In this special episode recorded at SXSW in Austin, Texas, hosts Justin Forman and Richard Cunningham sit down with Brent Beshore, founder and CEO of Permanent Equity, to discuss what it means to take a long-term, cathedral-like perspective in business and investing.

Brent shares his transformation from an achievement-driven atheist to a faith-focused entrepreneur, highlighting how his approach to private equity challenges industry norms with long-term capital, zero debt, and transparent fee structures. Throughout the conversation, Brent reveals how vulnerability and authentic relationships have been crucial both in his personal faith journey and in building a successful investment firm.

• Brent's journey from atheism to faith and how it transformed his perspective on business, family, and achievement
• The dangers of "acceptable sin" that starts small but eventually leads to devastating consequences
• Why living in the light through authentic relationships is essential for both personal healing and business success
• How Permanent Equity's unique model of 30-year capital and no debt creates true alignment with business owners
• The concept of "cathedral thinking" - building something that may take generations to complete
• The importance of community and authentic relationships in combating isolation, especially for successful entrepreneurs
• Why achievement, control, and self-reliance can be more dangerous addictions than substances

In this episode of the Faith Driven Entrepreneur Podcast, host Justin Forman sits down with Steve Preston, CEO of Goodwill Industries, to discuss his remarkable journey from Wall Street executive to nonprofit leader. Unlike the typical path of chasing wealth and status, Steve shares how he made intentional decisions to prioritize purpose over prestige throughout his career.

After starting at Lehman Brothers, Steve felt a tug that his faith was calling him toward a different path. He made a deal with God that he would "never make a decision for money, for prestige, or for power," which ultimately led him to leave banking on the cusp of making partner. His journey continued through corporate America, government service (including running the Small Business Administration during Hurricane Katrina recovery), and eventually to Goodwill, where he now leads one of America's most recognized nonprofit organizations.

• Steve's countercultural decision to leave Wall Street's wealth and prestige to follow God's calling
• The rich history of Goodwill beginning as a church-based ministry to help Boston's poorest residents
• How Goodwill provides holistic support to help people overcome barriers to employment
• The innovative prison education programs helping reduce recidivism rates to just 5%
• The power of corporate partnerships in scaling social impact
• How writing a personal mission statement helped Steve identify his calling
• The importance of seeing potential in people that they don't yet see in themselves

"I felt like God said, I've taken you thus far. Will you really go where I'm taking you? And worse, most of the people in my close-in circle said, you're crazy... And I had this moment where I thought to myself, I have been like every other American watching these horrific stories on television and wondering what I could do."

"Our founder's story and our founder's vision 125 years later is still very much a part of who we are... It was all deeply based in the conviction that every human being has embedded potential."

"I often say, when somebody comes through our door, we often see more in them than they see in themselves."

Mark McClain, founder and CEO of SailPoint Technologies, shares his non-traditional path to entrepreneurship after 10 years in corporate America. He discusses building a successful tech company with faith-based values, navigating multiple funding rounds (VC, PE, IPO, and back again), and balancing business ambition with family priorities.

[Chapters]

0:00 - Introduction

2:10 - Mark on South by Southwest and Austin's tech scene

6:08 - The evolution of faith in the workplace

10:26 - Mark's journey from corporate career to entrepreneurship

15:32 - Understanding SailPoint's identity management technology

18:47 - AI as both threat and opportunity in cybersecurity

20:34 - Navigating different funding methods as an entrepreneur

24:15 - The value of community vs. coaching for entrepreneurs

29:01 - The importance of staying connected to church community

31:40 - Building a successful business without sacrificing family

35:29 - Four S's of Christian leadership: Son, Sheep, Stock, and Stewardship

39:02 - A biblical perspective on retirement and stewardship

44:23 - Closing thoughts on community and faith

In this authentic conversation, Mark reveals:

• Why success rates increase for entrepreneurs who start after age 35
• The value of both peer community and expert coaching
• How to stay connected to your faith while scaling a business
• A biblical perspective on stewarding resources and opportunity
• Practical advice for staying present with family while building a company

#FaithDrivenEntrepreneur #EntrepreneurialJourney #BusinessLeadership #FaithAndWork #ServantLeadership

• Travis shares his recent experience meeting Jack Nicklaus and John Maxwell, highlighting Nicklaus's emphasis on family over golf achievements
• The powerful story of Travis's brain tumor in 2016, requiring him to relearn basic functions
• His wife Jacqueline's cancer diagnosis and the emotional journey of shaving her head during chemotherapy
• The doctor telling Travis to "prepare as if she's gone" and taking his daughters to San Diego while contemplating single fatherhood
• How these health crises fundamentally changed his approach to business success and identity

• 49 Financial's three-pillar strategy: handling more complex issues, offering more services, and building more community
• The company's focus on young advisors (22-year-olds) in an industry where the average advisor is in their upper 50s
• How 49 Financial is addressing the industry-wide 9% retention rate for new advisors
• Travis's shift from "quantity over quality" to "quality over quantity" in building his business
• His vision for bridging the gap between aging advisors with trillions in assets and the next generation

• How facing mortality transformed Travis's relationship with God and clarity about priorities
• The role of childlike faith in entrepreneurship versus the challenges of maintaining bold faith as a business matures
• Using their platform to help clients turn "tax dollars into giving dollars" through strategic charitable planning
• The daily struggle of enjoying present moments while awaiting his wife's five-year cancer-free milestone

• "I think maybe a lot of entrepreneurs out there, it is so easy, even as believers, to make our business our identity. And it's such a sneak."
• "It puts you in a different place in your faith when each one of you experience the thought of losing the other one within a day."
• "If the business doesn't make it, it's okay. If the business does hit that growth goal, it's okay... I'm going home to my bride."
• "My heart and why 49, as long as I'm around, is going to be for the young person."
• "We're going to turn tax dollars into giving dollars."

Every entrepreneur dreams of the freedom that comes with success, yet Lloyd Reeb discovered a surprising paradox - the very prosperity he worked so hard to achieve was quietly eroding his freedom and purpose. Instead of letting money become his master, he made the counter-cultural choice to design a life where wealth serves his deeper values rather than dictating his choices. His journey reveals that true entrepreneurial freedom might look radically different than what we've been conditioned to pursue. 
 

Lloyd shares the meaningful artifacts in his office that guide his decisions and keep him grounded in his purpose - from a crystal light bulb gift that reminds him of his unique contribution to a 300-year-old French Bible that represents God's unchanging wisdom to a wooden "Amazing Grace" plaque honoring William Wilberforce's 30-year commitment to ending the slave trade.

Key Highlights:

• How carrying "long-term metrics" in his wallet for decades has helped Lloyd maintain focus on what truly matters
• The intentional decision to decouple wealth from lifestyle to break cycles of entitlement
• Why complexity, comfort, and complacency are the three deadliest enemies to living a purpose-driven life
• Applying Charlie Munger's "inversion" approach to identify what would cause you to squander your life
• The transformative practice of keeping a "Book of Days" to document God's work in and through your life
• Why financial success creates freedom for mission rather than just lifestyle expansion
• Practical ways to declutter your life, reduce complexity, and create space for what matters most

Quotable Moments:

"Build a successful business in the context of focusing on building a successful life."

"It's an interesting question to ask: What level of lifestyle is in your family's best interest? That's different from how much can we afford."

"What would I do if I wanted to squander the rest of my life? I would get my life complicated, comfortable, and let my heart become uncompassionate."

"Money is a great servant, but a terrible master. We wanted to really demote money from mastery to servant."

Watch the full episode on YouTube or continue to stream audio on your favorite podcast platform.

In this powerful episode of the Faith Driven Entrepreneur podcast, host Justin Forman sits down with Cheri Garcia, founder of Cornbread Hustle, a staffing agency that has placed nearly 3,000 people with criminal records into jobs over the past decade.

Cheri shares her remarkable journey from selling drugs (including becoming her father's meth dealer as a teenager) to getting sober, founding a multi-million-dollar company, and helping thousands of formerly incarcerated individuals find meaningful employment and rebuild their lives.

Key Highlights:

• Cheri's early entrepreneurial ventures and her descent into drug addiction and dealing
• How hitting rock bottom (living out of her car, multiple arrests) led to her eventual path to sobriety
• The unexpected pivot during COVID that transformed her business from struggling to multi-million dollar success
• Why achievement and control can be more dangerous addictions than drugs or alcohol
• The transformative impact of employment stability on former inmates' lives
• Practical insights for employers considering second-chance hiring
• How Cheri's painful experiences equipped her to connect authentically with others in their brokenness

Quotable Moments:

• "I was pouring into other people while filling myself back up with alcohol... I was broken."
• "Control is worse than drugs or alcohol because the triggers are more. The triggers are anything from needing to pee while you're in the middle of talking to somebody at a networking event... It's all day, every day."
• "One in four adults have a criminal record. That's over 70 million people... and only 5% of HR managers say they actively choose people with criminal records as part of their talent pool."

Watch the full episode on YouTube or continue to stream audio on your favorite podcast platform.

In this episode of the Faith Driven Entrepreneur podcast, host Justin Forman interviews social media expert Nils Smith about why entrepreneurs often resist social media and how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing content creation and engagement strategies.

Nils shares his journey from youth pastor using AOL Instant Messenger to reach teens, to pioneering online church, to becoming a social media consultant for high-profile ministries.

Learn why entrepreneurs struggle with social media, how to balance authentic humility with strategic promotion, and which platforms are most effective for different business types.

This conversation explores how AI is transforming the social media landscape - making it more accessible and efficient for entrepreneurs who previously avoided these platforms. Discover how tools like ChatGPT can serve as personalized marketing consultants and content creators for your business without compromising your values.

[Chapters]

00:00 Introduction and plants in video backgrounds

01:25 Why entrepreneurs hate social media

04:52 Authenticity vs. polished content

09:26 Nils' journey into social media

19:28 The importance of audience targeting

24:00 First 20 seconds rule in content

35:55 Best platforms for different businesses

42:19 How AI is revolutionizing social media strategy

47:03 A Christian approach to technology and AI

In this DEBUT VIDEO EPISODE of the Faith Driven Entrepreneur podcast, host Justin Forman interviews Jack Hooper, founder and CEO of Take Command Health. Jack shares his extraordinary journey from tracking terrorist financing for the CIA to revolutionizing health insurance after a personal healthcare crisis when his wife unexpectedly became pregnant with twins during business school.

Jack reveals how his mission to create transparency in healthcare costs led to building a company that empowers both employers and employees with a new model of health insurance. The conversation explores the broken incentive structures in traditional health insurance, leadership challenges in a secular workplace, and wrestling with the tension between business success and kingdom values.

This episode unpacks how faith guides entrepreneurial decisions, setting personal financial boundaries as a founder, and recognizing the seasons of leadership. A powerful conversation on building redemptive business models that truly put people first.

[Chapters]

00:00 Introduction

02:07 Jack's CIA background and counterterrorism work

07:55 Unexpected life change and the path to healthcare

15:50 The broken insurance system and Take Command's solution

24:19 Mission-driven approach to business

31:50 Wrestling with founder identity and financial boundaries

40:15 Seasons of leadership and letting go

► SUBSCRIBE for more Faith Driven Entrepreneur content: [Link Channel URL]

► Visit https://faithdrivenentrepreneur.org for resources, community, and more

#FaithDrivenEntrepreneur #JackHooper

In this episode of the Faith Driven Entrepreneur podcast, Justin Forman sits down with Dave Blanchard to explore the evolution of faith-driven entrepreneurship and its growing influence in both the church and broader culture.

Key Discussion Points:

• The origin story of Praxis and how the name came to be through prayer and divine inspiration
• The transformation of entrepreneurship from a "starving artist" narrative to a celebrated career path
• The role of programs like Y Combinator, Techstars, and shows like Shark Tank in normalizing entrepreneurship
• How childhood experiences and early business ventures shaped Blanchard's perspective on ethical entrepreneurship
• The impact of Chris Crane and Opportunity International in revealing the redemptive possibilities of entrepreneurship
• The challenge of moving beyond "God cares about your work" to practical implementation in various industries
• The need for churches to become creative centers and reimagine their approach to supporting entrepreneurs
• The importance of telling authentic stories that include both triumph and struggle
• Discussion of the "unnamed villains" and real challenges facing Christian entrepreneurs
• The future of faith-driven entrepreneurship and the need for local heroes and mentors

Show Notes:

In this episode of the Faith Driven Entrepreneur podcast, Justin Forman sits down with Lloyd Reeb, a long-time leader of the Halftime Institute and co-author of "From Success to Significance." With over two decades of experience helping marketplace leaders find their purpose, Lloyd shares profound insights on building a life of multiplicative kingdom impact.

Lloyd has generously made his book, The Social Entrepreneur: Seasoned Advice to Multiply Your Impact  100x available for free here. 

Key Topics Covered:

- The evolution of the Halftime message over 30 years and its continued relevance today

- How to infuse greater meaning and purpose into existing business success

- The power of creating "freedom" to explore God's unique calling

- Lloyd's framework for achieving "100X impact" through focus, leverage, and persistence

- The launch and vision of Ardent Mentoring: connecting 500 world-class mentors with Christian social entrepreneurs

- Why some leaders struggle to pause and examine their lives during seasons of success

- The four essential types of leverage: platform, people, process, and the power of the Spirit

Notable Quotes:

"Focus plus leverage, plus persistence equals 100x compounding return on life." - Lloyd Reeb

"I'm going to have to have some freedom in order to decide what my core calling is."

"You don't have to sell your company to go make a meaningful impact in the world."

Practical Takeaways:

- How to evaluate whether you're trading "priceless things for merely valuable things"

- The importance of listening to the Spirit's guidance in mentoring and coaching others

- Practical steps for decluttering life and focusing on high-impact activities

- Understanding the difference between coaching, mentoring, and discipling

- Ways to overcome the three main barriers to impact: complexity, comfort, and complacency

- The power of keeping a "Book of Days" to record God's faithfulness and direction

Special Focus: Ardent Mentoring Initiative

Lloyd shares his latest venture connecting experienced Christian leaders with the next generation of kingdom-minded entrepreneurs, aiming to provide targeted expertise and mentoring to accelerate kingdom impact.

This episode offers invaluable wisdom for entrepreneurs seeking to build lives and businesses of lasting significance. Lloyd's decades of experience helping leaders navigate their halftime journey provides practical insights for those looking to achieve meaningful, multiplicative returns in both business and ministry. His emphasis on long-term investment in eternal returns rather than short-term gains offers a compelling framework for faith-driven entrepreneurs.

Resources Mentioned:

- "From Success to Significance" by Lloyd Reeb

- Halftime Institute

- Ardent Mentoring

- "The Social Entrepreneur" (co-authored with Chris Crane)