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I go through times where I feel alone, down on myself, discontent with the direction of my business, and it affects my writing. I lose motivation, I miss a few days of writing, and I take a break from the journey I’m on. My feelings of unhappiness and low spirits usually come from a combination of home life and business life. Something at home is out of sync at the same time as something in my business took a turn for the bad. For a short time, what it feels like is that something has sucked the life out of me, leaving me paralyzed and blind. We Christian business bloggers all go through times where we feel lost in the wilderness during a thunderstorm. It could be related to the blogging side of our life, our personal life, or our other revenue-generating businesses. How do we get out? How can we stay positive, even when everything around us is falling apart? Jesus has an answer. He says we need to “have life.” The bible says: The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10:10 NIV) The enemy doesn’t want your writings to be published. Why? Because your blogging is going to help many entrepreneurs draw closer to God. He doesn’t want you to be doing what God’s called you to do. So what can you do to combat the enemy’s attacks? You have to hold on to God’s promises and keep your eyes on the Lord. In the middle of the storms you face not only as a blogger but as someone who also has a personal life and a business to run (or job to perform), you can latch on to God’s promise of mental peace, which in turn will give your physical body the strength to persevere and endure the storm. When the mental state is safe, then the physical body can keep walking in the wilderness season you’re in. On this journey, you think you’re alone on; God promises to bring life to your walk with Him. I keep a Google Doc on my phone of promises in the bible that I find comforting as an entrepreneur. If you want a copy of them, leave a comment below, and I’ll message it to you on Facebook. Want to know something crazy? It’s in these seasons of being alone that we can do our MOST spiritual growth and get the BEST content for our blogging! Why? Because it is only in the solitude of the wilderness that we can recognize our need for God and His perfect plan for our life as bloggers. When Jesus told us to have a life to the full, it means being firmly rooted in the Word and not being distracted by the latest fads in business and blogging. This is the key to living the life that God intended for us… to the FULL! #ChristianBloggers #BusinessBibleStudy #GodpreneurAcademy Keys to Successful Christian Blogging In this course, I'll give you some keys God taught me about how to write a successful Christian blog. 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

Hi Godpreneurs, As I connect with more of you on my Twitter and Facebook, it’s obvious this Coronavirus craze has been taking over our entire attention span and resources as business owners. It has turned many of our business plans upside down. Amonst my own inner circle of Christian business owners, we’ve gone from insecurity to fear, then panic, helplessness, recalibrating, and finally to damage forecasting and praying for this to pass already! However, if we live in fear, we could miss out on all the BENEFITS that can come from this season of retreat. The biggest one is that, overnight, the entire world went to ONLINE EDUCATION. And now businesses were forced to have a REMOTE working strategy, which was already beneficial even before all of this. Also, many new opportunities for collaborations are popping up as there’s a new sense of urgency to come up with creative solutions to run their businesses. Even through all the challenges of the Coronavirus, as Christians, we don’t live in the spirit of fear. The Bible says, "For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." (2 Timothy 1:7) What if God wants to use this time for the business world to rise up to new levels of love and self-control? It seems like overnight, most of us have been given back one of our most valuable resources – time. What if God wants us to draw closer to him in order to develop better time management habits so we can step closer into the business He created us to do? Time is a wonderful gift from God if you know how to use it wisely. Take the #QuarantineTimeChallenge I’ve launched a campaign to inspire Christian entrepreneurs worldwide to take this #QuarantineaTime to re-start, re-build, and re-engineer the Business God Created You to Start! During this time, let’s discover what you could do with all this season of time God as given us in order to jumpstart your business ideas: 1. Launch Your Personal Website Check out www.alexmiranda22.com. It’s basically my online resume. I believe all entrepreneurs need one of these, regardless if you plan on becoming a personal brand later. I think this has become as necessary and fundamental as a business card. Essentially, it’s an online business card. You can go to www.wix.com/templates/personal-brand and see that there are so many you can choose from and have yours up and running in no time. This is a fabulous opportunity to stop for a moment and document your entrepreneurial journey and ventures. This will motivate you to carry on. 2. Finally, update your portfolio, case studies, and client spotlights I know I’m not alone when I say that I could be doing a much better job at showing off my client work and spotlighting client success stories. It frustrates me to no end that, even as a branding agency, I do a terrible job at keeping up with my portfolio. I’m sure you’ve also been looking for some spare time to update your website portfolio. Me and my team are going to look through all our folders and uncover every project we’ve been working on lately, freshen up our portfolio design, and pack into it all the experience that we’ve have gathered. Regardless of your industry, if you take time to document your case studies, you’ll be opening some new doors for your business. Remember that every case is a story. You should give a background, what the challenge was, and how you came alongside to bring success to your client. Here’s a good example Doctor Transformational Success Story Branding Agency Case Study 3. Offer to help, NOT SELL. Here’s how. The other day I sent an email out with ideas for my clients on things they can be doing while under #QuarantineTime. I wasn’t selling anything. In fact, my email said “reply to me and I’ll help you brainstorm ideas for your business.” I've seen other coaches offer free 20-minute strategy sessions. And I've seen some companies open up their online courses for FREE during this time, offering a 2-month coupon. Since many people will be restructuring and rethinking, now is a good time to HELP your customers think outside the box. Get on social media or open up a mass email and invite your clients and prospects to take advantage of you. Get on the phone, jump into some chats, and keep engaging! Even if you don’t see how it could turn into a sale, now is the time to SHOW SOME LOVE. When we love and serve others, we’re being like Christ. When we’re like Christ, we make ourselves BLESSABLE by God. And when we’re bless-able, God is able to do MORE through us and He’ll provide more too! 4. Redesign Your Website, Business Processes, or Services Don’t like your website? Not happy with how you handle customer orders? Need to re-think your service offering? All of these things affect your BRAND IMAGE, and now is a perfect time to work on those. My company will be redesigning our website over the next month. I’m also pressing play on some initiatives to launch some new products. Spend some time redesigning or re-engineering your business. Do something NEW that you’ve always wanted to do. 5. Time to Learn What You’ve Always Been Telling Yourself to Learn For me, I’ve always known that I need to learn about Facebook ads. It’s just been eating me alive for YEARS that I haven’t gotten into it. This #QuarantineChalllenge is going to be when I finally dive deeper into them. You’ve got some books stacked up. There’s a couple of online courses you have bookmarked. Now you have the time to sit down and learn. I suggest digging deeper into topics relevant to your industry. Sharpen your toolkit. PRO TIP: Jump on LinkedIn and share with the business world what you’re learning. People will start to see you as an expert. 6. Teach and Share Your God-Given Knowledge I started www.DailyGodpreneur.com because I was studying the Bible for everything about entrepreneurship and blogging about my experiences. My desire to SHARE KNOWLEDGE is what’s helped me build up the following I have. This #QuarantineChallenge is your opportunity to invite others into conversations with you so you can show them what you’re capable of. Do you know how to coach mom’s into helping their babies fall asleep? Then share your knowledge! Do you know how to cook a healthy meal for your kids? Then share your knowledge. Are you a Facebook ads guru at your job? Then share your knowledge. Share cases studies or projects you’ve been working on. Talk about what God has been showing you on this journey. Give insight into things you’re researching. Let others know about the books you’re reading or TedTalks you’re watching. 7. Start a Blog, Write a Book (I’ll Show You How) I have over 650 blog posts written at www.DailyGodpreneur.com. The reason I have so many is because I figured our a formula. Have you wanted to start a blog or write a book? This is a perfect time to get that going! But writing a book is such a huge task! However, writing it section by section is not. The formula is 3 blog posts become 1 chapter 3 chapters become 1 section 3 sections become 1 book If you do the math, that’s 27 blog posts becomes 1 book. Cool, right? Watch my free webinar here where I go into a little more detail. 8. Organize the Entrepreneurs of Your Church My church switched to an ‘online church’ model because of the Coronavurus quarantine. This means all the ministry’s have also moved online. Think about putting together an online mastermind of other Christian entrepreneurs where you guys can all share your experiences. Get with the business owners of your church and share tips of what’s working now. Let’s all feed off of each other. This is a time to make new friends and connections. Even though we can’t see each other phtlysically, we have zoom! We can still collaborate. Start building more community. Now is the time…now more than ever! 9. Build a Community by Launching a Contest or Challenge When the quarantine started happening, I got with my team to launch the #QuarantineChallenge out of nowhere. I had never done anything like it. It was totally out of the blue! What can you come up with to get community involvement? I’ve seen so many things popping up where groups are coming together for so many reasons. Launch a contest or start a Facebook or LinkedIn group. When this is all over, the community will always remember you for leading and giving the way you did. 10) LAUNCH A NEW BUSINESS! What if this is the moment for you to finally launch your coaching business? What if now is the time to start your consulting firm? What if you could FINALLY start your freelance graphic design career? There are so many possibilities! Join the #QuarantineChallenge to finally start the business God created you to start! Click here. This is a time to THINK INSIDE THE BOX of what God has created you for. Now that you’re in the box, focus on your calling. I want to help guide you. Join me at the challenge. And please take care. Alex Miranda #LaunchingMyBusiness

I’ve had a branding agency since 2005. In branding, I’m supposed to help an entrepreneur uncover what business they were born to do and then help them bring that business to life through logos, websites, etc. Helping an entrepreneur shape their vision towards what they were “born to do” may seem like a simple set of questions to ask, but it’s a much deeper spiritual experience than meets the eye. In order to guide someone towards their calling in business, I act as a “mediator” between God and the client. I’m trying to channel what I feel the holy spirit wants of this person, and then positioning the message such that it motivates them to say “yes, that’s exactly what I want to do!” And because this is the awesome job I get to do weekly, whatever the bible has to teach about purpose, calling, vision, and identity, I pick up on and study it deeply. What I’ve come to discover is that having integrity is a critical piece of my life that I always need to be working on if I’m going to be the best “mediator” between God and my clients. Why? The Bible says in Matthew 5:8, “God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God” (NLT, second edition). In the business world, we don’t refer to people as being pure in heart, instead we do use the word “integrity.” To “see God” in business means 5 amazing things for your business life: 1.Entrepreneurs with pure hearts get to experience the presence of God in every meeting. Have you ever been in a meeting and something just didn’t feel right? Someone without integrity would ignore that “feeling” and push through the negativity to get the deal signed. You and I both know those deals always end up in some kind of disaster. Why? Because God was trying to warn you from the beginning, but impure hearts came to the meeting table and didn’t allow for the presence of God to dictate the outcome. For me, I need that presence of God if I’m going to “feel” my way through helping a client understand what business God created them to start. At the same time, the Holy Spirit can help me guide someone AWAY from something I’m not feeling right about for them. 2. Entrepreneurs who have integrity get to feel the power of God when transacting in the marketplace. God is so powerful, but when you are depending upon your own strength, you are losing the greatest source of power in the universe: the One Who created the universe. If today you’re facing an uphill slope, why not set your sails to catch God’s power because you and I are surely going to need it. For me, when I help someone uncover what they were born to do, I need the power of God to help us push through to launching the business because every type of force of resistance will come about to try to derail the brand coming to life. Think about it – I’m helping God help someone else draw closer to God through their business and bring a product or service to the marketplace that will help God’s bigger plan for the world – we’re about to be TARGET #1 for destruction. I need the power of God. 3. Entrepreneurs with pure hearts get to know the PURPOSE of God for their business lives. This is my favorite byproduct of integrity because I’m all about knowing my purpose in business and helping entrepreneurs find theirs. In John 8:12, Jesus said, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” When your heart isn’t pure and your integrity is cracking, it’s impossible for God to have 100% of you, so your spirit isn’t fully in tune with your purpose. You might still know your overall purpose, but calling is your day by day, minute by minute present walk. 4. Entrepreneurs who have integrity get to live in the peace of God. This one is so good! Have you ever found someone’s wallet on the floor and immediately turned it into a lost and found? That feeling you get is the peace of God. Or remember a time that you decided “ok, I’m going to knock out these 3 proposals in 1 hour,” and you did it. That’s because when you accomplish something you intended for, a peace comes over you because you’re being honest and true to yourself. That’s the peace of God when we have pure hearts. 5. Business men and women with pure hearts experience the pardon of God. What’s awesome about the concept of a pure heart is that if the impurities are called out and purposely removed, we can get back to a place of integrity. This is all possible because God pardons and wants you back in your purpose – God’s purpose for you here on earth. You do, however, need to repent of the lack of integrity and ask God’s forgiveness. Asking God for forgiveness involves the confession to God of whatever is throwing off your integrity: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Do you want to be one of those entrepreneurs with a pure heart? Do you want to have squeaky clean integrity? It’s impossible for us to have 100% pure hearts, but we should run our businesses with the intention to lead with integrity. In the next posts were going to explore ways to level up our integrity in business so we can experience the most God has for us. #WorkLifeBalance #StrengthenIntegrity

LinkedIn has a built-in notification that lets me know when it's someone's work anniversary or if they landed a new job. From this notification, I can easily congratulate them on their accomplishment. I do this every Monday; it’s on my calendar. It's a very simple, easy way to develop the habit of celebrating others. I'm also keenly aware of who is celebrating me and my posts. I see who likes, shares, and comments. I'm paying extra attention to THOSE individuals, going to their posts, and finding opportunities to engage with and celebrate them. We all have an internal desire to be celebrated, appreciated, and liked by others. This isn't about narcissism. This is by design. The Bible says "Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing." (1 Thessalonians 5:11) God designed us to celebrate each other. There are plenty of difficulties faced in business that will need to be overcome, so there has to be a counter-balance in place. That's where encouragement comes in. As you grow your influence on LinkedIn, you need good people in your network, and you need to be a good person in someone else's network. As a Christian entrepreneur, you might be the ONLY word of encouragement in a person's life that day, week, or even month! Our LinkedIn relationships should not be a stressful part of our day. Yes, sometimes there will be times where we "challenge" someone or someone who might hold us accountable for something we said or did, but celebrating and encouraging each other should be the OVERALL theme. Receiving and giving celebrations is the most underutilized, most powerful secret sauce to building relationships on LinkedIn. It's important that we choose relationships that appreciate our worth and who support and encourage us, and we do the same for others. This brings me to my next point: we have to block abusive relationships. To read more articles on LinkedIn, click here. #AttractingRightClients

My key to THRIVING during this pandemic was staying PRESENT in my work - my purpose and calling. God brought me clients that only came because they had time during the quarantine, assigned uniquely to me because I was qualified and in my zone of genius. As we all launch into this unknown and unchartered territory of reengaging in business post-quarantine, uncovering and launching the business God created us to do is of the highest importance. Our relationships with people, and the solutions our products and services provide, are of the utmost urgency! What if you don't know what to do? Pray. Your God is faithful even in the middle of disasters. He still speaks and directs your business dreams. Godpreneur, what is God asking you to launch in your present NOW. Not when the dust settles, and the economy improves, but TODAY. That "shoulda, woulda, coulda" feeling of that product or service... that's the work God wants you to LAUNCH NOW! It might not make sense, but that's what launching into the unknown with God is all about - faith. God hasn't changed His mind about your calling in business just because the world's future is uncertain. A calling from God isn't subject to the things of this world. Here are two important things to consider that will help you launch into the unknown during any crisis or challenge. Ask God to Do His Work Through You I was playing golf with my friend Julio, and he said something profound. He said, "God laughs at our plans." I stayed stuck on that thought. God would laugh either because our business plans are much smaller than what He has for us, or, our ideas are outrageously out of line with His calling for us. But what I couldn't stop thinking about was the fact that we have a plan, and then there is God's plan. We want God to revive our businesses. We've spent weeks in quarantine plotting our return to entrepreneurship; however, we likely prayed for God to restore OUR work, and maybe not HIS work. Leading a God-first business requires us to pray for a God-centered work to be done in the marketplace. It has very little to do with any of our abilities and all to do with work that only God can do. We become vessels willing to carry out the plan. An act of God will reveal your calling to respond. However, with the economy messed up, business revenue down, and our pausing on projects, our businesses could use some life, we might be tempted to ask God to revive some previous version of our business. We need to ask ourselves if asking for God to restore something WE want is in line with the NEW work HE might wish to do. The Bible says "Lord , I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord . Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy." (Habakkuk 3:2 NIV) A God-first business owner makes God-centered requests. God is the bigger picture behind business-ownership and entrepreneurship. He's the entire reason for the launch of the products and services, so it's Him that can do all the work! You might be tempted to ask God to revive YOUR previous business. Let me encourage you to pick your head up out of the weeds, look around, and see the BIGGER PICTURE. Entrepreneurship is not about what you want, it's about stewarding God's calling to accomplish His eternal work. Our place in God's plan, our mark on it—is our brand. This is what will give us our purpose and significance. The trick is to ask nothing of ourselves, but instead to let God move in and through our businesses in a fantastic way. Being a Daily Godpreneur is a way we seek His face so we can move into the unknown one day at a time. Successfully launching into the unknown with confidence and excitement requires us to fully embrace that God is the Creator and sustainer of every industry and marketplace. He is supreme, and whatever WE might want pales in comparison to what only HE can do. Imagine if all of us Godpreneurs had the perspective of asking God to do what only He can do. This is the HOPE needed to launch into the unknown successfully. Pray for God to revive HIS work in your business. Choose to Rejoice I'm an optimistic guy. I can find good in any situation. Throughout the pandemic, I didn't get any anxiety, stress, or depression, even though I had lost revenue. Instead, I praised God for the slow down in my life, for bringing me home to my family, and for letting me spend more time with my son. I chose to rejoice, even though everything was chaotic, and the economy was falling apart. When we face challenges in business, we can choose to let the fear overtake us, or we can choose to rejoice in God. It's this very attitude that we need to embrace to have the ENERGY we need to launch into the unknown. The Bible says "yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation." (Habakkuk 3:18) On the edge of the UNKNOWN that we all face as we re-launch, we Godpreneurs make the only choice that provides peace, freedom, and hope to those in need. We must choose to rejoice. But how will it be possible for us to rejoice when many of us get backed up on bills, business doors shut, and need to start over from scratch? How can we choose to celebrate instead of letting depression overtake us and become another victim of the circumstances, worrying ourselves, too sick to launch anything? The Bible says "Counting on God's Rule to prevail, I take heart and gain strength. I run like a deer. I feel like I'm king of the mountain!" (Habakkuk 3:19 MSG) For an entrepreneur, this means that God is the business plan, the execution strategy, and the leader through the storm. Putting God in charge of the business plan helps the entrepreneur keep launching into the unknown as if the victory has already happened. God will be the fuel your rocket needs to launch. If you trusted God in your business before, why wouldn't you believe it in the most uncertain of times? For the first time in history, all of humanity sits at the same playing field, holding on to hope day-by-day. Not even the smartest wall street people know what's coming for the economy. However, the promise of God is sure and unmistakable. When God is first in our businesses, we don't launch in fear or terror. We faithfully step into the unknown, making spiritual and business progress despite marketplace troubles - however dreadful things might look. For us, Kingdom-minded entrepreneurs, fear in the face of suffering won't stop us. We have faith over the fear. We have faith in our great responsibility to move forward with Jesus guiding our launch (or re-launch) plans. Father, Son, and Spirit is OUR STRENGTH. #LaunchingMyBusiness

Lust isn’t just for sexual desires, it can be for our desires in business too! Maybe what you crave is dreams of money and entrepreneurial fame. This starts to consume your mind and overwhelm your soul’s purpose in business. Or maybe it’s something material: that 2nd home near Disney, that shiny Ferrari, that sweet RV. You wake up thinking about everything you’ll buy once you figure it all out, and go to sleep with it on your heart. The Bible says, But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. (Ephesians 5:3 NIV) Whatever you lust after in business, it takes every ounce of restraint a God-First entrepreneur can muster to hold ourselves back from plowing headlong after it. Why? Because lust makes even the strongest Godpreneur weak. Let’s all get in the habit of pointing our feet away from the temptation—and turning our eyes away from it. What is it doing on our vision boards anyway? We shouldn’t be putting ourselves in that position. We Kingdom-minded entrepreneurs need to practice common sense and good judgment, know our weaknesses, and shore up our defenses. #StrengthenIntegrity

The Gospel’s Clash With Culture’s Radical Egalitarianism God says interesting things. He never takes one side or the other … it’s always about bringing both sides into unity through Him. One of the strangest things that grabbed me recently was this verse from Romans 12:16: “Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate.” What?! “Condescend” is a terrible word in 21st Century Western society. Just read this grotesque definition from Webster’s: “1. Show feelings of superiority; be patronizing. 2. Do something in a haughty way, as though it is below one’s dignity or level of importance.” The mere thought of it makes me uncomfortable. God is telling us to act like pompous, arrogant know-it-alls? This isn’t going to sit well with the grievance industrial complex. I foresee lawsuits and a Twitterstorm of self-righteous indignation. If this is what Paul actually meant, we have a case where Scripture contradicts itself. But Scripture never contradicts itself. Yeshua also told us, “Do not cast your pearls before swine.” Did he mean to say that “some men are pigs, and others are not”? No, because elsewhere He spends entire sermons telling us that no one is excluded from salvation through faith in Him. Just so, there is a context and a framework for us to apply to this command. We must discover what it is. Why “Equality” of Outcomes Is a Myth One look at nature ought to tell you our Father’s attitude concerning equal outcomes. Eagles enjoy the freedom of flight, and wield the power of tremendously good eyesight. They can spot a rodent scurrying across the floor of the forest, from hundreds of feet in the air. But that same bird, hunted by the fowler, would give anything for the gills of a lanternfish, to hide underwater and avoid the bullet of a rifle. His gifts are only eclipsed by his limitations. This would be easier to accept if some human beings could fly, while others could live underwater. But on the surface, we appear to have little difference in needs, from one person to the next. Air, water, food, shelter, elimination, reproduction - on that level, it’s standard formula. Only when we perceive ourselves correctly - as spiritual beings with physical bodies - that our differences and variety become clear. I’ve met people of tremendous gifting in certain areas … and been blown away when they’ve told me, “I wish I had your skill with language.” On my podcast, Influencer Networking Secrets, I’ve spent the last two years interviewing the most brilliant minds I can find, including some very recognizable names in the Kingdom of God. You’d be shocked to learn of the opportunities it’s afforded me, because of the things people sense in me. I can’t perceive what they find so valuable; I’m just being myself. But it doesn’t matter … what’s important is how they feel when we interact. They feel the same as I do, listening to them … “This person has such a depth of knowledge” … “This lady projects warmth and enthusiasm like no one else” … “This guy could kill you as soon as look at you” … “She is an irresistible force” and so on. Spiritually, we are incredibly different. Uniquely gifted, and uniquely limited. Forged and influenced by our heritage, background, ancestry, upbringing, education, surroundings, tribes and experience. There are too many variables. That’s why it’s such a thrill to discover that rare person who thinks the same way you do … at least until you learn that in some ways, they think differently. How To Condescend In a Godly Way Believe it or not, the original “Condescender” is Yeshua Himself. God The Son, the Word Made Flesh, took on full humanity. It was one way He could later tell us, in Hebrews 4:15, “We do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weakness, for He Himself was tempted in every way.” We also don’t have a foolish God, who lacks the foresight to anticipate sin’s abuse of the merit system. In an equally baffling passage known as the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard, Yeshua compares His Kingdom to … a socialist system, where the man who works eight hours a day gets paid exactly the same as the man who works for one! What do you make of that, Mr. Overachiever? God understands - our pride can swim low as a lanternfish, or soar high as an eagle. We don’t have to become strutting egomaniacs, in order to be prideful. We can also swim in self-hatred, unforgiveness and cursing, to avoid surrender, reconciliation, union and intimacy with Him. All very well … but what does it have to do with condescension? I’ll explain by sharing a little dream I have for my podcast. I’m a big fan of Ray Lewis, the Hall of Fame middle linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens. I love listening to him explain the mindset and strategy behind the game. I’d love to interview him. If Ray appeared on my show, and I asked him about football, he would condescend to answer. Wouldn’t you agree? I’ve never played a game of full-contact, tackle football in my life. I'm a 100% certified armchair cornerback. For all of Ray’s field prowess and force of personality, however, I wouldn’t need him to admit it - there are areas of life where he feels weak, unprepared or incompetent. It only takes a semi-private, 60-minute conversation to discern what some of them might be. I’m not kidding - I have leveraged my “strengths” many a time, for people far more socially prominent than me. This is why I wouldn’t hesitate to ask someone like Ray, “How could I make myself useful to you? What’s the hardest part of being you right now?” Like the Master, I am not a priest of God unable to empathize with the weakness of others - even successful, accomplished, influential others like Ray Lewis. The “completeness” status the world confers on people like him is phony. Ask anyone who’s ever achieved it. I can condescend to anyone - once I know their weakness. That’s the rule of the game, and what makes “Christian condescension” so different from worldly condescension. If you understand God’s design for human interaction - that “we who are strong are to bear with the weak” - it makes for a much more level playing field. And like the Master, I am here “not to be served, but to serve.” Don’t read this and think, “Oh boy, he wants me to join the ushers or parking lot ministries.” We’re talking about caring enough to find out where people struggle, and showing up with your strength. The purpose of your strength, in other words, is to lovingly and tactfully spend it, on behalf of others. And the purpose of your weakness is to know you share in the experience of being human, so you don’t elevate one person over another - especially yourself. #StrengthenIntegrity Paul Edwards wears many hats – bestselling author, podcast host, executive ghostwriter, strategic connector. Hus band, father, older brother to younger men. Amateur theologian, men’s physique competitor, voice mimic, and recovering insurance salesman. A first-generation Spanish-speaking immigrant to the US with African heritage and Middle East combat experience, Paul lived in five different countries and speaks two languages. Paul does two things well: words and people. When he isn’t writing content for clients, you’re most likely to find him building relationships and creating opportunities for his network. Instagram: @thepaulsedwards

What comes to mind when you consider writing web content, a book, or correspondence? If you’re like my clients, it’s not because you can’t spell. You might need extra eyes to edit what you write, but you don’t lack talent. Entrepreneurs are usually great storytellers. It’s the nonstop tick of the clock, and endless demands on schedules, that steers people my way. Like you, they have an abundance of knowledge, skill and wisdom to share. They know frequent, current content creates energy and credibility in their business. But people have legitimate apprehensions. Entrusting your voice and intellectual substance to someone else is risky. More so, in some ways, than doing the same with a scientific formula or patented engineering process. Numbers and formulas, at the very least, do not change. Perhaps you’ve thought of hiring a ghostwriter and wondered, “How can someone else possibly take over my voice? How can they know what I know, and think what I think?” Or maybe you looked further down the road and said, “How could I take credit for something written by someone else?” Some authors insist on including the ghostwriter’s name in the title, such as this famous book: I affirm genuine concern for your intellectual property, and appreciate your desire for authenticity. Especially in the time we live in, good communication is as difficult to identify as it is to produce. Ghostwriters worth their salt in today’s market come prepared to accept consulting projects, in lieu of full-fledged creative work. Clients’ needs can be knee-deep (an extra set of eyes) to neck-deep (extra minds, eyes and hands doing the project for them). But, by the same authentic token, you risk depriving your target market of something, if you attempt to write your content on a pure solo basis. You will deprive them of the flood of creativity that comes with involving others in your project, silently or otherwise. Think for a moment of the endless creativity and infinite variety of musical styles and genres. Almost none of it is written, performed, produced, recorded and engineered by just one person. Music has such spiritual and emotional potency … because it is forged by the interaction of human souls, personalities, backgrounds and skill levels. Rare exceptions to this only prove the rule, courtesy of my friend, Rabbi Daniel Lapin: “True creativity always involves at least two human beings who are different from one another.” Just try starting a business without customers, a band without instrumentalists, or a marriage and family without a spouse, if you disagree. Why You’re “Already” Using Ghostwriters … You Just Don’t Realize It Maybe you’d be surprised to learn: marketing is much easier to do, with other people doing it for you. Your referral partners and existing customers are your “marketing ghostwriters.” I encourage people to leverage these relationships to create your own “unpaid sales force” in my book, Influencer Networking Secrets. As I built two businesses in the local insurance market, I found “imprinting myself” in the minds of others worked better than tooting my own horn. By investing in people, they would recommend me to their networks. They “ghost-wrote” my sales pitch … and usually did the “persuading” for me. Indirectly, I merged my energy with theirs. People do business with others they “know, like and trust” because of the spiritual exchange that takes place when we’re together. My partners functioned as “social proof,” and formed a chain of “affiliates” that endorsed me. Whatever you might write by yourself - web content, a book, a keynote speech, a shareholder letter - becomes more powerful, not less, when you work with others to write it. If it’s good enough for CEOs and US presidents … it’s good enough for you. How The Ghostwriting Process Changes Things If we believe that every word printed in the Bible belongs there, what do you do with obscure verses like this? “I, Tertius, who wrote this epistle, greet you in the Lord.” - Romans 16:22 Was Tertius merely taking dictation, or did he influence the content of the letter? I don’t know. I’ve never heard anyone teach on it. But you have to wonder why Sha’ul (Paul) did not write the letter himself. If you employ someone to write for you, the words you speak aloud will, in many cases, end up differently on paper. Love him or hate him, note the difference in the way President Donald Trump speaks at rallies, versus how he “reads” in his ghost-written bestseller, “The Art of the Deal.” You can tell by the thought content that you’re sampling Trump’s mind. What’s missing are the shorthand phrases, interruptions of his own thoughts and expressions he uses for emphasis. Now you may ask, “Edwards, who really cares about this?” Nobody, I suppose … unless you’re a theologian, or a ghostwriter. If you’re both of those things, like me, you begin to think of all the ways God built ghostwriting into His wisdom - and you find it quite believable that Tertius’ name appears in Romans because he did have influence over how it was written. Referring back to my “fan club,” God explicitly tells us to let other people beat our drum. Let others do your marketing for you, and shape how you position yourself. The Word says: “Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth.” - Proverbs 27:2 Well? What do you figure? It sounds like God wants us to have “ghostwriters” who praise our skills, talents and virtues. Knowing how he feels about our susceptibility to pride … it’s better that people hear about our strengths through others’ lips. Or do you think it’s coincidence people read reviews and testimonials like they’re going out of style? Would it be a stretch to imagine God feels the same way, when we choose to publish the substance of our strengths? He could have written the entire Bible by Himself. He didn’t need Moses, or the prophets, or the apostles. Why does He operate the way He does? Perhaps He recognizes the value of each contributor far more than we do. God also barrels on about the importance of transparency in our plans and tactics, refusing to let anyone think themselves an island: “Where there is no counsel, people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety.” Proverbs 11:14 “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisors, they succeed.” - Prov. 15:22 It’s isolation that catches us off-guard, and wrangles us into discrediting ourselves. Whether you’re discussing character and personal development, or professional skills like communicating - we could do with a new mindset on authenticity and originality! If we choose to remain isolated when we engage our creativity: We’ll start blogs, but won’t keep them going. We’ll talk endlessly of writing books, and never get to them. We’ll intend one message to our teams, and end up sending another. We’ll have perfect spelling and grammar … and people will find us boring, vague, difficult to understand or lost in the outer space of our own navel-gazing. We’ll lead people down rabbit holes that have nothing to do with our stated topic Verbally, you can get away with things like this. It’s far less frequent to interrupt someone’s stream of consciousness spoken aloud, to get them to focus. But in print, you aren’t audible or visible. Your tonality and context are absent, especially if your reader is a perfect stranger. If you’re seeking to influence people, especially to consider investing in your expertise … you can ill afford to lose them because you can’t stay on-message. If you need help with a project you’re working on, I invite you to contact me. Here’s a little bit more about how we do things. #MarketingMyServices

I was a passive business partner. I couldn't say no. I avoided conflict, partners would take advantage of me, and in the end, I always felt like a victim. Sometimes, I would find myself partnering with the opposite of me: aggressive partners. To me or others, they would act unhappy to make a point, deny their anger, use sarcasm a lot, plan revenge, deliberately hurt others, raise their voice, and act out their anger. What's funny is that I would always end up becoming more passive-aggressive in the partnership, and my aggressive partner would also become more passive-aggressive. We'd both end up in the middle of the spectrum of being passive-aggressive. Passive, aggressive, and everything in between is no way to act in a business partnership. What was happening in my business partnerships was that I didn't set clear boundaries directly. So boundaries had a way of making themselves known more indirectly through passive, passive-aggressive, and aggressive behaviors. Sadly, these are popular yet ineffective communication techniques that plague even the godliest business partnerships. Passive and aggressive behaviors in business partnerships are just a poor attempt at communicating a boundary. Instead of directly stating how we’ve been hurt, we act out or avoid how we feel and just hope the other person figures out what they’ve done wrong. More often than not, this approach only frustrates the other business partner who is entirely clueless about the problem. Passive and aggressive behaviors are prevalent in business partnerships since we often expect our partners to have some telepathic insight into our needs. But, the truth is, our partner can’t read our mind, and it’s unreasonable to expect it. God would want us to communicate our needs directly. He'd like us to express our boundaries directly by asserting them verbally and then back them up with action. God's way of dealing with passive and aggressive behaviors in our business partnerships is by setting healthy boundaries through clear communication and consistent action. The Bible says, “Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold.” (2 Corinthians 3:12) Paul is speaking of the boldness that comes from the hope we have in Christ. Being a Christ-centered Godpreneur leaves no room for passive or aggressive behavior because it's the opposite of being bold and standing firm in what one believes in. To be assertive in your business partnership is to exude bold confidence in speech (verbal) and behavior (action). Too much assertiveness is aggressive behavior. Too little assertiveness is passive behavior. That´s why even well-meaning assertive Christians who stand boldly in their faith can find themselves in aggressive or passive business partnerships. Assertiveness is a positive quality that God teaches us to have through the bold faith we have in Christ. Confident Communication In Ephesians 6:20, Paul, while in jail, asks his friends to pray that “I might speak boldly as I ought to speak.” Prayer and the power of the Holy Spirit will give you the confidence to show up in your business partnerships the way God needs you to. Some business partners are so deeply troubled by their past that they purposely make situations even more difficult. Therefore, like Paul in his chains, you need to ask for prayer that you might not give way to fear and intimidation. God-like assertiveness is a way of communicating your needs openly without attacking your business partner for having done something wrong. And, when you assert your boundaries directly to your partner, you minimize the chance that they’ll be misunderstood. God-honoring assertiveness in business partnerships comes from knowing that our Christ-likeness is of supreme value in the relationship. Our bold confidence is supplied by the Lord and empowers us to declare His truth. (2 Corinthians 16–18) Assertiveness is a business partnership that is good when it is used for right. Proverbs 24:11 says, “Rescue those who are being led away to death.” It requires assertiveness to rescue a business partner from going down a path you don't feel you or your business should be going down. We often shrink back from boldly confronting our business partners, but an assertive Godpreneur will risk his or her popularity to set a boundary and say what needs to be said. Assertiveness in business partnerships will, for example, ask for a better deal, respectfully show a partner where a financial error has been made, or supply the courage to address leadership issues. Consistent Action The process of setting boundaries in business partnerships doesn’t end with communication, however. You have to back up what you say with consistent action, or else your partner won’t take your limits seriously. For one, that means modeling the behavior you expect from your business partner. If you want your partner to be honest with you, for example, it’s not going to help your cause if you're not honest with him or her. And, secondly, consistent action means respecting your business partner's boundaries as well. Healthy partnerships are built of mutuality. And, if you don’t honor your partner's boundaries, you don’t give them much reason to celebrate yours. We can judge the level of our assertiveness in our partnerships by asking ourselves, “If Jesus were standing here, would I still do or say this?” Godly assertiveness in business partnerships is declaring what needs to be said or doing what needs to be done to benefit our partner and the longevity of our business venture. It is not simply airing one’s grievances or complaining to our partners. It is not demanding rights or angrily telling our partners off. It is motivated by agape love, not by selfishness or a wish to dominate the partnership. Assertiveness, God's way, is to show Christlikeness - it's being preoccupied with the interests of Christ in the partnership. Remember that it's about asserting God’s message, not your own. When that is our objective, assertiveness in business partnerships is a gift from God. #BusinessPartnerships #SharpenLeadership

I don’t know about you and what this season of life is like for you, but in our little slice of Heaven, a battle is raging all around us. The warfare is heavy. The smoke and mirrors of the enemy are thick, and some days we’re just trying to put one foot in front of the other to survive. You see, we know we are on the cusp of a breakthrough in business and that God is moving, and we need to stand firm. We have done all that we can to stand and keep standing. Can I just say that in the midst of the battlefield, it’s super hard to hear the Commander’s voice, to know how to navigate when it’s dark, foggy, and smoke-filled? That like you, my spirit struggles to lead when the circumstances and flesh are screaming? It’s also a pure battle to make a choice to praise and worship when things are blowing up around you, and you feel like you’re the one wounded on the battleground in desperate need of the Medic. Below please find and pray with me an offering of praise and worship to speak and declare in the midst of your battleground. Be it business, family, the spiritual or relational victory you need, the call is to guard His presence, and He will encamp around you. Fight your way out of the darkness with the Light of Christ because He is Light, and in HIM there is no darkness at all. Be strong and courageous for the LORD your God is with you and your business, Kelly I worship You, Lord - I bring all that I am to You and worship You. Father, I come to You and lift up Your Name - the Name above all Names. I worship You, King of Kings. I come before You Father in the Name of your Son, Jesus, and thank You that I am welcome. I exalt Your Name for only You are great and worthy of praise and honor. I lift up my soul to You alone and cast away all the demands bombarding my mind, will, and emotions and lift my soul to YOU. I magnify Your name for YOU must increase, and I must decrease. I speak to my spirit to rejoice in You alone, my Saviour. I speak to my soul to magnify You. I speak to my flesh that you are crucified, and it is no longer I who lives, but it is Christ that lives in me and navigates this ship. I put on the garment of praise instead of the spirit of despair and declare that YOU are my garment! I offer You all glory, honor, and praise. I humble myself and forgive anyone You bring to mind at this moment, for You say we are to forgive whenever we stand to pray. Father, I worship You in the beauty of Your holiness and ask if there is anything in me that needs to be purified so that You can be glorified and so that You can be reflected. I trust You and let it go because I value Your Presence in my life more than my pride and anything of my flesh. Father, I exalt You and lift You up, and I thank You, Jesus, for defeating death so that I may live. Thank you, Jesus, that You hold the Keys! Thank you, that You are my victory! There is no defeat in You, and there is no battle that You have ever lost; You have WON! You have conquered! You are alive, and death is no more! You are LIFE! You are the Bright and Morning Star; in You, there is no darkness at all! I magnify You, Jesus; I magnify You, King of Kings! I declare that as the armies of Israel surrounded the Tabernacle to guard Your Presence, I set guards around my spirit, soul, and body to guard Your Presence in my life. In the Power, the Name, and the Blood of Jesus, I declare protection over THIS temple. I put on my armor - my Helmet of Salvation, my Breastplate of Righteousness, my Belt of Truth, my Shoes of Peace, and I take up my sword of the Spirit and my Shield of Faith. And Jesus, I thank You that YOU are my armor! YOU are my Salvation; YOU are my Righteousness, YOU are Truth that surrounds me, YOU are Peace. YOU are Faithful and True, and I lift You up! YOU are the Word! Jesus, it is only in You that I am safe. I set myself to honor You and thank You that no weapon formed against me will prosper because I am hidden inside You. I thank You that the Angel of the Lord encamps around me as I honor and protect Your Presence. I ask You humbly, that as You spoke to Moses face to face, would you please talk with me today and go before, and be a part of my conversations today. Holy Spirit, I ask that You would quicken to me anything that would offend, vex, sadden, or grieve You that I may walk with You in the Father’s Presence throughout this day. In YOU I live and move and have my being - I worship and exalt You, King of Kings. I praise You Victorious One! I confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father and declare His Authority and Dominion in every timeline, age, dimension, and realm and declare Your Kingdom come, and You will be done on Earth as it already is in Heaven. For Yours is the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory, AMEN. #GainConfidence

Some people can't handle owning multiple businesses at once. Me...I love it! I have this insatiable appetite for starting businesses and leave them running to start another one. For me, several factors contribute to my success in a business venture, and one of them is partnering with the right person when I start something new. The problem is that, of course, business partnerships can get messy. If I could do business alone, I would. I've been burnt, lied to, cheated on, stolen from, and everything in between. I've always blamed my business partners for failed ventures, but then I started to ask myself: what if the problem was ME? I started to pray about this - asking God to reveal how I was contributing to failed partnerships. I honestly and earnestly sought for the Holy Spirit to show me because I know God wanted me to succeed with others, not alone. If God's plan was for me to be in community and fellowship with others, then there had to be a way to work well together that I just didn't know about yet. Then, the Holy Spirit spoke: BOUNDARIES. I had heard about boundaries in dating, but not in business partnerships. And usually, boundaries were a "girl" thing; not a topic guys would sit down and talk about. So like with everything that needs perfecting in my life, I turned to the Bible to find out everything the Word had to say about boundaries in relationships, specifically, boundaries in my business partnerships. As I started researching boundaries, I knew that this was exactly what I needed to work on to experience breakthroughs in existing partnerships and start on the right foot on future partnerships. How did I know? What were the signs? Well, I reflected on a few thoughts. I frequently felt stressed, overwhelmed, and burned out by the amount of work I had to do in my partnerships. I found that I struggled to say no to requests from partners. I found myself avoiding partners that I grew uncomfortable being around. We all want successful businesses, and we all would love it if we could find the best partner to do that business with, right? However, if you feel like any of the bullet points above, then you, too, might have an issue with boundaries as I did. Business partnerships are exciting and full of a lot of adventure and hard work. We wear many hats, and it's "all hands on deck" to pull the wagon out of the mud. However, the struggles are just as diverse and divisive, but they all boil down to the same fundamental problem: we've allowed our needs to take second place to our partner's needs. Boundaries in business partnerships, then, are about standing up for ourselves. Having healthy boundaries means being able to count on our partner in the entrepreneurial venture to treat us in a manner that we're comfortable with. The Bible says Let your foot be seldom in your neighbor’s house, lest he have his fill of you and hate you. (Proverbs 25:16) The author of this proverb understood that if physical boundaries weren't set up, people wouldn't get along with each other. There needed to be some rules of engagement if communities were going to flourish. I used to allow my business partners to call me whenever and show up at my office at any time. I thought this was the "Christian" thing to do. I thought this is what business partners do - a "whatever it takes" attitude. However, the Bible says otherwise. It implies that if you overstep your neighbor’s boundaries, then he will hate you, and it will be your fault! And vise versa - if it's your neighbor coming over into your space, you'll begin to hate him. That’s a clear example of needing to set up and live in healthy boundaries. The key discovery I made is that healthy business partnerships need healthy boundaries. When we think of boundaries, the ones that first come to mind are the physical boundaries like in the Proverb above or our bodies and personal space. In my study of boundaries, I uncovered five other types that I had not considered. 6 Types of Boundaries in Business Partnerships Here are the boundaries that we must consider in our business partnerships: Physical boundaries - example above Sexual boundaries - this one is about limiting our partner's sexually charged jokes, inappropriate conversation topics, and other behavior that we’re unwilling to entertain. Intellectual boundaries - having our opinions respected by our business partners even if they disagree. Emotional boundaries - having our feelings respected by our partners even if they disagree with us. Material boundaries - how our partners use our possessions, including the money and assets we bring into the venture Time boundaries - ensuring that our partners understand the value of our time Of the list above, physical boundaries are probably the easiest to follow since they're coded into the culture - personal space generally isn't a problem in business partnerships. However, the other five boundaries are personal to each one of us - we all fall on a different spectrum in each area, making it even more important to communicate them. Setting boundaries is difficult because I avoid confrontation and don't want to be seen as sensitive, needy, or overly stuffy. I don't want to harm the relationship or make things awkward. But, not setting boundaries is counter-productive to the partnership and will hurt the business in the long run. The quality of the business partnership will decline if we continually allow our boundaries to be stepped over. Setting boundaries in business partnerships can be uncomfortable, but to create and operate a successful, long-term business, short-term discomfort is a small price to pay. Since I get into many business partnerships, I plan on writing my boundary manifesto to hand it over to potential business partners before getting into a venture with them. Good idea, huh? What are your thoughts? Comment below. #BusinessPartnerships

The world is still in short supply of Christian business leaders and entrepreneurs. This article is an encouragement for starting new businesses. Not just that, but also the assistance we are meant to provide for the hurting world. The common name for what we do as entrepreneurs is Business. But for the Christian entrepreneur, business is more than making money. Business is our divine calling. It is serving God’s purpose for His creation, though in the process, we make money. So, every new business should be founded in God. One of the many struggles we go through is having the courage to start. The other is fear – fear of failing, fear of the unknown, fear of criticism, fear of harsh business climate, and even fear of success (ironically). Without pretense, fear is real and common to all. Struggles and fears are only proof that we are human. Fear is worth noting as a normal response to starting a business but not worth indulging in because this has kept many paralyzed and tossed around for too long. We need to see fear as a motivation to succeed because our breakthrough lies on the other side of fear. Having said all the above, I am sharing with you below Bible verses that speak to you about starting a new business. Please don’t just read; ensure you understand some business management tools and principles they convey. You won’t just be starting a new business, but starting it in God’s way. 1. Business ideation But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding. (Job 32:8 KJV) The first step in starting a new business is having a business idea/insight from God. This is important because you need to know what you are called to do – the solution you are bringing to meet the needs in the market. 2. Faith and Courage “Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things (we) hope for, being the proof of things (we) do not see and the conviction of their reality (faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses)” – Hebrews 11:1 (AMP). When your senses tell you “it’s not doable”, faith sees it done. Without exercising your faith, you may not rise to the call. It takes good courage to conquer fears and struggles. Faith is the vehicle that takes you from your present to your desired future. It is a very potent business tool for the Christian entrepreneur. Faith gives you the courage to keep on despite opposition. 3. Write the Vision “Write the vision. Make it clear on tablets so that anyone can read it quickly” – Habakkuk 2:2 (GW). You must write down where the business is headed. This is not just for you but for all those who will come to be part of the business. Vision drives the passion for doing business. 4. Research 17“. . . After you go through the Southern Desert of Canaan, continue north into the hill country 18and find out what those regions are like. Be sure to remember how many people live there, how strong they are, 19and if they live in open towns or walled cities. See if the land is good for growing crops and find out what kinds of trees grow there. It’s time for grapes to ripen, so try to bring back some of the fruit that grows there” – Numbers 13:17-19 (CEV). The research will open your eyes to the opportunities and threats that exist, for or against your new business, and help you to adopt strategies to navigate through. See how detailed Moses was in researching a city they were about to possess. Each of those details is an action point for him in the journey. 5. Planning 28“If one of you is planning to build a tower, you sit down first and figure out what it will cost, to see if you have enough money to finish the job” - Luke 14:28 (GNB). Planning is determining the course of the business in advance. It goes to set out what is to be done, when, how, and who will do it. Business goals and objectives are achieved through planning. Planning is a thinking process. It is not a one-time activity. Situations may demand planning and replanning. 6. Investment “I can guarantee this truth: A single grain of wheat doesn’t produce anything unless it is planted in the ground and dies. If it dies, it will produce a lot of grain” - John 12:24 (GW). The only way of becoming wealthy is by investing your resources. What you do not invest in does not increase. Going into business is for the purpose of investment. Never forget that you need God’s help to make wise investments. 7. Building a Team “Two are better off than one, because together they can work more effectively” – Ecclesiastes 4:9 (GNB). It is almost impossible to work alone in a business. You need a team with different skill sets to work with. A team is not some people working together but people who are aligned with the vision and trust themselves to achieve a common goal. When people work together, they can multiply their outputs. 8. Decision Making 5“Trust in the LORD with all your heart. Never rely on what you think you know. 6. . . and he will show you the right way” – Proverbs 3:5-6 (GNB). Humans are limited in knowledge. You just have to let God fill you with His wisdom so that you can get it right all the time. The difference between right and wrong decisions is like a thin line. 9. Marketing and Sales “Listen! Whoever is thirsty, come to the water! Whoever has no money can come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk. You don’t have to pay; it’s free!” – Isaiah 55:1 (GW). Marketing is all about persuading people who need your solution to come and buy. Sales then happen when they are fully convinced. Learn from this scripture the persuasive strategy and added value of free offers. 10. Dedicate your Business to God “And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth . . .” - Deuteronomy 8:18 (NKJV). The power to succeed is with God. Business success is never a linear journey up there. You must then commit all to the hands of God, who gives you the power (ideas, insights, wisdom, strategy, knowledge) to get wealth. The world will marvel at the uncommon growth your business will experience if you follow scriptures. #NewEntrepreneurs #TrustOnGod

Today my company, The Creative Complex, turns 9 years old. I have a confession:  I’ve grown more int he last 9 months than I have in the last 8 years. I wish I could have known what I know today, 9 years ago. But the truth is this:  The Lord wants to teach us endurance. Like it or not, the ability to persist under difficult circumstances is an absolutely essential ingredient of the successful entrepreneur. Scripture tells us that “Tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope” (Rom. 5:3-4). Our business hardships are designed, not to crush us but to refine us into the image of the entrepreneur that God wants us to be…an entrepreneur that reflects Jesus. When we abide under the pressures of vision, sales, marketing, operations, finances, human resources, and all of the other hats we wear with complete reliance on the Lord for His strength and perspective, we come out of the process looking more like our Savior! If you’re struggling with vision in your life…if God hasn’t revealed the entrepreneurial vision clearly, maybe you need to stay exactly where you are, because God has some lessons he still needs you to discover. Stay hungry and thirsty for tribulation in your business life…that’s when God can do amazing things in and through you. #AgencyOwners #GainConfidence

God wants you to have bold faith in your entrepreneurial walk. Bold faith is having no doubt in the power of Jesus in all your business dealings. God can do the impossible, Godpreneurs just have to be bold enough to believe. God commands us Kingdom builders to be fearless and to be strong and courageous in our respective marketplaces and industries. #GainConfidence

As an entrepreneur, I’m living in a constant state of awareness that a product launch might not be a hit, a big client could leave me, an employee could steal from me, or a lawsuit could fall on me. Although all of these things have happened to me in my businesses already, as a Godpreneur, I’m still supposed to look up to God and trust that He’s got a plan for all of the twists and turns in my business. It’s not easy for us to trust God always. Especially when the bank account inches closer to zero and we’re not sure how to cover payroll on the 15th. For most people, trust is a delicate subject and extremely difficult to find given our past hurts and experiences. We’ve all been burnt by the stove of lies, disappointments, and let-downs by people or circumstances. We’ve trusted people in our business and have been betrayed. We put all our hopes into a certain product, service, or marketing campaign, and it flopped. It doesn’t matter how big or small the company is; I’ve witnessed entrepreneurs who are insanely skeptical, to the point where it paralyzes them. Trust is one of the most important pillars of the Christian entrepreneur’s walk. Trusting the processes that God takes us through, and having faith that he’s in charge regardless of the outcome, is key to the success of our businesses. But for many of us, the past experiences leave us scared, unsure, and insecure to make a move. Luckily, God’s given us a whole bunch of encouragement on the is of trust. Let’s first understand WHY entrepreneurs need to trust. The Bible says: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones". Proverbs 3:5‭-‬8 NIV This Proverb explains why you need to trust God. God is like the Chairman of the Board of Directors of your company. You’re the “president” of the company, He’s the CEO. In this posture, you acknowledge that He’s powerful, deep, and perfect in His plans. Close your eyes and imagine you’re walking into His office in the morning and trusting that whatever has already happened, His plans are in motion to course-correct; and He’s going to use You to see the plan though. When you can embrace that His plan and process for your business, you’ll be headed in the right direction for something great to happen, and the direction will be towards what you were born to do. As Godpreneurs, we put God in front of and connected to the word entrepreneur because there’s a direct correlation between acknowledging Him and the direction of our businesses. I know it’s hard for us to trust what we can’t see or put an ROI on, but we must use the power of trust in God. When we don’t trust God in our day-to-day business lives, we are taking the future circumstances out of God’s control and leaving things up to the marketplace to decide our fate; the marketplace doesn’t want you to exist, that’s a bad place to be guided by. Today, take some time to visualize God as the CEO, and you as the President. Trust Him, even if He doesn’t draw out the plan for you to fully understand. Wait and see that God will come through more than you’ve imagined. Trust in God’s processes, regardless of the waiting period or situation. This is business; we don’t understand or know what will happen…ever! Godpreneurs must trust. Period. It’s not something we do once. It’s an every second of the day thing. We must constantly be aware that God has a plan for our business in the marketplace. God’s 100% in control, even when we’re not. Let’s trust in Him. #WhatBusinessIShouldStart