One of my biggest problems in business partnerships is that I want to control everything. For example, if I hire a subcontractor to do a job for me, I want it done a certain way – my way. It always ends up this way because somehow, some way, the company I’ve chosen to partner with drops the ball or something didn’t go right. And because my name is on the line, I immediately move in to control the situation to make sure I save the situation. The problem is that it eventually ruins my relationships and I have to move on to a different vendor, contractor, employee, or partner. All of us entrepreneurs want the control in our businesses. But if we use it in our business partnerships, we could lose everything. Whether it’s controlling the temperature at the office or the cleanliness of our desk, we all want our business life to function in a way that suits us. And what do we do when something doesn’t work the way we like in our businesses? We try to control it. But if we try to employ this same strategy in our business partnerships, we lose connection and brotherly love we had when we first started together. All partnerships start out great. But when we don’t feel validated and appreciated in the business partnership, anything starts to tear the group apart because controlling behavior starts coming into play. It’s our survival instinct kicking in. So we control our business partners actions to ensure we get the relationship we want. Listen, control erodes joint ventures and the unity present at the beginning, which was the very foundational reason we even got into the partnership. The Bible says: "So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up". (Romans 14:19 NLT) Do you want the truth? If you control your business partners, employees, vendors or contractors, you’re in danger of losing the relationship and business altogether. People who feel controlled will try to escape your grip. They’ll avoid you at the office or on the phone. They may distract themselves with other ventures and mentally check out. They may start to spend less time at the office or just away from you. Is this happening to you? Sounds familiar? Here’s the solution for us Godpreneurs: we need to give up the role of “overbearing boss.” We must begin cultivating a relationship of openness and brotherly love. After all, they are your brothers and sisters in Christ. We may need to seek some business counseling for this. I know, sounds like marriage therapy, right? But it’s true because I’ve experienced it myself – when business partners learn healthy ways to deal with conflict, connect regularly, and become complimentary in the way God intended for the business, a strong business bond is just over the horizon. For a daily dose of encouragement and perspective, subscribe to the daily email devotional at www.dailygodpreneur.com/subscribe. #BusinessBibleStudy #BusinessPartnerships Finding Purpose In Your Business Partnership You and your business partner are unique individuals and God is creative in the way He wants to use both of your gifts together. Heard of the Godpreneur Academy? Grow Your Business, God’s Way! Bible-Based Video Courses for Entrepreneurs Putting God First In their Businesses Click here to create a Free Account

One of my most difficult challenges has been to learn to trust in the Lord with all my heart in all areas of my life, including building my personal brand. I first attempted to start a business and build my brand almost nine years ago. I remember I was just a baby in my walk with the Lord, but even so, I knew then, I wanted to build a business and a brand that would allow me to be in a relationship with women to lead them to God. Truthfully, my faith was weak. My fear of running out of time and never reaching my goals or success (I thought) were much stronger. The thought of fully trusting God in business and my life, for that matter, of letting go of the outcomes and practice letting go and trust him seemed almost impossible, especially with my type-A personality. As Christian Entrepreneurs, most of us, if not all, struggle with this. As we begin getting closer to the word of God and building a relationship with Him, we start discerning our gifts and calling; we even start feeling and being drawn to a specific group or need. However, the uncertainty of whether this is truly God calling us leads us to fear and to doubt God’s word and promises. We quickly take back the wheel and driver’s seat. We take back our control and let go of our trust in Him. God’s word and promises say to us in Proverbs 3: 5-8: Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones. (Proverbs 5: 5-8) I wish I could tell you that I quickly learned my lesson to “Let Go and Let God,” but unfortunately, that was not the case. During this period, I attempted three times to follow my calling and build my business; the first two attempts were made in desperation and fear of never becoming the woman and daughter God promised. I failed. But, here is what I have learned throughout my walk and process. God’s timing is always perfect. Thank God for this truth. He knows better than us what qualifications we need to get to where he wants to take us. I learned that to grow in my faith. I must join God’s Bootcamp. I have no valid reason to doubt His word. It is so right for all of us; as we start reading the Bible and learning about God’s character through Jesus and his disciples, we see that all the prophecies found in the old and new Testaments have been fulfilled and continue to be. When He knows you’re ready, get ready. I’m living proof of this! For the past five years, I’ve practiced this; to let go of the wheel and let God lead me. Today he’s entrusted me with a business that employs seven women, including me, and we get to serve women in mortgage and real estate by identifying their born-to-do calling and building a Personal Brand that genuinely represents them and their audience. I believe that if more of us Christian Entrepreneurs sought to grow from the teachings and wisdom of the bible, our brands and businesses would stand stable on the rock; His rock. We must learn to put our eyes on the things not seen, for these are the things of the spirit that strengthens us to walk on this earth, trusting blindly in God’s Promises to us. To learn more about Trusting God and Letting go of our Control in our brand and business. Check out this podcast Episode by Divine Confidence. #FindingMyBrand #FindingMyCalling #WheretoStartFirst

Confession time. I am not really good at waiting on God for things in my business. I’m just not. I’m horrible at waiting. How about you? I am not really sure why– maybe because entrepreneurs are go-getters and we want to do everything fast. Maybe I want to be successful, faster. It seems us entrepreneurs are always wanting to go, go, go! Get things done. Go faster. Do more. Get to the finish line already. But when we’re at our most frantic pace ever, God says, “Wait a second. Slow down a little bit.” We hate waiting. We hate going slow. When something is going slow, it is easy to attribute the waiting to laziness or inactivity, or passive-aggressiveness. But did you know that waiting can also mean hoping? We’re waiting with expectations in our businesses. We’re hoping and expecting and waiting to see what God is going to do. While you are waiting for something in your business, here are 10 encouraging Bible verses about patience that will really help you wait on God. Top 10 Verses Hosea 12:6 Therefore, return to your God, observe kindness and justice, and wait for your God continually. Psalms 27:14 Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord. Psalms 37:7 Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who carries out wicked schemes. Psalms 123:2 Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, So our eyes look to the Lord our God, Until He is gracious to us. Isaiah 30:18 Therefore the Lord longs to be gracious to you, And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; How blessed are all those who long for Him. Jeremiah 14:22 Are there any among the idols of the nations who give rain? Or can the heavens grant showers? Is it not You, O Lord our God? Therefore we hope in You, For You are the one who has done all these things. Psalms 25:5 Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; For You I wait all day. Psalms 145:15-16 The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food in due time. You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing. James 5:7-8 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. Luke 12:35-40 Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps lit. Be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that he will gird himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them. Share this blog post with someone you think is in need of some encouragement for waiting on God! More Resources on Waiting Blog Posts: How WAITING Helped My Business Grow Born to Do – Part 3: The Waiting Period Overcoming Obstacles to Launching Your Idea – Step 1: The Miracle Waiting to Happen Staying the Course in Business: Part 7 – Humility While Waiting Course: Waiting on God in Your Business How Godpreneur Wait #GainConfidence

I’m a competitive kinda guy that played sports my whole life. That’s why when I found CrossFit, I was immediately drawn into the sport. CrossFit is a crosstraining workout mixed with weightlifting and gymnastics. I often leave the workouts sore for days, muscles in pain, hands full of calluses, and exhausted. And even though I curse at the brutal workouts sometimes, I go back for more…and more…since 2010! I look at CrossFit as the adversary inside of my mind that I have to defeat. Every time I add weight to my lifts, I see it as a new challenge I must overcome. I see CrossFit as the place where I work on breaking physical barriers and challenges so I can rise to new levels. Our businesses and marriages are like CrossFit. There are challenges we’ll need to overcome. New, often difficult circumstances will be presented to us, and we either step up to fight, or we walk away and do nothing. Sadly, too often, we’re so exhausted from running the business that we don’t have the energy to fight in the marriage or vice versa. Fear then begins to set in our hearts and paralyzes us. We don’t know what to do so we react in our natural defensive mechanisms. How should Godpreneurs react when difficulties in our marriage and business come our way? Will we start to fear or will we look at the challenge dead in the eye and attack it knowing we have God’s Word? As Godpreneurs, we have to trust God no matter how challenging our business and marriage gets. We have to fear nothing or nobody. The bible says When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise— in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?(Psalms 56:3‭-‬4 NIV) When business and marriage present a challenge, you need to REJOICE! Yes, sounds crazy, I know! But it works! God wants you to rejoice in your challenges because God’s in control and He promises to finish what He started in your business and marriage. James 1:2-4 NIV says "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything". You need to count your business and marriage challenges as joy because God is up to something! There’s a certain CrossFit workout that I absolutely HATE! It’s a terrible workout, and every time they announced it, I cringed and sometimes wouldn’t show up that day (I would call it my off day…). But once I learned what I’m teaching you now, I changed my mind set on that and many of the other challenging workouts. I now REJOICE when I see that workout on the board. I say fake it till you make it 😉 Now I’m getting better at that workout! I’m serious. We Godprenuers can REJOICE that God is working on our behalf in our businesses and marriages, and He’ll do it as fast as our mindsets can change! God says your challenges are done! Read Ezekiel 12:28 KJV. It reminds us, married entrepreneurs, “There shall none of my words be prolonged any more, but the word which I have spoken shall be done, saith the Lord God.” There is no reason to be concerned or worried about our business and marriage because God is in control. Imagine a world of Godpreneurs that walked up to our business workouts stood up to those challenging weights in marriage and greeted the obstacles with a smile and positive attitude knowing God promises to fight those battles on our behalf. Godpreneur Rule: God fights my business and marriage battles on your behalf. #MarriedEntrepreneurs #BusinessBibleStudy #GodpreneurAcademy 21 Days of Breakthroughs in Business and Marriage This course provides needed strength and faith, in the truth of God’s holy Word, for breakthroughs in both your business and marriage. Heard of the Godpreneur Academy? Grow Your Business, God’s Way! Bible-Based Video Courses for Entrepreneurs Putting God First In their Businesses Click here to create a Free Account

I’m in the business of Branding. This means when my friends have an idea to launch a business, I’m one of the first phone calls. Since my company produces logos and websites, I’m right there at the beginning of their plans for financial freedom through entrepreneurship, even before the company even opens up. It’s exciting for me to be at this initial stage, but it’s also frustrating. Why? Because of how many phone calls I get about bringing a vision to life, I know there’s 10 of my friends just sitting on their dreams, unable to move forward and launch this new possible financial vehicle in their life. I know this is true because I talk to friends all the time who tell me “Yeah man, one day I’m going to launch this thing or that service.” Then we speak a year later, and it’s the same story – they give me the “one of these days Alex…..”. And I understand why people aren’t eager to launch businesses – it’s risky, it’s hard work, and the return on investment isn’t immediate. We all have experienced financial setbacks in our lives that paralyze us sometimes from continuing to plant seeds. We’ve been hit hard, and getting back up has been a process – some of us are still on the ground. Some of us have lost great deals of money, and risking it again is simply not an option. We’re still paying off debt and credit cards, embarrassed at losing someone’s money, and traumatized at the thought of doing it all over again. But if we don’t get back up and continue trying, we’re simply delaying the amazing things God has for us through our businesses. The bible says: "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up". (Galatians 6:9 NIV) We know that God is for us, and we know that there are seasons of delays, and we know that Christ’s strength will take us through anything. But how do we shift our minds to a place where we can experience the blessings of reaping what we sow? The answer is that we must launch NOW! Today is the day the seeds must be planted. We can’t wait for things to get better, we must always be planting new seeds – seeds that will produce fruit later on. But we must be patient to know that later on isn’t tomorrow – it’s on God’s Timing. Jesus says in the Bible: “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed spouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain — first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head” (Mark 4:26-29 NIV). The financial blessings of entrepreneurship will come, but we must always be planting seeds (launching our visions) with the understanding that things take time. The time between the planting and the blessing is God’s timing. Here are some examples of launching (seed planting) you can do, even if you don’t have money: Write the business plan Pitch your ideas Get quotes for cost Get a job somewhere that you know will be experienced for the future vision Start blogging (it's free) Design a free website on Wix.com and launch a service I can keep going on about things you can be doing NOW that serve as seeds being planted into your future financial freedom. The main point is that financial management for entrepreneurs will have its ups and downs, but there are things we can always be doing today that show God we are obedient to His calling and will continue to show steps of faith towards His vision for our business life. I love this Psalm for entrepreneurs: "Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them". (Psalms 126:5‭-‬6 NIV) When we’re angry, upset, or grieving over past financial mistakes and setbacks, that’s exactly the time we need just to keep launching. Keep on, because joy comes in the harvest! Godpreneur Money Rule #14 – Godpreneurs keep on launching because fruit can’t be enjoyed unless seeds were planted. #BusinessBibleStudy #MakeMoreMoney The 19 Rules of Money Management for Christian Entrepreneurs This course will help you develop a better sense of money management God’s way. Heard of the Godpreneur Academy? Grow Your Business, God’s Way! Bible-Based Video Courses for Entrepreneurs Putting God First In their Businesses Click here to create a Free Account

Life has never been fair to anyone, not even to Christian entrepreneurs, but there's an exception. Life can be fair to those who make the right choices amidst the circumstances that life brings. Life in this world is full of turbulent times, good times, and bad times, and no one is immune to these experiences. No one is smart enough to avoid running through one of them. Troubled times are no longer strange to man. They have become part of our living. Whether turbulent, troubled, complicated, perilous, or stormy times, none is a pleasant life experience. They hurt, cause pain, discomfort, stagnate, distort plans, kill destinies, leave people devastated and bewildered, and sometimes bring loss of money and business. I am yet to find one who has complete mastery over these storms. However, I have seen these difficult times leave people at different levels of impact, making them either better or worse, stronger or weaker, richer or poorer. Despite the daunting challenges these experiences present, many have come forth victorious. In my opinion, the victory was not entirely the case of "tough times don't last, but tough people do,” but a matter of making the right choices at that time. Storms in business can manifest in the forms of losses, betrayal, disagreement with partners, slow pace of business, low patronage, funding, rejection of products, loss of market share, regulatory issues, tax issues, human resources, and other variants of storms. How long the storms would persist varies, depending on nature and individual involved. The truth remains that, in the process of doing our businesses, we encounter some moments of storms described above. These are typical life experiences and are common in the business environment. It is good we understand that we can all emerge through the storms as victors. Victory over storms shows how strong we are through the strength of the Lord. We must reckon that; storms are raw materials that firmly establish the foundation of our businesses. The devil does not orchestrate all storms, but whatever the source, the Bible says of God, "The Lord has His way in the whirlwind and in the storm" (Nahum 1:3 AMP). This scripture points out that although storm and whirlwind are violently stubborn and harmful, God and his power can be seen in them to control their course, to determine their operations, and to shield His entrepreneurs and businesses from being harmed by their violence. God is actively present in the storms to cause His divine purpose to be worked out for His people. Until a Christian entrepreneur understands this, the storms are likely to persist for a long time. For anyone that must have an easy way out of the stormy business experiences, he must see God at work on it, put their trust and take refugee in Him, and seek His divine guidance to act. He must also know and be assured that "He uses everything that happens to them to bring good results on their behalf" (Romans 8:28 Easy English). The application and appropriation of these truths are an easy way out of stormy business experiences. Furthermore, the Psalmist testifies, "He calms the storm, so that its waves are still. Then they are glad because they are quiet; So, He guides them to their desired haven" (Psalm 107:29-30 NKJV). It's incredible to know that God does all of these for His people. He is much more present than the storms to ensure the desired results are seen and enjoyed. This is another assurance that no storm can perpetuate itself in your life or business. We also saw Jesus calm the raging storm that was contrary to the peace of His disciples (Mark 4:39). He has promised never to leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). You cannot have a better reward than you know and apply all the above knowledge against every coloration of storms. Your insistence or persistence on them not only threatens the storms but truncates their tenure. However easy it might be to escape from storms, you must dispense patience while walking through them. By the nature of storms, you will experience a measure of discomfort, but it won't be to your destruction or eventual ruin of your business, and the discomfort is nothing compared to the glory ahead. God is mighty to see you through the stormy moments, but you have to take advantage of the presence and leading of the Holy Spirit to make the right choices per time. Imagine how sweet a victory over business storms. Imagine being at peace during business challenges. Imagine showing others how you made it. Imagine how successful our business will be because we overcame the storms. This is the state God has always wanted us to be. Let’s do the needful. The storms are over now. #DifferentiatingMyself

I love starting new projects. I believe the reason I'm in branding and not marketing is that branding is the "start" of a business. And my multiple businesses is even more evidence of my love for starting things However, I'd be kidding myself if I told you that I didn't feel overwhelmed sometimes when launching a new project. A lot of the work I do is so spiritually charged and will have a major impact on my life and the lives of others that the pressure can be immense. Oftentimes, right at the beginning of a project, the enemy starts to plant seeds of doubt in my mind; I feel alone and I'm tempted to back out. However, we God-first business owners know that God is always there at our side, ready to give His blessing that will strengthen us. The Bible says: I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. (Psalms 121:1-2) God wants to help you, but you have to lift your eyes up to Him and ask for help in your business. God wants us to acknowledge that whatever project we are launching - whether it’s a new business, a marketing initiative, or a new blog series - can only be accomplished through His power. The prayer below will help us orient our minds and hearts toward God and give him the wheel for our next major business project. It may feel weird, but if we get in this habit, we'll be guided every step of the way, thus assuring that the outcome is God's will. Father, I come before you, and through the power of Jesus Christ, I take on this new project. Consecrate this endeavor through your hands to your glory. I call on the Holy Spirit to help me execute this new initiative in a manner that honors you and puts a smile on your face. You know that I can't do anything without you; I'm powerless except through Christ who strengthens me. Lord, give me the necessary assistance to accomplish your will in the marketplace. Search me, Lord, and remove anything that would not have me observing your faithful laws of justice. Keep me free from sin throughout the execution of this project. Father, take charge of all the plans. Give me wisdom beyond my years, power beyond my own strength, and bless me with the joy of being able to serve you, once again, through the gift of entrepreneurship. You are good, you are holy, you are eternal, and my life's work is for you. Amen. #WheretoStartFirst #EnhanceFocus

I had a business partnership where this person was constantly pouring out their personal, emotional struggles on me. A very talented individual, gifted at what they do, but every conversation somehow felt like an episode of Dr. Phil. And because I was a people-pleaser with poor boundary-setting skills, I became emotionally exhausted in the partnership. On the other extreme, I had a hard business partner as a rock, stoic in every business decision, completely emotionally unattached from every move, and difficult to work with. And again, because I was a people-pleaser with poor boundary-setting skills, I allowed myself to be bullied, manipulated, and controlled. Needless to say, these two extremes were clear examples that I needed boundary-setting help in my business partnerships if I was going to have successful ventures with future partners. In my studies of boundaries in relationships, I learned that most business partnership problems we entrepreneurs face are caused by boundaries that are either too penetrable or too fortified. Let's think of our boundaries like the gates of a medieval castle – you know, the ones with the moat around it and a drawbridge that lowers and closes, allowing useful people to pass through while blocking harmful people out. Like the castle gates, the boundaries in our business partnerships should aim for that perfect balance between being receptive to positive influences and blocking negative ones. If we fail to achieve this balance, we're at risk of experiencing various issues in our business relationships. If our boundaries are too penetrable, for instance, we'll be vulnerable to absorbing a partner's needs and emotions as our own. However, if we go too far in the opposite direction and our boundaries are too fortified, we're in danger of ending up emotionally isolated and alone. My business partnership problems were caused by boundaries that were too penetrable on my end or too tight on their end. Entrepreneurs with Too Penetrable Boundaries Not only have I been in unhealthy business partnerships, but I’ve also experienced them in others as well. Because I'm in the business of launching people's businesses, I've seen all types of business partnerships. I’ve noticed that someone with penetrable boundaries will usually be partnered with someone who has fortified boundaries. Funny, huh? When I'm sitting down with the partners to develop their branding, I notice that the penetrable partner is weak, overly flexible, or poorly expresses themselves in the strategy session. I notice a lack of emotional separation, dependency, and a partner-pleasing attitude from one partner. And in some extreme cases, I've seen the partner with penetrable boundaries emotionally enmeshed and codependent on the other partner. These partnerships are weird because there’s no clear distinction between the emotional lives of the two partners. This usually happens when a boyfriend and girlfriend start a business where they spend every waking moment with one another. This also happens with parents and children that are in business together. I've experienced this many times when branding or rebranding a family business. There's continued codependency in the parental relationship that extends way longer than it should. Codependent business partnerships take the form of one person (mom or dad) dedicating everything in the business and personal life of the child. I've witnessed that this arrangement is generally bad for both parties since one side never has their own needs met, and the other never learn how to solve their problems. In both cases above, the partner who suffers from penetrable boundaries needs to reclaim their autonomy in the business. It would also be good to establish some physical and emotional distance. Maybe one works from home while the other works at the office. I believe they also need to be clear about their purpose and calling in the business. This will require some personal development, focusing on you and your gifts and talents and what you bring to the table. Entrepreneurs with Too Fortified Boundaries On the flip side of boundaries, entrepreneurs who have extremely fortified boundaries generally find it difficult to get close to their business partners. I once partnered with a stone-cold fortified business owner on a venture. I pray I don't get into one of these relationships again. This person was way too serious, never opened up to me emotionally, and did whatever it took to succeed at everyone else's expense. I thought I could help this partner realign their mindset on business and life, but instead, I was put in a losing situation. In my studies of healthy boundaries, I discovered that this former partner of mine suffered from the most extreme form of fortified boundaries by being totally emotionally distanced and could never express any vulnerability. Yet, this partner was never wrong or always too proud to admit it. I remember opening up to this person about wanting to be by their side to help them, and it has the opposite effect - this partner became more distant. The Bible says “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. (Matthew 18:15-17) Suppose your partner is stone-cold like mine was. In that case, the Biblical solution for fortified boundaries is to purposefully express how you feel and let them know that if the partnership is going to succeed, they also need to express how they feel. The fortified partner needs to get to a point where they are comfortable asking for help and loving themselves in the partnership. Ultimately, if a fortified partner can't bring their boundaries closer to you, then it's time to end the partnership. In conclusion, healthy boundaries in business partnerships will be found somewhere between penetrable and fortified boundaries. We'll have healthy boundaries in our business partnerships once we can combine a concern for our own needs with a concern for our business partner’s needs. #BusinessPartnerships

The wisest thing business owners can do to start every day is to get connected with almighty God. The wisest thing we entrepreneurs can do is decide that from this point on, before getting out of bed, we're going to connect with the President of our board of directors. Monday through Friday, every morning, we're going to pray something like: "Lord, I thank you that you have a plan for my business today. I thank you, Lord, that your timing is perfect. I thank you that you're bringing whatever you need to bring. You’ll protect me. You’ll guide me. You’ll lead me. If I go through any kind of suffering and hurt and disappointment and all the rest, I’ll trust you to bring me through that. Lord, I want to thank you that today I’m going to walk obediently before you. I’m going to trust the Holy Spirit to do the speaking in me to give me guidance and direction and give me your timing. Whatever you have for me and my business, I’m available to wait. I know that waiting will grow me, strengthen me, prepare me for what you have in my marketplace. I want to thank you for this day, and Lord, let my business be fruitful all day long." When you begin the business day that way, all of a sudden, even on the darkest of days you’ve ever seen on your entrepreneurial journey, the sun’s going to be brilliant. You know why? Because you are connecting with the owner and financier of your business, God will answer every single prayer that I mentioned. It’s His timing. It’s His way. It’s His plan. The Bible says: But I am trusting you, O Lord, saying, “You are my God!” My future is in your hands." As a business owner, you can say, "the future of my business is in your hands. (Psalms 31 14:15) Have you ever prayed like that about your business? You might want to memorize that verse and pray it every morning before you get up and begin the hustle and grind. You can pray something like: “I trust you, Lord, you’re my God, and my times are in your hands. God, I have more to-do's today than I have time to get done. I have so many appointments there’s no way I get it all done. Help me sort it all out, do what matters most in my business, and not worry about the rest. My calendar is in your hand. I surrender my schedule. I surrender my agenda. I give you my marketing plans. My times are in your hands, and that means I’m not going to fear. I’m going to trust you." If I ask you today whose business schedule do you live by, you’ll probably say, “well, by my own." And that's natural because, as entrepreneurs, we are self-employed, self-starting, and self-motivated. However, in your daily agenda or monthly marketing calendar, where is God in all that? Do you ever stop to ask him, "God, what you think about Thursday? What do you want in Quarter 3?" When you get up in the morning and get yourself dressed, get into your mode of transportation, and head to your office, do you ever stop asking God what His plan is for the business today? Do you ever stop to ask the question, "what would you have me do with my next 8 hours?" And when you're checked out from the business and on your way back to your family for the evening, do you ever ask: "Lord, how would you want me to spend this evening?" As impossible as that might seem, being that entrepreneurship feels like a 24/7 job, it's imperative that we God-First business owners stop and think, “How do you want to work in my family life this evening?" Most business owners will get up, do their little morning routine, and take off and never say anything to God until they get that first order cancellation or the first encounter with an irritating employee. The day starts to get overwhelming and stressful, and then there's the first connection, the first cry out to God for help. That is not what He intended. God intended that when you wake up in the morning, you get connected. It's not some 20-step ritualistic routine to bog you down. You simply start talking to Him with statements similar to these: Father, thank you for a good night’s rest; you know what lies ahead of me today in my business. Lord, I want to run my entrepreneurial race in your timing; don't let me get ahead, don’t let me linger behind, don’t let me step out of your calling over me. God, let me lead my company wisely today in your will so that tonight I’ll be able to look back and thank you for all that you’ve done. Every morning when I wake up, I remind myself that my marketplace is a 24/7 mission field. No matter what I'm doing - if I’m on a zoom call with my team, if I’m at a client's office, if I’m filming a marketing piece for my branding agency - I’m on a mission for Jesus. Listen, Godpreneurs, customers who meet you should meet Jesus. It doesn’t mean you look like him; it means the spirit within you is the same spirit of Jesus Christ. Remind yourself every day that God, the creator of the universe, loves you, and He has his eyes on your business dealings. You are His chosen representative in your industry, and He has called you to provide great services and products in the marketplace. When we all make it a daily morning habit to think about what God has done for our entrepreneurial journey, it’s going to bring joy, meaning, and purpose into our business lives and marketplaces worldwide. #WheretoStartFirst

Keeping integrity in business is easy as long as you follow the path God planned out for you to be in, read your bible daily, and let God guide and eventually approve of the business you take over. COURSE HERE Always keeping it real with your personal calling is what will determine your success, do not let yourself be pulled in different directions. God put a specific knowledge and talents in you that only YOU have the power to live up to, do not get distracted with other callings or other things people may think you are meant for. Only you know what you were made to become. TAKE COURSE HERE #GodpreneurAcademy #BusinessBibleStudy #StrengthenIntegrity

We all have a “dream client” that we wish every client was like. It’s not that this client paid you the most, it’s that they were impacted and changed the most by the product or service we created. How can we bring more of these good-feeling situations into our businesses? We must decide on a niche. The best branding projects I’ve been involved in were the ones where I helped an entrepreneur discover what they were born to do, bring it to life, and help them tell the world about it. I’ve guided thousands of entrepreneurs on the journey of launching a business, but the best ones are when the entrepreneur feels a “calling” to create the product or service they envisioned. So how do I attract more and more “dream clients” to allow me into their business plans? All of us entrepreneurs are built by the same creator of the universe. And by design, God created us to come back and connect with Him regularly. This action of coming to God often is integral to the development of our entrepreneurial journey. I personally believe this “daily huddle” with God is where we business owners uncover and discover our niche. The desire for quality time with God, our CEO, is how we were built so we could receive His loving care and divine direction for our entrepreneurial calling. God built us GODPRENEURS to be restored by Him so He could reveal His ideas more to us. The bible says “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Getaway with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” (Matthew 11:28‭-‬30 MSG) Rest is what prepares the mind for the revelation. You’ll be able to decide on a niche more clearly when you are living freely and lightly. When you discover how to connect with God regularly, you live in a condition of abundance. You’ll be getting filled up, so you can turn around and fill others up. You’ll see that the people that start buying your products and services will all contribute to confirming your joy and happiness in a very specific niche. And when you’re feeling more of your joy, more often throughout the day, you’re able to have a better quality of life at the office, at home, and in your community. You’re able to give because you first received it. You’re able to love and serve on those who you were meant to do business with. You’re able to do what you were born to do. I have my personal brand, Daily Godpreneur, and I constantly come back to God and allow Him to guide my writings and teachings. In turn, I believe He brings me the people I’m supposed to do business with! He also inspires my marketing and advertising so I can attract even more followers. If we neglect the daily task of coming to our CEO (God) for our discovery prayer time, we’re missing out on His revelation. If we fail to learn how to meet with God in prayer and meditation, we operate in a condition of depletion and start to depend on our own energy source. And as a form of survival, we’ll try to take from everyone, rather than overflow onto a specific group of people – the ones God called us to serve. What’s Next? Make a list of everything you LOVE doing and are UNIQUELY gifted at doing. Avoid things you’re good at or obligations just because you wear that hat in the business. Keep it to your UNIQUE ABILITIES. List things that you would do even if you weren’t paid to do it. What moves your heart, calms your heart, or makes it beat faster because you’re excited to do that service or provide that product? What services do you provide that restores you, excites you, or connects you to God? What do you do at work that, after finishing, you think you yourself “Wow, that was a spiritual experience!” Once you have your list, narrow it down to the ONE PROBLEM you would do for the rest of your life. That’s your niche. #BuildMyPersonalBrand Deciding On A Niche In 4 Steps to Deciding on a Niche for your Business, join Alex Miranda as he guides you to launch a brand with intention and purpose and decide on a niche already. Heard of the Godpreneur Academy? Grow Your Business, God’s Way! Bible-Based Video Courses for Entrepreneurs Putting God First In their Businesses Click here to create a Free Account

I’m always battling this conflict in my mind of wanting to help others but needing to make money for myself.  There’s also a battle of wanting to be this big celebrity authority, but still wanting to stay humble. We Godpreneurs that have a big message to share with the world can sometimes feel this conflict and it may hold us back from pushing forward with our cause. Many of you know, I read the Bible almost every morning to hear from God on what he wants me to do today and what message he wants for the Godpreneurs. Today I got a peak into, what I believe to be, the formula for achieving authority and potentially celebrity status in your niche, while doing exactly what we’ve been commanded to do. Ready?  I’m excited! But wait, to set this up, I have to share something amazing that led to this. My wife and I attend a marriage growth group (Bible study) where we’re reading Andy Stanley’s book “Staying in Love”.  Each week there are devotionals we are to do together at home to prepare for the following week. The morning of writing this blog, before opening the devotional, I prayed “God, speak to me today on what you want me to do and share.”  That’s my routine every morning:  coming to my CEO and asking what’s the plan for today. The devotional had me read Philippians 2:1-11, and that’s where and how I got the revelation I’m sharing with you today. I’m going to do something different.  I’m going to break this down in sections and explain each section from the point of guide to Becoming an authority. 1-4 "If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand." If you pause there and give me your attention, there’s some amazing nuggets here. First, we can’t miss the fact that first, we must be following Christ.  He’s the ultimate example how how to rise to authority.  I can write a whole new book just on how, first, we must follow Christ in order to receive the true calling from God on what we should be becoming an authority in. Second, don’t be obsessed with making it to the top.  Instead, be obsessed with spreading your message and putting your tribe first.  Getting to the top will follow, as we’ll see in the next verses. 5-8 "Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion." There’s a powerful message here that I don’t want you to miss.  It’s easy to skip over this part. For some of us, coming to the realization that we have a message to spread to the world can be jolting because it requires us to remove ourselves from the day-to-day business, put others in charge, and set on a new course of learning and growing to becoming the best messenger we can be. Your identity is going to change, and this process won’t be as easy as you’d think. It was easy for Jesus because he knew he was God and he knew his role and he knew his purpose.  Most of us are timidly stepping into our roles as Godpreneurs, sometimes one foot in and one foot out. 9-11 "Because of that obedience, God lifted him high and honored him far beyond anyone or anything, ever, so that all created beings in heaven and on earth—even those long ago dead and buried—will bow in worship before this Jesus Christ, and call out in praise that he is the Master of all, to the glorious honor of God the Father." Here’s the last key, the promise from God that you want to hear:  “God lifted him high and honored him far beyond anyone or anything.”  I believe that we’re all created in God’s image and asked to follow Christ because God wants to lift us high!  That authority you want, that celebrity status you seek…that’s God’s plan. But we can’t see celebrity as the Keeping Up with the Kardashians.  Celebrity comes as a result of following the order above.  Authority celebrity is your reward for a job well done, your service to God and humanity, your duty of accomplishing what you were born to do. #SharpenLeadership #BusinessBibleStudy Deciding On A Niche In 4 Steps to Deciding on a Niche for your Business, join Alex Miranda as he guides you to launch a brand with intention and purpose and decide on a niche already. Heard of the Godpreneur Academy? Grow Your Business, God’s Way! Bible-Based Video Courses for Entrepreneurs Putting God First In their Businesses Click here to create a Free Account

I deeply care when my friends launch businesses. I’ve been through the roller-coaster ride of entrepreneurship, and I know the road they’re about to go down isn’t easy. Like a father wanting the best for my child, I want to guide my friends to the shortest, easiest way to avoid the pitfalls and deviations that can make the entire venture crash and burn. I remember a friend of mine paying me to launch his business. A year later, he was back at his 9-5 job. I felt so burdened by that experience. I felt that I hadn’t done everything possible to help him. What if I would have put my foot down and stood by my initial gut feeling that he should NOT launch that business? Did I bypass my intuition because of the money he was paying me? As I struggled with these thoughts, I realized that I deeply cared about making sure my friends (and clients) launch the business they were BORN to launch. I became obsessed with coming up with a formula to help make sure I never launched another business for someone without knowing this was the path they were called to go down. What I’ve come to realize is I have a heart for entrepreneurs launching their first purpose-focused business. We entrepreneurs were all hard-wired with a heart that breaks for a certain group of people out there. This is by design. That’s a huge clue God’s given us to reveal the target market we were called to lead. Like a Shepard that is herding his flock, we too are called to hear a certain group of people. If we want to uncover the target market for our businesses, it’s going to come when we realize who the people we’re supposed to be freely helping guide, even without being paid are. Once we can identify this, then the blessings will come to us. The bible says: Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Luke 6:38 NIV) When you run a God-First business, Jesus shapes our hearts, and a new spirit comes in us to care for a certain group of people. This heart moves and thinks like God. But yours isn’t like mine or anyone else’s. Thank goodness for that, or we’d all be targeting the same demographic. Your heart and business have a God-anointed individuality. Want proof? Ok. Do you also care to help people discover the business they were born to do? If yes, then you and I have something in common, but we likely differ in what type of people (women, young men, realtors, Miami-born, etc.). But if you don’t care about what I care about, there’s the proof that we are all different. Godpreneurs, we’re all created for good works, but we don’t have to do every work. Picking a target market lets you narrow down your level of burden and responsibilities to only a smaller group of people. Who our heart breaks for the most is one way God shows us entrepreneurs who our target market is. Our businesses are made to notice, to care, to move more for certain demographics and certain products or services: when their needs are met, our hearts are satisfied, and our bank accounts are satisfied; when they aren’t, our hearts hurt with their hearts and we need to solve the problem with a product or service. Imagine if we all became aware of our hearts, how it feels for certain groups, and begin crafting our business around that? Our joy would increase, and our clients would be happy and satisfied! Prayer Father, help us take the focus off ourselves and put it onto others. Reveal a heart that hurts a certain group of people. Spirit, identify particular people with particular needs and help me take steps towards helping them uniquely with my product and service. #TargetMarket #MakingMoreSales Deciding On A Niche In 4 Steps to Deciding on a Niche for your Business, join Alex Miranda as he guides you to launch a brand with intention and purpose and decide on a niche already. Heard of the Godpreneur Academy? Grow Your Business, God’s Way! Bible-Based Video Courses for Entrepreneurs Putting God First In their Businesses Click here to create a Free Account

Have you discovered your purpose in business, but find yourself struggling to execute on it because you get sucked back into old ways? Maybe there's a new direction you want to take with your business, but past clients and old services keep you from moving forward because…you have to pay the bills, right? Or, there's a personal brand or blog you've meant to launch, but with all the distractions of life, you can't find the time to press play or continue building. There's a strategy I want to share with you today to help you move into “an entirely new way of life—a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you” (Ephesians 4:20-24 MSG). I'm continually tweaking my branding agency. I've been helping businesses launch since 2005, but it hasn't always stayed the same. I've changed my process, target market, and niche too many times to count. In 2019, I decided I wanted to target more doctors. So I started talking more about doctors on my blog posts and examples. I even created a new page on my website to target that market specifically. Yes, I still had other types of businesses calling me, but I was doing small things to move me into a new direction that I felt God was calling me towards. We can all rebrand and redirect our focus because it's human nature to be remade. We're constantly shedding our skin, and new skin is replacing it. God uses entrepreneurship to help us be remade into our new selves - what He created us to do. But He won't force the change on us. He wants us to keep asking, keep listening, and keep working with Him. The bible says: “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. (Luke 11:9 NIV) Jesus says to ask, seek, and knock. That's three ways of saying the same thing - be continuous and relentless in pursuing the things of God. God won't reveal our true brand's calling all at once. It's a continuous process where He wants to guide and teach along the journey. God will identify our brand in a process and progression that builds on itself throughout our entrepreneurial career. For this reason, you shouldn't get hung up or stressed about being stuck between your old business model and the new direction God wants to take you to. He wants to work THROUGH the process. There's no formula or timeline of how this works. However, when God gives us a calling in business that is unique to us, we have to treat that with the most extraordinary care. We can't allow that vision to be lost or forgotten with the hustle and bustle of life. We have to have a system and process in place to constantly be revisiting the calling. Deciding on a niche to serve is a process of documenting what God reveals to us and consistently revisiting and revising it. If we keep our calling top of mind, we'll always stay focused on who we were meant to become in the marketplace. How do we keep our calling top of mind so God brings our niche more into focus and action? I've created a Trello board and Google Document dedicated to the purpose of writing out what God reveals to me about my purpose and calling. The more I revisit this and analyze it based on my current circumstances, the more my niche is revealed. Constantly reading and tweaking, resurfaces the feelings towards solving the problem I was born to fix. Get a journal or open a document on your computer or phone and record what God has been revealing to you. Remember, moments He spoke. Recall terrible client situations you never want to experience again and amazing clients you loved to work with. Remember the situations you loved, and the products that made you proud. Bring back moments where you helped someone, and it felt like you were in your zone. Write down Bible verses that impacted you and your business. Imagine if we all collected and compiled all of these things and revisited them every morning, even if it was just for 5 minutes. Let's preserve and protect what God shows us because it will reveal the niche, product or service you were called to bring to life. Simply keep returning again and again. God is faithful. He will bring the vision to life. #TargetMarketAndNiche Deciding On A Niche In 4 Steps to Deciding on a Niche for your Business, join Alex Miranda as he guides you to launch a brand with intention and purpose and decide on a niche already. Heard of the Godpreneur Academy? Grow Your Business, God’s Way! Bible-Based Video Courses for Entrepreneurs Putting God First In their Businesses Click here to create a Free Account

Do you ever feel frustrated that you know you have this gift – this calling to do something – but you’re not doing it? You may have even created a plan and put some things together, but you haven’t pressed play. The area between where you’re at now and where God has called you to be is called unrealized potential. This “grey area” is what’s causing a misalignment in your life. If you don’t do something about it, your integrity takes a hit and you’ll continue to feel frustrated in life. However, there are things we can be doing STARTING TODAY that can bring us back into alignment. When I work with entrepreneurs before launching their businesses, I take my time to help them discover a very specific niche problem to solve. I do this because it helps me create a better logo and website. However, I do it more because it helps me guide the entrepreneur towards alignment with their calling. If the person I’m helping is feeling confused or frustrated, they won’t be ready to launch. But if I can help them choose a niche, we’ll have a strong foundation. Think about the concrete foundation of a very tall building. A foundation has integrity when its purpose, its design, its build, and its use are aligned. Said another way, to have integrity a foundation must be designed, laid out, and constructed for a specific purpose—and it must actually be used toward that purpose. We can count on a foundation like that, even to bear the heavy and important load of a tall building, because all its existence is in alignment. Although we entrepreneurs are infinitely more complex and wondrous than the concrete foundation of a building, we also need alignment in our business life to have that kind of integrity. Deciding on a niche is like building our business on a strong foundation. And God wants to build a great thing upon the foundation of our calling. He has designed and built us for a specific purpose in entrepreneurship. The Bible says: "I want you to get out there and walk—better yet, run!—on the road God called you to travel. I don’t want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don’t want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere". (Ephesians 4:12 MSG) The Apostle Paul urged followers to pursue their calling, stop delaying, AND make sure the path they were on was the correct one. God gave you spiritual gifts and natural talents and a heart that has been shaped with a unique passion to solve a specific problem in the marketplace. You’ve been shaped from birth by your individual journey. Therefore, your purpose, your design, and the way you were built will always align. God did that already. However, you’ll use what God created. If we entrepreneurs search and ask to discover and listen to what God had in mind for us when He dreamt us up and knit us together in our mother’s womb – and then allow ourselves to be used in the way He intended, we bring our business lives into alignment. But, if we don’t make this recognition and do the discovery work to get to the place of making a decision on what niche we were called to do, we strike out on our own. That’s our choice. We’re choosing to follow the world’s desires or our fears, and we commit ourselves to run businesses out of alignment. Imagine if we all started small and practical and just decided on one little niche – a very small problem to solve for an extremely specific group of people – and moved forward with that idea. Let’s pick a product or service that requires our unique skills and abilities, our unique spiritual gifts, and our unique passion to right a wrong we’ve identified. Decide on a niche that’s significant. Don’t wait. Get going on it. #BuildMyPersonalBrand #TargetMarketAndNiche Deciding On A Niche In 4 Steps to Deciding on a Niche for your Business, join Alex Miranda as he guides you to launch a brand with intention and purpose and decide on a niche already. Heard of the Godpreneur Academy? Grow Your Business, God’s Way! Bible-Based Video Courses for Entrepreneurs Putting God First In their Businesses Click here to create a Free Account