In this episode, Ken Freire and Patrick Lowndes dive deep into Patrick’s entrepreneurial journey—from selling wood scraps to construction workers in first grade to building and exiting a tech startup. Patrick shares how childhood ventures, formative high school experiences, and career-defining mentorships shaped his path. They explore the key challenges young professionals face when discerning their calling, including the need for community, practice, and godly mentors. The episode culminates in the story behind Frontier Operators, a movement designed to equip faith-driven operators in every stage of their career.

Resources Mentioned:

• The Mills Family of Entrepreneurs (book) - https://www.amazon.com/Mills-Family-Entrepreneurs-Discovering-business/dp/B0CV852N5V
• Bike Startups – https://www.bikestartups.com
• Frontier Operators – https://www.frontieroperators.com

Timestamps:

• 00:00 – Patrick's first business: selling scrap wood guns
• 01:45 – Mowing lawns and building business skills as a kid
• 02:40 – High school DECA and learning to think on his feet
• 04:00 – Ken shares how Patrick’s book inspired his own kids
• 05:00 – How God used a veggie burger to kickstart a lawn business
• 06:00 – The role of feedback and mentorship in early development
• 07:30 – Key obstacles: community, practice, and feedback
• 11:00 – God’s direction to "become the person you want to call others to be"
• 14:30 – Breaking into tech sales and being faithful in the early career
• 17:00 – Leaving a secure job to build and sell VendorHawk
• 22:30 – Discovering the operator gap and the birth of Frontier Operators
• 27:00 – Frontier Operators' three-stage development model
• 29:00 – Encouragement for young professionals to unbury their calling