Kingdom Entrepreneur

Ray Young

Kingdom Entrepreneur is for Christian business owners and leaders who know they were made for more; more purpose, clarity, and impact. Hosted by Ray Young, entrepreneur, leadership coach, and follower of Jesus, this podcast blends biblical leadership with real strategy to help you scale, lead teams, steward money, and build a business that reflects God’s heart. His Kingdom. Your calling.

  1. 2d ago

    If It’s Lonely at the Top, You’re Doing It Wrong

    Some of the most successful men are also the loneliest. They lead companies, churches, teams, and families. Everyone comes to them for answers, but they may have no one they can call when they’re struggling. In this episode of Kingdom Entrepreneur, JD Small shares why male friendship, Christian community, accountability, vulnerability, leadership, and authentic relationships are essential for men who want to succeed without destroying what matters most. If you’re an entrepreneur, business owner, Christian leader, husband, father, or high-capacity man carrying more than anyone realizes, this conversation is for you. JD explains why “lonely at the top” should never become a leadership strategy, how successful men can have hundreds of connections without having one person who truly knows them, and why isolation can quietly threaten your marriage, business, faith, health, and legacy. He also shares the story behind The Forge, a community built around six areas of a man’s life: faith, family, fitness, finance, friendship, and fun. You’ll discover why vulnerability creates stronger leaders, how healthy accountability helps you live up to your potential, why friendship requires intentional investment, and how simply asking someone “How are you really?” can open the door to a completely different kind of relationship.   What You’ll Learn: → Why successful men can be surrounded by employees, customers, church members, business contacts, and family yet still feel completely unknown, and why having even one or two trusted friends can radically change your leadership and life. → How to build meaningful male friendships when you’re busy, including JD’s practical advice for initiating conversations, inviting another man to coffee, working out together, doing activities shoulder-to-shoulder, and learning to “get deep quick.” → What healthy accountability actually looks like and why JD defines it as helping another man “account for his ability” rather than judging or condemning him. → How faith, family, fitness, finance, friendship, and fun work together, and why men who neglect relationships, emotional health, spiritual disciplines, rest, and community may achieve outward success while quietly losing the people and priorities that matter most.   Learn more about Ray Young -  Covenant Leadership Group - Rayyoungspeaker.com Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/share/171rsYQV1E/?mibextid=wwXIfr Kingdom Entrepreneur Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/share/1Eg9qzQYDS/?mibextid=wwXIfr Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/4ray2/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ray-young2/ Ray Young Leadership Development - Rayyoung.net TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@rayyoung.2   Learn more about Ray Young - Covenant Leadership Group - Rayyoungspeaker.com Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/share/171rsYQV1E/?mibextid=wwXIfr Kingdom Entrepreneur Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/share/1Eg9qzQYDS/?mibextid=wwXIfr Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/4ray2/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ray-young2/ Ray Young Leadership Development - Rayyoung.net TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@rayyoung.2 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  2. Oct 1

    You Can Grow Your Business Into Bankruptcy

    Can a business be growing and still be financially unhealthy? And how should a Christian entrepreneur balance faith, money, risk, debt, leadership, and family without treating business and ministry as two completely separate worlds? In this episode of Kingdom Entrepreneur, banker and executive pastor Jonathan Hill shares lessons from nearly 20 years in commercial banking, church leadership, financial stewardship, and personal growth. Jonathan explains why Christian business owners cannot rely on revenue alone, why cash flow and accurate financial statements matter, how debt can become either a useful tool or dangerous risk, and why faith should never become an excuse to ignore financial wisdom. We also explore biblical stewardship, Christian entrepreneurship, leadership, business relationships, emotional intelligence, mentoring, integrity, wealth, business growth, and the difference between appearing successful and actually building a healthy life. If you’re a Christian entrepreneur, business owner, leader, or professional trying to build something successful without sacrificing your faith, family, finances, or integrity, this conversation will challenge how you define both business success and personal wealth. What You’ll Learn: → You’ll discover why growth and financial health are not the same thing and how rapid expansion can actually create serious cash-flow problems. → Jonathan explains the financial numbers entrepreneurs should watch, including cash, expenses, balance sheets, profit-and-loss statements, bank reconciliations, and financial trends. → You’ll hear how to distinguish faith from financial foolishness, including the role of prayer, Scripture, wise counsel, accurate numbers, and understanding the risk behind debt. → You’ll also learn why relationships outperform transactions, why integrity begins with the people closest to you, and how Christian entrepreneurs can treat the marketplace itself as an opportunity for ministry.   Learn more about Ray Young - Covenant Leadership Group - Rayyoungspeaker.com Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/share/171rsYQV1E/?mibextid=wwXIfr Kingdom Entrepreneur Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/share/1Eg9qzQYDS/?mibextid=wwXIfr Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/4ray2/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ray-young2/ Ray Young Leadership Development - Rayyoung.net TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@rayyoung.2 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  3. Sep 24

    It’s Not Who You Know, It’s Who Knows You

    What if the key to building a successful business isn’t loving your product, but learning how to lead people, solve problems, build relationships, and steward what you’ve been given? In this episode of Kingdom Entrepreneur, Casey Doyle shares the leadership principles behind carrying forward a third-generation family business that began in 1947. Casey explains why flooring itself isn’t what motivates him, the people, relationships, teams, and opportunities the business creates are what matter most. From moving out of education and coaching into the family business to navigating difficult seasons, expanding into new ventures, developing employees, managing risk, and balancing work with faith and family, Casey offers practical lessons for entrepreneurs and business leaders at every stage. You’ll also hear why he believes entrepreneurs should stop obsessing over finding their passion and instead “find a problem and get to work,” why character matters more than competence when hiring, how the right business partners can create more horsepower, and why Christian entrepreneurship begins with replacing an ownership mentality with a stewardship mentality. Highlights: → Casey explains how his years as a teacher and coach taught him to build teams, motivate people, handle wins and losses, and create a company culture where employees stay. → You’ll discover how Casey approaches family business leadership, including working with a brother whose strengths are almost the exact opposite of his own and why those differences make the company stronger. → Casey shares the four priorities that guide his time, God, his wife, his children, and everything else competing for his attention, and why getting that order wrong eventually affects the business. → You’ll hear his philosophy of relationship equity, partnerships, calculated risk, stewardship, hard work, and becoming memorable enough that people think about you even when you aren’t in the room. Learn more about Ray Young - Covenant Leadership Group - Rayyoungspeaker.com Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/share/171rsYQV1E/?mibextid=wwXIfr Kingdom Entrepreneur Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/share/1Eg9qzQYDS/?mibextid=wwXIfr Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/4ray2/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ray-young2/ Ray Young Leadership Development - Rayyoung.net TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@rayyoung.2 Learn more about Ray Young - Covenant Leadership Group - Rayyoungspeaker.com Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/share/171rsYQV1E/?mibextid=wwXIfr Kingdom Entrepreneur Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/share/1Eg9qzQYDS/?mibextid=wwXIfr Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/4ray2/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ray-young2/ Ray Young Leadership Development - Rayyoung.net TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@rayyoung.2 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  4. Sep 17

    I Chased Success for 11 Years, Then Everything Changed

    What happens when success, money, leadership, and ambition still leave you broken on the inside? In this episode of Kingdom Entrepreneur, Andrew Swofford shares the hard business and life lessons that completely changed the way he sees success, Christian entrepreneurship, leadership, marriage, identity, and faith. After years of chasing financial success, Andrew reached a point where he believed he could lose his marriage, his career, and his family. What happened next transformed the way he understood God, work, business, and his identity as a son. Andrew also shares the story behind 518 Energy, why Ecclesiastes 5:18 shapes the company’s identity, and how he moved from corporate America into entrepreneurship. This conversation is for Christian entrepreneurs, business owners, leaders, and anyone trying to understand how faith and business can work together without building your own kingdom instead of God’s. Highlights: → You’ll hear why Andrew believes you don’t need a perfect business plan before taking action, how becoming comfortable hearing “no” made him a stronger salesperson and entrepreneur, why character and integrity can matter more than experience when hiring, and how surrounding yourself with people who carry strengths you don’t have can transform your leadership. → You’ll also discover Andrew’s “distribution center” approach to stewardship, receiving what God gives without holding tightly to it, and why asking “Who am I in this situation?” can sometimes be more powerful than constantly asking, “What should I do?” → Most importantly, Andrew explains why knowing information about Jesus is different from actually knowing Him, and why that distinction became one of the most expensive lessons of his life. Learn more about Ray Young - Covenant Leadership Group - Rayyoungspeaker.com Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/share/171rsYQV1E/?mibextid=wwXIfr Kingdom Entrepreneur Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/share/1Eg9qzQYDS/?mibextid=wwXIfr Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/4ray2/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ray-young2/ Ray Young Leadership Development - Rayyoung.net TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@rayyoung.2 Learn more about Ray Young - Covenant Leadership Group - Rayyoungspeaker.com Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/share/171rsYQV1E/?mibextid=wwXIfr Kingdom Entrepreneur Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/share/1Eg9qzQYDS/?mibextid=wwXIfr Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/4ray2/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ray-young2/ Ray Young Leadership Development - Rayyoung.net TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@rayyoung.2 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  5. Sep 10

    God May Be Calling You Out of Ministry, and Into Business

    What if leaving church ministry doesn’t mean leaving your calling? For many Christians, ministry and vocational church work become so closely connected that stepping into business can feel like stepping away from God’s purpose. In this episode of Kingdom Entrepreneur, Mark Hadley shares his journey from youth ministry and senior church leadership into entrepreneurship, and how he discovered that serving God in business isn’t a lesser calling. Mark explains how he navigated fear, financial uncertainty, identity shifts, and the challenge of starting again with little marketplace credibility. He also shares how his years in pastoral ministry prepared him to become a better consultant, listener, problem solver, and business owner. If you’re a Christian entrepreneur, pastor considering a career transition, ministry leader exploring business, or believer trying to understand what kingdom entrepreneurship actually looks like, this conversation will help you rethink the relationship between faith, work, calling, stewardship, business, and ministry. Highlights: → You’ll learn how to separate your calling from your paycheck and recognize that ministry can happen far beyond the walls of a church. Mark explains why the skills developed in pastoral ministry can translate surprisingly well into entrepreneurship, especially listening, problem solving, leadership, and serving people through difficult situations. → You’ll also hear how to discern whether a business opportunity aligns with your kingdom identity, why entrepreneurs need the discipline to keep showing up before results appear, and how to resist compromising your values when financial pressure increases. → Mark shares a practical perspective on stewardship, viewing your time, talent, treasure, influence, and business success as resources God can use. He also explains why Sabbath remains one of the most important disciplines in his life as an entrepreneur and how rest reminds him that the success of his business does not depend entirely on him. → Finally, if you’re considering leaving vocational ministry, Mark offers encouragement for navigating the fear of starting something new without abandoning the faith, community, and spiritual identity that shaped you. Learn more about Ray Young - Covenant Leadership Group - Rayyoungspeaker.com Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/share/171rsYQV1E/?mibextid=wwXIfr Kingdom Entrepreneur Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/share/1Eg9qzQYDS/?mibextid=wwXIfr Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/4ray2/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ray-young2/ Ray Young Leadership Development - Rayyoung.net TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@rayyoung.2 Learn more about Ray Young - Covenant Leadership Group - Rayyoungspeaker.com Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/share/171rsYQV1E/?mibextid=wwXIfr Kingdom Entrepreneur Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/share/1Eg9qzQYDS/?mibextid=wwXIfr Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/4ray2/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ray-young2/ Ray Young Leadership Development - Rayyoung.net TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@rayyoung.2 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  6. Sep 3

    Not Every Good Opportunity Is Your Calling

    How do you know whether a business opportunity is actually from God, or simply a good idea you’re capable of pursuing? For Christian entrepreneurs, business owners, and leaders, that question can determine whether you spend the next season walking in your calling or carrying a weight God never asked you to pick up. In this episode of Kingdom Entrepreneur, Josh Allen shares how faith transformed the way he approaches entrepreneurship, leadership, business decisions, money, risk, failure, success, and opportunity. After experiencing business failure, debt, regulatory pressure, entrepreneurial pivots, real estate investing, private lending, title companies, and energy ventures, Josh discovered that following Jesus in business requires more than simply asking whether an opportunity can make money. It requires discernment, surrender, peace, patience, wise counsel, financial wisdom, and the willingness to say no. Josh explains how he evaluates new opportunities, why entrepreneurs must consider their “return on hassle,” how creating quiet space helps him hear God, why leadership requires carrying peace during financial pressure, and why the true scoreboard of spiritual maturity may look very different from revenue, growth, or achievement. If you’re trying to build a business while faithfully following God, this conversation will challenge how you define both calling and success. Highlights: → You’ll learn how to distinguish between a profitable business opportunity and an assignment God is actually calling you to pursue, and why having the talent, money, relationships, or resources to do something doesn’t automatically mean you should do it. → Josh explains his “return on hassle” framework for evaluating the real weight of an opportunity, including the financial cost, people responsibility, emotional burden, time commitment, and capacity it will take away from everything else God has entrusted to you. → You’ll also hear how intentional silence, early-morning prayer, Scripture, surrender, and becoming neutral about the outcome can help Christian entrepreneurs make better decisions instead of repeatedly forcing closed doors open. → Finally, Josh shares a radically different leadership scoreboard built around the fruit of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, and the atmosphere you create around other people, and explains why success ultimately means far more than money, influence, or business growth. Learn more about Ray Young - Covenant Leadership Group - Rayyoungspeaker.com Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/share/171rsYQV1E/?mibextid=wwXIfr Kingdom Entrepreneur Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/share/1Eg9qzQYDS/?mibextid=wwXIfr Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/4ray2/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ray-young2/ Ray Young Leadership Development - Rayyoung.net TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@rayyoung.2 Learn more about Ray Young - Covenant Leadership Group - Rayyoungspeaker.com Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/share/171rsYQV1E/?mibextid=wwXIfr Kingdom Entrepreneur Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/share/1Eg9qzQYDS/?mibextid=wwXIfr Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/4ray2/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ray-young2/ Ray Young Leadership Development - Rayyoung.net TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@rayyoung.2 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  7. Aug 27

    Your Business Might Be the Ministry God Gave You

    What if the business God has given you is also one of the greatest ministry opportunities you will ever have? In this episode of Kingdom Entrepreneur, Ray sits down with Doug Oakes, owner of Can Do Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning, to explore what happens when Christian entrepreneurship, faith, leadership, business growth, and Kingdom purpose come together. Doug's journey didn't follow a straight line. He moved from traditional church ministry into leadership in the California oil fields before eventually purchasing and growing a plumbing and HVAC company. Along the way, God used every season to teach him about people, culture, stewardship, faith, and what it really means to lead. You'll hear why Doug literally wrote his own obituary to create a vision for his future, how business ownership challenged his faith through payroll and financial uncertainty, why he refuses to build a company that succeeds while its employees struggle, and how Christian business owners can treat their workplace as a mission field. If you're a Christian entrepreneur, business owner, marketplace leader, or aspiring entrepreneur trying to integrate your faith with the way you lead, grow, hire, serve customers, and make money, this conversation will challenge the way you see your calling. Highlights: → You'll discover how writing your future life story can clarify the decisions you need to make today and help you separate the signals that move your calling forward from the noise constantly competing for your attention. → Doug explains why Christian leadership and company culture require both grace and truth, including how he coaches employees, handles difficult performance conversations, and creates an environment where people have a genuine opportunity to succeed. → You'll also hear why competing on the lowest price can become a race to the bottom, how stronger pricing allowed Doug to invest more deeply in his employees and customers, and why trust, service, integrity, and culture can become powerful competitive advantages for a growing home-service business. → Finally, Doug shares lessons from buying an existing company, improving ineffective marketing, surrounding himself with experienced business owners, joining mastermind communities, and building a business around a purpose much bigger than simply making money. Learn more about Ray Young - Covenant Leadership Group - Rayyoungspeaker.com Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/share/171rsYQV1E/?mibextid=wwXIfr Kingdom Entrepreneur Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/share/1Eg9qzQYDS/?mibextid=wwXIfr Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/4ray2/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ray-young2/ Ray Young Leadership Development - Rayyoung.net TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@rayyoung.2 Learn more about Ray Young - Covenant Leadership Group - Rayyoungspeaker.com Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/share/171rsYQV1E/?mibextid=wwXIfr Kingdom Entrepreneur Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/share/1Eg9qzQYDS/?mibextid=wwXIfr Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/4ray2/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ray-young2/ Ray Young Leadership Development - Rayyoung.net TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@rayyoung.2 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  8. Aug 20

    Successful but Exhausted? How to Live a Vibrant Life

    Success can look impressive on the outside while leaving you exhausted, disconnected, and unsure of who you are becoming. In this episode of Kingdom Entrepreneur, leadership coach and speaker Kiki Clarke shares how Christian leaders, business owners, and high achievers can move from burnout to clarity, purpose, and a truly vibrant life. Kiki explains why identity in Christ is the foundation of healthy leadership, how faith can produce what she calls supernatural productivity, and why your worth must come before your performance. She also opens up about leaving a secure 20-year corporate career, stepping into coaching and speaking, developing leaders through DISC, serving people inside prison units, and trusting God when the normal business roadmap no longer applied. You will hear practical insights on defeating insecurity, building stronger teams through better communication, checking in with employees beyond goals and performance, and creating an atmosphere that shifts the room instead of letting the room shift you. This conversation is for Christian entrepreneurs, executives, coaches, and purpose-driven leaders who want success without sacrificing their health, relationships, faith, or calling. If you feel successful but drained, productive but unfulfilled, or called to more but afraid to move, this episode will help you lead from identity, courage, alignment, and love. What You’ll Learn: → Why successful leaders can appear confident and accomplished while privately struggling with burnout, insecurity, imposter syndrome, and questions about their worth. → How understanding your identity in Christ helps you lead with greater authority, courage, clarity, and freedom from the need for constant affirmation. → Why healthy team communication requires understanding different personalities through tools such as DISC, and allowing people to contribute without forcing them to think or work exactly like you. → How a simple weekly personal check-in can deepen trust, improve workplace relationships, and show employees that they matter beyond their goals, mistakes, and performance. Learn more about Ray Young - Covenant Leadership Group - Rayyoungspeaker.com Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/share/171rsYQV1E/?mibextid=wwXIfr Kingdom Entrepreneur Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/share/1Eg9qzQYDS/?mibextid=wwXIfr Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/4ray2/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ray-young2/ Ray Young Leadership Development - Rayyoung.net TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@rayyoung.2 Learn more about Ray Young - Covenant Leadership Group - Rayyoungspeaker.com Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/share/171rsYQV1E/?mibextid=wwXIfr Kingdom Entrepreneur Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/share/1Eg9qzQYDS/?mibextid=wwXIfr Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/4ray2/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ray-young2/ Ray Young Leadership Development - Rayyoung.net TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@rayyoung.2 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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Kingdom Entrepreneur is for Christian business owners and leaders who know they were made for more; more purpose, clarity, and impact. Hosted by Ray Young, entrepreneur, leadership coach, and follower of Jesus, this podcast blends biblical leadership with real strategy to help you scale, lead teams, steward money, and build a business that reflects God’s heart. His Kingdom. Your calling.

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