Catholic Founders

Silas Mähner

Catholic Founders is where Catholic Entrepreneurs and Business Owners go to learn how to integrate their faith into every aspect of how they run their business and life as a Catholic AND as a Founder. In modern times, it's become more unclear than ever how to unite our faith with our work. It's even harder when you run a business. However, just as there is a holy way to live, there is a holy way to build and run our businesses. Fundamentally, our skills were given to us by God so that we may become instruments of His will. These skills are not for our own use. Therefore, to waste or misuse them is a grave thing. This entire project is born out of a deep belief in this truth. www.catholicfounders.com

  1. #76 He's Putting Virtue Into Exercise | Chase Crouse of Hypuro Fit

    1d ago

    #76 He's Putting Virtue Into Exercise | Chase Crouse of Hypuro Fit

    Listen on: Fio (Catholic Spotify) | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube News / Updates: * 🤝 We host a lot of events. Upcoming in Wisconsin (on saturday), and Dallas (July 18). Check out our events here. * ⭐ Check out last week’s episode of CF with John Cannon, founder of Sent Ventures and Monk Mindset * 🎙️I recently got a chance to talk with Ben Black (The Dynastus Letters) on his pod, The Dynastus Podcast. Give it a listen. * 🤖 We recently launched a bot to help you learn from ALL the content we’ve produced. Join the Guild today to gain access. Join the Catholic Founders Guild Today We have 130+ members in the Guild today. People like Jimmy Coleman, Marcellino D’Ambrosio, Zuhair Madanat, Derek McMonagle, and Matchmaker Madigan - to name a few. What are you waiting for? Join today and get access to all the benefits of the guild. The Groupchat | Member Directory | Online Events | Recordings | Special Guild Discounts from Members | CF Content AI ChatBot Our annual membership fee is $100, so joining is a no-brainer. Consider this an association of Catholic business owners, not a high-commitment community that will sap your time. Join today for $100 a year or $10 a month. In Today’s Issue: * Intro to the Guest and Topic — Chase Crouse, Theologian turned personal trainer. * Core Takeaway: Be fit to properly give. * Episode References * Select Quotes * Key Moments First time here? Learn more about our mission. And don’t forget to subscribe. Today’s Topic & Guest: Chase Crouse | Hypuro Fit Ever wonder how to build a workout plan/routine that is based on Theology of the Body rather than just in service of vanity? Well, you’re in the right place because our guest built that exact thing. Our guest is Chase Crouse. He and his wife built Hypuro Fit. A fitness training/coaching service built on the principles of our Faith. This in itself is interesting and part of our discussion. However, we covered a lot of other things like… * Why they put their pricing transparently on their site… and how that leads to better customer calls. * When he tries to do things his way, it usually doesn’t work out as well. But when it’s God’s way, it’s much better. I have a feeling you’re going to enjoy this convo. Do us a favor, reach out to Chase and tell him he should join the Guild because he’s missing out 😆. Want to sponsor this podcast and get your biz in front of hundreds of Catholic business owners each week? We are taking sponsors now, for as low as $55 per issue. Reach out today: admin@catholicfounders.com Core Lesson: Being fit is important to being able to fully and freely give to others. Chase frames fitness through a profound lens borrowed from St. John Paul II and St. John of the Cross: you cannot give what you do not have. Too often, we look at physical health as either a vanity project or an afterthought. Instead, we should view exercise and nutrition as vital tools for building the capacity to serve our families, our businesses, and our communities with technical excellence. Because if we are to offer our lives to the Lord and for the cause of the mission, shouldn’t we be the best version of ourselves? God Bless & Happy Building! ~Silas Mähner Hire Catholic Overseas Talent In LatAm and the Philippines, there are millions of Catholic remote workers (across all domains) who want to work for ethical bosses. Often, they’re treated as second-class citizens or work for organizations that ask them to do questionable things. They reach out to us in search of a Catholic boss. So, we started ParacleteVA (website coming soon). With ParacleteVA, we’ll find you vetted, Catholic overseas talent who will help you move your business forward. How it works: Pay a $500 finders fee when the candidate starts, and $500 if you’re still happy with them after 30 days (half if they are only part time). To get started, reach out to admin@catholicfounders.com with what you’re looking for, and we’ll get started. Key Episode References: Organizations * Avila Institute Spiritual Concepts, Prayers & Church Documents * Theology of the Body * Gaudium et Spes * Divine Mercy Chaplet * Litany of Humility * Eucharistic Adoration Books * $100 Million Money Models * They Ask, You Answer Scripture Passages * John 3:30 Select Quotes: * “People are people to be loved not objects to be used.” - Chase Crouse * “My coaches, they're not means to an end. They are the end, right? They're people.” - Chase Crouse * “We're authentically Catholic while being technically excellent at the same time.” - Chase Crouse * “A lot of this is as a founder as an owner has been just learning to manage my expectations and stay in my lane and being okay with things being done differently as long as they're still done well and managing my expectations of timeline.” - Chase Crouse * “That perfection mentality around like, I can't get somebody to 100 % of the way I do it is I think it's personally something I've struggled with a lot. I have accepted the fact that there's going to be some variance there, but I think it's what holds a lot of founders back from growing the team” - Silas Mähner * “Self donation or self gift is impossible without self mastery.” - Chase Crouse * “Exercise, nutritional discipline, lifestyle, recovery, they're all tools to conquer yourself to better give off yourself.” - Chase Crouse * “I'm not a spiritual director, right? We're not spiritual director, we're coaches, but we don't have to leave our faith at the door.” - Chase Crouse * “I have to be okay with making less money for the sake of spending time with my family and resting.” - Chase Crouse * “We do have to have a detachment to arbitrarily hitting a certain number goal if it means we're not living and serving our vocational state to the best of our ability.” - Chase Crouse * “Marketing sales is inherently manipulative. But I don't want to manipulate somebody as a means to an end of making money.” - Chase Crouse * “That fear of rejection is typically rooted in It's sneaky pride. It's subtle pride.” - Chase Crouse Key Moments: (outline) * (00:00) - Intro: Why entrepreneurship is a divine calling and an introduction to Chase Crouse. * (02:45) - Embracing Family Realities: Shedding professional shyness and finding the beauty when kids interrupt your business calls. * (03:23) - Career Background: Transitioning from full-time parish ministry into health coaching. * (05:01) - The Flipped Gym Model: Inside Hypuro Fit’s coach-friendly contractor split and subscription framework. * (07:10) - Company Brand vs. Personal Identity: Building a scalable company brand over a solo personal brand from day one. * (09:31) - The Limits of AI: Why human connection—not automation—is non-negotiable for building customer trust. * (14:14) - Decoupling the Founder from Delivery: How to handle discovery calls so clients are positioned with your specialized team instead of you. * (19:32) - Working with Your Spouse: Navigating and integrating complementary skill sets within marriage and business. * (21:54) - Relinquishing Perfectionism: Managing expectations and mastering the tough founder lesson of letting go of exact execution. * (23:04) - Theology of the Body Framework: Applying JPII’s personalistic norm and using physical self-mastery as a catalyst for self-donation. * (27:00) - Holy Leisure and Avoiding Burnout: Protecting Sundays and creating strict boundaries around rest for high-drive business owners. * (36:56) - Upfront, Transparent Pricing: Ditching “cloak-and-dagger” sales tactics to show radical respect to your leads. * (41:02) - Ethical MRR Commitments: Balancing long-term client retention milestones with immediate Christian charity. * (47:08) - Turning Down Profit-Maxxing Tactics: Banning supplement affiliate loops to maintain absolute coaching objectivity. * (52:48) - The Pride Hidden in Sales Fear: Why your hesitation around pitching and following up is actually rooted in subtle pride. * (57:18) - Rapid Fire Questions: John 3:30, Dan Burke, JPII relics, and the power of local perpetual adoration chapels. * (1:00:04) - Outro: Core summaries, the vision of the Guild, and a final reminder that you were created to create. Hire Catholic Overseas Talent In LatAm and the Philippines, there are millions of Catholic remote workers (across all domains) who want to work for ethical bosses. Often, they’re treated as second-class citizens or work for organizations that ask them to do questionable things. They reach out to us in search of a Catholic boss. So, we started ParacleteVA (website coming soon). With ParacleteVA, we’ll find you vetted, Catholic overseas talent who will help you move your business forward. How it works: Pay a $500 finders fee when the candidate starts, and $500 if you’re still happy with them after 30 days. To get started, reach out to catholicfounders@gmail.com with what you’re looking for, and we’ll get started. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.catholicfounders.com/subscribe

    1h 3m
  2. #75 Silas' Appearance on The Dynastus Podcast with Ben Black

    3d ago

    #75 Silas' Appearance on The Dynastus Podcast with Ben Black

    Listen on: Fio (Catholic Spotify) | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube News / Updates: * 📆 If you’re in Wausau (Central Wisconsin) this Saturday, we’re hosting a Catholic Founders meetup! Join us or check out our events page for an event near you. * We just dropped a killer episode with the legendary Flip Howard. Check it out here! (PS: if you’re not already, pls follow us on your favorite podcast player to never miss a beat). Join the Catholic Founders Guild Today Get access to all CF Guild online events, the recordings, paywalled content, the CF Guild community/group chat, and CF Guild member directory. Many members have reported doing business with other CF Guild members within months of joining. With an annual membership fee of $100, it’s a total no-brainer to join. Consider this an association of Catholic business owners, not a high-commitment community that will sap your time. Join today for $100 a year or $10 a month. In Today’s Issue: * What is this episode? First time here? Learn more about our mission. And don’t forget to subscribe. Today’s Episode: Usually, I’m the one asking the questions here at Catholic Founders, but recently I had the pleasure of sitting down on the other side of the mic. I joined Ben Black on the Dynastus Podcast for a special cross-post episode. Ben runs an incredible Substack called The Dynastus Letters—honestly, it’s one of the few pieces of media I happily pay to subscribe to. We dive deep into what it actually looks like to build an intentional, multi-generational family legacy, the raw instinct of entrepreneurship, and how our Catholic faith completely reshapes the blueprint of a successful business. If you have not already, I recommend checking out his pod and getting in touch with him for building a family dynasty. It’s really fascinating to help understand your family's multi-generational potential. Learn more here: The Dynastus Letters. PS: I personally really liked the posts he did on the Johnson family from Wisconsin (here is Part 1). Hire Catholic Overseas Talent In LatAm and the Philippines, there are millions of Catholic remote workers (across all domains) who want to work for ethical bosses. Often, they’re treated as second-class citizens or work for organizations that ask them to do questionable things. They reach out to us in search of a Catholic boss. So, we started ParacleteVA (website coming soon). With ParacleteVA, we’ll find you vetted, Catholic overseas talent who will help you move your business forward. How it works: Pay a $500 finders fee when the candidate starts and $500 if you’re still happy with them after 30 days. To get started, reach out to catholicfounders@gmail.com with what you’re looking for, and we’ll get started. Key Episode References: Books & Literary Works * American Nations by Colin Woodward * Leaving a Legacy by Johann Kurtz * Family Fortunes by Bill and Will Bonner * Raising Heirs by Bill Bonner Saints & Spiritual Devotions * Father Michael J. McGivney * Saint Thomas Aquinas * Saint Thérèse of Lisieux * Exodus 90 Bible Passages * Genesis 1:28 * The Parable of the Talents Organizations & People * Knights of Columbus * Dr. Daniel Tatahe (Mercy Dental Group) * Tim Connors * Becoming Noble Select Quotes: * “We are created in the image and likeness of God. And what does that mean, right? It has nothing to do with appearances. It has everything to do with the nature of who we are.” - Silas Mähner * “If a family wants to maintain its wealth over the long period, there has to be a a sense of continued growth and continued building.” - Silas Mähner * “We are choosing to enter into the I the the act of co-creation so that we may become an instrument of God's will in the world.” - Silas Mähner * “Well it's a really it's purpose versus reason, isn't it? You can come up with a million reasons but you can only really have one, maybe two purposes.” - Ben Black * “Purpose and intention massively change the outcome.” - Silas Mähner * “If you're an entrepreneur, you just can't help it. You have to do it. Like it's something that eventually will come out of you.” - Silas Mähner * “He(God) doesn't promise us success financially, right? He promises us to be with us” - Silas Mähner * “The world is incomplete when you don't live out your gifts.” - Silas Mähner * “With a bit of unity, what your family can accomplish with that shared faith and with the shared name is immense.” - Ben Black * “And the the idea is you are the genesis. If you aren't inheriting something or you aren't taking over something, then you are the genesis of this. And you are the person that is going to set the things in motion for the next generation.” - Ben Black Key Moments: (outline) * (00:04) - Intro: Silas introduces the cross-post interview with Ben Black, highlighting Ben’s work with The Dynastus Letters. * (00:58) - In-Group Preference: Ben and Silas talk about how ethnic and religious groups historically preserve faith and wealth by doing business together. * (03:59) - Cultural Geographies of America: Silas references Colin Woodward’s American Nations to explain the deep-rooted cultural differences across US regions. * (05:36) - Openness and the Survival Instinct: An exploration of early Christian survival mechanisms versus modern cultural security and economic collaboration. * (13:14) - Co-Creation and Transcendentals: Silas defines the entrepreneurial urge as an extension of mankind’s role as co-creators, filtering through truth, goodness, beauty, and unity. * (19:58) - Purpose vs. Profit in Business: St. Thomas Aquinas’s bread-baking analogy is used to demonstrate how intent shapes customer satisfaction and organizational culture. * (23:42) - The Calling of an Entrepreneur: Silas breaks down his personal transition out of corporate bureaucracy and reframes financial risk through divine providence. * (33:04) - Radical Stewardship of Employees & Capital: A deep dive into modern workplace management, including living wages and treating business capital as God’s money. * (41:28) - Doctrine and Business Strategy: Playing devil’s advocate on whether Christian moral constraints limit long-term business growth and marketplace competitive advantage. * (47:11) - Ecclesiastical Ventures: A historical look at 14th-century business entities operated entirely to help workers achieve salvation. * (51:37) - Rebuilding Local Communities & Families: Moving away from individualistic preservation and stepping actively into regional development and multi-generational building. * (1:00:32) - Overcoming Individualist Meritocracy: Shifting away from isolated career paths to establish collaborative language and baseline family assets. * (1:05:00) - The Crucial Role of the Matriarch: Silas details the irreplaceable nature of mothers as the generational glue that keeps families united over centuries. * (1:14:31) - Letters to the Next Generation: Reflected insights on what children should inherit regarding unique spiritual callings, adventures, and the “Little Way.” * (1:16:46) - Outro: Ben Black wraps up the cross-post conversation and points listeners toward further resources. Hire Catholic Overseas Talent In LatAm and the Philippines, there are millions of Catholic remote workers (across all domains) who want to work for ethical bosses. Often, they’re treated as second-class citizens or work for organizations that ask them to do questionable things. They reach out to us in search of a Catholic boss. So, we started ParacleteVA (website coming soon). With ParacleteVA, we’ll find you vetted, Catholic overseas talent who will help you move your business forward. How it works: Pay a $500 finders fee when the candidate starts, and $500 if you’re still happy with them after 30 days. To get started, reach out to catholicfounders@gmail.com with what you’re looking for, and we’ll get started. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.catholicfounders.com/subscribe

    1h 17m
  3. #74 How to Unlock Ambition that Doesn't Fuel Your Ego | Flip Howard

    Jun 19

    #74 How to Unlock Ambition that Doesn't Fuel Your Ego | Flip Howard

    Listen on: Fio (Catholic Spotify) | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube News / Updates: * 🤝 We host a lot of events. Upcoming in Dallas (tomorrow), Houston (Monday), and Wisconsin (27th). Check out our events here. * ⭐ Check out last week’s episode of CF with John Cannon, founder of Sent Ventures and Monk Mindset * 🤖 We recently launched a bot to help you learn from ALL the content we’ve produced. Join the Guild today to gain access. * 💸 Want to invest in other Catholic projects/companies/ventures? Subscribe (for free) to the Faithful Steward newsletter. Join the Catholic Founders Guild Today Get access to all CF Guild online events, the recordings, paywalled content, the CF Guild community/group chat, and CF Guild member directory. Many members have reported doing business with other CF Guild members within months of joining. With an annual membership fee of $100, it’s a total no-brainer to join. Consider this an association of Catholic business owners, not a high-commitment community that will sap your time. Join today for $100 a year or $10 a month. In Today’s Issue: * Intro to the Guest and Topic: Flip Howard, Private Office Mogul * Core Takeaway: * Episode References * Select Quotes * Key Moments First time here? Learn more about our mission. And don’t forget to subscribe. Today’s Topic & Guest: Flip Howard | Lucid Private Offices Working from home is the answer for some. Most of us see it as a great way to be close to our families. But today’s guest, Flip Howard, the founder of Lucid Private Offices, thinks we should have separation between work and home via physical office space. He has built Lucid into a thriving office space provider with 29 locations around the country. And the thing he spends most of his time really thinking about and chewing on is how he can not ruin his kids with the wealth he’s creating. So we end up talking a lot about that as well. We also cover his perspective on ambition as a Catholic. I’m convinced you’ll enjoy this episode, which I was able to record in person with Flip in Nashville a few weeks ago. Have a listen and let us know your thoughts. Should we work from home? How can we not ruin our children as we gain wealth? And how do you think about ambition as a Catholic? Get in front of 100s of Catholic Business Owners! Sponsor this newsletter to get your product or service in front of many value-aligned buyers of your products or services. Inquire at admin@catholicfounders.com Core Lesson: Be intentional about the workspace that you create for yourself and for your employees. Work is a good thing — God gave us the commandment to work even before the fall of man. God chose to create the universe. Working is, in some ways, an imitation of this. Because this is true, it’s important for us to consider how we create our space to help elevate our souls to do good work and to keep us in a virtuous mode. A priest once told me, "A beautiful and well-ordered exterior is a reflection of a beautiful and well-ordered interior.” Consider this for yourself, and for your employees. Can you help elevate work by making the space beautiful? Regardless of whether you’re in white-collar office work or blue-collar factory/shop work, there are ways for you to elevate your work space and help lift your soul and the souls of your workers. Just ask yourself, does this space look like a space where humans can flourish? God Bless & Happy Building! ~Silas Mähner Hire Catholic Overseas Talent In LatAm and the Philippines, there are millions of Catholic remote workers (across all domains) who want to work for ethical bosses. Often, they’re treated as second-class citizens or work for organizations that ask them to do questionable things. They reach out to us in search of a Catholic boss. So, we started ParacleteVA (website coming soon). With ParacleteVA, we’ll find you vetted, Catholic overseas talent who will help you move your business forward. How it works: Pay a $500 finders fee when the candidate starts and $500 if you’re still happy with them after 30 days. To get started, reach out to catholicfounders@gmail.com with what you’re looking for, and we’ll get started. Key Episode References: Businesses & Venues * Lucid Private Offices * Augustine Institute Literary Works & Documents * “On Human Work” (Laborem Exercens) - St. JPII Encyclical * Leaving a Legacy - Johann Kurtz Places & Landmarks * Vatican Valley, Las Colinas, Dallas * Carnegie Library * Library of Congress * Franciscan University of Steubenville Scripture * Philippians 4:8 * John 6 Select Quotes: * “Like, what was Mother Teresa? Clearly she was ambitious. You know, would you say she had ambition? Well, that makes it seem like it was for her, but she was clearly ambitious.” - Flip Howard * “And humans are the only creatures who are able to actually participate in creation through work. And work is what makes us fully human.” - Flip Howard * “And rich people are surrounded by beauty all the time. And that's really the main difference between someone who's rich and someone who's not.” - Flip Howard * “It is important for kids to see their dad work. You know, not work too much, not love work, but work.” - Flip Howard * “You can keep working from the beach, but you're not gonna really move the ball forward. You're not gonna be advancing the thing while you're doing it. And that to me, that's what, you know, remote work is like.” - Flip Howard * “And the answer is hire the ones that would naturally do that kind of thing. It's not about changing adults. Like that was their parents' job.” - Flip Howard * “But to me it's not really It doesn't come from some, like you said, heady philosophical understanding of Catholic social teaching. It comes from just trying to love in a gospelsy sort of way, in a very simplistic. I just I think that people can tell when they're being used.” - Flip Howard * “You're not doing anybody any favors leaving someone in a job they're not thriving in.” - Flip Howard Key Moments: (outline) * (00:00) - Intro: Silas introduces Flip Howard and sets the stage for a discussion centered on real estate, beautiful workspaces, virtuous ambition, and family succession. * (03:03) - The In-Person Pivot: Silas welcomes Flip to the studio in Nashville and asks for a quick breakdown of his identity and his upscale co-working company, Lucid Private Offices. * (05:07) - From Laundry to Luxury Real Estate: Flip shares how he graduated from Franciscan University and stumbled into the executive suite industry after initially running a campus laundry business. * (09:15) - Identity and Joy in Entrepreneurship: A conversation on how to avoid tying your identity entirely to your business and how to naturally bring a charism of joy into daily operations. * (12:55) - Work is Good, Where You Do It Matters: Flip explains his core business philosophy, drawing inspiration from St. John Paul II’s encyclical Laborem Exercens and challenging the flaws of the remote work mindset. * (15:59) - The Power of Surrounding Yourself with Beauty: A deep look into how human surroundings impact our interior disposition and why modern utilitarianism falls short compared to older architectural standard. * (22:28) - Rethinking Family Legacy and Succession: Flip reveals why he chooses not to pass his business down to his seven children, prioritising healthy family dynamics over shared corporate wealth. * (28:20) - The Mirage of Remote Work Productivity: Flip breaks down the psychological differences between working from home and collaborating in a physical workspace where true advancement happens. * (34:16) - Protecting Family Time and Demanding Presence: Flip details how Lucid protects its employees by expecting them to switch off at 5:00 PM, and critiques the younger generation’s tendency toward “half-presence.” * (37:27) - Building “Vatican Valley” : The origin story of Flip’s core office location in Las Colinas and how it naturally transformed into a networking hub for Catholic leaders and local ministries. * (41:33) - Virtuous Ambition vs. Ego: Flip and Silas dissect the word ambition, clarifying how the virtue of ambitiousness stands against small-minded laziness when oriented toward the glory of God. * (44:11) - Living Subsidiarity in Company Culture: Flip shares how empowering employees and treating them as human persons beats treating them as mere corporate assets. * (46:38) - The Secret to Hiring Naturally Virtuous People: Why business owners should stop trying to reshape adult behavior and instead focus their recruitment efforts on hiring naturally well-aligned talent. * (50:37) - Charitably Firing and Ensuring the Right Fit: Flip outlines why releasing someone from a role where they aren’t thriving is an act of genuine charity rather than cruelty. * (54:01) - Rapid Fire and Devotion Shifts: Flip reveals his favorite scriptures, his business role model, and how a Lenten resolution brought him into a deeper relationship with the Holy Rosary. * (55:46) - Outro: Silas recaps his personal takeaways regarding intentional workspaces and employer responsibility, concluding with an open invitation to join the Catholic Founders Guild. Hire Catholic Overseas Talent In LatAm and the Philippines, there are millions of Catholic remote workers (across all domains) who want to work for ethical bosses. Often, they’re treated as second-class citizens or work for organizations that ask them to do questionable things. They reach out to us in search of a Catholic boss. So, we started ParacleteVA (website coming soon). With ParacleteVA, we’ll find you vetted, Catholic overseas talent who will help you move your business forward. How it works: Pay a $500 finders fee when the candidate starts, and $500 if you’re still happy with them after 30 days. To get started, reach out to catholicfounders@gmail.com with what you’re looking for, and we’ll

    59 min
  4. #73 Asking God to Crush Your Venture Might Be Your Highest Act of Leadership | John Cannon

    Jun 11

    #73 Asking God to Crush Your Venture Might Be Your Highest Act of Leadership | John Cannon

    Listen on: Fio (Catholic Spotify) | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube News / Updates: * 🤝 We host a bunch of events. In cities like Nashville (tonight), Washington D.C. (next week), Houston (22nd), Dallas (20th), and Wausau, WI. Check out our events here. * ⭐ Check out last week’s episode of CF with Juan Dominguez of Ad Aeternum Media * 🤖 We recently launched a bot to help you learn from ALL the content we’ve produced. Join the Guild today to gain access. * 💸 Want to invest in other Catholic projects/companies/ventures? Subscribe (for free) to the Faithful Steward newsletter. Join the Catholic Founders Guild Today Get access to all CF Guild online events, the recordings, paywalled content, the CF Guild community/group chat, and CF Guild member directory. Many members have reported doing business with other CF Guild members within months of joining. With an annual membership fee of $100, it’s a total no-brainer to join. Consider this an association of Catholic business owners, not a high-commitment community that will sap your time. Join today for $100 a year or $10 a month. In Today’s Issue: * Guest: John Cannon - Topic: When to Close a Chapter * Core Takeaway: Take the Next Step * Episode References * Select Quotes * Key Moments First time here? Learn more about our mission. And don’t forget to subscribe. Today’s Topic & Guest: John Cannon | Monk Mindset Today’s guest is the one and only John Cannon. He started SENT Ventures after many years as a monk. SENT currently puts on one of the biggest conferences for Catholic builders every year (happening in Denver this year). But now John is on to his next venture. We take some time to discuss his journey, and we spend a bit of time on what it looks like to close a chapter and go onto the next one. It’s a core focus of the discussion. John’s genuine spirit and care for the work he’s doing is very evident to all who meet him. Hopefully that comes through in this interview. Do what John has promoted, build like the saints! Want to get your business in front of hundreds of business owners? Sponsor this podcast! — Reach out, admin@catholicfounders.com Core Lesson: The journey you’re called on, is going to be a lot crazier than you imagine. God is helping you take step after step — He doesn’t usually share the next 100 steps. But trust Him! John’s journey, like many of us, did not go in a straight line. As entrepreneurs, we have lived this and seen how many ups and downs the entrepreneurship life has. But what’s funny is often when we start out, we think it’s going to be in a straight line. Growth is going to be up and to the right, and before you know it, we’re going to be millionaires. Anyone who’s been in this for any period of time knows that’s not exactly how it goes. However, despite all of these ups and downs, the point is we must trust in God and take the next step and the next step and the next step. We must follow Him with trust, knowing that He will be with us. The road ahead isn’t likely a straight line, but I assure you its the journey of a lifetime. God Bless & Happy Building! ~Silas Mähner Hire Catholic Overseas Talent In LatAm and the Philippines, there are millions of Catholic remote workers (across all domains) who want to work for ethical bosses. Often, they’re treated as second-class citizens or work for organizations that ask them to do questionable things. They reach out to us in search of a Catholic boss. So, we started ParacleteVA (website coming soon). With ParacleteVA, we’ll find you vetted, Catholic overseas talent who will help you move your business forward. How it works: Pay a $500 finders fee when the candidate starts and $500 if you’re still happy with them after 30 days. To get started, reach out to catholicfounders@gmail.com with what you’re looking for, and we’ll get started. Key Episode References: * SENT Ventures * Monk Mindset * Hallow * Missionaries of Charity - Calcutta * Institute of Christ the King * Mystery of Transfiguration of Jesus * Come Holy Spirit Prayer * Her Last Conversations (book) Select Quotes: * “The faith had transformed my life so much. I was like, well, why don't people like take this seriously out there?” - John Cannon * “It just got me seeing that entrepreneurship has actually been a key ingredient to how the church has renewed historically.” - John Cannon * “I found that there was like a lot of them, one of the things that they really benefited from or that was most important or meaningful to them was having like a community or at least a few other entrepreneurs they could really like, they trusted and they could bring hard problems or issues too to get.” - John Cannon * “There's a saying in entrepreneurship, fail fast, and that's actually preferable. If you just fail very quickly, then you know that doesn't work, and you can move on to the next thing. Like it's actually really painful to fail slowly because then you don't actually know you're like failing over a long period of time.”- John Cannon * “God, if you don't want this, like just crush it or have it fail or like, like actually praying that prayer.” - John Cannon * “The wheat and the weeds are all together, right? A little bit in almost any human endeavor.” — John Cannon * “I think the hard part for me sometimes feels, though, that there are two or three viable options that it feels like God's kind of saying, like, Hey, it's up to you to choose. Right? Like at the end of the day, still want you to be, to use your agency, to use your free will...” — Silas Mähner * “God will help open those doors in that path. And then I think on the human and natural level, like we're not relieved of doing the work there too, right?” - John Cannon Key Moments: (outline) * [00:00] Intro Silas introduces John Cannon and sets the stage for discussing monastic life, high-level business networks, and the transition into fresh vocational missions. * [05:08] Founding SENT: John describes his deep-dive study into historical church renewal leaders like St. Benedict and St. Francis, highlighting the entrepreneurial core driving these major movements. * [07:56] Navigating the Evolution of Ideas An exploration of how early concepts begin as amorphous goals and must adapt continuously through initial feedback loops. * [10:38] Building Community Among Entrepreneurs: Discussing the critical value of trusted peer circles where founders can openly process professional and spiritual hurdles. * [13:11] Balancing of Faith & Entrepreneurship: Reflecting on the integration of everyday business with a life of prayer, including the practice of praying for non-viable paths to be cleared away. * [15:59] From Nonprofit to For-Profit: John details the early structural considerations of Sent Ventures and how its mission evolved over time. * [20:23] Reflections on the Impact: Discussing the unique synergy that occurs when sharp business operators and spiritually-driven apostolate leaders collaborate in a shared ecosystem. * [23:09] Introducing Monk Mindset: John presents his latest project focused on delivering traditional monastic structure and interior habits into modern daily schedules. * [29:27] Stoicism & Monk Mindset: Contrasting popular secular self-help philosophies with the deeply rooted, transcendent truths of Catholic monastic tradition. * [33:06] Cultural Shifts and the Return to Tradition: Identifying a growing societal hunger for continuity, timeless truth, and traditional institutional wisdom amidst modern digital overload. * [36:42] Monk Mindset and Its Impact on Entrepreneurship: How bridging media production with enclosed monasteries allows ancient charisms to reach millions of modern seekers. * [41:16] Daily Practices for a Flourishing Life: Breaking down the four core daily monastic habits necessary to establish interior stability, foster community, and prevent burnout. * [45:46] Discernment God’s Call: Exploring how to evaluate clear vocational signs and navigate the transition of handing off or wrapping up a major project. * [50:14] Rapid Fire: A concluding fast-paced segment touching upon favorite books, formative saints, and essential insights gained on the journey. * [58:04] Intentional Work: Why regular daily tasks, when approached with explicit intentionality, transform into a continuous expression of deep prayer. * [58:42] Embracing Change: Encouraging builders to release personal self-reliance and confidently allow the Holy Spirit to open or shut relevant doors. * [59:47] Closing: Final words from Silas outlining the mission of the Catholic Founders Guild and urging listeners to support fellow builders. Hire Catholic Overseas Talent In LatAm and the Philippines, there are millions of Catholic remote workers (across all domains) who want to work for ethical bosses. Often, they’re treated as second-class citizens or work for organizations that ask them to do questionable things. They reach out to us in search of a Catholic boss. So, we started ParacleteVA (website coming soon). With ParacleteVA, we’ll find you vetted, Catholic overseas talent who will help you move your business forward. How it works: Pay a $500 finders fee when the candidate starts, and $500 if you’re still happy with them after 30 days. To get started, reach out to catholicfounders@gmail.com with what you’re looking for, and we’ll get started. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.catholicfounders.com/subscribe

    1h 1m
  5. #72 How to reclaim Christian masculinity and build a parallel economy | Juan Dominguez

    Jun 4

    #72 How to reclaim Christian masculinity and build a parallel economy | Juan Dominguez

    Listen on: Fio (Catholic Spotify) | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube News / Updates: * 🤝 We host a bunch of events. In cities like New York, Dallas, Houston, Nashville, and even Central Wisconsin. Check out our events here. * 🇻🇦We released an emergency episode last Tuesday to break down the newest Encyclical of Pope Leo XIV: Magnifica Humanitas. * ⭐ Check out last week’s episode of CF with Zak Slayback and Edmund Mitchell * 🤖 We recently launched a bot to help you learn from ALL the content we’ve produced. Join the Guild today to gain access. * 💸 Want to invest in other Catholic projects/companies/ventures? Subscribe (for free) to the Faithful Steward newsletter. Join the Catholic Founders Guild Today Get access to all CF Guild online events, the recordings, paywalled content, the CF Guild community/group chat, and CF Guild member directory. Many members have reported doing business with other CF Guild members within months of joining. With an annual membership fee of $100, it’s a total no-brainer to join. Consider this an association of Catholic business owners, not a high-commitment community that will sap your time. Join today for $100 a year or $10 a month. In Today’s Issue: * Intro to the Guest and Topic * Core Takeaway * Episode References * Select Quotes * Key Moments First time here? Learn more about our mission. And don’t forget to subscribe. Today’s Topic & Guest: Juan Dominguez | Ad Aeternum Welcome back, everyone, to another episode of the Catholic Founders Podcast. If you’ve spent any time bouncing around the Catholic part of Substack over the last few years, you have almost certainly crossed paths with the work of today’s guest. I am joined by Juan Dominguez, the founder of Ad Aeternum. A best-selling Substack publication formerly known as Simple Man. Juan has built an incredible global community dedicated to a massive mission: helping young men recover deep virtue, shake off the epidemic of modern loneliness, and start living with radical purpose. In this conversation, we talk about living a faithful life in this modern age. The interior life. Sharing our faith publicly. How building a business can satisfy the desire to conquer in modern times. And what to do about the AI situation (this was recorded pre Magnifica Humanitas FYI). I really had fun chopping it up with Juan. I hope you enjoy this episode as well! Wanna sponsor this podcast or the newsletter? Reach out to Admin@catholicfounders.com to get started, and to get your business or service in front of hundreds of Catholic Business owners… every week (for very affordable rates). Core Lesson: True Catholic entrepreneurship is not false humility. It’s about us using our God-given talents to answer the calling He has for us. Humility doesn’t mean being small. It doesn’t mean disagreeing with people when they compliment a skill you have. Humility is recognizing where it all comes from and directing the praise towards Him. Humility is realizing you’ve been given a mission calling, and answering it, regardless of how unworthy you feel. Humility is what allows you to run a wildly successful business without it going to your head, because you don’t see it as yours at all. Now, in the new AI era, it’s more important than ever that we take this responsibility seriously. God Bless & Happy Building! ~Silas Mähner Hire Catholic Overseas Talent In LatAm and the Philippines, there are millions of Catholic remote workers (across all domains) who want to work for ethical bosses. Often, they’re treated as second-class citizens or work for organizations that ask them to do questionable things. They reach out to us in search of a Catholic boss. So, we started ParacleteVA (website coming soon). With ParacleteVA, we’ll find you vetted, Catholic overseas talent who will help you move your business forward. How it works: Pay a $500 finders fee when the candidate starts and $500 if you’re still happy with them after 30 days. To get started, reach out to catholicfounders@gmail.com with what you’re looking for, and we’ll get started. Key Episode References: Creative Works & Publications * Ad Aeternum Substack * Ad Aeternum YouTube Channel * Becoming Noble by Johann Kurtz * Simple Man (Song) * The Fountain of Youth by Dave Durand Scripture & Parables * “Be the light of the world” Gospel (Matthew 5:14) * Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30) * Isaiah 6:8 Select Quotes: * “At times like this, the halos are hanging from the lowest branches.” - Juan Dominguez * “Sanctity and holiness is there for the taking. It’s really up to you to decide to be one of the few ones who are a light in this world, and the encouragement and the motivation are for you to actually do it and strive to become a saint.” - Juan Dominguez * “You are the representation of the Gospel. You are the representation of what the Catholic Church stands for. So it’s a huge responsibility to carry, even if you’re not doing it publicly, of course, especially if you’re doing it publicly, but just in day-to-day life, in the conversations that you have with other people, it’s we have that a huge burden to bear and I think we really haven’t been understanding that and taking it with the seriousness that it deserves” - Juan Dominguez * “If you are called to build, then build and do it for the glory of God.” - Silas Mähner * “It’s usually just a cop out and just an excuse for cowardice to not put yourself out there and try, you know, it’s way easier to just accept what is, not try to build anything better, not try to go anywhere better, not try to be better in any way.” - Juan Dominguez * “The coward’s way out is just using this false humility, like you said, to masquerade a cowardice that keeps you from actually doing what you need, like what your duty is, and that is to put your talents to good use” - Juan Dominguez Share your favorite quote from above! Key Moments: (outline) * (00:00) - Intro : Juan Dominguez frames the vital need for promoting virtue and guiding young men back to Christ. * (00:35) - Mission Statement : Silas Mähner outlines the core objective of Catholic Founders and introduces Juan Dominguez. * (02:23) - The Origin of Ad Aeternum : Juan discusses his background as a Colombian writer and entrepreneur growing his Substack community. * (04:38) - Rediscovering the Faith : Juan details how a secular masculinity project unintentionally led him back to the Catholic Church. * (07:34) - The Heavy Burden of Hypocrisy : A deep look at why modern men reject the Church due to poor lived examples, and our duty to be the face of the Gospel. * (11:53) - The Rebrand Blueprint : Juan shares the business and spiritual motivations for shifting from “Simple Man” to a serious faith-based media company. * (18:39) - The AI Breaking Point : How artificial intelligence acts as a spiritual amplifier and where men must draw strict relational boundaries. * (21:05) - The Resurgence of the Human Element : A strategic look at tech layoffs, automated markets, and why uniquely human skills are poised for a comeback. * (28:19) - Anarchy vs. Chivalry : Confronting the cultural void that attracts lost young men to worldly gurus like Andrew Tate, and how Catholic leaders can fill it. * (40:05) - The Masculine Drive to Conquer : Why entrepreneurship serves as a modern frontier for men to exercise their drive to build in an orderly, creative way. * (45:18) - Cycles of Cultural Restoration : Juan envisions a hopeful future anchored in restored families, structured relationships, and traditional values. * (50:51) - The Duty of Wealth & Talents : Busting the myth of false humility, breaking down the Parable of the Talents, and competing directly against godless influence. * (55:14) - Rapid Fire Questions : Juan reveals his favorite scripture, an inspiring Colombian entrepreneur, his love for St. Francis, and the ultimate spiritual “cheat code”. * (57:13) - Outro : Silas recaps his biggest takeaways, challenges listeners to stop hiding behind cowardice, and invites founders to join the Guild. Hire Catholic Overseas Talent In LatAm and the Philippines, there are millions of Catholic remote workers (across all domains) who want to work for ethical bosses. Often, they’re treated as second-class citizens or work for organizations that ask them to do questionable things. They reach out to us in search of a Catholic boss. So, we started ParacleteVA (website coming soon). With ParacleteVA, we’ll find you vetted, Catholic overseas talent who will help you move your business forward. How it works: Pay a $500 finders fee when the candidate starts, and $500 if you’re still happy with them after 30 days. To get started, reach out to catholicfounders@gmail.com with what you’re looking for, and we’ll get started. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.catholicfounders.com/subscribe

    1 hr
  6. May 31

    #71 Edmund Mitchell & Zak Slayback Discuss Magnifica Humanitas on Catholic Founders

    Listen on: Fio (Catholic Spotify) | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube News / Updates: * 🤝 We host a bunch of events. In cities like New York, Dallas, Houston, Nashville, and even Central Wisconsin. Check out our events here. * 🇻🇦We released an emergency episode last Tuesday to break down the newest Encyclical of Pope Leo XIV: Magnifica Humanitas. * ⭐ Check out last week’s episode of CF with Matt Ingold * 🤖 We recently launched a bot to help you learn from ALL the content we’ve produced. Join the Guild today to gain access. * 💸 Want to invest in other Catholic projects/companies/ventures? Subscribe (for free) to the Faithful Steward newsletter. Join the Catholic Founders Guild Today Get access to all CF Guild online events, the recordings, paywalled content, the CF Guild community/group chat, and CF Guild member directory. Many members have reported doing business with other CF Guild members within months of joining. With an annual membership fee of $100, it’s a total no-brainer to join. Consider this an association of Catholic business owners, not a high-commitment community that will sap your time. Join today for $100 a year or $10 a month. Intro to our Guests & the Point of Today’s Podcast Zak Slayback is a Venture Capital Investor and well-read convert to Catholicism (2020). Edmund Mitchell is a serial entrepreneur and is very plugged into the AI world, especially on the Catholic side of the scene. We brought them on today to discuss their key perspectives on Pope Leo’s first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas. We cover a wide range of topics, but we are just scratching the surface, so let me know if you’d like to hear another one of these. God Bless & Happy Building! ~Silas Mähner First time here? Learn more about our mission. And don’t forget to subscribe. Select Quotes: * “The fundamental anthropology that is proposed in Rerum Novarum […], is that the primary unit of society is man and his family.” - Zak Slayback * “Unemployment is a grave evil. That is one thing that is noted in the document, citing back to John Paul II’s social encyclicals. Why is it a grave evil? Well, one, because work is a good thing for man.” - Zak Slayback * “Pope Leo doesn’t give us the room to outsource our thinking to this document or outsource our thinking to any, you know, podcast or news clip, right? Like we I think sometimes we want to find a justification for things we’re already doing when often the opposite is the case, these encyclicals challenge us to change.” - Edmund Mitchell * “The social function of credit remains irreplaceable. Finance for its own sake is fundamentally different from finance aimed at the development. Creation and evolution of work.” - Zak Slayback (Quoting from Magnifica Humanitas) * “ROI maxing is not the purpose of being an entrepreneur. It shouldn’t be at least. It shouldn’t be the purpose behind making an investment.” - Silas Mähner * “The call to action from the Holy Father is to develop more sustainable technologies, it’s not necessarily to tear the data. Centers down or to not build them.” - Zak Slayback * “The decision to invest in one place rather than another, and one productive sector rather than another, is always a moral and cultural choice, and that’s italicized in the original document.” - Zak Slayback * “Technology itself is one of the talents that we’re granted. And I was thinking a lot about the fact that we were intentionally put in this time of history to be to use the things that are at our disposal.” - Silas Mähner * “We can use the tools that are at our disposal in our time and our own journey of sanctification is intentionally set up. to be in this time of history.” - Silas Mähner Key Episode References: Church Documents & Papal Teachings * Magnifica Humanitas Encyclical | Rerum Novarum | Quadragesimo Anno | Populorum Progressio | Pacem in Terris | Redemptor Hominis | Laborem Exercens | Centesimus Annus | Caritas in Veritate | Laudato si’ | Fratelli Tutti | Gaudium et Spes | Antiqua et nova | Evangelium Vitae | Veritatis Splendor | Casti Connubii | Humanae Vitae | Second Vatican Council Documents | Paul VI - Address to the United Nations (“No war, no more war”) Popes & Church Figures * Pope Leo XIV | Pope Leo XIII | Pope Pius IX | Pope Pius XI | Pope Paul VI | Pope John XXIII | Pope John Paul II | Pope Benedict XVI | Pope Francis | Fr. Jean Gove, Archdiocese of Malta | Second Vatican Council Organizations, Projects & Media * Digital Continent * SENT Ventures * The Faith and AI Project * “Delete Magisterium AI Debate” by Matthew Sanders and Mark Barnes * Catholic Answers * Y Combinator * Chesterton Academy * Simple Man / Ad Aeternum by Juan Dominguez (episode coming out this week) Tech Companies, Tools & Frameworks * Pinecone | Patmos Hosting | Pat Lencioni’s Working Genius People & Other References * Zak Slayback * Edmund Mitchell * Andre Karpathy * John Johnson * J.R.R. Tolkien * Brian Johnson Join the Catholic Founders Guild Today Get access to all CF Guild online events, the recordings, paywalled content, the CF Guild community/group chat, and CF Guild member directory. Many members have reported doing business with other CF Guild members within months of joining. With an annual membership fee of $100, it’s a total no-brainer to join. Consider this an association of Catholic business owners, not a high-commitment community that will sap your time. Join today for $100 a year or $10 a month. Key Moments: (outline) * (00:00) - Introduction and Setting the Stage: Silas welcomes everyone back to the Catholic Founders podcast and introduces the topic of the newly released AI encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, by Pope Leo XIV. * (04:02) - Getting the Squad Together: Silas brings on guests Zak Slayback and Edmund Mitchell, establishing their backgrounds in venture capital and Catholic tech projects. * (05:05) - Guest Introductions: Zak shares his background as a tech investor and his 2020 conversion story, followed by Edmund introducing his work with Digital Continent and the Faith in AI project. * (06:56) - The Encyclical Tradition and History: Zak unpacks the deep history of contemporary Catholic social teaching, charting the path from Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum to modern papal documents. * (15:21) - Broad Takeaways on Magnifica Humanitas: Edmund and Zak explain that the document is less about specific technology and more about addressing human anthropology within the age of AI. * (17:25) - AI as an Immersed Environment: Edmund references paragraph 110 of the encyclical to illustrate how AI has shifted from a mere tool to an environment we are completely immersed in. * (24:10) - Moving Beyond Political Paradigms: The group discusses why analyzing Church documents through an American left-or-right political lens is a category error, emphasizing that the primary unit of society is always man and his family. * (31:30) - Key Doctrinal Developments: Edmund and Zak discuss authoritative developments within the document, including the practical ban on autonomous weapons, just war limitations, and applying the universal destination of goods to digital data. * (39:37) - Data Extraction and Emerging Business Models: Zak addresses the ethical concerns surrounding the high concentration of power in tech and the challenge for startup founders to create business models that respect personal data. * (45:11) - The Rapid Evolution of Software and Infrastructure: Edmund and Zak analyze the shift toward treating compute as a utility and evaluate the environmental impact of data centers without succumbing to secular catastrophizing. * (56:21) - Intellectual Property in a Knowledge Economy: Edmund looks at the future of intellectual property frameworks, explaining how large language models affect how creators and institutions handle their proprietary data. * (58:45) - The Social Function of Finance and Work: Silas leads a discussion on paragraph 160 of the encyclical, diving into how financial credit and investments must always prioritize providing dignified, meaningful work rather than pure “ROI maxing”. * (1:08:33) - Rebuilding Jerusalem and Overcoming Consumption: Silas, Zak, and Edmund call on Catholic founders and individuals to transition from passive consumption to active, real-world participation in building a civilization of love. * (1:15:30) - Conclusion and Outro: Silas wraps up the episode by reminding listeners that technology is a given talent for our time, announces the next episode with Juan Dominguez, and extends an invitation to join the Catholic Founders Guild. Hire Catholic Overseas Talent In LatAm and the Philippines, there are millions of Catholic remote workers (across all domains) who want to work for ethical bosses. Often, they’re treated as second-class citizens or work for organizations that ask them to do questionable things. They reach out to us in search of a Catholic boss. So, we started ParacleteVA (website coming soon). With ParacleteVA, we’ll find you vetted, Catholic overseas talent who will help you move your business forward. How it works: Pay a $500 finders fee when the candidate starts, and $500 if you’re still happy with them after 30 days. To get started, reach out to catholicfounders@gmail.com with what you’re looking for, and we’ll get started. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.catholicfounders.com/subscribe

    1h 19m
  7. #70 Your Business IS Your Mission Field and It's Where God Draws You Closer | Matt Ingold

    May 28

    #70 Your Business IS Your Mission Field and It's Where God Draws You Closer | Matt Ingold

    Listen on: Fio (Catholic Spotify) | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube News / Updates: * 🤝 We have events happening in Dallas, Nashville, Wisconsin, and Columbus. Register to attend. * 🇻🇦We released an emergency episode last Tuesday to break down the newest Encyclical of Pope Leo XIV: Magnifica Humanitas. * ⭐ Check out last week’s episode of CF with Matt Pinto * 🤖 We recently launched a bot to help you learn from ALL the content we’ve produced. Join the Guild today to gain access. * 💸 Want to invest in other Catholic projects/companies/ventures? Subscribe (for free) to the Faithful Steward newsletter. Join the Catholic Founders Guild Today Get access to all CF Guild online events, the recordings, paywalled content, the CF Guild community/group chat, and CF Guild member directory. Many members have reported doing business with other CF Guild members within months of joining. With an annual membership fee of $100, it’s a total no-brainer to join. Consider this an association of Catholic business owners, not a high-commitment community that will sap your time. Join today for $100 a year or $10 a month. In Today’s Issue: * Intro to the Guest and Topic: Matt Ingold, Founder of Metanoia Catholic * Core Takeaway * Episode References * Select Quotes * Key Moments First time here? Learn more about our mission. And don’t forget to subscribe. Today’s Topic & Guest: Matthew Ingold | Metanoia Catholic Alright folks, welcome back to another episode of the Catholic Founders Podcast. Today, we are bringing you a powerful conversation recorded live at the YCP conference in Dallas with the one and only Matt Ingold, co-founder of Metanoia Catholic. They have been building for 7 years and have evolved into a premier coach training academy that helps form executive and life coaches who integrate the Catholic faith into human development and personal growth. We discuss: * How founders can reclaim the entrepreneurial space from modern hustle culture. * How looking closely at our daily biz ops can help us with our interior diologue with the Father. * What it’s like to run a business with your wife. * How to see God’s hand in the ups, and the downs, of running a business. * And much more. Regardless of what type of biz owner you are, and how far along you are on your journey, I think you’re going to like this. Core Lesson: Your business serves as an architectural space for your personal sanctification and a visible manifestation of the unique, unrepeatable dialogue you share with the Father. Running your company IS your ministry. It’s God’s way of bringing others to Him through you, and bringing you to Him through the work. The challenges of running a business are many. For Catholics, it has a new meaning though, because we know there is more to life than pursuit of money and status. We know that the only thing we can take with us when we die are the other souls that we bring along. As entrepreneuers, we get the opportunity to affect and touch the lives of many many people in a meaningful way throughout our life. This is our mission field. Mission is the point. Bringing others to know God is the point. When this clicks, your business is no longer about the specific mission you solve or making oodles of money, as much as it is a mission to bring more ppl to know God. Perhaps the most fascinating thing that comes from this is, that God uses this experience to help us be sanctified. The daily challenges, the way He teaches us about ourselves, and about His providence and love; it all contributes to bringing us closer to Him… if we allow it. So, next time you’re thinking about your business challenges, or planning the future, or wanting to complain, realize that this is your mission field. Through answering the call to enter into the mission field willingly, you’ll bring more people to know God, and you will come to closer to God, and eternal life. God Bless & Happy Building! ~Silas Mähner Hire Catholic Overseas Talent In LatAm and the Philippines, there are millions of Catholic remote workers (across all domains) who want to work for ethical bosses. Often, they’re treated as second-class citizens or work for organizations that ask them to do questionable things. They reach out to us in search of a Catholic boss. So, we started ParacleteVA (website coming soon). With ParacleteVA, we’ll find you vetted, Catholic overseas talent who will help you move your business forward. How it works: Pay a $500 finders fee when the candidate starts and $500 if you’re still happy with them after 30 days. To get started, reach out to catholicfounders@gmail.com with what you’re looking for, and we’ll get started. Key Episode References: * Organizations & Websites * Metanoia Catholic * Young Catholic Professionals (YCP) * Catholic Coaching * FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) * His Way at Work Books & Literary Works * The Purgative Way - How to make your coaching Catholic Course * Soul of the Apostolate by Jean-Baptiste Chautard * Clear Path to Making Missionary Disciples by Jim Jansen * The Reed of God by Caryll Houselander Assessments * StrengthsFinder * Working Genius Saints, Devotions, & Scripture * St. John Paul II * St. John Vianney * St. Thérèse of Lisieux * Mother Teresa * Our Lady of Sorrows * Ezekiel 37: Valley of the Dry Bones People * Venerable Fulton Sheen * Christopher Pereira * Ryan Foley * Alex Hormozi Select Quotes: * “Something happens when you enter an environment where you got a lot of Catholics that have a similar heart, especially in the business world. I mean, that's where my heart's at. I love business and I love my faith. So getting to share that, it invites me to kind of be better.” - Matt Ingold * “Fulton Sheen would put it, what the church puts down, the secular world picks up.” - Matt Ingold * “But then as entrepreneurs, we've got our business, but the business isn't our identity. It's like what we're called to do inside the business because God doesn't care if our business makes money or doesn't, right? That's not what he cares about. What he cares about is leading us closer to him through that.” - Silas Mähner * “That's why I like coaching. It actually creates a space for somebody to pause and reflect. And suddenly those breadcrumbs that God has been leaving behind all this time, we start to see the path lighting up and his will starts to really focus and sharpen.” - Matt Ingold * “I think everybody should have a season where they're working with somebody and the person is really guiding them through some intentional self reflection.” - Matt Ingold * And that's like the unique mission, the unique identity that you bring into your married vocation. And when you're living that authentically, it elevates the way that you experience the married vocation.” - Matt Ingold * “You can't give what you don't have. You certainly can't witness a relationship which is the Christian called, our telos, our end is to be in union, a relationship with God, Father, Son, Holy Spirit, for all eternity, right?” - Matt Ingold * “And so those very words, if those words that we're using are aligned with the truth of who we are, and that's the foundation of the relationship, it transforms or it elevates the relationship, because God's word always elevates, which elevates and reveals a sense of who we are and sends us on mission.” - Matt Ingold * “But when we started to realize that no, we just had complimentary gifts and we started to make space for the gift of the other to come forward and be humble and receive, that changed everything.” - Matt Ingold * “you discover who you are, your identity and relationship, and then your identity reveals your mission. So you have relationship, identity, mission, right? Well, the foundation of a relationship is a dialogue, two people that are conversing, communicating with one another.” - Matt Ingold * “if you are going through life without any self-reflection because you're too distracted by the world, you are missing out on the second and third dimensions of your own existence because God created us to share in that love, right?” - Silas Mähner * “I like to look at business as another manifestation of the work that the Holy Spirit is doing with you that’s just made in a way that can be consumed and shared with other, and experienced by other people.” - Matt Ingold * “This is the business doing the sanctifying work on me. This is a feature, not a bug of business. If it’s really from the Lord, it will sanctify me. It will sanctify the owners. And that’s a good thing.” - Matt Ingold Key Moments: (outline) * [01:16] - Podcast Introduction and Mission : Host Silas Mähner introduces the show’s mission to help Catholic entrepreneurs achieve sainthood through their co-creative business journeys. * [02:19] - Welcome and Conference Vibe : Silas welcomes Matt at the YCP (Young Catholic Professionals) conference in Dallas, highlighting the powerful energy of faith-driven business leaders. * [03:30] - Introducing Metanoia Catholic : Matt gives an overview of Metanoia Catholic, explaining their evolution into an academy that trains and certifies Catholic life and executive coaches. * [04:05] - The Origin of Metanoia : Matt shares how experiencing burnout while working in ministry led him and his wife to coaching, inspiring them to build a personal development framework aligned with Catholic anthropology. * [06:18] - Reclaiming the Business World : Silas and Matt discuss the need for Catholics to reclaim leadership in standard business fields rather than abdicating them to secular humanistic ideologies. * [08:08] - Deepening Identity and Temperaments : Matt describes identity through personal relationships and temperaments, explaining how his structured choleric nature balances his wife’s charismatic style. * [10:54] - God’s Breadcrumbs in Entrepreneurship :

    53 min
  8. May 26

    #69 Key Takeaways From Magnifica Humanitas for Catholic Founders

    Listen on: Fio (Catholic Spotify) | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube Emergency Pod! As many of you know, yesterday Pope Leo XIV published his first encyclical. It has been heavily anticipated because ever since he announced his name as Leo, we knew this was the reason and that this was coming. We are in the midst of another industrial revolution, this time caused by AI systems. Yesterday, instead of relaxing and enjoying the holiday, I took the whole day to read through the encyclical. Admittedly, I thought it would take me about 4 hours to read and make a pod, but it ended up taking me all day. The only breaks I took were to eat and help my wife with a few things. I’m genuinely surprised at how long it took me. Nevertheless, it is here. Join Our Encyclical Discussion 📆 For anyone interested, this Wednesday (tomorrow) at 12:30 pm Central Time, the Catholic Founders Guild (paid members) is having a discussion on this encyclical. You must be a paying member of our Substack to attend, so if you’d like to, please join up right away, and we will ensure you get the invite. The Structure of My Breakdown: Summary + Key Considerations for Business Owners This is not some scholarly take going deep into the theology. I am not a theologian. Heck, half the time I can barely speak English properly. Instead, I summarize the key components of the introduction, 5 chapters, and the conclusion. Then I dive into the key components of each section that I thought were interesting to focus. Along the way, I offer my commentary on what each of these means for us as business owners. This is by no means an extensive exploration. It is meant to help you understand the key items. I will be writing more about this in the coming weeks and months, and I will likely do additional podcast episodes on key components of it. But I hope that this helps you figure out which part of the encyclical to focus on reading, and the key things that you, as a business owner, should be aware of. I Need Your Help Please, help me out by sharing this around with your friends. Ideally, please reach out to a fellow member of the Catholic Founders Guild to discuss it with. I cannot emphasize enough that each of us has a role to play in building the city of the future that Pope Leo speaks of in this encyclical. We all have a role to play. None of us is on the bench. This is a Church-wide effort. We must work in union. Please share this, and please reach out with your key observations for business owners so that I can continue to formalize my understanding of how this applies to Catholic Founders. Join the Catholic Founders Guild Today Get access to all CF Guild online events, the recordings, paywalled content, the CF Guild community/group chat, and CF Guild member directory. Many members have reported doing business with other CF Guild members within months of joining. With an annual membership fee of $100, it’s a total no-brainer to join. Consider this an association of Catholic business owners, not a high-commitment community that will sap your time. Join today for $100 a year or $10 a month. Key Moments: (outline) Here are the timestamps for your podcast show notes, organized cleanly by the key chapters and themes discussed in the transcript. Podcast Timestamps: Pope Leo XIV’s Magnifica Humanitas * 00:00 – Introduction: Reflecting on recording late and the release of Magnifica Humanitas on May 25th. * 00:46 – Setting expectations: A non-theologian’s summary focusing on business owners and major takeaways. * 01:21 – Why this encyclical matters: The significance of the name “Leo XIV” and the historical connection to Catholic Social Teaching (Rerum Novarum and Laborem Exercens). * 02:18 – High-level overview of the document’s structure (Introduction, 5 Chapters, and Conclusion). * 04:02 – Deep Dive: The Introduction – The Tower of Babel vs. the walls of Jerusalem, technology as non-neutral, and the human heart. * 05:43 – Chapter 1: The Church’s Journey with Humanity – Continuous tradition, initiating good processes, and moving away from cultural strongholds. * 06:50 – Chapter 2: Core Principles & The Spicy Take on Data – Restating human dignity and the common good; why data, patents, and algorithms are now considered universal goods. * 07:54 – Chapter 2 (Cont.): Subsidiarity & Solidarity – The role of the state, environmental impacts of data centers, and avoiding exploitation. * 09:30 – Chapter 3: The Dangers of AI – Why AI is not human, the trap of fake objectivity, and the simulation of human connection. * 11:15 – Chapter 3 (Cont.): Critiquing the Technocratic Paradigm – Why human suffering is a feature, not a bug, and a response to transhumanism. * 12:54 – Chapter 4: Truth, Work, and Modern Slavery – The pursuit of truth and a direct challenge to business owners regarding layoffs and profit margins. * 14:41 – Chapter 4 (Cont.): The Dark Side of Tech Infrastructure – Data labeling exploitation, child labor in supply chains, and the hijacking of attention spans. * 16:11 – Chapter 5: AI in Warfare – The socialization of war and the absolute necessity of keeping humans in the loop for lethal choices. * 17:33 – Chapter 5 (Cont.): Building a Civilization of Love – The 5 pillars of peace, reviving dialogue, and a practical challenge to know your neighbors. * 19:10 – Conclusion & Final Reflections – The Incarnation through Mary, our role as “weavers of hope,” and final thoughts for Catholic entrepreneurs. Hire Catholic Overseas Talent In LatAm and the Philippines, there are millions of Catholic remote workers (across all domains) who want to work for ethical bosses. Often, they’re treated as second-class citizens or work for organizations that ask them to do questionable things. They reach out to us in search of a Catholic boss. So, we started ParacleteVA (website coming soon). With ParacleteVA, we’ll find you vetted, Catholic overseas talent who will help you move your business forward. How it works: Pay a $500 finders fee when the candidate starts, and $500 if you’re still happy with them after 30 days. To get started, reach out to catholicfounders@gmail.com with what you’re looking for, and we’ll get started. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.catholicfounders.com/subscribe

    41 min

Trailer

5
out of 5
23 Ratings

About

Catholic Founders is where Catholic Entrepreneurs and Business Owners go to learn how to integrate their faith into every aspect of how they run their business and life as a Catholic AND as a Founder. In modern times, it's become more unclear than ever how to unite our faith with our work. It's even harder when you run a business. However, just as there is a holy way to live, there is a holy way to build and run our businesses. Fundamentally, our skills were given to us by God so that we may become instruments of His will. These skills are not for our own use. Therefore, to waste or misuse them is a grave thing. This entire project is born out of a deep belief in this truth. www.catholicfounders.com

You Might Also Like