The Profitable Christian Business Podcast

Hosted by Doug Greathouse

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100

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Nov 2026

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About the show

The Profitable Christian Business Podcast helps Christian entrepreneurs pursue Christian business growth and profitability through practical strategies grounded in biblical wisdom. Discover how they navigated obstacles and what contributed to their success, all while staying true to their faith. In our Success Stories section, you'll hear inspiring journeys from Christian entrepreneurs who have overcome challenges and achieved remarkable growth. Our Secrets of Success section reveals the key strategies and principles that have been the catalysts in growing their businesses, grounded in Christian values. Additionally, we offer a Tips, Tools, and Tactics section filled with practical advice to help you take your business to the next level. Christian entrepreneurs, grow your business fast with tools, coaching, community, and more. Join the Profitable Business Inner Circle! https://theprofitablesalesman.com/join-ic

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November 11, 202623 min

Legacy Is Built in Moments | Rabbi Daniel Cohen

What does a rabbi know about building a profitable Christian business? More than you might think. Rabbi Daniel Cohen served for over 20 years as a senior rabbi in Stamford, Connecticut. He is the author of "What Will They Say About You When You Are Gone? Creating a Life of Legacy" and his newest book, "The Secret of the Light". He joins Doug to talk about what legacy really means for a business owner of faith, and why it is built in ordinary moments, not milestones. In this episode: Why a good name is worth more than wealth, and what King Solomon said about it "Destination disease": the trap of postponing your life for the next milestone How to reverse engineer your life before a crisis forces you to The 3-minute daily practice: one minute of gratitude, one minute of prayer, one minute to make somebody's day The 3.5 seconds that can change a life, and the Sloan Kettering doorman who proved it Why growth happens in the valley, not on the mountaintop The 94-year-old COVID survivor who finally learned what one day's breath is worth Connect with Rabbi Daniel Cohen: Website: https://www.rabbidanielcohen.com Books: "What Will They Say About You When You Are Gone? Creating a Life of Legacy" and "The Secret of the Light": https://www.rabbidanielcohen.com/books The Legacy Academy: https://thelegacyacademy.getlearnworlds.com/ Verse he prays with, Isaiah 40:31: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+40%3A31&version=NIV Mentioned on the show: Zig Ziglar on "destination disease"; King Solomon on a good name (Proverbs); Psalm 30:1: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+30%3A1&version=NIV Ready to turn good intentions into daily execution? Get clarity, set your 90-day goal and track your needle movers with Goal Getting: https://goalgetting.app Subscribe for weekly conversations with Christian business owners building businesses that honor God.

November 4, 202646 min

You Might Be Chasing the Wrong Goal | Amanda VanDerHeiden

Are you working hard toward a goal you do not actually want? Amanda VanDerHeiden joins Doug Greathouse to talk about finding your real why, turning it into daily action, and getting back on track when life interrupts. Amanda brings a secular goals-and-habits framework; Doug brings his perspective as a Christian business owner. They explore common ground without pretending their foundations are the same. They discuss the five-whys exercise, accountability partners, the value of being both a mentor and a mentee, and why consistency only helps when you practice the right thing. Amanda also shares a free workbook to help listeners put the ideas into action. Guest workbook: https://gogtds.com Turn your next step into action with Goal Getting: https://goalgetting.app

October 28, 20263 min

Your 2027 Starts Now: One 90-Day Goal to Carry Into the New Year

Your next year does not have to start from zero. In this solo episode of The Profitable Christian Business Podcast, Doug Greathouse challenges the idea that the year is already over. A 90-day goal started now can carry you through the holidays and into the new year with momentum. The framework is simple: Get clear on one specific goal. Make it uncomfortable but finishable in 90 days. Choose two or three weekly needle movers. Review honestly every week and adjust around the holidays. Doug also reflects on Psalm 90:12 and the difference between biblical rest and drift. The challenge: take 30 minutes before this week ends, write one goal in one sentence, put a finish date on it and do your first needle mover tomorrow. Explore Goal Getting: https://goalgetting.app If this helps, share it with one business owner who is already coasting toward January.

October 21, 202659 min

Hug the Cactus: Why Christians Do Hard Things | Kevin Baisley

Kevin Baisley, founder of Listen 4 Wisdom, joins Doug to talk about obedience, joy, and building an app by faith with no tech background. Kevin shares how a counselor of 15 years turned a sleepless night into a tool that gives Scripture, psychology, and practical next steps in seconds, why he says to hug the cactus when life gets hard, and why specific prayers matter. Encouraging for any Christian business owner who feels unqualified for what God has put in front of them. In this episode Kevin's faith journey and the move from Minnesota to Florida The idea behind Listen 4 Wisdom Scripture, psychology, and practical steps in one answer Obedience and trusting God's timing Building an app with no tech background Hugging the cactus: facing hard things with faith Prayer, patience, and perseverance for entrepreneurs Where the joy of the Lord comes from Links Listen 4 Wisdom Try the app Turn your next faithful step into action with Goal Getting

October 14, 202655 min

There Is No Such Thing as Work-Life Balance | Brett Billups

What if the way you run HR, hire, and lead one-on-one is really a form of discipleship? In this episode, Doug Greathouse talks with Brett Billups, a longtime HR executive, former CHRO, and author of Biblical HR: Applying Eternal Truths to Everyday Work. Brett shares how biblical principles can transform HR practices and organizational culture, with a focus on leadership, discipleship, and strategic alignment for profitable, kingdom-focused businesses. Brett has led HR in Fortune 100 companies, for a large employee-owned general contractor, and for the world's largest chaplaincy service. He explains how he learned to connect Sunday and Monday, why he believes there is no such thing as work-life balance, only one life lived under God's priorities, and what HR looks like when it acts as a business driver instead of a paperwork department: planning the people you will need, hiring for heart, holding people accountable the way Jesus did, and why one-on-one workplace discipleship may be the missing piece behind employee engagement. In this episode: Why Brett says there is no work-life balance, only one life Religion versus relationship, and what changed when Brett realized he was not as saved as he thought What it means to pray without ceasing Moving HR from administration to strategy, with a simple people strategy model Why engagement and well-being matter more than any single training program Workplace discipleship: why Brett replaced staff meetings with weekly one-on-ones How to bring biblical principles into a workplace where not everyone shares your faith Hiring the heart, plus interview questions that reveal character Accountability and termination: the woman at the well versus the Pharisees The biggest lie leaders tell themselves about culture CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction to Brett Billups and Biblical HR 01:05 Observing Leadership Styles in Any Environment 02:06 Brett's Journey to Biblical HR and Faith 04:17 Connecting Faith and Work: Personal Transformation 06:57 Religion Versus Relationship 12:02 There Is No Work-Life Balance, Only One Life 14:32 What Praying Without Ceasing Really Means 16:29 What Surprised Brett Most About People in Every Sector 18:00 The Role of Joy and Culture in a Healthy Organization 19:44 Shifting HR from Administrative to Strategic 26:36 The Biblical Model of Selection, Engagement, and Development 32:39 The Power of Personal Discipleship in Organizations 39:32 Applying Biblical Principles in a Modern Workplace 41:37 Human Dignity and Hiring the Heart 47:13 Correction, Accountability, and Performance Management 50:25 Common Misconceptions About Company Culture 52:34 Resources and Next Steps for Implementing Biblical HR 54:09 Final Thought LINKS Brett Billups: https://biblicalhr.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brett-billups-3488666/ Book: https://a.co/d/00yjGVlm Turn your next faithful step into action: https://goalgetting.app Keywords (from Doug's show notes): Biblical HR, organizational culture, leadership, discipleship, strategic HR, Christian business, employee engagement, workplace transformation

October 7, 20265 min

AI Agents Doing the Work of a Hire

What would it cost you each month to hire someone to build your software tools, run your research, and take your meeting notes? Doug Greathouse tells you what he pays for the same work: $135 a month. In this solo episode, Doug walks through what AI has actually done inside his business, with real costs and no hype. He shares the three jobs his AI tools handle today: building SEO, ads and social agents with Codex, a funding research agent built for a client, and an AI meeting notes pipeline. He is also honest about what AI does not do, and what it still takes from him: setup time and checking the work. Then the faith side. Using the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25, Doug asks whether we are being faithful with the tools we have been handed, and why faithful means both putting tools to work and cutting the ones that do not earn their place. You will leave with a six-step assignment to find one repeatable task, price your own hour, test one AI tool for a month, and decide with real numbers. In this episode: What $135 a month of AI buys in a real business Three AI jobs: building agents, client funding research, meeting notes Why a hire is not the same as a tool Matthew 25 and stewardship of AI A six-step weekly assignment Get clear on your next 90 days with Goal Getting: https://goalgetting.app More episodes: https://profitablechristianbusiness.com/profitable-christian-business-podcast

September 30, 20261 hr 10 min

Partnering with God in Business: Prayer, Discernment and Spiritual Warfare with James Williams

What does it look like to make prayer part of the way you run your business, rather than something you fit in after everything else? Doug Greathouse talks with James Williams, author, podcaster, speaker and creator of Dark Waters, about what James calls partnering with God in business. James shares how he organizes his day around prayer, learns to discern the Holy Spirit's direction, and makes room for faith when work feels overwhelming. The conversation moves into James's views on spiritual warfare, repentance, generational patterns, and the relationship between priesthood and kingship. Doug and James also discuss business setbacks, sacrifice, removing distractions, and praying for protection over a business and home. In this episode: - Making time for prayer when business feels overwhelming - Hearing God's voice through prayer, scripture and experience - James's perspective on repentance and generational patterns - Why James connects spiritual life with business leadership - Learning from business setbacks and trusting God - Removing distractions to make room for spiritual growth - The "gates of prayer" and James's biblical explanation - Praying for protection over your business and home CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction and welcome to James Williams 01:40 Organizing the business day around prayer 06:06 Overwhelm, sacrifice and partnering with God 12:08 Hearing God's voice and discerning His direction 21:37 Repentance and spiritual communication 26:38 Generational patterns and the bloodline 32:55 Priesthood, kingship and business leadership 44:18 Removing distractions for spiritual growth 49:17 The gates of prayer and their biblical basis 54:35 Praying for protection over business and home 01:06:32 Where to follow James and a possible part two 01:08:22 Final challenge: make time to pray

September 23, 20261 hr 1 min

Curative Culture: How Christian Leaders Build Workplaces People Want to Stay In | Douglas Shaw

What does it actually feel like to work for you? You can put Christian values on your website. You can talk about servant leadership. You can say people come first. But your employees experience your culture every single day—and their experience may tell a very different story. In this episode of the Profitable Christian Business Podcast , Doug Greathouse sits down with Douglas Shaw, author of Curative Culture: Stepping Away from a Toxic Workplace , to explore how leaders can build healthy, high-performing workplaces rooted in dignity, trust, accountability, purpose, and Christian values. Douglas says employees are constantly evaluating three things when they enter a workplace: Am I safe? Can I trust your intentions? Can I respect you? Those questions reveal far more about your real culture than a mission statement hanging on the wall. Douglas also challenges the idea that healthy culture means soft leadership. A curative culture still demands excellence. It still requires accountability. It still requires difficult conversations. And sometimes it requires removing someone—even a high performer—to protect the rest of the organization. In one of the strongest stories from the episode, Douglas explains why he hesitated to deal with two highly productive but toxic employees. A consultant finally challenged him: if leadership continued tolerating their behavior, the rest of the company would assume leadership approved of it. Douglas acted. The employees left. And something unexpected happened: Other people began to flourish. In this episode: What Douglas means by Curative Culture How nature helped inspire the idea behind the book How quickly you can sense whether a workplace feels healthy The three questions employees silently ask Why leadership owns culture How Christian leaders should think about the Imago Dei Why treating employees with dignity does not eliminate accountability How Douglas handled an employee he initially wanted to fire Why understanding context can change a difficult personnel decision How a firing can sometimes become a blessing Why healthy culture isn't "soft" How culture affects retention and profitability Why toxic high performers can damage the entire organization Why what leaders tolerate becomes part of the culture How to improve culture starting with leadership self-awareness Why leaders should ask, "How do I want it to feel to work here?" Why values must be embodied instead of simply written down How servant leadership changes the use of power Why great leaders ask questions instead of always making pronouncements How leaders can stay connected to employees How Douglas maintained culture after his company went remote Why remote teams still need intentional in-person connection Why asking employees for their opinions builds confidence Why purpose can keep employees engaged longer than compensation alone Douglas ends with a powerful leadership challenge: Help employees understand what they are actually accomplishing through their work . Don't simply give people a job. Help them understand the mission they're part of. Connect with Douglas Shaw Doug Shaw Perspective: DougShawPerspective.com Douglas Shaw & Associates: DouglasShaw.com Book: Curative Culture: Stepping Away from a Toxic Workplace Turn Clarity Into Execution Knowing your culture needs to change isn't enough. The Goal Getting App helps entrepreneurs turn one important outcome into a focused 90-day goal, identify the needle-moving actions that matter, and consistently execute. Start Your Next 90 Days with Goal Getting

September 16, 202650 min

Stop Blaming Your People: Fix the Systems That Are Breaking Your Business with Adam Ward

What if the biggest problem inside your business isn't your people? What if it's the system you've asked them to work inside? In this episode of the Profitable Christian Business Podcast , Doug Greathouse sits down with organizational architect, executive coach, best-selling author, and transformation expert Adam M. Ward to explore organizational friction, systems thinking, sustainable growth, burnout, aggressive goal setting, and faith-driven leadership. Adam has spent more than 20 years diagnosing broken systems across multiple industries. He tells Doug that after doing this long enough, he can often spot organizational problems in about 30 seconds . One thing he looks for? Stacks. Stacks of inventory. Stacks of emails. Stacks of meetings. Stacks of projects. Anywhere work continually piles up can signal that part of the organization isn't flowing properly. But Adam makes an even stronger argument: "If you're blaming people, you have a system problem." Most employees don't come to work intending to fail. When capable people repeatedly depend on heroics, workarounds, phone-a-friend solutions, or constant firefighting just to get through the day, leadership needs to examine the environment those people have been given. In this episode: What completing an Ultraman taught Adam about business transformation Why you shouldn't ask a "couch potato" organization to immediately run an Ironman How Adam defines organizational friction Why different business problems require different improvement frameworks How to recognize a system problem versus a people problem Why Adam looks for "stacks" when diagnosing a company How to prioritize when multiple systems are broken Why revenue and profit are outputs—not the underlying processes Why Adam says "money masks everything" Why leadership humility determines whether transformation can happen How to perform a simple internal systems audit Why every company has more good ideas than it can execute Why repetitive processes need documentation and continuous improvement The difference between the entrepreneur who dreams and the operator who scales Why startups need to transition from startup mentality to production mentality Why broken systems—not simply workload—can cause burnout Why leaders should ask frontline employees how to improve their own work Adam's approach to aggressive but realistic goals Why leaders underestimate what's possible long-term while overestimating what's possible short-term Why progress should still be celebrated when a stretch goal isn't fully achieved How Adam's Christian faith shapes the way he works with clients Why character matters more than getting ahead What it means to trust God when business outcomes aren't controllable Why a friend once told Adam to put down the whiteboard and fast and pray Adam's candid story about self-reliance, burnout, and eventually needing intensive recovery and pastoral care Why successful leaders need accountability and Christian community Adam's final challenge around integrity, vision, direction, and trusting God Free Organizational Diagnostic Adam offers a free 30-question organizational diagnostic on his website that provides immediate results. Adam M. Ward — Website & Free Diagnostic Stop Drifting. Start Executing. Once you know what needs to change, you still need to execute. The Goal Getting App helps entrepreneurs turn clarity into a focused 90-day goal, identify the needle-moving actions that matter most, and consistently execute. Start Your Next 90 Days with Goal Getting

September 2, 202647 min

Humility as an Operating System: Faith, Growth & Leadership with Kenny Wyatt

How do you grow a company without losing your culture, your mission, your faith—or the people you're called to serve? In this episode of the Profitable Christian Business Podcast , Doug Greathouse sits down with Kenny Wyatt, CEO of Pushpay , for a practical conversation about faith-driven leadership, company culture, customer focus, stewardship, innovation, goal setting, and sustainable growth. Kenny describes one of his foundational leadership principles as: "Humility as an operating system." For Kenny, servant leadership isn't the opposite of high performance. Leaders can set ambitious goals, hold people accountable, make difficult personnel decisions, and build high-performing teams while still leading with humility, love, and purpose. Kenny also makes a strong case that CEOs and founders cannot allow growth to disconnect them from the customer. He argues that leaders need to spend significant time with their ideal customer profile, listening closely enough to recognize when the company is beginning to drift from its mission. In this episode: What fly fishing taught Kenny about adaptability, instinct, and leadership Why culture matters even when you're a company of one Why Kenny hires for mission and values before skill What Pushpay does and how it serves churches How Pushpay evaluates AI and emerging technology Why your ideal customer profile should guide innovation Why CEOs can't outsource their relationship with customers How to recognize when a high-growth company is drifting How to create and use a customer advisory board Why in-person customer conversations still matter Kenny's Philippians 2 approach to servant leadership What "humility as an operating system" looks like in practice How to hold people accountable without abandoning grace How to handle difficult firing decisions with dignity Why stewardship includes time, talent, and treasure How to identify your company's stewardship metric How faith shapes Kenny's approach as CEO Why your leadership team matters so much A radically different approach to annual goal setting Why Kenny believes you should rebuild the business every single year Why leadership retreats create better thinking Why Christian entrepreneurs need to keep prayer in the driver's seat Kenny closes the conversation with a deceptively simple challenge for every Christian business leader: How's your prayer life? Because sustainable growth isn't simply about better technology, smarter goals, or stronger systems. It's about becoming the kind of leader capable of stewarding the growth God has entrusted to you. Connect with Kenny Wyatt & Pushpay Pushpay: Pushpay Nurture: Nurture Stop Drifting. Start Executing. Knowing what matters isn't enough. The Goal Getting App helps entrepreneurs turn clarity into a focused 90-day plan, identify the needle-moving actions that actually create progress, and consistently execute. Start Your Next 90 Days with Goal Getting