Catholic Founders

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News / Updates:

* Sign up for the Faithful Steward private newsletter. As mentioned in the episode, we are launching the Faithful Steward. A private newsletter for Catholic Investors. 👉 Sign up to get deal flow here.👉 Submit your deck to be shared with the network here.

* Wausau, WI Monthly Meetup: Sign up here (Last Saturday of each month)

* Nashville Monthly CF Meetup: Sign up here

* Sponsor Catholic Founders to get in front of Hundreds of Catholic Business owners each week. [email protected]

Join the Catholic Founders Guild Today

Get access to all CF Guild online events, the recordings, paywalled content, the CF Guild community/group chat, and CF Guild member directory.

Many members have reported doing business with other CF Guild members within months of joining.

With an annual membership fee of $100, it’s a total no-brainer to join. Consider this an association of Catholic business owners, not a high-commitment community that will sap your time.

Join today for $100 a year or $10 a month.

In Today’s Issue:

* Intro to the Guest and Topic

* Core Takeaway

* Episode References

* Select Quotes

* Key Moments

First time here? Learn more about our mission. And don’t forget to subscribe.

Today’s Topic & Guest:

Nhan Dinh | Seller Labs

Straight up, this is the most vulnerable conversation that we’ve had on the show.

Normally, we talk a lot about success and winning. But part of every entrepreneur’s journey is failure. And in some cases, shutting down your company.

Nhan, has started many projects and companies. He’s also shut down many of them. And this is all fresh for Nhan. He’s in a period of transition currently, seeking his next opportunity or company to build (so reach out if you’re interested in meeting him).

However, despite all of these challenges, Nhan keeps the faith as he steps forward confidently, trusting in God that he will be able to feed his 9 children.

His humility is inspiring to anyone with open ears. I encourage you to open yours.

Enjoy the conversation!

Core Lesson:

Your fear determines what you are attached to; whatever you are most afraid of losing is exactly where your heart is bound. God is seeking to free you from that attachment.

As Catholic founders, we often mistake our drive for stewardship when it’s actually a desire for control or recognition. Nhan challenges us to use the discernment of St. Ignatius to look at our businesses with “holy indifference,” being equally at peace with riches or poverty, success or failure.

If the thought of your business being taken away today causes a tantrum in your heart, it’s a clear sign that you’ve shifted your trust from God’s providence to your own hands.

Have the mindset that “I either succeed or I learn” so that you can grow. God will teach you and bring you closer to Him through these failures. The dark moments are times of blessing because they help bring us back to God. To trust in Him.

Finally, learn to embrace the “necessary endings” required to stay true to our ultimate mission. Sometimes God calls us to shut a door so that we can walk through a new one, and while that new path might not be more glamourous, but it is the path of obedience. Whether it’s a business, a relationship, or a dream that no longer serves the goal of glorifying God, we have to be willing to let it go — before we are forced to.

God Bless & Happy Building!

~Silas Mähner

Hire Catholic Overseas Talent

In LatAm and the Philippines, there are millions of Catholic remote workers (across all domains) who want to work for ethical bosses.

Often, they’re treated as second-class citizens or work for organizations that ask them to do questionable things. They reach out to us in search of a Catholic boss.

So, we started ParacleteVA (website coming soon).

With ParacleteVA, we’ll find you vetted, Catholic overseas talent who will help you move your business forward.

How it works: Pay a $500 finders fee when the candidate starts and $500 if you’re still happy with them after 30 days.

To get started, reach out to [email protected] with what you’re looking for, and we’ll get started.

Key Episode References:

* Necessary Endings by Dr. Henry Cloud

* The Culture Solution by Matthew Kelly (Culture is king)

* St. Ignatius of Loyola - Spiritual Exercises and Discernment

* The Surrender Novena

* Raising Great Saints (Nhan Dinh’s youtube channel)

* Mastermind

* St. Maximilian Kolbe

* The Faithful Steward (Catholic Investors)

Select Quotes:

* “Your fear will determine what you’re attached to; so whatever you’re most afraid of losing, that’s what you’re attached to.”— Nhan Dinh

* “The odds of you closing a business is very high, so you gotta be prepared to go penniless.”— Nhan Dinh

* “It’s like, are you doing it because you want to glorify yourself? Are you really like in it to glorify God? Because God will test you. Like, if your heart’s not pure, He will test you. And at that point, are you going to be able, it’s still, you know, running to Him to trust.

Because if you do, then your faith grows. But if you don’t, then it’s going to drive you away from God.”— Nhan Dinh

* “You don’t need to worry about not working hard enough. You need to worry about whether you’re trusting in God and going in the right direction.”— Nhan Dinh

* “Either I succeed or I learn.”— Nhan Dinh

* “Pray as if everything depended on God and work as if everything depended on you.”— Nhan Dinh (quoting St. Ignatius of Loyola)

* “The problem with the entrepreneur is not that they give up, it’s just that they give up too late.”— Nhan Dinh

* “I was like, how do I discern if I should continue a business or should just go get a job? And he's(spiritual director) like, your wife will tell you when you need to go get a job.”— Nhan Dinh

* “The mission of the business is king and you need to have necessary endings.”— Nhan Dinh

* “On your deathbed, which one are you gonna regret not making?”— Nhan Dinh

* “Desiring and choosing only what is most conducive to the end which we are created, which is to praise, to adore, and to serve God.”— Nhan Dinh

Key Moments: (outline)

* [00:00] - Intro: Fear and Attachment : Nhan explains how our fears reveal what we are truly attached to in business.

* [01:08] - Mission: Becoming Saints through Business : Silas discusses the core mission of Catholic Founders—sainthood through entrepreneurship.

* [04:27] - Background: The Vietnamese Immigrant Story : Nhan shares his family’s journey from post-war Vietnam to starting life with nothing in America.

* [07:33] - Family: Raising Nine Kids as an Entrepreneur : Discussing the necessity of entrepreneurship when providing for a large Catholic family.

* [08:49] - Risk: The Reality of Pennilessness : Why being willing to lose everything is the price of entry for full-time founders.

* [10:39] - Discernment: Glorifying God vs. Self : How to distinguish between building for your own ego and building for God’s glory.

* [15:05] - Exit Strategy: When to Shut Down : Learning when to embrace “necessary endings” rather than holding on too late.

* [17:23] - Mid-Roll: The Faithful Steward : Silas announces a new initiative to connect Catholic investors with builders.

* [21:38] - Motivation: Sorting Through the Desire for Recognition : Silas and Nhan discuss the spiritual danger of seeking recognition.

* [24:14] - Prudence: The Three Circles of a Viable Business : Identifying the intersection of passion, skill, and market demand

Hire Catholic Overseas Talent

In LatAm and the Philippines, there are millions of Catholic remote workers (across all domains) who want to work for ethical bosses.

Often, they’re treated as second-class citizens or work for organizations that ask them to do questionable things. They reach out to us in search of a Catholic boss.

So, we started ParacleteVA (website coming soon).

With ParacleteVA, we’ll find you vetted, Catholic overseas talent who will help you move your business forward.

How it works: Pay a $500 finders fee when the candidate starts, and $500 if you’re still happy with them after 30 days.

To get started, reach out to catholic…

Listen on: Fio (Catholic Spotify) | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube

News / Updates:

* Sign up for the Faithful Steward private newsletter. As mentioned in the episode, we are launching the Faithful Steward. A private newsletter for Catholic Investors. 👉 Sign up to get deal flow here. 👉 Submit your deck to be shared with the network here.

* Wausau, WI Monthly Meetup: Sign up here (Last Saturday of each month)

* Nashville Monthly CF Meetup: Sign up here

* Sponsor Catholic Founders to get in front of Hundreds of Catholic Business owners each week. [email protected]

Trigger Warning

Note to Listeners: This episode briefly mentions rape towards the end of the show. Viewer/listener discretion advised.

Join the Catholic Founders Guild Today

Get access to all CF Guild online events, the recordings, paywalled content, the CF Guild community/group chat, and CF Guild member directory.

Many members have reported doing business with other CF Guild members within months of joining.

With an annual membership fee of $100, it’s a total no-brainer to join. Consider this an association of Catholic business owners, not a high-commitment community that will sap your time.

Join today for $100 a year or $10 a month.

In Today’s Issue:

* Intro to the Guest and Topic

* Core Takeaway

* Episode References

* Select Quotes

* Key Moments

First time here? Learn more about our mission. And don’t forget to subscribe.

Today’s Topic & Guest:

Ian Stroud | Verti Commercial Real Estate

Today, we’re talking about real estate. Our guest is Ian Stroud, a multifamily investment sales advisor who specializes in the 20 to 250-unit range across the Midwest.

If the name sounds familiar, it’s because his brother Colin was on the show way back in Episode 6 talking about credit card points.

Ian brings a different flavor to the table, focusing on the mechanics of apartment complexes and how Catholics can steward their capital through real estate.

We cover a lot of ground here, from the boring back-office analysis that eventually led Ian to find his true calling, to the gritty reality of the current housing crisis.

My mind was blown when Ian shared a story about a real estate investor who managed to drop crime rates in a neighborhood by 80% by simply engaging with his tenants.

This is a prime example of what it means to be a Catholic entrepreneur — to use our role to bring Christ’s love to those around us, and make practical improvements as well.

We also get into Ian’s personal faith journey — including his family’s conversion and how Exodus 90 eventually led him to his wife.

In short, this is an example of how our interior and professional lives are meant to be woven together (like what Jeff Schiefelbein told us on episode 9)

Core Lesson:

True stewardship in real estate requires moving beyond the ‘greedy landlord’ trope to actively engage in the flourishing of the community and the tenants.

The common narrative around real estate often boils down to a supply and demand math problem, but Ian challenges us to see the human element behind the numbers.

While it is true that we are facing a massive housing shortage — needing roughly 5 million units annually just to stay flat — the role of a Catholic owner isn’t just to fill a gap in the market. It’s about recognizing that the property is a tool for human flourishing. When an owner engages with tenants rather than treating them as mere entries on a rent roll, it can transform an entire neighborhood’s safety and culture.

Again, it’s simple (not easy but simple). Engage with your tenants, as children of God, and you could reduce the crime rate of an entire neighborhood by ~80%. This ultimately leads to an increase in your property value.

Ultimately, for the Catholic business owner, real estate is a way to diversify excess profit while participating in God’s creative work. Whether it’s through multifamily investments or simply being a virtuous landlord, the goal is to be a Faithful Steward of the physical spaces where families live and grow. It’s a reminder that doing the right thing for your tenants often aligns with the long-term value and profitability of the asset itself.

God Bless & Happy Building!

~Silas Mähner

Hire Catholic Overseas Talent

In LatAm and the Philippines, there are millions of Catholic remote workers (across all domains) who want to work for ethical bosses.

Often, they’re treated as second-class citizens or work for organizations that ask them to do questionable things. They reach out to us in search of a Catholic boss.

So, we started ParacleteVA (website coming soon).

With ParacleteVA, we’ll find you vetted, Catholic overseas talent who will help you move your business forward.

How it works: Pay a $500 finders fee when the candidate starts and $500 if you’re still happy with them after 30 days.

To get started, reach out to [email protected] with what you’re looking for, and we’ll get started.

Key Episode References:

* The Faithful Steward Newsletter

* Verti Commercial Real Estate

* Cornfields and Cap Rates Newsletter

* EWTN

* Exodus 90

* Wild at Heart by John Eldredge

* Save Your Parish by Patrick Neve

* Walsh University

* Patrick Madrid

* Jamie Baxter

* Catholic Founders Episode 6: Colin Stroud

* St. Francis of Asisi

* James 2:14-26

* Litany of Humility

Select Quotes:

* “I think we're always driven to provide. And if we're not providing, then what are we? And I think that's tough. It's a question I have no idea how to answer because I've never encountered it. I don't think I will for a while.” — Ian Stroud

* “I was in my suit and tie, asleep on the living room floor. I was just exhausted. And even though I was bored, it was like it was more draining because I was bored than if I was engaged. And I think a lot of people probably feel that way about their job is when you get bored, you can just kind of implode a little bit.”— Ian Stroud

* “There's a difference… where it's like you know something out there and then kind of taking it and internalizing it. And that was the point for me that I was able to kind of, to take what I knew to what my brain knew to be true and move it into my soul and kind of to bring it home.”— Ian Stroud

* “But we did it as a community and living with the guys that I was doing it with was the best possible way I could have done it because every morning we're complaining about the cold showers. But it's also, we're complaining about the cold showers but also it's like the feeling of we're doing this together.”— Ian Stroud

* “You're going in, you're not trying to make the deal work. You're trying to find a deal that works. And the difference is pretty big.”— Ian Stroud

* “You have a responsibility to treat her with the dignity. You cannot kick her [out]… immediately. I think you need to work with her… But on the other hand, she is causing a real risk for health problems for the other tenants. So you also have a responsibility to them.”— Ian Stroud

* “I credit that and therapy with saving my wife's life. I mean, for sure. So I think that people that don't recognize the power of having good people around you all the time, they don't really get what it's about.”— Ian Stroud

* “Being around the right people is so important that it is life saving. I mean, it's, it's, there's a reason that when we go to church, it's not one it's when two or more, there's a community inherent in the body of Christ.”— Ian Stroud

Key Moments: (outline)

* [01:14] - Intro: Silas introduces Ian Stroud and the mission of Catholic Founders as co-creators with God.

* [04:48] - Meet Ian Stroud: Ian details his role as a multifamily investment sales advisor and his work with AI-forward firm Verti.

* [07:29] - Falling into Real Estate: Ian shares his journey from “draining” back-office equity management to the dynamic world of brokerage.

* [13:40] - The RV Conversion: The story of Ian’s family’s conversion to Catholicism via EWTN radio while living in an RV.

* [18:01] - The Faithful Steward: Mid-roll announcement regarding a new initiative for Catholic investors to find deal flow.

* [21:06] - Exodus 90 & Awakening: Ian discusses his spiritual awake…

Listen on: Fio (Catholic Spotify) | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube

News / Updates:

* Wausau, WI Monthly Meetup: Sign up here (Last Saturday of each month)

* (April 12th) Catholic Founders Guild Dinner in Dallas, TX. Register here (2 spots left)

* Sponsor Catholic Founders to get in front of Hundreds of Catholic Business owners each week. [email protected]

Join the Catholic Founders Guild Today

In Today’s Issue:

* Intro to the Guest and Topic

* Core Takeaway

* Episode References

* Select Quotes

* Key Moments

First time here? Learn more about our mission. And don’t forget to subscribe.

Today’s Topic & Guest:

Zuhair Madanat | Auto Glass Experts

Welcome back to Catholic Founders. Our guest for this episode is Zuhair Madanat, the founder of Auto Glass Experts based out of Charlotte, North Carolina. He started as a middle school religion teacher and ended up as the founder of a fast-growing service business doing auto glass repair and replacement.

I love Zuhair’s story because it shows how rewarding it is to fully rely on God in our business journeys. To set aside our will and plans, and to allow God’s to fill us and move us as He pleases.

No, it’s not always sunshine and roses, but it’s what He desires of us. And that’s all we should ever want.

You’ll learn a lot today, I’m sure. Zuhair’s got a lot of good perspective on upholding the dignity of his employees, focusing on quality, and treating himself as a servant to his team.

Perhaps most critically, he also shows us how each interaction with a customer or employee is an opportunity to be God’s hands in the world — to carry out His will.

Enjoy the episode!

Core Lesson:

True business leadership is found in the radical commitment to being a "servant of servants" by prioritizing the human dignity of every person within the organization.

Adopting the role of a “servant of servants” transforms the traditional hierarchy of management into a community of mutual care. When a leader focuses on providing for the needs and growth of their employees, those employees are naturally empowered to extend that same level of care to the customers. This creates a sustainable ecosystem where the business thrives because it honors the inherent value of every individual involved in the transaction.

Scaling a venture requires a profound death to self, particularly regarding the need for total control. Zuhair highlights that trusting God with the timing and the results of a business allows for a peace that surpasses market volatility or unprofitable years. By acknowledging that the founder is merely an instrument, the pressure of “owning” the outcome is replaced by the joy of stewardship, allowing the business to serve as a genuine conduit for grace.

Integrating faith into a service-based industry means looking beyond the transaction to the human connection. Whether it is keeping humans on the phone instead of AI or treating a windshield repair as an act of service, the goal remains the same: glorifying God through excellence. This approach ensures that the work itself becomes a form of prayer and a means of sanctification for the founder, the team, and the community.

God Bless & Happy Building!

~Silas Mähner

Hire Catholic Overseas Talent

Key Episode References:

* Managing as if Faith Mattered

* The Prayer of St. Philaret of Moscow

* St. Joseph the Worker

* St. Josemaria Escriva

* St. Andrew

* St. Paul the Apostle

* Proverbs 16:3

* Matthew 5:16

* The Trisagion Prayer (Holy God, Holy Mighty One)

Select Quotes:

* “It’s hard to take credit, and when you just know He’s been a part of everything, it’s hard to—I know that He uses me and I’m His instrument in this world, and I’m bringing His light into the world. But yeah, it’s just it’s really humbling.”— Zuhair Madanat

* “If small business owners knew that this was the way that our faith is guiding us to run their business, it would look way different.”— Zuhair Madanat

* “I was like, all right, God, if this goes away, then just let it go away and just show me whatever I'm supposed to do. I'm doing this just to glorify you in the world, to provide for my family, but I could do anything. It doesn't matter.”— Zuhair Madanat

* “I tell them like I’m the servant of servants. So I’m here to serve you so that you can then serve the customer. And the way that I serve you is the way that I want you to serve the customer.”— Zuhair Madanat

* “The tasks that a computer or AI, whatever, can handle, we let them handle it so that we have more human-to-human interaction so that the customer service reps aren’t feeling rushed on the phone and like they have to hang up to get to something else.”— Zuhair Madanat

Key Moments: (outline)

* [00:00] - The Universal Human Experience: Zuhair discusses how his time teaching middle school religion taught him that human problems remain constant throughout history.

* [00:39] - Intro: Silas introduces Zuhair Madanat and the mission of Catholic Founders to help entrepreneurs become saints through their work.

* [04:12] - From Classroom to Auto Glass: Zuhair explains his transition from teaching to starting Auto Glass Experts and the leap of faith involved.

* [12:45] - Stewardship in Business: A discussion on the mindset shift from “owner” to “steward” and how it changes daily operations.

* [18:30] - Servant Leadership: Zuhair breaks down what it means to serve your employees so they can effectively serve the customers.

* [25:50] - The Challenges of Scaling: Insights into the growing pains of moving from a solo operation to multiple physical locations.

* [38:15] - Faith in the Workplace: How to integrate Catholic identity into a secular service industry without being performative.

* [42:05] - Spiritual Disciplines: Zuhair shares his daily prayer routine, specifically the importance of the Prayer of St. Philaret.

* [55:20] - Advice for New Founders: Encouragement for those sitting on the fence about starting their own Catholic-led business.

* [58:10] - Outro: Silas concludes the episode with a call to join the Catholic Founders Guild and a reminder that we were created to create.

Hire Catholic Overseas Talent

Listen on: Fio (Catholic Spotify) | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube

News / Updates:

* Wausau, WI Monthly Meetup: Sign up here (Last Saturday of each month)

* (April 12th) Catholic Founders Guild Dinner in Dallas, TX. Register here (~5 spots left)

* Sponsor Catholic Founders to get in front of Hundreds of Catholic Business owners each week. [email protected]

* NOTE: There will be no podcast next week as we take time off to observe Holy Week and enter into the Triduum. (We’re still trying to get a Monday newsletter out, let’s see if we get to that)

Join the Catholic Founders Guild Today

In Today’s Issue:

* Intro to the Guest and Topic - Rob, CEO of Publicly Traded Hotel Brand - Now Investor

* Core Takeaway -

* Episode References

* Select Quotes

* Key Moments

First time here? Learn more about our mission. And don’t forget to subscribe.

Today’s Topic & Guest:

Rob Hays | Investor & Entrepreneur

This episode is legendary! Why? Because Rob is legendary.

If you’re not familiar with him, he took over as CEO of a publicly traded hotel brand days before COVID. Crazy!

He had to furlough most of the company. And did what he could, little by little, each day to see them through that crisis (of having zero revenue).

Rob has spent a lot of time thinking about how to integrate his faith into what he does. Which makes him a great guest for us. He’s got some incredibly fiery takes.

In this episode, we dive into how that crucible of crisis refined his faith and why he believes professional prestige and mundane tasks are essential components of a founder’s sanctification

Core Lesson:

Professional prestige is a byproduct of excellence. That excellence serves as the "bait" for apostolic influence. Which in turn, gives us more credibility to share our faith (because they see we are good at what we do).

Seeking prestige often feels like an act of pride, yet Rob reframes it as a functional necessity for the personal apostolate. People naturally seek advice and leadership from those who demonstrate mastery in their craft. By striving for excellence as an input, we create the credibility required for others to take our witness seriously.

This perspective shifts the focus from self-glorification to professional stewardship. When we prioritize excellence in our roles as founders, fathers, and husbands, the resulting prestige becomes a tool to wield for the sake of the Gospel and human flourishing. We must remain detached from the output of prestige while remaining fiercely committed to the inputs of excellence and prayer.

(I should probably write more about this in the future)

God Bless & Happy Building!

~Silas Mähner

Hire Catholic Overseas Talent

Key Episode References:

* St. Josemaria Escriva Institute

* New Horizons Podcast

* St. Josemaria Escriva

* The Master and His Emissary by Iain McGilchrist

* The Matter with Things by Iain McGilchrist

* OptimalWork

* Kevin Majors

* Uniformity with God’s Will by St. Alphonsus Liguori

* Time for God by Father Jacques Philippe

* Sent Ventures

* Triumph of the Heart (Film)

* Anthony D’Ambrosio

* Dante’s Inferno

* Jeff Bezos on Work-Life Harmony

* Dr. Daniel Tataje - #49 He Beats PE Firm’s With Lower Bids

* St. Catherine of Siena

* St. Thérèse of Lisieux

* St. Joseph

Bible Passages

* 1 John 4:8 - God is Love

* Exodus 12:5 - The Unblemished Lamb

* Matthew 16:24 - Take up your cross

* Matthew 26:34 - Peter’s Denial

* Luke 2:51-52 - The Hidden Life at Nazareth

* Luke 3:23 - Jesus at Age 30

* Matthew 6:9-13 - The Our Father

Select Quotes:

* “St. Josemaria’s thesis was that he did that to show us that the mundane and the, and both the company of the mundane, ordinary things of life, know, family, living in a little village, going to work every day, but then also work is a part of the salvific plan of God and is part of our own redemption.” — Rob Hays

* “Jesus was a carpenter or blacksmith and doing mundane tasks as God of the universe. That’s completely insane. But that is the example that he gave us.” — Rob Hays

* “Who cares about what someone says who is bad at what they do?” — Rob Hays

* “Prestige, for lack of a better word, is effectively the ‘bait’ for the apostolate.” — Rob Hays

* “If I am in fact excellent at those things, there very well likely will be prestige that comes from it. And that prestige, I can then use for good.” — Rob Hays

* “I always think it’s about priorities rather than balance... that priority is a constant reordering of things.” — Rob Hays

* “Every day, the first several years of my role was the house is burning to the ground.” — Rob Hays

* “I needed to have the tangible list of things that I was gonna do so that I knew that if I accomplished these things today, it was enough.” — Rob Hays

* “If you don’t have this idea of detachment of the outcome and trust that God is in control, I don’t know how you make it through the trials and struggles and failures.” — Rob Hays

* “Holiness is very difficult, if not impossible, without suffering.” — Rob Hays

* “Where the value, the redemptive and salvific value comes is in the love that’s put into it.” — Rob Hays

Key Moments: (outline)

* [00:00] - Intro Hook: Rob discusses the hidden life of Jesus in Nazareth and the inherent value found in mundane labor.

* [01:02] - Introduction: Silas welcomes listeners and introduces Rob Hays, former CEO of a major hotel brand.

* [04:05] - Redefining Prestige: Rob explains why seeking professional excellence and prestige serves as a Christian duty.

* [08:20] - Priorities vs. Balance: A discussion on maintaining a “seamless garment” of life through prayer and constant reordering of priorities.

* [10:58] - Leading Through Crisis: Rob shares his experience taking over as CEO during COVID and managing extreme professional anxiety.

* [13:24] - Consecration of the Company: The story of Rob consecrating his business to Our Lady and the Lord while on the brink of bankruptcy.

* [17:02] - Detachment and Trust: Why entrepreneurs must trust God with outcomes and view professional struggles as hidden blessings.

* [19:19] - Happiness and Sanctity: Exploring the necessity of the Cross and suffering in the life of a Catholic leader.

* [21:50] - Sanctifying the Mundane: How the hidden life of Jesus serves as the model for finding salvific value in daily administrative tasks.

* [26:27] - Practical Reminders: Rob’s tactics for keeping faith front and center, including using a pocket crucifix and praying for others during difficult tasks.

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A day late. I should probably work on my posting skills.

Listen on: Fio (Catholic Spotify) | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube

News / Updates:

* Wausau, WI Monthly Meetup: Sign up here (Last Saturday of each month)

* (March 24th) We invite you to the in-person Nashville Meetup (next week)

* (March 26th) Tim Busch, major Church donor, wine and hospitality mogul, is speaking at a Fides event in NYC that we are helping sponsor. Register here (only a few spots left)

* (April 12th) Catholic Founders Guild Dinner in Dallas, TX. Register here.

* Sponsor Catholic Founders to get in front of Hundreds of Catholic Business owners each week. [email protected]

Get the full Ultimate Catholic Founders Resource Guide here (including more events).

Join the Catholic Founders Guild Today

In Today’s Issue:

* Intro to the Guest and Topic

* Core Takeaway

* Episode References

* Select Quotes

* Key Moments

First time here? Learn more about our mission. And don’t forget to subscribe.

Today’s Topic & Guest:

Francisco J. Lara | Catholic University of America

There are a LOT of businesses that need buyers — a lot of wealth being transferred (or not) to the next generation in the coming years. If you’re looking to buy a business, the time is now.

That’s what we are discussing today.

How one should do succession planning. How you’d buy a business in a way that respects human dignity. How to work well with your family as it’s passed from generation to generation. And perhaps most importantly, how to maintain the family business even if none of your generation want to run it, in its current form.

Core Lesson:

Succession requires a moral discernment that prioritizes the common good over lineage.

We often feel this massive weight to pass our businesses down to our children, assuming that lineage is the only path to protecting the legacy we’ve spent decades building. However, true stewardship requires us to recognize that our businesses are essentially communities of persons rather than simple family assets. If the next generation lacks the specific skills or the genuine desire to lead, forcing them into that role can actually jeopardize the very community we are trying to preserve. We have to approach succession as a rigorous moral discernment where the long-term health of the company and the well-being of the employees take priority over keeping a specific last name on the ownership docs.

This is where Entrepreneurship through Acquisition (ETA) becomes such a vital tool for the Catholic founder. By opening the door to a searcher, someone with the hunger and talent to lead but perhaps lacking the capital to start from scratch, you are essentially identifying a spiritual heir for your life’s work. It aligns perfectly with the principles of business stewardship we frequently discuss on the Substack and in our previous sessions. Much like our conversation with Andreas Widmer in Episode 15, we have to remember that leading a business is a vocation. Finding the right person to carry that vocation forward ensures the business continues to serve the common good and provides a stable foundation for the families who depend on it.

God Bless & Happy Building!

~Silas Mähner

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Key Episode References:

Bible Passages

* The Parable of the Talents

* The Promise of the Hundredfold

Saints & Devotions

* St. Joseph

* Pope St. John Paul II

* The Holy Eucharist

* The Holy Mass

Books & Documents

* The Pope and the CEO by Andreas Widmer

* The Art of Principled Entrepreneurship by Andreas Widmer

* Rerum Novarum

* Laborem Exercens

* Centesimus Annus

* Stanford 2024 Search Fund Study

* Stanford/IESE 2022 International Search Fund Study

Organizations & Academic Institutions

* Catholic University of America (CUA)

* University of Navarra

* IESE Business School

* Polytechnic University of Valencia

* Catholic University of Valencia

* Lagar Brothers

* Stanford Graduate Business School

* Harvard Business School

* Wharton School

* Fiber (Fiverr)

* Castfeed

* Singularu

Episode Connections

* Episode 15: Andreas Widmer

* Episode 40: Mike Parrott

Select Quotes:

* “So then you need to make a discernment. And that’s the important moral responsibility of the family businesses, not to impose that succession into the family members if they don’t want to, and they are not able to, skilled enough to do that in the right way.” — Francisco J. Lara (00:36)

* “Search funds can be the solution for a family business to move from traditional family business into a family office.” — Francisco J. Lara (18:40)

* “He has to combine two difficult virtues that are humility with magnanimity.” — Francisco J. Lara (19:00)

* “Catholic social doctrine do not mandate dynastic control.” — Francisco J. Lara (24:19)

* “The firm is a community of persons, It’s not a nexus, it’s not a combination of social contracts, and it’s not an end.” — Francisco J. Lara (25:40)

* “The normative criterion should not be lineage, but stewardship effectiveness.” — Francisco J. Lara (29:45)

* “So the entrepreneur is not simply allocating capital, but choosing a community of work to steer.” — Francisco J. Lara (23:14)

Key Moments: (outline)

* 00:00] - Succession Discernment: Francisco discusses the art and moral responsibility of family business succession and the danger of imposing legacy.

* [01:02] - Intro: Silas introduces Francisco Lara and his role as an “evangelist” for Entrepreneurship through Acquisition.

* [02:30] - From La Mancha to CUA: Francisco shares his background as a Spaniard, his law degree from Navarra, and his family’s third-generation farming roots.

* [04:22] - Theory Meets Practice: The founding of Lagar Brothers and Francisco’s realization that the person behind the business matters most.

* [11:02] - The ETA Framework: A deep dive into the four stages of a traditional search fund: search, acquisition, operation, and exit.

* [14:15] - Identifying Talent: Why finding the right “searcher” who acts as the child the family business owner never had is the hardest part of the model.

* [22:09] - Moral Reasoning in ETA: Applying Catholic Social Teaching virtues like justice and prudence to each stage of the acquisition process.

* [24:19] - Stewardship vs. Dynasty: Breaking down why Catholic doctrine prioritizes the common good over “dynastic capitalism”.

* [31:00] - Outro: Final thoughts on professionalizing small businesses and a recommendation to listen to the episode with Andreas Widmer.

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Okay, so I messed up - today is day 8 because the novena ends the day prior to the feast day (I swear I’m a professional lol)

Thanks for bearing with me. See you guys tomorrow for day…9, yes, that’s it!

Day 7 of the St. Joseph Novena. See you tomorrow.

Get the novena here: https://www.usccb.org/resources/novena-saint-joseph-english.pdf

Day 6 of the St. Joseph Novena. See you tomorrow.

Get the novena here: https://www.usccb.org/resources/novena-saint-joseph-english.pdf