Who Owns It? Ron Blue on Money, Stewardship, and the Question That Changes Everything

Join host Justin Forman for a wide-ranging conversation with legendary financial author, teacher, and serial entrepreneur Ron Blue. With decades of experience building Kingdom-minded financial institutions—including what is now Blue Trust, one of the nation's premier faith-based wealth management firms—Ron unpacks the timeless questions every entrepreneur must answer: Who owns it? How much is enough? And what does faithful stewardship actually look like when you're building something meant to outlast you?

From counseling a heart surgeon in a million-dollar home to sitting with a grocery CEO in a trailer park, Ron's stories reveal that true contentment has nothing to do with net worth—and everything to do with whose name is on the deed.

Key Topics:

• The three questions that unlock faithful stewardship: Who owns it? How much is enough? What's the finish line?
• Why Ron built his firms to outlast him—and what he left on the table when God called him elsewhere
• The difference between "hard" and "impossible" when it comes to serving God and money
• How the faith-driven investing movement has matured the stewardship conversation
• Succession planning, family wealth, and why "if you love your children equally, you'll treat them uniquely"
• The serial entrepreneur's journey: from accounting firm to Blue Trust to mobilizing 4,000 advisors

Notable Quotes:

"God's word speaks to everything that we think money will give us. And that's why Jesus said, it's not hard to serve God and mammon, it's impossible." — Ron Blue

"I didn't start any of them to make money. I started every one of them to accomplish a purpose or a vision." — Ron Blue

"If God owns it, I hold it with an open hand. And God then is free to put in or take out whatever He wants." — Ron Blue

When Pastors and Entrepreneurs Unite: Multiplication, Movement, and Missional Imagination

What happens when you put a pastor and an entrepreneur in a room with a whiteboard? According to Dave Ferguson, you get real solutions that push back darkness with light. Join host Justin Forman as he sits down with Dave Ferguson—co-founder of Community Christian Church in Chicago and the New Thing Network, which has helped plant 30,000 churches across 69 countries—to explore what it really takes to build a movement, why church planters and entrepreneurs are more alike than they think, and how "missional imagination" could be the missing ingredient in both the church and the marketplace.

Dave shares hard-won lessons from decades of church planting, network building, and leadership development—including the leadership framework from his upcoming book Multiplier: How Healthy Leaders Create Lasting Impact. From the four Rs that fueled exponential growth to the RPMS dashboard that keeps leaders healthy over the long haul, this conversation is packed with frameworks entrepreneurs will immediately recognize and apply.

Key Topics:

• Why church planters and entrepreneurs share the same wiring—and what that means for the Kingdom
• The "chaortic" principle: how clear vision + clear values unlock movement-level multiplication
• Dave's RPMS framework: the four gauges every leader must monitor daily (Relational, Physical, Mental, Spiritual)
• From addition to multiplication: the difference between making disciples and making disciple-makers
• The "all abilities church" story—what happens when a salesman with a passion gets a pastor's blessing
• 50 micro-expressions of church inside Amazon—and what it means for entrepreneurs in the marketplace
• Why "missional imagination" beats checklist Christianity every time

Notable Quotes:

"If you put a pastor and an entrepreneur in a room with a whiteboard and a facilitator, I can't imagine you're not going to come up with real solutions to go like, hey, here's how we push back that darkness with light." – Dave Ferguson

"You reproduce who you are and what you do." – Dave Ferguson

"If we aim for mission, you're going to get mission and you're probably going to get some of the deepest friends that you've ever had." – Justin Forman

Join host Justin Forman as he sits down with Elizabeth Ntege, Group CEO of NFT, in Kampala, Uganda, for an inspiring conversation about tackling one of the world's greatest challenges: unemployment. Elizabeth shares how her human resource management firm is addressing gainful unemployment across 12 African countries while creating environments where employees thrive according to Kingdom principles.

This episode explores the harsh realities of job scarcity in Africa, where corruption has become normalized and desperate job seekers face exploitation. Elizabeth vulnerably discusses the painful decision to walk away from a $2 million contract rather than compromise their values, and how God used that sacrifice to create new opportunities for hundreds of workers.

Discover how Elizabeth's Faith Driven Entrepreneur journey transformed her business philosophy from scarcity to abundance, leading to partnerships with organizations like MasterCard Foundation to create millions of jobs across the continent.

Key Topics:

• Solving Africa's unemployment crisis: The 6-to-1 dependency ratio reality
• Why corruption thrives when there's no connection from "Sunday to Monday"
• The painful truth about job hunting: bribery, exploitation, and desperation
• Walking away from $2 million to protect Kingdom values
• Building sustainable employment through MasterCard Foundation partnership
• Creating community impact: From after-school programs to future employee pipelines
• Transforming businesses from secular to faith-driven enterprises

Notable Quotes:

"What are the real examples that show up that you're loving your employees? It's not just enough for you to pay their paycheck, but you need to create an environment in which they thrive, and then align their values with their companies, with their God given kingdom principles." - Elizabeth Ntege

"Clearly, no connection from Sunday to Monday. Clearly, there is no connection between what is happening in the church and what and what happening in the marketplace." - Elizabeth Ntege

"We were willing to walk away from a $2 million contract then compromise our values." - Elizabeth Ntege

The MyPad CEO: David Green on Building Legacy Beyond Business

In this remarkable conversation, Hobby Lobby founder and CEO David Green sits down with host Justin Forman at the company's Oklahoma City headquarters to share the story behind one of America's most distinctive faith-driven businesses. From humble beginnings in a 600-square-foot store to leading an $8 billion enterprise with over 1,000 locations, David's journey reveals what happens when stewardship replaces ownership.

At 84 years young, David still carries his trusty "MyPad" (a paper notepad) instead of a computer, operates as CEO, and shows no signs of slowing down. This episode explores the pivotal moments that shaped his understanding of true ownership, the Supreme Court case that tested his family's convictions, and the generational framework that ensures Hobby Lobby's mission extends far beyond profit.

Key Topics:

From pastor's son to retail pioneer: The journey from five-and-dime stores to Hobby Lobby

The Supreme Court case that cost $1.2 million per day—and why they'd do it again

Why closing on Sundays and rejecting Halloween cost millions but gained something greater

The backyard prayer that changed everything: "What would you do if the Jones family owned it?"

Building a family constitution: How 48 family members align around eternal values

The danger of generational wealth and why no Green family member gets anything they don't earn

Giving half of all earnings away: The mathematics of trying to "out-give God"

Legacy planning with a thousand-year horizon

Notable Quotes:

"God gave you everything you need, any good thing that's in your life. God gave you. I need to be at a point where I died of myself and said no, no, no, this is not mine. I'm a steward." - David Green

"If you think it's yours, then you're gonna guide it. But if you really feel like God has given this to you to be a steward of what belongs to him, I think that's a good starting spot." - David Green

"We want to make sure we're tied into someone's life for eternity, because they're gonna be very comfortable if they don't know Jesus." - David Green

Behind the Dude Perfect Story: Parenting Entrepreneurs with Purpose

What does it take to raise children who pursue Kingdom impact rather than fame and fortune? In this intimate conversation, Larry and Diann Cotton—parents of the Dude Perfect founders—pull back the curtain on the parenting journey behind one of the world's most successful entertainment brands.

From backyard basketball trick shots to a $100-300 million partnership, the Cottons share how they recognized and nurtured their children's unique gifts while keeping them grounded in faith. Discover how they navigated the tension between encouraging creativity and maintaining wisdom, celebrated individuality rather than comparison, and prayed for contentment over riches.

This episode offers profound insights for any parent raising entrepreneurial kids, revealing how to be a cheerleader without being a rescuer, how to recognize God's unique story for each child, and why the greatest investment isn't in their success—but in their soul.

Key Topics:

• Recognizing and nurturing each child's unique gifts and wiring from elementary school
• Why comparison kills creativity: Raising twins without competition
• The pivotal moment when a backyard video became a viral sensation on Good Morning America
• Parenting through the loneliness and uncertainty of entrepreneurship
• Praying Proverbs 30: "Neither poverty nor riches" for children experiencing success
• The arrow principle: Training children according to their bent and releasing them to fly
• Why ministry in the marketplace is equally as important as vocational ministry
• Helping kids own their faith publicly through testimony and platform

Notable Quotes:

"Train up a child in the way that they should go, and when they're old, they won't depart from it. That means according to their bent—you start seeing the way this child is wired and reinforce that." - Larry Cotton

"God is writing their unique story. As a parent, just come along and be in it with them—encourage them, cheer them on, no matter what we think about it." - Diann Cotton

"If you're doing it to gain wealth, fame, or attention, those things will fall apart at some point. There needs to be a higher and more long-term purpose behind it." - Larry Cotton

From Victory Lane to Life's True Finish Line: NASCAR Legend Carl Edwards on Fame, Family, and Finding God

Join host John Coleman for an intimate conversation with NASCAR Hall of Famer Carl Edwards, recorded at the Main Street Summit in Carl's hometown of Columbia, Missouri. Carl shares his remarkable journey from sweeping floors at a NASCAR truck team to becoming one of the sport's most celebrated drivers—and why he walked away from it all at the height of his career.

This episode goes beyond the back flips and victory celebrations to explore the deeper questions of identity, purpose, and what it means to truly succeed. Carl vulnerably discusses the intoxication of fame, the moment he realized he'd built his life on sand, and the divine intervention that led him to faith through an unexpected encounter on a mountaintop.

From racing with legends like Mark Martin and Jimmy Johnson to the life-changing phone call that made him rethink everything, Carl's story is a masterclass in knowing when to accelerate—and when to walk away.

Key Topics:

• Breaking into NASCAR: The entrepreneurial hustle from dirt tracks to the Cup Series
• The dark side of fame: When public image becomes an idol
• Welcome to the league: Racing against—and learning from—the sport's greatest drivers
• The retirement decision: Walking away from millions to prioritize family and faith
• Identity crisis: What happens when you lose the thing that defined you
• Finding God on a mountaintop: How a dystopian book club led to a Damascus road moment
• Raising a son who wants to race: Breaking generational patterns while honoring passion
• Stewarding resources: Wrestling with scarcity mindset and learning radical generosity

Notable Quotes:

"I had actually wet myself completely just because I was completely shaken by what I'd experienced." - Carl Edwards (on his conversion dream)

"I'm gonna keep racing for another 10 years. I'ma hit my head another 25 times. 30 years from now, I'll be on the other end of this phone. My son will be sitting on the stairs. I don't know my kids." - Carl Edwards

"If you haven't seen God walking beside you your whole life, you're blind." - Stephen Garber to Carl Edwards

From $10 to 1 Billion Prayers: How Hallow Sparked a Prayer Revolution

Join host Justin Forman for an unforgettable conversation with Alex Jones, CEO and co-founder of Hallow, the world's #1 Catholic prayer and meditation app. Starting with just $10 in a bank account, Alex and his team have facilitated over one billion minutes of prayer and reached 27.5 million downloads—all while maintaining a steadfast focus on authentic faith over business metrics.

Alex shares his raw journey from falling away from faith in college to encountering Jesus through contemplative prayer, and how a heartbreaking note from his aunt—who lost her son—convinced him that even if just one more person found hope through Hallow, it would be worth dedicating his life to. This episode explores the intersection of technology and spirituality, the courage to spend everything on a Super Bowl commercial, and why prayer isn't therapy—it's a relationship with an invisible God who transforms everything.

Key Topics:

• The miraculous growth from beta app to #1 in the App Store during Lent
• Why prayer is a relationship with God, not a self-help practice
• Partnering with Mark Wahlberg, Jonathan Roumie, and Chris Pratt authentically
• The controversial Super Bowl commercial that beat Temu's $1.5B ad budget
• Building with radical surrender: "Every good thing at Hallow has been me grasping tightly, then letting go and God doing it"
• Why excellence matters in faith-based technology
• Witnessing God save lives through prayer: from addiction recovery to suicide prevention
• Working with investors like Goodwater Capital who integrate faith and business

Notable Quotes:

"There is a crazy belief that I think there's an invisible dude here and I talk to and listen to him every day, all day, and especially in times of silence." - Alex Jones

"If we're all praying, if we are all as close to the Lord as you can be, like if we're all saints—that's the game." - Alex Jones

"Prayer is not a therapy thing. It's not a self-help thing. It's not talking to yourself. It's a relationship you have." - Alex Jones

Redefining Wealth: Beyond the Financial Scoreboard with Sahil Bloom

Join host Justin Forman for a transformative conversation with Sahil Bloom, content creator, investor, and author of The Five Types of Wealth. In an era where society increasingly questions traditional definitions of success, Sahil offers a framework that resonates across faith lines and cultural boundaries—showing entrepreneurs how to build truly wealthy lives beyond just financial metrics.

From his own journey of chasing external validation through career achievement to discovering a more holistic definition of success, Sahil shares the pivotal moment that changed everything: realizing he would only see his aging parents 15 more times. This conversation explores how ambition channeled toward service creates fulfillment, why seasons of imbalance are necessary for building, and how the questions we avoid hold the answers we seek.

Key Topics:

• The five types of wealth: time, social, mental, physical, and financial
• Why money should be the byproduct, not the goal, of entrepreneurship
• The "why" question that children ask and entrepreneurs must reclaim
• Defining "enough" through visualization of your ideal Tuesday
• COVID as society's forced zoom-out moment on wealth and success
• Truth-tellers in your life: How to cultivate and cherish them
• Seasons of unbalance that unlock seasons of balance
• The Heaven's Reward Fallacy and learning to work without validation

Notable Quotes:

"You're going to see your parents 15 more times before they're gone. That was the moment that changed everything." - Sahil Bloom

"A gold medal is a wonderful thing, but if you're not enough without it, you're never going to be enough with it." - Sahil Bloom

"The answers you seek in life are found in the questions that you avoid." - Sahil Bloom

Join host Justin Forman as he sits down with Steve Stenstrom, President of Pro Athletes Outreach (PAO), for a compelling conversation about the explosive intersection of faith and sports. After 55 years of faithful discipleship in the locker room, PAO is witnessing an unprecedented moment where athletes are boldly proclaiming Christ on the world's biggest stages—and the data reveals why this matters more than you might think.

From a women's cricket semi-final watched by 500 million people to NFL press conferences, athletes are using their platforms to declare what matters most. Steve shares why he believes pro sports represents "the greatest ROI potential on the planet" for gospel impact, reveals shocking data about unreached athletes globally, and unpacks how the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics present a once-in-a-generation opportunity for faith-driven entrepreneurs and ministry leaders to collaborate.

Join host Justin Forman with Mark Grunden and Josh Seabaugh for a pivotal conversation about the unprecedented opportunity emerging at the intersection of church and entrepreneurship. Recorded during Faith Driven Entrepreneur's staff retreat in Charleston, this episode unpacks groundbreaking Barna research revealing that society trusts entrepreneurs twice as much as pastors—and why this isn't a threat, but rather the church's greatest partnership opportunity.

Mark brings unique insight from seven years at Saddleback Church pioneering marketplace ministry, while Josh shares lessons from a decade as a campus pastor before joining FDE full-time. Together, they reveal why starting with entrepreneurs—rather than broad "faith and work" initiatives—creates sustainable momentum that cascades throughout entire congregations and communities.

Key Topics:

• Barna research reveals entrepreneurs are trusted 2X more than pastors (and 9X more than politicians)
• Why starting with "everyone who works" causes entrepreneurs to leave the room
• The difference between convening for community vs. convening for mission
• Breaking free from the "parking jacket and coffee" trap for high-capacity leaders
• Why churches need entrepreneurs more than entrepreneurs need the church
• How 250 churches are becoming hubs for faith-driven entrepreneurs in their cities
• The simple 8-week pathway any church can start this week (no cost, no catch)

Notable Quotes:

"Entrepreneurs are trusted two times more than pastors. I don't know if the influence of pastors is actually waning, but I think it's more that the impact of entrepreneurs are actually increasing because people are tired of talk in our society. They're looking for people of action." - Mark Grunden

"If you get a pastor alone, he's intimidated by the entrepreneur. If you get an entrepreneur alone, he's intimidating by the pastor, which is why I'm excited that we can be the bridge." - Josh Seabaugh

"If you start with everybody, you'll never get the entrepreneur. But if you start with the entrepreneur, everybody will follow." - Mark Grunden

Join host Justin Forman as he sits down with Mark Vroegop, President of The Gospel Coalition, for a timely conversation about the growing but often disconnected faith and work movement. Mark brings a rare dual perspective—thirty years of pastoral ministry combined with deep understanding of entrepreneurial leadership—to address why two of society's most driven groups struggle to connect.

This episode tackles the practical barriers keeping pastors and entrepreneurs apart, explores how lament and waiting can transform both business loss and leadership pressure, and offers concrete steps for churches ready to empower their entrepreneurial members beyond "parking vests and coffee." Mark vulnerably shares from his own journey through grief and gaps, providing a biblical framework for navigating the uncertainty that defines both pastoral and entrepreneurial life.

This episode of the Faith Driven Entrepreneur Podcast was filmed at the Main Street Summit, the perfect gathering for ambitious Christian entrepreneurs, executives, and business leaders seeking to deepen the integration of their faith and work. 

Learn more and sign up to be notified for Main Street Summit 2026: www.mainstreetsummit.com

Key Topics:

• Why pastors and entrepreneurs miss each other despite obvious synergies
• The demanding reality of pastoral ministry most business leaders never see
• How business leaders can provide invaluable insight churches desperately need
• Lament as a language for processing business failure, betrayal, and loss
• Waiting on the Lord: Learning to lead through gaps and uncertainty
• Building strategic plans that include space for divine intervention
• Practical pathways for pastors and entrepreneurs to bridge the divide

Notable Quotes:

"How can we help business leaders know how to be good churchmen, if you will? And from my seat as a person who's in pastoral ministry for thirty years, how can pastors do a better job of serving business leaders, especially entrepreneurs?" - Mark Vroegop

"Lament is a prayer in pain that leads to trust." - Mark Vroegop

"Waiting on the Lord is learning to live on what I know to be true about God when I don't know what's true about my life." - Mark Vroegop