When I was a kid, I loved playing soccer. My favorite position was the goalie. In elementary school, I was always the starter. My team could count on me to stop most of the balls from scoring. But when I got into middle school, the level of competition changed. Guys were taller, skinnier, faster, and older than me, and I didn’t have a chance at starting. I sat the bench, watching from the sidelines, waiting to see if my number would ever be called. It took almost two years, but one day, the coach called my name to substitute for the starting goalie. I played the game of my life, and from then on, the starting goalie and I shared the position. This gave me the confidence I needed because, honestly, I was going to quit and find another sport. When coach called me, and when I started playing more at the varsity level, my confidence skyrocketed, and I played goalie throughout high school and even into college. In our pilgrimage to start and grow businesses, we’re all sitting on the sidelines and looking at the other successful entrepreneurs pass us by. They are bigger, wealthier, more experienced, faster, and seem to dominate so much that we don’t even know if there will be space in the market for us. We’re thinking about quitting and switching industries or even going back to a cushy nine-to-five job. But we’re Godpreneurs, not entrepreneurs. We’ve been Called. We’re purposely putting God-First, but everything changes when the caller speaks a calling to the entrepreneur that’s hanging on to the last piece of hope – for our chance to shine! The bible says "On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Mark 2:17 NIV) If your business is sick, if your bank account skinny and frail, if your dreams have died, then you’re in the EXACT place where God can do His best work! You’ve willingly entered an entrepreneurial pilgrimage where God is going to reveal exactly what you were born to do. Be ready to take heart; rise, and respond to what he is calling your business to in 2019! You come across as the hero and get recognized in business when you are audacious and tenacious in recognizing your need for God along this journey. What you may not have realized is that Jesus has always known your business, always believed in you, and always called you! That’s what the meaning of “born to do” is. When God calls us, God defines us. Don’t let the world stop you from what God wants you to launch. Godpreneurship is about having faith that God’s got your best interest at heart. We just need to be willing to wait in expectancy. When God calls us, God defines us. We Godpreneurs can’t let the world stop us from what God wants us to launch. Godpreneurship is about having faith that God’s got our best interest at heart. Godpreneur, are you willing to sit, wait, and watch from the sidelines for your number to be called? Be ready. #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

I’ve launched and re-launched many businesses of my own since 2000. The journey is different each time, but the fact that I learn from my past makes the next journey different. When I started walking with God in 2008, launching entrepreneurial ventures took on a new light because I was inviting God into the process with me. What I noticed, thereafter, was an amazing revelation – Jesus would begin to heal me of my past experiences to help me be stronger in my future endeavors. See, before, when I would launch a new business venture, I brought a lot of past pain, hurts, frustrations, and expectations. The business would do good for a bit, but eventually, that past caught up to me, and the business would suffer. Old wounds would sabotage partnerships, client relationships, and even my ability to innovate. We Entrepreneurs have a choice when we decided to embark on the pilgrimage of launching and growing a God-First business: we can do it by carrying the weight of our past, or we can partner with Jesus to be spiritually healed and move forward with a new light. The bible says: "And the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all". (Luke 6:19 NIV) While Jesus was leading His own pilgrimage of launching the church, the people recognized that, through him, they could receive healing. The healing empowered their faith more, and of those around them, and they could follow him more closely and experience life in a whole new way. In the say way, you have the chance to launch and grow your business as if Jesus had just given you new legs and new eyes! But, if you were honest with yourself, there are likely areas that we haven’t given over to Jesus yet for healing. Launching a business WITH God is the perfect opportunity to let God do some healing of past business hurts. THAT’S THE POWER OF LAUNCHING WITH JESUS! See, God is using your entrepreneurial venture to heal you! The pilgrimage of starting and growing a business can reveal the areas you still haven’t surrendered, and Jesus can pull you to the side of the road when you’re ready to call out to him! Jesus wants to heal us on this pilgrimage of entrepreneurship! But we Godpreneurs need to be careful to not let our pride, rebellion or bitterness keep us from God working on certain areas of our life. Our businesses growth and success depend on us overcoming anything that be holding us back from more! Remember, the enemy only exists to keep you from achieving everything that God has for you in your business. The enemy will keep you blind to your own hurts. But thank God we can be set free from that, and launching and growing a business is just another tool God can use to show us grace and mercy! When Godpreneurs are ready to be fully spiritual healed, we have to be willing to write down the answer to questions like “God, what hurts am I carrying into this venture?” Be honest with recognizing addictions and flaws that you know God wants to deal with, and let Him do it through your business. Maybe this is your 2nd or 5th business venture, and you want things to be different this time around. If you want a new experience, you need to be a new you. Let God make the adjustments to your Godpreneurial career through the pilgrimage of business ownership. #LaunchingMyBusiness #BusinessBibleStudy #GodpreneurAcademy 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

The thought of going on a Pilgrimage has fascinated me since I was a kid. I’d see it in old Bible movies and think how cool it would be to travel with thousands of people to a destination. When I started reading more about pilgrimages in the Bible, I made a big realization: although I’m not riding in a caravan through the desert, launching and growing a business sure does feel like a Pilgrimage, especially as a Godpreneur. See, in my studies, I learned that a Pilgrimage is anywhere we’re trying to get while staying focused on God. We Godpreneurs may do this several times a year, depending on how much of a serial Godpreneur we are (ME!!). When we set out on this pilgrimage of entrepreneurship, we want to take the most direct route, but we understand the road will be bumpy with unexpected twists and turns. But that’s why we partner with Christ to embark on this journey together. The bible says "I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord , the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep". (Psalms 121:1‭-‬4 NIV) You’re on a Pilgrimage to launch and grow your business, and you’ve invited Jesus to join you on the journey. Along the way, you’ll pray during meetings, you may participate in Bible studies together, and you might even go to some church conferences as a group to continue to learn and grow both spiritually and professionally. We Godpreneur recognize our need for Christ on the journey of running a God-First Business! And it’s important that we travel this journey with another Godpreneur, and alongside other Christian businesses and partnerships trying to do the same thing. The pilgrimage of Godpreneurship towards something that will bring glory to God. As we’re on our journey, we must recognize and know that we’re not trying to meet God somewhere. We’re not trying to accomplish something FOR God. God has everything He needs, He just missing our 100% devotion and dependence. God is already with us. By starting the journey with Him, we’re already bringing Him 100% of the glory we can. There’s nothing more we can do but to TRY to stay in this same attitude along the journey. As we know, that’s easier said than done. Those that love control will have to give it up, and those that fear not having control will need to learn a new mindset along the route. #BusinessBibleStudy #LaunchingMyBusiness #GodpreneurAcademy 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

My accountant called me one day warning me that I was going to owe a lot in taxes that year. See, I had a really good year in sales that year. Business was booming! However, nobody wants to pay taxes, right? Although I had a great year, there was a seed of anger, resentment, and greed in me that was not thinking about how great of a year I had. So, when my accountant told me I'd be owing taxes, I immediately started scheming up ways to not pay the taxes. Then my accountant said these profound words: you should WANT to pay taxes! She explained that paying taxes means your company is doing great! Her reasoning was that the better the company does, the more it can contribute to the growth of this awesome country. Wow, I was mind-blown. That conversation shifted my mindset. Instead of plotting on how to work around paying taxes, I needed to focus on trusting that paying taxes are part of the plans God has for my company and that my business and that I'm part of the growth of my country! We all have ways where we are tempted into deceit. Sometimes we have friends propose illegal business opportunities. Other times our clients ask us to do illegal things on the books or in licensing, permits, contracts, etc. A “Godpertunity” would never come across your desk that asked you to do something illicit.  Although Robin Hood might have thought he was doing a good thing, it was illegal and not from God. In the Bible, we read the story of Nehemiah and his quest to rebuild the wall at Jerusalem. During that rebuilding project, he faces many obstacles that threaten the success of the entire endeavor. It got to the point where outsiders were sending spies and trying to play tricks on him so that he would commit a sin, be arrested, and the entire project of rebuilding the wall would come crumbling down. Case in point, in chapter 6, Nehemiah shows us his skill to discern a lie - a lie that could have ruined his career as a developer. Nehemiah speaking, says "But I said, “Should a man like me run away? Or should someone like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go!” I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had prophesied against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. He had been hired to intimidate me so that I would commit a sin by doing this, and then they would give me a bad name to discredit me. (Nehemiah 6:11-13) Nehemiah was the governor and the leader of this rebuilding project. He needed to show a good example of undaunted courage. He has shown such resolve and confidence in God's calling over his life to rebuild the wall. He's so far into this project, he's thinking why now would he dishonor God and religion, and betray the people and city of God, by his cowardice? God forbid! Nehemiah feels, not that he would profane the temple by making it into a place of refuge, but that he would break the law by simply entering it. Being a leader and taking on BIG projects that bring glory to God in the marketplace means the enemy will expose you to many ways you can cut corners and perform illegal activities.  Some could lead to a damage of reputation and integrity, some risk relationships, others can lead you to jail. The greatest mischief our enemies can do us Godpreneurs, is, to frighten us from our duty, and to lead us to do what is sinful. We can't allow ourselves to decline doing a good work with a bad one. We can't always avoid getting advice from others, however, when we do, we need to reject what is contrary to the word of God. How can we stand firm against the enemy's various schemes to derail what God wants us to build (or rebuild) for Him? In my experience as a Godpreneur, I've only been able to discern the enemy's plots by staying in the word of God. We, Godpreneurs, need to be consistently studying the Bible. This is the only way we can guard ourselves against the anger, resentment, and greed that comes about when our business is being threatened. Following Jesus's examples is how we yield to impatience, discontent, or anger that could lead us to sin. We are Godpreneurs, our boss is God, and the Spirit would never lead us to deceit.  God will provide, always and forever.  We don’t have to engage in illegal activities, even if disguised as good.  If its illegal, its not of God. We can let our spirit guide us to stop doing anything illegal. P.S. I did a Business bible study called 40 Days to Restarting Your Business, God's Way. Check it out: 40 DAYS TO RESTARTING YOUR BUSINESS, GOD'S WAY A business Bible study to help you rethink, reinvent, and restart your business, but this time, God's Way! We parallel Nehemiah's rebuilding of the wall to your journey in rebuilding your business. Also, coaches and Christian business leaders, you can use, edit, and repurpose the teachings for your own tribe! Check it out. #GainConfidence #AccountingHelp #StrengthenIntegrity

People have problems that need to be solved. And God uses people like me and you to help solve those problems. Personal branding is the outward expression of your calling to help others so that they can find you, learn about your solution, and be transformed by it. What if you haven't honed in the calling that will be the foundation of your God-first personal brand? That's what I want to help you with today. I Struggled to Find My Calling Why me? What qualifies me to help you? Because that's what my own God-first personal brand is...I help people discover their calling and bring it to life! But I didn't always know this. In 2014, I started my journey of discovering my God-first personal brand through a Bible study I took in my church. We analyzed our gifts, talents, values, past experiences, and aspirations to uncover God’s vision for our lives for eight weeks. For others in the group, it was difficult to self-reflect. I often found myself helping others find their vision and not focusing on my discovery process. I felt frustrated because everyone else was making progress, but my ideas were all over the place. Ironically, on the closing day of the 8th week, it became clear that my calling was to continue to help others discover their calling. All of my personal qualities, along with how the group was viewing me and the ease at which I was able to help them reveal God's vision for my business life. This transformed me; personally, it transformed my branding agency, and it set the course for my God-inspired teachings on Daily Godpreneur. I decided that I wanted to be known for helping people discover what they were born to do and bring it to life through a purposed-focused brand. If that's what God called me to do, then come one and come all! We All Are Responsible to Steward Our Calling Like no other time in history, today's digital age gives someone in Kenya and Florida access to learning about what God has called us to do. God has handed us all the ability to go on missions around the world. Therefore we must understand our God-first personal brand to be the face of that message out there. The problem is that the enemy also knows that we have a calling and will confuse us, causing us to delay and possibly never discover our personal brand calling. But God has a solution. The Bible says: Beloved, do not believe every spirit but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. (1 John 4:1-3) When 1 John was written, there were so many people claiming to be something they weren't. I believe some of these false prophets didn't do this out of bad intentions; they just didn't have a full picture of the gospel or themselves. They became personally branded as "false" because of a lack of correct knowledge. John's solution was to test their spirits. Testing the spirit is at the heart of my Born to Do Method, a methodology I use to help my clients discover if the business they want me to brand is the business they should be in or if it's a misdirection from the enemy. In the end, I help them discern this and lead them towards what they are born to do. If you want to know what message you were born to share with the world through your personal brand, it's going to start with God, go through Jesus Christ, filter through your holy spirit, flow through you to others, and bounce right back at you in the form of your calling. Let's break this down for you in a practical exercise I share in my methodology, the Born to Do Method. It's also part of my book and course, How to Build a Christian Personal Brand. Step 1. What you want to be known for is really what God wants to be known for. In his book, The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren explains that we must first understand God's purposes for us to find our purpose. Our purpose will derive from one of God's purposes for humanity. The flow starts by first understanding that we are conduits of God's purposes. So first, pick which of these do you feel called to help with: Purpose #1: You Were Planned for God's Pleasure (entertain others) Purpose #2: You Were Formed for God's Family (build communities) Purpose #3: You Were Created to Become Like Christ (coaching, mentoring, personal development) Purpose #4: You Were Shaped for Serving God (through products and services) Purpose #5: You Were Made for a Mission (inventors, creators, method-makers) Your first homework is to read Rick Warren's Purpose Driven Life so you can soak in the order of things above. Your God-First personal brand quest (which is a quest for personal fulfillment, satisfaction, and meaning) can only be found in understanding and doing what God placed you on Earth to do. Step 2. Jesus already traveled the mission you want to go on Jesus Guys, this journey God-first personal brand doesn't have to be so complicated! We have an example with can copy. Jesus studied God's Word, was part of a God-first community, went to get baptized, heard from God, set out on a mission, and transformed people's lives. The Bible goes into a lot more detail, and you have to study his life so you can become more like him. By becoming more like him, your spirit then tunes in better on your calling from God. It's not that we need to stop procrastinating and delay discovering our calling; it’s that we need more Jesus. When we do this, the heavens open up, and your calling can flow through to your spirit. Step 3: Ask the holy spirit to move you As you get to know Jesus and God's Word better, you begin to develop the habit of improving yourself, and God gives you the desire to learn even more about yourself so that the spirit can speak to you. For example, remember how I discovered my calling by being part of a Bible study. The act of gaining knowledge will move your spirit. Some ideas: take courses, read books, get deeper into your craft, listen to podcasts. It's by seeking knowledge that the spirit guides you towards things you like (and away from something you dislike). Trust your spirit's guidance; this is the heart of discovering what you were born to do. Step 4: Ask others to describe you in a few words. So we started with God, went through Jesus, landed on the holy spirit, and now the Spirit wants to use you to impact others. So going to other people's opinions and views of you is the next step in our journey of discovering our God-first personal brand. Have ten people write down how they would describe your most helpful quality to them, and try to keep it anonymous. You want truthful answers from those you ask. You're asking people, “If you were to describe a time where I helped you the most because someone else needed that help too, how would you describe me to that other person?” This step will often reveal your superpower, bringing you very close to uncovering your God-First personal brand calling. Step 5: Take a sober assessment of yourself, too I'm not going to ask you to fast and pray for 40 days and 40 nights, although that works for many people when they want to hear from God. Maybe consider a 1-day fast while also having a conversation with your own spirit and asking it to reveal how you help people most. What was the one time you helped someone with something where you felt the most joy and meaning? It could have been a paid or free job. It could have happened at the dinner table or while doing an activity. There's something in business that you help others with, giving you joy and meaning beyond making money. This is closely tied with what you want to be known for. Write all these things down. Step 5. Collect and Categorize Gather your answers as well as the answers from the others. Group similar traits and qualities together. Some groupings have similar traits that you and others identified. These are traits congruent with your personal brand. For example, somebody says that you are good at making them feel confident, and you have identified that you want to help more women become more confident in themselves. You could gather those two notes and put them next to each other. Repeat this process until you see the common pattern. Step 6. Conclude on Your Calling You should have some clusters of categories that you are now looking at. These are clusters for which God wants you to be known because they match what others already think about you! God will use others, along with your holy spirit, to help you conclude on your calling. These overall traits or qualities will be the foundation for your God-First personal brand. You have now found the intersection between what other people think about you and how you see yourself. Imagine if we all went through this activity to discover the message we're called to deliver on behalf of God through our personal brand. How much better would, then, our products and services be? How can we go wrong if God is first in our personal brand and business? With the help of others and the holy spirit, it’s possible to discover our calling and bring to life the business God created us to start. Next steps For some, building a God-First personal brand will help them share their message as a speaker to audiences locally or even globally. For a God-first real estate agent, building their personal brand helps God bring them, new clients, through organic searches from people trying to buy homes in their area. For a young startup trying to work towards their first round of funding, focusing on elevating the founders’ God-first profiles may attract investors by adding credibility in their meetings before even meeting with investors. And a God-First personal brand will benefit someone who wants to launch a faith-based podcast to help them build awareness around their show’s topic. God won't build your personal brand overnight. He wouldn't give you that burden. You have to grow into it as your spiritual walk grows. Imagine becoming a person of influence without the ability to influence correctly. That's why your influence grows as you grow with God. That's by design to protect you and others. I hope that the Born to Do Method makes sense to you and that you find it useful in building your personal brand. If you have any questions about the steps, feel free to Tweet me @DailyGodpreneur. If you found this article helpful, I encourage you to share it with your faith-based network. The more we help each other learn how to start building our God-first personal brands, the more effective products and services will be in the marketplace for us to enjoy and be transformed by! And if you have any God-First tips about starting a brand or processes that helped you, please share as a comment! P.S. I did a Business bible study called 7 Steps to Launching Your Christian Personal Brand. Check it out: 7 Steps to Launching Your Christian Personal Brand This business Bible study will help you launch a God-first personal brand that will help you strategically, financially, and personally. Developing your personal brand starts with launching something new and completely different from what you already have. Also, coaches and Christian business leaders, you can use, edit, and repurpose the teachings for your own tribe! Check it out. #FindingMyBrand #FindingMyCalling

We follow brands for many different reasons. We share their values, we like their products, we find their content helpful, etc. One huge reason is that we resonate with the story behind the brand. As part of your Christian personal branding, you need to craft and tell your testimony. If you look at the companies you love, you’ll discover that each one has a powerful story behind it that resonates with you and your values. Why Storytelling Works Testimonies are powerful because: They put a human face on your business People naturally love and are engaged by stories A good story offers one more way to communicate your values Stories engender trust because they explain “why” People relate to stories, especially when they see themselves in them Your Founding Story An essential story that you absolutely must tell is how your brand came to be. Most of these stories have a similar plot arc: You suffered from some seemingly insurmountable problem (which is the same problem or one problem that your audience faces) You went through all sorts of frustrations, just as your audience is now You came upon a simple idea and decided to give it a try The idea worked and got results, and now you’re here to teach others how to do it Of course, this isn’t the only good founding story. But the above story is powerful because it says: “I overcame your problem and I can help you overcome it too.” Other Ideas for Personal Branding Stories At the very least, you should develop a story that tells about the founding of your brand, but there are many other ways you can use storytelling as well: When you talk about your life and especially your business, what do people find most interesting about your journey? This is a story that needs to be told. Explain how you came up with an idea for a certain product. Pick your best product or the one you most want to see increase in sales. Think of specific challenges you faced along the way or major milestones you met and turn each into a piece of content you can share. Tell the story of a customer or client that you helped. Even better, have them tell the story. You can use this as a piece of social proof. There are stories everywhere waiting to be told. It’s just a matter of finding them. Where to Share Your Stories You can use storytelling in blog posts, YouTube videos, the “About” page of your website, social media, and anywhere else you publish content. You don’t have to be a master storyteller. Just get out there and explain to people why you do what you do, and it’ll have the desired effect. If you want to know about more ways to develop a powerful God-first personal brand, then head over to my program, Build Your Unique Christian Personal Brand. In this course, you’ll learn how to create a compelling identity that attracts a value-aligned audience and increases your influence and sales. Check it out here - Build Your Christian Personal Brand | Godpreneur Academy #ShareYourTestimony #PersonalBranding

When I got into my first business partnership we didn’t exchange vows or perform any ritualistic ceremony. We signed some papers at Bank of America and had lunch afterwards. That was it. There aren’t any “till death do us part” type of transactions between business partners.  But maybe there should be!  I know there are legal documents partners sign, but none go deep into what’s necessary to keep and grow a partnership. I propose there are 5 essential promises we should make as business partners. we’ll pursue each other: remember the convincing it took to even make them your partner?  Remember the wining and dining, the drinks at the bar, the things you did to sell the vision? We got to keep doing those things. we’ll keep one partnership: I don’t know what it’s like to be in two partnerships at the same time. If ONE was more work than I could handle, I came imagine two. You can ‘invest’ in other businesses, do joint ventures, dabble in real estate and trade stocks all at the same time…but its going to be challenging to have multiple proper business partnerships and a private life.  Something is going to fail. we’ll believe the best of each other: we’re all a piece of artwork being sculpted until the day we die. It means we’re going to be better tomorrow than today. Just because I didn’t like some of my partners traits today doesn’t mean I shouldn’t believe the best for him today. With this attitude, then I will treat him great today. If not, I’ll have anger and resentment towards him. we will be the definition of partners: first off, we signed a partnership agreement. That needs to always be honored. Second, we share equally in the work, success and failure. the partnership is my 2nd or 3rd priority:  after your relationship with God, the partnership with your spouse is next. If there’s no spouse, then you’re married to the business partners you’re with. And just like we give God priority in our lives, your partners get your priority. You pick up their calls always, ask how they are doing, care about them more than the business itself, and want to serve them wholeheartedly. Consider each of these promises as you work through the issues of your partnership. If you have problems today its likely because one or all of the promises above have not been addressed and/or kept. Imagine a world where we actually incorporate tangible ways to live out these promises.  Each represent areas of potential growth in the business partnership if you can master them. We might be strong in one or two, but there’s always improvements than can be made. Remember, we’re all sculptures being fashioned daily. #SharpenLeadership #BusinessPartnerships

The first year or two of owning a business with my friends was so exciting!  We were kicking butt, hiring people, got a cool office on South Beach and doing work with some high profile clients.  We were 25 and 26 year old entrepreneurs starting an agency in Miami…doesn’t it sound like a movie?!?! Well, it was everything you can imagine plus more! One day something happened that started a heated argument between myself and one of my partners.  We exchanged abusive emails for 1/2 a day, even copying our 3rd partner in who had nothing to do with it. The emails got longer and longer, more bitter after each send. In the early days when I first started the business, I thought I would have a perfect partnership automatically. Oh boy was in for a ride for the next years. I knew at this point the honeymoon period was over. Remember MTV’s The Real World? I love how the opening statement goes:  ‘When people stop being fake and start becoming real’. That’s what happens in a partnership. We all enter in with high hopes and expectations from our partners, and almost certainly go through seasons of disappointed, let downs, back stabbing, gossiping, side-taking, finger pointing, verbal and even physical abuse. Experience tells us business partnerships are harder than we think. As we grow in clients and revenue, eventually, we realize our initial ideas about business and management aren’t realistic and something needs to change or someone needs to leave this partnership. The truth is that this disconnect in expectations is NOT A SURPRISE TO GOD.  You think he would make everyone different and not have lessons for us to break free from these great expectations? The bible says in 1 Corinthians 13:11 "When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me." In essence, Paul (the writer of Corinthians) is telling us that when our businesses were in their infancy, we thought one way. But now that the enterprise is growing, its time to put those thought behind because God has so much more in store for us. Our initial expectations must be replaced with biblical truth. Your business partner’s ideas about communication, conflict resolution, management of people, spirituality, job roles, time off, pay structure, accounting, and myriad other business things were determined long before you came on the scene. But most partners never deeply explore these concepts intentionally. I’m not an emotional intelligence expert and I don’t resolve conflict for partners for a living. I can only share my experiences both in marriage and in business partnerships (which are identical by the way). What I know is that there has to be a pow wow to let this concept of expectations be known and to explore ideas about how you connect with your partners. What areas of disagreement or difference do you have in connecting, communicating, and the list of other ideas I mention 2 paragraphs before? We can allow God to shape our great expectations for business in partnership so we can experience co-working in which God intended for us to interact and prosper. #TimeManagement #GainConfidence

I’ve been doing logos and websites since 2005. We used to shoot first and ask later. In other words, I would take people’s money first, get started on projects, and then I would start asking questions as we were producing work. I needed the money, I had my eyes on the green, and I was willing to do whatever to get it as fast as possible. After all, most clients presumably needed their projects 911 fast! It’s no wonder projects took forever, there were tons of changes, and we spent a lot of time having to undo and redo tasks. We would eventually fix things, but it came to be done after a lot of time spent. Another unintended consequence of not planning was that I wasn’t taking the time to consult the client through the big decision they were about to invest in. After all, we’re talking about starting their business and giving them an identity. That’s a big deal for a new entrepreneur. Years later I realized that if I spent more time planning with the client before starting, I could save a lot of time and money not having to go back. Planning literally cut the time of project completion in half. Furthermore, the more time I spent planning with my client, the more I could consult them in the right direction. Before collecting deposits, I had to learn to stop, look, and listen. Do you have a tendency to leap into projects without weighing them carefully? That can be a good thing if the client is under the gun and needs their stuff for a trade show that’s this weekend. However, being impulsive can be fatal for your business if in your haste you are run over by oncoming traffic. Control your impulses and respond prudently. How? I started selling a strategy session BEFORE selling them logos and websites. I broke up projects into 2 parts. You first buy consulting and strategizing. We would work through all the possible scenarios, business options, and creative directions. This lets me slow down the process and intelligently enter the project. With a plan, the execution took HALF the time. Oh, and I got to make money upfront by providing my expertise on brand strategy. The Bible warns against being imprudent. "Don’t agree to guarantee another person’s debt or put up security for someone else. If you can’t pay it, even your bed will be snatched from under you". Proverbs 22:26‭-‬27 NLT A careful Godpreneur will not be right in every decision he or she makes, but will not enter into any decision too lightly either. The prudent business owner understands that everything does not turn out the way it seems it will at first glance. So we think our decisions through, especially the ones with wider implications. Godpreneurs weigh our decisions carefully so we can double our profits. We can smear all of our profit in a moment of haste. #SharpenLeadership

I love doing logos and websites for churches. Obviously I’m going to feel good about hooking up one of God’s churches with awesome identity. I even have a special rate for churches, lower than what I would charge another company for the same deliverables. Why? First of all, those are my peeps! I’m Christian, I go to church, I understand the struggles churches go through to survive off of the tithe, and I want to help. Second, every church practically needs the same exact stuff when it comes to graphics and web, so I benefit from ‘economies of scale’.  This means that I’m not reinventing the wheel with each client, but instead able to make a solid system and process more efficient, thus lowering my costs to produce the product. As Godpreneurs, God has a plan to use our businesses to help the church and our fellow Christian brothers and sisters. However, sometimes we focus on our own needs (profit) and we don't even consider what others - especially those in need - are going through. In the book of Nehemiah, we run into a situation where Jewish ‘business owners’ were treating their own Jewish brothers and sisters unfairly. Nehemiah 5:4-5 says "Still others were saying, “We have had to borrow money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards. Although we are of the same flesh and blood as our fellow Jews and though our children are as good as theirs, yet we have to subject our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but we are powerless, because our fields and our vineyards belong to others.” The world's problems are not yours to solve, and your business must generate revenue in order to manage your finances correctly. You aren't expected to provide free services for the Christian community. However, you must leave room in your heart (and budget) for special occasions where certain brothers and sisters in true need can be "hooked up" with your services. It's not about providing a free service, it's about meeting someone at their place of need. It's about God using your business to work in someone else's life. We aren't expected to provide free services all day, however, we are expected to have a heart for our brothers and sisters and do whatever we can to help those that are less fortunate and in a special need through their circumstances. Personally, when people reach out to me on my social media to tell me they want to take my courses, but they can't afford to pay for it, I send an email to my team to grant that person access and I bless them with what they asked for. I do what feels right for my brothers and sisters in Christ, especially when they have the courage to share their financial situation and ask for the help. Look into ways you can serve your church with your business.  Use your power and influence to help your church community, too. If you want to brainstorm ways your product or service can serve the church, or brothers and sisters from the church, comment below and we'll come up with ideas to help you. All my best, Alex Miranda Get to know me at www.alexmiranda22.com P.S. I did a Business bible study called 40 Days to Restarting Your Business, God's Way. Check it out: 40 DAYS TO RESTARTING YOUR BUSINESS, GOD'S WAY A business Bible study to help you rethink, reinvent, and restart your business, but this time, God's Way! We parallel Nehemiah's rebuilding of the wall to your journey in rebuilding your business. Also, coaches and Christian business leaders, you can use, edit, and repurpose the teachings for your own tribe! Check it out.

respectfully show a partner where a financial error has been made, or supply the courage to address leadership

All you have to do is ask? Well, if you believe in the Bible…then YES! MAT 7:7-8 says: “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” The law of attraction is very real. I know some aren’t comfortable with that law because ‘The Secret’ hijacked it and removed God. But the reality is that its God’s very own law and promise to us. So what business should you start? Ask God. He created you from before you were in the womb. He had plans for you already. So why would you waste any time trying to figure it out on your own? If you need help with this, take my Entrepreneurial Vision Experience. Who is going to help me? Seek counsel. When I was looking to move in a new direction, I prayed for counsel to surround me. All of the sudden, courses and teachings started appearing on Facebook that weren’t there before. Who will buy my service? Knock on doors. This is where you’re going to get your money. Most people think they need a loan to start a business. Nope, you just need ONE person to give you cash, check or a credit card. Then you start. My first business (The Creative Complex) started when I collected $500 from a drywall contractor to make their website. I didn’t even have a business account yet, but I told them to make the check out to The Creative Complex. Then I went and opened the account and deposited the check and got to work. It’s that simple. If you start by asking God, then the seeking and knocking will be revealed as a result of the first, and you’ll have a business in which you’re fulfilling God’s vision for your entrepreneurial career. #WhatBusinessIShouldStart

The scariest part of Restarting my business was doing it alone with my assistant.  We were the first ‘wall builders’. Then, I had to strategically convince others to join this amazing team of two that promises to change the world. I did all of this with debt piling up and no guaranteed clients. I was relying on my faith that God would provide and that it was His will that I start the business. Serving God in entrepreneurship takes much courage. Yet, we do so because, as Christians, we know the cause is just and that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek to serve him. People generally fall into two groups: people who volunteer to attempt the difficult tasks for God, and people who applaud those who do. To which group do you belong? I thank God every day for blessing me with team members that pioneer new ventures with me. How do I find and recruit other God-first people to come work with me? I let God bring them into my life. I primarily start recruiting through my network of friends at church. God shows us in Nehemiah 11 how the leaders rebuilding the city re-populated Jerusalem the same way. Nehemiah 11:1-3 says "Now the leaders of the people settled in Jerusalem. The rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of every ten of them to live in Jerusalem, the holy city, while the remaining nine were to stay in their own towns. The people commended all who volunteered to live in Jerusalem.  These are the provincial leaders who settled in Jerusalem (now some Israelites, priests, Levites, temple servants and descendants of Solomon’s servants lived in the towns of Judah, each on their own property in the various towns," Nehemiah and the people restored the city wall. Now they needed people who would live in that city and defend it, if necessary. Jerusalem, despite its new fortification, was still a dangerous place to live. the city was still prone to attack from neighboring factions. Nehemiah decided the nation’s leaders and their families would live there, and to give the remaining spaces to people who volunteered or those who drew lots. You have a network of people around you, too.  Most won’t fit into your business.  But if you pray for God to reveal each person, they will begin to surround your business.  As long as your antennas are up, you’ll seize the opportunity when it comes. We are loved by God.  We are to prosper and succeed.  God will reward us for the risks we took as pioneers to restart and rebuild.  If we stay in the spirit and always come to God for our next steps, he will be faithful to bring us the right people to continue to build our businesses. P.S. I did a Business bible study called 40 Days to Restarting Your Business, God's Way. Check it out: 40 DAYS TO RESTARTING YOUR BUSINESS, GOD'S WAY A business Bible study to help you rethink, reinvent, and restart your business, but this time, God's Way! We parallel Nehemiah's rebuilding of the wall to your journey in rebuilding your business. Also, coaches and Christian business leaders, you can use, edit, and repurpose the teachings for your own tribe! Check it out. #WheretoStartFirst #SharpenLeadership

When I was restarting my business, here were the facts: I had no money in the business account I had no viable leads in the pipeline I had no clue where I was going to get my next check I had no idea how I was going to pay rent at the office Restarting my business didn’t come easy. I went through many times that tried my faith in myself and in God’s promises. Many times...I wanted to give up. We all get to a point where we look at the FACTS, and they are not looking good. In the natural, we think ‘how am I going to get out of this mess’? Here’s how: FAITH The facts say one thing, but faith takes our minds off of the facts and onto God’s promises. It turns a negative mindset into a positive outlook. In Psalms, we read “God is our mighty fortress, always ready to help in times of trouble. And so, we won’t be afraid!” (Psalms 46.1, 2a). Confidence in God’s promises for your entrepreneurial life overrides fear. Yes, our business circumstances are very real. But so are the promises of our God. In the book of Nehemiah, we see a man committed to rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem. This is his calling in life, and he's confident in God's protection during the assignment. He chose to depend on God to give him victory. Nehemiah 4:15 says "When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to our own work." So even in the midst of danger, Nehemiah and the builders chose not to focus on the circumstances but instead GET BACK TO WORK. And guess what? God intervened and the enemies backed off! What does this mean for you? It means...GET BACK TO WORK! Stop the pity party, stop the depression, stop the anxiety and worry, just stop it. You have one thing to do: REBUILD. What role does faith play in activating God’s favor in your business? God wants to see us have faith. He wants to know that he’s the king of our hearts, and for our own good…because he wants us to realize that we’re not alone in our entrepreneurial path. God is with you, he is for you and your success! Whatever difficulties you are currently facing in your business, turn them over to God, and leave him to determine the results. #SharpenLeadership #GainConfidence All my best, Alex Miranda Get to know me at www.alexmiranda22.com P.S. I did a Business bible study called 40 Days to Restarting Your Business, God's Way. Check it out: 40 DAYS TO RESTARTING YOUR BUSINESS, GOD'S WAY A business Bible study to help you rethink, reinvent, and restart your business, but this time, God's Way! We parallel Nehemiah's rebuilding of the wall to your journey in rebuilding your business. Also, coaches and Christian business leaders, you can use, edit, and repurpose the teachings for your own tribe! Check it out.

I wasn't a guy that gave a lot of praise to my team. It didn't come naturally for me to recognize people’s efforts. I did it because I read in books that it’s good for team and relationship building...but it always felt forced. However, when I did praise my team, it felt great! And I also noticed that giving praise and appreciation to my team did magic in keeping the fire and passion lit of any ongoing project or initiative. What would happen if all we did was work our team to exhaustion and never say thank you or give credit for their role in the rebuilding? What if the opposite was true - What if all we did was praise our team for their amazing talents, recognizing we couldn’t do this alone? In the book of Nehemiah, we see a leader who has gathered a team to rebuild the wall in Jerusalem. And if you pay attention to what's going on in chapter 3, you'll see the author devotes almost the entire chapter to listing the names of the people that are helping him build the wall. The New International Version titles chapter 3: Builders of the Wall. 1 - Eliashib the high priest and his fellow priests went to work and rebuilt the Sheep Gate. 2 - The men of Jericho built the adjoining section, and Zakkur son of Imri built next to them. 3 - The Fish Gate was rebuilt by the sons of Hassenaah 4 - Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, repaired the next section. And the list goes on for all 32 verses. Nehemiah was praising his team by giving credit to where credit was due. Talk about an amazing leader! God gives an example of a leader that praises - while rebuilding! What can you do to praise your team along the way? Sending handwritten notes? Private messages? WhatsApp them something fun! Tweet publicly. Post something on their Facebook wall. What can you do RIGHT NOW? Stop, pull out your phone, and text someone on your team. It's going to feel great! I’m glad that I’ve changed - and now it's becoming natural for me to give recognition. If we recognize those helping us build (or rebuild) our business, it will encourage them to continue the fight, encouraged and motivated by a charismatic entrepreneur! #HiringtheRightPeople #IncreaseEnergy #HumanResources All my best, Alex Miranda Get to know me at www.alexmiranda22.com P.S. I did a Business bible study called 40 Days to Restarting Your Business, God's Way. Check it out: 40 DAYS TO RESTARTING YOUR BUSINESS, GOD'S WAY A business Bible study to help you rethink, reinvent, and restart your business, but this time, God's Way! We parallel Nehemiah's rebuilding of the wall to your journey in rebuilding your business. Also, coaches and Christian business leaders, you can use, edit, and repurpose the teachings for your own tribe! Check it out.