Me…unhappy.  Others…happy. My friend taught me this Chinese proverb. When I’m focused on me, my wants, my desires, and what am I getting out of this, I’m unhappy. When I’m focused on giving value to others, being detail oriented on my client’s projects, finishing the job to the end, over delivering on my promise, and providing great customer communication and service, I’M HAPPY. It’s true!  This isn’t some magic trick or Hocus Pocus.  If I really sit down and analyze any relationship I’m in, if I’m focused on me and my selfish desires, I’m not really happy.  I may think I am, but I’m not. In 2016 I went through a long season of really focusing in on delivering amazing products and experiences to my clients.  When I’m working on my clients, I’m happy.  When I’m focused on figuring out how I can win and benefit from something, I’m unhappy.  It’s weird, but true. As entrepreneurs, we have the ultimate stage to be happy by providing an unbelievable wow experience to our prospects and clients. On the same hand, we have the biggest propensity to lose sight of that and become the most unhappy people in life because we’re focused on how we’re going to pay our bills, reach our goals, accomplish our dreams, and rise to the top. The way to the top is through serving others first: employees, vendors, contractors, prospects, and clients.  Their needs, wants and desires need to be met before ours. In the book of Acts, chapter 7, we encounter Stephen, first martyr of Christianity and a deacon in the early church at Jerusalem.  He aroused the enmity of members of various synagogues by his teachings. Here’s the thing.  He could have kept his knowledge to himself.  He could have focused on his safety and well-being, because preaching about Jesus could get you killed.  But…it wasn’t about him.  He knew this.  It was about others knowing about Jesus.  That’s what brought him joy and happiness, even to death. You and I probably won’t die for talking about Jesus.  But the point I’m trying to convey here is that Stephen, like us, had something he believed in so much, and he wanted nothing more than OTHERS to know it and be transformed by it. Isn’t that how you feel about your product or service? As Godpreneurs, we need to keep our focus on what results our product has on others, and keep on teaching and sharing and testifying what we know about the life changing experience others will have when they do business with us. Godpreneur Rule #62: Godpreneurs focus on others, not themselves. #BusinessBibleStudy

I’m at a point in my understanding of business that I don’t believe in marketing anymore. What?!  SHOCKER! Yeah, I’m over it. I’m of the opinion that if something is meant to be, people will hear about it and line up to buy it.  It will happen naturally and organically.  It will happen the way it’s supposed to happen. That doesn’t sit right with some entrepreneurs. Maybe we love control so much that we feel we need to even control how and when people hear about us? Maybe we don’t believe our product will be spoken about, so we need to inject some money into pushing the word out? Maybe we have no clue about how successful products really work? Everyone says Coca Cola is such a great success because everyone knows about it.  Of course we know about it, they spend 66 cents our of every dollar they get in marketing it right back to you.  Coca Cola is TERRIBLE for us, there is nothing good about it.  It can cause diabetes, kidney stones, and obesity.  But, marketing works. Instead of marketing, I believe in being MARKED BY GOD. If you are marked by God, you’re a target for customers he wants and needs you to do business with.  But this means you need to be totally willing, able, and open to the spirit moving you from appointment to appointment.  You have to trust that God is orchestrating an amazing result. In the book of Acts in the Bible, chapter 8, we read about how Philip, one of the 12 apostles, encountered a high ranking official from Ethiopia (chance encounter), preached the Gospel to him (told him about his product), and that official believed (purchased), and likely went and spread that into Ethiopia amongst other high ranking officials over there.  Then Philip was gone from the scene and off to his next divine appointment. I’m sure you have similar stories of how sales came out of nowhere.  But they really don’t come from nowhere, they come because you’ve been marked by God. Godpreneur Rule #28: You don’t need marketing if you’ve been marked by God. #MarketingMyServices #BusinessBibleStudy

One day I was promoting nightclubs. The next day I was promoting my church. It happened just like that. When God had his encounter with me, Alex, the event promoter entrepreneur, he made it clear to me that I was working for the wrong team.  Instead of helping people to find their identity in the nightlife, I was given the mandate to help people find their identity in daily life. My marketing business, Creative Complex, eventually did the same 180-degree turn. I didn’t just work for churches, that’s not what I was called to do.  Weather a church or a lawyer, I was called to help businesses find their purpose, their why, their reason for existence. That’s what branding is: it’s taking an identity within and expressing it outside.  The crazy part is that I was already branding people and companies, but now I had a bigger purpose and calling over my business.  Now my business had PURPOSE. We Godpreneurs have had a moment in our life where God wants us to realize where our businesses can be used for His purpose, not our own. We all have a way in which God is going to use our past for his present and future.  It doesn’t matter if you were doing nightlife, pornography, strip clubs, drug dealing….NOTHING IN THE PAST MATTERS, but instead God is going to use it all for His purpose and tie it all in some crazy way that will make you say “WHAT?!?! OMG!!!!” But how can we see God in our past?  How can we put the pieces of the puzzle together to see where God has been? Let me give you my example and an example from the Bible, I believe this will help you. Get this: I was a nightclub promoter, trying to get people into clubs.  The clubs are a dark place, nothing good comes out of them.  It’s a place for lost people, like I used to be.  But then, God transformed me in 2008, then I started inviting those same people to church.  The church is a place for lost people.  So the same exact people I was developing relationships and friendships in the club, were now seeing me at church and I was inviting them with me.  THE SAME PEOPLE!  Do you see how God is always setting us up for something great?  No matter how dark your past is, he is working on it right now! This is the same thing that happened to Saul on the road to Damascus in Acts Chapter 9.  Saul was the guy jailing people who were followers of Christ. He had an encounter with Christ, he is converted and then called to be a promoter of Christ.  So from one moment to the next, Saul (who became Paul, who wrote half the new testament) went from jailing people to meeting with those same exact people and starting churches in different cities. Can you see how if this can happen to me, it can, and probably has, happened to you? Connect the dots, you’ll see. I want to hear your stories of converting, and how God transformed you from an entrepreneur to a Godpreneur! Godpreneur Rule #136: God will use our past business for His business. #BusinessBibleStudy #FindMyCalling #FindingMyPurpose

I don’t like conflict. I avoid it. I do everything in my power to block it from my mind. Sometimes I’ll stay in a hurtful business relationship simply because I don’t want to have the conversation.  It happens with partners, employees, contractors, vendors and clients. I guess I just want the problem to disappear on its own. I want the relationship to fizzle out and make itself disappear. The problem with this strategy is that it takes time and leaves too many lose ends untied. Worst case is that the relationship doesn’t fizzle and next thing I know it’s 1 year later and I’m still involved. I believe relationships are a temporary assignment by God to help two people achieve a purpose in a season of both people’s lives.  How temporary?  It could be seconds, minutes, hours, days, years, even decades.  It’s not up to us.  We just need to recognize that it’s temporary. (PS I’m not talking about your marriage, that’s something God brought together and you need to work through it until death do you part.  Some of you readers were getting really excited where I was going with this, I could tell.) We want relationships to work, and I think we all have a tendency to avoid conflict and stay together because it’s our instinct (survival by numbers) and it’s God’s intention for us to be in community and communication with others so we can grow. In Acts 15, Paul and Barnabas got into a dispute about where to go next with the gospel, their mission in growing the church.  There’s no detail on how the dispute went down, but in the end, they went separate ways to accomplish whatever their spirit was insisting they do. "They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord. He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches." Acts 15:39‭-‬41 NIV God had them both together for a season. They needed each other. But now God was ready for them to go their separate ways…to accomplish more separately than they could together. Maybe you’re in a relationship that it’s time to recognize that the season was great together, but now it’s time to go and accomplish your hearts missions on your own. This is an easy conversation to have when you speak from a perspective of “what does God want us to do?” It’s a matter of two people reflecting on their goals, visions, and missions that God has for them and recognizing that the two might not align anymore and it’s time to move on. Imagine the strife we could all avoid if everyone was focused on the mission God has set out for each of us individually. We would recognize seasons endings much faster so we could all accomplish God’s purposes sooner. Godpreneur Rule #84: Godpreneurs recognize that relationships are seasonal and gracefully communicate that when wanting to part ways. #EnhanceFocus #BusinessPartnerships

I have the privilege of meeting with entrepreneurs either before they start their business or at a big turning point in their current business.  When someone needs a logo and a website, it’s a big deal in that person’s life. We always start with a strategy session.  One of the main things I want to understand is what is the vision?  What’s the big picture here? Most will start with the END in mind.  That’s a good place to start.  We’ll work through all the products and services they see, all the markets they could serve, and where they could grow the company to. After they are done, it’s my job to K.I.S.S. them.  Keep it simple stupid.  I don’t call then stupid!  I just simplify it down to what we can do TODAY.  Not tomorrow, not 1 year from now…TODAY, right here, right now. We entrepreneurs are visionary.  We see the big picture, but some of us struggle to know the NEXT STEP.  We’re so focused looking ahead that, if we don’t take the next careful step, we could trip or fall into a ditch. How do we stay focused on what we can do TODAY? I’ve studied the missionary journeys of Paul in the book of Acts.  Here’s a man with a BIG MISSION and VISION: let all the Jews and gentiles know about Jesus.  How he did it?  Well, He let God take the lead.  He followed what the Spirit led him to do.  I’m sure he had desires to go to certain cities in the future, but the most important day was today, the current moment he was in, and being totally present to hear and provide the service he set out on a mission to do: tell people about Jesus. If you’re feeling stuck, confused, frustrated at your business, and overwhelmed by opportunity you see in the future, you need to pause and become aware of TODAY. Here’s a bible verse that, when you feel overwhelmed and don’t know what to do next, you keep it in your memory bank: "Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them." (James 4:13‭-‬17 NIV) We Godpreneurs have a responsibility to balance the vision tomorrow with the mission today.  Shooting for the stars is amazing, but along the way, God has things meant to help you grow stronger in your gifts and talents. Godpreneur Rule #173: Godpreneurs see the vision of the future while having the balance to focus on the current mission, today’s goals. #EnhanceFocus #BusinessBibleStudy

A friend of mine calls me with a potentially huge project – big money, global brand, lots of room for growth. There was real money backing it, celebrity backing, and somewhat of a vision. Now, you have to understand that I get pitched ideas every month. I’m in the web and graphic design  game.  Since I create logos and bring the ‘vision to life’, I’m the first guy called when someone gets an amazing (in their mind) idea. I love the position I’m in because I can guide, which is what I enjoy most about what I do. But when this group came around looking for this totally bizarre idea, something didn’t sit right.  The idea wasn’t really the problem, the idea was a clue to me, a red flag, that I need to watch out here. The biggest issue I was having was the leader of the group, the visionary behind the master plan. He wasn’t right. Something wasn’t clicking.  He wasn’t what I would consider a ‘feel good’ prospect, not for me at least. But when I heard the money involved, I’ll admit that I began to entertain the idea of working with them, to the point where I set up a follow-up meeting. Again, I already knew something didn’t sit right with me.  So what I did was thought to myself ‘Ok Alex, what dollar amount would make this project worth the craziness you’re about to go through’. I call this the crazy tax. This is the amount you charge above and beyond what you would normally charge, times 5! So I did just that.  I proposed a ridiculous proposal to 1) see if they were really serious, and 2) have them go somewhere else with this idea. I thank God that I haven’t heard from them again. We all come across situations in our businesses where we might compromise our integrity, break from our normal systems and ways of business just to make a dollar, and take on clients we know we have no good relationship with. I think it’s ok to want to help people out. But I think it’s more important to listen to that still small voice inside of you that’s saying ‘dont do it’. But how do we overcome our selfish selves to really listen to the angel on our shoulder? If the money is so good, how?  If the person just seems like they need help, how?. The Holy Spirit is either steering you towards or away from situations. First, we must obey and trust, in faith, that by walking away from this opportunity, God is going to being you a much bigger opportunity.  Your obedience brings blessings. Second, you have to ignore those around you that might say otherwise. In the book of Acts, Chapter 21, Paul is being led by the Holy Spirit to go back to Jerusalem. Even though other well-meaning believers begged him not to go to the city, totally aware that he was walking into his death, Paul felt the spirit telling him to go to Jerusalem, so he did. You and I have the ability to obey the spirit and make decisions for ourselves as so what clients we should bring on. You are a Godpreneur. God will bring you business that is right for you, and the Holy Spirit will confirm that they really are from God, or if it’s the enemy trying to attack, divide you, put you in a compromising situation, and take you off your purpose. Imagine if we all obeyed that still small voice all the time. Godpreneur Rule #87: The Holy Spirit guides me towards AND away from prospects. #ArticulatingMyIdeas #DifferentiatingMyself

I’ve had a period of time where I was Sued for thousands of dollars by a client who was being sued by someone else for copyright infringement, claiming it was my company’s fault Late for 2 months on rent at both home and the business Behind on paying money to a handful of vendors and contractors Scrambling for business because no new leads were coming in Trashed by my biggest client ever, told that I was never going to get a referral from them Accused by my son of not approving him, and by his mother as selfish Condemned by my wife as not being a good father and a terrible example of a Christian husband This was all literally happening all at the same time, stacked one on top of the other. Enough to make you think twice about life, right? Not me. Why? Because since 2014 I committed myself to the thought that nothing lasts forever, everything is a test, and I need to have a faith that transcends beyond what’s humanly imaginable. I didn’t ignore any of the charges brought against me or bills that were piling up.  I made good on everything, putting everyone in line for payment. I took my son and wife’s criticism as opportunities to reflect upon my life and how I can be more like Christ, even though they were wrong. As entrepreneurs, especially as Godpreneurs, we’re going to face extremely difficult and lonely times. We’re going to feel the entire weight of the world come down on us, especially the closer you draw to God. What do we do when we just feel like giving up? Where do we go when we feel like…dying. Can I share some GREAT NEWS?! Death has already happened, and it was overcome. God doesn’t leave His children abandoned, He’s preparing a glorious day.  The world and everything around you can seem out of control, but God is in complete control. In Acts 24 we meet Paul in a similar situation to the one I was in. He’s being accused of things that aren’t true, he’s in and out of jail for years, he’s alone. Paul hasn’t really had the stellar life he probably deserved as being such a man of God. You’d think he would be royalty or something. The man was always having to raise money, escape from mobs, sleep in random houses, and pretty much live like a vagabond. Yet here in Acts 24 he is, offering up his sacrifice of praise and acknowledging God’s providence and grace, just like the author of Hebrews writes in 13:15. I’m not sure I would start my speech with this opening line: “Knowing that for many years you have been a judge over this nation, I cheerfully make my defense,” (Acts 24:10) but Paul pulls it off. He knows God is in charge. He trusts that all will be for good, that Jeremiah 29:11-14 still applies— that God has a plan for him and that nothing can separate him from the love of Christ. What about you? What about me? I often think God abandons me and my business or is distant and uncaring. But I’m likely to do so under far tamer circumstances than those Paul endured—my bullet points above are nowhere near what Paul endured. I don’t like going through hard things like the next guy. So, of course, when I do, I feel like God has abandoned me or I’m doing something wrong. For this, I have to admit my weaknesses and lack of faith, and rely on Christ and His riches, His love, and His care for me. Paul displays this, even standing before high priests and governors. Yes, it’s courage. But more than that, it’s Christ. He is our Advocate, our Great High Priest, the Lord of Lords and King of Kings. He’s our Redeemer, so I can stand with confidence and tell my story—His story. Godpreneur Rule #63: Godpreneurs know that God is still in charge, we trust Him, and He has good plans for us. #StrengthenIntegrity #GainConfidence #SharpenLeadership

In 2014 I made a huge decision for my business. Since 2005, we had primarily served the nightlife industry with graphics and websites.  But I had began to grow tired of serving the demanding nightlife world, and it wasn’t fulfilling anymore.  On top of that, I just didn’t feel it was something God wanted me to be in. But how do I let go of 90% of my revenue? Where would the rest come from?  These are the questions I struggled with.  But I felt a peace about a new direction God wanted me to go in: help tens of thousands find their identity brand. From one day to the next, I pulled the trigger. It came with some lay offs and a whole lot of uncertainty and prayer. I believe that if I wouldn’t have made that decision, I wouldn’t be writing this blog today. You wouldn’t be reading this email. I wouldn’t have increased my relationship with God to the level it is at today. And my business wouldn’t certainly be as blessed as it is today. There are times you will come in your business where God will ask you to drop it, leave it, and let it go.  But he’ll also back it up with a vision. In the Bible we see a clear example of this in Genesis 12:1 “Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go out from your country, your relatives, and your father’s household to the land that I will show you. 2 Then I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will make your name great, so that you will exemplify divine blessing.” God went on to come through with exactly what he promised, and today we’re all a living testimony to a vision fulfilled by God, through obedience followed by Abraham. What visions have you had come true? What did you do to bring them to pass? Perhaps God gave you a dream of a certain type of business, and you did it and you’re in it!  Congrats!!!! Or, what visions has God given you that you have NOT pursued?  What could you be missing out on by not dropping, leaving, and letting go? God is a vision-giver; He has visions for each of us that He intends to bring to pass if we listen and obey. Because of His greatness, He is able to fulfill those visions if we follow His lead and direction. Godpreneur Rule #81:  Godpreneurs first listen, then obey, and lastly follow. #DifferentiatingMyself #FindingMyPurpose

In high school I was part of different cliques.  Since I played multiple sports, I had the Hispanic soccer players, the black football players and the nerdy chess players in my circles.  Because I had awesome grades, I had the smart, top of the class kids on my side.  I also associated with the rockers and punks because thats the music I identified with. So when it came time to run for President of the Student Council, it was a landslide victory.  I won, not because I had the best marketing plan or campaign slogan, but because I had deep relationships amongst almost every demographic in my school.  I became ‘one of them’ in every clique. We entrepreneurs have the ability to become one of our customers.  But it’s not enough to just pick one demographic or niche area.  Even within one group, there are different personality types and ways they like to be communicated with. It’s important that we have a desire to want to speak our customer’s language, walk in their shoes, and find out what keeps them up at night. Our customers want to feel like we know what they are talking about, what they go through.  But that can be so hard for us if we’re not truly looking to serve their needs over our own. In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul describes his method of ‘winning souls’ as he’s on his missionary journeys.  He says in verses 19-23, "Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people: religious, nonreligious, meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists, the defeated, the demoralized—whoever. I didn’t take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ—but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I’ve become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life. I did all this because of the Message. I didn’t just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it!" You and I are on a mission of our own.  God’s using you and me within our own markets, our own niches, to show others what being a Godpreneur is all about. We’re providing our service or product to a group of people that need to be able to relate to us so they can like, know and trust us. You can know your customers better by doing more surveys, asking them what they would like to see you provide.  You can also do quizzes and assessments to get to know their personality or buying behaviors to better speak their language. We, like Paul, would have much more success in the spreading of our company’s mission if we made it a point to become like our clients, think like they think, so we can serve them better. Godpreneur Rule #142: Godpreneurs are devoted to thinking like their clients so they can serve them better. #MakingMoreSales #TargetMarket&Niche

As a company that’s in charge of making someone’s website and logo, there’s a lot of things that can go wrong in the process. In the end, if the customer isn’t happy, they will begin to put accusations against me that may or may not be right. If my customer isn’t happy, my natural reaction is to make it right. I spend more time and money to ‘fix’ whatever is going on to assure the happiness, rescue the relationship, and hope that we can continue doing business and receive referrals. But at some point the accusations just flat out aren’t true.  At some point I realize that their mind is set, they aren’t going to be happy, and it’s time to move on. This happens to me from time to time.  And it hurts…because I don’t want anyone to be unhappy. We’ve all had this happen. We’ve all been accused of things in our business that we know we didn’t do. We understand the fact that the ‘customer is always right’ and that we must do whatever to please the customer. We’ve realized our part in the mistake, we try to fix it, but the accusations don’t stop. What happens when we entrepreneurs face accusations that just aren’t true? What do we do? Here’s the simple answer: If you know in the bottom of your heart that you did everything you could, you were ethical, moral, you didn’t try to lie, cheat, steal, gossip, slander, or anything to maliciously harm your client….then YOU ARE FREE. God knows your heart, and that’s all that matters. In the book of Acts chapters 25 and 26, we see Paul being accused by Jews of crimes he did not commit. Like Jesus, Paul was facing accusations that just weren’t true. Jesus and Paul both stood before trials that they shouldn’t have even been a part of.  But they did it….for you to read this blog post and understand that the world has many accusations against you, but we don’t serve the world, we serve God. They set the example of how we should stand firm in our faith that God rescues the unjustly accused. God didn’t rescue Jesus because it was the plan for Jesus to die for our sins. God didn’t rescue Paul because it was the plan to show us all how to stand firm in our beliefs and live joyfully in the face of persecution (James 1:2). You are not guilty.  You are free. You are not what others say you are, you are a Godpreneur on a mission. Stay focused on the vision, the accusers will go away. We are all going to face accusations in our business and in our personal lives. If you are truly blameless, then you have nothing to worry about, even though the charges don’t stop. Godpreneur Rule #46: Godpreneurs focus on God’s mission, not on false accusations. #SharpenLeadership #WritingGreatCopy #GainConfidence

I led a bible study at my warehouse for entrepreneurs in my church.  The book we read helped us all recognize our gifts and talents, and how we could use the findings to help guide the decision of what business we should be in. I’ve always been one to help others try to figure out their way.  As a branding guy, it’s part of my job to help entrepreneurs figure out how to position themselves in the market, then bring that vision to life through logos and websites. When the church asked me to lead a group, I figured I would lead one in the area of purpose, identity and calling so that I could help church members find their entrepreneurial way. Little did I know that God was really showing me my calling through this bible study. Here I was trying to help others find their way, and I was the one finding my own way! I found out that all of my gifts and talents were leading me towards helping others find and discover the calling they have over their life. You would think that I did something immediate about it, right?  Wrong.  For the next couple of years I wrestled with this.  I sorta implemented it, but not really.  I kept asking God what he wants, how he wants me to do it, when he wants me to do it. For most of us entrepreneurs, the discovery of our calling will be a deep psychological process of discovery.  We’ll search up and down.  We’ll go to many places in search of our purpose. But I think the problem is that we’re asking the wrong questions.  Instead of asking God “what do you want”, we’re asking ourselves “what do I want”. And if God came down and asked “what do you want” we wouldn’t know the answer. Instead, we’d be face to face with our Creator, asking Him “what do you want me to do?” We don’t know the answer to this all important question. We’re not sure what we’re seeking. We don’t know where we’re going. But God promises that if we seek to do his will in this world, that we will find what we’re truly looking for…which is to be sought after, to be used for something great. The Bible says "Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant." Galatians 1:10 NLT Your journey to finding your calling doesn’t have to be so hard if we really do what God wants us to do. The problem comes when RESISTANCE comes and meets you at the point where you’re either going to do God’s plan or your own.  Your calling is easy to do once you’ve found it, but finding it is the hardest part because there’s a force that doesn’t want you to find it. We only need to do one thing in order to find and stay within our calling: find and stay with God. The best part is that we go in seeking God and our calling, and we come out discovering that God was the one all along seeking us and he’s called us to amazing things. We enter this process seeking—but we’ll leave being sought. We need to give up our searches and take up our new calling and identity…not because you have all the answers, but because your caller is the one that does. This isn’t a religious process or program, this is a CEO above you that wants to guide and mentor you along your entrepreneurial journey.  Just knowing that God is interested in you specifically should change your life. Godpreneur Rule #23:  Godpreneurs Find Their Way and Stay on the Path By Finding and Staying with God. #BusinessBibleStudy #FindMyCalling

I have an incredible gift and talent to sort through complex issues in business by using my logic and reason. Abstract ideas are a piece of cake for me to understand. But…I don’t like just memorizing things without completely understanding the underlying concepts. This is probably why it was hard for me to grasp the miraculous, supernatural, unexplainable things about God at the start of my walk. Since I couldn’t explain it, I didn’t fully embrace it. This “rational” way of thinking is often where I find new entrepreneurs thinking about launching a business. When we set out to do something risky like start a business, logic starts to kick in, we start crunching numbers, doing the math, calculating times, and one year later, we’re still computing. For those of us that think rationally about moves we’re going to make, we have an especially hard time launching businesses and believing God can fill in the gaps we don’t fully understand. But I believe us rational thinkers have the most to gain from launching into the unknown. All we need is for God to show up on a miraculous way once, and we’ll be believers for life. The bible 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! (Proverbs 3:5‭-‬8 MSG) God is telling the rational-minded folks here to trust Him and lean not on your understanding. God knows you. He knows that you have an instinct to want to know and understand. But this can backfire on you, especially if you’re trying to launch a new business. Starting a brand is your chartered territory. I’ve launched many businesses, and I’m still a little nervous when I launch a new one. God wants to fill in what you don’t understand with the supernatural, unexplainable power only He can provide. Reading the Bible daily has helped me see and understand God’s word for me and my business in all new ways. I’m always amazed at its beauty and also the power it has to explain things happening in my business. In the Bible, you’ll see many supernatural, unexplainable things happening and you’ll wonder if this is ever going to happen in your life. Listen, Godpreneur – if God did it once, He’ll do it again. Lean not on your understanding when launching your business because it will block you from allowing God into the process — allowing God to build faith, a necessity for someone taking the risk of starting a new venture. If we Godpreneurs can rationalize that faith is necessary for launching a brand, then it makes it easier for the next thing we launch because we’ll allow God into the process a lot sooner and wonder why we didn’t have this level of faith all along. Godpreneur, launching our businesses doesn't have to be that hard! Being rational and always analyzing things is a gift from God, but we can’t allow the enemy to use it against us and prevent us from launching the thing we were born to do. God’s grace wants to intervene in the process of launching our business; let’s allow God to do what only He can do. We can’t decide to launch this idea only by what we can see or understand. Yes, we are invited to seek, understand, analyze, and make plans, but if there isn’t room for a leap of faith, we’re not allowing for the supernatural to happen in our businesses. If God is at the center of our business life, then we need to EXPECT the supernatural. Make it part of the business plan! The bible says: It’s impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him. (Hebrews 11:5‭-‬6 MSG) We Godpreneurs have to understand that God does not just want us to launch a business, but that He wants to do miraculous, unexplainable things through the launch experience, and the experience of our future clients. Godpreneur Rule – Godpreneurs expect to see what we can’t explain when launching our new businesses. #BusinessBibleStudy #LaunchingMyBusiness #GodpreneurAcademy #NewEntrepreneurs Overcoming Obstacles to Launching Your Idea Join Us on a 12-Days Business Bible Plan to learn Overcoming Obstacles to Launching Your Idea. 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

Sometimes I feel like I’m in an empty room with 9 doors and I want to go through all of them at the same time. So I peak into one, go in for a bit, then come back out and go into another. I repeat this process and guess what? I’m still undecided. Obviously I can’t go through all of them at the same time.  I must choose because at the end of the door that I choose, I’ll get to another room with 9 doors. This is how my entrepreneurial life feels. There’s so many opportunities out there, it’s dizzying. I get frustrated because I want to do them all, but I’m the first person to tell my clients that they must choose. Making business choices like this is never easy. We entrepreneurs can grow our businesses in so many ways.  We can enter into so many other fields with our gifts and talents. Maybe you’re in a business and thinking of jumping into a new verticals and serving a new niche. Maybe you’re thinking about a new product line. Maybe you’re feeling like switching industries completely. Or, maybe you’re thinking of a total career switch into something new. These are not easy choices, trust me, I know because I go through them as well. But, I’ve figured out how to help me make the choice, and it has changed my life completely. You see, we were all born to do something.  If you believe this is true like I do, then it means that a creator created you and thought about your plans of life beforehand. The way I see it, there’s a treasure to find and the map actually exists. There’s a sunken ship with tons of gold in it, and its waiting to be found by you. You can clearly see how this thought has made the decision making process so much easier because God has called us and is there to guide us.  It’s not a mystery to God. The mystery only comes if you’re not walking close to the person holding the map. The Bible says "But if you refuse to serve the Lord , then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord .” Joshua 24:15 NLT The awesome part about a relationship with God is that there’s a choice. The Bible is clear about this. God works WITH us, he doesn’t control us. For the most part, we are given the freedom to make choices.  We’re not puppets, but at the same time we don’t work independently of Him. Our personal calling is not a command but more of a prompting to fulfill.  We partner with God, like a business partnership, bringing to the table our passions and talents and making use of them in the opportunities that God brings.  God brings the opportunities, we either see them or we don’t. Wherever you are right now, you need to make sure that you’re walking close to the one who has the treasure map and tells you where to turn.  He’ll guide you always. We have a calling and it’s not some impossible fountain of youth fictional place that we’ll never find.  No, it’s in our reach, it exists, it’s in this world, it’s here. ..right now! Godpreneur Rule #82: Godpreneurs make decisions based on the guidance of God and live in the light of that calling. #TargetMarketANDNiche #DifferentiatingMyself

One fear that lingered over me while starting to write about God and business was being labeled by my friends and clients as “religious.” Early on in my walk with God, a couple of my business partners had privately asked me to keep my faith to myself because I said the word “blessed” in an email. Maybe I carried some of that resentment with me, and it stalled my openness for a bit. Now, I’m completely unashamed, and I’m branded as a Godpreneur, but it wasn’t easy to choose to go down this rabbit hole and go “all in” for God, especially in a business world that likes to separate church and financial success. We Christian business bloggers, face the fact that we write in a world that would classify us as religious writers. We choose to give credit to where credit is due – God, the CEO. It’s not easy. Sometimes it’s a bit controversial to stand up for what we feel is the right way to do business. I know some of my professors at Cornell would be like, “HUH?” But God sees what we do in a different light, and that’s all we need to focus on. The bible says: The Lord will rescue his servants; no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned. (Psalms 34:22 NIV) God sees everything you’re writing about, and His promise to us is that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1) If you’re struggling to get traction for your blog, friends aren’t sharing your posts, people aren’t commenting, or few people are opening your emails, PRESS ON. We don’t know the time or the place, but at a special time, God will raise everything we’re doing to a level we never imagined. The opportunity will abound, doors will open, the floodgates will overflow, and all the work we put in will be worth every doubt and heartache. God is watching every word we write. He knows our heart and will never leave us or forsake us. We are called to do this, and God is pleased with our obedience. We write for an audience of one: The One. #ChristianBloggers #BusinessBibleStudy #GodpreneurAcademy Keys to Successful Christian Blogging In this course, I'll give you some keys God taught me about how to write a successful Christian blog. 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

I used to think that all I did was help businesses get logos and websites so they could be up and running. But this became boring to me and I was always adding different marketing services to satisfy my need for variety. I used to think success would come when I hit certain number of sales or employees, but hitting my goals just left me craving more of both. Nothing really quenched me thirst. What I really wanted was to feel significant, to feel like my work mattered, to feel like I had a purpose. We entrepreneurs can sometimes fall into the trap of wanting and desiring things that, in the end, won’t make us happy. We chase material possessions, we go after new shiny objects, and we idolize what others have accomplished. But what do we do when we’re in a vicious cycle of unsatisfaction and we’re seeking more? I believe I found the answer when I took a totally different perspective on my vocation and the work that I do in light of the God that I worship. You see, when we put God first in our lives and when we give all of our worship to Him, he’ll reveal our TRUE CALLING. First, he reveals that our calling is really to worship Him by following Jesus. The Bible says "The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life." Rev 22:17 NIV Happiness comes from quenching our thirst with the only one that can truely do that, and that’s Jesus. Following in his footsteps in my entrepreneurial life is what gave my entire life meaning and purpose. Second, he reveals that THROUGH that calling, our vocational calling is worshiping through the work we do. Colossians 3:23 says "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men. Heartily means “with all our heart, all our strength, all that is within us.” As Christians we are exhorted to work as unto the Lord in any and everything we do. When I really committed my life to following Jesus, I started to see logo and website work from a whole new perspective…God’s perspective. You see, God cares about identity. He cares that your entrepreneurial calling be represented in the world in the best way possible so that people will know exactly who you are and you can do your duty to develop a relationship with that prospect, turn them into a client, and be a light in their life. For that, you will receive a financial reward, which in turn you tithe 10%. Now your church can grow and more people can learn about Jesus. So I USED to think that I was in the web and graphic design world, but really, I'm in the business of being God’s ambassador of identity so that his kingdom can continue to grow. See how this works?  You must find the bigger reason in your vocation. This is the last and critical step to discovering your born to do identity, your calling. We can worship God 100% of our day if we realize that, in the beginning, God…. Then we no longer look at success from material possessions and we no longer see our operations as work.  Instead, we look at it as a craft being finely tuned so we can be the best worshipers of God every day.  That’s when we’re the happiest. Godpreneur Rule #23: Godpreneurs realize that work is worship when we’re doing what we’re called to do. #FindMyCalling #FindingMyBrand