EP 107: How to Lead as a Kingdom CEO

Speaker A: Did you know your business can honor God while transforming lives around the world? Welcome to the IBOM Biblical Entrepreneurship show, the weekly podcast that inspires and equips Christian entrepreneurs to build sustainable businesses that glorify God and uplift impoverished communities. At ibom, our mission is built on the three fish metaphor. Give a fish. We provide startup loans to launch businesses. Teach to fish. We offer entrepreneur training for lasting growth. Equipped for disciples Discipleship. We empower discipleship to multiply impact. Join iBum's founder, Steve Adams as he shares powerful solo episodes and expert interviews filled with mentorship insights and real life stories of how biblical entrepreneurship is advancing the Great Commission. Subscribe now and get ready to be inspired, equipped and empowered to make an eternal impact.

Speaker B: Hello everyone. I am so honored and excited to be here with you. My name is Stephanie Gaff and I am a business and podcasting coach. I've been doing this particular work for eight years, but I have been a full time entrepreneur for the last 15 years. I've learned all the wrong things to do that you should never do, like hustle, striving, building a business centered around what you think will excel and everything in between to now, uh, building and operating a business God's way in a kingdom capacity where I work less than I ever have because God shows up with more when we really allow him to take the lead. I really am able to only have a few long form channels out there in the world that bring me the exact right person that I want to work with and podcasting being that number one method. And then I have one offer which really eliminates confusion for people when they decide that they trust me and they want to work with me. And now I teach other people exactly how to do that same thing. Build a business out of their calling, their purpose, feel so fulfilling and do it in a way that is simple and sustainable, which produces peacefulness in their life. There's no social media striving, hustling harder, working on hours on hours to create reels that don't actually produce impact for you. They just create stress and perpetuate, perpetuate the dopamine and addiction in your brain. But really surrendering to this method of long form content that's going to curate trust and generate leads for them in the future. So that is what I do. I also am a top 20 podcast host and I'm just so honored and excited to teach you guys a little bit more about that today. So we're going to be talking about what it means to operate as a Kingdom CEO, not Just an entrepreneur or a business owner. Uh, we're going to unpack how to surrender, speak, and stand steward. The three key S's today we're going to go through and how to do all of that God's way. Because all of this stuff really super matters. Okay, the world says, hustle harder, but God says, rest in me, right? The world says, do more, create more, but God says, actually do less, but do it for the glory of God. Which means do it better. Okay? The world says, you're not enough. You're an imposter. You don't have anything to offer. But God says you are uniquely and wonderfully made. And there are books that are written about you in heaven. And so we have this stark contrast between what the world describes a business owner and entrepreneur as and what God decrees and declares that a kingdom, business owner and leader should look like. And I want, and I know that each and every one of you has the capacity to shift your mindset and your heart because you have the Holy Spirit within you from the worldly way of thinking to this God honoring way of thinking and operating in your business. So let's take the notes. I hope you guys are ready to dig in. Um, you know, I want to bring up Matthew 11:28 30. Come to me, all you who are weary. My yoke is easy and my burden is light. I think we're reminded in this verse that things don't need to always be so hard. Things don't need to always be so heavy. Now they are going to be hard and heavy. If you're doing it alone, if you are building a business on your own, if you are in ministry and you're just wearing it on your own, and you're just this person who's just like digging in and you're trying to carry everything, it's going to be really stinking hard. And ultimately we are going to break down under the weight of the world, literally and figuratively, right? But when we come to him, we come to Jesus Christ and we partner in ministry or business or marketplace or whatever it is that you do. And we say, God, I can't do all of this, but I can do it with you. All of a sudden, the burden becomes light because we aren't carrying it anymore. The Lord is carrying it for us and he's walking beside us, bearing the weight. And all we need to do, Isaiah 30:21 is walk in it. This is the way, walk in it. Because God is right there beside us as our partner, as our confidant, one of the things that I teach on often is the business meeting with God. This is not what today's training is about. But just pro tip for you, we don't have to just come to God about certain pockets of our life, but we can sit with God and have a business meeting or a ministry meeting or a relationship meeting or whatever it is with the Lord at any time. And we should, because God is not just someone who's there in times of need, but he's also, uh, we hear, we know that the Holy Spirit's also our counselor, right? Our friend, our mentor, our brother. It's every single thing that we need him to be. And so bringing this to the Lord and remembering that it will help your burden to be light when you are in that active posture of partnership. Okay, let's get into the actual content that I want to train you guys on today, beginning with the first S, which is surrender. Surrender. So, news flash. You are not the CEO, even though we like to carry that title. I know many of you in business are even in ministry, right? We carry these big fancy titles sometimes. So we are not the CEO, though God is. God is the CEO. I want you to imagine, you know, you're at work and there's this beautiful building, and there's big corner office, and in there sits the big man, sits the Lord. And before you make any business decision, hiring decision, huge decision about congregation or whatever that might look like, you have to walk up the stairs and prepare to knock on the door and say, excuse me, sir, but I have a proposal for you. Uh, I'd like to go over this whole thing with you right now. Right? I think this is going to work. I think this is going to work. What do you think? And then you stop and you pause and you listen. And that CEO is going to give you that feedback, and he's going to say yes or no, and he's going to maybe help you clarify some of the things maybe you missed, some oversight. And that is the CEO. So even though we're up here in our capacity for leadership, God's one step up. And so we have to remember to go to that CEO of our life with every major decision point. And this is kind of what I touched on a minute ago about this business meeting with God. But it's sitting down with him and it's presenting the plan and it's praying over it, and it's journaling, and then it's getting quiet and still. Still so that you can seek his word before you actually make these decisions. So, Lord, what Would you have me do? That's a key question. You can jot down, Lord, what would you have me do? Right. Surrender is truly this commitment to the Lord, whatever you do. Proverbs 16:3. Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. Not, I will establish my plans. Not, uh, you will establish your plans. He will establish our plan. Okay? And then John 15:5, Apart from me, you can do nothing. You can do nothing. Okay? I'm gonna remember that, right? Because I want to do something. I want to do many things. I want to go big for God's kingdom. I want to reach people and impact people, and I want to create real change and real trajectory while I'm here on this planet for this very short amount of time. And it's finite, and I don't even know how long that will be. And so if I want to go big for the glory of God, I don't want to do nothing. I want to do everything that the Lord has called me to do. And that's where surrender comes, um, in. Do not be the leader of your own life, but give that to him. Okay, the next thing I want to bring up is our second s. And it is speak. Speak. So you are called to leadership in some capacity. You're a business owner. You're an impact change maker. You're in ministry. And we all use our voice in some capacity to teach, to lead, to inspire. Whatever it is you do, you are a speaker. I know. That's a weird one. I hate it. I was like, speaking. I don't speak. I did speak. I, uh, was on my podcast all the time. I was doing virtual trainings all the time. But the second somebody called me a speaker, I got scared of that thing. And it wasn't until I was booked for my very first keynote that I had to come face to face with this fear of man that I had been harboring around speaking in person. And push through it and remember that my voice was my assignment. It wasn't just something that I was doing for fun or messing around with and trying. But, like, literally speaking, was and is my assignment. And so whatever room, whether it be virtual, in person, maybe both, maybe it's on paper. You're a writer. You are called to not hide from your assignment. Let's not be Jonah. We are called to step into that speaking space that we are all called to step into. So don't hide this gift that you have on, um, platforms that drain you. Like I mentioned, one of the things I teach my students is how we don't have to use social media to be heard. Social media is actually a place that we go to not be heard, to not be seen, because we're drowned out by a million other people who are all screaming at the same time. And nobody's there to actively listen. We're all there to numb out, to get the next dopamine hit, and to perpetuate our own, our own addictions to our phones and to that short form content. And so thinking about, what are the platforms that are going to promote longevity in the voice that God has given me, in the message he's asking me to share and to spread. And that's why I teach, specifically podcasting. I had a Dream in 2018, and the Lord spoke to me in this dream and said, start a podcast. And I was like, excuse me, Lord. I didn't listen to shows. I had no idea how that was going to make any sense. I was very confused about what it would be about, but I was obedient and I plugged in a microphone that was 20 bucks from Amazon and it was staticky and awful. And I made my own podcast art. Do not recommend. None of this. Do I recommend. I titled it with something random also. Do not recommend. But I got started and I started messy and I started scrappy and I did it because he asked me to. And that podcast was able to reach hundreds of thousands of people in its first year alone, which was more than I had ever done. Slaving away on the short form, on Instagram, on Facebook, wherever I had tried to be, spending four to five hours a day there versus two hours a week on podcasting. And I was getting so much more reach and visibility and being heard as a speaker with a God sent message all over the world in way less time. And I was like, there's something to this that I think needs to be shared with the church. With people who are called to do this work in partnership with God, there are better methods for them to be heard, to be found, to be seen, to create impact and even income for his kingdom. And so podcasting has been that thing for me. It's what I teach people to do. And practically speaking, when we can create a library of content that's going to live on Apple podcasts or Google or Spotify or when people go searching or even in AI at this point, and we're creating this library of hundreds and hundreds of episodes that have to do with the thing that we're called to teach, to me, that is so impactful, not only because time is money, and, um, I would love to have a life that is full of a lot more than just hustling and working all the time, but because it's able to reach thousands and hundreds of thousands of people in the same amount of time that it would take me to reach one person in a DM or one person at a live networking event. Not to say those things don't have a time and place where they are necessary, but to say that we have to consider, how can I move as fast as I can with this message that's from God? Like, the things you have to say are Holy Spirit inspired, and the enemy wants to shut you down. He does not want you to share that in the fastest capacity that's going to get heard and seen and felt and realized and, like, impact people's hearts and inspire them to move and take action. Like, he wants none of that. And so it's a lot about shutting you down and having you believe that you shouldn't speak, that there's someone better than you, bigger than you, you're not equipped, you're not qualified, or the fear of man will come up, or what will they think? Or a judgmental mentality. But all of that is not from God, because God is not a God of confusion, and God doesn't offer the spirit of fear. So if the spirit of fear is not from God, who's it from? And so we have to decree and declare that we are not available for that, and we only operate under a fear of the Lord, which is a healthy, awe, uh, inspiring fear of. I better start that podcast. I better write that book. Because this message must be shared. Must be shared. Okay, let's move into the third S, which is steward. So this is really about rhythms that honor God while honoring your capacity. Okay? Because stewardship isn't just about money. Money, in my opinion, is a wonderful resource to do great things for where you live, for your community, getting out of debt, for your family, for your church. Like, for all the things, all the things in the world. Take money, right? It's a means of, uh, exchange. Money is no different than a cup or a pen. Like, it is simply a thing and there is a value attached to the thing. And so when people of God who are going big in business and leadership or even in ministry have stewardship of, uh, finances and of wealth even, they are able to create more abundance and blessing for the things of God. And I'm a hundred percent here for that. 100. It's the love of money that is the root of all evil. Not Money itself. So that's where we have that heart check and that heart posture of, um, what is my intention with my desire for money? Why? But stewardship, one, of course, is that how am I going to steward money? How do I steward financially what God has given? But it's also stewarding time. And if we cannot show up in a larger capacity for our families, for ourselves, for a Sabbath, for our church, for our community, for our neighbors, what are we doing? I know that God did not create us to be workaholics. Any aholic is not probably the thing that God is most desiring for our life, Right? And so it's also about the stewardship of time. Like, Lord, how do I build this in a way that is less time, less hustle, less striving, and more trusting? Because God will breathe on your business, on your ministry. God will breathe on that thing, and it will completely, just abundantly flourish. But it does take that stewardship of you being, you know, obedient enough to say, God, please take this. God, please remind me what I should not do. For me, it was a not do because I was doing everything. So I wasn't afraid to do. I was afraid to stop doing. And some of you in the room can feel that right now. And maybe you're the person who's afraid to do. You gotta trust him in this. It's also stewardship of your energy. Are you staying fit? Are you fueling your body well? Or are we self sabotaging? Are we punishing ourselves with food, with overworking? We also must steward our family. As Kingdom CEOs, you are also a pillar in your home. Whether you obviously are male, you are head of the family, but also so many females are called to a leadership position. We are also called to be homemakers, and we are also called to be these incredible helpers of our spouses and for our children. And so how are we able to steward both of these things? Well, because God made us this way. God made me a Proverbs 31 woman who I'm, um, a boss in business, and I show up for my family in my home because he's created this beautiful, balanced life. Not always a hundred percent, but I would say that I am operating in this very interesting heavenly realm that I often speak of where, like, I literally feel like I'm operating in, like, the heavenly places because my life feels easy, it feels light, it feels really just God led in every single area. And that does come from this stewardship. It comes from being willing to lay things down that I should not be doing, to be honest with myself, to remember that my ego is not the boss of me, the Holy Spirit is. And to just relinquish, relinquish. And to turn to him and to pray and to seek. And then I find. And when I find, I do, I, uh, do what the Lord leads. And you can, too. Kingdom CEOs, we operate in a cycle of rest, work, and worship. And we rinse, repeat, right? Rest, work, and worship. It's not all work and it's not all rest. It's this beautiful cycle. And the, uh, last thing I want to say on stewardship is that boundaries matter. Boundaries really matter. You know, taking time, whether you want to call it a Sabbath, whether it's just a little break from all the things you're doing. Family dinners without technology, intentional rest, like a walk each day or 30 minutes to open the scriptures, um, restoring yourself maybe a few times a year. It's a fast from food, etc. You know, these boundaries are going to help you renew your mind and stay really yoked with the one that can create he huge trajectory in your business or your ministry. And then the last practical rhythm I want to bring up here is to plan. We have to plan our week around God first, then our family, then business, and protect that gray space so that God can move. I don't know how many of you hear God in the shower or you hear God when you're driving. It's because we finally had a second of, uh, quiet. We put the phone down, we put the phone away, we got rid of the distraction, and we just kind of sat in it for a second. And it's almost interesting to me how quickly I'll hear from God in these moments. And I wonder if I was silent more often, if I stopped distracting myself or coping with all of these busy habits and busy work that we turn to. How much more would God have to say? Or actually, how much more would we be willing to listen? So that's what I have for you guys today. Some, uh, key takeaways for your notes. One, surrender daily. Schedule that meeting with God. Two, speak boldly. Start using your voice to teach, to serve. And podcasting is my favorite way that I think you can get your voice heard and seen quickly and in less time. And three, steward wisely set these rhythms of rest and boundaries so your business stays sustainable. A Kingdom CEO, it's not about striving, it's about surrendering, not hiding, but speaking out and not burning out, but really, truly stewarding. Well, so that's it. Friend if you want to come and hang out with me for a little bit longer. I actually have a free gift for you guys. If you head to Stephanie Gath.com Boot Camp and use the code Kingdom Impact all one word Kingdom Impact. You will get a free pass into my bootcamp where I teach you my method of growing a God honoring business using podcasting and the one core offer method. I also teach a lot in there about strategy like sales, psychology, sales, um, connection, trust building with your audience but all in a way that is serving God wisely with your time, with your intentions and with your heart. So that's the gift I have for you guys. I hope to see you over there. Thank you so much for listening and learning with me today. Uh, may God bless you, keep you safe and shine his light upon you and be gracious to you always. I'll see you later. Bye.

Speaker A: Thank you for listening to the International Business as Mission podcast. A space where we explore how to build businesses root rooted in biblical principles that create global impact. But we're not just here to talk. We're taking action to spread entrepreneurship to poverty stricken communities around the world. Our mission is to be the catalyst that empowers people to build sustainable livelihoods and break the cycle of poverty. We follow the three fish principle. 1. Give a fish providing startup loans to empower entrepreneurs. 2. Teach to fish offering entrepreneurial training for sustainable business practices and 3. Equip for disciple making building a community that supports spiritual growth alongside business success. This is life changing work, but we can't do it alone. We need passionate impact partners like you to join us on this mission by becoming a donor. Your generous gift will directly fund the establishment of new businesses that provide dignified work and and hope. Just imagine, your donation could help a single mother in rural Africa start a small farming venture that allows her to feed her children and send them to school. Or a young man in Southeast Asia to launch a small business breaking the chains of generational poverty. This is the power of entrepreneurship as a force for good. Will you join us in unleashing it? Go to ibom.org now to start impacting lives through the transformative power of beauty Business as Mission. Together we can create a world of flourishing.