 2011 — when an IED explosion in Afghanistan took his lower leg. But two weeks later, an email from his commanding officer changed everything: "Let me know when you're going to run your first marathon." That challenge sparked a “crazy goal” that would reshape Eric’s life — training for...

Success can quietly become an idol. In this episode of the Pillars of Purpose Podcast, Bryan Smith shares how a career crisis revealed something many entrepreneurs struggle with: tying identity to success. After spending years building businesses and leading in the tech world, Bryan realized his title as CTO had slowly become the foundation of his identity. When that foundation shook, it forced hi...

9/11 survivor and former Secret Service agent Darin Kinder shares how surviving the World Trade Center led him to discover God’s purpose for his life. - On September 11, 2001, Darin Kinder should have died. As a young Secret Service agent inside the World Trade Center complex, he ran toward danger — helping evacuate survivors from Tower 1. But moments before collapse, he felt led away from two veh...

If you’re a Christian business owner looking for a biblical approach to family wealth planning and generational legacy, this episode will change how you think about money forever. -- What happens to your business… your bank accounts… your family… if you’re gone tomorrow? In this powerful and practical conversation, Tyler McCart shares how a sudden family crisis in 2020 exposed major gaps in tradit...

What does it really look like to build a strong family on purpose? In this powerful and practical conversation, Nick Nickell shares the lessons he learned from nearly 50 years of marriage, raising four children, and now leading as a grandfather. From leaving a Navy career to prioritize family… To creating traditions like the “Nickell Olympics”… To navigating parenting struggles that became spiritu...

Jeff Hancher discusses effective leadership and accountability. Key Takeaways - Leadership is a "deposit/withdrawal" relationship. Leaders must first make "deposits" (coaching, personal investment) to earn the right to make "withdrawals" (tough feedback), which builds trust and enables growth. - Accountability requires a 3-part framework: 1) Clear, reasonable expectat...

Lara Silverman discusses how to find joy in suffering. Key Takeaways - Acceptance is the Path: After losing health, career, and husband, Lara Silverman found peace by accepting her permanent illness as a "thorn in the flesh" (2 Cor 12:7), shifting from demanding healing to trusting God's will. - Joy in Grief is Possible: A one-year marriage to Matt, a fellow sufferer, demonstrated th...

Nick Vipperman discusses his new book, "Switching Shoes." Key Takeaways - New Book: "Switching Shoes: The Power of Perspective" explores how a single perspective shift can instantly change emotions (e.g., anger to empathy), a phenomenon Vipperman calls "miraculous." - Origin: The book evolved from a sermon series Vipperman couldn't let go of, feeling a divine dire...

Carl Nicpon discusses preparing a business for a successful exit. Key Takeaways - Start planning an exit 3 years out. The timeline is 1 year for preparation (systems, team), 1 year for the sale process, and 1 year for post-sale transition. - Build a buyer-independent business. A buyer is buying a machine, not a person. Delegate all key functions (e.g., sales, operations) to a strong team to prove...

James Hatfield discusses scaling home service businesses and LiveSwitch's role. Key Takeaways - Scaling Strategy: Solopreneurs should scale by hiring overseas virtual assistants (~$1,700/mo) for admin, documenting all processes, and incentivizing staff with profit-sharing bonuses (not equity) to create an "owner" mindset. - LiveSwitch's Value: The platform uses a text-to-video li...

Bryan Smith shares how his faith influences his life and his family. Key Takeaways - Faith Journey: Bryan's faith became personal at 27 after a simple prayer ("Lord, help us know you") led to a profound encounter with scripture, shifting his view of the Bible from an obligation to an invitation. - Mission Trips: Short-term mission trips (Nicaragua, Bolivia, Ecuador) became a family t...

Drew Ann Long shares the incredible story of Caroline's Cart. Key Takeaways - Problem: In 2008, Drew Ann Long's disabled daughter outgrew standard carts, revealing a major accessibility gap for the world's largest minority group. - Solution: Long invented Caroline's Cart, but after being rejected by all 4 major US manufacturers, she self-funded the first 88 carts with her family&#3...

Sam Wegner discusses faith, waiting, and anticipatory grief. Key Takeaways - Waiting is a Prerequisite for Hope: Romans 8:24–25 shows that hope for the unseen requires waiting. Since hope is a component of faith, and faith is required to please God (Hebrews 11:6), waiting is an essential part of the Christian life. - Affliction is a Tool for Good: Psalm 119:68–71 reveals that God is good and uses...

Greg Workmon discusses scaling LoadUp and personal growth. Key Takeaways - Formalize early to avoid crisis: LoadUp's lack of a purpose statement caused an identity crisis at $15M revenue, leading to poor decisions and financial losses. Formalizing values and mission was a painful but necessary fix. - Software enables scale: A robust software platform was the key enabler, replacing inefficient...

Todd Miller discusses integrating faith into business. Key Takeaways - Isaiah Industries: Renamed the family business to Isaiah Industries to signal a faith-based mission, using Isaiah 56.1 ("do what is right") as a core value. - Employee Care: Prioritizes supporting struggling employees through personal crises (illness, family issues) over immediate termination, recognizing the heavy ma...

Morgan Knox provides very practical AI applications for small business owners. Key Takeaways - NotebookLM for SOPs: Use Google's free NotebookLM to convert raw recordings into interactive SOPs. Its AI-generated podcasts and videos are more engaging than static documents, and the "Talk to the Podcast" feature allows direct, private Q&A, making training more accessible. - AI for In...

Kimberly Haar discusses her book "Healing from Life's Deepest Hurts" and her personal journey of healing after trauma. Key Takeaways - Kimberly survived a violent assault by her ex-husband in 2017, which became the catalyst for writing her book on healing from trauma - She emphasizes the importance of choosing to forgive, surrounding yourself with wise community, and declaring truth...

Trevor Maddux discusses scaling sales teams and building a tech product. Key Takeaways - Reverse-engineer scaling: Your current systems are perfectly engineered for your current results. To scale, study the systems of larger, successful companies and implement their practices immediately. - Systematize sales first: Before hiring, the founder must master sales and document the process in a "sa...

Holly Andrews discusses managing family life, stress, and career transitions. Key Takeaways - Holly transitioned from a high-stress NSA career to health coaching, dramatically improving her family life and personal well-being - Stress management techniques like taking breaks, hydration, and intentional decompression time are crucial for both adults and children - Establishing family rhythms, espec...

Sam Taggart discusses scaling a business and building high-performing teams. Key Takeaways - Scaling Framework: Master sales → build systems (not just manage people) → create a "breakthrough-optimize" cycle → invest in personal growth to become worthy of the next level. - Systemize People Management: Replace managing individuals with managing a program. This creates a predictable, scalab...

Preston Zeller discusses faith, career, and entrepreneurship, as well as his new app, Psalmlog. Key Takeaways - Preston's faith journey led him from prodigal son to committed Christian, shaping his approach to work and life - He views workplaces as ministry opportunities, using discernment to share faith appropriately - Preston developed Psalm Log, an AI-powered app for spiritual growth tracki...

Pam Rivet discusses how Jesus radically transformed her life and the origin of MBS. Key Takeaways - Pam Rivet co-founded MBS (The Woman Beyond the Cape), a faith-based women's athleisure brand, after experiencing a spiritual awakening and divine visions - She overcame struggles with alcohol addiction and found peace through surrendering her life to Christ - Pam's business and speaking care...

Author Debora Coty shares about her life, faith journey, and new devotional book "Bless Your Heart" Key Takeaways   - Debora Coty is an author of 45+ books, including the "Too Blessed to Be Stressed" series which sold over 2 million copies   - She emphasizes the importance of being vulnerable and transparent about life's struggles in her writing   - Her new 365-day devotion...