Episode 355 – The Most Obvious Gap in the Church No One Talks About | Mark Vroegop

Episode 355 – The Most Obvious Gap in the Church No One Talks About | Mark Vroegop

Podcast episode

Episode 355 – The Most Obvious Gap in the Church No One Talks About | Mark Vroegop

Mark Vroegop serves as President of The Gospel Coalition, but his journey through thirty years of pastoral ministry—including profound personal loss—gives him unique insight into why the faith and work movement struggles to connect with local churches. In this honest conversation, Mark addresses the mutual intimidation, schedule blindness, and missed opportunities keeping pastors and entrepreneurs from the partnership both desperately need.

EPISODE NOTES

Mark Vroegop serves as President of The Gospel Coalition, but his journey through thirty years of pastoral ministry—including profound personal loss—gives him unique insight into why the faith and work movement struggles to connect with local churches. In this honest conversation, Mark addresses the mutual intimidation, schedule blindness, and missed opportunities keeping pastors and entrepreneurs from the partnership both desperately need.

Beyond theory, Mark offers practical wisdom from two books addressing universal human experiences: Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy explores lament as the biblical language for grief (including business failure and betrayal), while his work on waiting addresses how leaders navigate gaps when outcomes remain uncertain. For entrepreneurs facing closure, pivots, or partnership betrayals—and pastors bearing leadership weight—this episode provides both theological framework and actionable next steps.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction: Bringing faith and work back to the local church

01:34 What is The Gospel Coalition?

02:49 Leading a council of 45 diverse pastors

04:04 Theological triage: Keeping main things main

05:42 Current challenges facing the church today

07:26 Information overload and AI’s impact on truth

09:31 Gospel Coalition’s AI Christian Benchmark Report

10:33 Should the church engage AI or wait and see?

12:15 Faith and work integration comes to the church

13:31 Faith and work 2.0: Beyond valuing work to church partnership

14:56 Why business leaders need to be good churchmen

16:00 Why are pastors and entrepreneurs missing each other?

17:18 Week in the life of a pastor breakdown

19:49 Translating pastoral demands into entrepreneur language

21:04 Where entrepreneurs could help pastors most

22:28 The missing platform and presence problem

23:44 Meeting business leaders in their world

25:44 Dark seasons: Introduction to lament

26:54 Defining lament as prayer in pain leading to trust

28:42 Grieving business closure and entrepreneurial loss

30:07 Four types of lament in the Psalms

31:06 Why leaders need permission to lament

33:29 Navigating uncertain seasons and gaps

34:44 Waiting on the Lord through uncertainty

36:20 Gaps in biblical stories we often miss

37:21 Psalm 27: Waiting as a position of strength

38:51 Building waiting into your strategic plan

39:33 When gaps become uncomfortable and idols emerge

40:17 Next steps and practical application

Stay Connected to the Movement

Listen on your favorite podcast platform:

Subscribe to the newsletter

Stay Connected
to the Movement

We know that as an Entrepreneur, your most valuable asset is time. So each month we take the very best of the podcast, the blog and all the news, resources, and upcoming events happening across the space and bring it to you.

JOIN A FAITH DRIVEN ENTREPRENEUR GROUP

You need allies. We have groups.

 

No Cost. No Catch. Online or In Person.
Journey with 10-15 other Entrepreneurs through the
8-week Study. Don’t Journey Alone. Find your Community.

Episode 354 – This 4-Pillar Model Is Transforming Uganda’s Future | Andrew Devaney

Episode 354 – This 4-Pillar Model Is Transforming Uganda’s Future | Andrew Devaney

Podcast episode

Episode 354 – This 4-Pillar Model Is Transforming Uganda’s Future | Andrew Devaney

Join host Justin Forman in conversation with Andrew DeVaney, founder of As One Africa, for an inspiring discussion about what it takes to solve interconnected problems in rural Uganda. From his friendship with a rural educator to building a four-pronged model serving 50,000 patients, 4,000 students, and 5,000 farmers annually, Andrew shares how empowering Ugandans to solve Ugandan problems creates sustainable transformation.

EPISODE NOTES

Andrew DeVaney didn’t set out to build a four-pillar community development model. It started with a friendship—staying with a rural Ugandan educator and witnessing firsthand how education, healthcare, agriculture, and employment challenges are deeply interconnected in communities where the majority live on subsistence farming.

Now As One Africa operates seven locations with 420 full-time Ugandan staff, serving 4,000 students, 50,000 patients, and training 5,000 smallholder farmers per location. But the real innovation isn’t the scale—it’s the model. By treating beneficiaries as customers and building earned revenue streams, they’re creating sustainable solutions that don’t depend on foreign aid.

Discover why Uganda’s young population represents massive opportunity, how storytelling can shift narratives about Africa, and what it takes to stay in the game long enough to see real transformation happen.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction: Solving big problems together

01:53 Geography 101: Understanding Uganda’s context

02:16 50 million people in the size of Oregon

03:23 The demographic advantage: Africa’s young population

03:51 Why young people expect better from their leaders

05:12 The big problem: Rural service delivery challenges

06:09 Empowering Ugandans to solve Ugandan problems

09:04 “You want to catch a thief, send a thief”

09:11 Coming alongside vs. replacing local leadership

11:55 Sustainability through earned revenue models

13:27 From beneficiaries to customers with voice

14:12 Community buy-in through financial investment

16:54 Scale overview: 7 locations, 420 staff, thousands served

17:41 Why these four pillars? Schools, health, farms, business

18:52 The interconnectivity of rural poverty

19:32 Many players needed to solve big problems

20:16 The airport analogy: Building economies takes collaboration

21:52 Overcoming scarcity mindset for abundant Kingdom thinking

22:09 Starting with conversations and relationships

24:29 Abundance mindset: There’s so much out there

24:52 The church’s unprecedented resources today

25:08 Praxis impact: Venture building meets soul care

25:25 Balancing what we create with who we are

27:18 Time in the game: Long obedience in the same direction

28:30 Creative problem-solving with moving goalposts

29:04 Not just what we do, but how we do it

29:48 Re-risking and staying in the game

30:21 Humble ambition in the Praxis community

30:49 The power of storytelling: Shifting African narratives

31:54 Telling stories with dignity and possibility

32:32 Hope rooted in resurrection: Neither pessimist nor optimist

33:33 Supporting actors: Letting Ugandans be the heroes

34:01 Words don’t just describe reality—they create it

34:21 Check out As One Africa: asonearica.org

34:43 Closing: Where to get involved and learn more

Stay Connected to the Movement

Listen on your favorite podcast platform:

Subscribe to the newsletter

Stay Connected
to the Movement

We know that as an Entrepreneur, your most valuable asset is time. So each month we take the very best of the podcast, the blog and all the news, resources, and upcoming events happening across the space and bring it to you.

JOIN A FAITH DRIVEN ENTREPRENEUR GROUP

You need allies. We have groups.

 

No Cost. No Catch. Online or In Person.
Journey with 10-15 other Entrepreneurs through the
8-week Study. Don’t Journey Alone. Find your Community.

Episode 353 – This CEO Built a $1B Company In 5 Years Without Compromising His Faith | Bill Yeargin

Episode 353 – This CEO Built a $1B Company In 5 Years Without Compromising His Faith | Bill Yeargin

Podcast episode

Episode 353 – This CEO Built a $1B Company In 5 Years Without Compromising His Faith | Bill Yeargin

Join host Justin Forman for a milestone conversation with Bill Yeargin, CEO of Correct Craft, as they celebrate the company’s 100th anniversary. From refusing bribes that led to bankruptcy, to refusing to work Sundays during WWII, to growing from a $39 million company facing the Great Recession to surpassing $1 billion—this is a masterclass in values-driven leadership that stands the test of time.

EPISODE NOTES

For 100 years, one boat company has proven that standing firm on values—even when it costs everything—creates enduring success. Bill Yeargin, CEO of Correct Craft, shares the remarkable stories that form the foundation of this century-old business, from refusing to work Sundays during WWII to spending 20 years of profits repaying debts they didn’t legally owe.

When Bill arrived as the fifth CEO in five years, everything was broken. The Great Recession was about to hit. But through culture-rebuilding, strategic planning, and controversial decisions like company-funded global service trips, Correct Craft grew from $39 million to over $1 billion. Bill reveals the two undeniable “God moments” that convinced him to take the role, why the Mexico trip everyone opposed became the turning point, and how they navigate the tension between faith values and stewardship excellence.

This conversation offers practical wisdom for any entrepreneur building for generations, not just quarters—including why they don’t have an exit strategy for acquisitions, how they expand to 70 countries without compromising values, and what it means to make decisions for the next 25 years.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction: Celebrating 100 years of Correct Craft

01:10 Filming with Right Now Media a decade ago

01:45 The Malone family origin story in 1925 Florida

02:46 World War II: 420 boats in 23 days without working Sundays

05:00 The bankruptcy story: Refusing a bribe, paying back discharged debts

06:57 Five CEOs in five years: The challenging era

07:43 From $39M to over $1 billion through recession and growth

09:14 What made Bill consider the fifth CEO position

10:13 Walking away the first time, reconsidering the second

11:28 God moment #1: The dream house sells to the penny

13:16 God moment #2: The tutor asks to be released

14:50 What values tested by government teach us

16:52 The Mexico service trip that saved the company

17:40 Why almost everyone thought it was a bad idea

18:25 “Best few days of my life”: The turning point moment

19:41 Why pay for trips instead of writing checks

20:34 Ripple effects: Inspiring the next generation

21:48 How service trips connect the “why” for teams and families

22:33 Global growth and acquisition strategy

24:33 How values translate across products and countries

25:27 The Culture Pyramid: Building Boats to the Glory of God

26:02 Navigating difficult decisions as stewards

28:32 When stewardship looks inconsistent with faith values

29:37 Surprise geography: Nautique boats in Namibia

30:40 Horizontal and vertical integration strategy

31:37 Like-minded capital and protecting seller legacies

32:57 Celebrating a 100th birthday as a company

34:17 Making investments for the next hundred years

35:20 Innovation in wake technology and industry recognition

36:39 Proverbs 3:5-10: Staying on your side of the equation

38:05 Legacy of standing for values through every challenge

Stay Connected to the Movement

Listen on your favorite podcast platform:

Subscribe to the newsletter

Stay Connected
to the Movement

We know that as an Entrepreneur, your most valuable asset is time. So each month we take the very best of the podcast, the blog and all the news, resources, and upcoming events happening across the space and bring it to you.

JOIN A FAITH DRIVEN ENTREPRENEUR GROUP

You need allies. We have groups.

 

No Cost. No Catch. Online or In Person.
Journey with 10-15 other Entrepreneurs through the
8-week Study. Don’t Journey Alone. Find your Community.

Episode 352 – He Solved Africa’s $1 Trillion Food Waste Crisis Using Orange Peels and Faith | Jean-Paul Nageri

Episode 352 – He Solved Africa’s $1 Trillion Food Waste Crisis Using Orange Peels and Faith | Jean-Paul Nageri

Podcast episode

Episode 352 – He Solved Africa’s $1 Trillion Food Waste Crisis Using Orange Peels and Faith | Jean-Paul Nageri

Join host Justin Forman in Nairobi, Kenya, as he sits down with Jean-Paul Nageri, co-founder of KaFresh, for an extraordinary conversation about finding divine solutions hidden in plain sight. When Jean-Paul watched his father’s banana harvest spoil while waiting for traders, he didn’t just see a problem—he saw a calling. What followed was a journey of “God Engineering” that led to a breakthrough preserving produce 10x longer using only natural plant oils.

EPISODE NOTES

When Jean-Paul Nageri’s father lost half his banana harvest to spoilage while waiting for traders who never showed up on time, most people would see a painful loss. Jean-Paul saw a divine assignment. Working from a one-bedroom house with samples sent by a German scientist he’d never met, Jean-Paul discovered how to extend produce shelf life by 10x using only natural plant oils—no refrigeration required.

KaFresh is now transforming food security across Africa by addressing the invisible crisis: 30-50% of food produced never reaches consumers due to post-harvest spoilage. While Western solutions like cold storage cost $100,000 and require reliable electricity, Jean-Paul’s approach works at room temperature using the preservation secrets God engineered into orange peels. The result? Avocados lasting 60 days instead of 1 week, tomatoes staying fresh for 3+ months, and sweet potatoes preserved for 5 months—all without synthetics or refrigeration.

This episode takes you inside the journey of “God Engineering”—looking to creation for clues to solve massive problems. From Genesis 1:29 inspiration to fighting synthetic fungicides with natural glycerides, Jean-Paul shares how context-specific innovation empowers 2 million Ugandan farmers, reduces food costs by 90%, and creates a mindset shift across the entire agricultural value chain.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction: Make America (and Africa) Healthy Again

00:49 Welcome to Nairobi: When entrepreneurs step in as problem solvers

01:43 Jean-Paul’s origin story: Watching his father’s harvest spoil

02:54 The scale of the crisis: Africa loses $1 trillion annually to food waste

04:03 Studying Agriculture Science at Uganda Christian University

04:51 Why cold storage and chemical fungicides weren’t the answer

06:03 The turning point: Looking to nature and asking God

07:18 The oil discovery: How orange peels naturally preserve longer

08:53 Two paths to food scarcity: Production vs. preservation

09:35 KaFresh breakthrough: Doubling and tripling shelf life

11:20 The personal motivation behind rejecting synthetics

13:55 “Make America Healthy Again” resonates in Kenya too

15:01 Cancer crisis and tracing food system contamination

16:15 Innovation from the ground truth, not ivory towers

17:06 Genesis 1:29 and plant-based science inspiration

18:50 Farmers losing over 50% of harvests post-harvest

20:29 Mile 10 Lagos market: 90% tomato loss case study

21:38 Why Western cold chain solutions don’t scale in Africa

23:56 History of food preservation: 1800s monks and beeswax

26:00 World War I and the turn to unsafe synthetic preservatives

27:47 Concrete for cabbages, formalin for fruit: Dangerous methods today

29:33 God’s way of engineering solutions for His glory

30:52 Connection with German scientist providing rare ingredients

33:11 Daily photo time-lapses proving the miracle

34:52 When produce thinks it’s still on the mother plant

37:40 The validation moment: Empowering his father against exploitative traders

39:32 “God Engineering”: Connecting the dots He leaves as clues

42:30 Uganda’s 2 million farmers as the backbone of the country

45:23 The mindset shift: Like small business owners in America

47:35 Expanding beyond preservation: GrowFresh for seed germination

49:09 Making insects invisible to produce instead of killing them

50:04 Innovating with farmers: Listening to powder form preferences

52:40 How God speaks through amazing teammates

54:11 The power of stories to help people see differently

56:35 Call to action: Solving world’s greatest problems together

Stay Connected to the Movement

Listen on your favorite podcast platform:

Subscribe to the newsletter

Stay Connected
to the Movement

We know that as an Entrepreneur, your most valuable asset is time. So each month we take the very best of the podcast, the blog and all the news, resources, and upcoming events happening across the space and bring it to you.

JOIN A FAITH DRIVEN ENTREPRENEUR GROUP

You need allies. We have groups.

 

No Cost. No Catch. Online or In Person.
Journey with 10-15 other Entrepreneurs through the
8-week Study. Don’t Journey Alone. Find your Community.

Episode 351 – The Day I Transferred 51% Ownership to God | Bertie Lourens

Episode 351 – The Day I Transferred 51% Ownership to God | Bertie Lourens

Podcast episode

Episode 351 – The Day I Transferred 51% Ownership to God | Bertie Lourens

Join host Justin Forman as he sits down with Bertie Lourens, founder of a waste management company that has transformed the lives of 2,300 people across South Africa. Bertie shares his extraordinary journey from near bankruptcy to transferring majority ownership of his company to God—not as a symbolic gesture, but as a legally binding decision that fundamentally changed how he runs his business.

EPISODE NOTES

Bertie Lourens did something most entrepreneurs only talk about—he actually made God the legal majority shareholder of his waste management company. Not symbolically. Not philosophically. Legally. Through a non-profit structure, 51% of his shares now belong to an entity representing God’s ownership, complete with accountability structures that could remove Bertie if he walks away from his commitment.

But this radical decision came only after near disaster. Seven years into building a successful business with South Africa’s top retail mentor, Bertie faced a sheriff at his door with orders to shut everything down. In that moment of bankruptcy, he surrendered everything to God—and two miracles followed that gave his business a second lifeline. Shortly after, God asked him to give shares away, leading to the creation of Neko Capital and a journey of discovering what it really means to steward a business “with Him” rather than “for Him.”

Bertie shares vulnerably about the pride that nearly destroyed him, the freedom he found in surrender, and how he’s raising children without entitlement while serving 2,300 staff members across 10 South African cities. This conversation moves the phrase “God owns my business” from bumper sticker theology to boardroom reality.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction: From bumper sticker to reality

01:59 Attending C12 Conference in Texas

03:18 The business model: Turning waste into opportunity

06:33 Beyond the phrase: Making God’s ownership real

07:14 How pride nearly destroyed everything

08:34 The sheriff at the door: Facing bankruptcy

10:14 Two kingdoms: Building his vs. building His

12:02 Meeting Francho and learning about Neko Capital

13:21 What does the Shareholder want? Changing boardroom questions

15:54 The David and Goliath moment of decision

18:00 Accountants, lawyers, and the caution of giving away ownership

19:28 The daily fight: What is important to our King?

21:45 Choosing complexity over comfort

22:28 The four essentials: Obedience in relationship with God

24:42 Spiritual alignment in the boardroom

26:38 Raising kids without entitlement

28:20 Teaching gratitude through your own bankruptcy story

29:56 What stops people from making this jump?

30:45 The comfort of security vs. dependence on God

31:59 Benefits of surrender: Freedom from founder’s burden

34:52 The Elon Musk thought experiment

36:45 Joining the chorus: Stories of radical stewardship

Stay Connected to the Movement

Listen on your favorite podcast platform:

Subscribe to the newsletter

Stay Connected
to the Movement

We know that as an Entrepreneur, your most valuable asset is time. So each month we take the very best of the podcast, the blog and all the news, resources, and upcoming events happening across the space and bring it to you.

JOIN A FAITH DRIVEN ENTREPRENEUR GROUP

You need allies. We have groups.

 

No Cost. No Catch. Online or In Person.
Journey with 10-15 other Entrepreneurs through the
8-week Study. Don’t Journey Alone. Find your Community.

Episode 350 – Building a $5B Counter-Trafficking Industry | Tim Tebow & Wes Lyons

Episode 350 – Building a $5B Counter-Trafficking Industry | Tim Tebow & Wes Lyons

Podcast episode

Episode 350 – Building a $5B Counter-Trafficking Industry | Tim Tebow & Wes Lyons

Join host Justin Forman in Boulder, Colorado, for a powerful conversation with Tim Tebow and Wes Lyons at the Clapham gathering—where 150 entrepreneurs are uniting to disrupt one of the world’s darkest evils: human trafficking. This episode explores how for-profit ventures, nonprofit organizations, and churches can collaborate to create an unprecedented counter-trafficking industry worth billions.

EPISODE NOTES

Tim Tebow’s journey into anti-trafficking work began with a phone call from his father, who had just purchased the freedom of four girls at an underground pastor’s conference. That moment ignited a calling that has grown into a movement—one that now includes 150 entrepreneurs gathered in Boulder, Colorado, united by a single mission: disrupt human trafficking through innovative business solutions.

Alongside Wes Lyons of Eagle Venture Fund, Tim reveals how the for-profit sector is no longer sitting on the sidelines. Inspired by the Clapham network that helped William Wilberforce end the slave trade, today’s entrepreneurs are building a counter-trafficking industry projected to reach $5 billion by 2030. From training healthcare workers who encounter 90% of trafficking victims to creating digital safety tools for children, these ventures prove that mission-driven businesses can generate both impact and returns.

This conversation challenges every assumption about “balanced living,” reveals why apathy—not evil—is often the real enemy, and explains what it truly means to be made in God’s image. Tim unpacks insights from his book “Look Again,” showing how recognizing worth transforms how we see the vulnerable. Most powerfully, you’ll discover why looking away isn’t neutral—it creates the very invisibility that traffickers exploit.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction: Once rescued, join the rescue squad

01:12 Welcome to Boulder and the Clapham gathering

02:08 What is Clapham? 150 entrepreneurs fighting trafficking

02:57 Why a dense network matters for complex problems

04:26 For-profit DNA: Abundance vs. scarcity mindset

04:57 Big God mindset over limited mindset

05:56 The history of Clapham and William Wilberforce

06:54 Introducing people to the issue: Accessibility beyond complexity

07:43 Human trafficking vs. sexual exploitation: Understanding motives

08:11 The villain behind the villain: What brought Tim to this fight

08:35 Tim’s origin story: His father rescues four girls

10:00 The pastors who did nothing and the power of excuses

11:20 Meeting the girl whose mother boiled out her eye

13:12 The book “Look Again” and choosing to see

14:08 Why it hurts to draw near to people’s pain

15:13 The root issue: Value and worth

15:14 Nazi Germany and “life unworthy of life”

17:54 What does “made in God’s image” really mean?

19:34 From image bearer to image being

20:43 [Faith Driven Entrepreneur for Teens ad]

21:46 Transforming heart, mind, and eyes through looking again

22:18 When we don’t see people, darkness targets them

23:40 The villain’s coordination vs. the church’s response

24:32 Against living a balanced life

25:08 Why do we need balance?

26:17 I don’t want to arrive in heaven well-rested

27:16 How do you make money fighting trafficking?

28:24 For-profit, for purpose, and for people

29:49 [Church partnership network ad]

30:36 The size of the army needed for this fight

31:47 Ashley Chapman: Training healthcare workers to identify trafficking

32:53 Trafficking victims at your child’s school

33:30 The counter-trafficking industry: $500M to $5B by 2030

34:43 Compounding impact vs. compounding interest

36:13 Making money matter

37:47 Matt Hasselbeck: Giving beats throwing touchdowns

38:46 How to get in this fight

39:39 Outro and community invitation

Stay Connected to the Movement

Listen on your favorite podcast platform:

Subscribe to the newsletter

Stay Connected
to the Movement

We know that as an Entrepreneur, your most valuable asset is time. So each month we take the very best of the podcast, the blog and all the news, resources, and upcoming events happening across the space and bring it to you.

JOIN A FAITH DRIVEN ENTREPRENEUR GROUP

You need allies. We have groups.

 

No Cost. No Catch. Online or In Person.
Journey with 10-15 other Entrepreneurs through the
8-week Study. Don’t Journey Alone. Find your Community.