Faith and Mission in the Christian Business Owner Journey: An Interview with Brooke JoinerThe Christian business owner journey can be a lonely one, but not if you walk it with your spouse. I recently sat down with Brooke Joiner, Co-Founder and CEO of Catholic Owned®, a Catholic business directory available online or via iOS & Android apps. Founded with the mission to regain the culture for Christ, Catholic Owned® "connects faithful Catholics with businesses they can trust" across the United States. Joiner's path serves as a powerful example to Christian entrepreneurs. It's a story of extreme trust in the Lord and provides encouragement to entrepreneurs of all levels. You can listen to the full interview on my YouTube channel, but here are some of my takeaways to business owners. The Role of Trust in the JourneyThe idea came to her husband, Matteo, while they were working in a job that was misaligned with their faith. They initially worked on the idea part-time and were focused on Christian businesses generally. Then two things changed. They needed to work on it full-time to make it work, so they took an amazing leap of faith when their fourth child was a newborn: they quit their other job, they sold their house, and they went entirely in on the mission of growing the reach of values-based businesses. Secondly, when asked to identify Catholic businesses in their directory, they realized they had around 5 out of the 150. They felt conflicted, and they turned it into conviction. "We've given up our home, our careers, we have four children, and yet we cannot even help our own people," Joiner shares. They did about 87 interviews with Catholic businesses over the next 8 days before a pilgrimage/family trip which renewed their mission for the Church. And they've been building it, together, ever since. Serving the Family as a Christian Business OwnerJoiner is especially passionate about working together with her spouse. She views business as a vocation, after marriage and motherhood, and one she personally wouldn't trade for anything: "for all of those [vocations], God has given me the graces and the skills to do those things. So I view it as a responsibility, almost like an obligatory duty to make the most of all the skills and resources that he has given to me. And so that is how I think about it." And when she works with her family, surrounded by her children at home, she sees it as a way to build stronger families. "When we started Catholic Owned® way back when, a really important piece of our story is, 'okay, the job that we have now is not putting the family first. And so we're starting, we're building our own thing and we have to get the family right first and foremost and you build around that.' And a stay-at-home mom with a husband that's out 15 hours a day is not built for the family. So there's not putting a family first there." The Journey to Build the ChurchIt's a natural conclusion to Joiner that when we have stronger families and stronger businesses, we'll have a stronger Church. "Catholic Owned® being successful means that there's never an Archbishop’s Appeal that is unfunded. Parishes are not closing. Schools are not scrambling or closing, right? A lot of Catholic schools consolidating. Catholic families are not struggling because they have, you know, work that pays them enough for them to live according to how they feel called to live. " Businesses thriving means people intentionally purchasing, which drives the economic engine to change the culture. And that alleviates the loneliness of the business owner journey, too: we're all in the mission together of bringing the world to Christ. Joiner offers one final challenge and note of advice: don't overscrutinize fellow Christians and Catholics. There are liturgy wars. There are judgments about women working or school choice. But there is a larger spiritual battle to remember. "Who is the real enemy in this world? It is not our fellow Catholics and our fellow Christians. Working together, we are truly stronger. That is how our beliefs can take root in the culture and we can have the impact that we desire." Join Other Christian Business Leaders on Catholic Owned®Are you another Catholic business on the journey? Consider getting a listing on Catholic Owned® and intentionally Building the New Catholic Economy®.
Continue the conversation with Brooke Joiner on LinkedIn. Thank you for your time, Brooke! Have someone you'd like to see interviewed? Reach out to me with their name!
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"Fervent in Business": Advice from 3x AI founder, Arturo Del Rio Jr."Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord" - Romans 12:11 Founding businesses with AI-powered solutions for almost a decade (long before it became daily conversation), Arturo Del Rio Jr. is at once intimidating and personable, which in my mind makes him a perfect candidate for a series on being a Christian business leader. Although he hopes to go into ministry full-time by 2027, for now, he is deeply entrenched in sales, technology, and entrepreneurship. He's currently CEO & Founder of Lakeside Growth, creating enterprise-level AI solutions, and TheGroundwork.ai. He’s affiliated with the AI Core Institute, SEOMarketing.com, Buzz, and Pro-Life Payments. But to him, this enterprise level, secular work doesn't mean a separation in identity. "I know the Lord loves me more [than I love my son] and has done more for me. And my motivation has to come from that place." I recently sat down to let Arturo share his mindset on being a Christian Business owner and bring real glory to God in this world's economy. 1) It's never just a business decision"Yeah, Jesus is over here on Sundays, you know what I'm saying? But on Monday, you know, I got to do what I got to do because I'm making decisions based on the knowledge that has come from me in this world. We are not making decisions out of the doctrine that explicitly has told us how to interact all the time, including in business." Arturo highlights an issue that many leaders face, and he says it clearly: God is the God of all things, and He's our master. Our business decisions, interactions, and strategies need to be rooted in the clarity that God is present at all times. He knows he hasn't been perfect on this point. We're surrounded by a world that wants to train us to live without God. Even Christian business owners are often guilty of neglecting Christian values once they leave Sunday service. But as we all hopefully grow in grace and wisdom as we age, the Gospel should be lived in our actions, too. 2) Excellence, not Christianity, is the selling pointAlthough our business decisions align with our values, that isn't the end point. Arturo cautions against using Christianity as the only selling-point for your business. Lower quality services and products don't get a "pass" just because you're religious--especially if you want to have an impact on the wider world. "...this concept that we should be browbeating people because 'I'm a team Jesus guy, you should buy from me.' Are we striving for excellence? How does that [give] glory to our Father? How does that put the life of Christ on display?" Our real motivations matter. 3) Prayer isn't God's to-do listTo Arturo, our effort matters, too. As St. Paul wrote to the Romans in the quotation above, we are supposed to be "not slothful in business." God gave us intelligence, talents, and the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Christian entrepreneurship should be a journey of multiplying those talents, rather than hoping God will do all the hard work for you. "I would hope that if there's any takeaway from this is, you know, let's really think about who we have been designed to be, and all of those, you know, gifts that we have been given for a reason, and what does that really mean? "Because I think sometimes people say they believe stuff, but if you watch what they do, there's often disparity from what they say. "And maybe intellectually they believe it, and they've gotten so sucked into the world. Myself being one of those guys historically where you've been trained to, you know, live without God. [...]That's what the entire course of this world is about, and Satan's done a great job setting that out. "And this is why most of us in the Christian world, I think, really do compartmentalize things that should not be that way." 4) Avoid fear-based decisionsOne final action point every business leader can put into practice? Avoid fear-based decisions.
Arturo noticed that some of the disconnect, especially when it comes to AI adoption (and AI adoption failures) is that leaders are making poor decisions because of external pressure and fear. We have to change our minds to be focused on doctrine, and then better decisions can be made. "The actions come from first renewing my mind by the understanding of the doctrine. Because if we don't change our minds, we can never change behaviors. "And that's the first step, is truly that understanding. And then we try to filter everything we do from there. [...] "When you act that way, even when things may go wrong, and they will, right? You know what? Your remediation is different because I'm not trying to keep this customer." When serving God and acting well, even when something goes astray, we'll be able to show up at work better than if we see it all about "how many customers can I get?" This attitude seems to have served Arturo well, and may God bless him, his family, his ministry, and his businesses. Be sure to follow him on LinkedIn. |
Christian Entrepreneurship: Working with Faith and LeadershipFaith can significantly influence business strategy. When faced with challenging choices, Christian entrepreneurs often turn to prayer and scripture for guidance. This reliance on faith can lead to more ethical decisions that prioritize the well-being of all stakeholders and building a better economy.
Ethical marketing practices are essential for building a reputable brand that resonates with consumers. Christian business owners can adopt marketing strategies that reflect their values, ensuring that their messaging is truthful and respectful. On this page, you will find real stories, insights, tips, and struggles of Christian business owners leading their organizations with courage. Lisa TheusHelping small businesses market the right way. Archives |
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