Leaders On Tap

Gordon Cooley will tell you he’s “just a guy” who does what people ask him to do. Ask around Maryland and you’ll hear something different: he’s the person who gets invited into the room when a board, a bank, or a nonprofit needs careful, candid, realistic counsel. A retired banking attorney, former General Counsel at Farmers & Mechanics National Bank, former Commissioner of Financial Regulation for the State of Maryland, and now Chair of the Board at Woodsboro Bank, Gordon has spent a career on both sides of the table. This conversation is about what he learned there and what he’s still trying to give back.

David starts in Hyattstown, where a 98-seat church taught a boy what it looks like to stand alongside a neighbor who needs help, and follows the thread through a career built on saying yes: a small general-practice firm, in-house counsel at a Frederick bank, the move from the courtroom to the business side, savings-and-loan-era acquisitions, and finally regulating the industry he had served. Gordon explains why the right lawyer isn’t the one who says “you can’t” but the one who lays out your options; why a small business should keep a relationship with both a community bank and a larger one; why he told bankers to call their regulator before launching something new; and why “buyer beware” applies to the out-of-state lender that sweeps your deposits every day.

The heart of the episode is governance, explained for fifth graders. Gordon’s green-pickup-truck illustration shows how decision-making changes the moment a business has stakeholders beyond the family, and David connects it to oikonomia, the biblical word for stewardship, and to an 800-person C12 member company whose ESOP turned governance from a legal requirement into a felt responsibility. Gordon’s challenge to every owner: when did you last read your own charter or bylaws? Then it turns personal: the 2013 PNC reorganization that eliminated his position and why it didn’t shake him, the ageism he sees discounting experienced leaders, whether his faith has ever cost him anything, the donor-advised fund he and his wife Teresa opened at the Community Foundation of Frederick County in 1999, and the estrangement he’s praying our community will heal by finding the 100 things out of 102 we agree on.

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

Gordon M. Cooley is a retired corporate attorney and banker based in Frederick, Maryland. He began in private practice, joined a Frederick bank as in-house counsel, and went on to serve as General Counsel at Farmers & Mechanics National Bank, later holding leadership roles with Mercantile Bankshares, PNC Bank, and First United Bank & Trust. He served the State of Maryland as Commissioner of Financial Regulation. Gordon has served on the boards of Hood College, Frederick Health, the United Way of Frederick County, the Community Foundation of Frederick County, and the Maryland Humanities Council, among many others, and has chaired the Board of Directors of Woodsboro Bank, Frederick County’s longest-standing community bank, since January 2025. He and his wife Teresa have two children and two grandchildren.

CONNECT

Woodsboro Bank: https://www.woodsborobank.com

Community Foundation of Frederick County: https://www.frederickcountygives.org

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 #Governance #Stewardship #CommunityBanking #SmallBusiness #FrederickMD #Oikonomia #ServantLeadership

⏱️ CHAPTERS

• 00:00:00 Welcome: Why This One Is Especially Dear
• 00:01:46 Raising Kids Who Serve: What's Caught, Not Taught
• 00:04:28 Hyattstown: A 98-Seat Church That Modeled Service
• 00:07:45 The Right Lawyer Doesn't Just Say No
• 00:10:22 From Private Practice to the Business Side of Banking
• 00:14:40 What Small Business Owners Should Know About Banks
• 00:19:50 Both Sides of the Table: Lessons as Maryland's Commissioner of Financial Regulation
• 00:24:08 Buyer Beware: Alternative Lenders & Reading the Documents
• 00:31:05 Is Maryland Business-Friendly? Regulation, Family Leave & Healthcare
• 00:36:33 The Sleeper: Why Gordon Gets Invited Into the Room
• 00:40:13 Governance for Fifth Graders: Paint the Trucks Green
• 00:47:21 An 800-Person ESOP Story: Ownership Changes Culture
• 00:50:05 When Did You Last Read Your Charter?
• 00:53:28 A Quiet Faith: Saying Yes & Giving Back What the Community Gave
• 00:57:51 2013: Losing a Position at PNC & Why It Didn't Shake Him
• 01:00:05 Ageism: Don't Discount the Experience Around You
• 01:04:50 Has Your Faith Ever Cost You Anything?
• 01:09:44 The Fruit: A Donor-Advised Fund Since 1999
• 01:13:22 Grandkids & What He Hopes They Say
• 01:14:28 Takeaways & a Prayer for Healing Our Estrangement

Frank Kelly never set out to run a 500-person family business. He started as a Cornell lacrosse player who thought surrendering his life to Christ at 20 meant missions, not the marketplace. Forty years later, Kelly Benefits is celebrating its 50th anniversary with seven headquarters moves, 17 summer interns, and a next generation of five family members who left prestigious careers to come back and build something eternal. But this conversation isn't about insurance.

It's about a man who learned from his parents that God owns it all, who told a private equity suitor offering "monster money" that the business isn't his to sell, because it belongs to God, who sits in Tuesday morning meetings with his three brothers and works to practice what they preach: admit when you're wrong, apologize fast, and keep a short account. Frank walks through the power of praise in the hardest moments, the six Ts of giving (treasure, time, talent, testimony, truth, and thanks), why their mission and five scriptures are etched in glass in the lobby as a daily reminder, how they invest in summer camp scholarships and marriage retreats for employees, and the moment his dad got on his knees in a bedroom in Timonium and prayed for a business that could provide for five kids. He explains why being filled with the Holy Spirit is the only way to love and go effectively, why confession needs to happen every minute and not just once a quarter, why the marketplace is a mission field, and what it means to be a steward instead of an owner.

Along the way, David and Frank talk about the difference between team and family, the Baltimore Prayer Circles movement that started with 12 CEOs on Zoom during COVID and now includes 17 other circles praying over a city where the murder rate has dropped from 340 to below 200, the Chuck Colson prophecy that Baltimore would be changed by prayer, why Frank's daughter is battling Lyme disease after 10 years of misdiagnosis, and what Frank's dad said at a Baltimore Prayer Circle gathering in front of 250 people when someone asked how he remembers the names of 21 grandkids and 10 great-grandkids: I pray for them all by name every day. It's one of the most grounded and grace-filled conversations Leaders On Tap has recorded about what it means to build a legacy business for the glory of God.

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
Frank Kelly is CEO of Kelly Benefits, a 50-year-old family business based in Maryland with roughly 500 employees, seven headquarters moves, and a mission to pursue excellence in an effort to bring honor and glory to God. He has been with the company for 40 years after a spiritual awakening at Cornell University in 1984. Frank leads alongside his three brothers, with five next-generation family members now in the business. He is the founder of the Baltimore Prayer Circles movement, which began with 12 CEOs praying monthly during COVID and has grown to 17 circles across the city. Frank and his wife Gail have been married 39 years and have four children, two daughters-in-law, and four grandsons. He is the author of a book on 12 powerful truths for abundant life, including chapters on praise, purpose, the Holy Spirit, and giving.

CONNECT
Kelly Benefits: https://kellybenefits.com
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 #FamilyBusiness #KingdomBusiness #BusinessAsMinistry #HolySpirit #BaltimoreRevival #Stewardship #LegacyBusiness

⏱️ CHAPTERS

• 00:00:00 Welcome to Leaders On Tap: Meet Frank Kelly
• 00:00:47 Being Filled & Emptying Out: The Framework for Abundant Life
• 00:03:17 The Power of Praise: Why It Comes First
• 00:07:49 From Cornell Lacrosse to Spiritual Awakening
• 00:08:49 Love & Go: Discovering God's Purpose
• 00:10:21 Kelly Benefits at 50: A Family Business Built on Faith
• 00:17:18 The Marketplace as Mission Field: Intern Videos & Living Out Faith at Work
• 00:27:49 God Owns It All: The Billion Dollar Test
• 00:34:00 Short Accounts: Conflict Resolution with Brothers in Business
• 00:34:41 Grace, Accountability & The Team vs. Family Distinction
• 00:43:15 Baltimore Prayer Circles: Praying a City Into Transformation
• 00:47:39 The Holy Spirit: The Key to Supernatural Living
• 00:52:58 Prayer Request: Healing for Jackie & Leading a Complex Family Business

Sathya Elumalai never set out to build a medical device company. He started as a lab technician at Johns Hopkins handling pancreatic cancer samples, watching patients die before the research could save them. That planted a seed: every minute counts. Years later, as his mother cycled through hospitals with chronic conditions, he asked a different question: What if our bodies had a check engine light? What if we could hear the whispers before the body cries? Today, AIDAR Health has FDA clearance, CE Mark, ISO certification, and a device called MouthLab that collects hundreds of thousands of biomarkers daily without blood draws, lab visits, or hospital trips. But this conversation isn't really about a device.

It's about a Hindu kid in India who met Jesus at age two in a neighbor's home, spent his teenage years lying to his parents so he could clean church floors on Saturday nights, gave up his visa and his paycheck to pursue a vision for his mom, lost both parents within three months in 2024, and came back to work the next week because he believes they're still alive through the company. Sathya walks through the gauntlet of building hardware, software, and AI on a shoestring, the NSF grant that required a university partnership in 72 hours, the biocompatibility expert who saved the company with a $5,000 test instead of a million-dollar dead end, the day COVID opened the FDA door, and the email from Leaders On Tap that arrived 10 minutes after he prayed for a way to be more open about his faith. He explains why he measures success by how many leaders he creates, why he's doing a PhD at Johns Hopkins to honor his father, why he works from midnight to 4 AM building a prayer app, and why the billion-person dream isn't just about a device but about giving people access to God.

Along the way, David and Sathya talk about surrender as the hardest discipline for entrepreneurs, mourning as an opportunity to draw closer to God, the regret of missing time with family while building something for family, why AI is a competitive edge but humans still need to be in the loop, and what it means to be the weakest vessel God could find to showcase His greatness. The conversation closes with Sathya’s charter for business and ministry: providing access to your body, access to God, and access to heaven. It's one of the most beautiful and raw founder stories Leaders On Tap has ever recorded.

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
Sathya Elumalai is the founder and CEO of AIDAR Health, a medical device and AI company that has developed MouthLab, an FDA-cleared, CE Mark certified device that collects hundreds of thousands of biomarkers daily from breath, saliva, and cardiovascular sensors without blood draws or lab visits. A former cancer researcher and Director of Innovation at Johns Hopkins, Satya has raised over $10 million, won NSF grants, been featured on Good Morning America, and been selected into the CMS Access Program to bill Medicare directly. He is currently pursuing his doctorate in public health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, building a prayer app, and writing a book on Kingdom entrepreneurship. Sathya was born in India to a Hindu family, met Jesus at age two through Christian neighbors, and lost both parents within three months in 2024.

CONNECT
ADAR Health: https://aidar.com
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 #HealthTech #MedicalDevices #AI #Entrepreneurship #KingdomBusiness #BusinessAsMinistry

⏱️ CHAPTERS

[FLIGHTCAST_CHAPTERS

Abe Pfeifer said no three times before he agreed to even visit Frederick, Maryland. Ten years later, New Life Church has grown 50% year over year for stretches, and Abe has become the rare pastor who is also a strong, wired leader. He spent two years in a C12 forum alongside Christian CEOs and business owners, and that season shaped this conversation: what business leaders bring to the church, what the church has to offer leaders who have drifted away, and why the "Ministry of Availability" beats treating church like a networking event or a TED Talk.

But the heart of this episode is Abe's own story of striving. A gifted leader who knows how to set a goal and move people toward it, he found himself getting in front of people with less and less to give. A planned sabbatical, built on New Life's core value of health, reset his daily rhythm with Jesus and birthed the book he is now piloting on eight rhythms of abiding. Abe and David talk candidly about why pastoring can be as lonely as the CEO seat, the sexual integrity stats that stunned a room of C12 members, Saul's armor and the leadership DNA God actually gave you, obedience as a response to love rather than a condition of it, and Dallas Willard's line that grace is not opposed to effort, only to earning. He closes with his vision for a church that is deeper, not just wider, and the practical advice to stop reading books that make you more productive and start reading the ones that make you more rooted.

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
Abe Pfeifer is the lead pastor of New Life Church in Frederick, Maryland, part of the Foursquare family of churches, where he has served for 10 years after pastoring in Salem, Oregon. Under his leadership New Life has grown into a multi-million-dollar ministry with a core value of health, including a sabbatical policy for its leaders. Abe spent two years as a member of a C12 forum and is the author of a forthcoming book on the rhythms of abiding, currently being piloted at New Life. He and his wife Stacey have children in ministry, including a son serving full-time in San Diego.

CONNECT
New Life Church: https://inewlife.church
Abe on Instagram: https://instagram.com/abepfeifer
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 #Abiding #Sabbatical #PastoralLeadership #SpiritualFormation #Discipleship #KingdomBusiness

⏱️ CHAPTERS

• 00:00:00 Welcome to Leaders On Tap: Meet Abe Pfeifer
• 00:01:10 Saying No to Frederick Three Times
• 00:03:40 Foursquare: An Entrepreneurial Movement Founded by a Woman
• 00:05:34 "I'm Not Going to Be a Pastor": From Mock Trial to the Pulpit
• 00:08:41 Sixth-Grade Class President & Stumbling Into Leadership
• 00:10:36 Shedding Saul's Armor: Confronting the Motivations Underneath
• 00:13:23 Discipleship Before Leadership: Identity in Christ Comes First
• 00:15:46 Making Disciples of Jesus, Not Mini-Me's
• 00:17:41 The Sexual Integrity Conversation & Bringing Your Pain to Jesus
• 00:21:53 A Pastor in a Room of CEOs: Two Years in C12
• 00:25:17 The Christian Bubble & Being Sent
• 00:27:27 To the Leader Who Has Drifted From Church
• 00:31:36 What Business Leaders Bring to the Church
• 00:33:45 The Ministry of Availability (Not a Networking Event)
• 00:36:13 "Keep Your Eyes on What Jesus Is Doing There"
• 00:37:41 Rootedness: God Put Me Here
• 00:39:45 Why Pastoring Is Lonely at the Top
• 00:42:07 David's Antidote: Vulnerability & Paul's Thorn
• 00:44:00 Why Abe Took a Sabbatical: Health as a Core Value
• 00:47:40 Leadership Is About Who You're Becoming
• 00:49:18 How He Planned the Sabbatical
• 00:50:47 What Was Most Fruitful: A New Daily Rhythm With Jesus
• 00:52:38 The Pendulum: Striving vs. Abiding
• 00:55:50 Powered by Dave: The S-Curve Trap
• 00:57:28 What Abiding Actually Means
• 00:59:54 The Book: Eight Rhythms of Abiding
• 01:01:41 Rhythm One: Reading Scripture as Prayerful Interaction
• 01:03:47 Quiet Time or Communion Time?
• 01:05:06 Hearing, Studying & Receiving the Word
• 01:09:06 Obedience as a Response to Love
• 01:12:03 Small Steps of Obedience & Dallas Willard on Grace and Effort
• 01:14:21 A New Season: Deeper, Not Just Wider
• 01:19:18 Practical Advice: Get Anchored & Read for Formation, Not Productivity
• 01:24:30 Salt & Light: How a Business Leader Should See Their Business
• 01:29:45 You Have to Be the Champion
• 01:31:03 The Fruit 20 Years From Now
• 01:33:48 Stories From New Life: Adoption & a Life Given to Christ
• 01:35:54 Takeaway: You Don't Have to Keep Striving
• 01:37:42 Connect With Abe & New Life

Andrew Simpson never planned to own a business. Every other door closed, so he rented a space and opened a gym for young athletes. Twelve years later, Players Fitness & Performance has four locations, a team of coaches kids actually want to be around, and a vision that came to Andrew on a run: "My light and my love will shine through PFPs all over." In this Leaders On Tap Live conversation recorded in front of a live audience, Andrew walks through the decision to triple his footprint in the middle of COVID, the Director of First Impressions role that makes PFP feel nothing like a typical gym, the Five-Step Magical Experience, and why the first five minutes of every workout are about mindset, not muscle.

But the heart of this conversation is the baton. At the start of this year, Andrew handed the CEO seat of the gyms to his business partner Joe. He explains what the tension looked like, why a sabbatical clarified it, how he thinks about his lane as a visionary, and what he's building next: virtual mindset coaching for young athletes, books, and other ways to reach kids beyond his zip code. Along the way he talks about Bible verses on the gym walls, a coach praying over a client mid-class, Wednesday team devotionals, and what it really means to run a business as a ministry: not the churchy add-ons, but stewardship, obedience, and not opening the next location until God says go. The episode closes with live audience Q&A on calibrating big dreams to God's desires, knowing when to open a second location, 10x vs. 2x, and youth sports and family life.

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
Andrew Simpson is the founder and owner of Players Fitness & Performance (PFP), a Frederick, Maryland-based training company for young athletes and adults with four locations and a vision to be "a fitness lighthouse in every community, transforming lives for the glory of God." He is the author of The Youth Truth: Coaching and Parenting in Today's Crazy Youth Sports World and other books on mindset and youth sports. In early 2026 he handed the CEO role of the gyms to his partner Joe and now focuses on PFP's mindset coaching, books, and media. Andrew and his wife have three young children.

CONNECT
Players Fitness & Performance: https://playersfitnessandperformance.com
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 #Entrepreneurship #YouthSports #BusinessAsMinistry #Succession #Visionary #KingdomBusiness

⏱️ CHAPTERS

• 00:00:00 Welcome to Leaders On Tap Live: Meet Andrew Simpson
• 00:00:39 Tripling the Gym in the Middle of COVID
• 00:02:40 Coach's Coach: An Accidental Business & Learning His Gifts
• 00:04:17 Where a Visionary Has to Grow: Spirited Conversations & Staying in Your Lane
• 00:06:12 The Original Vision & the Word on a Run: "My Light Will Shine Through PFPs All Over"
• 00:08:14 Discerning God's Voice & Holding the Vision Loosely
• 00:09:58 Gyms Are a Dime a Dozen: What Makes PFP Different
• 00:12:05 The Director of First Impressions (DoFI)
• 00:14:01 The Five-Step Magical Experience & Being a Third Place
• 00:15:45 Hire for Heart: Training Hospitality Without Making It Canned
• 00:16:46 Young Athletes, Old Guys & the Ideal Customer
• 00:17:56 Owning the Word Confidence & Coaching From the Inside Out
• 00:20:06 "Sounds a Lot Like Romans 12:2"
• 00:21:18 Bible Verses on the Wall & a Mainstream Customer Base
• 00:22:47 A Coach Praying Mid-Class, a Sponsored Verse & Wednesday Devotionals
• 00:24:36 Obedience Precedes Understanding
• 00:26:28 PFP as a Ministry: Stewardship Over Churchy Things
• 00:28:34 Handing Off the CEO Baton: Dave Ramsey, Wrecked Health & a Sabbatical
• 00:31:46 What's Next: Virtual Mindset Coaching, Books & Media
• 00:32:30 Writing After Dad Passed: The Youth Truth
• 00:34:14 Owner, Visionary & Temporary Operator: The Accountability Chart
• 00:35:28 The Fruit 20 Years From Now: A Fitness Lighthouse in Every Community
• 00:36:51 Takeaway: It's Not Your Business
• 00:37:57 How to Pray for Andrew & the Next Generation of Athletes
• 00:40:02 Audience Q&A: Calibrating Big Dreams to God's Desires
• 00:41:28 Audience Q&A: When to Open a Second Location
• 00:43:02 Audience Q&A: Is 10x Easier Than 2x?
• 00:44:02 Audience Q&A: Youth Sports & Family Life
• 00:46:34 Closing & Part Two Coming Soon

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