How do you listen to God in your business? How can you hear what God says about your next big move? Answer:  Read the Bible Every Morning When I’m reading, something will pop out about a decision I’ve been praying about and dealing with at my business. The Bible is made up of a whole bunch of books written by a whole bunch of different people. But God inspired every person as they wrote. So when you read it, you’re reading things God wants you to know. Don’t know where to start? SHARE ON INSTAGRAM I either use devotionals, a bible reading plan on YouVersion, or pray about what book to read in the bible and let the spirit guide you in the right direction. It’s going to take practice for you to learn how to hear what God is saying to you. And the more you practice, the easier it will get. Are you interested…..or are you COMMITTED to hearing from God? Entrepreneurs: When you make a habit of reading the bible, you’ll know God better. You’ll feel closer to Him. You’ll feel connected. You’ll make wiser business decisions. And that’s how you let God be your business partner. #WheretoStartFirst #LaunchingMyBusiness

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

I can’t remember the last time I said “Thank you God, for blessing me with the gift of entrepreneurism.” As Godpreneurs, we believe we’re on this earth to accomplish a duty and obligation God has set before we were born. But our hearts are still deceitful. It helps to ask ourselves, “Why do I serve the Lord?” Is it to gain His favor, earn His blessings, impress others with our “godliness”, or avoid His wrath? Or is it because He commands me to do it? As entrepreneurs are bombarded with the demands of life on earth, mainly financial demands, we often lose sight of the eternal perspective. I started a new routine in the mornings to help keep me aligned. Start your work day by recognizing who He is and what He has done in your business. This will help you obey Him not from a robotic sense of duty, but from the overflow of thankfulness that is in your heart. Be a Godpreneur because you love God above all things…even over the financial gains. #StrengthenIntegrity #SharpenLeadership

If I don’t get my bible reading done first thing in the morning, something is ‘off’ for the rest of the day. And if this happens for 2 or 3 days in a row, call the psych ward on me because I’ll be loony. Have you noticed when you don’t spend time reading God’s word, you feel less connected to Him and it is harder to run your business? Before long, your routine is off, your vision is off, your resolve and drive is off, the influences of the world grow and you, and your ability to say “no” to temptation, weakens. In the book of Proverbs 29:18, the author writes: “Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint; but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction.” Here’s the deal: Reading the Bible every morning REVEALS to me things I need to be reminded of that helps me stay in check. That’s the simple truth. The Godpreneur is building their business under the CEO directive of God. That means the first email you have to read every morning is the memo God sends you. That memo is going to come from the bible reading. Many times we want to experience God’s power in our business without investing the time to build a relationship with Him through Bible study and prayer. It is easy to postpone these things because of our busy entrepreneurial schedules, and then wonder why our business and personal lives feel out of control and chaotic. The truth is we make time for the things that are important to us. No matter how busy we are, let's make our relationship with God our top priority. Maybe you’re not there yet. Maybe you haven’t incorporated Bible reading into your morning routine. Do you have a morning routine? That’s the theme of a whole different blog... For now, nurture your relationship with God by starting your morning off with reading….your daily memo from your CEO…God. #LaunchingMyBusiness #StrengthenIntegrity

I witnessed a lot of miracles in my business. I could write blog posts for days on this, but the best ones I remember came in the area of finances in my business. There would be times when we needed to make payroll and by some miraculous way, a client that owed money for a long time ends up paying the day we needed it. This happened a lot! I understand that it's difficult to think straight with looming bills and uncertainty. We all have a tendency to forget the miraculous ways God has worked in our businesses. In the midst of difficult circumstances, we doubt Him instead of focusing on His faithfulness in the past. Ultimately, this lack of trust could potentially cost us the privilege of leading a team and having a successful business. God can shut us down unless we learn to trust God. Do you really trust God? Most of us find it much easier to trust when things are going well, but when things are difficult, our faith in Him can be tested. In these times, it is important to remember when God sustained your business through difficulties. I think about the times sitting down with the accountant who is trying to figure out where monies will come from. My faith was strong, and I would tell them that my God comes through for me. The next week I’m smiling at the meeting because God came through. Psalms 143:5 says “I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done.” Remembering those faith stories will help your business maintain an attitude towards God that is positive and anticipatory. #GainConfidence

When I first started my company in 2005, I had no experience with building a solid team. I had read it in books, taken a couple of organizational behavior classes at Cornell, but I was pretty much starting from scratch. 10 years later, I’m asking myself what would I have done differently knowing what I know today. For one, the first 4 years of my business I didn’t believe in God. The business life of the unbeliever is futile because I lacked eternal significance. I was motivated by selfish desires and self indulgence, which eventually led to my hardened heart. The basis of my thinking was “others exist for me.” In 2008 I began my walk with God again and learned that, as believers, we are called to show our love for God by selflessly loving others. While this is contrary to our sinful nature, it is the very thing that began to distinguish the seasons of my business. It has taken me years to shed off selfishness, and I still work at it daily. It’s easy to love clients because they pay the bills. Its tough to love employees that are seen as a cost of goods sold. We have many opportunities (and a responsibility) to demonstrate this principle of selfless love to the people closest to us – our employees. Unfortunately, we often use our business knowledge to manipulate each other, pursuing what we want rather than showing God’s character through us. Businesses should have a poster of Ephesians 4:25 in the employee areas that remind us that “we are all members of one body” and that unity is promoted when we think more of our business family than of ourselves. Stay connected to your employees by loving selflessly and having a servant’s heart. This is a regret of mine that I didn’t learn early on, but I leaned through painful errors. #SharpenLeadership

My graphic design company used to do flyer designs for strip clubs. Hey, they need to promote too! And business was good. They spent a bunch of money. But as I began to walk in my faith, I felt a conviction about doing work for gentlemen’s clubs. Not so much my own conviction, but the example I was setting for my team. Your team, customers, vendors or contractors will learn more from our actions than they do from our words. It shouldn’t surprise us that this is a biblical concept. James said, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (Jas. 1:22 NIV). And although nothing in the bible says don’t do graphics for strip clubs, I felt that by taking a hard stance against having them as clients, I was letting my team (and the client) know that my business didn’t need that money to continue to succeed. This applies to how you speak and act towards others. Are you a jerk? Do you lose your patience easily? Do you curse a lot? Yet you go to church on Sundays and want to invite your team with you?! Our actions demonstrate what we really believe and our team looks at our example when weighing the truth of our words. Model godliness for your employees, vendors, contractors and clients. #FindMyCalling #AttractingRightClients

Being an entrepreneur is akin to a roller coaster ride. When times are good, you’re on top of the world. The ride up is exciting! Success feels so great at the top. But when the drop comes, and as sure as the day is long it will come, hold on tight. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned on this rollercoaster is THANKFULNESS. It is so easy to take credit for the big sale, the huge contract, the amazing new partnership, the hot shot acquisition. But, we must not forget (or let our employees forget) that all of our business successes are blessings that God, in His grace, allowed us to have. And I’m THANKFUL for that, when times are good, bad, happy or sad. But you’re too successful when you forget to give credit where credit is due. We have to learn to put a filter through the good and bad things that happen in our business. If we see it all as a blessing from God, we protect ourselves of the pride of ownership that can come when you’re an entrepreneur. Deuteronomy 6:12 says “be careful that you do not forget the Lord , who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.” On Instagram I read a lot of memes that have awesome “success” quotes. Most are very inspiring. But despite what these quotes may make us think, we have not earned our entrepreneurial blessings. There are other small business owners in less fortunate parts of the world who are far more deserving, but God did not choose to bless them as abundantly as me and you. Others have worked harder for less, yet still humbly accept the blessings God gives them as more than they deserve. When on the roller coaster of business life, remember always to humble yourself and thank God for the blessings He gives you and your business to continue growing to accomplish your mission. #EnhanceFocus

Dude, business is hard. I’m even reluctant to tell people to start a business! I know the suffering and pain I’ve been through and its hard to wish someone well on that journey. But I changed my mind on this. Now I see entrepreneurial people as embarking on an amazing journey that will make them much better people and stronger followers of God…because it has for me. Its all about prospective…God’s perspective. Business life is so hard sometimes because “The LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in” (Proverbs 3:12). Wow…what a comfort it is to know that our loving Father has an eye on our entrepreneurial hardships to make sure that we are not overwhelmed. What a comfort it is to know that none of our suffering is in vain – he will make every bit of it work for our good in one way or another. So the next time the bank account is at $6.37, you need to pray to ask God what exactly He’s trying to reach out and tell you. Did you handle some finances wrong? Were you lazy? Are you dabbling in an industry that doesn’t glorify God? I’m convinced now more than ever that God didn’t let me excel to new greater heights in my career because I was serving and worshiping the nightlife industry, but He has much greater plans for me….and you! In your suffering, hold on to God like never before and you will overcome and grow to new heights. #EnhanceFocus #GainConfidence

I can’t tell you how many times I wished I wouldn’t have taken on a certain client.  Some of these clients have made my life miserable.  I’m always Mr. Positive and I’ve bought into the ‘client is always right’ mentality, but have learned this isn’t true. The client might always be right, but it might not always be the right client for you. Let me say this again: not every potential prospect is for you. So how do you fire clients that SUCK the life out of you?? You know that funny little feeling you get when you’re in negotiations, and it just doesn’t feel right?  You know that tug at your heart that tells you that this could end up disastrous? That’s the FORCE within you…the Holy Spirit…telling you to walk away. Do you have the FAITH to trust that by walking away from this prospect, you can walk into another prospect that is the one God wants you to do business with…a prospect that will take 1/2 your time and pay you twice as much your worth? Do you have that kind of faith yet? You can! The spirit works for picking employees, choosing vendors, negotiating with contractors, forming partnerships, and acquiring clients.  God wants to guide His Godpreneurs to the people He wants you to work with. “Trust in the LORD with all our heart and lean not on your own understanding . . . and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5,6). So how do you fire clients? You don´t hire them from the start! It’s that simple. Listen to the force within you more during the beginning than ever before. God has equipped us with such a great power through this FORCE that guides us. God the Holy Spirit, comes to live within the hearts of all entrepreneurs when they are baptized. The Spirit is power from God for thinking of business solutions, saying the right things to your team or clients, and doing things that are pleasing to God (your boss). Every morning I wake up and ask myself to be receptive to the spirit.  The Spirit brings me God’s wisdom from heaven through morning bible reading, meditation and prayer. More powerful than anything we could do on our own, the Spirit brings us entrepreneurs God’s power to act on what we know. #AttractingRightClients #HiringtheRightPeople

I started hosting Meetup.com meetings at The Creative Complex. We specified that we were looking for ‘Creatives Only’ in the description. We meant to attract graphic designers, web developers, marketing people, etc.  But instead, what we got was a wizard, a network marketer, a financial planner, and a couple of creatives. Doesn’t that stink?  When you’ve set out to attract the perfect prospect, the right client, and you get a bunch of randoms?! But I’ve been struggling with this.  In my heart, I felt that everyone is God’s people, and who knows why God places people in our lives. As Godpreneurs, we’ve allowed God to be the CEO of our businesses, so we’ve also given Him the authority to bring us whomever of His children He wants us to interact with. Christ didn’t limit his interactions to the right type of people.  Why should we? But I’ll admit that I felt a difficulty interacting with those that showed up to my meetup that were out of my comfort zone. I was trying to bring around the people who think and act like me, and ultimately would buy from me.  Selfishness at its finest. Maybe I even think they are ‘beneath’ me and I was resentful that they took up our time. Although I am going to tighten up the description of the group, I pray that God removes any sense of entitlement I may have, and to allow me to embrace the unexpected people God brings to my entrepreneurial life. There’s a difference between interacting and actually doing business with.  I think its okay for us to choose to do business with those that are like-minded, but no one is beneath us for a discovery call or even a group Meetup. #FindingMyPurpose #BuildMyPersonalBrand #HiringtheRightPeople

I’ve witnessed many miracles in my business. One that would happen a few times, is big checks coming from way overdue accounts receivable at exactly the right time. I mean I would literally have been out of business if the check hadn’t arrived at that moment. But would you believe that even though those things happened, I still have a tendency to forget the miracles…and forget God in my business? I’m the perfect example that witnessing a miracle is no guarantee that our faith will grow. We all do this. We forget the miracles, therefore forgetting the very thing that God is trying to use to strengthen our faith. But God has a better prescription for us to remember Him in our busy business lives: daily reading. The tried and true method Godpreneurs strengthen their faith with, is studying and meditating on the Word of God. I read every morning. I’m reading right now as I’m writing this note to you. The readings inspire me to write what I write every day! And they can inspire your business too. In 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Paul writes to his understudy, saying: “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” Daily Bible time, however, takes self-discipline…the same kind of discipline it takes to be an entrepreneur. So don’t tell yourself the excuse that ‘I don't know how’ or ‘I don’t have the time’. We must see our Godpreneur assignment as a marathon, instead of a sprint. There are no shortcuts. Biblical wisdom and an enduring faith are essential to a successful business career and we are much more likely to develop these when we feed ourselves with daily reading. Read the Bible and meditate daily and you will have experiences far greater than sporadic miracles. #FindMyCalling #DifferentiatingMyself #FindingMyPurpose

There’s nothing more satisfying than closing the big deal, collecting that huge check and running that credit card for a big dollar amount.  The taste of victory is sweet. But something strange happens to me after big, sweet victories.  I get lazy.  Not permanently.  But for a period of time I cross my arms and bask in my win.  I’m not sure if it’s a pride thing or what, but my accountant hates it.  He sees it.  Sales spike…and then sales slump. I don’t think I’m alone here.  I believe our sinful, lazy nature kicks in for all of us at times, and we compromise ourselves by taking a victory break. Today I was reading Proverbs and it was a reminder to me about what God has to say to His #Godpreneurs about these magical moments. A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—   and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man. (Proverbs 6:10-11) When the victory comes, its time to crank it up to the next level.  Keep going, keep GROWING.  This is go time, pedal to the metal. Grant Cardone would say “10x baby!  Its your duty, your obligation and your responsibility.” Vacation will come, no doubt.  Sunday is just around the corner and you’ll be able to have your day of rest.  But that’s it…one day.  For the other six days, make your accountant proud. #MakingMoreSales

Since I deal with corporate clients, getting $2,500 checks isn’t that easy. Two people have to sign a check, but the invoice has to go to 2 departments then through a processing plant, and back down to the 3rd floor for delivery Things can get confusing and sometimes they make mistakes. Mistakes like paying twice on the same invoice.  This has happened to me several times. So now I’m staring at a $2,500 error in my favor. Like monopoly, I feel like I got that bank error community chest card! What would you do? Would you deposit the check and hope corporate accounting doesn’t catch it and if they do you’ll just play stupid? Or would you call up your point of contact and point out the error? This is THE EXACT moment at the Garden of Eden where Satan tempted Eve.  That’s the same thing she went through. Does she take the shortcut to knowing God or does she refuse to compromise and follow God faithfully. So you want to know what I personally did?  Here, I’ll tell you the truth from two times this has happened to me. About a year ago I ate the apple and deposited the check. The client never found out, I still have the money.  But can I tell you that last year has been the roughest year of my career.  I’m not saying that this choice on my part caused all that, but it did reveal to God that I still wasn’t ready to be ‘trusted with a lot’ because I couldn’t be trusted with this little bit. (Luke 16:10-12).  God had to bring me down and out of depths of depression and anxiety that I wouldn’t wish on anyone. I’ve come out of that valley, and I’m stronger than ever! And then came the test AGAIN!  OMG!! This time I’m closer to God than ever before in my life, BUT I WAS STILL WANTING TO STEAL!!  I started to make up things in my mind like “well this could be God showing me favor because I tithed a big check to the church.” I began to justify what I know wasn’t right. The devil is a LIAR!  And he lurks around like a roaring lion ready to devour (1 Peter 5:8).  Even the godliest of men and women aren’t safe. This time I took the other route.  Believe it or not I had to ‘sleep on it’ and the next morning my bible readings were related to ‘not taking shortcuts’. God is so amazing!  He met me in the morning and sat with me and showed me His word and promises.  He held me through the time of prayer and as I cried out to Him he held me closer than ever.  I repented for my sinful nature. I emailed the client immediately and let him know about the mistake. Godpreneurs: No shortcuts!  No stealing!  God is your CEO and he’s watching what you’re going to do with the check the devil brought you. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says God is faithful and He won’t let you be tempted beyond what you can overcome. Entrepreneurs, it is part of our sinful inheritance to want the harvest without the work. Satan is a liar and cheater, and so we shouldn’t be surprised to see such mistaken checks in the mail and a strong inclination to steal it. Any opportunity we have to get rich quick without working catches our attention immediately. I’ve read somewhere that ‘Satan owns the short term.’ I love that.  So true. Proverbs 20:17 says, “Food gained by fraud tastes sweet to a man, but he ends up with a mouth full of gravel.” God owns the long term. Life is a journey, not a short term trip. There are no shortcuts to satisfaction and true peace of mind. Don’t do like I did and deposit the check.  Use it as an opportunity to show Jesus to a client of yours that might be thinking ‘wow, this person could have deposited that check and we would have never known, but there are some good people in this world’. Ultimately, our first purpose in business is to give glory to God.  Do the right thing always. #StrengthenIntegrity #ShareYourTestimony #SideHustlers

A month ago I took a Passion Test with my friend and fellow entrepreneur Derek Hendricks. He took me through a series of questions which led me to finding my passions. The final exercise was writing my passions in the form of a short story of how my life will look when I’m living my passions. I knew it was a good exercise for me because I’m into the self discovery methods like this.  I don’t see it as self discovery, but instead the discovery of what God designed me from the womb to be passionate about. Alfred Lord Tennyson said, “The happiness of a man in this life does not consist in the absence but in the mastery of his passions.” Now I’m reading this short story to myself daily.  And I didn’t fully understand or know why I was reading it daily until I realized that by reading it daily I was reinforcing my passions! But before you go off taking your passion test too, you have to understand that I was doing it under the context of a Godpreneur: that God gave me these passions and its my duty to live them out. Its important that we pursue our passions, but passions can be used for good and bad. So how do we guard our passions and make sure they always align with our Godpreneurial purpose? Proverbs 4:23 says “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Your passions come from your heart. So guarding your heart is the secret to keeping your passions aligned. Living your passion requires a practiced decision we must make in theory, well ahead of the practical test.  We must decide that we are going to “Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips.   Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.   Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways.   Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.” (Proverbs 4:24-27) You can destroy something you have built up over a long time in a matter of seconds if you let your passions get the better of you. Godpreneurs: Give your heart to God and take the passion test to begin channeling your passions toward personal growth. #StrengthenIntegrity #FindMyCalling