The Business as Mission Podcast with Mike Baer

Hosted by Mike Baer

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167

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Jun 2026

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About the show

Regular dialogue about BAM or Business as Mission with people just like you serving God in business around the world. Your host is Mike Baer, long time BAM leader and founder of Third Path Initiative, LLC. https://thirdpathinitiative.com https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mike-baer

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June 16, 2026Episode 15935 min

Stop Stifling Creativity: Teaching Kids Business as Mission

Can we teach child entrepreneurs to challenge the status quo and build sustainable businesses? In this episode, we dive into how intentional entrepreneurial training for kids is sparking a cultural shift that empowers the next generation to lead right now. Most traditional systems inadvertently stifle the innate creativity of young minds before they ever get a chance to launch a venture. By introducing strategic business concepts and economic responsibility during the prime development window, we can foster a global generation of problem-solvers. Discover how a simple question from a four-year-old blossomed into a nationwide movement that is rewriting local legislation and equipping families to cultivate real-world leadership skills at home.Key Takeaways• The Golden Window: Why the ages of 8 to 12 represent the absolute best, most creative developmental stage for introducing young people to business ownership.• Legislation for Innovation: Understanding "Lemonade Stand Laws" and how current grassroots efforts are working to remove restrictive legal barriers for experimental childhood ventures.• Beyond Financial Literacy: How early entrepreneurial training actively builds lifelong resilience, confidence, community connection, and active citizenship.• Co-ops and Community: Practical strategies for testing and scaling youth business curriculums within local homeschool pods, parks departments, and community groups.Topics covered in this video:Society of Child Entrepreneurs, business as mission, youth entrepreneurship curriculum, teaching kids business, lemonade stand laws, SOCE, early childhood business training, faith and business, BAM global movement, homeschool business co-op, empowering young leaders, creative problem solving for kids.#BusinessAsMission #ChildEntrepreneurs #YouthEntrepreneurshipConnect with Us:Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-business-as-mission-podcast-with-mike-baer/id1551867793Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0Gp5SOOHFggJ67vPA5qxkDTiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@officialbampodcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/officialbampodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialbampodcast/#BusinessAsMission #BAM #MarketplaceCalling

June 2, 2026Episode 15840 min

Lone Rangers in BAM: Signs of Overwhelming Stress with Curt Spigelmyre

Discover how to identify and conquer BAM practitioners burnout before it cuts your calling short. Licensed family therapist Curt Spigelmyre shares critical insights into maintaining missionary mental health while navigating the unique pressures of the marketplace.Operating a business in a foreign culture brings intense pressure, often forcing faith-based entrepreneurs into isolation. In this episode, we unpack the primary Business as Mission challenges that lead to emotional exhaustion and family strain. You will learn how your physical body signals dangerous stress levels, why independent professionals wait too long to seek support, and how to safely unpack your burdens with confidential care.Key Takeaways:• The Body Keeps the Score: How chronic headaches, respiratory issues, and stomach problems are often physical manifestations of unaddressed emotional trauma and field stress.• The "Lone Ranger" Trap: Why Business as Mission professionals face a higher risk of isolation due to security platform constraints and a lack of traditional agency member care.• The Attrition Crisis: An honest look at why highly trained practitioners are leaving the field faster than ever and how marital or family baggage follows you across borders.• Safe Confidentiality: The vital importance of finding a support network or therapist outside your immediate organization to share struggles without fear of judgment or being sent home.• Practical Soul Rest: Shifting from trying to "tough it out" alone to leaning into community and healthy spiritual rhythms.Topics covered in this video:Member care for BAM professionals, mental health for expats, signs of missionary burnout, Business as Mission entrepreneur stress, overseas business challenges, Christian counseling for missionaries, emotional health in ministry, family therapy on the mission field, preventing ministry attrition, Global Counseling Network, Paraclete Mission Group, managing stress in isolation.#BusinessAsMission #MissionaryMental Health #BAMBurnout

May 18, 2026Episode 15757 min

From Corporate Servitude to Kingdom Freedom: The Wink Movement

Discover how to practice Business as Mission by keeping God in the middle of your corporate career. Adri Dornbrack shares her journey of moving from "slavery" in Egypt to a life of freedom through faith and work integration.In this episode, HR professional Adri Dornbrack reveals how she navigated the secular corporate world without leaving her faith at the door. You will learn how to measure the "heartbeat" of an organization using a biblical corporate culture assessment and how to find peace even when you are told you "no longer fit the strategy". This conversation is a practical guide for any leader wanting to transform their workplace into a mission field through simple, consistent, and spiritual stewardship.Key Takeaways• The "God in the Middle" Philosophy: Understanding why the simplest definition of Business as Mission—no separation between work and faith—is the most powerful.• Measuring Organizational Heartbeat: Using a scorecard to monitor culture through leadership, human, process, client, and social capital.• Navigating "Locust Seasons": Finding divine restoration and peace when a business faces trials or financial loss.•The Exodus Shift: Moving from "Egypt" (self-dependence in work) to "Jerusalem" (total dependence on God).• The "God-Wink" Method: Learning to recognize divine guidance through scripture, timing, and "winks" from God in your professional life.This video explores Business as Mission (BAM) strategies for HR professionals and executives. We discuss biblical principles for business, creating a Christian corporate culture, and the Wink Movement for spiritual growth. Other topics include Christian stewardship, faith-based leadership, and overcoming career transitions with a biblical worldview.#BusinessAsMission #FaithAndWork #ChristianLeadershipSubscribe and hit the bell icon to stay updated with our latest content!Connect with Us:Website: https://thirdpathinitiative.comApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-business-as-mission-podcast-with-mike-baer/id1551867793Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0Gp5SOOHFggJ67vPA5qxkDLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikebaerFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thirdpathinitiativeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thirdpathinitiativeAbout Third Path InitiativeThird Path Initiative exists to equip believers to build sustainable, missional businesses that bring the gospel to the least reached. Through training, storytelling, and practical tools, we mobilize and support Business as Mission practitioners around the world. Thank you for being part of the mission!Don't forget to pick up a copy of Mike Baer's books! Check the link below! ➡️ https://books.by/mike-baer#BusinessAsMission #BAM #MarketplaceCalling

May 4, 2026Episode 15653 min

From Family Ranch to Feeding the Nations: A Kingdom Vision for Agriculture

Discover how agribusiness as mission can transform a traditional family farm into a global force for good. Third-generation rancher Luis Camillo Moron shares how shifting from a survival mindset to a kingdom-focused generational business legacy can feed the world.In this episode, we dive into the powerful story of a cattle rancher who moved from Bogota back to his family’s land to fulfill a calling he didn't initially understand . You will learn how to differentiate between basic agriculture and a sophisticated agribusiness as mission strategy that scales impact. Luis explains how the "process" of farming mirrors the spiritual process of growth and how your business can become a vehicle for feeding the nations .Key Takeaways:• The Shift to Agribusiness: Understanding the critical difference between subsistence farming and running a professional agricultural company.• Overcoming Dangerous Seasons: How the previous generation maintained the business through times of violence and kidnapping by relying on divine protection .• A Vision for the Nations: Moving the business goal from just supporting a family to providing nourishment for the world's population .• Adapting to Technology: Why current business leaders must embrace technological tools and "Revolution 4.0" to fulfill ancient promise.#BusinessAsMission #Agribusiness #KingdomBusiness Subscribe and hit the bell icon to stay updated with our latest content!Connect with Us:Website: https://thirdpathinitiative.comApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-business-as-mission-podcast-with-mike-baer/id1551867793Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0Gp5SOOHFggJ67vPA5qxkDLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikebaerFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thirdpathinitiativeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thirdpathinitiativeAbout Third Path InitiativeThird Path Initiative exists to equip believers to build sustainable, missional businesses that bring the gospel to the least reached. Through training, storytelling, and practical tools, we mobilize and support Business as Mission practitioners around the world. Thank you for being part of the mission!Don't forget to pick up a copy of Mike Baer's books! Check the link below! ➡️ https://books.by/mike-baer#BusinessAsMission #BAM #MarketplaceCalling

April 20, 2026Episode 15550 min

Why Most Founders Burn Out (And How the Pivot Process Fixes It)

Discover how to transform pressure into purpose using a proven 5-move strategy for Business as Mission leaders. Stop drowning in the grind and learn to lead your company with a renewed sense of spiritual calling.Most business owners eventually feel trapped by the very companies they built. In this episode, Mike Baer and psychologist Wayne Wilson discuss how to navigate professional burnout by realigning your daily operations with your "Why". You will learn the specific internal shifts necessary to treat your marketplace leadership as a high-impact ministry without losing your sanity or your soul.Key TakeawaysThe Marketplace Pastorate: Why your business is legally a company but spiritually a congregation that needs edification.The Idolatry of the Balance Sheet: Identifying the moment your mission shifts from serving people to serving greed or ego.The Internal Sport of Growth: Why you cannot solve a business crisis with the same stressed state of mind that created it.Legacy Wealth vs. Legacy Stress: How to build a business that your children actually want to inherit rather than escape.The 5-Move Pivot: A practical framework to pause, internalize, and create a new vision for your professional life.Connect with Us:Website: https://thirdpathinitiative.comApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-business-as-mission-podcast-with-mike-baer/id1551867793Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0Gp5SOOHFggJ67vPA5qxkDLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikebaerFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thirdpathinitiativeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thirdpathinitiativeAbout Third Path Initiative:Third Path Initiative exists to equip believers to build sustainable, missional businesses that bring the gospel to the least reached. Through training, storytelling, and practical tools, we mobilize and support Business as Mission practitioners around the world. Thank you for being part of the mission!Don't forget to pick up a copy of Mike Baer's books! Check the link below! ➡️ https://books.by/mike-baer#BusinessAsMission #KingdomBusiness #RedemptiveBusiness

April 6, 2026Episode 15447 min

Can Business Save the World’s Poorest Nations?

Master the art of Business as Mission and discover how redemptive business models are transforming lives in the world’s most challenging economic environments. Learn why your professional skills are the ultimate tool for global impact and Kingdom growth.Join Mike Baer and Dr. George Watts as they explore the raw reality of launching ventures in Burundi and Rwanda. You will learn why "desperation breeds innovation" and how to move beyond simple business ethics into active redemptive action. This conversation provides a feet-on-the-ground look at using professional excellence for Kingdom business and sustainable poverty alleviation.Key Takeaways: The Power of Presence: Why having a PhD in management can be more impactful in a developing nation than in a Western boardroom.Innovation vs. Survival: How a one-room chicken farm illustrates the grit and ingenuity required in extreme poverty.The Redemptive Lens: Moving business ethics from "don't break the law" to "how can this product heal brokenness?".Navigating Failure: Honest lessons learned from a "dream job" in Rwanda that vanished during the pandemic.Equipping the Next Generation: Why young leaders are trading corporate ladders for high-impact global entrepreneurship.This episode explores Business as Mission (BAM) strategies for poverty alleviation through the lens of Dr. George Watts' experience in East Africa. We discuss entrepreneurship in Africa, specifically the challenges of Burundi economic development and the Rwanda business climate. The dialogue centers on the redemptive business framework, emphasizing Kingdom business principles, missional teaching, and the theology of work for Christian professionals.Connect with Us:Website: https://thirdpathinitiative.comApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-business-as-mission-podcast-with-mike-baer/id1551867793Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0Gp5SOOHFggJ67vPA5qxkDLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikebaerFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thirdpathinitiativeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thirdpathinitiativeAbout Third Path InitiativeThird Path Initiative exists to equip believers to build sustainable, missional businesses that bring the gospel to the least reached. Through training, storytelling, and practical tools, we mobilize and support Business as Mission practitioners around the world. Thank you for being part of the mission!Don't forget to pick up a copy of Mike Baer's books! Check the link below! ➡️ https://books.by/mike-baer#BusinessAsMission #KingdomBusiness #RedemptiveBusiness

March 16, 2026Episode 15343 min

5 Years of BAM: 700 Jobs, 10X Growth, and Pure Perseverance

Discover how a scalable social enterprise in Uganda is transforming thousands of lives through Business as Mission and innovative regenerative agribusiness models. Learn the grit and strategy required to grow a kingdom business from a small pilot to 700 full-time employees.In this episode, Beau Milliken of Kijani Forestry reveals the blueprint for building a high-impact Business as Mission venture that survives existential crises and achieves massive scale. You will see how integrating carbon markets with smallholder farming creates a sustainable cycle of profit and restoration. Bo shares raw insights on perseverance, navigating international investments, and maintaining a kingdom focus without "plastering a fish" on every sign.Key Takeaways- The Nursery Hub Model: Kijani utilizes a hub-and-spoke model centered around rural nurseries to eliminate the high cost of seedling transport for 45,000 farmers.- Hedgehog Principle in BAM: Why focusing strictly on forestry and "sticking to the knitting" was more effective than diversifying into crop purchasing.- Unlocking Carbon Markets: The reality of the long-term certification process and using carbon revenue to pay farmers incentives while trees mature.- Trust Through Proximity: How employing 400 Parish Coordinators who live near the farmers built the essential trust needed to grow the enterprise.- The Power of Perseverance: Moving past "out of money" moments and partnership evaporations to reach a 10x growth inflection point.Connect with Us:Website: https://thirdpathinitiative.comApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-business-as-mission-podcast-with-mike-baer/id1551867793Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0Gp5SOOHFggJ67vPA5qxkDLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikebaerFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thirdpathinitiativeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thirdpathinitiativeAbout Third Path InitiativeThird Path Initiative exists to equip believers to build sustainable, missional businesses that bring the gospel to the least reached. Through training, storytelling, and practical tools, we mobilize and support Business as Mission practitioners around the world. Thank you for being part of the mission!Don't forget to pick up a copy of Mike Baer's books! Check the link below! ➡️ https://books.by/mike-baer

March 2, 2026Episode 15254 min

How a 3-Person Prayer Group Became a Kingdom Business Movement | GrupoSER

Discover how Business as Mission is transforming lives in Colombia and learn why Mike is shifting focus from broadcasting to deep-level Kingdom entrepreneurship and apprenticeship. Stop viewing your work as just a job and start seeing it as a divine assignment.In this unique episode, we explore the intersection of faith and the marketplace through the stories of three leaders in Valledupar, Colombia. You will learn how to identify God’s purpose in business, even when facing closed doors or generational challenges. Whether you are a founder or a Kingdom employee, this conversation provides a roadmap for integrating your spiritual calling with your professional expertise.The Shift to Apprenticeship: Why moving from "wide" influence to "deep" investment is essential for multiplying leaders.Agriculture as Worship: Lessons from a third-generation cattle farmer on seeing God as the ultimate provider and protector in industry.Redeeming Undervalued Industries: How an accountant is changing the "tax evasion" culture by training a new generation with integrity.Overcoming Professional Jealousy: Transforming a family legacy from a source of resentment into a platform for God’s glory.The Power of Prayer Groups: How starting a "Companies of the Kingdom" movement can transform an entire town's economy.

February 16, 202634 min

Hanna Davis & Work of Worth

Discover how the Gospel and ethical commerce collide to provide human trafficking prevention and global restoration. Join Mike Baer and Hanna Davis as they discuss how dignity through work is transforming marginalized communities worldwide.In this episode, we dive deep into the mission of Work of Worth International, an e-commerce platform that empowers artisans in high-poverty and refugee situations. You will learn why "sympathy purchases" aren't the answer and how sustainable Business as Mission (BAM) creates a ripple effect of hope for families in Jordan, India, and Haiti. Hanna also shares her incredible personal testimony—being born to a mother who survived trafficking and how God orchestrated her adoption to fuel her current calling.Key Takeaways- Ownership vs. Dependency: Why giving someone a job is more counter-cultural and respectful than simple charity.- Trafficking Prevention: How economic empowerment serves as a primary tool to protect women and marginalized groups from modern slavery.- A Miraculous Testimony: Hanna’s personal journey from Southeast Asia to leadership in the BAM movement.- The "Casket Carriers": The vital importance of community, biblical counseling, and "carrying one another’s burdens" in high-stress ministry.- Restoration in Action: Moving beyond "saving souls" to restoring bodies, environments, and entire village economies.Subscribe and hit the bell icon to stay updated with our latest content!Connect with Us:Website: https://thirdpathinitiative.comApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-business-as-mission-podcast-with-mike-baer/id1551867793Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0Gp5SOOHFggJ67vPA5qxkDLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikebaerFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thirdpathinitiativeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thirdpathinitiativeAbout Third Path InitiativeThird Path Initiative exists to equip believers to build sustainable, missional businesses that bring the gospel to the least reached. Through training, storytelling, and practical tools, we mobilize and support Business as Mission practitioners around the world. Thank you for being part of the mission!Don't forget to pick up a copy of Mike Baer's books! Check the link below! ➡️ https://books.by/mike-baer#BusinessAsMission #BAM #MarketplaceCalling

February 2, 2026Episode 15048 min

Beyond Direct Trade: A New Mission for Business

Discover how a former Nike executive traded a corporate career for a "beyond direct trade" coffee mission. In this episode, Matt Markley shares his journey of launching Lost and Found Coffee, a business built on radical obedience to a divine calling: "Coffee is no longer to simply keep congregations awake on Sundays".Learn how Matt is redefining Business as Mission (BAM) by moving past standard industry practices to build deep, personal relationships with farmers in Central America. We explore the power of storytelling through media, the impact of "loving with your feet" through service trips, and how following God's "breadcrumbs" can lead you to a path of purpose and impact. Whether you are a kingdom employee or an aspiring entrepreneur, this conversation will challenge you to see your vocation as a vehicle for the Great CommissionConnect with Matt Markley: Website: lostfoundcoffee.comEmail: matt@lostfoundcoffee.com