Catholic Founders

Silas Mähner
  • 5.0 (23)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Weekly

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. Sep 25

    #91 How To Buy A Business, The Catholic Way | Zach Scardino

    Tons of founders want to skip the startup phase and buy an existing operation. It sounds appealing, but going in blind guarantees failure. Today, we are diving into the Catholic way to buy a business with Zach Scardino. Support the Mission & Grow Your Business Want to connect with 230+ Catholic business owners, solopreneurs, and side-hustlers? Become a paid subscriber to the Catholic Founders Guild to do business and grow in holiness together. Join today: join.catholicfounders.com In This Episode Zach is an expert in buy-side consulting and business acquisitions at Scardino Strategic Partners. He breaks down exactly how to build an acquisition thesis, run a coherence test on yourself, and source the best off-market deals. We discuss why you should avoid business listing sites, how to recast financials properly, and why structuring the deal matters significantly more than the purchase price. Core Takeaway: Merge Into Their Lane Eighty percent of acquired businesses fail within five years because buyers skip the post-acquisition transition steps. When you acquire a company, take the first 90 days to learn, observe, and secure the key relationships that made the business valuable in the first place. You must maintain the continuity of service, respect the previous owner's legacy, and integrate yourself into the culture with charity. Key Moments (00:00) - Learning the Catholic way to buy a business (00:27) - The Acquisition Thesis: Doing a SWOT analysis on yourself (09:59) - Owner vs. Owner-Operator: Identifying your management capacity (14:55) - The Coherence Test: Matching business size, financing, and income needs (18:10) - Finding the Deal: Why off-market direct outreach beats public listings (26:50) - Recasting Financials: Finding true business value (38:53) - Structuring the Deal: Using seller notes, earnouts, and dividends (45:00) - Merging Into Their Lane: Planning the transition before closing (53:15) - The 90-Day Rule: Why you shouldn't make sweeping changes immediately Episode ResourcesJoin the Catholic Founders Guild: join.catholicfounders.comConnect with Zach Scardino: Scardino Strategic Partners 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

  2. Sep 17

    #90 How One Founder Encourages Blue Collar Employees To Have Higher Agency | Scott Williams

    Listen on: Fio (Catholic Spotify) | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube News / Updates: * 👕 Check out our Catholic Founders Online store. Featuring shirt designs fit for our lifestyle. See more of our designs here. * Register for upcoming events. Check out all of our in-person events on our Luma page. * 🎙️Listen to last week’s episode with Evan Raugust to find out how to stay virtuous while growing an online brand. How do you scale a Catholic business to over 100,000 customers without sacrificing your soul, your family, or your faith? Scott Williams, co-founder of Sock Religious and Four Marks Printing, joins the podcast to share the real-world mechanics of building a thriving enterprise anchored in Catholic Social Teaching. Support the Show & Join the Guild Become a paid subscriber to Catholic Founders to access member-only events, active group chats, our directory, and a network of faithful business owners: https://join.catholicfounders.com What We Cover in This Episode In-House Manufacturing: How Sock Religious scaled from a spare bedroom side project into ten industrial knitting machines. Dignity of Labor: Shifting blue-collar work away from a mindless "clock-in, clock-out" culture to empower employee agency. Overcoming Analysis Paralysis: Why God honors forward movement over endless discernment and fear of failure. Debt-Free Growth: Choosing slower, profitable scaling over chasing top-line vanity metrics. Generational Legacy: Raising entrepreneurial kids and passing on a legacy without forcing them into the family business. Key Quote “God would appreciate us to go and to try and to take one step forward, even if it isn't in the right direction, he'd rather us go in the direction we think that he's calling us to versus standing still and not moving.” — Scott Williams Timestamps (00:24) - Intro (04:33) - Origins of Sock Religious(08:13) - Going All In (11:59) - Four Marks Printing & In-House Manufacturing (16:17) - Navigating Failures & Knowing When to Pivot (24:07) - Catholic Social Teaching in Action (33:24) - Rethinking Growth, Debt, & Stewardship (40:23) - Generational Legacy & Raising Kids (45:07) - Unplugging for Family Life (47:35) - Rapid Fire Questions (50:09) - Outro: Leaning Into Your Talents Links & Resources Join the Catholic Founders Guild: https://join.catholicfounders.com Sock Religious: https://sockreligious.com Four Marks Printing: https://fourmarksprinting.com If this conversation brought value to your journey, please leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and share this episode with another faith-driven founder! 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

  3. Sep 11

    #89 Why 1,000 Views Beats 1M For Your Business | Evan Raugust

    Evan Raugust went from zero to over 240,000 YouTube subscribers in less than two years while working a 9-to-5. As the founder of Kingdom Media, he now helps top creators scale their channels to millions of views. In this episode, Silas Mähner chops it up with Evan to discuss high-stakes video production, leveraging the YouTube algorithm, finding unserved market gaps, and staying grounded in prayer and virtue amid rapid growth. In This Episode, You’ll Learn: The 5 Growth Levers: How to leverage time, money, personality, creativity, or production value. The Curiosity Hook: How to "dangle the candy" of curiosity to feed viewers deep, life-changing spiritual truths. High-Impact Strategy: Why you should stop spending 20 hours on a 10k-view video when that same energy can build a 1-million-view home run. Virtue & Holiness: How daily Rosaries, Confession, and Adoration prevent vanity in the creator economy. Timestamps: (00:18) – Intro: The Catholic Founders mission (03:07) – Evan’s background & mission to spread the Gospel online (05:46) – Evan’s conversion journey to Catholicism (07:43) – Building & scaling channels with Kingdom Media (15:30) – YouTube strategy & multi-skill demands for business owners (22:29) – Hooking viewers & delivering spiritual depth (26:28) – How content goes viral: Market gaps & outlier topics (34:08) – The 5 Growth Levers explained (43:40) – Living virtue & overcoming vanity as a creator (48:38) – Recapturing your vocation as a divine mission (55:46) – Rapid fire: Favorite scriptures, devotions & patron saints (1:00:32) – Practical reflection questions for business owners Join the Catholic Founders Guild Today Ready to launch or grow your business, master the theology of entrepreneurship, and build alongside 200+ Catholic founders? 👉 Become a paid subscriber now: join.catholicfounders.com Key Links & Resources Mentioned: Evan Raugust’s YouTube Channel Kingdom Media Agency Catholic Founders Website 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

  4. Sep 5

    #88 My Appearance on The Catholic Men of America Podcast (Crosspost)

    We sat down with Jeff Cassman on the Catholic Men of America podcast to discuss the theology of entrepreneurship—learning how to run a business with holy ambition, prioritize human dignity, and transform the culture around us. Join the Catholic Founders Guild Today Ready to launch or grow your business with a Catholic mindset? Join over 200+ faithful founders today at join.catholicfounders.com. In This Episode: Origin Story: Silas’s journey from building cabinets in rural Wisconsin to renewable energy recruiting in NYC and launching Roosevelt Talent (formerly ErthSearch). CleanTech & Efficiency: How sustainability and efficiency are transforming manufacturing across sectors. The Mission of Catholic Founders: Overcoming the stigma of ambition, reclaiming wealth creation for good, and building a faithful culture. AI & Human Dignity: Why the rise of AI presents a massive opportunity for human-centric, moral businesses. The Great Adventure: Discovering your secondary vocation and answering God’s call to build. Key Episode References: Guests & Leaders: Jeff Cassman, Tom Monaghan, Dominik Taroli, Jacob Ciccarelli, and Marcellino D’Ambrosio Organizations: Catholic Men of America, Knights of Columbus, Ave Maria University Episode Sponsors & Partners: Our Father Constructors: Professional owner’s representation for parish and diocesan projects from $1M–$45M. Protect your capital and build with stewardship at ourfather.us. ParacleteVA: Hire vetted, highly qualified Catholic remote talent from overseas. Learn more or request talent by emailing catholicfounders@gmail.com. Connect & Support: Join the Guild: join.catholicfounders.com Website: Catholic Founders Merch: Official Merch Store Local Events: Follow our Luma Calendar for local meetups and retreats. 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

  5. Sep 3

    #87 Catholic Founders Should Build Hard Things That Benefit Others | Jakob Diepenbrock

    Listen on: Fio (Catholic Spotify) | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube Discover why Catholic founders must build hard tech and physical manufacturing to reindustrialize America. In this episode, Silas Mähner speaks with Jakob Diepenbrock—founder of Discipulus Ventures—about shifting from B2B SaaS to real-world solutions, living out virtue in high-stakes entrepreneurship, and finding divine purpose in hard problems. Join the Catholic Founders Guild Today (1) Launch/grow your biz, (2) Learn the Theology of Entrepreneurship, (3) Discover Community, and (4) Transform Culture by making it Catholic. 200+ members and counting. Join today for $100 a year or $10 a month. Curious? --> “What is the Catholic Founders Guild?” News / Updates: * Get merch! Check our online store here. * Attend an in-person event near you --> Luma calendar. * Host a CF meetup in your area. Email us admin@catholicfounders.com. Episode Sponsors & Partners: Our Father Constructors and Associates: Expert owner's representation for parish and diocesan construction projects ($1M–$45M). Protect your capital and run your next build like a pro at ourfather.us or email cristian@ourfather.us. Tom Rooney & Matthew Mohlman: Bringing true stewardship to private markets, wealth management, and retirement plans. Schedule an estate health check today at Catholic Founders Financial. ParacleteVA: Hire vetted, overseas Catholic remote talent across all domains. Email catholicfounders@gmail.com to start your candidate search ($500 placement fee). Key Moments & Timestamps: (00:38) Intro: The hard tech revival & guest Jakob Diepenbrock (03:19) Discipulus Ventures & the hard tech residency model (04:39) Jakob’s background: Side hustles & Steve Ballmer’s family office (08:22) El Segundo: The shift toward physical manufacturing & defense (12:57) Launching the fund: From MVP accelerator to $30M Fund II (20:54) The Founder’s Advantage: Why virtue creates resilient startup teams (24:05) Solving righteous problems vs. net-negative tech (28:43) Balancing daily Mass and prayer with heavy startup demands (31:21) Finding high-achieving mentors in business and faith (35:17) Funding magnificence: The duty to execute world-altering projects (38:14) Rapid Fire: Colossians, Peter Thiel, and Palmer Luckey (47:01) Outro & ways to connect Featured Companies, People & Resources: Companies: Discipulus Ventures, Rainmaker, Numinar, SpaceX, Anduril, Oculus People: Steve Ballmer, Augustus Doricko, Palmer Luckey, Will O’Brien, St. Josemaria Escriva, Peter Thiel Books: The Way by St. Josemaria Escriva, Wild at Heart by John Eldredge Scripture: Colossians 3:23-24 Connect & Join the Community: Apply to the Discipulus Ventures Cohort Join 200+ Catholic entrepreneurs in the Catholic Founders Guild Shop official apparel in the Catholic Founders Store Follow upcoming meetups on the Luma Calendar or email admin@catholicfounders.com to host an event 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

    #87 Catholic Founders Should Build Hard Things That Benefit Others | Jakob Diepenbrock

  6. Aug 27

    #86 Can Former Inmates Become Priests? Exploring the Power of Mercy in Business | Marty Arlinghaus | The Serenelli Project

    What does it take to reach the darkest corners of human experience—and how does radical mercy apply to business? In this episode, Silas Mähner speaks with Marty Arlinghaus, founder of The Serenelli Project, an ambitious initiative building a monastery model for prison reentry. Learn how a simple question from an inmate launched a mission to bridge incarceration and true transformation, and why second-chance hiring and Benedictine principles can revolutionize your company culture. Core Lesson: Real mercy is about allowing God to reach depths no economic system or social program can touch. It’s not soft sentimentality—it’s rugged work that transforms both the giver and the receiver. Key Moments: (00:00) Intro: The raw reality of prison ministry (05:38) Marty’s journey: From music & German to seminary and prison work (08:02) The vision for a reentry monastery (16:40) Why the traditional prison ministry model is broken (25:46) Serenelli Industries: The “charitable VC” model & skilled work (34:35) The theology of mercy in business and life (45:44) Second-chance hiring & applying the Rule of St. Benedict (51:22) Rapid Fire: St. Maria Goretti, Peter on the water, and key lessons (1:00:18) Closing thoughts Episode References:Saints & Figures: St. Benedict, St. Maria Goretti, Alessandro Serenelli, Flip Howard, Mark Frommeyer, St. Paul Places & Orgs: Blue Oven Bakery, University of Cincinnati, Clear Creek Abbey Scripture & Concepts: Matthew 25, Ephesians 4:11, Peter Walking on Water, Ora et Labora Episode Sponsors:Our Father Constructors & Associates: Expert owner's representation for parish and diocesan construction projects ($1M–$45M). Ensure your capital serves the mission: ourfather.us | cristian@ourfather.us Monument Advisers: Comprehensive wealth management, estate health checks, and retirement planning built by Catholic founders, for Catholic founders. ParacleteVA: Hire vetted, mission-aligned Catholic overseas talent across LatAm and the Philippines. Email: admin@catholicfounders.com 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

    #86 Can Former Inmates Become Priests? Exploring the Power of Mercy in Business | Marty Arlinghaus | The Serenelli Project

  7. Aug 20

    #85 What 40 Years in NYC-Finance Taught Him About Developing Your Faith Life | Joe Markey

    Can modern corporate leadership principles actually make you a better Catholic—and vice versa? In this episode, host Silas Mähner sits down with Joe Markey, a longtime NYC finance executive who retired after a 40-year banking career and went on to earn a degree in Theology. Joe brings a unique perspective on integrating Sunday faith with Monday operations, showing how secular leadership concepts like empathy, vulnerability, and emotional intelligence are fundamentally rooted in Catholic anthropology. In this episode, we cover: - Why good business and good religion naturally go hand in hand - How corporate best practices can be applied directly to your spiritual life - Moving past compartmentalization: living authentic Christian virtue in the workplace - Dealing with leadership failure, wealth disparity, and building an economy that serves the marginalized Timestamps: (00:00) – Vulnerability and authenticity in leadership (00:54) – Meet Joe Markey: From Wall Street to theology (06:15) – Lessons from a 40-year career in banking (10:35) – Merging employee care with lived faith (17:47) – How authentic leaders motivate unengaged teams (26:25) – Wealth disparity, culture, and economic responsibility (40:22) – Sacred vs. Secular: Why business borrows from theology (52:35) – Rapid fire: Scripture, saints, and daily habits (1:01:07) – Outro & Catholic Founders community updates Resources & Mentions: - Centesimus Annus by St. Pope John Paul II - Books: The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni | The Courage to Be by Paul Tillich - Scripture: Psalm 46 ("Be still and know that I am"), Romans 12:1–2 - Devotions: The Holy Rosary, St. Ignatius of Loyola Join the Catholic Founders Guild: Connect with fellow Catholic business owners, access exclusive expert calls, and join our member directory for $10/month or $100/year: Join the Guild Upcoming Meetups: Dallas, TX – Aug 22 (Featuring Alex Cartwright, founder of Hotel Shift) Monterrey, Mexico – Aug 25 RSVP or organize a local meetup: admin@catholicfounders.com Episode Sponsors: Our Father Constructors & Associates: Expert owner's representation for parish and diocesan construction projects ($1M–$45M). Ensure your capital serves the mission: ourfather.us | cristian@ourfather.us Monument Advisers: Comprehensive wealth management, estate health checks, and retirement planning built by Catholic founders, for Catholic founders. ParacleteVA: Hire vetted, mission-aligned Catholic overseas talent across LatAm and the Philippines. Email: admin@catholicfounders.com 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

    #85 What 40 Years in NYC-Finance Taught Him About Developing Your Faith Life | Joe Markey

  8. Aug 13

    #84 How to Create Lifer Employees. An Appearance on Great Houses Forum Podcast w/ Gregory Treat

    I recently appeared as a guest on Gregory Treat’s show, the Great Houses Forum. We primarily spoke about the values of having a loyal employee base who become ‘lifers’ and how you can generate that type of loyalty in today’s day and age. Keep in mind that we don’t agree on every single point regarding Catholic teaching, but I wanted to share this conversation with you because it sparks the exact kind of high-level discussion we need to be having right now. Enjoy the episode! Sponsors Our Father Constructors and Associates: Expert owner’s representation protecting parish and diocesan building projects from $1M to $45M. Learn more at ourfather.us or email cristian@ourfather.us. Monument Advisers: Values-based financial planning, estate health checks, and wealth stewardship for Catholic founders. Book Your Estate Health Check Today. Paraclete VA: Vetted, Catholic, offshore talent to help your business grow efficiently. Reach out at admin@catholicfounders.com. Key Timestamps: 01:43 - Silas’s Background: Silas shares his personal journey and the overarching mission behind Catholic Founders. 03:12 - The “Lifer” Employee: Gregory unpacks the historical context of long-term corporate employment and the math behind employee retention. 09:35 - The Japanese Corporate Model: Gregory highlights how Japanese firms successfully build lifelong careers through intense training and division expansion. 16:36 - Patronage and Leadership: Gregory explains why intelligent leaders have a moral obligation to protect and provide for those under their care. 27:20 - Democratic vs. Aristocratic Technologies: An exploration of how shifting technologies impact market timelines and short-term capital allocations. 35:49 - Building Lifelong Covenants: The guys discuss creating enforceable agreements and cultivating mutual dependence to secure top talent. 50:29 - AI and Corporate Specialization: Gregory predicts a near future where AI forces companies to develop highly idiosyncratic tech stacks. 58:58 - Reviving Small Towns: Silas and Gregory discuss leveraging remote capital to build hyper-local employment in forgotten communities. 1:04:03 - Three Feudal Futures: Gregory outlines how AI deployment might shape society into caste-based, collectivist, or Christian feudal structures. 1:12:12 - Cultivating Beauty: Gregory argues that true architectural beauty stems from a family’s deep desire to keep their own children engaged in their legacy. Select Quotes: “Your likelihood of defection is equal to one minus the proof of work you’ve put into a particular system or thing divided by proof of work plus the benefits of defection” - Gregory Treat “If you want a long-term relationship, you have to be okay with the person you’re in a long-term relationship with asking for accountability and some means of reducing your likelihood of defection, which is gonna mean you giving up optionality” - Gregory Treat “The number of talent in the market who are genuinely interested in compounding their knowledge forever has basically gone to effectively zero.” - Silas Mähner “When you have a relationship with your employees and you respect them as humans, as not just numbers, they feel that. By the way, this is the number one reason why people leave jobs, is they just don’t feel respected.” - 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. 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

    #84 How to Create Lifer Employees. An Appearance on Great Houses Forum Podcast w/ Gregory Treat
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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

Information

  • Creator
    Silas Mähner
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    106
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Catholic Founders
  • Show Website
    Catholic Founders

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