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When I first started my branding agency in 2005, our clientele was primarily nightclubs, bars, and strip clubs. Our services would help them attract more patrons to their establishments. But when I became a Godpreneur, I let those clients go because I was contributing to the bad fruit that those businesses produce on a nightly basis. So then I switched to helping any entrepreneurs launch their businesses. As long as the business wasn’t in direct competition with God’s plans, I took on the work. But as I became more “purpose-focused” with my company, I didn’t settle with just launching someone’s idea. I wanted more. I wanted to make sure the entrepreneur was starting the business that God created them to start. What was happening to me as I drew closer to God in my business? I was beginning to care more about the fruit that my business and the business of those I launched was born into the world. That’s when I knew I was 100% in my calling. This is when I felt my business had found its purpose. When we start our businesses, we aren’t immediately operating in our calling. But if we stay in the Word and keep drawing closer to God, the business will shift into its purpose – God’s purpose! On this journey of leading a God-first business, we Christian entrepreneurs are all in this process of growing, discovering, and learning. But every day our businesses aren’t doing something for the Kingdom is a day we’ve wasted in the marketplace. The Bible says: “You didn’t choose me, remember; I chose you, and put you in the world to bear fruit, fruit that won’t spoil. As fruit bearers, whatever you ask the Father in relation to me, he gives you."(John 15:16 MSG) The fruit produced from seeds of dreams that God inspires will always bring Him glory and others in your business good. As you think about your calling in business and why it matters to you, look for ways your purpose-focused business will impact and improve the lives of your employees, vendors, contractors, prospects, clients, and might I challenge you by saying, competitors. So how can we identify the products and services that will increase our impact in the marketplace and carry out the dreams God put on our hearts? The first step is to analyze what motivates us. What motivates, God, duplicates! God wants to double, triple, even 10x our ability to bear a fruit because that’s what our businesses are here to do!. Is what you spend the bulk of your talents, time, and treasures on in your business worthy of being worked on in the image of God? No? Drop it. YES? Double down on it in 2020. The second step is to analyze if your products and services are going to be rewarded when we get to heaven or will we be embarrassed? When we analyze what we’re doing from an eternal perspective, it has us thinking twice about our calling. Now that we’ve done some critical thinking about our purpose in business in light of God’s purpose, now the third step is to make a list of things we need to change so we can leverage our products, people, and profits for the glory of God and the benefit of our designated marketplace. Uncovering our calling in business is all about merging (or intersecting) our desires and dreams with God’s purpose for the world. Imagine a world where all of us Christian entrepreneurs are living out a calling in business that bears fruit as John 15:16 says! We can often look at the products, people, and profits of a business to identify where God is working and how He has created that entrepreneur to live out the dream He has placed within him. Look no further than @ChickfilA if you want to see a real-life success story of a Godpreneur bearing much fruit, even after he’s gone from the business. #BusinessBibleStudy #FindingMyPurpose Entrepreneurship on Purpose A 3-Day business Bible study to help you uncover your calling to bear fruit that your business can have an eternal impact and glorify God. 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

As an entrepreneur, I’ve never had just “one” business. Instead, I’ve always owned several businesses either on my own or with partners. It’s fun to own multiple businesses because I could have money coming from different places, not be bored just doing one thing, exercise my creative juices in different areas, and whenever possible feed leads or opportunities from one complementing business to another. But there’s also a darker side to owning multiple businesses that I’ve avoided talking about for many years, but it’s finally time I confess – a lot of times I feel out-of-alignment, pulled in different directions, and divided in my decision-making. As a result, I’m ashamed to admit that I’ve caused damage to my reputation in business because of the domino effect that happened both professionally and personally when I didn’t pay attention to what this division in my life was doing to me. It’s not that owning multiple businesses is wrong. Many people are successfully managing 2 or more businesses. What I discovered was wrong with me didn’t really have anything at all to do with the business itself, but with a much deeper root in my own personal life – my integrity. We Christian entrepreneurs know that integrity is important. We’ve heard about it, and we may have an idea of what it is, but integrity has so many levels in all seasons of our life that it essentially becomes a life-long muscle that has to be strengthened and exercised. The Definition of Integrity One definition that the dictionary gives for integrity is “the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness.” As Christian entrepreneurs, I think we would all say that we pass this test or that we’re working on this in our lives and we feel justified by this definition. But there’s a second definition of integrity – “the state of being whole and undivided.” The difference is that this definition is not about honesty or character or goodness.  Instead, this version describes integrity as wholeness or oneness. In other words, an entrepreneur with integrity has perfect alignment between their words, actions, beliefs, and I would argue, even their businesses. A business owner of integrity is not divided, we don’t say one thing and do another, and we are consistent with our core. It’s the second definition that left me thinking that a have a lot of room to grow in this area of integrity. I’ve met and done business with people of high integrity and its always a breath of fresh air because they are always on time, they are focused, and they do what they say they’re going to do. A Warning about Integrity We would all agree that integrity is both a rare and extremely important quality in entrepreneurship, especially for us Godpreneurs. It is a virtue that God would want us to improve and intentionally cultivate. In fact, integrity is so important to God that its mentioned 6 times in the book of Proverbs alone, 16 times in the rest of the bible, and referenced in over 80 other bible verses! The one we see most often in Proverbs is something like this: "Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out". (Proverbs 10:9) In each of the proverbs that mention integrity, God contrasts good integrity with the consequences of not having integrity. Why? Not to scare us, but for us to see that there’s a domino effect that can happen when a business life is out of alignment. When integrity in business is lacking, it sets off a chain reaction that if not fixed, can lead to so many problems. When one thing falls it knocks down another, which knocks down another, and soon enough, things have gotten out of control. Here are some problems you may also be experiencing in your business life that point to your need to also work on your Integrity. 6 Signs that Point to a Problem With Your Integrity You’re Losing Your Attention to Detail – When your actions and words are out of sync it causes you to make mistakes in internal projects, production, or the services you’re providing. Because you said one thing but did another thing, your brain can’t process things perfectly because God didn’t design your brain to do two opposing things at the same time. Your Self Discipline Takes a Nosedive – Entrepreneurship requires 100% excellence in self-discipline because you’re the boss, so you are the only one holding yourself accountable to your goals. Self-discipline even as a non-business owner is not easy, and it is next to impossible for entrepreneurs when your personal integrity is out of whack.  When you see yourself marking every task or project launch as “urgent”, then you’re blinded to the truly important tasks God needs you to focus on, therefore what God wants you to accomplish that day slips through the cracks. Your Reputation Begins to Suffer – Proverbs 22:1 says “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold.” You think you’re in business to make money, but God placed reputation ABOVE money because poor integrity will be a bad witness to the world and good people (people of high integrity) will not want to work with you. Instead, you’ll attract other people of bad integrity.  You can fool some clients or employees when they first meet you, but sooner or later your being out of alignment will make your reputation suffer. You Experience Problems at Home – I don’t know about you, but when there’s an issue with a client’s account and have to get home late because I’m fixing the problem so I don’t damage my reputation, my wife isn’t happy. She understands to a certain extent, but it’s not ideal. The stresses of not being in integrity will bleed into your personal life. Your spouse and kids won’t get the 100% you. You Can’t Sleeping Well Because Your Mind Won’t Stop – When I’m stressed, I lay up at night staring at the ceiling thinking about work. Forget about a sleep pattern, I get thrown off and wake up tired. Getting home late will make you sleep late, then you’ll want to get up early to keep fixing things and you get little sleep. The bible says, “It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.” (Psalm 127:2) 6. Now Your Health is at Risk – When you’re stressed, don’t sleep well, and have problems with your spouse and kids, it’s a recipe for health problems. God didn’t design our bodies to go through this kind of turmoil. Your body is an outward expression of what’s going on inside. Gaining weight? Back hurt? Eyes twitching? This is your body outwardly showing the integrity issues. The chain reaction above is a small illustration of the problems when our integrity is compromised. To drive the point home, if a bridge has a huge crack, we probably wouldn’t cross it. It’s obvious that the structural integrity of the bridge means it needs fixing. But what if the bridge had a bunch of small cracks? We’d probably still cross it. But if they don’t fix the small cracks, they will become bigger. In the same way, our personal integrity can develop small cracks over time that turn into big cracks. And sometimes people can’t see the small cracks, but eventually, the cracks will become public and our business and personal lives come crumbling down. We Godpreneurs need to make sure we’re always working at keeping our integrity. But how? In the next few posts, we’ll explore integrity and reveal God’s plan for keeping our hearts pure. #StrengthenIntegrity #BecomeDisciplined

Want to hear something funny?  I was born to help people find out what they were born to do. Cracks me up to say it…but it’s true. And until I embraced this calling over my life, owning a branding agency didn’t really make any sense.  It was just another company.  I didn’t feel like I had a purpose. We were all created with God’s purpose in mind.  And until we discover His purpose for our entrepreneurial life (and actually bring it to life) there will always be an empty part of our business that feels unfulfilled. The Bible says: "For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do". Ephesians 2:10 NIV We are God’s workmanship, He created us Godpreneurs for a huge reason, and it’s our duty to find it and live it. God had a vision for us, and by the constant chipping away of our selfish selves, whats being exposed is our true identity and calling in life. But being called is not enough.  You must actually do something with that vision. It must come to life.  Version 1 is better than version NONE!  We Godpreneurs play a crucial role in the big vision.  Our particular businesses are important and are different than what He has in mind for all other entrepreneurs. I can’t get over the fact that there are hundreds of millions of entrepreneurs, and all of us are supposed to do something different and unique.  But from what I know about niches, there are infinite possibilities, and God has prepared one specific to us. You have a duty, an obligation, and a responsibility to find the vision and live it out. If your boss has a checklist of things to accomplish before you leave at 5 pm, you’d clearly be on top of it.  It’s the same for the vision. Tragedy is not bringing a vision to life. God’s vision for us entrepreneurs is what should drive the decision of what business we should be in.  Embracing that vision is a small part of much bigger plans for humanity that has been playing since before we were a thought in our parent’s minds.  The vision for our lives is from the past, but it has an eternal impact on the future. Imagine a world where all entrepreneurs discovered, uncovered, and/or recovered the vision that God has for their businesses, and actually brought it to life. So, comment below and share the purpose God has built you for. #BusinessBibleStudy #StrengthenIntegrity #FindingMyPurpose #FindMyCalling

When I graduated from Cornell University in 2003, I came back to Miami and had the ultimate job waiting for me – a nightclub promoter. Think about it. I’m 21 years old living in the city that 99% of people my age would give anything to call home or at least an extended vacation. Then in 2005, I saw the nightclubs needed help with their branding and marketing, so I and my boys started the agency I have today, Creative Complex. We had an office on south beach and all the major nightclubs as our clients. We were some 23-year-olds living on top of the world. But in 2007, a friend invited me to church and my life took a 180-degree turn. By 2009 I was baptized and a full-blown born again Christian. The problem is that my business was still in the nightclub industry, and we had even moved into doing work for the strip club world. My life was cut into two halves – my nightlife side and my church / spiritual growth side. I was living a double-life. At night I was Mr. Party Guy, but at church and at small groups, I was Mr. New Christian Guy. Neither side of my friends knew who I was really, because I was pulling off being two different people. The straw that broke the camel’s back was when my pastor referred me over to another church that needed a website. It was a pretty big project because it involved doing the website of an association of about 100 churches. But as they were reviewing my proposal, someone on the board of directors went to my agency website and saw all the nightclub clients we work with. I was caught. My double life was exposed. Now I had to choose. Was I going to try to keep the charades going and weasel my way into convincing the church to still do business with me, or was I going to finally decide to hang up my hat and retire from the nightlife once and for all? We all have things in our business life going on that go against our morals and principles, or at the very least push the boundary and put us on the edge of right and wrong. The problem for us Godpreneurs is that if we’re sitting here interested in money, security, image, and reputation, the world will pull us in one direction while God’s word will take us in a different direction. Thi tug-of-war is was causes us to compromise our integrity, compartmentalize our business lives from God, become inauthentic in our walk, and mix up our motivations. We might be able to pull it off for a while, but at some point, the domino’s fall and we get exposed. But God has a plan. His plan is to purify our hearts so that over time, He would release blessings on us as we begin to bring our lives into alignment with our calling and all the amazing plans He has for our businesses. The bible says, “The LORD detests people with crooked hearts, but he delights in those with integrity” (Proverbs 11:20). God is clearly interested in integrity and character. Why? Because His will can’t be done through people with crooked hearts. God wants to do great works through people working on their integrity. If you struggle with some kind of tug-of-war that forces you to live a double-life, or feel inauthentic in any kind of way, then the check engine light is on in heart and you have to check it out to see what that means. You’re interested in your image, but God is interested in your integrity. You’re interested in your reputation, but God is interested in your character. When you finally decide to take up integrity as a main facet of personal improvement in your business life, it’s important to understand three major characteristics God wants from us that define integrity. 3 Steps to Aligning Your Business With God’s Plan 1) Entrepreneurial Integrity is Being Whole. I used to compartmentalize my life between my business life and my church life, never mixing the two. I had my friends from church and my friends from the nightclubs. I had my achievements for all to see, and tucked away I had my compulsions, addictions, and the things nobody else knows about. If we segment our lives like this, we lack integrity, because our lives are not a whole. Integrity as an entrepreneur means you’re the same person at church and in the office, in your speech, actions, and motives, no matter which compartment of your life you’re dealing with. 2) Entrepreneurial Integrity is Being Authentic. I remember going to the annual nightclub and bar convention in Las Vegas and promoting myself and my agency as the kings of nightlife marketing, but then a few weeks later speaking to a room full of pastors about how to make their websites more effective in order to attract more people to their churches.  That’s like playing for both teams! When we wear masks so that we appear one way in front of some people and another way for others, it shows a lack of authenticity. It’s called hypocrisy, and it’s a major blow to the testimony of the church people think Christians are hypocrites for this very reason! God wants you to be exactly who he called you to be in business, no matter who is watching or who you’re presenting to. 3) Entrepreneurial Integrity is Having Unmixed Motivation. At one point I justified helping nightclubs with their marketing AND helping churches market too. But I knew that both the church and the nightclub were trying to get the same exact person into their doors. My motives were now being mixed.  Ethically and morally, I couldn’t work for competitors anymore and I had to choose. When we have unmixed motivations in business, it means we do the right things, and we do them for the right reasons. We Godpreneurs have unmixed motivations and pure motives. We work to be sincere and straightforward in every area of our business lives and with all people, we come into contact with – clients, prospects, vendors, employees, contracts, and the marketplace as a whole. Our reputation is what everybody thinks we are. Our Integrity is what we really are. Our reputation is what we are in public. Our integrity is who we are when we’re all alone with God. The good news is that we can turn to God at any moment and desire to have integrity and begin our walk to perfecting that big part of our life. God blesses those entrepreneurs who have integrity. Their businesses get to do God’s will here on earth through the products and services rendered in the marketplace. #BecomeDisciplined #StrengthenIntegrity

It’s been hard for me to come face to face with my lack of integrity. A business friend of mine first pointed it out back in 2014 and I became defensive and started justifying all my actions. Then again in 2018 another close business acquaintance brought it up, and again, I became defensive. But then my business partner pointed it out, and I couldn’t keep running from it – I was living and running my businesses with areas where I lacked integrity. And now I’m learning everything the bible has to say about it, it’s problems, and how to fix it, and it’s been the most difficult series to write. I’ve been replaying in my mind all the times I’ve fallen short, all the opportunities I had to show integrity in my business dealings and didn’t, and all the moral failures in my personal life. I hope you’re not surprised…but my list is long.  I’m ashamed to admit it, but if I don’t confess this, I know I’ll never change. Renowned theologian Saint Augustine said that the confession of bad works is the beginning of good works. We entrepreneurs all have a hard time facing integrity. It could be a self-defense mechanism, pride, or simple ignorance of the subject. We all segment our personal and business lives and figure that this little sin we’re harboring over here won’t affect that other area over there. But this is a myth we’ve made up in our minds! When it comes to our whole life, a hole in any area can eventually sink everything. The little “situation” we thought we had under control in our business will eventually take us down. A lack of integrity in any one area of our business or personal life will affect the people around us because the enemy WANTS our sin to be public so we could tarnish our God-First business testimony. Additionally, if we don’t come clean with the issue of integrity, little issues become bigger issues in time, and God could be holding back bigger opportunities that we’re simply not ready to face yet because He knows we can’t handle it yet. But God has had a redemptive plan since before we were born. He knew sin was in us, and he created a way out of it! The Bible in 1 John 1:9 says: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9 KJV) If you are serious about becoming a businessman or woman of integrity in your marketplace, the first step is to admit that you haven’t had integrity. You don’t always keep your promises, even to yourself You gossip about terrible clients, bad employees, or annoying competitors (and you like it) You slack off sometimes when the business needs you most You pretend to be someone you’re not Should I continue? But here’s the good news! Just admit it all to God! None of us Christian entrepreneurs are perfect, but God didn’t expect us to be perfect! God does, however, expect us to have a pure heart, and the starting point of purifying our hearts is to own up to our sins — no matter how long our lists are. God is more interested in our hearts the marketplace than the sins in our business. We’re never going to be perfect entrepreneurs. We’re never going to be sinless, but we can sin less. That’s how choosing to have integrity looks like. #StrengthenIntegrity #EnhanceFocus

Sometimes in entrepreneurship, there are times of loss, confusion, stress, anxiety, and overall sadness. It could be something totally out of our control or something we caused. These feelings leave us in a state of depression. We just want to crawl into a hole and hope that it all goes away on its own. However, there is a way for us to, almost immediately, turn the negative feelings of depression into positive feelings of hope and opportunity! Let me illustrate an example. When I’m feeling down and depressed, if I grab my son and hold him in my arms, the feeling of sadness is immediately gone and I’m overtaken with joy and love. How come one moment I was depressed, and the next moment I was full of joy? Because of the presence of my son. In the same way, we entrepreneurs need to have a way for us to bring in a new opportunity into our lives in order to forget about the depression and flood our mind and body with feelings of faith, hope, and opportunity. How do we overcome the sleepless nights when we don’t know where the next check will come from? How do we stop being overwhelmed by the negative and hateful anger that bombards our hearts during these troubling times? These feelings can leave us stuck in this pattern or hurt for a long time if it’s not dealt with. All of us Christian entrepreneurs have been in the place of asking ourselves, “Is this the right business for me, why does this keep happening to me, am I ever going to get out of debt, will I never find an investor, am I never going to be happy in a business, I hate business, I just want to give up, entrepreneurship is hopeless.” And, of course, the #1 question Christian entrepreneurs ask: “God, why are you doing this to me?!” Ironically, that’s the BEST question to ask!! This means you’ve instinctually done exactly what God wants you to do: come to Him. The Bible says, “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” (Matthew 11:28‭-‬30 MSG) God has the way out. Prayer and yearning for Him is the first step out of tiresome and worrisome depression. You might be suffering in your business right now. God wants to lead you out into His opportunities for you. When you ask God, and continually reach out for Him, you draw closer to the only true solution to your business problems. What if depression was an invitation from God, reminding you that you’re not stuck in this hopeless situation alone and that He wants to be let into the solution. What if God was inviting you on an amazing NEW journey of discovery and opportunity for your entrepreneurial career? The psalmist says “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. (Psalms 16:11 NIV). This means that coming to God and asking him “WHY” is the beginning of the solution: surrounding yourself with the presence of God in order to uncover the business that He really wants you to be in. Asking the ‘WHY ME’ question, to God is the beginning of prayer. And since we’re in prayer mode, we might as well have a strategy for prayer. PRESENCE: The presence of God in our business will always be greater than our greatest ideas, clients, services, and any other entrepreneurial accomplishment that comes to mind. Our joy – starts and ends in God’s presence. REST: Tired? Full of anxiety? Praying gives us a moment of rest. ATTENTION: Praying puts us in a position to pay attention to God and listen for the solution. Stop giving the depression our attention, and let’s give God our full, undivided attention. YEARN: The prayer of an entrepreneur is a sign of our love and need for God in our business. Praying is speaking to God, and speaking to Him is showing Him, love. This is the business relationship He’s been desiring all along with us. The antidote to depression in entrepreneurship is found in the presence of God. That’s where we’ll experience joy because He’ll give us purpose, meaning, and a calling in business! He’s not going to immediately make the debt go away. He’s likely not going to make you an overnight millionaire. He probably won’t fix all your business problems from one day to the next. He’s not going to just magically drop an unexpected check in your mailbox. However, He can fill us all with immediate joy and hope that His presence is all we need, and we just need to start walking in the path that He uniquely created us to follow in entrepreneurship. Imagine if all of us depressed entrepreneurs around the world (everyone has been here at one point or another) would seek out the indescribable and incomparable presence of God in order to begin our journey to new opportunities? #BusinessBibleStudy #GainConfidence Overcoming Depression in Entrepreneurship Join us on a 5-Day Plan to shift your mindset to the MORE God has for you. 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

When you’re experiencing depression because of challenges in your business, you have to replace your thoughts with new, more positive thoughts. For me, when I think about the calling God has over my life, I get a jolt of excitement. When I have a great idea, joy floods my body. When I get an epiphany, and God clearly speaks a vision into my life, I start thinking about the opportunities! I’ll prove this to you. Have you ever imagined winning the lottery? The mind starts going into this fantasy world of what we would do with all that money! And then 5 minutes later, you snap out of it and wonder what the heck happened? For those 5 minutes, you had no problems. Life was amazing in fantasy land, right? In the same way, we can THINK our way out of depression by shifting our perspective and changing the way we think. Of course, we have to think positive thoughts about our potential in business, and avoid negative thoughts! If we keep thinking about the money people owe us, the clients that canceled, the employees that we had to let go, and the rent we can’t pay, then we keep digging ourselves into a hole. But God wants to give us a different perspective. God wants us to focus on the business He created us to start! The Bible says: "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." (Philippians 4:8 NIV) God’s perspective for business is the key to unlocking His calling, His direction, and His plan for the business. Focusing on uncovering God’s perspective will produce the mindset needed to discover the businesses God needs in the world. Ask yourself what God’s calling is for your life. You need to replace your current troubling perspective (that is making you depressed) with His eternal perspective of what’s missing in business for you to do (your calling in entrepreneurship!). You have to realign your focus on Jesus so you can see every part of your business through God’s flawless lens. It’s not that we need more ideas, it’s that we need more Jesus. The ideas will flow from that relationship. For me, when I took on God’s perspective about websites and logos, everything changed! God revealed that websites and logos are all about IDENTITY. I get to help people discover their calling (their identity), and bring it to life! This gave me the joy to get out of the depression I was in. I was energized to go out and help more people find their calling! You can do the same thing in your business! You have to think of how God thinks about your industry, marketplace, products, and services. Once you think like God, you begin the process or replacing depression with opportunity. Why? Because God doesn’t think depressing thoughts, He thinks VIRTUOUS thoughts! What are God’s thoughts? Love Power Ever presence All-knowing Holy Merciful Faithful Just Absolute truth Unchanging For me, I latched onto the ‘all-knowing’ thoughts of God for my business. Why? Because I have to explain to my clients Jeremiah 29:11 – for I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. When I tell my clients that there’s a business that God created them to start, that springs up an entirely new perspective. It gives the business purpose and calling. Someone who understands and pursues their purpose and calling will have a much easier time getting out of depressing thoughts than someone who doesn’t know what God fashioned them from the womb to do. God’s perspective is totally free and unlimited. You don’t need to pay anyone to feel the spirit moving inside of us directing us to our calling. Sure, there are guys like me you can hire to help guide, but I’m simply guiding what’s already inside…what you were all born to do! Today, flood your mind with God’s thoughts. Allow yourself to reflect on His truths. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things (Colossians 3:2 NIV). You have to mirror His character into whatever business idea you have cooking in your mind. Only by God’s amazing Grace will you be able to defeat the enemy’s vicious and depressing thoughts, and fill it with thoughts of the virtuous business He created you to start! God’s thoughts will arm you for the battle of stepping into what you were born to do! HOMEWORK A New Perspective. Don’t go into the past and start thinking of all your regrets and mistakes. The enemy lives in those dry places. Stay away! Instead, think of your future and how God will be using you for His purpose in the marketplace! This will bring gladness to your heart and a smile to your face. Interact with God’s mindset, it’s a wonderful place to be! Read God’s Word Daily I’m in God’s word every morning? Not because it’s a business for me. IT’S BECAUSE I WAS ONCE VERY DEPRESSED! Writing these daily devotionals for you took me OUT of the depression and gave me purpose! Although I’m not as depressed anymore (happens less other), I’ve already developed the habit so I’m not planning on stopping! Take Inventory I have a free Passion Checklist in my Godpreneur Academy that will help you take inventory of your heart for business. Examine the way your spirit jumps for certain ideas, things hidden that you never knew about. You Have a Purpose Depression has a way of departing you from your purpose in business. Stay useful for God, He needs willing and ABLE BODIED workers to accomplish things here on earth. Keep your hands raised high, he’s calling on you! #BusinessBibleStudy #GainConfidence Overcoming Depression in Entrepreneurship Join us on a 5-Day Plan to shift your mindset to the MORE God has for you. 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

With all the uncertainty surrounding both our personal and professional lives due to the Coronavirus pandemic, it’s easy for our minds to get filled with worry, anxiety, and fear. When we fix our eyes on the negative circumstances, we fill our minds with despair that leads to depression. But have you noticed that there’s a whole bunch of people out there that are actually excited about what’s going on with the quarantines? They lost their jobs too! They are in the same situation as all of us, however, they are joyful and hopeful throughout this season. How come two people can be in the same exact situation, however, their OUTLOOK on life is completely different? Because when we focus on God and His eternal plan, He swaps out our negative notions for His positive perspective. During the pandemic, I lost my two biggest clients and had to pause two new businesses I was launching. This represented hundreds of thousands of dollars of lost revenue. And sure, I was worried. No doubt that stress and anxiety tried to creep its way into my mind. But I’ve been trained by the Word over all of these years that in the midst of my problems, I can’t allow my thoughts to become dirty. And I know if my mind is dirty, all I can produce is mud. We’ve all experienced an incredible change in how the world operates. Things will never be the same moving forward. Some of our businesses will fail and never re-open. Some of us will lose our clients forever. This pandemic could cause us entrepreneurs to sink into an uncomfortable, shaky, and dark place in our life. But remember, sometimes God takes us to a place of solitude in order to sit us down to hear His voice! What if this was a time to press in to God and listen to His NEXT STEP for our businesses? The Bible says "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings." (1 Peter 5:8‭-‬9 NIV) If the enemy is allowed to fill the mind with depressing thoughts, then it will be too noisy to listen to anything God has to say. You may be there today? Today, don’t just read this devotional. Let it speak to you – and then speak it over your business! Let God guide you with His counsel (Psalms 73:24), and let God take over your mind to thinking about the glorious business He has waiting for you! I wrote a blog called “Growing Through the Business Depression”. In it, I share that the way I made it out of my entrepreneurial depression was not only reading God’s word but starting my blog (Daily Godpreneur) to speak and teach the Word to others! I wrote blogs so that I could replace the enemy’s thoughts with God’s thoughts even more! The more I taught, the more I was speaking life into my mind and business. You can also develop your joy and grow your faith in business again, even in the midst of a pandemic, by speaking life into your own business, and encouraging others along that way to do the same! By verbalizing God’s promises over your business, you create room for Him to fill you with the purpose, calling and a joy that overcomes all types of depressing thoughts. The point is that you have to position your mind towards God and His calling for your business amidst this pandemic the world is experiencing. A mindset on God will lift your perspective to see the business He has created you to start, re-start, or take to the next level! There will be trouble and problems, no doubt about that. But you have the choice of looking at the problem and letting it affect you, or you having the power to help solve it! However, this can only happen if you don’t allow the problem to devour your mind. A devoured mind produces depression. In this pandemic, your mindset and the words you speak are everything! Keep your mind positive, lips pure, and only speak God’s truth over your business’s future! God wants to give your PEACE in exchange for that anxiety that is distracting you from the business He created you to focus on. God wants to take that heaviness you feel, and exchange it for His light load. He wants you to stand tall, firm in your faith, and ready to listen to His marching orders for your entrepreneurial future. He loves to see His children walking in upright obedience in His presence – free from depression. Godpreneurs worldwide need to begin our journey towards our God-called businesses, especially NOW! We have to humbly come to God as our only source of joy in business – not money or clients or the size of our companies. If our source of joy only came from the act of walking out our calling, I believe we would all develop a deep joy that is eternal. The joy is what will guard us against the enemy that lurks around, ready to devour a mind not set on God! We can’t be anxious about our business’s future. Instead, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present yourself to God and make your requests to REMOVE THE DEPRESSION to be known by God. (Philippians 4:6). Remember, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. (Matthew 7:7‭-‬8 NIV) We all need to stop complaining about the economy and talking fearful thoughts with others. Let’s surround ourselves with a group of God-first entrepreneurs refusing to succumb to the circumstances and instead, are lifting up our arms in the battle towards our calling from God! Let’s not be guided by our feelings, but instead by faith in knowing the direction God wants to take our businesses in these uncertain times. I’m praying for God to teach all Godpreneurs to acknowledge His ways and to guide us all with His counsel, leading our businesses to a glorious destiny! #BusinessBibleStudy #GainConfidence Overcoming Depression in Entrepreneurship Join us on a 5-Day Plan to shift your mindset to the MORE God has for you. 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

When we’re feeling anxious, stressed, or depressed, our mind is restless. There’s no room for rest when our thoughts can’t stop. We’re up at night, tossing and turning, staring at the ceiling, wondering when things will go back to “normal.” But when we stand our ground on the calling that God has for us in this world, we can rest in that assurance. God wants to exchange your dark worries for His deep rest. I have several businesses. Most were negatively affected by COVID-19 and we’ll need to ride this storm out with those. But I’m standing my ground because I know I was called into those businesses. The hope I have in the outcome of those businesses lifts me above the challenges and sits me down to rest in His purpose for me. But when we don’t have a calling and purpose to press into for rest, we fill our minds and schedule with busyness to make ourselves think we have a purpose. We get the kids ready. We knock out deadlines. We attend more church Bible studies. We make more appointments. We check off tasks. All the while, the depression still doesn’t let us…rest. 11% of Americans now take medication to treat depression. And that number will rise during and after the pandemic. It’s depressing just thinking about it. But God not only designs us for rest, but He desires for us Christian entrepreneurs to experience a deep, purpose-filled rest in Him! The Bible says, "Be still before the Lord ; wait patiently for Him and entrust yourself to Him." (Psalms 37:7 AMP) Rest was designed by God as a tool to build trust in God. His plans are perfect when we trust in His playbook. Which business is distracting you from totally resting on Sundays?  In Exodus 23:12, God says, “Six days you shall do your work, but on the seventh day you shall rest; that your ox and your donkey may have rest, and the son of your servant woman, and the alien, may be refreshed.” Rest isn’t just for you, it’s for your entire team.  It’s for your family. It’s for your office, equipment, car, and all the tools that help you function. When you commit to rest, you let others rest too. What projects are you working day and night on without proper sleep?  In Genesis, God rested after creating the Earth. In Psalm 37:7, God said, “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.” If you’re having trouble finding room for rest in your life, examine all the projects on your plate. What can you delegate, delay, or DROP in order to make time for rest?  You’ll find that it will give you more time to focus on the project God really needs you to work on. As I conclude my series on overcoming depression for Christian entrepreneurs, I want us to make a commitment to resting in God’s calling for our business. He’s got is in the palm of His hands. The pandemic only has a hold on our businesses if we allow it.  Resting in God places our trust back in His promises! Say: “I will rest in my calling.” “I don’t have to hurry to launch a business.” “I  don’t have to worry about how the money will come in.” “All my hope in entrepreneurship is in Jesus.” “My past business mistakes are gone.” “My  sins are forgiven.” “God  is so good to me and my business.” Amen! #EnhanceFocus #ShareYourTestimony Overcoming Depression in Entrepreneurship Join Us on a 5-Day Business Bible Plan to Shift Your Mindset to the MORE God has for You. 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

How do faith and entrepreneurship mix? Christian or not, I'm sure every successful entrepreneur would say, "you gotta have faith in your product or service for it to succeed." However, is this the same type of faith we learn about in the Bible?  And how can we take our entrepreneurial faith walk more seriously so that we can reap the full benefits of a faith-filled mindset? I used to stress out about thinking of innovative ideas, launching new products, and attracting new clients. The stress would keep me up at night, stating at the ceiling, wondering if I'm good enough to succeed. This stress would take a toll on my relationships with everyone. My wife would see me working too much. My child would see me leaving home early and coming back late. My employees would hear from me less. And my relationship with God would take a lesser role. But over the last two years, I've been working on my FAITH walk. I'm not talking about my faith in Christianity. I'm talking about my faith that God will provide. Faith, as a Christian entrepreneur goes beyond our declaration that we believe in God, go to church and participate in Bible studies. Faith as an entrepreneur is 100% confidence that, when you're in your calling, God will provide.  Faith changes our language from "hoping" something will happen to expect it to happen. Faith is the gift that keeps on giving us business owners the fuel to keep on pursuing our purpose.  Since we're always taking risks by starting businesses, hiring new people, and launching new campaigns, faith-filled entrepreneurs don't hope their actions will deliver results; they KNOW God will provide. However, faith is also a hard mindset for us to understand and a challenge for us to take advantage of fully. We like results we can see, touch, and experience immediately. We like money in the bank that we can store up for a rainy day. But we're not sure how to manage a gift we can't take inventory of, yet we have an endless supply of it. The issue isn't if we have faith or not, the issue is that we miss it's deep significance and tremendous advantages in our business as we either ignore it or take it for granted.  Faith becomes an assumed quality of being Christian and starts to blend into the normal routine of our business day and we can no longer tell it's there. We have it as a card we pull out of our pocket only when circumstances call for it. A great source to go to when we want to understand faith more is the book of Hebrews.  Paul the Apostle wrote: "THE FUNDAMENTAL FACT OF EXISTENCE IS THAT THIS TRUST IN GOD, THIS FAITH, IS THE FIRM FOUNDATION UNDER EVERYTHING THAT MAKES LIFE WORTH LIVING. IT’S OUR HANDLE ON WHAT WE CAN’T SEE. THE ACT OF FAITH IS WHAT DISTINGUISHED OUR ANCESTORS, SET THEM ABOVE THE CROWD." (HEBREWS 11:1‭-‬2 MSG) From an entrepreneurial point of view, there are three golden nuggets to pull out of this verse that you may have never realized. 1) It's not worth owning a business if you don't have faith. You'll be a big stress ball if you're always doubting yourself or second-guessing your actions. Faith is the fun in owning a business because you get to experience God's provision day in and day out. 2) Faith is your handle on what you can't see from your business plans. You can only hope for what you can't see and touch. On the other hand, faith turns entrepreneurial expectation into a surefire substance. “Can't see” usually does not fit with return on investment. However, faith makes it so. Faith turns God’s promises for your business into tangible realities. Faith turns things of the unseen spiritual world into visible things in the business world. 3) Faith is an action of obedience for God-first business owners. All the famous characters of the Bible did things out of faith, taking risks in stepping into the unknown. This should sound like entrepreneurship to you. Like they did for their ancestors, your choices in business will unlock the full benefit the gift of faith God has given you. Faith is what brings your visions to life and is the testimony to all that you trust God in being first in your business. As you make your leadership decisions, the outcomes of your faith are put into motion. As Christian entrepreneurs, faith is our most potent tool, our biggest ally, and our competitive advantage. We don't wait around for faith to show up, hoping that, maybe this time, God will come through. We've missed the opportunity of faith if we live under this false perception. Faith as a business owner is the hope of our entrepreneurial spirit. If we don't use it, then that's a choice we've made. No circumstance, situation, or setting should be able to affect our faith. Faith in action is merely choosing to run our businesses, knowing God's got us covered. If we've uncovered our calling, then bringing it to life and telling the whole world can be a faith-filled pilgrimage where our businesses serve to sanctify us and draw us closer to God. Imagine if all of us Godpreneurs chose to have the kind of faith that turns hopes and dreams into realities we can experience today. Put your action into faith in your business today! #GainConfidence

The Christmas story is full of awesome stories — Mary’s encounter with the angel, Joseph’s dreams, and the shepherds’ invite to the birth. Yet, while these stories are amazing, I found it hard to disconnect from my business in order to focus on the season. I tried devotionals, music, church services and reading plans. It was all joyful, but there was still a separation between my business and the holiday season. Until I met the wise men. It wasn't until I sat down to analyze the intriguing quest of the wise men that the Christmas story came alive to me as an entrepreneur. After a long journey, God leads the wise men to Jesus. The adventure, their actions, and the victory in finding the child gives us Jesus-seeking business owners great wisdom for approaching the Christmas season in our own unique way. Although the Holidays are a peaceful and joyful time, most of us business owners are trying to close the year strong, so it also becomes a stressful, noisy season. For many of us, the 4th quarter will determine the profitability of the entire year! How can the birth of Jesus 2000 years ago compete with the realities of meeting our numbers today? Is there a way that even the busiest of entrepreneurs can both meet their holiday goals WHILE embracing Jesus and drawing closer to His peace? The keys to tuning out the noise that wants to take your focus off the reason for the season is to quiet your heart by doing as the wise men did — earnestly, joyfully, and generously adore Jesus. Today, I want to share the 3-Steps that will revolutionize the way entrepreneurs can approach Christmas. 1) Look for Jesus A wise friend once told me, "Alex, it's not that you need more money, it's that you need more of Christ." I was seeking fortune, success and a feeling of accomplishment, but God just wants us to seek Jesus. What was the wise men’s first step? Cultivating a desire for Christ’s presence. The wise men were certainly experts in astrology, authorities in their industry, and insatiable wisdom-seekers. They would have also probably been very rich and held high esteem in their own society. These leaders sought out Jesus with unexpected eagerness, all because of their hunger for God’s Word. Traveling great distances, through unknown places, they had studied the Jewish Scriptures and were stirred to the point of hunting across miles for the prophesied Messiah. “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” (Matthew 2:1-2) The wise men were on a mission, actively searching the streets and asking anyone and everyone to find the mysterious King. Their passion was so noticeable that it even takes them to the king of the land himself, Herod. In this way, we entrepreneurs too can pursue Jesus in the midst of the holiday hustle and bustle by going to the Bible. Just because it's busy, don't neglect your DAILY HUDDLE with God. The wise men were wise because they never stopped learning. They had a thirst for more knowledge which led them to the greatest source of wisdom: God as man. Year-round, Godpreneurs dive into the Scriptures like the wise men, seeing Christ’s glory and finding Him time and time again, witnessing to our respective marketplaces along the way. 2) Joy for Christ I've noticed something interesting about the day-to-day operations of running my business: the days that I do my morning devotional and huddle with God, I have a great day! I'm especially "on fire" when that day when I uncover a golden nugget from the Bible that I end up sharing on my blog or social media. However, the days I miss my morning meeting with God, I'm not as joyful and cheery. If we entrepreneurs want to experience joy during the holidays, it's going to come from, first, seeking God in the morning and then, finding Him! The wise men looked for days on their own strength, but it is by God’s power that they finally reach Jesus. What is their response when they found God's son? Great joy! “After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.” (Matthew 2:9-10) The result entrepreneurs get when we search for God's wisdom daily in the Bible, and the consequent discovery of new knowledge of Christ should be rejoicing! Why? Because in His faithfulness, God has led us to Himself, giving us eternal love and hope. Our passion for the business God has called us to run is renewed daily! With all the external pleasures the holidays bring us, there is one joy that should surpass them all – an internal delight that Jesus has come, granting salvation to His people. Whatever difficulties the wise men may have experienced on their journey, they conclude it with celebratory recognition of Christ the Messiah. Likewise, whatever challenges, disappointments, or setbacks we entrepreneurs have faced throughout the year, we can finish strong by embracing the everlasting security we have in our Savior, Jesus! It is by God’s grace that you have “found” and know Jesus and are able to lead a God-first business. It is by His grace that you can always have joy, because of the gift of baby Jesus on Christmas day. 3) Give for Jesus Another wise friend of mine shared a profound Chinese proverb with me. It goes: "Me, unhappy. Others, happy." The insight is that when I'm focused on me, I'm unhappy. However, when I focus on others, I'm happy. I've caught myself trying to "get the most sales" out of the holiday season out of selfish ambition, motivated by fear or greed. But when I take the attention off my own needs in order to meet the needs of my customers, employees, or friends, I feel great. The last example the 3 wise men leave us entrepreneurs to help us experience the most out of the holiday season is that they jubilantly worship and give, their goal all along. “And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.” (Matthew 2:11) The wise men didn’t only come to admire Jesus, but to acknowledge Him as King with offerings. They had given of their time, their energy, their resources, their very selves in this journey of seeking Jesus. Their quest culminates in this moment, when they “fell down” and gave unto Him precious presents. In this season of giving, we entrepreneurs can sacrificially show Christ is King by tithing to His church, donating to charitable causes, and giving of ourselves. What will you “give” to Him this year? Will it be a larger-than-normal donation because you had a great year? Will it be volunteering for an outreach or offering your services or products for free to someone in need? How can you honor Him in worship? Perhaps it’s as simple as obeying His Word more closely and trusting His sovereignty over your business more deeply. Imagine if all of us Christ-first business owners fell down in our hearts, surrendering to Him anew as we begin a new year, continuing our own Godpreneurial journey to glorify Him. Leave your comments below on ways that you bring Jesus in your business mindset during the holidays.

Do you wake up every morning to run a business you hate, with clients and employees you don’t like, getting paid less than you're worth? Do you feel like quitting the ENTREPRENEURIAL race and going back to a 9-5? The REAL problem is you haven't found your "purpose" in business yet. Without a purpose, your business has no meaning, no sense of destiny, and no sense of specificity. The greatest tragedy in business is an entrepreneur without a purpose. But this tragedy is completely avoidable. God wants to guide us on our entrepreneurial journey. He's got a specific plan for each of us, and they are plans to succeed! Failure only happens when we choose to go our own way and veer off on our own paths. But if we do some simple shifting of our mindset, we can uncover our purpose, discover the business God created is to start and begin living a purposed-focused life full of all the riches God has already set aside for us. 1) YOU'RE NOT ALONE No entrepreneur is a mistake; not one of us is a mistake. We are sent here specifically to do something valuable. This means God has something that needs to be done that made you and your business necessary, yet most of us don't know our purpose on earth. The average entrepreneur doesn't know why they´re on planet earth. They wake up every morning to run a business they hate, with clients and employees they don’t like, getting paid less than they're worth. They're quitting on the business too soon, closing up shop from frustration because they don´t know why they exist. I discovered that the greatest tragedy in entrepreneurship is not a business shutting down. There’s something worse than a failed venture. The greatest tragedy in business is an entrepreneur without a purpose. Nothing is worse than being running a business and not knowing why. This is a tragedy to give the best years of your life to build something and still not know why you were called to entrepreneurship. That’s a tragedy. Without a purpose, the business has no meaning, no sense of destiny, and no specificity. Why are me and my business here? And this is the frustration of many entrepreneurs. Millions of business owners are searching for their purpose and their brand - the "why" of their company's existence. Maybe that includes you? 2) GOD AS YOUR ENTREPRENEURIAL GUIDE God has a will and a plan for all of us entrepreneurs. Don't ever listen to clients, loved ones, or even your own internal voice tell you your business is unimportant. Anytime you feel unimportant, immediately think, "Jesus died so that I could be free to pursue the business God created me to start! And He didn't just die for me, He died for all the clients, employees, vendors, contractors, prospects, and competitors I'll be doing business with!" God knows all about your background and all the fears you would bring up. You think God can't use you, you're not good at business, or you don't have enough money. God knows all about you. He knew what business you would run before you were even born, and this means has a will and a plan for all of our business visions. The tragedy is that most entrepreneurs will never think about business from a "God" perspective. They were never told that entrepreneurship is God using humans to solve a problem and fulfill an unmet need in this world. They never thought about it from God's point of view - that God had a special plan for their business life. Yes, He does have a blueprint already laid out! 3) GOD'S HAS A BUSINESS PLAN So, what’s God's plan for your entrepreneurial life? Have you ever asked him? Proverbs 3:5-6, for example, one of my favorite passages says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." Just trust him, see what he’ll do when you simply ASK, "God, what's my entrepreneurial purpose? What problem am I here to solve? What business do YOU want me to start?" God desires the best for your entrepreneurial journey. And if you're lost, confused, and overwhelmed, then your starting point is to tell Him: “Lord, I don´t know what you can do, or how you're going to do it, but God here I am, Father, take me like I am." 4) GOD'S PATH TO YOUR SUCCESS In Jeremiah 29 verse 11, God says: “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." God already finished you before He started you! God already created the business you were born to step into! It's yours for the taking! The bible says God cared for you before you were born. Isaiah 46:3 continues, "I will be your God throughout your lifetime— until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you." This means God knew you'd be an entrepreneur one day, and because of that, He's going to take care of that business! Verse 10 continues, "Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish." God says He plans an entrepreneur's future before it even happens. Why? So that we would realize that we have an opportunity to PARTNER with Him to bring the visions to life. He's going to do it with or without us. What do you think He prefers? Here’s the good news: God would not allow you to have been conceived in your mother’s womb unless there was a business already finished that you were born to start. That means your choice of becoming an entrepreneur was not a mistake! You are starting a destined business that's already finished. God never begins with the beginning; he begins with the end, then He begins. Your success is already finished! Only you have the unique DNA God has designed to carry out a certain business He predestined for you to start and operate in. Here’s what Ephesians 2:10 says: “For we are God's handiwork created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance to do,” the living translation says: “For we are God's masterpiece, he has created us anew in Christ Jesus so we can do the good things He planned long ago." Now stop and process that! You are God's masterpiece. Before you were born, he created you for your entrepreneurial purpose and at the same time, He created your calling not for anyone else but you. 5) WARNING: WHY ENTREPRENEURS FAIL For this reason, be very careful about comparing your business journey with others. There’s always someone who seems more successful or more accomplished than you. If you’re not careful, you can slip out of your purpose and begin imitating their calling, even without realizing it! If you look at another entrepreneur for the pattern of who you should be, you’ll miss out on discovering your calling in business. God made your gifts, talents, and specific set of circumstances so that you could travel your own unique journey. God drew up the blueprints; Jesus is who we need to look to for revelation of that plan. The secret about you existed before the world began. God didn't give you birth and then tried to figure out why you exist. He established your destiny first and then gave you birth. That means that the secret about you cannot be discerned by human intelligence or by your high school grades. How many of you have allowed your high school ranking to determine who you are? You may have been an A student or a B student or C student or an average student - and you take that score with you from high school into an average job because you think, "I can't start my own business, I'm not good enough, or smart enough. I didn't go to an Ivy League school. Well, I´ve come to tell you that’s a lie. That's not who God created. He doesn't create average things. Some entrepreneurs already have their life mapped out. Sometimes it's your parents, and so your mother is calling you rather than God calling you. How many children are living the dreams of their parents rather than God's purpose? And that´s why they’re frustrated. They’re doing things they were not born to do, to please their parents, not to please God. I say it again; no human knows the truth about you because the truth about you is hidden in God. When I study the bible, I see every single human, every last one, was different. Every single human that God met disbelieved him first - everyone! Abraham. Yes, Lord You are the father of many children Abraham was barren! Moses Yes, Lord You are a mighty warrior and deliverer Moses was a shepherd hiding from the law. David you are a king This kid was a shepherd behind the rocks! You see, the truth about our Godpreneurial calling is so incredible that we ourselves find it hard to believe. The world doesn't know who you are yet. The truth about you will defy your self-concept because the picture you have of yourself is the one that the world gave you. God's picture of you is very different. I wonder how many miracles we miss in our businesses...I wonder how many just flat out astounding things God would do in an entrepreneur's lives if we could ever get over caring what everybody else thinks and only focus on the calling God gave each of us. Listen, the God who created this world can do anything he chooses to do no matter what´s been in the past. That's who he is. You’re talking to the God who makes the impossible. Business isn’t about using God for your purposes; it’s about God using your business for His purpose. It's about the Lord Jesus showing you how you fit into his plan...and you do fit in! God has a lifetime of purpose stored up for you and me. 6) HOW TO FIND YOUR UNIQUE PURPOSE Thank God for the strength you need to be an entrepreneur. Thank him for your weaknesses, too. Weaknesses create your dependency on God throughout the life of the business. Once you understand that your strengths and weaknesses form the uniqueness of you, you’ll be well on your way to pursuing the business God created you for. So, first of all, present yourself and your business to God. Hand it all over. Then say to yourself, I am a unique creation of the almighty God! He made me alone and threw the plans away. There’s no Godpreneur like me on planet earth. He has a special thing for me to do! Maybe you’re thinking, "I´m not sure the business I'm created to start in God's plan. What if I don’t like it?" Oh, you will. It's what you were made for! This is what you were born to do! If you don´t embrace God´s plan, you´ll miss the entrepreneurial purpose for which he created you! The bible is very clear about that. This what Jesus said in John 8:12: “I am the light of the world, he who follows me shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life. When you follow Jesus' plan for your business, you will be walking in the divine wattage of God's light. There's no other source of ultimate purpose. All other ventures lead to darkness and futility. When you venture off, it's because you're still afraid to present yourself and your business totally to God. Do you think He'll mess up your business by telling you to launch something you don't want to do or go to some business event you don’t want to go to? By my own testimony, I can tell you that everything I ever dreamed of doing in my business, I found in God's purpose for me. I cannot imagine doing anything else than what I’ve done. As He has led me, so many of my dreams have come true! Plus, quite a few dreams I never even knew I had! I can't reiterate enough how the first step in pursuing your God-given entrepreneurial purpose is to present yourself totally to God. He loves you, he wants the best for you, and you can trust him. When you find your purpose in business, you stop chasing things that will never satisfy you. Instead, you find the joy of pursuing the next steps God has for you. Some of you have no idea what God would do for you and your business. Well, the only way you’ve ever going to know is to step out and find out. God told Abraham to leave everything you’re familiar with and go to a place that I will show you. He had to step out. I wonder how many people live with business dreams and visions and amazingly great things in their hearts, but they’re afraid even to take one step in that direction to see what God might do. You´re not waiting on God, God's waiting on you. He's waiting to give you and your business his best. Listen, if you wait till you figure it out, you´ll never do it. What do you think God will do? He’ll amaze you. #FindingMyPurpose

My mom is my biggest fan on social media. She likes shares and comments on all my posts. Although I know she's my mom, and she had biased towards me, it still encourages me to keep inspiring others through my posts. My mom's not on LinkedIn, but there are a few connections I have that encourage me and keep me focused on producing great content and continuing to engage on LinkedIn. Our best qualities as Christian entrepreneurs will surface in the presence of good, godly connections. When you are around other Godpreneurs who are industrious and focused, don’t you find yourself more inclined to work hard for the Kingdom? It’s easy to get excited about an upcoming product launch when you mastermind with a God-First creative group and can visualize where you are going. Connections on LinkedIn can bring you up or take you down, so surround yourself with other Christians who push you to be better. The Bible says "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." (Hebrews 10:24-25) When you purpose to connect with other Christians on LinkedIn, you'll be building relationships with business people who recognize your true capabilities and believe in you. So, value the relationships that generate God-inspired energy and enthusiasm towards your entrepreneurial dreams and goals. Good, godly entrepreneurs are not easy to find on LinkedIn, especially ones who are active on the platform. We have to seek it out and become part of the few so that together, we can make an impact. I formed a Christian Entrepreneur's group (Godpreneur group) on LinkedIn. Come on in and develop business relationships that encourage you, that motivates you and that celebrate you – it's a group I pray will be truly rich in business wisdom for you! To read more articles on LinkedIn, click here. #AttractingRightClients

The best relationships I've formed in business is when someone is struggling and, through my guidance, I'm able to help them make a breakthrough. Entrepreneurship is recognizing there's a problem in the market and taking a risk to solve it with a product or service. Therefore, a business owner's biggest opportunity on LinkedIn is building relationships with prospects who need your solution or others that feel the same way about the problem needing solving. The tricky part, of course, is recognizing the people that are struggling. It's easy to help when someone asks a direct question like, "I'm struggling with my WordPress website, can someone help?!" However, someone in our network may be drowning in helplessness, in loneliness, or in circumstances that have gotten out of control in their business. Our care and concern for that connection may be their only recognized hope. This is our opportunity to do God's work in the LinkedIn marketplace. The Bible says "Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted." (Galatians 6:1 NIV) If you want to develop strong relationships on LinkedIn, find someone to help. It's likely you'll help someone struggling with something technical that's within your wheelhouse of expertise. God designed it this way. That may open up other deeper struggles. Continue deepening the relationship with gentleness and humility. We Christian entrepreneurs will make the most impact on LinkedIn when we see the social media network as a marketplace to put our attention on people in need. To read more articles on LinkedIn, click here. #AttractingRightClients

I graduated from Cornell University in 2003. I'm lucky to be part of the generation that embraced social media because I can stay connected to friends that I had many great memories with. What's amazing is that now we're older, wiser, and thriving (hopefully) in our careers. Things would be different now if we connected on a professional level. Enter: LinkedIn The reality is that relationships die through neglect. If someone isn't living or working with us, communication isn't happening so the connections break. LinkedIn gives us the opportunity to restore once-thriving relationships through a relatively easy communication platform. God designed us to communicate with each other. God himself is a communicator, talking to us through the Bible, Jesus, and other Christians in our lives. This communication is what builds our relationship with God. This example God gives us is to show us that restoring a relationship starts with restoring communication. The Bible says "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart."(Hebrews 4:12) You can use LinkedIn to restore business relationships you haven't done business with in years. Look up some old clients and talk over situations, discuss industry thoughts, and open up a dialogue about anything. This is part of the business relationship dynamic. We shouldn't expect others to reach out to us; we have to be the ones to do it first because God has CALLED us to do it. Loving others is part of our greatest commandment. We Godpreneurs have to be the ones to bring relationships with past clients into right standing again, and LinkedIn is a great place to start! To read more articles on LinkedIn, click here. #AttractingRightClients