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

Do you want to learn how you can transform your creativity, performance, utility, wealth and productivity? It’s time we reclaim our morning time and elevate our spiritual and business lives. Just rising at 5 a.m. alone won’t do it. You could rise at 5 a.m. and waste an hour scanning social media and checking messages, but that won’t optimize your day. What will work is the formula of activate, meditate, and educate. In 2014, I started waking up between 5am and 6am to do my Bible reading and blog on Daily Godpreneur. It’s how I’ve been able to write over 600 blog posts and 4 books. I don’t spend any other time writing than the 1-2 hours I spend on personal development in the morning. The first hours of the day are where superstar Godpreneurs are made. If we want to master our spiritual, physical, emotional, and business intelligence, it’s only going to happen by owning the mornings. We’ve all read the morning disciplines of the ultra rich and successful. Every single one of them will attribute their success to a disciplined morning routine. Why? Because while everyone is sleeping, we have total freedom from distraction. This openess to the morning will allow us to do some fitness, meditate, build our creativity, and protect our time with God. The Battle for Morning Time is Serious Protecting our time with God in an age of distraction and opportunity overload is what’s really at stake here. The enemy came to sever our relationship with God and he uses the morning to rob us from that quality time we need for our mind, body, soul to align with God and His purpose and calling for us that day. The Bible says "The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light." (Romans 13:12) God gives the morning time as an opportunity to let go of the past and arm up for the day’s work ahead. The mornings will let us shed negativity and put on positive protection. The Perfect Morning Routine So what’s a great routine you can follow in the mornings to encompass body, soul, mind, and business growth? It’s something I’ve been working on for 5 years, and I want to share it for the first time. This has provided incredible results for me, and it can for you too! The formula is to activate, meditate, and educate. Activate – 20 Minute Morning Fitness The first thing I knock out is a 20 minute fitness routine. Since I’m at home (I don’t suggest going to the gym unless you have a gym at home), I put on a 20-minute or less yoga or core exercise routine. Personally, I need to work on my flexibility and core, so I chose this. You can do any type of fitness you want. The important thing is to sweat. Research shows that cortisol, the hormone of fear, is released in the sweat. Also, our brain cells are repaired and new connections are formed by the protein BDNF that is generated by sweat. By sweating in the morning, we’re getting rid of fear and getting our minds ready for what’s next. Meditate – 20 Minute Meditation Immediately after the workout, I lay flat on my back and begin my next 20-minute morning routine of meditation. Before the complexity of my day emerges, I reflect on what is most important to me. I find YouTubers, apps, and music to guide this meditation time. I found Tony Robbin’s emotional flood process to be good to listen to here. You can play worship or whatever gets you into a deep state of rest and relaxation. The point is that immediately following the peak state of physical fitness we follow with an equally but opposite powerful period of deep solitude and peace. Once again, research shows that meditation helps lower cortisol (the hormone that produces fear), therefore reducing your stress. Meditation also helps you develop the ability to stay calm, which is probably why we see Jesus reflected as a calm person. Since the forces of darkness want to distract us from our calling with constant notifications and messages, it’s important that you shut it all out to hear from God and download His visions, dreams and inspiration into your mind. Enjoy this moment of silence for your spirit’s replenishment and assignments for the day. As I come out of meditation, thoughts have come to my mind. I take these thoughts as divine downloads. I have a Google doc where I write down the following thoughts: My current ambitions the things I’m grateful for in my life My frustrations and disappointments. This habit of journaling my thoughts helps me understand where God is trying to take me by letting go of toxic, negative energies and replacing them with His visions for me. This journaling takes me less than 3 minutes. It’s fast as long as you have a place easily accessible to write the thoughts. Educate – 20-60 Minutes to Read the Best Business Book on the Planet – The Bible Now it’s time for the GOOD STUFF! We need to take time daily to grow. For me, when I saw the Bible as a big book or business knowledge, I pretty much stopped reading any other business personal development books and replaced it with the Bible. We all need to grow in our knowledge, this is the time where we educate ourselves. Before starting my Bible time, I’ll say a quick prayer to myself and open myself up to what God wants to teach me today. By reading the Bible, you are learning about the lives of great achievers! We’re reading their biographies! We learn about human psychology – God’s way! You can choose to watch teachings (like those in my Godpreneur Academy or on my YouTube), or listen to the Bible app audio devotionals. One thing every great Godpreneur has in common is a love of learning from the Bible. BONUS TIME – 30 Minutes of Blogging I didn’t put this as part of the 3 steps of a great morning routine, but I’m throwing this in there for bonus content for those of us that are bloggers. As Christian bloggers, this is NOW the time where you can write your content for the day. This is how I got to 600 blog posts and 4 books. I would immediately take what I learned and write a blog post. This helped me commit what I just learned to memory. It also became the content of the little mini empire I’ve built around Daily Godpreneur. In Conclusion So there it is folks, the secret to my morning routines that have helped me grown 100 times more in the last 5 years than in the previous 10 years. This is a perfect morning routine for someone who want to be a true Godpreneur. Set your alarm for 4:45 (get to bed by 10pm) so you have 15 minutes to wake up, drink a cup of water, make coffee, and prepare for your workout. An early morning routine is an incredibly powerful way to bring new focus, productivity and creativity into your spiritual walk and business life. #WorkLifeBalance

Today I read Psalms 107 and it was the story of my entrepreneurial career. Psalms 107 The Message (MSG) 1-3 ”Oh, thank God—he’s so good! His love never runs out. All of you set free by God, tell the world! Tell how he freed you from oppression, Then rounded you up from all over the place, from the four winds, from the seven seas.” I remember when God first saved me and I was a baby Christian bringing all of these new ideas into my business. I was so greatful and business was thriving. This was back in 2008-2009. 4-9 ”Some of you wandered for years in the desert, looking but not finding a good place to live, Half-starved and parched with thirst, staggering and stumbling, on the brink of exhaustion. Then, in your desperate condition, you called out to God. He got you out in the nick of time; He put your feet on a wonderful road that took you straight to a good place to live. So thank God for his marvelous love, for his miracle mercy to the children he loves. He poured great draughts of water down parched throats; the starved and hungry got plenty to eat.” I remember in 2010 when I found our current office space. Until then I was running my business out of my houses and apartments. My employees would come to my house to work! But prayer brought the perfect space where Creative Complex now resides. 10-16 ”Some of you were locked in a dark cell, cruelly confined behind bars, Punished for defying God’s Word, for turning your back on the High God’s counsel— A hard sentence, and your hearts so heavy, and not a soul in sight to help. Then you called out to God in your desperate condition; he got you out in the nick of time. He led you out of your dark, dark cell, broke open the jail and led you out. So thank God for his marvelous love, for his miracle mercy to the children he loves; He shattered the heavy jailhouse doors, he snapped the prison bars like matchsticks!” This reminds me of my life from 2007 -2009 when I was a nightclub promoter and still running my business and just starting to go to church. But in 2009 I cried out to God to stop the madness. I was living in that dark cell, depressed. I stopped promoting January 2009. I got baptized that week. 17-22 ”Some of you were sick because you’d lived a bad life, your bodies feeling the effects of your sin; You couldn’t stand the sight of food, so miserable you thought you’d be better off dead. Then you called out to God in your desperate condition; he got you out in the nick of time. He spoke the word that healed you, that pulled you back from the brink of death. So thank God for his marvelous love, for his miracle mercy to the children he loves; Offer thanksgiving sacrifices, tell the world what he’s done—sing it out!” But baptism in January 2009 didn’t just make all my problems go away. I was love sick. I desperately wanted to be in love, find a wife, stop the promiscuity of past 10 years of living. Then I prayed out to God for love, and in May of 2009 I met my wife Stephanie. 23-32 ”Some of you set sail in big ships; you put to sea to do business in faraway ports. Out at sea you saw God in action, saw his breathtaking ways with the ocean: With a word he called up the wind— an ocean storm, towering waves! You shot high in the sky, then the bottom dropped out; your hearts were stuck in your throats. You were spun like a top, you reeled like a drunk, you didn’t know which end was up. Then you called out to God in your desperate condition; he got you out in the nick of time. He quieted the wind down to a whisper, put a muzzle on all the big waves. And you were so glad when the storm died down, and he led you safely back to harbor. So thank God for his marvelous love, for his miracle mercy to the children he loves. Lift high your praises when the people assemble, shout Hallelujah when the elders meet!” In 2010 I started 3 different companies and got into business with 5 different partners. I was calling myself a ‘serial entrepreneur’ and loving the attention and thrill of starting new ventures. But then it all crashed down. Lost money, lost partners, lost confidence. God brought me back to focusing on Creative Complex and my new non profit at the time, Jose’s Hands. 33-41 ”God turned rivers into wasteland, springs of water into sunbaked mud; Luscious orchards became alkali flats because of the evil of the people who lived there. Then he changed wasteland into fresh pools of water, arid earth into springs of water, Brought in the hungry and settled them there; they moved in—what a great place to live! They sowed the fields, they planted vineyards, they reaped a bountiful harvest. He blessed them and they prospered greatly; their herds of cattle never decreased. But abuse and evil and trouble declined as he heaped scorn on princes and sent them away. He gave the poor a safe place to live, treated their clans like well-cared-for sheep.” In 2011-2012 we were back on track, focused! I stared the Nightlife Marketing Association, I joined entrepreneur groups and started really learning how to run a business. In 2013 a key business partner of mine left the company and things got crazy. New partners came in, new staff, new direction, but things weren’t the same. In 2014 I tried my hardest to keep going in the nightlife world, but God was tugging at my heart saying you need to let it all go, the entire nightlife. 2015 had turned into an amazing river of hope! So much clarity, so much opportunity. God is blessing this business as I write this post. 42-43 ”Good people see this and are glad; bad people are speechless, stopped in their tracks. If you are really wise, you’ll think this over— it’s time you appreciated God’s deep love.” This story is to be continued….always. And I’m grateful to God for for everything he has done to bring me out of trouble, out of the night, and into the light….in Jesus Christ name! Amen and amen. #FindMyCalling

The most difficult moments for me as an entrepreneur are moments of darkness. When I can’t see the big picture and I can’t see the whole plan played out, I get anxious. Clarity isn’t always certain, and darkness will always come. In those moments of darkness, it's easy for us to lose sight of the vision and get frustrated, possibly even make bad decisions. But the hope for a Christian entrepreneur is that there is a LIGHT that is always on and forever shining a light at our feet. In Isaiah 50:10 we read “Let the one who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on their God.” Maybe we’re not supposed to see visions all the time on purpose. Maybe God designed it this way so we can keep our eyes on the next step we’re taking, not the road 5 miles ahead. A runner needs to have two perspectives: the big picture glance, but the constant stare at the ground in front of him. Don’t get discouraged when the vision goes dark. Rely on God as the lamp on your feet. That’s God telling you he needs you focused on today…on the now. ACTION STEP: What’s the ONE THING you need to accomplish today? Forget the BIG goals, what’s the small objective you can today? Leave me a comment. Share this with someone you know that’s experiencing a season of darkness. #EnhanceFocus

In the world’s business circle, it is often advised that the entrepreneur should be in the driver’s seat. This opinion has proven not to be helpful. It’s not one who says “I can drive” can do the job. If everyone who sits in the driver’s seat has all it takes to deliver, why do we have car crashes? I suppose that when someone seats on the driver’s seat, he or she should know the way, be able to navigate, read, interpret and comply with road signs, be able to control the drive, see and avoid dangers ahead, take responsibility for the safety of the car and the occupants (if any), and be emotionally balanced to do the job. Correct? Now, as professional as drivers (entrepreneurs) may be, misfortunes still happen. So, who then should be in the driver’s seat in the entrepreneurial journey? As entrepreneurs, we do occupy the driver’s seat of our businesses, not because we have the best skills to drive our businesses but because we feel compelled to do it. We often think we can drive but find ourselves lacking some competencies when confronted with some fearless challenges. All this points to the fact that we need a perfect man for the job. Jeremiah confessed, “I know LORD that we humans are not in control of our own lives” (Jeremiah 10:23 CEV). How could one be on the driver’s seat of his business and have it right all the time when he is not in control of his own very life? How possible can that be? God said in Isaiah 48:17 (NLT), “I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is good for you, and leads you along the paths you should follow.” This Scripture has unveiled who the Driver is and His sitting position. No one knows or does better. Best results are possible when the LORD teaches and leads the way. The book of Proverbs says, “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:6 NKJV). Acknowledging the LORD means allowing Him the proper place of occupation. Directing one’s path is all about God being in charge of the journey all through, as the Driver. What more can a Christian entrepreneur pray for? Is there greater profit in usurping God’s position and then have rough edges and weariness? No one understands and knows the economy and business terrain better than the Omniscient God, who teaches us to profit. He should be allowed to handle the steering. Even nature itself teaches us that the one who knows the way should be the driver. Beloved, if you would allow God to be in the driver’s seat of your business, you will sit back and enjoy a beautiful ride. You are not competent enough to deliver all that is required. Without the God factor, never imagine succeeding in business God’s way. Others may, but you cannot afford to be bankrupt of a Helper, Teacher, Advocate, and Driver that God is to His people. Understand that God is in the driver’s seat does not mean you will not be at or about your business. All you need to do is to allow God His space and see how glorious your business becomes. We can show the world how great it is for God to drive our businesses. The larger world recommends that the entrepreneur is in the driver’s seat of his business, but we are changing the world view by letting God drive our businesses. The results we get will tell better. #TrustOnGod

Your life is in measure of macro - second The rich and the poor have the same access to God’s given 24 hours: the rich make use of it, but the poor wastes it altogether. I was held up in heavy traffic on my to a hotel where I was to discuss a business idea with a man who flew from Atlanta. My late arrival at the hotel caused me a loss that I would always remember. The man, who would not accept my heavy traffic excuse, told me bluntly that I should have left my home earlier so as to avoid this 'heavy traffic'. I am going to use my above experience to teach and impart every Christian business mind to respect and observe these 7 Bible-based Principles of Timing in your daily Christian business until they become your successful habits. There was an element of time in the first sentence that opens the Bible: ‘In the beginning’, has an iota of time wired carefully in the first verse of Genesis chapter One. In as much as we have a beginning in the Bible, it is therefore necessary to look forward to an end, as recorded also in the book of Revelation in the same Bible. The wise king of Israel, the author of the book called ‘Ecclesiastes’, wrote thus about time: ‘To everything, there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.’ (Ecclesiastes 3:1 – 8) In light of this, it is, therefore, necessary for Christian entrepreneurs to make good use of their days as business owners where time counts. The older you get as an entrepreneur, the more time eats into you. Time isn't anybody's, but we can make the best use of it. Those who have respect for time are in most cases people of integrity that accomplish their goals easily in their business. When the time frame is attached to a dream in life, it becomes a goal. Without a time factor attached, a dream is a mere wish at its best. God Himself at creation worked with a 6 - day time frame in mind. A goal is broken down into a simple everyday plan. Nothing great happens by accident, people plan for it. With time habits are formed! Success or failure, timing has a hand in it. This is why we must as a matter of compulsory learn the 7 Biblical Principles of Timing for Christian Entrepreneurs, and teach our children, so they can show their generation the importance of time. Those with an accurate understanding of these Principles are outstanding anywhere they are in the world as Christian Entrepreneurs! The Evening and the Morning Principle This is a must-key that opens the door for any form of good success. God Himself through the bible documentations built the precept of evening and morning principle. The book of Genesis has it thus: ‘And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.’ (Genesis 1:5) From the very beginning in the book of Genesis, and also during the early age of civilization; the day and night were not put together as we have it in today’s world. Jesus asked that ‘are there not twelve hours in a day?’ (John 11:9). During Jesus’ time, the Jews begin their day from 6 am in the morning and bring the day to a close by 6 pm in the evening. So there were twelve hours in a day and twelve hours in the night. Every three hours period in the day are called the ‘hour’, and every three hours period in the night are called the ‘watch’. However, our own civilization and modernization have taught us to lump up the day and night together, and we were taught erroneously that there are 24 hours in a day. This principle recognizes evening first before the day, and the 19th chapter of the book of Psalm explains it better and clearer: ‘Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge’ (Psalms 19:2) The rationale behind this principle is to draw inspiration in the nighttime when there are peace and quietness. It is upon this knowledge drawn in the night that you can work on in the daytime. In a nutshell, we draw inspiration in the night and put it on activation in the day. In simple language, you plan your day ahead the night before. When you do not have knowledge for a day, you have no plan for that day; such a day will fit into anybody’s agenda. The evening and the morning principle is paramount to you not wasting your day. Time Selection Principle The bible says ‘Time and chance happen to them all’ – Ecclesiastes 9:11 this means that a good idea needs good timing for good success. Queen Esther carefully engaged this principle to launch a counter-attack scheme on Haman through the King. The Bible bears the record of Esther’s wisdom in selecting the appropriate time thus: ‘And Esther answered, If it seems good unto the king, let the king and Haman come this day unto the banquet that I have prepared for him. Then answered Esther, and said, My petition and my request is; If I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my petition, and to perform my request, let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I shall prepare for them, and I will do tomorrow as the king hath said.’ - Esther 5:4, 7 & 8 She was careful and skillful about when to say what. The first dinner opened the door for the second dinner, yet it was not the right time to ask for vengeance. Time and chance were major players on the stage of this biblical theatre. Any attempt for Esther to fumble will surely go down the drain like bad rubbish. When it comes to burning issues in our hearts, we need also to consider the right time for such issues. Esther would have to wait till chapter seven, despite the urgency of the matter, until the time was right. This principle of time selection must be mastered by all of us if we really want to get results. Surely, there are wrong timing and there are right timing in life, even if the petition is right. Procrastination Principle: Idleness is conceived easily when we think that time is on our side. When there is no time frame, laziness becomes habitual. God Himself made the whole world within the time – frame of six days. ‘For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.’ – Exodus 20:11 One of the best leadership characters found in the Bible is Nehemiah. His leadership was without any flaw, with an excellent score on timing and planning. The task before him was not without a time – frame, the king wanted him back as the cupbearer in the palace, so a time was set by Nehemiah. Once the king approved the set time for his leave, Nehemiah could not procrastinate, he must get the task of rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem done on and in time. ‘And the king said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him,) for how long shall thy journey be? And when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time.’ – Nehemiah 2:6 Time Leakage Principle: This principle of timing hangs majorly on being the focus. ‘Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.’ – Proverbs 6:6 – 8 Although the ants are small and weak, yet because of focus, they are able to store up food in the summer and keep warm with enough food in winter. Our busy for nothing attitude coupled with no or little regard for time may give the reason for Africa’s economic position among her peers the world over. A Professor once suggested card – clocking for all civil servants in a country in Africa: they are to clock when they resume in the morning, clock when they are back from break, and clock when they close for the day. The idea was totally rejected because the nation does not see any sense in it. The popular phrase ‘African time’ may possibly have its roots in this principle. If you are traveling from point A to destination C; a journey of normal 30 minutes, and you see a friend at place B who is not part of your purpose for the initial journey, your time will be leaking at the friend’s place, if you ever stop to exchange pleasantries. Elisha instructed his servant, Gehazi, not to allow time leakage to truncate the mission he was sending him to do. He urged Gehazi to be focused. Hear him: ‘Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thine hand, and go thy way: if thou meet any man, salute him not; and if any salute thee, answer him not again: and lay my staff upon the face of the child.’ II Kings 4:29 Time is money! The Front – Bench Principle: It is likely that people sitting at the front at any function might get served first before those at the back. As a matter of fact, if care is not taken, those at the front seats might get served twice before the backbenchers. This is also true of multi-level marketing being carried out in most western countries. Economically, we say the market is saturated; so they take the market somewhere else. In the same vein, it is a mere wasting of time and of resources to serve those who have been served before. Jesus Christ dealt with this principle without any sentiment or emotion. Mark recorded it thus: ‘And Simon and they that were with him followed after him. And when they had found him, they said unto him, All men seek for thee. And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth’ - Mark 1:36 – 38 The Sand – Glass Principle: Little drops of water makes the mighty ocean. Our entire life as human beings come in micro-units of seconds. Therefore, for a successful person, every second count. Wasted seconds may result ultimately in wasted days, and if care is not taken, wasted days may result in wasted years, which might end up in wasted life. One should make it a habit to have a full–filled and fulfilled day before retiring to bed in the night. The bible put it in this way: ‘So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom’ - Psalms 90:12 This Scripture can be better understood only if we know that our days to be numbered are made of hours, which can be broken down into minutes and seconds. So we apply our hearts unto wisdom every second. This principle is vividly pictured with sand – glass that runs sands from one compartment to the other compartment in seconds. The modern-day edition, the clock, was constructed to remind you of how much time left for you here on earth. When you place your ear to the clock to hear its sound, what you are actually hearing is ‘gone, gone, and gone; telling you as each second goes off of your life! Time Catalyst Principle: By definition, a catalyst enhances the rate of a chemical reaction. It makes the chemical reaction faster than it would have been without the catalyst. This is also true when we apply encouragement as the enhancer of time. Everybody needs ‘encouragements’ at one time or the other in life. Many people have been frustrated in life just because they lack encouragement. A week full of various encouragements will run and look as if it is just a day! Even the best among us needs this principle, not to talk of those who are struggling along the wilderness of life. At a point in time, a man helped Jesus to carry his cross for a while. This is critical to all of us. Having mentioned the above principles of timing, it is necessary to chip in on how best to manage our precious time. Plan: In time management, planning is very crucial. This is the mental strategy worked out as a blueprint, put down in detail to accomplish a desired goal or task. Planning gives direction to the desired goal and ensures that time is not wasted. Priority: This also is a key factor in managing time. This is where we separate the needs from the wants and the important from the necessary. Delegation: This is often used by the wise among men when it comes to effective and optimal use of time. God has placed reliable people around you: if you BELIEVE in them, as they TRUST you also, you can delegate tasks for them to do. In time management, delegation makes you use your own 24 hours somewhere else, while the delegates do a task on your behalf. Generally, delegation promotes the maximum use of time generally. Rest: As simple as this sounds, many top – notches and captains of industries never take the issue of rest seriously. Rest encourages the natural overhauling of the body system and also reduces diminishing returns. As you offer the sacrifice of praise to God, you must also offer the sacrifice of rest to your body. If you don’t give rest to your body, it will take it by force – sickness! Time Banking: This is simply saving time gained over a task, to be withdrawn and used judiciously for another task, project, vacation, or rest. This often happens when we worked faster than the given time frame for a project or task. The time gained in such a situation can then be banked, only to be withdrawn at a convenient time later. This time banking may spread and reflect over a lifetime. It is good to save time than to squander time. As Christian Entrepreneur observe these principles of timing and manage your own time very well, then get ready for a full-filled life every day! Remember that the poor and the rich, the Lord made them both, but He did not make them so! Segun Tewogbola

Selling logos and websites since 2001, I’ve changed my pitch many times.  I change it based on the current times, based on who I’m speaking to, and based on the needs I perceive. Now I approach logos and websites from a spiritual perspective.  I approach it from a ‘purpose-focused business’ and ‘knowing your identity’ perspective.  I want people to know that logos and websites are the outward expressions of the entrepreneur’s inner identity.  And that inner identity comes from a caller, who has called the entrepreneur for a purpose, and that the entrepreneur was born to do something and we need to figure that out first. Whether my clients go to church or not, they are INTRIGUED.  Sure, I’m sure some dismiss me in their minds.  I probably won’t do business with those.  But the ones who are receptive to my message….well, I’ve totally changed their perspective on websites and logos.  Before, they thought its just some marketing tool.  Now, they see it as an extension of their own identity, and some even accept it as their calling by God. We all have services or products that can easily be commoditized.  It’s easy for us to get lost in a sea of other massage therapists, other consultants, other party planners. In Acts 17, Paul is preaching to scholars in Athens.  These guys do nothing but philosophize on life.  They love when new people come with new ideas.  They thirst for more knowledge.  So Paul lays it on them and explains who God really is. Some dismissed him, some were intrigued, and some were immediately transformed. Instead of coming at your clients from the same perspective as everyone else, see how you can explain your offering in a way that hits the heart.  Enter the conversation already going on in their head. That’s why I come at the logo and website design from a TOTALLY DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.  I let them find me through what they THINK they want, but then I hit them with what they really need….and that makes me the UNIQUE website/logo/branding guy.  People have literally told me that they think I’m the “business pastor”.  I like that 🙂 For me, I know a lot of people struggle with identity, with a purpose in life, and finding clarity on what they were born to do.  They don’t Google those search terms, they look for logos and websites to answer these questions, but won’t find it with just any regular designer. When we Godpreneurs are very clear on how our business is significant to God’s bigger purposes, we have the ability to come at prospects from a totally new perspective. Godpreneur Rule #87: God will show you the one thing that sets you apart from everyone else.  Tell that story. #FindMyCalling #BusinessBibleStudy

Business networking is a valuable way to tell others about your business, get new clients, develop your knowledge, and gain knowledge from the other's success. Throughout the Bible, the followers of Jesus spread the Gospel rapidly because of the help of people along the way. Their message "multiplied" in the hearts of new disciples who flocked to Yeshua. Similarly, many successful Christian business owners achieve success because of the help they receive along their entrepreneurial journey. A strong network of professionals (especially Christian business owners) helps you accomplish things you couldn't do by yourself. That's by design - God's design. His intent is for you, His faithful servant, to let others do the talking for you. He wants to use your reputation to send you the kind of clients your competitors don't know to exist. Business networking doubles as a socially acceptable means of spreading the Gospel as well. It provides a convenient context to build relationships with people, to the point you can smoothly and effectively share the source of your hope. Here are 13 relevant Bible verses related to networking. Take a moment to think more seriously about how the believer fulfills these words when networking: Most Relevant Verses Matthew 7:12 “In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets. Luke 16:9 And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings. John 17:20-21 "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me." Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up. Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone? Proverbs 25:6 Do not exalt yourself in the king’s presence, and do not claim a place among his great men; it is better for him to say to you, “Come up here,” than for him to humiliate you before his nobles. Proverbs 19:6 Many will seek the favor of a generous man, And every man is a friend to him who gives gifts. 1 Samuel 16:22 Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Let David now stand before me, for he has found favor in my sight.” 1 Corinthians 9:20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; Romans 14:19 So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another. Luke 6:31 Treat others the same way you want them to treat you. 2 John 1:12 Though I have many things to write to you, I do not want to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, so that your joy may be made full. Exodus 1:10 Come, let us deal wisely with them, or else they will multiply and in the event of war, they will also join themselves to those who hate us, and fight against us and depart from the land.” 1 Corinthians 3:9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.