Search this site

I started writing Daily Godpreneur blogs in November of 2014. At the time, my business was doing terrible. I had to shut it down to restart all over again. I had lost major clients and couldn’t afford to pay my team. It’s the lowest point I’ve ever been as an entrepreneur. Still, I recognized a need in the marketplace to have a blog focused on Christian Entrepreneurs. I knew there could be a worldwide community, but that it would take time to grow. I also recognized the business opportunity that would be afforded to me. If I grew readership, I could come out with books, courses, a membership platform, and even merchandise. I saw speaking engagements, coaching and private consulting as possible avenues as well. But I didn’t want to rush the process. Something inside of me said that this was going to be a long road, and to wait patiently for God’s timing because a lot of work still needed to be done INSIDE of me. See, when I first started writing, I was at the beginning of my understanding of God, ministry, and marketplace, and what it meant for me and my business. But most of us entrepreneurs are not this calculated in our approach in new ventures. We’ve rushed into many businesses, products, services and even that weren´t on timing. In hindsight, we would have done something different; we would have waited. It’s not in our DNA to wait. From the Garden of Eden, we’ve been programmed to be impatient and seek instant gratification from creation and our surrounding. What I’ve learned from God through my blog, Daily Godpreneur, and my experience building a tribe from scratch, is that I’ve been extremely blessed by waiting three years to take the first steps at building a business around my teachings. God wants to do the same for each of our businesses. He wants us all to wait on Him so he can show us patience, build our character, increase our faith in prayer, and become wiser Godpreneurs. We have to be willing to wait. The Bible says "I waited patiently for the Lord ; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him. Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord , who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods." (Psalms 40:1‭-‬4 NIV) Waiting in our businesses isn’t a curse. It’s a blessing. Patience for a Godpreneur is a gift from God to your ventures. When you wait patiently in God: You gain access to His ear and He hears the prayers for our businesses He will come to your rescue and deliver us to safety You will worship God at all new levels People will see what He has done for you and your business Our time of waiting for the big break, the right employee, or the insight we need to move forward will turn into a testimony to other Godpreneurs. Our clients, employees, vendors, and contractors who witness our deliverance will come to fear and trust in God. Yes, waiting on God is a form of evangelism in the marketplace! When Godpreneurs wait patiently for Him, our businesses will be blessed and our hearts will be strengthened. Our patient waiting shows God that we trust Him with our whole business, and He rewards faith like that in amazing ways. Trust me, I’m experiencing the blessings of three years of the patiently writing blog. I wrote 365 blog posts before putting out my first book. Chew on THAT kind of patience. It’s my job to challenge Godpreneurs worldwide. As we dive deeper into the blessings for our businesses that come from waiting patiently on God, I want you to prepare your heart to begin to wait, knowing that God is going to take care of your ventures. Get ready to understand what it means for a Godpreneur to truly trust God with our business life. Godpreneur rule: Godpreneurs wait patiently on God for our next business move. Questions to consider Has there been a time where you waited, and won? What’s the last thing you rushed in your business that, in hindsight, you would have done differently? On a scale of 1-10, and 10 being excellent, how good are you at waiting on God’s timing? #BusinessBibleStudy #WorkLifeBalance #GodpreneurAcademy How Godpreneurs Wait Instead of reading the blog posts, take the video course!  I personally teach you the method.  You get: Workbook 6-Video Teachings Access to dozens of courses in the Godpreneur Academy! 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

"Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” (Matthew 15:14 ESV) The experiences you had growing up are essential for your first steps in owning a business and dealing with the profits because you’ve studied your parents’ behavior precisely and saved them in your subconscious. When you start earning money in your business, you’ll imitate the income patterns of your parents without discerning it. I, myself, had steadily emulated this pattern of spending and financial mismanagement in my early business endeavors- -without understanding the root of my failure! God designed us to be creatures of habit, and when we’ve learned something, it’s not easy to unlearn it. We can only break away from our parental thought structures later, by making ourselves aware of them and consciously flipping the switch by filling ourselves with new, Godly beliefs. Godpreneur Rule: Godpreneurs are conscious about spending money with a Godly perspective. #BusinessBibleStudy #WorkLifeBalance #FindingMyPurpose Secrets of the Millionaire Mind A Christian entrepreneur’s book summary of the New York Times best-seller Secrets of the Millionaire Mind. 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

Whenever I’m launching a new event, product, service, or marketing campaign, I get anxiety because I can’t wait to launch and start seeing the fruit of the labor. I get so focused on the launch, I begin to neglect other parts of my business (accounting, operations, culture, human resources). Admittedly, I also neglect my marriage during the “launch mode.” I expect her to understand that I’m doing something important for our future finances. There’s no problem in being excited about things we’re waiting in our business. The problem is when we obsess, become anxious, and neglect other areas of responsibility. The reason why this is happening is that our minds aren’t trusting that we planted the seeds and God will make it grow. We’re praying for His goodness day and night, but then we’re still going and trying to control every little thing in the situation we’re praying for. This control we seek has us neglecting important parts of our business and marriage and negative causing a domino effect. One of the biggest breakthroughs I’ve had in business and marriage was the ability to remove stress and anxiety through praying, letting go, and letting God grow the seeds I plant. The bible says: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus". (Philippians 4:6‭-‬7 NIV) When you pray and let God handle the result, you’re getting a peace that other married entrepreneurs wouldn’t understand. You see others hustling and grinding, and you see some (seemingly) peacefully growing their business and (seemingly) happy in love. I emphasize seemingly because whether times are good or bad, the more peaceful types have a deeper understanding of letting go and letting God, regardless of the circumstances. That peaceful state of mind is what we should look to achieve! Look, anxiety and stress are bad for the heart – science has already concluded this. That’s why in Isaiah 26:3 we read “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast because they trust in you.” You want peace in your marriage and business? Do you want to remove the anxiety behind product launches, new hires, new ventures, and all the awesome family growth opportunities afforded to you and your spouse? Whatever you’re concerned about, pray and have faith that God will move that mountain. Let the situation go and move on to keep doing your daily routines and not neglect the little things that married business owners must do make sure the system and process function at the best levels. This isn’t a free pass for us to sit back and relax. When a farmer is done planting seeds, his work is just getting started! But he’s not anxious about the seeds sprouting, he trusts that nature will take its course. When we pray and let God do the seed growing, we’re protecting our hearts from doing bad business and marriage decisions like overspending, bringing on partnerships that shouldn’t be and compromising our integrity as spouses. We married entrepreneurs make a lot of stupid mistakes when we over-control and neglect other areas of our business and personal life. Like a farmer, we Godpreneurs are either waiting for crops to grow, receiving the harvest and reaping the rewards, or moving on to the next new season – both in business and marriage. Regardless of the stage, when we pray and let go, God gives us peace which allows us to be emotionally and physically consistent today! Godpreneur Rule – A Godpreneur’s faith will move mountains in His business and marriage. #MarriedEntrepreneurs #BusinessBibleStudy #WorkLifeBalance #GodpreneurAcademy 21 Days of Breakthroughs in Business and Marriage This course provides needed strength and faith, in the truth of God’s holy Word, for breakthroughs in both your business and marriage. 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

Whether dealing with employees, partners or contractors, I often took my team for granted.  Showing courtesy, gratitude, and care for others might happen in the first couple of months of knowing the person, but that wore off for me. The same person whom, once upon a time, I wanted to do work with and was excited to have on my team, now likely feels unappreciated by me for all that they do for me everyday. Why is it that today if a new client comes knocking at the door with business, we jump to thank them even before the job is done, and yet, we show little or no gratitude to the people on our team that make it happen? What we fail to realize is that expressing gratitude benefits both parties in the relationship—the recipient and the giver. When we give appreciation to those that work for us, we often receive even more in return! Research shows that employees that felt more gratitude feel more attached to the business and are more pleased to come into work even the following day. Satisfaction goes up! Gratitude is a boost to get people on your vision and riding the rocket with you.  It will also help employee retention, so people stay with you longer. The bible says “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” God is asking us to be grateful because it takes our focus off of the NEGATIVE (which is our tendency) and places it in the POSITIVE (which is where God wants us). Every day we have the awesome opportunity to show appreciation to the people that help run your entrepreneurial machine. Here are some simple ways to show employees, contractors, vendors, partners, joint venture partners, and clients well-deserved appreciation everyday: Thank your employee because they care, not because it’s their job. When your employee is doing their job, don’t just think “well, that’s what I pay them for”. You may be taking their work for granted just because you’re also doing your job. Appreciate the fact that they are a component of the machine you’re building and without them the thing doesn’t run as well. Tell them why you appreciate them. So it’s one thing for your employee to hear “Man, I’m really grateful to have you on my team”. It’s a whole different story to follow it up with “I sleep better at night knowing I have you on my team”. Be creative in expressing recognition. Saying the same thing over and over becomes bland.  People become numb to it. Try more personalized phrases: “I’m grateful when…”, “I’m blessed to…”. Simply pick a different way of showing the same appreciation. The English language allows for millions of combinations. Appreciate the time and mindset, not only the results. Even when your employees goof up and are unable to deliver up to your expectations, thank them for their effort and time. If your contractor forgets to do a task from a long list of tasks, or if he or she burns the cookies, don’t make them feel all their work was wasted. “It’s not a big deal. Thank you for your effort.”  (personally, I would also follow it up with how it could have been done differently) Look for positives to appreciate even in negative circumstances. My mom is great at seeing the good in everyone, everything, every situation.  How many times have you gotten the “I’m running late,” or “I can’t come in today,” or “I’m backed up.”  Instead of moaning and groaning, thank the fact that they are even telling you this in advance.  This will make them want to “make up” for it. Surprise “Thank You” notes. I’ve written thank you cards, sent text messages, wrote emails, posted on employee’s Facebook walls, and left sticky notes on their desk.  You don’t have to do this daily.  With the 5 examples I just gave, you have one for every week of the month.  Then figure out other ways and come back to repeat any later on.  These can make their day. Let them know how important they are to your success. As an entrepreneur, we are only as strong as the people working in our machine. Even if you’re a solo-preneur, you still count on vendors, affiliates or contractors to help you succeed. Count your blessings and accomplishments in business, and inform your team about the impact they have in your success. Appreciate how your people contribute to the achievement of your personal goals. Praise in private and public. It’s nice to be praised at your desk, but it’s even better to be recognized publicly. You can send an email blast, post on the company Facebook page and bring it up at the next meeting. Find ways to appreciate publicly. Go out of your way when they need help. The best way to show gratitude is showing up with they need help. Praying for someone who is down, buying their tires and having them pay you back slowly, or just listening when they need to talk. Sometimes you can offer to do their job for them so they can take a break if you see them down. Give a Gift. Nothing says thank you like a gift. For some employees this will be the best thing ever, but for others it won’t be as impactful.  You won’t know until you try it. The more thought that went into the gift, the bigger the impact. Your Entrepreneur Compass, Alex Miranda. COMMENT BELOW:  What are some ways you show your team gratitude?. Sound off below. #ShareYourTestimony #DifferentiatingMyself #AgencyOwners

In any given year, I’ll have thousands of great ideas in my business, but most of them die in my mind.  A good amount of them make it through to pen and paper, I actually keep a Google doc of ideas.  From there, a smaller group actually get acted upon.  Finally, one or two a year actually survive. All of us entrepreneurs have great ideas.  We’re visionary.  But there are a couple of things we need to be aware of. The more aligned you are with your purpose and with what God has for you, the more resistance you’re going to meet. If you don’t believe in your product, you won’t have the strength to fight through this resistance. We want to believe that we can control everything.  So if someone says no to our idea, product or service, we want to think logically and say “well, maybe it’s a bad idea or product.” But what if the resistance is there to teach you to wait, refine your approach, and develop the faith and courage that the early church had to endure to spread the gospel. In Acts 13, we see Saul and Barnabas going around to various cities, talking with Jewish leaders and letting them know about Jesus.  Although some received them warmly, and most have them plenty of time to explain themselves, there is a “FORCE” that exists that does not want this message to spread.  This force will do anything to stop them, but Saul was so bold and so driven with purpose that he would dust his sandals off and move on. Godpreneurs, when your product or service is going to change the world, when you feel like you are doing God’s work, be ready for the resistance that will come. Sure as the sun will rise, you will have no resistance.  And if you don’t have resistance, be vigilant to that too, maybe you’re so off course that this force doesn’t even see you as a threat. If you truly believe that what you are doing is God’s plan for you, then that’s the only thought that needs to drive your every encounter with opposition. Godpreneur Rule #68: opposition in selling our God-given calling means that we’re on the right track. #MakingMoreSales #BusinessBibleStudy

I love sitting with entrepreneurs or those thinking about making the plunge and helping them discover their identity. I have to admit that I’m inspired by it. Inspired means “spirit within.” This means that the Spirit within me receives a message from God and I simply am a vessel of delivering the message. But I’ll admit that I don’t always give credit to God. Everytime someone says “OMG Alex you’re a genius, thank you so much for helping me,” I get pumped up and my ego goes through the roof. It’s confirmation that I’m some kind of fortune teller! One time, after solving a clients problem, he turned to me and said “Alex, you walk on water.” I’ll never forget, because I remember thinking, yeah, maybe I do walk on water and perform miracles like Jesus! We can do this as entrepreneurs. We figure out what we’re gifted and talented at, and others confirm it, and we can easily go down the road of thinking we’re some big shots. From there we write books, teach courses, get famous, and become rich! And going down this path, we can easily lose ourselves and lose the perspective that, as Godpreneurs, we’re doing God’s work. In Acts 14, Paul and Barnabas are going from city to city preaching the good news. They are doing what they were born and commanded to do, and they were having huge success! People were practically worshiping them! They healed a man who couldn’t walk, and they called them GODS!  But Paul and Barnabas were very quick to point and give credit to God. They stopped the non-sense of being worshiped for what God had done through them. Can you imagine your client calling you God? Can you imagine how amazing that would feel? The temptation is there for me and you to take the spotlight. But we have to battle that, and we always have to be giving credit to God. If we do this, I believe it will keep our minds on helping more and more people, not helping our ego more and more. When we feed the side that wants to help more and more people, I believe the money and fame take care of themselves. Paul, from the Bible, didn’t care about fame and fortune. He just wanted to preach. And look….2000 years later he’s arguably the most famous person in the Bible after Jesus. Godpreneur Rule #67: always give credit to God for the gifts and talents you have to serve others. #BusinessBibleStudy #FindMyCalling

I’ve been studying the concept of “integrity” for over 45 days straight. I wanted to learn as much as I could because, quite honestly, I needed to fix this area of my life. But now it’s time to stop talking “theory” and start putting things into action in our businesses.  My employees, vendors, and clients will more likely remember what I do than what I say. We can all sit and learn something for days and months, but in the business world, seeing is believing! The bible says: "For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing." (James 1 23-25 ESV) God is looking for doers of the Word – people that listen intently to the lesson and apply it directly and immediately into their lives. I’ve compiled a list of my favorite 7 actions you can take today to improve your integrity in business and in life. Do these so that your life as a whole comes into alignment with your true pure heart, opening up the floodgates of blessings that Jesus wants you to experience! These are the 7 Godpreneur Rules to Mastering Integrity in Your Business Life 1) Godpreneurs Are Punctual You can build integrity by being on time (or even early) to meetings. Do you think your time is more important than the person you scheduled a meeting with? If you’re late, you’re selfish. I know I’m being very blunt, but there’s no two ways around it. I’ll admit that I say I’m going to be somewhere at 1 pm, and sometimes I get there at 1:05. That’s my lack of integrity. And because I know I suffer from this, I need to trick my brain into being at the meeting at 12:30 until I can master the art of being somewhere 10-15 minutes ahead of time, which is ideal. Punctuality is important in business. It shows the person you’re meeting that you value them and their time.  Business people appreciate a punctual person. 2) Godpreneurs Keep Good Company You can build integrity by surrounding yourself with people who have good integrity. 1 Corinthians 15:33 says “bad company corrupts good character.” Don’t waste your time with people who can’t keep their word. Because I’m working on my integrity, I’ve made it a point to surround myself with people who have integrity because the opposite of the verse above is also true: good company influences greater character! Consider starting a group of like-minded Godpreneurs at your church who want to succeed and have integrity. Godpreneur Meetups are the action behind the biblical principle “iron sharpens iron”.  Good Godpreneurs around you can make all the difference in the world. 3) Godpreneurs Do Not Commit To Everything You can build integrity by saying “no” to certain requests for your time and effort. If you have 100 things on your to-do list and struggle to balance all of your obligations, then you have integrity issues in the area of commitment. I have goals, and taking the right steps to achieve them means I have to break off some existing commitments (your integrity will take a hit here) and say no to new opportunities that aren’t in line with my new goals (your integrity will regain points here). Your commitments in business will drive your strategic priorities. Since your time is the most valuable asset you have, simplify what matters to your business right now and go after it.  Integrity is a verb, not just good intentions. 4) Godpreneurs Keep Their Promises You can build integrity by keeping your promises. Don’t schedule a meeting with someone and then cancel because something else came up. People will forgive you, but they won’t forget. You might have the best reason in the world, but that can’t erase the memory of the cancelation. I need to personally work on the concept that if I say I will do A, B, and C then I need to do A, B, and C.  But admittedly, sometimes I do X, Y, and Z because it’s more important to me or to simply avoid doing the original commitment because it’s not suiting my needs anymore. This needs to stop. You want people to talk behind your back and say “Man, that person really comes through with what they say they’re going to do!” Business people remember what you say, they remember a promise, and they remember when you fail to follow through on a promise because their own business or personal priorities rely on your word. No matter what the cost, stand by your word in business. Your word is the currency of success. 5) Godpreneurs Practice Honesty In All Situations If you want to set yourself apart from the rest of the businesses out there, practice honesty. Why? Because honesty is a virtue these days. People are actually surprised when others are honest, so they don’t forget you! The bible says in James 5:12, “But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.” When I’m going to be late on a project, my clients are more appreciative when I come clean that I’m going to miss a deadline than if I wait to explain myself AFTER the deadline. Ironically, it actually works in my favor to communicate that BEFOREHAND. And I know it sounds like common sense to let a client know if you’re going to be late, but I’m the first to admit that I don’t always practice this. I will be moving forward. The business world will trust you and respect you more for being honest and upfront in all situations, especially the toughest ones. 6) Godpreneurs Get Back In The Game You can also build integrity by getting back up when you get knocked down. When you mess up in business it’s always best to take 100% responsibility, learn from the mistake, apologize to anyone that may have been affected, and move forward. Sometimes just making this effort will build back the trust that was broken. I can’t cover up or ignore mistakes I’ve made in my business partnerships or on client projects. I just need to face reality and make a better effort tomorrow. 7) Godpreneurs Write It Down You can also build integrity by writing down your commitments. If you commit to something, write it as a task, preferably in front of the person. If you commit to a meeting, immediately open your Google calendar and schedule the date/time and invite the person to the meeting right away using their email. Writing things down shows the other person that you intend to do exactly what you say. I’m pretty good at this because I have so many things going on that I NEED a system and process to hold me accountable for doing what I said I would do. You need to take the time to make a note of what you just committed to.  Then your employees, vendors, contractors, prospects, and clients will see you mean it and you will actually remember to do what you say you will do! God uses the Word to transform or minds. God uses our actions to shape our journey. Remember, we are shaped by our actions and we’ll make the most impact by the things we don’t just learn, but we do. Praying we can all be doers of the Word so we can all level up our integrity our marketplaces. #WorkLifeBalance #TimeManagement #StrengthenIntegrity

We could all agree that peace is incompatible with rushing things, right? Last few months, I’ve been robbed of my peace. Probably the last few YEARS. I’m always playing catch up, late for appointments, or overdue on what’s due on my end. Truth is, if I took an interior inventory, I don’t feel a deep peace of God in my soul. I don’t sense a grounded, present sense of calm. Instead, it’s a constant war. And yet: I continue to cram more and more into my already overfull life, forcing me to speed up to a frenetic pace, and I rarely slow down long enough to experience God’s peace. Of course, not all busyness is bad. I love being busy writing my blog posts, taking my son for a run so my wife can get a break, launching someone’s brand, and going to CrossFit. These don’t feel like I’m wasting my precious time. My problem isn’t having a lot to do, it’s having TOO MUCH to do! The only way to cram it all in is to kick into hurry gear, and as a tragic result, slip out of love, joy, and peace. And I have too much to do because I’m in a hurry to become someone… Instead of having the peace of knowing, I AM someone. Look, I’m the first to criticize “slow.” Heck, I have a brand called Launch in 2 Days! 😂 My brand’s message is clear: slow is bad, fast is good. But even with Launch in 2 Days, clients call me to launch their businesses, and I have to SLOW them down to stop, create a plan, build a strategy, and THEN prepare ourselves for a launch. A proper, peaceful launch can only happen in 2 days because we slowed down long enough to lay out a plan. The bible says "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." (Colossians 3:15‭-‬17 NIV) In God’s contrarian way of doing business different than the world, the Christian entrepreneur’s value system is turned upside down: hurry is of the devil because his only goal is to rob us of our shalom – our peace with God slow is of Jesus, because Jesus is what love, joy, and peace look like in flesh and blood. What about you? Do you have a spirit of peace right now or anxiety? I don’t think I’m alone. For that next idea you have, simply do nothing. Just be. Stand in silent love before God. Try to sit long enough for the peace of God’s Spirit to well up inside of you for as long as you can, and thank him for it. And when you’re ready to launch your brand PEACEFULLY, follow the Launch in 2 Days system. Slow down to let the Spirit plan and lead you to efficiently and effectively launch your calling. Learn more about the Launch system here. #TimeManagement

My wife and I ran into big problems in our marriage because I worked so darn much.  Day and night, 25 hours a day, 8 days a week (that’s right, I worked so much I created days that didn’t exist). I think it’s a combination of 1) knowing there’s still a lot to be done to grow the business and putting in more time will get it done, 2) workaholics syndrome I inherited from mom, 3) wanting to prove my worth to my father by how much I work, 4) if I was broke, at least I was working and that felt good, and 5) sometimes I just wanted to escape home life and working is a safe refuge. All of these above excuses are lies that the enemy has lead me to believe.  Each statement above can be a whole chapter in a book. Working hard isn’t the problem.  Not resting is the issue. We entrepreneurs do have a lot of work, we do have great responsibilities, we do not follow the normal 9-5 schedule, but we’re also smarter than the average Joe and need to understand the tricks of the super successful who seem to be able to manufacture time at will. How can we beat the system and create more time?  The answer is a contradiction of the mind:  find a day of rest. In Mark 2:25-28 "Jesus said, “Really? Haven’t you ever read what David did when he was hungry, along with those who were with him? How he entered the sanctuary and ate fresh bread off the altar, with the Chief Priest Abiathar right there watching—holy bread that no one but priests were allowed to eat—and handed it out to his companions?” Then Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made to serve us; we weren’t made to serve the Sabbath. The Son of Man is no lackey to the Sabbath. He’s in charge!” I used to cringe when I heard the pastors preach about taking a full day of rest.  I imagined me sitting on a couch doing nothing for 24 hours and freaking out as if in an insane asylum. Worst is that I thought I was being a “bad Christian” for not taking a day off.  So then I would force myself to not work just to honor the day as if to say “ok God, I did it, are you proud of me?…”  See how even on the Sabbath I was still working for someone’s approval? The Sabbath isn’t an item on the Christian checklist of things that make God like you more.  The Sabbath is a day where you rest to RECHARGE, REBOOT, REJUVENATE, and RELAX. Imagine you’re working out at the gym.  Don’t you ‘rest’ between sets of exercises?  This time of rest actually strengthens you and you do even better the next set!  That’s how taking a day of rest works. We entrepreneurs need to be very conscious about taking this full day of rest so that our ideas for the following week ahead of us are at 100% and we’re full of the energy we need to tackle the challenges and excitement of owning a business. Your Entrepreneur Compass, Alex Miranda Do you think you’ll be bored on your rest day?  Here are  5 Things Successful Entrepreneurs Do on the Weekends. Comment below with some ideas on things you do on your rest day. #TimeManagement #WorkLifeBalance

I used to think I had to do everything myself.  After all, I started the company!  I’m in charge of finances, sales, marketing and operations.  And within each, I have hats within hats to wear.  It’s all my responsibility and I need to make sure I can do it all in the 18 hours I’m awake in the day. But 18 hours isn’t enough, so I put things off for the next day….and the next…and the next.  When I come to realize it, my email box is full of 3,000 unread emails and my to-do list has stretched to page 3 on a legal pad. Sometimes I dream of taking a trip to a cabin in North Carolina for 1 month, locking myself in a room, and doing everything I can to catch up. 24 hours just isn’t enough in a day to do it all.  Yup, that’s the truth. So how do we accomplish everything we need to do to run a successful business?!  How will we bring our dreams of growth and expansion to life if all we have is 24 hours in a day? One thing I’ve learned in growing in my relationship with God is that He will accomplish through you what he needs to accomplish in the time available.  Imagine checking in with your CEO (God) in the morning and asking for the critical tasks of the day.  He would know exactly what you need to do, after all, he came up with the 24-hour day! In the book of Job, God challenges Job’s frustrations and says something that I always remember when I’m frustrated at God’s design of the world. Job 38:4 “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand." And in Job 38:12 “Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place," Whenever you catch yourself complaining that there aren’t enough hours in the day, remember the power of the two verses above.  It should give you the right perspective on how to see the day of work laid out before you:  God’s perspective. If we were very honest with ourselves, the reality is that God’s 24-hour design is perfect, but we are the ones that get distracted, do unnecessary work, and are inefficient. As Godpreneurs, God’s our CEO and he knows what he’s doing. We can wish for more time, but we’re not going to get it. We can’t make our days longer. What you can do is see your work from God’s perspective and leave the rest in His hands. If everything in our businesses depended on us, no amount of hours would ever, ever be enough. #SharpenLeadership #TimeManagement

One of my greatest struggles as an entrepreneur was creating the habit of getting up early every morning to spend time in meditation and prayer.  Even though every success seminar and autobiography of the rich and famous Business gurus said that I must create this habit, I struggled. Could be that I went to sleep too late.  Could be that I’m not a morning person.  Could be that I worked so much into the early morning hours that I couldn’t get up.  Could be that I would wake up, check my emails and see there was a fire I needed to put out.  Could be that there was so much to do that day that I didn’t have time. Could be that I was just too darn busy. And if I could be honest with you, I feel very guilty about being so busy.  My marriage has suffered greatly from it. We entrepreneurs have a lot going on in our minds and lives.  Responsibility to pay bills, spend time with family, eat right, exercise, make sales, do marketing, bake cookies, hold the baby, watch CNBC, go on date nights, etc. etc. The problem isn’t the fact that I have a lot going on.  Heck, that’s awesome!  We should celebrate the fact that life is shaking and baking!  Don’t be ashamed that you’re a work of art when it comes to efficiency and productivity. God has shown us what the real problem is. Remember the story of Martha and Mary when pays a visit.  Martha is busy cleaning.  Mary is eager to learn from Jesus. Martha’s an amazing worker.  But Mary made Jesus a priority.  The cleaning up could wait. Jesus says in Luke 10:42 "But few things are needed—or indeed only one.  Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” The truth is that hard work is one of your God-given functions and gifts in being a Godpreneur. You use the intellect and circumstances God has provided you with to lead your business. A bunch of Bible verses praise having a strong work ethic. Work or ambition in and of itself isn’t the problem.  In Part 1 I reveal that the first way to solve Busyness is finding purpose, aligning your heart and motivation. Today we encounter that another major issue are our priorities. If our purpose is to serve God with our businesses but also make time with him our #1 priority, we’re on the right track.  Imagine if we all developed the habit of waking up early and being still in God’s presence. Our CEO wants to meet with us daily.  Let’s make showing up to this meeting our priority. #TimeManagement #SharpenLeadership

Even though we know as Christian entrepreneurs that we need to study God’s Word regularly, we often think about the most efficient way to structure this daily routine, especially with how busy our businesses keep us. When I was first getting into the habit of reading my Bible daily, I couldn't find the motivation. It felt obligated and a little fake. I knew it was good for me. I knew I needed to do it. But I just couldn't get the routine to stick. All of us Christian entrepreneurs trying to run businesses God's way desire to know God's word. And we know from biblical instruction and from our pastors and spiritual leaders that we should be reading the Bible regularly. However, it's not enough to only rely on the Sunday sermon or occasional Bible study. Us business owners are bombarded DAILY with issues that we need to be prepared for. For that reason, we need to be getting the Word of God inside of us not only on Sundays but throughout the week. In fact, it should be part of a successful entrepreneur's daily morning routine. I'm called "Daily Godpreneur" because my mission is to inspire God first business owners to put God first in morning routine and watch how God transforms everything else for His glory. I call this my daily morning huddle with God. Business teams have daily huddles for productivity. Sales teams meet daily with their manager to get motivated. Project teams get together briefly every morning to uncover anything that might be holding a project back and to move forward with a solution. CEOs have morning checkups with their executive team. If this is how business operates already, then why would our morning time with God be any different? The Bible says Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. (Psalms 119:105 NLT) I want to share my "daily devotional" routine so you can learn how I spend my time praying and studying the Word of God, and how it applies to my business. NOTE: Although the Bible tells us the basics of what we need to do daily as part of our Christian devotion, it gives us freedom as to how to do it. I'm going to show you my particular way because it works for me. You can follow it or be inspired by it and create your own. The Basic Structure of Daily Bible Study Routine The basics of your daily time with God will include Prayer on what to read Reading about what feels right Meditating on that thought And for EXTRA CREDIT, Journaling privately Sharing thoughts publicly There are no rules on how exactly you read God's Word, but there are indications that it should be done DAILY. The Bible says "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." (Joshua 1:8 ESV) Notice that the Bible doesn't list EXACTLY how you need to do this. There are no terms of when, where, and how much has to be read. That's up to you. What's important for you to understand is that if you want your ways to be prosperous and business to be successful, then the most important thing is to just do it. If you're just staying out on developing a DAILY routine, then start with a practical activity that I also do daily. Time and Place: Pick one place in the house you always do your studying, and pick a window of time that this activity falls into. Create a pattern in your mind: wake up, brush teeth, make coffee, listen to 3 worship songs, sit down and open Bible. Embrace technology - I do everything from my phone, not a physical Bible. It works better for me. Set reminders - if you commit to a block of time, why not add it to your Google calendar. Don't compare - Don't worry about measuring yourself against anyone else, especially me. I'm a writer and teacher. Your pastor has to do this as his job. Don't beat yourself up because you're not putting in the work like they do. I pray you'll consider my examples and that will encourage you to develop a daily Bible reading habit. Stop feeling guilty that your devotional life doesn't look like others. They're on a different journey. We should start wherever we can start. It could be 1 minute per day, it could be 1 hour per day. More important than the the "how" is that our minds begin to develop the DAILY habit of depending on the Word to guide our business days. Imagine if all of us Godpreneurs did whatever we could to establish a pattern of regularly reading the Word of God. How different would the marketplace be? That's the motivating thought in my heart for continuing Daily Godpreneur. #ChristianBloggers #TimeManagement

When I gave my life to Christ in 2008, my heart began to change, and so did my heart for business. I started to feel an obligation towards helping entrepreneurs with more than just their logo and website. I saw so many pay me money to then find out 6 months later that the business didn’t work. My heart changed from seeking their money to seeking their Godpreneur purpose with them. I implemented a policy that everyone now has to have a strategy session with me where I get to discover their passions and help guide them towards starting the right business, the right way. As entrepreneurs, our hearts are always somewhere. And more times than not, its either on money (like it was for me at the beginning) or on the customer.  Sounds nice to have a heart for the customer, right. Easier said than done. And it takes a transformation of heart. When I accepted Christ into my life midway through my business, I was allowing the holy spirit to begin to change my heart.  It’s not to say that I don’t fall into the money trap time and again, but I do it much less often now because I’ve developed a heart towards helping entrepreneurs, something that I feel God has purposed for me to do. This speaks to our relationship with our employees, too. We should be concentrating our efforts towards a change of heart, rather than just trying to modify their behavior. When your employee asks why you have a certain rule for your business that other businesses don’t have, you should be willing to explain it in a way that demonstrates the way your heart for God directs your behavior. It is easy to say, “Because I said so!” but that doesn’t engage your employee’s heart, it just asks for a certain behavior. Godpreneur Rule #78: Godpreneurs seek to change their heart, knowing that the behaviour change will follow. #DifferentiatingMyself #BuildMyPersonalBrand #RaisingCapital

My church does a fundraising campaign every year that goes towards the construction of our new building. I’ve seen the architectural renderings. It’s going to be an incredible place to worship. I’ve seen my church grow since our days of meeting at the movie theater. I’ve taken part in several of these “building campaigns,” and it’s been a blessing to see each one take the church to a new level. The way I see it is that it’s not that God needs my money. He’s got plenty of it to go around. What God is looking for is my stewardship and my heart to be aligned with His. I don’t feel obligated to give an offering to my church. Instead, I feel blessed that I’ve been given the opportunity to participate in an organization that’s making a tremendous impact for the kingdom in my community. But we sometimes don’t see it the way I’m explaining. Some of us are giving out of ritual or obligation. We put very little thought into the fact that God is using the money we make in our businesses to let us steward it towards amazing kingdom work. But remember that God doesn’t need a small portion of our money. It’s His money in the first place. The bible says, The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. (1 Corinthians 10:26) Technically, your money and business are His, so we can’t give God anything. Not a tenth, not half, not 90%. It’s all His. What’s not all His, yet, is your heart. That’s the battle between good and evil going on. And the enemy will use the money to win your heart. He’ll make you think it’s your money, and that the church owes you some kind of “thank you” for your generosity. God’s not appreciative of the money we give; He’s moved when our hearts are surrendered to Him. That’s the parable of the widow giving pennies at the offering. Jesus said she gave more because she gave from her heart. (Mark 12:41-44) Godpreneurs are excited about being allowed to participate in kingdom expansion! Owning a God-Centered business is an incredible opportunity, and a gift from Him, for us to make profits so that we can be involved in something that matters beyond the material, beyond the financial, beyond our businesses! Imagine if we all thought this way? I pray for each Godpreneur’s heart to be aligned with a proper heart of Godly stewardship and that the Lord bless your business profits tremendously so you can be a part of kingdom work. Godpreneur Rule:  The Lord blesses a Godpreneur’s business profits tremendously so we can be a part of Kingdom work. Father, everything in my business is Yours, including me. Thank You for the privilege of Godpreneurship so that I can be a part of distributing Your resources for Your glory. Amen. Journal this: 1. How can I make my perspective on the money and material goods my business produces, a Godly one? 2. Do I put too much value into “business stuff” and “keeping up” with what others are doing around me? 3. Is God getting my leftovers or my heart? #BusinessBibleStudy #RaisingCapital #IncreaseEnergy 5 Lies of Money and Business Instead of reading the blog posts, take the video course!  I personally teach you the method.  You get: Workbook 5-Video Teachings Access to dozens of courses in the Godpreneur Academy! 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

For many years as an entrepreneur I didn’t make any money.  I struggled month to month, paycheck to paycheck.  I paid my bills, and that was about it. But one bill was never a question to pay: my life insurance. I have a son and college debt.  Imagine if God called me tomorrow and I didn’t leave anything for him, for my parents to pay my debts and some for my church.  Irresponsible, right? Proverbs 13:22 says “A good man leaves an inheritance for his children’s children” Entrepreneurs, if you haven’t already, you should give serious thought to getting your financial records in order for the time when you die (10 out of 10 people die one day), so that your estate can be passed on to your heirs in an orderly way and so that you can give a gift to church church (or favorite charity) one last time. It costs me $30/month for this service. Personally, I use Primerica to handle this for me.  Great organization, amazing people of God behind it, I highly recommend them. Godpreneur Rule #254:  Godpreneurs leave their children and church something besides debts. #DebtFreedom