A Mindset, Not a Minor

Recently, at a faculty retreat, I asked my audience of Cedarville University professors to “please turn your attention to the screen.” Spanning several disciplines and many majors, these accomplished scholars represented hundreds of years worth of combined experience in higher education.

I continued my presentation. “The graphic lists nine different qualities. I’m curious, which of them are essential for students within your major to succeed?”

Then I paused and gave the faculty a minute to think, considering the nine traits:

1. Takes Initiative

2. Problem-Solver

3. Self-Motivated

4. Decisive

5. Adaptable

6. Resilient

7. Independent Thinker

8. Confident

9. Resourceful

I had found the graphic on LinkedIn a few days prior, a list compiled by Amy Gibson, CEO at C-Serv. I chose to incorporate the graphic as part of the entrepreneurial update that Dr. Haymond, Dean of the Plaster School of Business, asked me to provide so various professors could learn about all God is doing at Cedarville in this area.

“Now for the results,” I broke the silence. “How many of you believe at least one trait is essential for students in your major to succeed?”

Every hand shot up.

“Wow!” I exclaimed. “Let’s keep going. Please keep your hand up if two of the traits on the screen are essential.”

All hands remained in the air. I kept going quickly.

“Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight.” Not a hand dropped.

“How many believe all nine traits are required for students?” Every hand stayed raised.

“Perfect. Now, keep looking at the screen. I’m going to uncover the title of the graphic. I intentionally hid it from you so as not to manipulate the results.”

With a click of my remote, the black box disappeared to reveal the heading:

Nine Top Traits of a Successful Entrepreneur

“According to your input, it sounds like you believe in order to be successful, everyone in every major needs to think like an entrepreneur!”

What Is an Entrepreneur?

When I stepped on the campus over a year ago, this was my conviction. A few decades ago, maybe not. But our world has changed.

I began my career in full-time ministry. Bachelor of Arts in biblical studies. Master of Divinity. Doctor of Ministry. Twelve years as a pastor. My mother was the director of a Christian adoption agency in Wisconsin, offering compassionate and Christ-centered services to children and families through adoption and pregnancy support services. My father was a pastor and church planter. I bought into the belief that businesspeople were second-class citizens, a secular necessity to fund God’s Kingdom. I was wrong.

In 2012, I heard the strong, undeniable call to shift from the pastorate to be a full-time entrepreneur. I left with my church’s blessing and entered a world of palpable risk, with three kids ages six and under. I loved every minute of it, as scary as it was. My wife Kelly, a 1998 Cedarville graduate, believed in me, and yet we both knew unless God showed up, I’d fail.

My faith grew stronger in ways I never thought possible. I depended on God for everything. I felt like Abraham when God said, “Go to the land I will show you.” I didn’t have a business plan — just a dream and drive to ignite souls. Clarity came with action, and every day was an adventure. I ended up starting a publishing company, turning books into 18 streams of income. Several years later, I started a complimentary blockchain-based company to protect those books (and intellectual property) through smart contracts. Every single day I’m in over my head, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.

The word entrepreneur means “bearer of risk." At some level, every Christ-follower bears risk, but it is always in the context of our faith in a sovereign God.

We place our trust in God and step out in faith not knowing where He will lead or how He will provide, but we are confident He will act according to His character and promises.

“Without faith it's impossible to please God. Anyone who comes to God must believe he exists and that he's a rewarder of those who earnestly seek him" (Hebrews 11:6-7). What confidence we can have to take risks and make bold, yet wise decisions, knowing our anchor and hope are in God! Believers can pursue entrepreneurial endeavors with a unique confidence that God is on the throne whether we achieve success or face failure.

Entrepreneurs Across Every Discipline

Students from departments across campus visit my office every week. They come from a variety of backgrounds. Some are music majors uploading their first song on Spotify, wanting to take their music career to the next level. Others are nursing majors curious about creating a backup plan in case we encounter another pandemic. They want creative ways to use their talents and keep earning income. Other students dream of offering their coaching services on the field. Engineers come in with product ideas. Bible majors want to leverage their speaking and writing skills alongside preaching and pastoring.

Statistics reveal 50 percent of people in America have a side gig. Changes in the economy and technological breakthroughs shook up the status quo years ago, and innovation is on the rise.

In my book, The E-Mind: How to Think Like an Entrepreneur and Gain an Exponential Advantage, I unpack this reality:

“The simple reason is that whether or not we think of it in this way, I believe every person on the planet has a personal business and brand. I’ve shared this concept with people in my workshops and seminars. The crowd is often split in their response. After examining the evidence, some agree. But many bristle at the thought, believing it to be narcissistic and selfabsorbed. Some faith-filled audiences might even think it’s anti-Christian.

But is it? Jesus exhorted His followers to intentionally embody metaphors like salt and light. “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:13–16)."

Jesus warned His disciples not to hide their identity (call it their “brand") but instead to let it shine for all the world to see. The goal of our work is not ego, but rather to point people back to God and advance the Gospel. And getting paid for creating value is not a worldly pursuit, but rather a godly principle. The Apostle Paul tells us, “A laborer is worthy of his hire” (1 Timothy 5:18).

Never Too Early to Start

I continued my presentation at the faculty retreat. “Yesterday, one of you told me your eight-year-old son started his entrepreneurial journey. Then you showed me a picture on your phone as proof.”

On the next slide I showed the picture of accounting professor Lindsey Howell ’05’s son. Surrounded by over a dozen stuffed animals, young Lincoln is seated with a laptop, ready to collect money for his Rent-A-Stuffed-Animal business. “Oh, and by the way, Lincoln gave his permission for me to share his picture. But he told his mom I needed to pay him royalties.” I pulled out a dollar and handed it to Lindsey right then and there. Everyone laughed. “Make sure Lincoln gets his royalty.”

Maybe you launched your entrepreneurial efforts with a lemonade stand. My mom took a picture of me selling used fireworks in front of our house. At a similar age to Lincoln, I was enamored with fireworks. I found their shapes and sizes fascinating, despite already being discharged. I may have sold one or two fireworks for a quarter on the TV tray my mom let us borrow.

Sometimes we overcomplicate the concept of entrepreneurs. All of us are hard-wired for entrepreneurship at some level. After all, we were created in the image of God. God told us to “fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground” (Genesis 1:28).

Some of us may fulfill the literal definition of an entrepreneur according to Shopify: “Someone who has an idea and who works to create a product or service that people will buy, as well as an organization to support that effort. An entrepreneur takes on most of the risk and initiative for their new business and is often seen as a visionary or innovator.”

Many more Cedarville students will embody the definition of an intrapreneur instead. Intrapreneurs still create and innovate, but rather than risking their own capital, they are granted their company’s resources, support, and capabilities. These people still take risks, but the companies they work for assume costs. The risk and reward are felt by their employers rather than themselves.

For Such a Time as This

We find ourselves at a very unique time in human history. The marketplace is a huge mission field, and God is actively working to draw business professionals to Himself. We’re living in a post-Christian time. Our methods of evangelism may change, but our mission doesn’t. Work is a wonderful venue to express our faith. The Bible tells us to “serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do” (Ephesians 6:7–8).

These days, entrepreneurs have an incredible platform. In my day, athletes and rock stars were on the covers of magazines. Young people aspired to those positions. Today, it’s the entrepreneurs on the cover of magazines. The athletes and rock stars are the ones who aspire to be entrepreneurs.

Of course, in all things, we must maintain a close relationship with Christ. Success can become a distraction. But success isn’t bad. Many men and women from the Bible prayed for success, including Nehemiah and Esther. In fact, God tells His people, “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful” (Joshua 1:8).

Every day, when I drive onto the campus at Cedarville University, I feel a twinge of excitement. The energy is palpable. Ideas emerge from every student I meet. Many of the staff and faculty share their creativity and innovation with me. God’s favor is upon this place in a unique way. I’m deeply honored to serve, and I truly feel the visible support from the University's administration.

At Cedarville, we’re not just preparing young men and women for Kingdom impact someday in the future. Rather, through classrooms, internships, GO trips, competitions, and projects, we’re impacting the world right now. Cedarville is poised to be a light for such a time as this. And the more we embrace the truth that entrepreneurship is a mindset, not just a minor, the brighter our light shines.