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Jason Johnson, serial entrepreneur and founder of August Smart Homes, talks to Rusty and William about when the entrepreneurial itch first hit him while working at a large tech company. From humble beginnings, Jason explains how receiving a scholarship to Pepperdine University introduced him to the responsibility of calling and that entrepreneurship was a natural expression of that calling. He goes on to tackle tough questions around how to live a faith driven life while heading up a VC-backed company where culture and purpose to often clash. He shares on the ways he maintains his commitment to instilling culture in his company that is reflective of his faith.

The team asks Jason to address the question of money, something on every entrepreneur’s mind (and naturally so). He responds with some very practical advice on how to begin living a generous life because that too, is part of an entrepreneur’s call. The team ends this week’s discussion with wisdom on how to stay grounded and focused on the things to which God is calling you.

As always, you have our permission to thoroughly enjoy this episode. Please send us your thoughts, especially those around how you deal with the culture clash of the kingdom within versus the world without. Until next week!

The FDE faithful might recall that I included a link to the Boomtown Rats song, “I Don’t Like Mondays” on the October 1 post. I’m going to stay on that British Music tangent a bit more with an homage to one of my top 5 favorite rock groups of all time: ELO.

Mondays are typically the day for sharing a motivational video. What follows here isn’t so much motivational as it’s beautiful…..soulful. So that’s why we have it on a Friday, something to reflect on as you go to the weekend. I think you’ll like it. Look for the sign on the wall that says “Fire Extinguisher” and look where it points to. Beautiful.

Thanks again to Kenman Wong of Seattle Pacific who responded to my request for help in finding some great content that has inspired him and his students and that we think will inspire and encourage faith driven entrepreneurs.

— Ryan Derfler

I still say too much in business.

With one verbal chip after another I work to carve a masterpiece, and sometimes see it crumble before me. My sales pitch is often full to the brim with backstory and key updates (at least to me) on traction gained.

In short, with matters of words, I go long.

Commentary as a means of influence, now full frontal from dawn to dusk in real time across a litany of platforms by (often self professed) leaders, has lured me into the never ending truth-telling conjecture.

To be relevant, the world says, I simply must add my piece. And I have.

I realized recently that all this running at the mouth was affecting my business. Fueled by anxiety over deals I wanted too much, I found myself verbally barraging prospects to make my case.  Further, I prayed fervently for each one to come through. Most didn’t.

Quiet time with God helped me see that my anxiety was fruitless, striving foolish, and that one day’s “unanswered” prayer became the next day’s thanksgiving for sparing me from my own request.  

I questioned myself and God:

1. If I can’t discern what deals I need, why am I praying so hard for them?

2. If I know God is going to provide, why am I acting desperate?

3. What does peace look like in my dealings and how do I say less?

The Holy antidote to my loose lips? Drum roll please… the spiritual disciplines have to be there: prayer and fasting, daily scripture reading, and regular fellowship. Also extended prayer around strategic plans, new clients, and major moves. Perhaps a retreat to learn to enjoy silence.

This feels a lot like “the same old answer” to spiritual growth, but has taken on a new importance for me in the launch of my startup. And while I know the enjoyment in hearing myself make a case will not easily take a seat, I already see that growth in my faith should cut down my word count in these very clear ways.

1. Discernment about privacy

 As God gives ground to my business I am entrusted with sensitive information. A misstep erodes hard earned trust. The old adage “loose lips sink ships” is more true every day and I have to ask God to help me “tame my tongue” to, in some cases, literally prevent death and disaster.  

2. Willingness to wait or stop a relationship

Had I crossed paths with the rich young ruler (from Mark Ch. 10) a few months ago, I would gladly have had him back my business. And yet God desires his peace to rule in our heart (Col. 3:15) where the word rule means “umpire.” God should call the shots on every person we hire or have as a client or partner! We enter endless conversations that should not be simply because we forge ahead ignorant of the still small voice telling us to wait, stop, or go another direction.

3. Guarding against exaggeration, manipulation, and lies

Recently, I got a call from a prospect while on the run and heard myself say that another respected business had come on-board even though the deal wasn’t signed. I hung up the phone surprised at my own fast lie and had to repent. No surprise the deal imploded. Now, I closely examine my calls, emails, and pitches looking for dishonesty to root out and make tweaks on a weekly basis.

4. Comfort-ability with silence in conversations

Wisdom in negotiations says that he who speaks first loses and it has been proven that using filler words in a presentation erodes credibility. But how do we find the fortitude to be such a confident, patient negotiator and presenter? I posit that if our walk with the Lord is strong we ought to excel in our ability to be still and silent.

In summary, it’s become clear—the more I talk the less effective I am and it points to a lack of faith in God about my business. Do I truly believe that if I work hard and seek the Lord I am going to have all things provided? If so, my actions and, very importantly, my words (or lack thereof) ought to show it.

Don’t take my word for it…

“Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak…” James 1:19

 “In a multitude of words sin is unavoidable, but he who refrains his lips is wise.” Proverbs 10:19

Special thanks Mark Skeet on Unsplash for the cover photo.

Huge opportunity for impact… How faith driven entrepreneurs can get involved in supporting entrepreneurship in Africa.

— Karibu Nyaggah

When I was a child, I emigrated to the US from Africa with my family and never looked back. When I finally did go back in college, a deep desire was planted, growing stronger with each subsequent trip, to use my position of privilege and the skills I had gained to make an impact on the continent. On one such trip to my native homeland of Kenya, I met Courtney Rountree, one of my co-founders at Sinapis, and we began discussing the pressing problems we were seeing in front of us and how we could leverage the power of business to create positive economic and social impact. Although we did not know it at the time, Africa was truly on the cusp.

Indeed, its coming ascendance is well researched. In June 2010, McKinsey released a seminal report on Africa that projected by 2020, Africa’s GDP would reach $2.6 trillion, up $1 trillion from 2008. With increasing urbanization, Africa’s labor force is projected to reach 1.1 billion by 2040, overtaking China and India. By 2020, consumers will spend $1.8 trillion, a trend projected to accelerate ensuing decades. The report noted that “if Africa can provide its young people with the education and skills they need, this large workforce could account for a significant share of both global consumption and production.” As a firm believer in the power of business to bring about transformational change, this trend points to a ripe opportunity to create meaningful businesses that will shape the face of Africa for generations to come.

From a faith and business perspective, this sea change in Africa provides entrepreneurs who have a heart and passion for Jesus the opportunity to deploy their skills to help build and support businesses that are a light upon a hill. Businesses provide a tangible way to meet felt needs in sustainable ways while providing a tremendous opportunity to create meaningful relationships across a variety of stakeholders including employees, vendors, and customers. When businesses choose to operate ethically in tough environments, they have as much power to transform society as “traditional” ways of doing ministry. At Sinapis, we have seen the impact of this up close and personal with entrepreneurs who share how doing “kingdom business” (business God’s way), has ushered in trust, integrity, and vibrant communities.

So how can we support entrepreneurship in Africa? In my experience, there are at least four points of need. The first may be the most profound and least appreciated which is simply stepping up to mentor entrepreneurs operating in Africa. Seasoned entrepreneurs can always coach people in the trenches and provide them counsel and wisdom. This is especially important when trying to develop scale-able businesses in Africa. Second, for those who can, access to capital is always a felt need in the continent. People who feel equipped can either directly provide capital or help open their networks to entrepreneurs looking for money. Third, for those who feel called, Africa represents a wonderful (but not easy) place to start a business, having direct impact on the ground. And lastly, and perhaps most importantly, we can all lift up Africa and its leaders and entrepreneurs in prayer as we are led.

Despite the wonderful opportunities to get involved, operating in Africa comes with major challenges. Entrepreneurs routinely face corruption which can make it feel like the system is stacked against you when you are in the trenches. Navigating regulatory and business networks to setup operations, close business deals, and build a sustainable business is not for the faint of heart. Further, a common trap among westerners is to go to Africa bringing western solutions, which is almost always a recipe for disaster. When I first started my fintech startup Caytree, I spent a lot of time trying to adapt a western approach to a uniquely African context – and it did not work.

Operating in Africa requires a thoughtful, measured approach to understanding the context and crafting solutions that work. There are notable successes in this regard. Businesses such as PesaPal, KopoKopo, Africa’s Talking, and Lynk in Kenya alone showcase the success of local and foreign entrepreneurs in building startups that are scaling successfully. Imagine being an early entrepreneur in the US at the turn of the 19th or 20th centuries, getting in on the ground floor of some of the most exciting eras in business. Or being at the forefront of China’s economic leap. Getting involved in Africa today is a chance to have significant impact despite these challenges.  

When He was asked what the two most important commandments were, Jesus replied that we should love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and that we should love our neighbors as ourselves. And He pretty much left it up to us, with His help, to figure out what that looks like. For entrepreneurs who feel a global dimension to this call, who are exploring how to take the light of Jesus to every corner of the globe, Africa’s calling. It is calling for vibrant, faith-filled people who are willing to approach their call thoughtfully to engage meaningfully, creating kingdom businesses that will leave a lasting impact on its people and economy.

In part two from the Alpine Inn, Henry, Rusty, and William field more questions from our guests but first gave some background on Inklings, the gathering of faith driven entrepreneurs in the Bay Area who meet regularly in the same vain of the original Inklings gathering of faith driven thinkers C.S. Lewis, J.R.R Tolkien, Dorothy Sayer and others. The team moves on to walk an entrepreneur who is struggling to find his place in the local church through why the institutional church is a necessary part of community, with some ideas as to how his entrepreneurial talents could even serve the local church. The team shares a bit on how diversity of walks and experiences within the church is actually the key to its success because it creates a place from which collective wisdom can be shared.  

 Another entrepreneur, currently a student, asked about what great books the team were reading and we found out Henry is more of a people guy while William and Rusty had to confess to may be over doing it in the book buying department. All gave a few of their favorite and highly recommended titles. Finally, the team calls Josh Banko over, one of the co-creators of the iPad, who shares a bit about how God led and fed his drive to innovate by speaking to the desires of his heart, sending mentors to him to point him in the right direction and choosing to make His presence known in Josh’s life every step of the way.

Photo by Joski Byrne on Unsplash