Nancy Newmister didn't set out to rebuild a 183-year-old insurance company during a pandemic. She started at 19 in the industry, spent 42 years climbing through progressive roles at Harleysville, Liberty Mutual, and Berkeley, and in 2015 said yes to what she calls her dream job: President and CEO of Frederick Mutual Insurance Company. But the dream came with a price. A super commute for five years. A company that needed everything rebuilt. A year in a wheelchair after vacuuming stink bugs off the ceiling. And more than a few spiritual attacks along the way.

But this conversation isn't really about insurance. It's about a woman who learned to stop white-knuckling spreadsheets at 3 AM and start surrendering to the God who had been leading her all along. It's about speaking the name of Jesus in boardrooms where people quietly told her not to. It's about leading a 174-year-old startup through COVID, a reinsurance crisis, a technology overhaul, exiting a major line of business, and ultimately finding the right partner to preserve the mission, the brand, and the people she loved.

Leaders On Tap is brought to you by C12 Maryland, where Christian CEOs and business owners come together to build great businesses for a greater purpose.

ABOUT THE GUEST
Nancy Newmister served as President and CEO of Frederick Mutual Insurance Company from 2015 through its strategic partnership with Northern Neck Insurance Company. With over 42 years in the insurance industry across four companies, Nancy led Frederick Mutual through a complete operational rebuild, a pandemic, a technology transformation, and a mutual holding company transition. She is a champion of Proverbs 27:17 leadership, a mother of two, grandmother of two, and a believer in business as ministry. Nancy now serves as Strategic Advisor helping integrate Frederick Mutual and Northern Neck Insurance.

CONNECT
C12 Maryland: https://c12md.com
Take The More Audit: https://themoreaudit.com

SUBSCRIBE for more conversations with Christian leaders building great businesses for a greater purpose.

#LeadersOnTap #FaithAndWork #ChristianLeadership #WomenInLeadership #InsuranceIndustry #BusinessAsMinistry #Surrender #Proverbs2717 #KingdomBusiness

⏱️ CHAPTERS

• 00:00:00 Welcome to Leaders On Tap: Meet Nancy Newmister
• 00:05:24 From 19 to CEO: Nancy's Faith Journey & Career Path
• 00:07:30 The Dream Job & The Super Commute: Saying Yes to Frederick Mutual
• 00:10:02 Baptism by Fire: Rebuilding a 174-Year-Old Startup
• 00:14:46 COVID, Quick Decisions & The Power of Great Leaders
• 00:17:24 Speaking His Name: Bringing Faith Into the Boardroom
• 00:20:19 The Cost of Leadership: Marriage, Super Commuting & Spiritual Attacks
• 00:27:52 Kurt's Conversion & Business as Ministry
• 00:30:13 Prayer Warriors & Wednesday Morning Intercession
• 00:38:19 Stink Bugs, Surrender & A Year in a Wheelchair
• 00:42:22 White Knuckling It: From Spreadsheets at 3 AM to Letting Go
• 00:52:21 Hard Decisions: Exiting Personal Lines & Protecting People
• 00:55:42 The Mutual Holding Company Structure & Opening New Options
• 00:58:41 The Perfect Storm: Reinsurance Crisis & Finding a Partner
• 01:01:46 Northern Neck Insurance: Preserving the Mission & The Brand
• 01:05:38 Ephesians 3:20 & Immeasurably More Than We Imagine
• 01:08:42 What God Is Doing: Slowing Down, Seeking Him First & Celebrating Small Wins
• 01:12:26 Advice for Women Leaders: Protect Your Heart, Your Faith & Your Body
• 01:14:49 Be Who You Are: Confidence, Clean Eating & The Power of Self-Esteem
• 01:24:05 The Fruit of Faithful Leadership: Lisa, Kurt & A Legacy of Prayer
• 01:26:25 Proverbs 27:17 & Sharpening Each Other in Love
• 01:29:10 Final Words: Stay the Course, Keep God Close & Seek Godly Counsel

Cliff Peterson didn't set out to build a ministry disguised as an IT company. He started with a criminology degree, a broken wrist that ended his law enforcement dreams, and a punch card computer class in the 70s. He became one of Microsoft's first 1,000 employees, walked away from stock options in 1994 because it was costing him his family, bounced through federal service at NIH, rode the dot-com wave into the ground, and spent 18 months unemployed with six kids at home while his mom paid his mortgage and his sister bought groceries.

Today he runs Integrency, a five-person managed service provider in Maryland built on a name that fuses integrity and transparency. But this conversation isn't really about IT. It's about a man who spent 40 years wandering the wilderness trying to figure out his calling, only to realize at 50-something that God called him to be a nerd and use that gift to love and serve others.

Leaders On Tap is brought to you by C12 Maryland, where Christian CEOs and business owners come together to build great businesses for a greater purpose.

ABOUT THE GUEST
Cliff Peterson is the founder and CEO of Integrency, a managed service provider in Maryland serving 65 clients with a team of five. He's been in IT since the late 70s, was one of Microsoft's first 1,000 employees, and has spent over 40 years learning that his calling wasn't to be a pastor or preacher but to be a nerd who loves and serves others through technology. He's been married for 43 years, has six kids and five grandkids, and works from the same family room as his wife, who he calls his best friend on the whole planet.

CONNECT
Integrancy: Serving Montgomery and Frederick County, Maryland
C12 Maryland: https://c12md.com
Take The More Audit: https://themoreaudit.com

SUBSCRIBE for more conversations with Christian leaders building great businesses for a greater purpose.

#LeadersOnTap #FaithAndWork #ChristianLeadership #BusinessAsMinistry #ITMinistry #ManagedServices #Entrepreneurship #Discipleship #KingdomBusiness

⏱️ CHAPTERS

• 00:00:00 Introduction: From Microsoft to Ministry
• 00:01:35 Integrancy: Where Integrity Meets Transparency
• 00:03:34 From Criminology to Computers: An Unexpected Path
• 00:05:22 Microsoft Years & The Cost of Success
• 00:06:54 Gaming as Ministry: PS1441 & Protecting Kids Online
• 00:09:14 Dot-Com Crash & 18 Months Unemployed
• 00:12:39 The Miracle Tree: Learning to See God's Presence
• 00:15:05 Hardy Boys & What Really Matters
• 00:16:55 Busyness, Balance & Protecting What Matters
• 00:18:35 Prayer Life: The Closet & The Commute
• 00:19:53 Zero-Turn Tractors & Finding Your Zone
• 00:20:56 Hiring for Heart: Teaching Skills, Not Character
• 00:23:10 AI: Pandora's Box & The Future of IT
• 00:25:31 AI Wisdom: Local Models & Protecting Client Data
• 00:28:02 Faith in the Marketplace: Not a Christian Business
• 00:31:02 Why Are You Different? The Question That Matters
• 00:32:31 Called to Be a Nerd: 40 Years in the Wilderness
• 00:33:48 Business as Ministry: The Great Commission in IT
• 00:37:02 Dream Small: The Power of a Local Mission Field
• 00:38:53 The Whale Client Dilemma: Growth with Purpose
• 00:40:16 Racing to the Bottom: A Healthy Relationship with Money
• 00:44:09 Hands Around Your Neck: Trust & Delegation
• 00:45:02 No Margin, No Mission: The CFO's Warning
• 00:46:40 Transition Planning: What Comes Next?
• 00:49:53 The Mission Can't Be Sold: Protecting What Matters
• 00:51:37 Beyond the Multiple: Tri-Value Transition
• 00:52:52 Teaching as Calling: Making People Too Good to Afford
• 00:54:14 Prime Time at 66: Steve Tate's Example
• 00:56:03 Money Isn't Evil: Putting Wealth in Its Place
• 00:56:51 No Richest Man in the Cemetery: Advice to the Young
• 00:58:47 The Fruit We Hope For: Family & Generational Investment
• 01:00:01 Working Together: The Unexpected Blessing of Partnership
• 01:02:39 The Work-Life Balance: Keeping Work in Its Place
• 01:03:48 Mentoring Young Couples: Strength Through Struggle
• 01:04:49 Remember He's Right Here: The Closing Challenge

Jason Fruling didn't set out to build a pickleball empire. He started in law enforcement products, moved through consulting, survived cancer, and found himself on a court in Middle River, Maryland taking a Pickleball 101 class. Today he's scaling multiple companies across the pickleball ecosystem including Hex Pro Performance paddles, Pickle Pickle distribution, the Pickleball House facility, and a stealth AI venture that he believes will change the sporting world.

But this conversation isn't really about pickleball. It's about a serial entrepreneur shaped by a single mother who worked for the state, a grandfather who taught him black and white business principles in the 1980s, and a near-death health crisis that forced him to lose 100 pounds and rethink what legacy actually means.

In this episode:
• From law enforcement to home improvement to pickleball: the unconventional path of a serial entrepreneur
• Growing up with a single mom who worked for the state and the grandfather who shaped his business mind
• Why business is a game and how that mindset serves leaders without making them ruthless
• The cancer diagnosis, the 10 months on the couch, and the 100 pound transformation
• "Every bless is a blessing": how suffering reshaped his outlook on health, family, and time
• What his daughter said that made him realize he's still evolving as a dad and a man
• GAS, GSD, TNT: the three principles Jason teaches every team and partner
• Why he ripped apart 50 pickleball paddles and built a better mousetrap at half the price
• The dirty secret of the home improvement industry and why 85% fail in three years
• Thoughtful process: how Jason evaluates opportunity without making snap decisions
• Building partnerships that work: defining roles, staying in your lane, and trusting the decision
• The Pickleball House turnaround: from struggling facility to family fun destination
• Hex Pro Performance, Pickle Pickle distribution, and the AI product nobody's ready for
• Vertical integration across paddles, facilities, distribution, and software
• Why he promotes his competition and believes when the tide rises all ships rise
• Coachable moments: the empathetic alternative to discipline that actually works
• Legacy beyond the business: building generational wealth with guardrails for grandkids
• Faith without fluff: how God delivers just in time, right time, every time

Leaders On Tap is brought to you by C12 Maryland, where Christian CEOs and business owners come together to build great businesses for a greater purpose.

ABOUT THE GUEST
Jason Fruling is a serial entrepreneur and operating partner across multiple ventures in the pickleball industry. He's the founder of Hex Pro Performance paddles, co-owner of the Pickleball House in Middle River, Maryland, and CEO of Pickle Pickle, a national distribution company serving over 30 brands across six brick and mortar locations with aggressive expansion underway. He's also co-founder of a stealth AI venture in development for 10 months with applications across sports, food, and healthcare. A former consultant to Fortune 500 companies and federal contractors, Jason is a cancer survivor, father of two, and believer in doing right by people while building businesses that win.

CONNECT
Hex Pro Performance: https://hexpro.com
Pickle Pickle Distribution: https://picklpickl.com
The Pickleball House: Middle River, MD
C12 Maryland: https://c12md.com
Take The More Audit: https://themoreaudit.com

SUBSCRIBE for more conversations with Christian leaders building for a greater purpose.

#LeadersOnTap #Pickleball #SerialEntrepreneur #FaithAndWork #ChristianLeadership #Entrepreneurship #BusinessAsMinistry #PickleballBusiness

⏱️ CHAPTERS

• 00:00:00 Welcome to the Pickleball House: A New Kind of Leaders On Tap
• 00:03:21 Who is Jason Fruling? Dad, Believer & Serial Entrepreneur
• 00:07:49 Growing Up with Little: The Drive Behind the Success
• 00:10:57 This is a Game & I Play to Win: Jason's Business Philosophy
• 00:18:18 Coachable Moments: Leading with Empathy & Radical Candor
• 00:22:33 From Law Enforcement to Home Improvement: An Entrepreneurial Journey
• 00:30:33 The Problem with Contractors & Why Jason Stayed in Home Improvement
• 00:34:45 Cancer, 100 Pounds & Finding Pickleball: A Health Crisis Turned Gift
• 00:38:56 What His Daughter Sees: The Evolution of a Leader & Father
• 00:41:39 Building a Better Mousetrap: How Hex Pro Performance Was Born
• 00:46:55 The Thoughtful Process: How Jason Makes Strategic Decisions
• 00:50:13 Multiple Revenue Streams: The Business Model Behind Pickleball Success
• 00:53:34 The Pickleball Ecosystem: Paddles, Distribution & AI Innovation
• 00:57:46 Partnerships & Definition: The Secret to Strategic Relationships
• 00:59:46 Generational Wealth & Legacy: What Success Really Means
• 01:05:29 GAS, GSD & TNT: Jason's Three Principles for Forward Movement
• 01:09:49 When the Tide Rises, All Ships Rise: A Buffalo Culture

Chris Miller didn't set out to build a brewery empire. He started as a trained arborist with a forestry degree from Virginia Tech who loved working outdoors. Today, he's a partner in Lone Oak Farm, a vertically integrated operation in Olney, Maryland featuring a brewery, distillery, speakeasy, and event venue that's hosted 2,600 events over six years. But this conversation isn't really about beer.

It's about a man shaped by mentors and family who learned to build businesses that serve community over profit, who leads a Tuesday night Bible study that's grown from five guys in a tent to 300 men, and who's navigating health crises, multiple ventures, and fatherhood while asking one question: What is God preparing me for?

In this episode:
• From arborist to entrepreneur: how a forestry degree and family farm roots led to Lone Oak
• The fallen tree story: how the 250-year-old Lone Oak came down at 10:10 p.m. and what it means
• Opening a brewery three months into COVID and pivoting to hand sanitizer to survive
• Building with the right partners: why the father-son builder team made all the difference
• The health crisis that nearly took Chris down: seizures, neurological issues, and the doctor he met in a grocery store
• From symptoms to solutions: why testing beats guessing and how AI is changing healthcare
• Holy Health app: building technology that heals mind, body, and spirit
• GetLiquid.io: blockchain infrastructure for private credit lending and the kingdom vision behind it
• The Peacemakers: how a five-person Bible study in a tent became 300 men and a mobile app
• Paul Kukulis: the humble mentor who planted seeds and modeled faithful living
• Building a business that glorifies God while selling alcohol: Jesus' first miracle and family-friendly design
• The dream: buying land, discipling college men, and building a K-12 Christian academy
• Delegation, communication, and building a self-managing business
• Surrender: what it means to give it all to God when you can't even drive yourself to the grocery store
• The 20-year vision: making disciples who make disciples for eternity

Leaders On Tap is brought to you by C12 Maryland, where Christian CEOs and business owners come together to build great businesses for a greater purpose.

ABOUT THE GUEST
Chris Miller is a partner at Lone Oak Farm, a vertically integrated brewery, distillery, and event venue in Olney, Maryland. He's also COO of GetLiquid.io, a blockchain platform for private credit lending, and co-founder of several faith-driven ventures including the Holy Health app. A certified arborist and Virginia Tech graduate, Chris leads the Peacemakers, a Tuesday night Bible study that's grown to 300 men, and lives on the farm with his wife and growing family.

CONNECT
Lone Oak Farm: https://loneoakfarm.com
GetLiquid.io: https://getliquid.io
Peacemakers App: Available on iOS and Android
C12 Maryland: https://c12md.com
Take The More Audit: https://themoreaudit.com

SUBSCRIBE for more conversations with Christian leaders building for a greater purpose.

#LeadersOnTap #FaithAndWork #ChristianLeadership #LoneOakFarm #Peacemakers #KingdomBusiness #Entrepreneurship #Discipleship #BusinessAsMinistry

⏱️ CHAPTERS

• 00:00:00 Welcome to Lone Oak Farm
• 00:01:21 From Arborist to Brewery Owner: An Unexpected Journey
• 00:03:41 Finding the Property & The Vision for Lone Oak
• 00:09:36 The Fallen Tree & Opening During COVID
• 00:13:34 Partnership Philosophy & Building the Right Team
• 00:14:50 Hand Sanitizer Pivot: God's Provision in Crisis
• 00:16:49 Holy Health & AI Innovation: Beyond the Brewery
• 00:18:11 A Health Crisis & The Journey to Healing
• 00:21:19 GetLiquid: Building Blockchain Infrastructure for Private Credit
• 00:25:54 The Peacemakers: From Five Guys to 300 Men
• 00:26:41 Paul Kukulis: A Mentor Who Planted Seeds
• 00:32:23 Juggling Ventures: Priorities, Kinks & Kingdom Dreams
• 00:38:03 Faith in the Brewery Business: People, Place, Process, Product
• 00:42:16 Business as Ministry: Embedded Faith vs. Transactional Models
• 00:50:16 The Long Vision: Disciples Making Disciples for Eternity
• 00:52:36 Testing, AI & Taking Health Into Your Own Hands
• 00:56:15 Surrender, Systems & The Right People
• 01:00:12 Closing: Prayers for Family & Finding the Mission

Rich Daughtridge didn't set out to build a cinema empire during a pandemic. He started with a rundown 10-screen theater in the middle of a cornfield that no one else wanted. Today, Warehouse Cinemas is one of the top-performing independent cinema circuits in the country, and Rich is helping reshape an entire industry.

But this conversation isn't really about movies. It's about a former professional soccer player who learned that practice is harder than the game, a visionary who had to learn to partner well, and a leader who chose to build something that serves people over profit while still driving serious results.

In this episode:
• From professional soccer to entrepreneurship: what five years with the Baltimore Blast taught Rich about leadership
• The rookie mistakes of starting HighRock Marketing, and why ego nearly got in the way
• The art of partnership: operating agreements, same page meetings, and why trust takes constant work
• How a dilapidated cinema became the genesis of the Warehouse brand
• The $7 million bet on a cinema during COVID when everyone said the big screen was dead
• Fast casual food, beer walls, and Skyview: the innovations that unlocked the Warehouse model
• Why impact is a core business function alongside finance and marketing
• How EOS gave structure to the chaos and why visionaries need integrators
• Being a pastor's kid in the beer and Hollywood business: what business as ministry actually looks like
• The Golden Rule as the foundation of trust, and why intent matters more than outcomes
• Leadership According to Hollywood: the book Rich is writing with new CEO Brett King
• Relative profitability: why freedom and family matter more than the next deal
• Building destinations, from the barn gym to Berry Hill Lake
• What's next: scaling Warehouse, taking Trailer Fest national, and giving back to the industry

Leaders On Tap is brought to you by C12 Maryland, where Christian CEOs and business owners come together to build great businesses for a greater purpose.

ABOUT THE GUEST
Rich Daughtridge is the founder and visionary behind Warehouse Cinemas, a fast-growing independent cinema brand redefining the moviegoing experience with elevated food and beverage, leather recliners, and a community-first approach. He's also the founder of HighRock Marketing and a board leader with the Independent Cinema Alliance. A former professional soccer player with the Baltimore Blast, Rich lives in Maryland with his wife of 27 years and is a proud dad to three Liberty University grads.

CONNECT
Rich on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richdaughtridge/
Warehouse Cinemas: https://warehousecinemas.com
High Rock Marketing: https://highrock.com
C12 Maryland: https://c12md.com
Take The More Audit: https://themoreaudit.com

SUBSCRIBE for more conversations with Christian leaders building for a greater purpose.

#LeadersOnTap #FaithAndWork #ChristianLeadership #WarehouseCinemas #EOS #Entrepreneurship #Visionary #BusinessAsMinistry

⏱️ CHAPTERS

• 00:00:00 Intro
• 00:00:55 From the field to the boardroom: lessons from professional soccer
• 00:05:08 Youth sports, balance & raising kids in a travel-team world
• 00:09:00 High Rock Marketing: rookie moves & learning to lead people
• 00:10:34 Partnerships: the best and worst part of business
• 00:13:51 Handing the CEO baton: bringing in Brett King
• 00:17:15 Leitersburg Cinemas: the scrappy startup in a cornfield
• 00:27:55 Launching Warehouse Cinemas in the middle of COVID
• 00:29:15 Fast casual, beer walls & the Skyview patent
• 00:31:52 Impact as a core function: community, team & industry
• 00:41:08 27 beer taps & business as ministry
• 00:47:51 EOS: the operating system that unlocked scale
• 01:00:38 Visionary-integrator: rocket fuel with Greg
• 01:04:55 Leadership According to Hollywood: writing the book
• 01:05:24 A pastor's son: humility, confidence & taking care of people
• 01:09:46 Relative profitability: freedom, family & 27 years of marriage
• 01:18:50 Building destinations: the barn, the cabin & Berry Hill Lake
• 01:22:31 What's next: 10X thinking, scaling Warehouse & going national
• 01:29:05 Final takeaways: intent, trust & doing unto others

Will Cox spent 15 years in ministry with Young Life before stepping into the business world. When he did, he didn't start at the top. He started at the bottom of the org chart, getting feedback on his emails from a 23-year-old scheduler. Today he leads 700 caregivers serving hundreds of Maryland seniors and their families as CEO of Avila Home Care.

But this conversation isn't really about home care. It's about a truth Will learned leading teenagers and now sees every day with seniors: your value has nothing to do with what you've accomplished.

In this episode:
- Why a Young Life leader moving two doors down changed the trajectory of Will's life
- How his father came to faith, and the locked-door moment that connects Will to the work he does now
- The mentor who saw "executive leadership" on a resume that just said "Young Life staff"
- Why Avila is named after a saint, and what "Christ has no body now but yours" has to do with hiring caregivers
- How to build culture across 700 people with brutal industry turnover
- Why clear is kind, and how direct feedback is an act of love
- Ephesians 2:8-10 and the tension of working hard without trying to prove your worth
- The breath prayer Will says in his driveway before he walks in the door

Leaders On Tap is brought to you by C12 Maryland, where Christian CEOs and business owners come together to build great businesses for a greater purpose.

ABOUT THE GUEST
Will Cox is the CEO of Avila Home Care, a private duty home care agency helping seniors age in place across Maryland. Avila's motto is "thriving in the home you love."

CONNECT
C12 Maryland: https://c12md.com
Take The More Audit (a 7-question read on your leadership): https://themoreaudit.com
Avila Home Care: https://avilahomecare.com

SUBSCRIBE for more conversations with Christian leaders building for a greater purpose.

⏱️ CHAPTERS

• 00:00:00 Intro
• 00:01:51 Growing up in chaos & discovering Young Life
• 00:03:25 His father's transformation at Young Life camp
• 00:04:17 Honoring your father & seeing God in the pain
• 00:05:25 What is Young Life? Relationship over program
• 00:07:03 15 years in ministry & the passion to see people thrive
• 00:09:00 From area director to care coordinator: starting at the bottom
• 00:12:22 Avila Home Care: 700 caregivers & the sacred work of aging in place
• 00:15:00 The door between us: his father's final months & the role of caregivers
• 00:16:25 Teenagers and seniors: the same struggle for value
• 00:17:58 Senior prom & thriving in the home you love
• 00:19:18 Building culture with 700 caregivers: the power of being seen
• 00:22:37 Sacred work: stepping into someone's home & owning our mistakes
• 00:24:31 Coaching, candor & the cost of sloppy agape
• 00:27:12 Scaling the business & learning to say no
• 00:29:32 Work hard, stay humble & the two things he looks for when hiring
• 00:31:38 Saved by grace, created for works: the Ephesians 2 tension
• 00:32:54 Spiritual disciplines & the litmus test of multitasking with God
• 00:34:16 The fruit 20 years from now: kids who want to come home
• 00:37:01 Do the right thing & trust God with the bottom line
• 00:38:58 Four hours: a breath prayer for showing up at home
• 00:41:12 Making faith relatable: adventure, friendship & the awe of God

Steve Tate calls himself a pilgrim, not a CEO. After 25 years at the NSA and 20 years building BCT — a defense IT company protecting the country in silence — he's still showing up to work at 75 because the business is a vehicle for something bigger than the business itself.

In this conversation with David Weigelt, Steve opens up about the 17-year journey through his late wife Jackie's cancer, the philosophy that's shaped every decision ("pray as if it all depends on God, work as if it all depends on you"), starting Bible studies in classified workplaces, building a benevolence foundation that may outlive his company, and what it looks like to remarry at 75 to a woman who'd already had a 48-year successful marriage of her own.

Steve's story is unusual because he didn't come to faith and then build a company. He was saved in 1986 by an imperfect boss who handed him a Thompson Chain Reference Bible inside one of the most secretive workplaces in America, and the trajectory of everything that followed — the company, the foundation, the mission trips, the marriage, the way he leads people — flowed downstream from that moment. He's spent four decades testing whether the gospel actually holds up under pressure: under classified clearances, under federal contracting cycles, under the slow grief of a wife dying by inches, under the question of what to do with money you didn't strictly need.

This is faith and work without the platitudes. A fellow operator sharing what he's actually learned, in his actual voice, about an actual life.

🎙️

ABOUT THE GUEST Steve Tate is the founder and CEO of BCT, a 100-person federal IT contractor doing classified work for the U.S. intelligence community. He's a former NSA executive, a mission team leader, and the founder of a benevolence foundation supporting pastors, churches, and ministries. Earlier in his career he led a controversial program at the agency that earned him panic buttons on his desk and a Thompson Chain Reference Bible from the boss who introduced him to Christ.

⏱️ CHAPTERS

(00:00) Welcome to the new Frederick Creators Studio

(00:55) "I'm a pilgrim" — Steve's operating posture

(03:20) The circle technique and who gets in

(05:10) Saved in 1986 by an imperfect boss

(08:30) Leaving NSA and the program that earned him panic buttons

(12:15) His father, ELINT, and a chair at Johns Hopkins (17:00) Bringing Bible studies to classified workplaces (20:30) Pray as if it depends on God, work as if it depends on you

(24:10) Sloppy agape and the theology of good work

(27:45) Tithing the company and using business as a vehicle

(31:20) Jackie's 17-year cancer journey and the miracles along the way

(36:00) The foundation, Mark Mayer, and stewarding pastors

(42:30) Mission work, generosity, and a glimpse of heaven (47:15) Remarrying at 75 — two pilgrims, two worlds

(52:00) Reaping what you sow: the fruit Steve couldn't have engineered

(55:30) Final word: encouragement for the journey

📬 STAY CONNECTED Attend a Leaders On Tap live event: leadersontap.live

#LeadersOnTap #FaithAndWork #ChristianBusiness #C12 #KingdomBusiness #Stewardship

What does it look like to build a company where grace is a core value, generosity is a way of doing business, and the name literally means "the glory of God"?

In this episode of Leaders On Tap, David Weigelt sits down with Scott Ryser — former co-founder and CEO of Yakabod, a Frederick, Maryland-based tech company that served the federal government and intelligence community before being acquired in 2025 after 22 years.

Scott shares the raw, honest journey of going from attending church as a habit to genuinely knowing God — and what it meant to try to live that out on Tuesday. He opens up about launching Yakabod during the dot-com era, navigating federal contracting, surviving sequestration, pivoting the business three times, and ultimately recognizing that the company was less a tech venture and more a laboratory for learning how to do kingdom business.

Whether you're a business leader wrestling with what faith looks like at work, a founder facing a hard pivot, or someone sensing there's "more" to your calling, this conversation will challenge and encourage you.

Topics covered:

• Going from religion to relationship with God
• Launching a faith-named company (Yakabod = "God's Glory" in Hebrew) and defending it at startup conferences
• 50/50 business partnerships — why they often fail and why Scott's worked
• Federal government contracting with Kingdom values
• "No/Know God → For God → With God" — the three stages of faith in business
• What makes a kingdom business different from a Christian business
• The peace that showed up in Yakabod's office — and why even non-believers noticed
• Surviving fiscal cliffs and sequestration by leaning into generosity
• Three pivots across 22 years and how to know when to reinvent
• The Kingdom Operating System: Identity, Strategy, and Territory
• Scott's book: At Work As in Heaven
• The acquisition story — how faith shaped the decision to sell
• What Scott is building next (and why he's okay not having it all figured out)

Subscribe to Leaders On Tap for conversations with Maryland and national business leaders who are integrating their faith with their work.

#kingdombusiness #christianleadership #faithatwork #christianentrepreneur #LeadersOnTap #marketplaceministry #BusinessAndFaith #ChristianCEO #kingdomculturemovement #entrepreneurship #maryland

We're all finite, fragile, fallen, and fallible humans — me king amongst those people."

In this episode of Leaders On Tap, host David Weigelt sits down at RAK Brewing Co. with Vineet Rajan — Co-founder and CEO of Forte, the mental fitness platform helping employers care for the whole person, "for the healthy AND the hurting."

Vineet is a former U.S. Marine Corps Major and intelligence officer, a Stanford MBA, a Cambridge-trained scholar, and a multi-time founder. He grew up in Maryland, joined the Marines a week after 9/11, spent 11 years in uniform, and was on the verge of buying a company when — on a walk through the woods — he felt called to build one instead.

What we get into:
- How a walk in the woods during COVID redirected his career path
- Why "anything worthwhile pursuing, you're not qualified to do"
- The rebrand from Paraclete → Forte, and from "soul care" → "mental fitness"
- The loneliness epidemic: 3–5 close confidants in the 80s → less than 1 today
- Why Forte's coaches are the "magic" — and why an EAP is not a people strategy
- AI in mental wellness — and where humans are non-negotiable
- Privacy, data ethics, and the time he tore up a Fortune 50 contract
- Building a faith-driven cap table ("God's will, God's bill")
- "We're not building a cult, we're building a company" — board governance
- Navigating a co-founder transition with grace
- Imago Dei in the product — without a single "Christian" word
- Live audience Q&A with a special appearance from Vineet's 10-year-old daughter Neylah

Whether you're a CEO, founder, C12 member, or leader trying to care for hurting people on your team, this is one of the most candid, faith-forward conversations on what it takes to build a healthy company.

Charles Griffin, former founder and CEO of Next Rev Technologies, shares his journey through exit and post-exit, highlighting the challenges, faith, and family balance. The conversation explores the pivotal moments, decision-making, and the impact of the post-exit period on personal growth and purpose. The conversation delves into the personal and professional journey of the speaker, highlighting the impact of identity, financial success, and time freedom. It also emphasizes the importance of faith, reflection, and discernment in decision-making.

Takeaways

• Faithful Leadership
• Balancing Work and Family Identity and Financial Success
• Time Freedom and Family
• Faith, Reflection, and Discernment

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction to Charles Griffin
• 07:11 Vulnerability and Family Impact
• 14:09 Deal Closure and Post-Exit Period
• 20:26 Post-Exit Reflection and Purpose
• 33:00 Time Freedom and Family
• 39:18 Faith, Reflection, and Discernment