Search results for "personal-development"

I’ve been building my Christian personal brand since 2014.  It’s not easy to launch a personal brand while also running a business.  To make matters worse, when we do finally launch our Christian personal brand, we don’t get the number When we start going through some very real trials on our personal brand journey, we question why God Let’s all trust God with whatever we’ve been holding back on our Christian personal brand journey.

How do we know when it’s time to finally GO and launch our personal brand?  God is calling you to finally LAUNCH that idea for your personal brand!. To step toward our destiny of being personally used by God to influence the marketplace with our message Who knows where God can take our personal brand story if we just let Him!  What Christian personal brand is He calling you to launch? I’m praying for you!

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ, we though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully. (Romans 12:3‭-‬8) So, what is the difference between a spiritual gift and natural talents in business? Gifts are Received, Business Talents are Inherited. President Donald Trump was born into an entrepreneurial family. Generations before him were doing business in farming and real estate. He inherited business talents from his family. You also see this in families that fish, farm, or even do accounting. My accountant is a father, son, and cousins all talented in crunching numbers. Natural talents are inherited from family and passed along through generations. They are naturally occurring in our genetics. On the other hand, spiritual gifts come from the Spirit of God within us. This is why it’s called a gift – we received it when we gave our lives to Christ. It was our gift from God to celebrate YOU and the work He’s going to entrust you to go through your business. Spiritual gifts are given at your spiritual birth, natural gifts come from your natural birth. Why is this important to know as a Godpreneur business owner? Because knowing yourself and your employees will help you put them in the right seat of your business. Spiritual Gifts are for the Saved / Talents are for the Saved and Unsaved When you do business in the marketplace, you’ll either do business with saved or unsaved. They will both be talented individuals, and those talents can be of great use in your business. Additionally, if they are saved, then you can also count on some kind of spiritual gift that they can bring to the business. Gifts of the spirit to look out for in employees, vendors and contractors are: The word of wisdom The word of knowledge Faith (extraordinary trust and surrender) Gifts of healing The effecting of miracles Prophecy The distinguishing of spirits Tongues The interpretation of tongues Service Teaching Exhortation Giving Leadership Mercy Apostleship Evangelism Pastoral care Keep in mind, even non-Christians can have gifts that are on this list of spiritual gifts, like leadership, giving and service. But there’s a major difference in the showing of gifts versus talents. Gifts are a Surprise and Get Sweeter over Time, Talents are Expected, and Get Better over Time I was a talented leader growing up. I was president of my school and served in many leadership roles. When I became Christian, my leadership multiplied, and my influence and wisdom skyrocketed because God transformed my leadership talent into a spiritual leadership gift. I could have gotten better as a leader without God, but instead of me becoming better God made me wiser and more people wanted to be around me and led by me, and I matured in my relationship with God. I was totally surprised when I saw my leadership abilities exponentially grow! The bible says: "Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work". (Ephesians 4:14‭-‬16 NIV) We Godpreneurs have been gifted by God to accomplish something great in our industry and marketplaces. This is why we all need to expect the unexpected! But we need to use our gifts wisely because the enemy wants to confuse your gifts for talents for his own purposes too! Gifts have a Purposed-Focused Use, Talents Can be Used Selfishly We each need to use our gifts on business to shine the light of Christ. This is how we’ll experience true purpose and meaning in our businesses. But we need to be careful because many of us don’t use our spiritual gifts (exactly what the enemy wants), and we sit back and expect the other “more spiritual” people to do the heavy lifting of ministering in the marketplace. We Godpreneurs recognize that our gifts are to be used for amazing reasons and we continue to explore that and grow that gift. Imagine if all of us used the spiritual gifts given to us by God, and matured in our faith consistently? We would all see our businesses grow and blossom to glorify God and serve even more clients! Godpreneur Rule – Godpreneurs grow in our faith to enhance our spiritual gifts and serve more in the marketplace. #BusinessBibleStudy #FindMyCalling The Business God Created You To Start Have you ever wondered why you received the talents and gifts you have been given? We, as entrepreneurs, were born to do. 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

You’re not yourself when you’re hungry. I love that Snickers commercial.  It’s so true!  My wife calls it being “hangry,” a combo of hungry and angry.  We both must be well fed or else things start to get funky in the home. In the same way that food can set me off on the wrong course, things happen in my business that can do the same. An angry client email in the morning will turn me loose against my employees, and the domino effect will eventually lead me to be “off” with the rest of my clients that day. We entrepreneurs will have 99 reasons every day to be upset, rude, curt, and not so pleasant to be around.  Maybe not every day, but we have our times.  Owning a business is stressful! But we have a responsibility to be the light, to be the difference, to be the example of taking the high road. But how do we change from our natural ways of being angry?  How can we be the exception to the rule?  How can we be different? It’s a matter of the HEART.  What we fill ourselves with will eventually show. In the same way that I eat to remove my “hanger”, I need to consume more of God to squeeze out the natural-born killer in me. In the book of Acts chapter 6, we read about Stephen, a many with exceptional spiritual filling. "Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people." (Acts 6:8) I don’t know about you, but I’ll take an order of whatever he’s eating. Every morning, instead of picking up my phone to check emails and put out fires in my business, I get my filling of spiritual food from God. Maybe this email sent to you daily is your chance to commune with God and hear a message for the day. What I know is this: if we Godpreneurs make getting spiritually fed our first priority for the morning, we will be less “hangry” throughout the day about being able to be a true witness to Christ to others through your daily transactions. It’s easy to see your spiritual life separate from your business life until you realize that your closeness with God has a direct correlation with your relationship with people that do business with you, how you serve them, and how you react to their “hanger”. Godpreneur Rule #89: Godpreneurs get spiritually fed first thing in the morning, the breakfast of champions to prepare them for the rest of the day. #WorkLifeBalance #DifferentiatingMyself

My job is to find that person and help mold and shape him or her.

In the last 9 years of owning a business, I’ve probably lost it all and gained it back about 5 times. It’s been a hell of a roller coaster ride. At one point, I had an office on South Beach, 8 employees, and I was on top of the world with a fast-growing marketing agency. We had the backing of some major money; everything was awesome. And almost overnight, it collapsed in my face. And then I rebuilt. New employees, new direction, but a smarter me. A couple of years later, I was rocking and rolling again. This time I had several businesses, and I was managing to make all of them happen. Momentum was great! And almost overnight, it collapsed in my face. As Entrepreneurs, we live on this roller coaster of highs and lows. And if you’re like me, the lows are DREADFUL times, and you’ve had times when you lose great employees, huge contracts, valuable clients, strong partnerships, and big bank accounts. For me, it's almost a pattern, but the most recent case has been very different. The low doesn’t have the devastating effect that it used to have on me. I’ve learned something amazing that I want to share with you entrepreneurs to minimize the low blow. One of the things I’ve learned is that God comes from the story of Job in the Bible. Here is an entrepreneur that owns 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 5,000 oxen, 500 donkeys, and a large number of servants. He had 10 children. Even in today’s economy, Job would be considered a pretty big farmer….imagine back then. I’m not an economist, but if I did some math, he’d probably be a BILLIONAIRE, or close to it. But in one night…it was all stripped away. His animals, his servants…even his children. You and I have probably not experienced what Job went through. Granted, his experience was probably the most recent extreme of examples of having it all taken away. But God’s lesson is still valuable for us. The same night of losing it all, Job kneeled and prayed.’ “Naked I came from my mother's womb, naked I will depart. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” What I’ve learned is to lessen the blow of the low, our hearts need to be set on God daily, our minds need to be focused on the vision that God has for our business life, and our immediate reaction to blow off the low needs to turn to God and praise Him. #BusinessBibleStudy #EnhanceFocus

Since developing the habit of reading the Bible daily and journaling my thoughts, I’ve created a mechanism You have to develop the habit of spending time with God every MORNING (Not at night, once the day is When I first started my Daily Godpreneur movement, it came about because I started developing this morning It will help you develop the habit like it has for thousands of others. I pray that they want to know You more, and develop the daily devotion to You that You desire.

I can back this up from personal experience because I meet with entrepreneurs every day who haven’t figured

I wish I could go back in time to change some of the ways I viewed my former business partner. Instead of letting our differences be a tool to make us stronger, I allowed them to drive a wedge of separation between us both. I’m different now. I can see differences the way I’m supposed to: as something to be celebrated and necessary for us as individuals and for the business to continue to grow. Owning a business with someone else will always present opportunities where someone is going to be offended. It’s weird, but what used to be a good quality we liked in someone could easily become a cause of irritation if we lose perspective on our differences. Have you ever said He’s very disorganized She’s so OCD He’s always late She’s scatterbrained He’s lazy She’s a workaholic He’s computer illiterate She’s not well-spoken There’s a ton of meaningless differences that can distract us from running our businesses and discourage us from being in the partnership. WARNING: A house (business) divided against itself will fall (Mark 3:24−25). If we don’t value one another, we start to talk bad about the other. If we’re speaking negative things about the other, then conflict grows between us. When conflict continues to rise, the end of the business is right around the corner. So what can we do if we haven’t turned that corner yet? Is there still hope for our business partnerships? Yes! One of the best things about business partnerships is that we have the opportunity to practice and perfect appreciating each other’s differences. I’m not talking about simply “putting up” with differences, we need to celebrate them! The Bible says: "As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend". (Proverbs 27:17 NLT) You and your partner were made different and brought together on purpose because of God. He intended for both of you to sharpen each other’s imperfections, releasing the dull parts of us, and exposing new sides of us that will be ready to cut into the marketplace, attack and fight off enemies, and conquer new territories together. I know this sounds amazing, but the reality is that two pieces of iron hitting each other doesn’t happen without friction, collision, pain, and sparks flying everywhere. It often takes many strikes, more heat, bending, breaking, restoring, and continuing repetition of everything I just mentioned. In our business partnerships, God wanted us to be different and diverse and for us to leverage that and celebrate our differences. The Bible says: "But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it". (1 Corinthians 12:18 NLT) Paul wants to illustrate that we’re all different for a reason and that together, we form a complete body. As we continue to pursue uncovering God’s purpose for our business partnerships, remember that our differences make us stronger and empower us to do more things than we could ever do apart. Ask yourself if you’re in business with a partner or an opponent. How could turn the differences into an asset? #BusinessPartnerships #BusinessBibleStudy Finding Purpose In Your Business Partnership You and your business partner are unique individuals and God is creative in the way He wants to use both of your gifts together. 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

COURSE HERE Always keeping it real with your personal calling is what will determine your success, do

I personally teach you the method. 

As Christian, is it possible to have fame and fortune, yet still, be rooted in Christ? Can I be the exception to the rule that “its hard for a rich man to get into heaven?” I struggled with this because I wouldn’t mind being rich and famous, but I don’t want to miss out on heaven! So, what does PROPER AMBITION actually look like? Yes, rich business owners go to heaven all the time. The issue isn’t how much money we have, the test comes to where our heart is at. Yesterday I talked about improper ambition and using my work as a means of making a name for myself. When the Babylonians tried to build their fame and fortune, God “scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city” (Genesis 11:8). To God, the motives behind my ambition obviously matter a great deal. The bible says: Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters. Colossians 3:23 NIV 1 Corinthian also echoes how our ambitions should be set: So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31 NIV Imagine a marketplace where people aren’t out for themselves and not using their creations to glorify themselves, but instead, they are laying their creations down as an offering of worship to God. Godpreneurs are called to be ambitious, to work hard, and to be good stewards of the talents God has given us. But we are called to own businesses, not for our own glory, but to “do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). When our entrepreneurship is motivated by a desire to glorify God, serve others, and create products and services laid down as an offering to God, then we have the proper ambition to create with everything we’ve got. #StrengthenIntegrity #EnhanceFocus

friend of mine gets a divorce, I’m immidiately hesitant about getting into a partnership with this person What a person does in his private life is a strong indication of what is going on in his heart.

I know business partnerships are messy. I know two entrepreneurs don’t always get along, no matter what kind of front I see them put on. But I can’t help to be envious of some partnerships out there. They just look so….perfect. I remember one time someone told me that I had the perfect partnership going on. My partnership was far from perfect. In fact, we’re not even partners anymore! But his comments mean something different to me now. Now, I’m a Godpreneur. Now I realize that everything I do, others are looking on. Now I realize that even my business partnerships are a testimony to others of what Christ looks like. Jesus said: "In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father". (Matthew 5:16 NLT) Your business partnership could have an impact on others, both good and bad. People out there are looking in and seeing what Christianity looks like in a business partnership. Regardless of the partner’s faith, if they know you are a Godpreneur, and they are too, they are looking to learn and see how to navigate those waters. The best way to be a testimony to others is not to talk bad about your partners to anybody. Always be lifting them up, even when you’re in a crisis, or they messed up. Trust me, there’s more to celebrate than to put down, it’s just hard to see it when there’s conflict. I had a good thing in my partnership, and I should have been more grateful and not focus on our challenges. God has given us Godpreneurs a great blessing in our business partners and in our businesses. We need to focus on the good in our partners and in business, and celebrate that! Your Godpreneur partnership together is more significant than our partners and us. Allow the partnership to be a blessing to other partners out there. We don’t have to be business partnership “experts” to do this. We can help somebody from our unique experiences in co-owning a business. #BusinessBibleStudy #BusinessPartnerships Finding Purpose In Your Business Partnership You and your business partner are unique individuals and God is creative in the way He wants to use both of your gifts together. 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 entrepreneurs, it’s easy to have a ‘successful’ week and want to reward ourselves. It’s so simple to look at last week’s amazing numbers and say “let’s go out for a steak dinner.” Rewarding yourself and going out for a steak dinner takes you off the vision you’ve set for yourself. One of the most important positions in medieval times was the night guard, protecting the castle at night in case of an invasion.  It required his vision to be clear, unadulterated by his phone, social media games, sleepiness, etc.  If he closed his eyes for a second, that’s when the enemy could attack. Just when you think everything is fine, and the reports are coming back that the cancer is gone, the weight you wanted to reach is here, the contract you’ve been waiting for was signed, don’t rest.  Stay alert. How many books are you reading this month? How many blog posts have you read about your specific industry? When you get on the phone with a new vendor or prospect today, what NEW information are you going to bring to the table? What will make you look like “Man, this dude is up-to-date on everything!”? Staying alert means keep up with the trends. Staying alert is knowing your competition is on your tail. Staying alert is realizing that your clients are always looking for a better deal, better service, better quality. Why stay alert?  Because not staying alert will produce HURT. Hurt your pocket, hurt your relationships, hurt your reputation, and hurt your ability to succeed. Stay alert….don’t get hurt. #EnhanceFocus