Milestones are times in my business life when something significant changes. I have a Google Doc of milestones in my business where God HOOKED IT UP! Whenever there’s a moment where I’m like “Dude, this is a miracle, only God could have orchestrated this”, then I write it down on my list. At least once a week (usually Mondays) I’m reading that list to myself. It reminds me that God is amazing!  It gives me a chance to celebrate what He’s done in my business, and positions my mindset to receive more blessings. God works in our businesses even before we realize it.  He’s the reason for every victory, whether we give him credit or not.  The problem is that we entrepreneurs are such forward-thinking visionaries that sometimes we don’t look back to the past to celebrate.  Sometimes we’re so focused on the FUTURE that we miss the opportunity TODAY to celebrate God for what he’s done. The people of Israel had also stopped celebrating God and it cost them the city of Jerusalem. Then, Nehemiah came back to rebuild the wall and bring back the worship of God. When the wall was finished, they celebrate who God is and what he did in the past. Nehemiah 9:6-7 says "You alone are the Lord . You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.  “You are the Lord God, who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and named him Abraham." This verse teaches that whatever ability they had to rebuild that wall, they served and glorify God according to the utmost of it. The priests were leading the people to glorify God so that they would be kept humble, thankful, and watchful to not fall back into the sin they had just gotten out of. Hopefully, you're at a place where you've rebuilt your business God's way and you're in a new place along your entrepreneurial journey. If God is first in your business, should be feeling really good about your operations, the people you’ve invited into your wall, and your ability to lead them to new heights. Celebrate this milestone and remind your staff to also celebrate! Send out an email this morning to your team…a celebration email. I do this at the start of each month. Set a recurring calendar reminder to do this. Whenever God has done something amazing in your business, have a Google Doc list where you’re keeping track of this. Each month, send some victories to your people and let them celebrate with you. If we can become Godpreneurs that celebrate all the amazing things that God has done, I believe we are setting our hearts in the right spiritual vibrations to continue to receive all that God has promised for our businesses.  Amen! P.S. I did a Business bible study called 40 Days to Restarting Your Business, God's Way. Check it out: 40 DAYS TO RESTARTING YOUR BUSINESS, GOD'S WAY A business Bible study to help you rethink, reinvent, and restart your business, but this time, God's Way! We parallel Nehemiah's rebuilding of the wall to your journey in rebuilding your business. Also, coaches and Christian business leaders, you can use, edit, and repurpose the teachings for your own tribe! Check it out. #WhatBusinessIShouldStart #FindMyCalling

I have some weak spots in my business life. Let me name a couple. I’m easily taken into new entrepreneurial ventures and ideas.  This can be bad if you’re already focused on building another. Also, I’m great at starting things but often not great at finishing and closing them out to completion. Instead of ignoring or giving into my weak spots, I’ve recognized them and put some things in place to combat them. First, I have a productivity planner I look at every morning to keep me on track with my main priorities. I meet with my project manager each morning and he holds me accountable to staying on track, not letting me venture too far into the "serial entrepreneur" mode. Second, I hired a business manager for each of my businesses.  They are diligent and detail oriented and can get things done. The enemy will come and try to attack us in our weak spots. He knows them, sometimes better than we do. If we don’t recognize our weaknesses - or worst, recognize them but not do anything about them - we’ll find ourselves and our team fighting an enemy that is well equipped to take us down. Nehemiah was going through attacks when he was rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem. But like a military strategist, he moved to fortify the areas.  And as the leader, he gave a pep rally and tells everyone not to be afraid. Nehemiah 4:14  says "After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.” God is your commander in chief.  God leads you and your team. Hold a mental picture of God when you see the attacks coming. If God is for you, who can be against you? "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters." (Colossians 3:23) The enemy won’t stop attacking, but neither will God stop being for your success. Imagine if all entrepreneurs visualized God leading our businesses.  Wow, what an incentive to help us keep going and growing through the good times and bad.  That should be our only incentive to keep us going. #StrengthenIntegrity #BecomeDisciplined All my best, Alex Miranda Get to know me at www.alexmiranda22.com P.S. I did a Business bible study called 40 Days to Restarting Your Business, God's Way. Check it out: 40 DAYS TO RESTARTING YOUR BUSINESS, GOD'S WAY A business Bible study to help you rethink, reinvent, and restart your business, but this time, God's Way! We parallel Nehemiah's rebuilding of the wall to your journey in rebuilding your business. Also, coaches and Christian business leaders, you can use, edit, and repurpose the teachings for your own tribe! Check it out.

At the very beginning of the rebuilding of my company, I had a good friend come to see me and ask what I was up to.  We had done business together and she knew I was going through a major mid-life identity crisis within myself and the company. At the point that she came, I had already heard from God that I needed to REBUILD Creative Complex, but the steps weren’t totally clear yet. When she quizzed me on my strategy, I was stuck. She sensed my hesitation and said the words that no entrepreneur ever wants to hear: Alex, have you thought about closing the company up and getting a JOB? I nearly fainted. I stared blankly back into her eyes. For a moment I doubted myself and thought how nice it would be to quit and get a job. After she left, anger built up inside of me at the audacity she had to diagnose me as needing to get a job. To be honest, I’m still hurt.  I pray for that person and try to not hang out with people like that as far as I can control it. We’re all going to have Haters come alongside to try to derail us. They can’t stand the fact that you have grit and determination to REBUILD your business. How do you combat the Haters?  What do you do in the face of opposition?  What does God say about your enemies? As we continue to chronicle Nehemiah and the rebuilding of the wall, we meet him in Chapter 4 as the Haters begin an attack campaign. A hater named Sanballat shows up on the scene to hurl insults and incite others to wage an attack on the team Nehemiah had formed.  This compelled Nehemiah to take time out to pray… a curse on them! He didn’t retaliate, he didn’t render evil for evil, he used the arsenal he had—prayer! Are you aware of “haters” in your circle? They will usually be close to you. What can you do to deflect their influence? Do you need to stop hanging out where this person hangs? How can you pray for them?  Have a list of “enemies” that you pray for. Don’t think that your enemies are going to stand back and watch your progress in your business. Whenever you do anything to further God’s kingdom, the devil will be waiting for an opportunity to attack you at the point at which you are most vulnerable (which is usually when you’re financially down). As Godpreneurs we can make a concerted effort to focus on the tasks of rebuilding our businesses and ask God to let us not become distracted by those who are against the work we do for God’s kingdom. Pray: Lord, guard my lips that I will not become embroiled in petty arguments even though my feelings may be hurt. Keep me steadfast in the work you have called me to do. ACTION: Take your phone and delete any haters on your phone. Delete them from your social media too. All my best, Alex Miranda Get to know me at www.alexmiranda22.com P.S. I did a Business bible study called 40 Days to Restarting Your Business, God's Way. Check it out: 40 DAYS TO RESTARTING YOUR BUSINESS, GOD'S WAY A business Bible study to help you rethink, reinvent, and restart your business, but this time, God's Way! We parallel Nehemiah's rebuilding of the wall to your journey in rebuilding your business. Also, coaches and Christian business leaders, you can use, edit, and repurpose the teachings for your own tribe! Check it out. #AttractingRightClients #ShareYourTestimony

From January to March of 2015 I spent a lot of time in prayer.  The identity of my company had changed, I wasn’t sure where money would come from, but I remember having a vision of what I wanted, setting some financial goals, and praying God’s favor. From May to June I had my best quarter EVER!  My accountant couldn’t believe it.  The turnaround was incredible.  We were totally out of debt and finding our groove! When we declare our vision and write down out goals to meditate on daily, God see’s that we’re doing the right things to prepare for His favor.  I didn’t make any more phone calls than I normally did.  I didn’t spend money (that I didn’t have) on advertising and marketing.  I didn’t positioned myself as any kind of authority in anything.  I was just declaring the vision and goals. Despite our greatest efforts as entrepreneurs, our authority, wealth, and power cannot compare with receiving favor at the hand of God. In Nehemiah 2:4-6 we see Nehemiah finding favor as well. “The king said to me, “What is it you want?” Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.”   Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?” It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time.” First off, Nehemiah knew what was coming.  He had a plan.  You could say this was all premeditated. Second, Nehemiah even said a quick prayer in between answering the question to the king.  Next time you’re pitching a big contract, say a 2-second prayer in your head, that brings God into the negotiations. Third, we see Nehemiah had a vision and goals set way before this encounter.  Did you see how detailed he was in his request?  This was the biggest meeting of his life, and he was ready for his one shot. What do you want for your business?  What are your vision and goals? Sometimes we are afraid to voice our request…out of fear…out of seeming greedy…out of feelings of unworthiness…out of feeling our request is beyond God’s capacity to deliver. Never doubt God nor limit his ability to bless your business beyond comprehension. The Bible tells us that God’s “power at work in us can do far more than we dare ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3.20, 21) if we would ask, seek, knock (Matthew 7.7, 8). Take the time to evaluate the needs of your business. Do you have a written down business plan?  When you pray, if God were to ask, “What do you want me to do?” are you prepared, as Nehemiah was, to give an answer? When your business receives favor at the hand of God, remember to acknowledge both the gift and the giver. Pray: God, thank you for your favor over my entrepreneurial career… a priceless gift that can only be obtained from you. Let me be a grateful receiver, and let me seek to share what you have given me with other business owners. Your Entrepreneur Compass, Alex Miranda #FindMyCalling #WheretoStartFirst Let’s write down some goals.  I have an easy entrepreneur compass goal sheet for you to download. P.S.  Share this series with other business owners that could use a restart button on their business lives.

If it´s to read a leadership book he's put on your heart, then read.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to “restart” my business. One day things are going great, there’s momentum, the vision is clear, everyone’s on board, we’re making money. Then, bad news. Bad news has come in many forms. For me, it happened each time a partner of mine left the company. It also happened when I lost my biggest client. The latest one happened in November when I dropped the nightlife from my service list and the accountant told me I had a couple of weeks of survival before it was all over. We’ve all had setbacks in our business. We have good days and bad days. But sometimes we get news so big that it rocks the entire foundation of your business, your plans for the future, and ultimately, your identity as an entrepreneur.  We feel depressed, lonely, like a failure, like the dream is over. I’ve been there, and it's likely I will be there again. But there’s good news!  God has a plan, and he wants us to REBUILD! Yup!  And in these next series of posts, we’ll look at the book of Nehemiah and how he was sent to REBUILD the city of Jerusalem. Most of the time in the bible when something bad has occurred we see people going straight to God first. In Nehemiah 1:4, he says: “When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.” News about the destruction of Nehemiah’s beloved homeland evoked such a response in him. His feelings of patriotism, of concern for the Jews in Jerusalem, made him heartsick. But he didn’t just turn around and keep living his life defeated. In his distress, he wept bitterly and went to God in prayer for solace. Step 1 of Restarting our businesses is going into prayer. You don’t have to be in business long to know that bad news comes in 100 ways. God expects us to have trouble and concerns. But He has plans for those failures. God wants us to act, but he desires that we come to him first, in prayer, for guidance and direction. What is your typical reaction to bad news or news that involves the danger of failure to your business? Did you pray? Ask God to direct you to a particularly troubling issue in your business. Spend time praying and fasting for its resolution. PRAYER TO RESTART YOUR BUSINESS Lord, thank you that I can come boldly to your throne of grace. Make me sensitive to the holy spirit and where it wants to guide my business and let me seek your loving support through the gift of prayer. In Jesus' name, Amen! I'm praying for you, too! All my best, Alex Miranda Get to know me at www.alexmiranda22.com P.S. I did a Business bible study called 40 Days to Restarting Your Business, God's Way. Check it out: 40 DAYS TO RESTARTING YOUR BUSINESS, GOD'S WAY A business Bible study to help you rethink, reinvent, and restart your business, but this time, God's Way! We parallel Nehemiah's rebuilding of the wall to your journey in rebuilding your business. Also, coaches and Christian business leaders, you can use, edit, and repurpose the teachings for your own tribe! Check it out. #EnhanceFocus #IncreaseEnergy

I get distracted easily. Sometimes I’m so distracted that I’m so far off the thing is supposed to be doing that the business starts to suffer for it. But when I realize I’ve gone off the rail and I get back on track, things seem to start running smoothly again.  Sigh of relief! This is similar to our walk with God. We get distracted by things that seem like they’ll make us money, deals that are too good to be true, partnerships that we think will suit us well, but deep down we know it's either against God’s Word or not in the vision He’s given us.  Believe it or not, going against God is a sin. However, if we’re aware of it, confess and turn our businesses back towards God, He will be faithful to the vision and promises He has given. After Nehemiah decides to pray and confess, he reminds God of the promise He made to his ancestors.  Nehemiah 1:8-9 says: “Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name." Are you relying on any of God’s promises to motivate you? When God promises, it's for real.  Not like “Honey, I promise to take out the trash,” and then you forget.  No. God’s promises are true. Every single one of them. What has God promised you for your business? What does the bible say about His promises for you to prosper? Are you relying on any of God’s promises to motivate you in business? Keep that top of mind so that when you face adversity, you can remind yourself of His promise, and move on! All my best, Alex Miranda Get to know me at www.alexmiranda22.com P.S. I did a Business bible study called 40 Days to Restarting Your Business, God's Way. Check it out: 40 DAYS TO RESTARTING YOUR BUSINESS, GOD'S WAY A business Bible study to help you rethink, reinvent, and restart your business, but this time, God's Way! We parallel Nehemiah's rebuilding of the wall to your journey in rebuilding your business. Also, coaches and Christian business leaders, you can use, edit, and repurpose the teachings for your own tribe! Check it out. P.P.S. Let me know a promise that you lean on as an entrepreneur by commenting on this Facebook post. #EnhanceFocus #StrengthenIntegrity #RestartYourBusiness

I have some things to confess. I’ve cheated on my taxes. I’ve deposited checks that I knew the client overpaid on.  The list goes on and on… Before coming to a true relationship with God, doing these things was actually FUN!  It felt like I was winning; beating the system. I wasn’t a mobster or anything like that, but I knew it was wrong. Also, for years, I serviced the nightlife industry. I knew this wasn’t an industry that God wanted me to be a part of, at least not anymore.  But I continued in it for the wrong reasons, which in hindsight paralyzed me from the bigger opportunities God had lined up for me. We all have things in our business we do that we need to confess to God.  Confessing lets God know that we acknowledge our wrongs and are committed to the change of making it right. In Nehemiah 1:5-7, we see he has just broken into prayer, but the key is in the confession: Then I said: “ Lord , the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you. We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses." When you make the commitment of Restarting your business and get on your knees to pray, confess the parts of your business where you knowingly went against what God would bless.  Confess any little thing.  Get it off your chest, out of your body, and leave it with God. You’re now fresh and renewed, ready for the journey up ahead! #DifferentiatingMyself #ShareYourTestimony #RestartYourBusiness

Sometimes, the same leadership quality you don’t like about yourself is the same thing God wants to use

I’ve had my non-believer friends tell me “The bible was written so long ago by people that don’t know things today, that’s why I can’t take it serious.” I’ve also had entrepreneurs tell me Christianity is an archaic institution and irrelevant in the modern business world. Heck, even some believers can’t connect God to their business because there’s nothing in the bible that talks specifically about what they do professionally.  I could imagine some are thinking if putting God at the center of our business is even worth it.  They ask “Why do we even need this? Does God even care about my industry?” This is the way God always intended it: he wants to express himself in any way, through every industry to every human being, and he’s going to use me and you to make that happen. I struggled with connecting how making logos and websites made any difference in God’s big plan. I thought you had to own a nonprofit or run a church to be doing significant stuff. As I got deeper into the understanding of God and the fact that he gives purpose and passion, and that he calls us each to uniquely do something, I realized that, in fact, I don’t do logos and websites. Instead, I bring to life the vision of God to entrepreneurs about their purpose and calling. I’m guiding people towards what they were Born to do vocationally. Thanks big stuff! Jesus said this "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you." (John 15:16 NIV) We all have the opportunity of discovering what God’s purpose is for each of our businesses because God chose us, not the other way around. It’s revealed once we surrender our businesses and understand that it’s not there just to make us money or for us to pass the time here on earth. There’s a reason for realtors, barbers, accountants and car salesman. Each plays a significant role for God. I’ve branded hundreds of companies and met thousands of entrepreneurs. Each one starts not knowing their exact purpose and significance. By the time I’m done with them, they know why God wants them to exist. The truth is that owning a business is divine, timeless, and significant. You might be in it or out of it – either way, your work here is part of God’s eternal purpose for the Body of Christ… and it will be until our time is up. The lie is that the bible is archaic – that it’s written by people who didn’t know the internet existed and it’s obsolete. The truth is that God wants to impact your business, his wisdom is timeless and significant for our growth. God, make me a vessel of Your truth. When I begin to doubt the validity and need for you at the center of every business move, make me willing to take that thought captive. By Your Spirit and Your Word, convict me of Your divine purpose in my business for my good and for Your glory. Amen. #BusinessBibleStudy #FindMyCalling 8 Lies of Entrepreneurship In this course, I show you 8 lies that keep Godpreneurs bogged down in feelings of inadequacy, insecurities of owning a business, and 8 truths to combat lies. 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

The other day I was in the hotel lobby bar having a mineral water and dessert when a man comes next to me to order a drink from the bar tender. Down the bar he catches a glimpse of an attractive woman. He nudges me and says “take a look at that one.” I glanced, smiled at the man, and continued eating my dessert. Some years back I might have engaged in this man scan of the bar, but things are different now. There’s a lot of habits I had to start changing when I decided I was going to let God be my boss and my company’s CEO. I realized that I had a new responsibility to be an example of a changed leader to my employees, clients and vendors. What if that man that nudged me was a potential client, who later on would find out I’m a believer and married. He wouldn’t have not done business with me, but I wouldn’t have been able to be the best light possible in his life. My change as a Christian entrepreneur wasn’t overnight, and sometimes I still say a curse word or two, but its dramatically less than before. But I didn’t realize this right away. For a while, I was going to church and doing the right things outwardly, but inside I hadn’t fully built my trust in Christ. Instead of being a “light in the world”, I was behaving like an unbeliever. We may profess a deep trust in Christ, but what we truly believe will emerge in our words and attitude. Take a moment to consider your conversations with other entrepreneurs. What characteristics would stand out to them? Do you have a tendency to gossip, argue, curse, or complain? If so, you may want to reevaluate the source of your contentment. Problems will arise in business, people will make you upset, there will always be an opportunity to lose your cool. As Christians, we have an eternal hope in Christ that allows us to face the challenges of life with calmness and peace. If you find yourself relying on favorable business circumstances or the actions of employees to bring you happiness, ask God to strengthen your faith in Him. Let your words and actions reflect the love of Christ in your business life and be a light to your employees, prospects, vendors, and other entrepreneurs. #DifferentiatingMyself #EnhanceFocus

My accountant called me one day warning me that I was going to owe a lot in taxes that year. See, I had a really good year in sales that year. Business was booming! However, nobody wants to pay taxes, right? Although I had a great year, there was a seed of anger, resentment, and greed in me that was not thinking about how great of a year I had. So, when my accountant told me I'd be owing taxes, I immediately started scheming up ways to not pay the taxes. Then my accountant said these profound words: you should WANT to pay taxes! She explained that paying taxes means your company is doing great! Her reasoning was that the better the company does, the more it can contribute to the growth of this awesome country. Wow, I was mind-blown. That conversation shifted my mindset. Instead of plotting on how to work around paying taxes, I needed to focus on trusting that paying taxes are part of the plans God has for my company and that my business and that I'm part of the growth of my country! We all have ways where we are tempted into deceit. Sometimes we have friends propose illegal business opportunities. Other times our clients ask us to do illegal things on the books or in licensing, permits, contracts, etc. A “Godpertunity” would never come across your desk that asked you to do something illicit.  Although Robin Hood might have thought he was doing a good thing, it was illegal and not from God. In the Bible, we read the story of Nehemiah and his quest to rebuild the wall at Jerusalem. During that rebuilding project, he faces many obstacles that threaten the success of the entire endeavor. It got to the point where outsiders were sending spies and trying to play tricks on him so that he would commit a sin, be arrested, and the entire project of rebuilding the wall would come crumbling down. Case in point, in chapter 6, Nehemiah shows us his skill to discern a lie - a lie that could have ruined his career as a developer. Nehemiah speaking, says "But I said, “Should a man like me run away? Or should someone like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go!” I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had prophesied against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. He had been hired to intimidate me so that I would commit a sin by doing this, and then they would give me a bad name to discredit me. (Nehemiah 6:11-13) Nehemiah was the governor and the leader of this rebuilding project. He needed to show a good example of undaunted courage. He has shown such resolve and confidence in God's calling over his life to rebuild the wall. He's so far into this project, he's thinking why now would he dishonor God and religion, and betray the people and city of God, by his cowardice? God forbid! Nehemiah feels, not that he would profane the temple by making it into a place of refuge, but that he would break the law by simply entering it. Being a leader and taking on BIG projects that bring glory to God in the marketplace means the enemy will expose you to many ways you can cut corners and perform illegal activities.  Some could lead to a damage of reputation and integrity, some risk relationships, others can lead you to jail. The greatest mischief our enemies can do us Godpreneurs, is, to frighten us from our duty, and to lead us to do what is sinful. We can't allow ourselves to decline doing a good work with a bad one. We can't always avoid getting advice from others, however, when we do, we need to reject what is contrary to the word of God. How can we stand firm against the enemy's various schemes to derail what God wants us to build (or rebuild) for Him? In my experience as a Godpreneur, I've only been able to discern the enemy's plots by staying in the word of God. We, Godpreneurs, need to be consistently studying the Bible. This is the only way we can guard ourselves against the anger, resentment, and greed that comes about when our business is being threatened. Following Jesus's examples is how we yield to impatience, discontent, or anger that could lead us to sin. We are Godpreneurs, our boss is God, and the Spirit would never lead us to deceit.  God will provide, always and forever.  We don’t have to engage in illegal activities, even if disguised as good.  If its illegal, its not of God. We can let our spirit guide us to stop doing anything illegal. P.S. I did a Business bible study called 40 Days to Restarting Your Business, God's Way. Check it out: 40 DAYS TO RESTARTING YOUR BUSINESS, GOD'S WAY A business Bible study to help you rethink, reinvent, and restart your business, but this time, God's Way! We parallel Nehemiah's rebuilding of the wall to your journey in rebuilding your business. Also, coaches and Christian business leaders, you can use, edit, and repurpose the teachings for your own tribe! Check it out. #GainConfidence #AccountingHelp #StrengthenIntegrity

People have problems that need to be solved. And God uses people like me and you to help solve those problems. Personal branding is the outward expression of your calling to help others so that they can find you, learn about your solution, and be transformed by it. What if you haven't honed in the calling that will be the foundation of your God-first personal brand? That's what I want to help you with today. I Struggled to Find My Calling Why me? What qualifies me to help you? Because that's what my own God-first personal brand is...I help people discover their calling and bring it to life! But I didn't always know this. In 2014, I started my journey of discovering my God-first personal brand through a Bible study I took in my church. We analyzed our gifts, talents, values, past experiences, and aspirations to uncover God’s vision for our lives for eight weeks. For others in the group, it was difficult to self-reflect. I often found myself helping others find their vision and not focusing on my discovery process. I felt frustrated because everyone else was making progress, but my ideas were all over the place. Ironically, on the closing day of the 8th week, it became clear that my calling was to continue to help others discover their calling. All of my personal qualities, along with how the group was viewing me and the ease at which I was able to help them reveal God's vision for my business life. This transformed me; personally, it transformed my branding agency, and it set the course for my God-inspired teachings on Daily Godpreneur. I decided that I wanted to be known for helping people discover what they were born to do and bring it to life through a purposed-focused brand. If that's what God called me to do, then come one and come all! We All Are Responsible to Steward Our Calling Like no other time in history, today's digital age gives someone in Kenya and Florida access to learning about what God has called us to do. God has handed us all the ability to go on missions around the world. Therefore we must understand our God-first personal brand to be the face of that message out there. The problem is that the enemy also knows that we have a calling and will confuse us, causing us to delay and possibly never discover our personal brand calling. But God has a solution. The Bible says: Beloved, do not believe every spirit but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. (1 John 4:1-3) When 1 John was written, there were so many people claiming to be something they weren't. I believe some of these false prophets didn't do this out of bad intentions; they just didn't have a full picture of the gospel or themselves. They became personally branded as "false" because of a lack of correct knowledge. John's solution was to test their spirits. Testing the spirit is at the heart of my Born to Do Method, a methodology I use to help my clients discover if the business they want me to brand is the business they should be in or if it's a misdirection from the enemy. In the end, I help them discern this and lead them towards what they are born to do. If you want to know what message you were born to share with the world through your personal brand, it's going to start with God, go through Jesus Christ, filter through your holy spirit, flow through you to others, and bounce right back at you in the form of your calling. Let's break this down for you in a practical exercise I share in my methodology, the Born to Do Method. It's also part of my book and course, How to Build a Christian Personal Brand. Step 1. What you want to be known for is really what God wants to be known for. In his book, The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren explains that we must first understand God's purposes for us to find our purpose. Our purpose will derive from one of God's purposes for humanity. The flow starts by first understanding that we are conduits of God's purposes. So first, pick which of these do you feel called to help with: Purpose #1: You Were Planned for God's Pleasure (entertain others) Purpose #2: You Were Formed for God's Family (build communities) Purpose #3: You Were Created to Become Like Christ (coaching, mentoring, personal development) Purpose #4: You Were Shaped for Serving God (through products and services) Purpose #5: You Were Made for a Mission (inventors, creators, method-makers) Your first homework is to read Rick Warren's Purpose Driven Life so you can soak in the order of things above. Your God-First personal brand quest (which is a quest for personal fulfillment, satisfaction, and meaning) can only be found in understanding and doing what God placed you on Earth to do. Step 2. Jesus already traveled the mission you want to go on Jesus Guys, this journey God-first personal brand doesn't have to be so complicated! We have an example with can copy. Jesus studied God's Word, was part of a God-first community, went to get baptized, heard from God, set out on a mission, and transformed people's lives. The Bible goes into a lot more detail, and you have to study his life so you can become more like him. By becoming more like him, your spirit then tunes in better on your calling from God. It's not that we need to stop procrastinating and delay discovering our calling; it’s that we need more Jesus. When we do this, the heavens open up, and your calling can flow through to your spirit. Step 3: Ask the holy spirit to move you As you get to know Jesus and God's Word better, you begin to develop the habit of improving yourself, and God gives you the desire to learn even more about yourself so that the spirit can speak to you. For example, remember how I discovered my calling by being part of a Bible study. The act of gaining knowledge will move your spirit. Some ideas: take courses, read books, get deeper into your craft, listen to podcasts. It's by seeking knowledge that the spirit guides you towards things you like (and away from something you dislike). Trust your spirit's guidance; this is the heart of discovering what you were born to do. Step 4: Ask others to describe you in a few words. So we started with God, went through Jesus, landed on the holy spirit, and now the Spirit wants to use you to impact others. So going to other people's opinions and views of you is the next step in our journey of discovering our God-first personal brand. Have ten people write down how they would describe your most helpful quality to them, and try to keep it anonymous. You want truthful answers from those you ask. You're asking people, “If you were to describe a time where I helped you the most because someone else needed that help too, how would you describe me to that other person?” This step will often reveal your superpower, bringing you very close to uncovering your God-First personal brand calling. Step 5: Take a sober assessment of yourself, too I'm not going to ask you to fast and pray for 40 days and 40 nights, although that works for many people when they want to hear from God. Maybe consider a 1-day fast while also having a conversation with your own spirit and asking it to reveal how you help people most. What was the one time you helped someone with something where you felt the most joy and meaning? It could have been a paid or free job. It could have happened at the dinner table or while doing an activity. There's something in business that you help others with, giving you joy and meaning beyond making money. This is closely tied with what you want to be known for. Write all these things down. Step 5. Collect and Categorize Gather your answers as well as the answers from the others. Group similar traits and qualities together. Some groupings have similar traits that you and others identified. These are traits congruent with your personal brand. For example, somebody says that you are good at making them feel confident, and you have identified that you want to help more women become more confident in themselves. You could gather those two notes and put them next to each other. Repeat this process until you see the common pattern. Step 6. Conclude on Your Calling You should have some clusters of categories that you are now looking at. These are clusters for which God wants you to be known because they match what others already think about you! God will use others, along with your holy spirit, to help you conclude on your calling. These overall traits or qualities will be the foundation for your God-First personal brand. You have now found the intersection between what other people think about you and how you see yourself. Imagine if we all went through this activity to discover the message we're called to deliver on behalf of God through our personal brand. How much better would, then, our products and services be? How can we go wrong if God is first in our personal brand and business? With the help of others and the holy spirit, it’s possible to discover our calling and bring to life the business God created us to start. Next steps For some, building a God-First personal brand will help them share their message as a speaker to audiences locally or even globally. For a God-first real estate agent, building their personal brand helps God bring them, new clients, through organic searches from people trying to buy homes in their area. For a young startup trying to work towards their first round of funding, focusing on elevating the founders’ God-first profiles may attract investors by adding credibility in their meetings before even meeting with investors. And a God-First personal brand will benefit someone who wants to launch a faith-based podcast to help them build awareness around their show’s topic. God won't build your personal brand overnight. He wouldn't give you that burden. You have to grow into it as your spiritual walk grows. Imagine becoming a person of influence without the ability to influence correctly. That's why your influence grows as you grow with God. That's by design to protect you and others. I hope that the Born to Do Method makes sense to you and that you find it useful in building your personal brand. If you have any questions about the steps, feel free to Tweet me @DailyGodpreneur. If you found this article helpful, I encourage you to share it with your faith-based network. The more we help each other learn how to start building our God-first personal brands, the more effective products and services will be in the marketplace for us to enjoy and be transformed by! And if you have any God-First tips about starting a brand or processes that helped you, please share as a comment! P.S. I did a Business bible study called 7 Steps to Launching Your Christian Personal Brand. Check it out: 7 Steps to Launching Your Christian Personal Brand This business Bible study will help you launch a God-first personal brand that will help you strategically, financially, and personally. Developing your personal brand starts with launching something new and completely different from what you already have. Also, coaches and Christian business leaders, you can use, edit, and repurpose the teachings for your own tribe! Check it out. #FindingMyBrand #FindingMyCalling

We follow brands for many different reasons. We share their values, we like their products, we find their content helpful, etc. One huge reason is that we resonate with the story behind the brand. As part of your Christian personal branding, you need to craft and tell your testimony. If you look at the companies you love, you’ll discover that each one has a powerful story behind it that resonates with you and your values. Why Storytelling Works Testimonies are powerful because: They put a human face on your business People naturally love and are engaged by stories A good story offers one more way to communicate your values Stories engender trust because they explain “why” People relate to stories, especially when they see themselves in them Your Founding Story An essential story that you absolutely must tell is how your brand came to be. Most of these stories have a similar plot arc: You suffered from some seemingly insurmountable problem (which is the same problem or one problem that your audience faces) You went through all sorts of frustrations, just as your audience is now You came upon a simple idea and decided to give it a try The idea worked and got results, and now you’re here to teach others how to do it Of course, this isn’t the only good founding story. But the above story is powerful because it says: “I overcame your problem and I can help you overcome it too.” Other Ideas for Personal Branding Stories At the very least, you should develop a story that tells about the founding of your brand, but there are many other ways you can use storytelling as well: When you talk about your life and especially your business, what do people find most interesting about your journey? This is a story that needs to be told. Explain how you came up with an idea for a certain product. Pick your best product or the one you most want to see increase in sales. Think of specific challenges you faced along the way or major milestones you met and turn each into a piece of content you can share. Tell the story of a customer or client that you helped. Even better, have them tell the story. You can use this as a piece of social proof. There are stories everywhere waiting to be told. It’s just a matter of finding them. Where to Share Your Stories You can use storytelling in blog posts, YouTube videos, the “About” page of your website, social media, and anywhere else you publish content. You don’t have to be a master storyteller. Just get out there and explain to people why you do what you do, and it’ll have the desired effect. If you want to know about more ways to develop a powerful God-first personal brand, then head over to my program, Build Your Unique Christian Personal Brand. In this course, you’ll learn how to create a compelling identity that attracts a value-aligned audience and increases your influence and sales. Check it out here - Build Your Christian Personal Brand | Godpreneur Academy #ShareYourTestimony #PersonalBranding

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. (1 Peter 4:10 NIV) If you don’t know what’s inside of the spiritual gift God’s given to you, then the gift is useless. It will never benefit you, your employees, or the marketplace around you. God has given you a spiritual gift to use in the marketplace that will take your business to places you could have never gone alone. Every one of us Godpreneurs has a duty, responsibility, and obligation to partner with God to use our gifts in our industries. God’s grace poured over us when we accepted Jesus and our businesses give us the opportunity to serve that gift to others freely. Imagine if we all used our gifts to point people the giver, and give all the praise and glory to God!? Imagine if our gifts encouraged others to want to draw closer to God so that they could find their gifts too?! That’s called Marketplace Ministry, and that’s our true calling as Godpreneurs. #FindMyCalling #BusinessBibleStudy #GodpreneurAcademy The Business God Created You To Start Have you ever wondered why you received the talents and gifts you have been given? We, as entrepreneurs, were born to do. 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