I went mountain biking the other day with my son and his Boy Scout troop. Let me tell you, mountain biking is dangerous and challenging! What I like about mountain biking is that there is ONE entrance, but the choices you make along this one path are endless. At many points you’re confronted with forks in the road and new decisions on weather to turn left or right. God’s vision for your entrepreneurial life is the same way. At some point you discover that vision and decide to start riding along that one path. But choices will come up. Opportunities to go in new directions will arise. Distractions will also happen. You’ll fall a couple of times, you’ll have to stop because you’re tired. You’ll even have opportunities to just quit and take the road back to the exit….contemplating weather to ever do this again…. You can’t go backwards, there’s a WRONG WAY sign if you even try. You have to keep going forward. So how do you know what the right decisions to take are? Paul’s prayer for the Philippians is my prayer to you entrepreneurs. In Philippians 1:9-10 we read “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ…” Once you have the vision, once you know your purpose as a business owner, God wants you to abound in knowledge and insight and be pure and blameless, making decisions that reflect God’s entrepreneurial vision for your life. That’s how God helps you reach your goals! Like on a mountain biking trail, God gives you choices and opportunities to learn from hands-on experience. Good decision making isn’t learned overnight. You may make some poor choices along the trail before you will know how to make good ones for the next run. And when you’re pursuing your God given entrepreneurial vision, God won’t give you just any choice because He will only give choices He is willing for you to make. But the opportunities to give you significant business choices are endless….like on a day of mountain biking. God will first give you small decisions, then bigger ones as you move along the path. As long as you are guided by God, you’ll be give many opportunities to make lots of appropriate choices gain knowledge, insight, and discernment….and improve your biking skills Enjoy the ride, its a learning process all along the way. Godpreneur Rule #59: A great brand has discovered God’s vision, then stays on that path. #GainConfidence #StrengthenIntegrity #LaunchingMyBusiness

If we look at suffering or failure in our businesses as something to be avoided, we may miss some of God’s greatest work. Some suffering is God’s effort to correct business practices, remove people from around you to bring others in, take away service and replace it with another, or shut it down to start the one He wants for you. Proverbs 3:5-12 says, “Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God ’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all. Run to God ! Run from evil! Your body will glow with health, your very bones will vibrate with life! Honor God with everything you own; give him the first and the best. Your barns will burst, your wine vats will brim over. But don’t, dear friend, resent God ’s discipline; don’t sulk under his loving correction. It’s the child he loves that God corrects; a father’s delight is behind all this.” When you feel you were not cut out to be an entrepreneur, remember that when you are weak, God can fill you with His strength. When you rely on your power, there is no room for God. #EnhanceFocus #GainConfidence

Trouble comes in many colors in business. Outside factors come along and rock the very foundation of everything we’ve built. Divorce, key employee leaving or losing a big contract are only a few of the common bed rockers. I found this bible verse very comforting in times of trouble in my business. Psalms 71:20-21 says, “Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. You will increase my honor and comfort me once more.” If you’re in troubled times right now you have two choices in mindset. First, you can be depressed and anxious and stressed out. I’m not sure if this is possible to avoid outright. But how long you stay in this state if mind is critical. The second choice needs to come as fast as possible, which is to worship God, seek Him more than ever before, and trust that’s he’s changing things around for your good. He will comfort you once more. P.S. I think its also fun to note that in the verse above, God MAKES us see trouble. When God gives you a vision, we always think its for something amazing, right? We associate vision with something positive. But in this case, God has us see times of trouble. Sometimes we can see it coming, sometimes we don’t see it until it snacks us in the face. But that’s a different blog post. #DifferentiatingMyself #StrengthenIntegrity

Who is holding you accountable to your vision? Wait…you’re the entrepreneur…you’re the leader…you don’t need someone watching over you. Wrong. I’ve owned a web & graphic design company since 2005.  Nine times out of ten, I’m the first person that gets a call when an entrepreneur has a business idea.  Of course they would call me first, they need a logo and a website, even before the business plan’s executive summary is made! (that’s a topic for another blog post). Entrepreneurs love telling me their vision of a better future with their new widget or service.  I help them bring the vision to life with my services.  Everyone is happy. But then something all-to-familiar happens:  the vision changes. What was once a great idea now has evolved into something else, and the direction has changed. I’m not kidding when I tell you I’ve collected $5000 from someone and then two months later he’s asking for a refund because the vision has changed…even though we’ve done work. The point that I’m getting to is that being in this business for 9 years has led me to a new path in my life.  I’m a visioneer not because I have great visions for myself (even though I do), but I became a visioneer because other entrepreneurs like me need someone in their life to not only speak vision of where they should be, but also keep them aligned with that vision. Here is my case for every entrepreneur to have a vision accountability partner: Deter Hyper-Vision Syndrome – This is a term I just coined.  Us “dreamers” or, as I like to call us, visioneers, have too hyper of minds for our own good.  If you know you have a vision coach, you’re less likely to veer off in another direction to not let the coach down and not waste your money. Stick to the Script – An accountability partner will know the game plan, and be able to get a summary at each meeting to make sure the plan is being followed through with. Strict Script = Better Profits – Now that the script is being followed, you’re moving in one direction, and you’re keeping your eye on the prize (profits), you are more likely to achieve your goals faster. Personal Freedom – Better profits means that you now have more time to spend on vacation, playing golf, or beating the new Super Mario Brothers.  Better yet…moving on to the next vision that God has set for you! “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17 ESV #EnhanceFocus

How can you be sure the business you’re in is the one God wants you to be in? For example, I personally would have a problem owning an Adult Video store. Why? Because my business directly causes another person to sin. (I’m not passing judgment on adult video store owners.) I was a nightclub promoter for many years. My job was to help people have a great time at the nightclubs that contracted me. The problem here wasn’t the nightclub itself. The problem was that I myself was drinking alcohol, getting drunk, and showing others that this was the best way to have a good time, so then others would follow me and do the same. I couldn’t control myself to have a great time without intoxicating myself, and I was setting someone else up to ‘stumble and fall’. So my entrepreneurial career as a party host and promoter came to a screeching stop in 2009 when I began to feel that God had something much bigger planned for me. I stopped promoting that year. The bible says: But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin. (ROM 14:23) The entrepreneurial vision God has set out for you will be so right that it won’t leave any room for doubt. The vision will not cause anyone to stumble. In fact, it will do the opposite: cause others to rise to new levels. Now my businesses all line up with my current compass that’s pointing north. Godpreneur Rule #162:  Godpreneurs influence others to rise to new levels. #EnhanceFocus

I’ve been through my shares of ups and downs in my business. And when the downs come, it seems like everything around me is crashing down. Bills get backed up, confidence is lost, a feeling of failure sets in, and the will to give up starts to creep into your mind. When we go through these times, it seems like we’re all alone. But we’re not alone. In Deuteronomy 8:6-9, Moses writes “Observe the commands of the Lord your God, walking in obedience to him and revering him. For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land—a land with brooks, streams, and deep springs gushing out into the valleys and hills; a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey; a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing; a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills.” You might not see it because your mind is clouded with the problems of the business and where the next checks will come in to pay the bills. You might not have the faith built up yet to immediately turn to prayer when troubled times come. But we have a God who has made a promise to us entrepreneurs….for the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land. #SharpenLeadership

I do it all the time. When things are tough in my business, I’m DEEP into the word of God, searching for answers, digging for clues on what the next move should be. I’m intently listening to God. But when times are good, you won’t find me as dedicated and devoted. No, I’m too busy enjoying the good times. We do this. We have a tendency to forget that God was the one that gave us the ability to be entrepreneurs, the calling to produce wealth. Moses wrote Deuteronomy 8 for this exact reason. His warnings are clear, and he lays out the problem perfectly. But he also gives the solution. Deuteronomy 8:10 says “When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.” If we don’t continue to praise God for what he has done to bring us out of the business troubles, “then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.” Just like in troubled times, continue to seek God in the good times. The best way to do this is develop the habit of reading the bible every morning, first thing in the morning. This way, weather times are good, or bad, or happy, or sad, you’re constantly in relationship with God. #BusinessBibleStudy #BecomeDisciplined

I love consulting entrepreneurs about their businesses. I love getting very focused and clear on their vision and purpose. You could say that VISION is my strength…but it’s also my weakness. See, because I know I’m so strong in the area of vision, I tend to rely on my own strength to get the visions. What ends up happening is I get too many visions, I want to do too many things, I end up unfocused and doing the exact opposite of what I consult entrepreneurs. And that’s where God will test us the most. God doesn’t test me much in my areas of business weakness because he already knows I call on Him for those challenges. Remember the story when Jesus calmed the storm in the Sea of Galilee? Mark 4:39-40 says “He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” Those disciples on the boat were professional fishermen. This wasn’t their first storm. Sailing was their greatest strength. But God tested their faith in that storm. Any area of our business where we have a tendency to become prideful about our abilities can hinder a strong relationship with God. Through entrepreneurial trials, God may be testing you in the area of your strength as well in order to encourage total dependence on Him. When you are overwhelmed with the challenges of business, He lovingly asks: “Why are you so afraid?” Trust God to calm the storms of your everyday business life. #ArticulatingMyIdeas #WheretoStartFirst

In November 2014, I made a radical move in my business. I stopped serving all nightlife clients. I felt God leading me in this direction. But with that move, I had to cut everyone from my team, leaving just 3 of us. I didn’t just randomly do this. I prayed long and hard on this decision. But I felt God telling me that this was the move to make. As much as it hurt some families that relied on a paycheck from me, I was obedient to God. I had to have faith. It reminds me of a time in the bible when God instructed Gideon to reduce his army to 300 to fight an army of 135,000 Midianites (Joshua 7:7). Seems unreasonable. Why would God do this? God wanted Gideon to know that victory does not depend on strength or numbers, but obedience and commitment to Him. As proof, the Midianite army fell without Gideon’s men even having to fight. I’m not telling you to fire your staff today and start over. That’s what God was leading me towards. What I’m saying is, what is there in your business that seems too hard to conquer? “Midianites” sometimes come in the form of employment challenges, market volatility, or competitive scares that make us feel outnumbered and overwhelmed. Whatever you’re facing, remember that the battle is God’s. Don’t let fear overcome your faith. I had to let go of the nightlife, and it was a huge battle internally. Make your choice for faith and trust that God will fight for you. To read more articles about starting over, click here. #WheretoStartFirst #FindMyCalling

Do you get envious when you scroll through Instagram and see other friends that are entrepreneurs succeeding and seemingly doing amazing things? I’ve always struggled with this because I partly do self promotion and partly do marketing of my company. I dance the line of boasting vs. blessings. Have you been involved in conversations with other business owners and felt yourself swelling with either pride or envy? There’s a difference between boasting about your successes, and being genuinely proud of your accomplishments. One causes envy. The other causes people to look at God. Where does being blessed end and boasting begin? Gal. 5:26 says, “Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.” It seems many of us feel the need to validate ourselves through our businesses, yet this is the very thing we are instructed not to do. When talking about our business to others, we might use these passages as a “motive check.” Galatians 6:14 says, “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” Being blessed is the side I stay on and the side entrepreneurs should be on. When showing a clients work, I’ll try not to say “Look at the work we did” but instead focus on the client and their amazing service or product. So the focus isn’t on me, its on my neighbor. When I land a speaking gig or a bit contract or something amazing happens in my business, I try to call it a blessing so people know that it wasn’t all my doing that bright about the success. That takes the pride off of me and puts it on God. Is God glorified when you speak about your business? #FindMyCalling #BecomeDisciplined

I’ve been praised for many things I’ve done as a leader and entrepreneur. Clients have written amazing testimonials and experienced amazing transformations in their branding and marketing. But I’ve also been an object of people’s contempt. Shortly after sending an email blast, I’ll get 3 praises and 1 person upset and wants to unsubscribe. I’ve also been praised by a client, and then that same client tells someone else how displeased they were. People are fickle. No matter how hard we try, we will never be able to please everyone all the time. This can include our clients, employees, partners and vendors as well. Many entrepreneurs are intimidated by anger from the people they do business with and, in an effort to please them, they may compromise on boundaries…possibly even be deviated from their path and go down roads they shouldn’t. Funny part is that this rarely results in the respect or admiration they are seeking, however. Instead, they get more anger and entitlement. Weird. Its not weird, and I’ll tell you why. You’re trying to please the wrong person. God asks us to focus on Him by being faithful to what He has called us to do. 1 John 3:22 says: “and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him.” The most effective way to please your tribe, clients, partners or vendors….is to please God. #EnhanceFocus

I used to go to Gold’s Gym and pump heavy weights. I’d get up to 275 pounds on the bench press. When you’re lifting heavy you inevitably get to a point where you need a spotter in case you get stuck. In a moment when you’re weakest, the spotter comes in to save the day. As a business owner, there are situations that make us feel inadequate because there is nothing we can do to “fix” the situation. Insults being hurled at us by employees who think they can do it better, clients persecuting us for any little mistake, and the hardships that come around with the bank account has $25 left in it. There is nothing you can do because what’s done has been done. But you’re strong enough to get through it on your own. After all, it’s us against them, right? Wrong. Our own sense of strength wants to kick in at these times, and we feel like we need to fix it all….all alone. But the truth is that this is when God wants to partner with us the most. This is when God wants to spot you at the gym, help you lift the heavy burden so you don’t do it alone. I like troubled times because its when I can embrace my need for God. Its when I feel God the most. Its when I can experience His presence in my business. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 says “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” Let your weaknesses become an opportunity to call towards the real source of strength: dependence on Christ. #EnhanceFocus #SharpenLeadership

I own a web and graphic design company. There are so many ways to make money in this business. There are tons of markets I can focus on and hundreds of niches I can specialize in. But which one focuses on my entrepreneurial purpose? When someone asks me in my business, “How are you guys doing?” I say I’m busy. I’m balancing different clients, services, vendors, employees on top of my personal life. When I focus on these things and not laser-focused on my entrepreneurial focus, all of this does seem BUSY. But what I’ve been learning lately is that if I were to stay focused on my entrepreneurial purpose, life wouldn’t seem busy; it would seem rewarding. See, my purpose is tied to my obedience to God and what He created me for as an entrepreneur. So focusing on my purpose really gives everything an eternal perspective, not a day to day view. Day to day, we are busy bees. But eternally, we can rest in the fact that we are living our purpose. Our business is in vain if it is not focused on the Lord. Let your business actions today be a reflection of your true entrepreneurial purpose on earth. #FindMyCalling #FindingMyPurpose #EnhanceFocus

I’m not sure if I told you, but I stink at managing people. Its something that doesn’t come as natural as marketing does. I have to constantly work at it because as an entrepreneur, you’ll always be in situations of managing people. And with management, inevitably you have to discipline people. Someone is going to screw up. I’m not sure if I’ve met someone that loves to discipline people, so I’m sure it’s a touchy subject. I know some are better than others at it. Can we admit that sometimes we’ve blown up and handled a disciplining moment horribly wrong. How would God want you to discipline employees? Well, the same way He disciplines me and you. PROVERBS 3:11-12 says “My son, do not despise the Lord ’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.” These verses show entrepreneurs what their attitude should be as they discipline their employees. Notice that God loves and delights in his children even as He corrects them. His discipline is not intended as harsh punishment, but as a loving act to encourage growth and maturity. And don’t we want our employees to grow? But sometimes, however, we react in ways that are designed to meet OUR needs instead of recognizing the bigger purpose of our discipline in growing our businesses. We can avoid being reactive if we come up with a game plan in advance. 1) When you are calm, think of appropriate consequences for the ways your employees are likely to disobey or mess up. 2) Recognize your weak areas (a tendency to rescue, lecture, or yell) and think of alternative ways you could respond. I have a tendency to NOT discipline at all because I don’t like confrontation. Instead I do the job myself and avoid the gut wrenching conversations. A discipline that is delivered calmly, consistently, and empathetically will be less likely to receive a rebellious response. Discipline helps employees grow when it is delivered with empathy and love. #BecomeDisciplined

There’s a lot of decision making when you’re an entrepreneur. I’m constantly making decisions: what’s my next move, who do I contract, who do I call next, what’s most important on my to do, how do I close this deal, where can I get a better deal? And if you’re like me, you’re probably making these decisions alone. This is dangerous for me and you. One IS the loneliest number when it comes to business. The bible talks about there being wise counsel in the multitude. So I have a couple of coaches that I rely on. But the bible also says that if I rely on God and His wisdoms for my business, its like building a house on a rock. When the problems come, I’ll still be left standing. Years ago I made a commitment to strengthen my relationship with God. In making that commitment, I was entering into a partnership that would allow me to have wise counsel whenever I pleased. Are you making business decisions based on what YOU think is good to do, or are you praying and talking to God and reading His Word to find out what HE wants you to do? So that’s what we need to start doing. My commitment in 2015 is to know God better by spending a set time each morning in prayer and meditation, to LISTEN to God’s vision for me, and to FOLLOW THROUGH with what He tells me. #FindMyCalling #ArticulatingMyIdeas