Listen to the Teleconference Recording: Make the Jump from Employment to Entrepreneurship10/31/2014 A few days ago I hosted a teleconference focusing on helping people understand what it really takes to make the jump from employment. I shared 3 powerful insights that will help you be successful as you make the transition from working for someone else to working for yourself. If you are considering making that jump or you know someone who is, this will be a great listen for you. Enjoy! If you would like to learn more about how I can help you make the jump please visit www.incmydream.com.
Please leave your comments below... Did you know that fewer than half of American workers were satisfied with their jobs in 2013, according to a recent survey from the Conference Board? I believe one reason is that too many people have tried to fit their vocation into their occupation. What do I mean by that? The origin of the word vocation is “spiritual calling.” I would venture to say that most people don’t feel very “spiritual” about their 9 to 5. Your vocation goes beyond the job you do everyday. Your true vocation is linked to your life purpose. Unfortunately, not enough people understand their life purpose or do what’s necessary to pursue to a career that becomes a reflection of that. In a perfect world, of course, your occupation by default would be your vocation. But for most people that’s not the case. Many in the workforce are frustrated because they have a deep yet unfulfilled desire to do work they believe exemplifies and flows from their life purpose. Unfortunately, they don’t know how to make that a reality. With a deeper understanding of vocation, you can make the shift from work frustration to fulfillment. If you’re looking for a way to transition from the mundane to the meaningful; from working just for the money to work that is purposeful and fulfilling, click here to learn more about a free resource that would be of great benefit to you. Have you been able to find an occupation that closely aligns with your purpose? How did you do it? Looking forward to your comments. Whether we realize it or not, we are in the age of the "Entrepreneurial Economy". This doesn't mean everyone will be an entrepreneur. What it means is that every worker needs to approach the workforce with a new mindset. Along with a new mindset, workers will also need new transferable skills that will be sustainable in any work environment or economy. Every person is a personal enterprise who brings significant value to the marketplace. While that may be somewhat frightening for some, this new normal actually creates many opportunities for those who are willing and able to adapt and adjust. That's why we're excited to host Dream Rally for Jobs in Suffolk, VA this Friday, October 17th at Gates of Heaven C.O.G.I.C. We will be restoring hope, igniting visions, and inspiring dreams of the unemployed, underemployed, and misemployed. If you have been unsuccessful in finding meaning work with a living wage or you know someone in that position please join us for this special event beginning at 7:30 pm. Entrepreneurship is often one of the overlooked areas in life where we have the opportunity and ability to express our divine DNA in a significant way. It not only empowers the person who exercises these creative gifts. The recipients of God-inspired, value-adding good works can receive the benefits of solutions that bring real, positive, lasting change to their lives. When this is happening on a local and global scale through entrepreneurial Christians, the world will really see our lights shine through our good works and glorify God in Heaven. This is especially relevant as it relates to helping people get out of poverty. Often times those in our society who have been disenfranchised, disregarded, and discarded don't recognize the fact that they were made in the image of God and have innate abilities to change their situation. They must be reminded of the greatness that God has placed in them and be invited into environments where that greatness has the opportunity to mature. This is our primary focus and commitment at Kinsman, Inc. We are committed to creating opportunities and environments that empower people to recognize their God-given purpose, gifts, and internal assets to become change agents in their families and communities. For many this could result in launching and growing a profitable, purpose-driven business. For others the outcome may be a higher valuation of their own self-worth, which gives them the confidence to pursue opportunities in the workplace they never before thought they could attain. The book that I recently released, Inc. My Dream: A God Inspired Process to Turn Your BIG Idea Into a Dream Business, helps to support this vision. It was written with the intent to equip people to tap into the entrepreneurial mind of Christ and activate the divine characteristics of entrepreneurship that He put in them to solve problems and change lives through business ventures. It contains Biblical insights, practical instructions, and inspirational energy to help aspiring entrepreneurs build an actionable business strategy around their idea, so they can transform it from a concept into a profitable reality. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book will go to support the $100,000 budget that we have established for our programs over the next 12 months, which include:
Click here to purchase your copy of Inc. My Dream on Amazon.com The spirit of entrepreneurism reflects the divine nature of the Father. We are going to help restore this needed attribute in families and communities. Please join us in this venture. Leave your comments below... Poverty and injustice are not the central focus of the Gospel but they should be significant areas of concern for those who are followers of Jesus Christ. Jesus says in Matthew 25:35-45 that how we have treated the poor, imprisoned, and homeless is a direct reflection of how we deal with him. And according to James 1:27, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a major advocate for the fight against economic injustices, especially later in his life (you can hear some of his views in the video below). This coming Monday night at Kingdom Business University's business Bible study, we'll be discussing some of Dr. King's views on economic injustice, including poverty and unemployment. Please join us at 7:30 pm for a poignant and relevant conversation to you as a Kingdom builder. Click the image below for more information. What are you thoughts on King's views on poverty?
It's extremely important for Christian entrepreneurs to realize that your business is a ministry. Otherwise you will undervalue the opportunities God gives you everyday to serve and impact people through your business. One of the foremost experts in the Body of Christ who articulates better than most is David Doty, who has more than thirty years' experience as a three-time small business entrepreneur, board membership, and business coach for several not-for-profits and small businesses. He is the author of Eden’s Bridge: The Marketplace in Creation and Mission – which is the first articulation of a biblically-based theology of the marketplace as an institution of God. In a recent blog David discusses the significance of business as ministry. Here's a excerpt: "So, how exactly is it that business is ministry? The answer lies in the nature of creation itself, which emanates from the nature of the godhead. The central focus of God as God and of creation as a product of God’s nature, character, and will, is relationship. Ministry is simply the mediation of the relationship between God and humankind, and business, as a vital institution in human society, is fundamentally about the facilitation of relationships. It is not the only institution that mediates the relationship of the divine and the temporal but it is perhaps as significant as any simply by the fact that it is the institution by which we survive and even thrive. Read the entire article Business is Ministry here: http://edensbridge.org/2013/10/18/business-is-ministry/ What are you thoughts on the concept of business is ministry? Leave your comments below... In this message from Bishop T.D. Jakes about developing multiple streams of income, he talks about the importance of separating the pursuit of your mission from the pursuit of money. Watch and be blessed! This is one of the key themes we'll be engaging during the upcoming Kingdom Business U. Bible study series for entrepreneurs and business leaders. During "Kings, Priests, and Profits" we will spend a significant amount discussing how to identify and develop multiple streams of income based on your unique God-given talents, gifting, and anointing. Click below to learn more...
We would like to share one of our new initiatives with you that will allow you to get something great while doing something good. As we previously announced Kingdom Business University is joining forces with Metro Merge to fight poverty and create jobs by strengthening small businesses. Your purchases at the KBU Online Store will help fund programs that provide entrepreneurship training and business coaching for youth and adults. We are committing 20% of all product revenues to Metro Merge. Please join us in this fight and get some great resources for your spiritual and professional development at the same time! Learn more at www.kingdombusinessuniversity.com.
Of course if you just want to make a tax-deductible contribution to Metro Merge, we can accommodate you with that also. Thank you in advance! I changed the original theme for Thursday's episode of Passion in Action TV from "Find a Dream Job" to "Create a Dream Job." The main reason is because the more I thought about it, a bunch of "dream jobs" aren't just waiting to be found. If that's the case Millennials wouldn't be struggling so hard to find a job out of college. Did you know that, according to a May report in the New York Times, the U.S. has the highest rate of unemployed young adults (26.6%) between the ages twenty-five and thirty-four? This is higher than in other larger, wealthy economies, including those of France, Britain, Germany, Japan, and Canada. Further evidence of how difficult this job market is for Millennials and young minority adults: according to a Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data in 2012, 63 percent of 18- to 31-year-olds had jobs, down from the 70 percent of their counterparts who had jobs in 2007. The truth is the job market hasn't just been difficult for Millennials and minorities to find basic jobs (let alone dream jobs), it's been hard on everyone. Fortunately, all is not lost. I believe God put the desire and capacity inside all of us to do meaningful work that is unique and fulfilling to how He designed each of us. The challenge is identifying where that work is. That's why I'm excited about this week's show, because my special guest, Frank T. Mitchell, is a Human Resources and Talent Management expert who will share his perspectives and experience on how to create your dream job versus just hoping it exists somewhere. A recession can't stop God's blessings from getting to you! Join us for this timely conversation Thursday at 7PM eastern on www.passioninaction.tv. Great Products for a Great Cause!Kingdom Business University is joining forces with Metro Merge to fight poverty and create jobs by strengthening small businesses. Your purchases at the KBU Online Store will help fund programs that provide entrepreneurship training and business coaching for youth and adults. We are committing 20% of all product revenues to Metro Merge. Please join us in this fight and get some great resources for your spiritual and professional development at the same time! Of course if you just want to make a tax-deductible contribution to Metro Merge, we can accommodate you with that also. Learn more at www.kingdombusinessuniversity.com. Now that the election is over, it's back to school for Christian entrepreneurs. Why? Because I believe there are some lessons that God wants to remind Christians of related to our misplaced trust (and fears) in people, including presidents. And based on the election results, there are almost as many people who are elated that Barack Obama won as there are that are disappointed that Mitt Romney lost.
Regardless of which side of the fence you are on, this country is still facing some daunting economic challenges. High unemployment. Slow high-caliber job creation. Fiscal cliff. Foreclosures. Housing values. Skyrocketing healthcare costs. Child poverty. Do you see a pattern here? All of these major issues are directly or indirectly related to economics and finances. Economics and finances are not just your concern, they are God's business. He is interested in your spiritual, physical, and financial welfare. Unfortunately, many times we do not seek His wisdom, will, or ways when it comes to our money, which means we do not get His results. The current financial challenges faced by this country and the world are tied directly to the fact that we have been doing things our own way without God's input. As a society, we want God's favor and blessings without submission to His will. We often choose to operate in business with our eyes focused on the bottom line instead of our eyes focused beyond the hills where our help truly comes from (Psalm 121:1). We are not the first people to make this mistake. Jesus' own parents nearly fell prey to our human tendency to move in a direction different from God's. Early on in Jesus' life, Joseph and Mary realized that if they didn't understand or follow God's plan, they would miss out on what He was doing. Luke 2:41-52 reads, “His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast. When they had finished the days, as they returned, the Boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem. And Joseph and His mother did not know it; but supposing Him to have been in the company, they went a day’s journey, and sought Him among their relatives and acquaintances. So when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking Him. Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.” And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them. Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” Also read A Kingdom Perspective on Politics This story has some powerful lessons for business leaders and our society as a whole as it relates to us recovering our financial health and stability. Let's look at a few of these lessons. 1) Make Sure God Is With You Like many of us have done in business when we were too busy to focus on eternal things, Joseph and Mary lost track of God's Son while on the way to their planned destination. They assumed he was with him although he was not. This happens to us to when we make choices and decisions in our business while excluding God from the process. When we have not dedicated our business to the advancement of God's agenda, we lose track of what God is doing and what He desires from us. Like parents who have just realized their child is missing, it is a scary feeling to look up and realize God is not with you like you previously assumed. Many people in this country are fearful right now because there is economic chaos and confusion in the land. They may or may not realized that at some point in the past God was left out of the boardroom, Congress, White House, Wall Street, city councils, school boards, classrooms, and other significant places where they thought they could handle their challenges and opportunities better without Him than with Him. Furthermore, many people mistakenly thought He would be ok with only being God on Sunday in a church building. We are now eating the financial fruit of that kind of thinking. 2) Look For God In The Right Places As the story continues, when Joseph and Mary finally realized that Jesus was missing, they went looking for him in all the wrong places. They sought Jesus among relatives and acquaintances who had no knowledge of where he was (Check your relationships. Are they pulling you closer to or further away from Jesus?). It took them three days to find him in the temple. Why didn't they find him sooner? Because the last place they looked for him should have been the first place. This is reflective of many people today who are looking for answers to this financial mess that we're in. They are looking to Wall Street and they do not have the answers. They are looking to the White House and they do not have the answers. They are looking to economic “experts” and they do not have the answers. They are looking to radio talk show hosts and they do not have the answers. They are even looking to pastors, and unfortunately many of them do not have the answers either because they are representative of point #1 (God is not with them). The answers to our financial problems will be found in the Word of God. Jesus was found in the house of God, teaching from the Scriptures. The answers to poverty, profitability, healthcare, housing, unemployment, and all other economic issues are tied to one Source. God gives answers to those who diligently seek Him (Psalm 84:11, Hebrews 11:6). 3) Operate Your Business With A Kingdom Purpose When Joseph and Mary finally found Jesus, he was in his Father's house, engaged in his Father's business. It is very interesting that Jesus would use the words “about My Father's business” to describe what he was doing in the temple. Jesus knew his Kingdom assignment from an early age. He was operating in his purpose before he was even old enough to drive. He was doing Kingdom business at an age where all the other kids were still playing with toys. As a Christian entrepreneur or business leader you must understand that God's mandate for you in the marketplace is different than everyone else's. Money should not be your primary focus. The advancement of God's business should be your obsession. Your business is a platform for God's purposes. He wants to use your business savvy and skills to demonstrate His glory. He wants to give you influence and affluence to use as tools to shine your light before people that they may see your good works and glorify Him as a result. When you are focused on God's purpose for your business, you realize that your business is an answer to someone's prayer. Your business can be a job generator. Your business can be a solutions provider. Your business can be a poverty destroyer. Your business can be an economic engine. Make the advancement of God's Kingdom your #1 business priority and watch Him blow your mind with opportunities that far exceed your expectations (Matthew 6:33, Ephesians 3:20). 4) Refocus Your Business To Do What God Is Blessing Ideas are a dime a dozen. However, ideas that work are extremely valuable right now. The financial experts are scrambling to come up with strategies and plans that will reverse the negative economic trends that are currently plaguing our economy. Regrettably, we often fail to realize that God is not bewildered or baffled by our present circumstances. He already has all the solutions we need before we even ask Him the question. We must get to place where we are like the sons of Issachar, “who understood the times and knew what Israel should do” (1 Chronicles 12:32). Our attention needs to be on doing what God is blessing, instead of continuing to ask God to bless what we're doing. Based on the current environment, some things are going to work and others will not. How do you know if you are in the right lane? Ask God. One thing you must keep in mind is that God only reveals His deep secrets to His sons and friends through His Spirit (John 15:15, 1 Corinthians 2:10-16). If you do not have an intimate relationship with God, do not expect Him to reveal fresh ideas, key concepts, and ground breaking inventions that will prosper you in the midst of an economic famine like He did for Isaac (Genesis 26). If you are too busy to consult God in your business dealings, then you are too busy. If you are too focused on transactions rather than getting transmissions from His Spirit, your vision is blurred and your blessings will be blocked. If you are too anxious to wait on God to make critical decisions, then you are rushing to get into trouble. If you are too fearful to trust God for your livelihood, then you will be stuck in a position of paralysis. No matter who the President is, God will allow your business to prosper only when you are doing business that He is blessing. How can you as a Christian entrepreneur demonstrate more of a commitment to keep God in the middle of their personal economy? Please leave your comments below... |
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