Making A Masterpiece with Norbert Elnar

The in-between season is not wasted time—it can be where purpose, faith, and a new direction take shape. In this episode of Making a Masterpiece, host Norbert Elnar talks with Eden Grace Pitogo about leaving the Philippines, building a life in Vietnam, and finding meaning in the unexpected turns along the way.An English educator, travel content creator, and lifelong learner based in Ho Chi Minh City, Eden shares a journey shaped by family responsibility, career changes, and persistence. She reflects on arriving in Vietnam only to face three months without work, discovering a love for teaching literature, and finding community and creative opportunities she hadn’t planned for. She also speaks candidly about a difficult season when she felt like a failure and withdrew from others.Key takeaways

• A life plan can change without losing its purpose; unexpected turns may open doors to new possibilities.
• Family responsibility and love can be powerful reasons to pursue work and opportunity abroad.
• A setback—even months without work—doesn’t define your future or erase your progress.
• A dormant interest or talent can come alive when you find the right environment and people.
• You don’t have to feel successful every day for your quiet, consistent effort to matter.
• The in-between season is part of your life, not merely a waiting room before it begins.

Eden’s story is for overseas Filipino workers, teachers, creatives, and anyone wondering when their turn will come. Her message is a hopeful reminder that the quiet moments are never wasted, and that a path can unfold in its own time.

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Feeling stuck in the in-between, wondering when it's your turn to build the business God placed in your heart? Discover our Masterpiece Kingdom Brand Compass framework to align your business and divine calling. Start here: https://masterpiece-business.com/

SUBSCRIBE

📺 YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/@masterpiece_tv

🎧 Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/making-a-masterpiece-with-norbert-elnar/id1691251847 

🎶 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/53gVeOi8Ghk9Y3kZ4TSa0f?si=fcf989a72a7a4d27&nd=1&dlsi=09fa70b27e474510

GUEST LINKS

👉Follow Eden on Socials: 

https://www.tiktok.com/@walk.with.me0611

https://www.tiktok.com/@istorya.saigon

https://www.facebook.com/denxia

https://www.facebook.com/WalkwithME0611

👉Istorya Saigon: https://www.facebook.com/share/1CZA5cUMYu/

JOIN THE COMMUNITY

🌍 Website: https://masterpiece-business.com/

👍 Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/masterpiecebusinesscommunity

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/norbertelnar/ 

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/norbertelnar210/

ABOUT NORBERT & MASTERPIECE

Norbert Elnar is the host of the Making a Masterpiece podcast, a show passionate about building your faith and inspiring your business. Want to be a guest on the show? Apply at https://masterpiece-business.com/podcast/

High achievers don't burn out because they're weak. They burn out because they keep ignoring the warning signs.

In this episode of Making a Masterpiece, Norbert Elnar speaks with Pwendy Fenelus — licensed clinical social worker, trauma therapist, and founder of Fresh Living Counseling — about the hidden pressure Christian entrepreneurs carry while building businesses, serving others, and running on empty. Pwendy explains why therapy is not a failure of faith, why rest is part of God's design, and how to spot burnout before you reach a breaking point.

You'll learn:

• The warning signs hiding in your calendar, mood, energy, and behavior
• Why underworking can be a symptom of burnout, not laziness
• How the body forces us to rest when we ignore its signals
• Why therapy is strategic and goal-oriented, not casual venting
• How counseling works alongside prayer, Scripture, community, and wise counsel
• Why asking for help is not weakness, but an admission we were never meant to carry everything alone

If you have been feeling anxious, exhausted, withdrawn, or guilty for needing rest, this conversation is a faith-filled reminder to protect your peace. Pwendy also shares how the stress of serving as a first responder during the pandemic showed her that rest was not something she had to earn.

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Struggling with burnout because you are unsure what to build next? Discover the Masterpiece Kingdom Brand Compass and align your business with your divine calling.
Start here: https://masterpiece-business.com/

SUBSCRIBE

📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@masterpiece_tv
🎧 Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/making-a-masterpiece-with-norbert-elnar/id1691251847
🎶 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/53gVeOi8Ghk9Y3kZ4TSa0f

GUEST LINKS
👉 Pwendy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therapy.pwendy/
👉 Fresh Living Counseling: https://www.freshlivingcounseling.com/

JOIN THE COMMUNITY
🌍 Website: https://masterpiece-business.com/
👍 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/masterpiecebusinesscommunity
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/norbertelnar/
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/norbertelnar210/

ABOUT NORBERT & MASTERPIECE
Norbert Elnar hosts the Making a Masterpiece podcast, a show passionate about building your faith and inspiring your business. Want to be a guest? Apply at https://masterpiece-business.com/podcast/

#MakingAMasterpiece #KingdomBusiness #ChristianEntrepreneur #FaithAndBusiness #KingdomBrands #KingdomBranding

Does using AI feel like it's creating more chaos than clarity?

Dave Overton, CEO of Symph, shows Christian entrepreneurs and business owners how to use AI as a tool for stewardship — not a threat to their faith, peace, or purpose.

Dave's own story started with a strict five-year plan that God completely rewrote. From moving to Cebu, Philippines at 22 to help build a nonprofit maternity clinic, to leading a tech company through the AI shift, Dave learned that surrender often precedes the biggest impact.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why AI feels so overwhelming right now — and how to cut through the hype
• The difference between treating AI like a "mini god" and treating it like a tool
• Dave's framework for using AI with skepticism, including "showing the receipts"
• How prompting and approval workflows make AI useful in real businesses
• Why brand identity and critical thinking matter more than ever in the AI era
• How traditional businesses can use AI to cut stress and automate the mundane

Dave shows why AI works best with clear rules and boundaries — freeing leaders to focus on what matters most, without compromising their values.

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Discover our Masterpiece Kingdom Brand Compass framework to align your business and divine calling.
Start here: https://masterpiece-business.com/

SUBSCRIBE
📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@masterpiece_tv
🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/making-a-masterpiece-with-norbert-elnar/id1691251847
🎶 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/53gVeOi8Ghk9Y3kZ4TSa0f?si=fcf989a72a7a4d27&nd=1&dlsi=09fa70b27e474510

GUEST LINKS
👉 Dave's Website: https://daveoverton.com/about/
👉 Symph's Website: https://symph.co/

JOIN THE COMMUNITY
🌍 Website: https://masterpiece-business.com/
👍 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/masterpiecebusinesscommunity
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/norbertelnar/
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/norbertelnar210/

ABOUT NORBERT & MASTERPIECE
Norbert Elnar is the host of the Making a Masterpiece podcast, a show passionate about building your faith and inspiring your business. Want to be a guest on the show? Apply at https://masterpiece-business.com/podcast/

Is it ever too late to start over? Cindee Williams built a commercial janitorial business with her husband from a rusty pressure washer in a barn — and grew it into a thriving Southern California company they ran for 35 years. Then, after decades of exhaustion, a life-altering bike accident, and a season of feeling completely burned out, God made it clear it was time to close that chapter.

In this episode, Cindee shares what it was really like to let go of an identity built over three decades, how her family sold the business and relocated 1,200 miles to a small mountain town in Colorado, and how they built an entirely new life and business in insurance from scratch. She opens up about the ten years she went without opening a Bible, how writing out the Psalms by hand slowly softened her heart, and why she believes there's no such thing as retirement in Scripture.

If you've ever worried that your best years are behind you, or that it's too late to learn something new, this conversation will challenge that lie and remind you that God has an assignment for every season of your life.

In this episode:

• Why identity tied to work or role eventually breaks down — and what to root it in instead
• How a serious accident became the "wake-up call" to finally step into a new season
• Rebuilding a community and a business from zero in a brand-new state
• How to answer the inner voice that says "you're too old for this"
• A simple daily practice that can soften even the hardest heart

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SUBSCRIBE

📺 YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/@masterpiece_tv

🎧 Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/making-a-masterpiece-with-norbert-elnar/id1691251847 

🎶 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/53gVeOi8Ghk9Y3kZ4TSa0f?si=fcf989a72a7a4d27&nd=1&dlsi=09fa70b27e474510

PODCAST LINKS

👉 Cindee’s Website: https://leadmylife.com/

👉 Follow Cindee on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imcindeewilliams/ 

JOIN THE COMMUNITY

🌍 Sign-up: https://masterpiece-business.com/

👍 Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/masterpiecebusinesscommunity

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/norbertelnar/ 

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/norbertelnar210/

ABOUT NORBERT & MASTERPIECE

Norbert Elnar is the host of the Making a Masterpiece podcast, a show passionate about building your faith and inspiring your business. Want to be a guest on the show? Apply at https://masterpiece-business.com/podcast/

Have you ever poured your heart into a dream only to be met with a painful string of no's? In this episode, host Norbert Elnar sits down with award-winning international author and small business owner Kristin Lim to unpack the sacred wrestle of rejection. Discover how God uses a "no" as divine protection, and learn how to turn closed doors into the ultimate redirection for your Kingdom business.

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In This Episode:
0:00 — Honeymoon rejection and the first lesson in trusting God’s “no”
1:00 — Episode intro: Kristin’s story and the theme of rejection
2:08 — Finding Inspiration During COVID-19
5:39 — Turning a personal story into a book and taking the first step
8:18 — Navigating the Pain of Industry Rejection
10:42 — The honeymoon story: when “no” became protection
12:39 — The heartbreak of four miscarriages and trusting God through grief
17:02 — Motherhood, identity, and unexpected doors opening
20:39 — How to discern whether a “no” means improve, wait, or let go
25:24 — Final encouragement: “no” as liberation, not prison
26:08 — Where to find Kristin and closing remarks

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Want to build a Kingdom business that thrives even when faced with closed doors? Discover our Masterpiece Kingdom Brand Compass framework to align your business and divine calling.
Start here: https://masterpiece-business.com/

SUBSCRIBE

📺 YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/@masterpiece_tv
🎧 Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/making-a-masterpiece-with-norbert-elnar/id1691251847
🎶 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/53gVeOi8Ghk9Y3kZ4TSa0f?si=fcf989a72a7a4d27&nd=1&dlsi=09fa70b27e474510

PODCAST LINKS
👉 Kristin's Works Published on: https://pumplepie.com/
👉 Follow Kristin on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KristinLimStoryteller

JOIN THE COMMUNITY
🌍 JOIN US: https://masterpiece-business.com/sign-up-for-the-community/
👍 Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/masterpiecebusinesscommunity
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/norbertelnar/
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/norbertelnar210/

ABOUT NORBERT & MASTERPIECE
Norbert Elnar is the host of the Making a Masterpiece podcast, a show passionate about building your faith and inspiring your business. https://masterpiece-business.com/podcast/

#MakingAMasterpiece #KingdomBusiness #ChristianEntrepreneur #FaithAndBusiness #KingdomBrands #KingdomBranding

Most people are held back by fear, doubt, and the feeling of being at a crossroads—but what if those very struggles could become the catalyst for your biggest transformation? 

Veronica Kiefer transformed her life from a corporate airline career to a purpose-driven online business. Facing uncertainty, she turned her passion for helping street children in the Philippines into a thriving venture. Discover how Veronica navigated ADHD, embraced faith, and found clarity during COVID, proving it's never too late to reshape your destiny.

In this episode, learn to:

• Trust your inner voice for change
• Build resilience with mindset shifts
• Simplify tasks to avoid burnout
• Align your business with purpose
• Use faith and focus to propel dreams

Veronica’s journey is a blueprint for anyone feeling stuck. Her story inspires courage and offers actionable insights for career changers and aspiring entrepreneurs. Join us to ignite your path to freedom and fulfillment.

Connect with Veronica

• Website: https://www.vekija.info/
• Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/393WHQrf3a01QLfzMNEWW7?si=d9e3abc2ee054ad1
• LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/veronica-kiefer-jarneberg/

Connect with Making a Masterpiece:

We are passionate about building your faith and inspiring your business. If this conversation helped you rethink your leadership, please share it with a fellow entrepreneur or someone on your team.

Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE and leave a comment below. 

JOIN OUR COMMUNITY:

A space for faith-driven leaders to connect, grow, and access trusted insights for business and life. ⁠https://masterpiece-business.com/⁠

Are you frustrated by high turnover, workplace gossip, or a team that just isn't thriving despite having a great product? You might have beautiful core values painted on your lobby wall, but if your team's everyday behavior doesn't match, your business is suffering from an "accidental culture".

In Episode 70 of the Making a Masterpiece podcast, host Norbert Elnar sits down with Culture Architect Pat Kliever to reveal why workplace culture is ultimately defined by exactly what leaders choose to tolerate. Drawing from his experience working with organizations across Germany, Australia, America, and Switzerland, Pat shares how to intentionally design an environment where people feel safe, empowered, and aligned with your vision.

Whether you are running a Kingdom business or leading a secular team, this episode gives you the exact blueprint to stop leaving your culture to chance and start leading by design.

In this episode, you will learn:

• The Accidental Culture Trap: Why culture will create itself if you don't intentionally design it.
• The $8,000 Culture Test: A powerful story from Dave Ramsey’s company that proves what true psychological safety looks like in the workplace.
• 360-Degree Leadership: How to positively influence and shift your company's culture, regardless of whether you are leading the team, working alongside peers, or managing up to your boss.
• The Golden Circle: Why your team stays for the "Why" and the "How", even though the "What" pays the bills.
• Faith in the Workplace: Practical ways Christian entrepreneurs can bring Kingdom values (like servant leadership) into a secular office without making it weird or "cringey".

Connect with Pat

• Website: ⁠https://patkliever.com/⁠
• Instagram: ⁠@patkliever⁠
• LinkedIn: ⁠linkedin.com/in/patkliever⁠

Connect with Making a Masterpiece:

We are passionate about building your faith and inspiring your business. If this conversation helped you rethink your leadership, please share it with a fellow entrepreneur or someone on your team.

Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE and leave a comment below—what is the hidden culture killer you are going to stop tolerating today?

JOIN OUR COMMUNITY:

A space for faith-driven leaders to connect, grow, and access trusted insights for business and life. ⁠https://masterpiece-business.com/⁠

Are you feeling lost in a difficult season, wondering why you have to go through such dark valleys, and struggling to find your purpose when life feels incredibly hard?

Thomas Carney, host of the Pursuit of Calling podcast, knows exactly how that feels. After receiving a progressive diagnosis of muscular dystonia that caused painful muscle contractions, Thomas lost his physical independence, had to give up his passion for working out, and faced a massive identity shift. But instead of letting this painful season defeat him, he used the clarity of his diagnosis to lean into his faith.

Thomas discovered that your circumstances do not define your calling. In fact, your calling isn't even for you—it is a tool meant to serve the people around you. In this conversation, Thomas provides a practical roadmap for anyone looking to navigate uncertainty. He shares how to grow intentionally, the specific questions you need to ask to uncover your hidden gifts, and why we must actively "speak the gold out" in others.

If you are ready to stop chasing success and start living out your God-given calling, press play to get the tools you need to move from pain to purpose.

Key Takeaways from this Episode:

• Purpose in the Pain: How receiving a chronic diagnosis actually gave Thomas the clarity to focus on personal growth and helping others.
• Your Calling Is Not For You: Discover why your true purpose goes with you everywhere you go and is ultimately meant to serve those around you.
• The Law of Intentionality: Why finding your purpose doesn't happen by accident and requires daily, intentional choices like reading, getting into the Word, and seeking mentorship.
• How to Find Your Gifts: The exact questions to ask yourself (and your closest friends) to uncover the natural talents you might be brushing off as simply being "easy".
• Speak the Gold Out: The vital importance of actively pointing out and validating the unique gifts you see in the people around you.

Connect with Thomas Carney:

• Support His Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/pursuit.of.calling

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pursuit.of.calling/

--------JOIN OUR COMMUNITY--------

A space for faith-driven leaders to connect, grow, and access trusted insights for business and life.

https://masterpiece-business.com/

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A brand transformation experience gives you the clarity and strategy to scale your business.

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Today, host Norbert Elnar is joined by Ivan Swartz, the CEO of Nation Builder in South Africa. Generosity is the currency of heaven, but how do we apply it effectively in the marketplace?

In this episode, Norbert and Ivan explore how business leaders and Kingdom people can move beyond using corporate social responsibility as just a buzzword or a PR stunt. Ivan shares his honest journey of pivoting from the world of corporate consulting into the social impact sector. He unpacks why true change requires us to rethink how we give, how we partner with communities, and how we tell their stories.

In this episode, we cover:

- Generosity driven by deep conviction vs. guilt.
- Costly lessons from a well-intentioned but failed community project.
- Three vital questions to ask before launching any impact initiative.
- The danger of "poverty porn" and the power of dignified storytelling.
- Why small beginnings—even five handmade teddy bears—matter as much as millions.

Whether you are an entrepreneur, a brand leader, or simply someone who wants to make a difference, this episode will challenge you to step up, collaborate, and bring the light of Jesus to the marketplace.

Connect with Ivan Swartz & Nation Builder:
Ivan Swartz: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivan-swartz-50a28119/
Website: https://nationbuilder.co.za/

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JOIN OUR COMMUNITY
A space for faith-driven leaders to connect, grow, and access trusted insights for business and life.
https://masterpiece-business.com/

SIGN-UP FOR OUR BOOTCAMP
A brand transformation experience gives you the clarity and strategy to scale your business.
https://masterpiece-business.com/bootcamp/

FREE TOOLS + RESOURCES
📄 Masterpiece Insider Newsletter
https://masterpiece-brands.kit.com/

✅ FREE Brand Health Check Assessment
https://masterpiece-business.com/brandhealthcheck/

You're putting in the work, but the clients you really want still aren't finding you — and honestly, that's exhausting.

Season 6 of Making a Masterpiece is here — and Norbert Elnar is coming back strong. This week he sits down with freelance consultant Thoriso Tlake, who figured out that talent alone isn't enough. It's systems, reputation, and faith-driven excellence that make the difference between spinning your wheels and building something that lasts.

In this episode we cover:

• Why a bad system will always beat a good person
• How to build a reputation that keeps you in the room
• Moving from hustle culture to sustainable stability
• Integrating faith into how you run your business
• A 6-step blueprint: skill → problem → offer → market → sell → scale

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JOIN OUR COMMUNITY
A space for faith-driven leaders to connect, grow, and access trusted insights for business and life.
https://masterpiece-business.com/

SIGN-UP FOR OUR BOOTCAMP
A brand transformation experience gives you the clarity and strategy to scale your business.
https://masterpiece-business.com/boot...

FREE TOOLS + RESOURCES
📄 Masterpiece Insider Newsletter
https://masterpiece-brands.kit.com/

✅ FREE Brand Health Check Assessment
https://masterpiece-business.com/bran...

💻 FREE Social Media Presence Quiz
https://masterpiecebrands.com/socialm...