Why I Stopped Branding Nightclubs and Strip Clubs
My company was heavily involved in nightlife graphic design. We were the leaders in designing the flyers that would be distributed to promote the club’s events.
Along with the nightclubs came all of the other types of "clubs" that entertain people at night: strip clubs. Oh, and we also did work for gay and lesbian clubs.
And, I can't believe I'm writing this, however, I have to also confess I did some work for dating websites where we needed to manipulate pornographic photography.
My philosophy at the time was...."Whoever paid us would get flyers from us."
However, as I grew in my relationship with God, I became convicted of all this work, even the "normal" nightclub work. I was convicted because I'm trying to draw closer to God, but I knew deep down that some of the work we were doing was for industries in direct opposition to God.
I was playing for both the good guys and bad guys.
Most concerning to me was the example I was setting for my employees - the crew closest to me and witnessing my transformation.
We all have people watching us: our children, spouses, friends, family, vendors, employees, clients, and contractors. As Christians, we have magnifying glasses over our every move, especially from skeptics. God wants us to be leaders that will stand up for what’s right so that we can be great representations of Him in the eyes of nonbelievers.
In the book of Nehemiah, we witness Nehemiah’s leadership throughout the rebuilding of the wall at Jerusalem. At some point during his rebuilding campaign, he calls out the Jewish leaders for their wrongdoings in charging interest to their own people.
Nehemiah 5:9-11 says,
"So I continued, “What you are doing is not right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies? I and my brothers and my men are also lending the people money and grain. But let us stop charging interest! Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses, and also the interest you are charging them—one percent of the money, grain, new wine and olive oil.”
Nehemiah knew that, even if he did succeed in rebuilding Jerusalem's walls, the city could not be safe if there were abuses going on within his own people.
The building of a God-first company allows you to go deeper than just profits. Godpreneurship is also an opportunity to reform men's (men and women) lives. Your decisions as a leader can convince consciences that God is real.
If you walk your entrepreneurial journey in the fear of God, you will not be covetous of worldly gain or cruel toward your brothers and sisters. But nothing exposes religion more to reproach than the worldliness and hard-heartedness of the professors of it.
I'll admit that, for a period of time in my Christian walk, I would play the spiritual guy, but then serve the nightlife world. People saw that and were probably calling me - and religion as a whole - a hypocrite.
Good words are good things, but good performances are better.
Other Christians showed me grace during my transformation and transition out of nightlife, but skeptics don’t know what grace is. They see things black and white, as it really is.
I eliminated doing any kind of work for strip clubs and eventually nightlife as a whole. I told my employees why I was doing it because they thought I was crazy letting go of the consistent money.
Is there anything in your business that makes you look bad, that makes people wonder, that makes you seem hypocritical in the eyes of your employees, vendors, or clients?
We entrepreneurs are leaders. People look up to us. Let’s set the best example by eliminating any business practices that would be considered ungodly.
All my best,
Alex Miranda
Get to know me at www.alexmiranda22.com
P.S. I did a Business bible study called 40 Days to Restarting Your Business, God's Way. Check it out:
A business Bible study to help you rethink, reinvent, and restart your business, but this time, God's Way!
We parallel Nehemiah's rebuilding of the wall to your journey in rebuilding your business.
Also, coaches and Christian business leaders, you can use, edit, and repurpose the teachings for your own tribe! Check it out.