October 8, 2025 • 52 mins
What role does faith play in our daily lives? And when we say daily lives, we include our work/business lives. Think about it: At least 8 out of our waking hours (usually more) is spent in the marketplace...our businesses and our interactions with other business people. So if you're a person of faith, what role do your beliefs have on your business? If you're not a person of faith, what role could it have? We realize this isn't a "normal" topic to discuss in the business world. But in light of recent events and conversations we see happening more and more around us, we felt it was important to talk about it: Faith in the our businesses. We hope this is a blessing and encouragement to you.
Books mentioned in the Podcast (this is not a sponsored podcast or sponsored product placement):
"Every Good Endeavor" by Timothy Keller: https://a.co/d/dnBXxMj
"The 9 to 5 Window" by Os Hillman: https://a.co/d/ezVmU0C
"The Word Before Work" by Jordan Raynor: https://a.co/d/dD99mxK
"Called to Create" by Jordan Raynor: https://a.co/d/fatPQvd
"The Case for Christ" by Lee Strobel: https://a.co/d/d77elyE
Industry Conferenes:
REPP Conference: http://repplaunch.com/repp2025
PMRE Conference: http://pmreconference.com
Spiro Sync Conference: http://spiro.media (Click "Spiro Sync" in the Menu Bar starting at 10am EDST on October 8, 2025)
Chapter Timestamps:
0:00 Episode Open
02:23 Spiro Updates
04:50 Industry Conferences
08:19 Faith in Your Business
49:49 Book Suggestions
51:16 Episode Wrap-up
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Coming up on this episodeof The Spiro podcast.
(00:04):
this idea that if I do the right thing
for others,even if it's something that I have to
buy or do,I am happy to serve them by doing that.
(00:29):
Hi and welcome to the Spiro Podcast.
Managing your real estate media business.
Spiro is a software platformdesigned by real estate photographers
for real estate photographersto help you manage and actually scale
your business up, help you grow.
I'm Craig Magrumand welcome back to another week.
If you're a returning listener or viewer,if you're brand new to the podcast,
(00:51):
we welcome you.
The whole point of thisis to talk about business.
Lots of great creative, outletsout there, YouTube
channels, you know, how tos.
We, we just want to focus on businessand how to build a strong business.
So it's going to be,
(01:12):
an interesting podcast today.
Let me introduce our, our co-host andSpiro owner/founder, Todd Kivimaki.
Todd, welcomeCraig.
It's great to be here today.
As always, I'm excited.
We're getting closeto the end of the year.
And, yeah, I flew by.
Yeah, sure.
Like you, I think you mentioned last weeka couple of those weeks or holiday weeks,
(01:35):
which is just going to make it flyeven faster.
So yeah. Yeah.
Enjoy the time. Enjoy the time.
We did an episode a couple of weeks ago.
On what to do in the slow season.
So if you haven't had a chance to checkthat episode out, you know, here in North
America, of course, we're obviously headedinto fall and winter eventually.
So just some great content there.
(01:57):
To give you some ideas on what you can doand working on your business,
not in your business.
Or did I have that backwards, Todd?
Working.You're correct. Working on your business.
Yeah, right. Yeah, that's the goal.
Great time.
You know, as shoot slowed down thingsthat you can you can ratchet on
and, make more efficient new ideas.
So checkmake sure you check that episode out so.
(02:19):
Yeah.
All right, Todd Craig, to help everybody with their calendars.
Before we get to the episode,I'm excited to jump in with your calendar.
So we just launched Titus,which is pay at close.
It's fabulous.
First pay at closecame in the day we launched it.
It was for 1200 and some dollars,I think $1,260.
That was just over doublethat individual's average order value.
(02:42):
So I was excited to see that.
Now I am not sayingthat it's going to double
all of your average order value,
but it is something that
the agents really need a morningmeeting for.
Wow Video Tours, our real estatemedia company.
We all get on Friday morning and Pam,
(03:02):
who is our business developmentspecialist in Dayton and Cincinnati,
she said that she received an email backfrom one of our top brokers immediately
after we sent out our Titus
newsletter,letting the agents know about Titus.
This individual emailed rightback, was extremely happy
that this option is coming.
(03:24):
Asked a couple of questions about itso that he could send out another
correspondence to all of his agents,letting them know it was that important.
He thought it had huge valuewith new agents,
but actually all agents,so he was excited about it.
That made my ears perk up,like if this individual took the time
to respond to our marketing newsletterand he writes the,
(03:48):
he runs a large companyand he was excited about this.
There is value in it.
Now, the thing with anything newis that it's going to take
proper communication and expectationswith your client.
You're goingto have to educate them about it.
You need to start doing that now.
We've already sent out our newsletter.
We haven't even launched it yet.
(04:09):
There was 20 early testersthat are using it.
It's working beautiful.
Okay, the next 50 are going inby the time this launches.
Everybody will be in by October20th of 2025.
Okay,so that's what the timeline looks like.
You need to start educating your clientsnow about it.
You can go to our resource guide.
(04:29):
Go to Spiro.media.
Click on the knowledge base.
Just search Titus.
You'll find everything you want.
You'll find Canva templates.
You'll find social media templates.
You'll find verbiage.
Copy and paste it,
put your logo on it and just send it outand educate your team as well.
If you have one about what Titus says,
I think it's going to bea great thing for all of us.
(04:50):
Yeah, one more thing to plan so well.
Two I'm sorry. I'll make it quick.
If you are not going to come and see usin Vegas at any of the conferences,
or you don't have your ticket booked,you need to do it soon.
Y'all okay.
reppteam.com search for their conferenceEli Jones is going to be excited
(05:10):
to be out there.
That's the first week in NovemberBrandon Cooper with PMRE
does have a conference as well.
We'll be there the third week of November.
If November doesn't work for you,you can begin
booking your SpiroSync ticket for January now.
So by the time you'reif you're listening to this,
(05:30):
you can go to Spiro.mediaand click on Spiro Sync in the menu.
You can book yourticket. Hey Craig, tickets
199 less than 200 bucks.
Not a bad deal there.
It's a two day event.
Come and hang out with us.
We want you to get set up for the for 2026to hit your goals.
(05:54):
Come hang with us.We have fabulous speakers okay.
A lot of the team fromWow is going to be there
Eli, Jared from the repp teamare going to be there.
You're going to meet Nick from Titus,Matt from AutoHDR.
And CubiCasais going to be in there now.
Many, many more people.
So check it out.
Go to Spiro.media. Click on it.
There are not many tickets okay.
This is our first event.
(06:15):
We want to have a intimate venue.
The venue I love
and it only can accommodate 150 people.
It's going to go.
It's going to go almost instantlyokay so book your ticket on there,
bring your team, bring yourselfwhatever it is,
and we are excited to see you in January.
(06:35):
What's that link again to book a ticket.
Spiro.media in the menu bar at the top.
Click Spiro sync.
Got it.
Awesome. Check that out.
Don't be too late.
Craig's going to be there. Craig'sgonna be hosting a session.
So we're going to be come spend time.
You know, I think.
Is that for sure.
Yeah for sure.
(06:57):
Well let me think about this Craig. Yes.
So we're going to have we're goingto have a different it's going to it's
not like your normal conference.
So we will have the normal speakers.
We'rewe're going to have some main speakers,
but then we're going to have what we callbreakout sessions.
They're going to be four sessionsgoing at once.
You pick what session you want to goto, you pick your topic okay.
(07:17):
We'll rerun some of those sessions,the most popular ones,
and you'll get a chance to go to them.
So you're going to let us know
what you want to hearabout what session you want us to rerun.
And you'll have these breakout sessionsto attend.
Also, we're going to havea couple of workshop sessions
where you're actually going.
Do do you want to decide to see how we seeit's best to write in that SOP.
(07:41):
Do you want to talk about the hiringprocess?
Whateverit is, it's your guys's conference.
There's somebody at the conferencethat's an expert on the topic
you want to know about.
We're going to pick some of them.
You're going to suggestwhat you want to learn about two
and you're going to do those things.
So our goal is not tohave you leave Dayton, Ohio,
on January 24th saying, I've got ten.
(08:04):
I've got 25 things I need to do.
Know you're going to say,I've got these things done
and I've got 1 or 2 very clearinitiatives.
I know where I'm heading for 2026.
There you go, it’s gonna be a fun time.
I'm looking forward to it.
I'm so excited.
All right. Todd.
Thank you.
All right, this week's this week's topic.
(08:25):
Kind of a different one for us.
Yeah.
In that it's not normal.
I'm going to say it's not a normal topicto talk about in business.
And obviously, you know the title already.
You've you've seen theyou know, the title on, on YouTube or,
on the audio podcast that you're listeningto, the title Faith in Your Business.
(08:45):
Now, you might think, okay,do I have faith in my business
that things are going to go, well,you know, there's
there's that aspect of it,but we're actually going to talk about
the Christian faith in your business.
Now, Todd,I want to set this up in two ways.
You and I, we're talking off air.
Of course, just in the last few weeks,
(09:08):
there was the, horrific
event of Charlie Kirk's assassination.
And that really got me thinking a lotabout how I live out.
What I say, I believe, and I know that itgot you take it as well.
Primarily because,
I mean, there's a lot you could sayabout about Charlie, about what he did.
(09:29):
But first and foremost, he did notshy away from sharing his faith in Jesus.
Right.
That was a normal partof pretty much every presentation he did.
He just didn't shy away from it.
It really drove him.
And that's what got me thinking,
a lot, because in the last yearor so, I've had some of my own,
(09:51):
struggles for lack of a better word,
trying to figure out where I am in my walkwith God, things like that.
Not that I've abandoned faith or anything,but it just
it's brought everything to to mind and so
the reason we wanted to talk aboutthis is,
as business owners,
(10:14):
just as working adults, period.
Not even necessarilybeing a business owner,
but the the bulk of our waking moments
in life are spent in work.
Eight,you know, eight hours, usually minimum,
that we're putting in in our day,a lot of times
more, more time with our work familythan our family. Family.
(10:38):
And if we are, a person of faith,the question of
how does that impact what I live dayto day out in the marketplace?
Do I live consistently with what I say?
I believe, but we, the other thingI want to,
just introduce this whole thing with Toddis we recognize that not everybody
(11:02):
that listens to this podcast or watchesthis podcast,
is in the Christian faith.
They might be in a different faith.
You might not have a faith at all.
You just you don't have a belief systemnecessarily.
And we we recognize that we respect that.
We're not trying to, discredit or,
(11:22):
minimizewhere you're at in life, in faith.
Todd, would it be fair to say
we're just we're sharing thisbecause it has
what we believe has an impacton what we're doing in the business world?
100%, Craig.
We get on here every week,and we have for years.
(11:45):
And we've talked about
everything in a bid
how to hire, how to acquire clients,how to do this thing.
Critical communication, setting expectations
What this thing.
I mean, we've talked about it alland as I look back, like,
I feel like I would like
(12:05):
up to this point, I feel like I've doneyou all disservice because
I haven't shared enough as to this
true light in this direction
in my life that I believe very stronglyin, that controls all of that.
And that's my faith in God.
And if I didn't share it.
(12:26):
I like I said, I just we're sitting here
and we're going,oh, like we need to do more.
And there's, there's some timesthat I didn't think
what I'm going to share todayand I am not.
I struggle with a lot of this daily.
And I think about what it is.
But as I look back over my life and the
(12:48):
and the timesthat God of God has been there
and how he was working in my lifeand those around me,
like, this is like the biggest thing, like
just the biggest secretof how I feel, like where I'm at.
And I haven't shared itand I've tiptoed around it and
(13:08):
we justdon't want to tiptoe around it anymore.
We're not forcing it on anybody,but we're here to share.
This is an integral part of my life,my business, everything.
And if we don't share it with you, then.
What good is in hiring a photographer?
This process of getting more clients,you know, this is this is important.
(13:31):
I think that there's two thingsthat come to mind, Todd
and one of which is, again,we are not perfect.
We do not live our faith out perfectly.
I fail every day, Todd.
Especially one of them, especially
when I'm on the road driving.
And there are timesI very close to losing my Christianity
(13:51):
that I have actually, actually,just for a little lighthearted
moment here, I have actually startedavoiding the expressway.
Like I put in Waze.
My navigation options avoid freeways.
I have been so much less stressed.
Yeah, so I get better.
Christianbecause I'm not not yelling as much.
(14:12):
So okay, just for being transparent,I'm trying to be real, right?
We don't have it all together.
Okay, so we want to say that the secondthing that I think is driving this in,
and I'm sure this is truefor you as well, Todd,
when we say we really careabout this community and we care about
you building a successful business, it'sbecause we really do care about you.
(14:33):
Yes, we're all in this to make moneyto, support our families,
take care of the people that we love,take care of our own needs.
But the specific reasonthat we're doing this topic today
is because we really do care about you.
What we saywe believe in, people's eternities.
(14:54):
It reminds me of something that,
try to, What? Penn and Teller.
What's what's, Penn's first name?
The magician. Do you remember him?
It isn't it Penn Jillette?
Isn't that his Penn?Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
You're right, you're right.
So there is a video clip of himtalking now,
Penn Jillette is,I believe he's he's an atheist.
(15:16):
Right.
But there is a recording of himbasically speaking to Christians, saying,
if you really say you believewhat you believe, if you really do
believe what you say you believe,how could you not evangelize
if you really believe in eternity,people's eternities,
and that you believe thatwhat you've discovered is, is truth?
(15:39):
How on Christ like would it
be to not sharethat with people you care about?
So at least that's my motivation
because I looked at Charlie's life nowlike hate him.
Whatever.
Agree with his politics,not agree with his politics.
Agree with his faith,not agree with his faith.
It just got me thinking abouthow I can't not share this.
(16:01):
Todd.
Honestly, I'm not a great business person.
I don't I'm not
I'm not wired for,
being business,being my my main motivator.
I worked in Christian ministrymost of my career and it's because I
the only thing of value and worthI really have to give
is the gospel that isn't even mine.
It's Jesus's gospelmeaning good news, right?
(16:24):
So I think I can speak for youin saying that
you care aboutthe people that were speaking to.
I do, and I while I'mnot a great businessman,
I feel like I excel more at businessthan I do
in sharing my faithand I'll say, Craig, that this is
I feel as though
what my words are to sayare going to be inadequate.
(16:47):
Like, I just, I just I'm just like,is it going to be enough?
But it's just this ideaof stepping out in faith.
So thank you all for sticking with ushere.
And I want to give in story.
I want to say, you know, I think I learnbest by other people's stories
and and just saying like,hey, I'm again, I'm trying to figure this.
I have a group around me.
I have a group of guys at churchhave we have a friend group.
(17:09):
We have a small group.
And I am still trying to figure this outevery day.
I just I feel like I knowI'm headed in the right direction.
I have seen how it has changed my life and
and that's what I want to get acrosstoday and share with you.
So Jesus told stories all the time.
That's how he taught me.
(17:30):
Because you're right.
We we relate to stories.
So I mean, let's just kick it off.
What what would be your
your first storyand how faith is related to business?
Yeah.
So I was probably six years
(17:52):
into the businessand the business was growing
and I was excited.
I was working way too much.
And I had this ideathat everything depended on me.
I had to tell youI was grown an ego or had an ego,
you know, I, I had a pretty good business,3 or 4 photographers.
(18:15):
I had a part time admin and, and it justgot to the point that it was too much.
And no, I was beyond the point.
There was no morehours to work in the day.
And I got to this breaking point where
I just needed to go find someone and hirethem.
(18:35):
And I had these thought airs
that no one could do it,that only Todd could do it.
It all dependent on Todd.
The business only ranbecause of Todd and Todd just wasn't
good enough as wellto to see outside of that.
Todd very narrow thinking.
And he liked the idea that it was him
(18:57):
that got the business to here.
Okay.
And and it was painful.
Craig I lived in this for a long time.
I, I can believe my own truth.
I can talk myself into anything and
I think I've told this story.
My wife was like, well, you know,I think you should hire someone.
No, Jessica, no one can do this.
(19:22):
No one
can look at a list of shoots that we did.
Four of them from yesterday.
You know, four of them.
You know, not like we were doing 80 shootslike we're doing today.
And type out an invoice in QuickBooksand send it to the client.
I had myself convince Craig,
and, you know,she would just calmly mention it to me.
(19:44):
And, you know, mymy wife is so has been so just.
Critical throughout my lifeand just being there for me.
But she prays for me.
She prays for the businessand she just let me go.
She knew it wasn't the right timeto really try to change Todd's mind.
Because when I get set on something,
man, I get said like,don't try to change my mind.
(20:05):
Just let me go for a little bit.
And Iwas convinced I couldn't find anybody.
And the part time admin that was workingfor me, she was she was in college.
So, you know,this was just a part time job for her.
She was fabulous, by the way.
But she starts dating this guy.
(20:27):
And this guy comes in for lunch.
And I enjoy talking to her name's Derek.
I've talked about Derek before. Derek,
was selling insurance at the time,
and we just got to talk,and he had an entrepreneurial spirit.
And I got along really,really well with him.
And it just came up like,
(20:49):
hey, you really doesn't like soundinsurance.
Insurance is a hard currency.
It's a hard business to get into. Craig.
No job. Very hard.
Yeah, very hard because everybody knowsan insurance agent or ten of them.
And it came up like, hey,
I, I've got some of these thingsthat I need some help with.
(21:10):
He happened to have a finance degreeand a minor in media.
So that's an interesting combo.
Craig.
No one in the world has gotten thatexcept him.
What did I need?
I needed help with invoice and I neededsomeone that had a creative eye
because of what we were going to do,because we're a media company.
(21:32):
Like, come on, Craig, he hates his job.
I'm convinced no one can help me.
He has.
He's the single person in humanity'sgotten the one degree that can help me.
Just just coincidence.
Todd. Just a coincidence.
Just a coincidence. Craig.
And I'm like, oh, no.
And then I get my left brainabout finances.
(21:54):
Oh, I can't, I just I don't think I can.
I don't think I can pay himthe $38,000 that he needed at the time,
which is nothinglike he was asking for nothing.
He's like, hey, Todd, I could probablywait some tables at Bob Evans
so you could pay me lessif you don't have work for me.
Wow. Yes.
Like every objectionthat I had, everything like it,
(22:15):
it was filled out to a tee and then some.
And he came in.
He didn't wait tables to Bob Evans. Okay?
I bucked upand I paid him the money he wanted.
And he brought this vigorand this excitement.
And he also he's a very strong faith
man of Christianity,a man of Christ.
(22:38):
And he brought this inand we ran like crazy.
Crazy.
I mean,we went from working out of my house.
We bought a small little building.
We outgrew that.
We remodeled it, outgrew it, boughtanother building, bought another building.
Over the next five, six years, like,we just did crazy things.
It allowed me to focus onwhat I was good at.
(22:59):
It allowed him to focus on what he wasgood at, and it was
it was faith by sure,God put this person in my life
at this time of this perfect individual.
I was convinced otherwise, and my ego
convinced meotherwise, that no one could help Todd.
And this perfect individual comes in
and helps me get from here to there.
(23:21):
So I was going to share this more towardsthe end of the podcast,
but it just fits so perfectlywith how you set this up in that
you had this initial beliefthat only you could do this
and, that this particular versecomes from the Old Testament.
It's the book of Deuteronomy,chapter eight, verse 18.
(23:41):
It says, but remember thatthe Lord your God, for it is he
who gives you the ability to producewealth.
And so and this is,this is what I think, really cool.
So you have this initial part
where it's Godgiving us the ability to produce, well.
And then there's this caveat.
The reason forthat is so it confirms his covenant,
(24:02):
which he swore to your ancestors as it istoday.
Now, yes, this is written to the Jewishpeople, but it's a principle,
that applies to all
of us in that GodGod gives us this ability
to build a business,whether we recognize it or not.
It's he's the source of that.
And it's a way of himconfirming his covenant
(24:24):
to us that he loves us, he cares for us.
He's interested in every part of our life,and that includes our daily work life.
I it it's just incredible.
It is.
And Craig, just because I am, I am a much
I'm much more beginning in my faiththan than you and
and the word covenant for a lotlike covenants of promise, right, Craig?
(24:47):
Yeah.
Basically, and it's a one sided,a promise.
God doesn't put any requirementson our side other than just accepting
a free gift.
The freegift of what he's promising to us.
Yeah.
Yeah. So an agreement, a promise.
Yeah. Contract. Think of it like that.
Yeah.
(25:07):
And it's not exclusive.
Right.
Open to all.
Open to every, every single person.
Yeah. It's amazing.
Well cool okay cool. First story.
All right.
So early in the business. Yeah.
Your wife is praying for you. And,
it's funny how wives prayers work for us
(25:28):
in the, in the background a lot of times.
And this guy's just not even realizing it.
That's cool.
Yeah.
I mean it took me a long timeto get over my ego and I still have one.
So you know, but it's just,you know my wife working
and these little nudges and,and finally Todd going oh wait a minute.
Like I think I see this thing or just,you know, falls into my lap.
(25:51):
So yeah, you know, I have a another one,a quicker one from the early days.
Craig, I, I, the part time adminwho was working for me, her name was Liz.
And and just so you guys know, Lizand then Derek, they dated.
They ended up getting married.
They have four beautiful little girls.
And, while Derek no longer works at wow,he was
(26:12):
he was a big, big influence and helped usgrow.
And, he, he made a great transitionin his life to a different career.
And they have a wonderful family.
So that was a neat story to to see.
There was a time sowe worked out of the house at this time.
I have, a little room I remember.
(26:33):
Yeah, yeah. You came to it.We call it this.
We call it the studiobecause we used to take photos in there.
Okay, so babies and families and.
But we worked in there, too.
We had our desk in there, and, there wasno bathroom other than in the house.
So Derek and Lizwould have to go in the house
and use the bathroom,which was no problem.
(26:54):
We didn't have kidsor had a baby at the time.
I think we didn't have kids. Excuse me.
So anyways,
you go in the house, use the bathroom,and one day she came out, she's like, hey,
I need to tell you something.
And I was like, okay, you know,
I'm you know what? Itwhat do we miss a bathroom?
Is there an unhappy client or.
You want a happy do you need a day off?
(27:15):
Or you know what? Maybe she's like, I was.
I went to the bathroom,I was washing my hands and, my ring,
it snagged your hand towel,and it it, you know, there was a loop, a,
you know, maybe seven threadsthat were in a loop out of the hand towel.
And it just kind of
(27:36):
disfigured it enough that
I don't know, like,I thought it was a nothing burger at the.
I was like, oh, like like, okay. She's so.
But she tells me that she, she said,do you want me to buy you a new one?
Well,
talk about integrity.
Yes. There was no more than seven threadsthat ran out of it.
(27:57):
Like, just cut it offlike it's a it's a solo call.
It's a solid color towel.
It's not like my grandmother had knitthis embroidery on it.
And this was like,this was a $3 towel from Kohl's.
And she's like, do you want me to buy?
And I'll be happy toI'll go get you a new one.
I'm like,
(28:18):
no, no, thank you for telling me.
No. It's okay.
Like, and I,I think I wrote it off at the time, Craig.
I was like like,why are you tell me about this hand towel.
Like,do you know what I have to think about?
I got a transpose for jobs fromyesterday, and the QuickBooks
again in my own head.
But I got to thinking about this,and this is years later.
(28:39):
This is 15 years later.
Think about the integrity of a person.
To come up and
and be so honest and open about somethingand saying,
hey, I snagged this thingthat might be so insignificant,
but I just want to make sure you're okaybecause this is something of yours
(29:00):
that I did something to, and I don't wantyou to not be whole like I'm here
to help you, and I want you to be wholeso much that I'll pay my own money.
Not like she said.
I'll use the business cardto get a new hand towel.
Right.
She took extreme ownership in her actions,
and that has stuckwith me to the point that
(29:23):
I think a lot of times in my
life I'm like,oh, can I oh, just turn it over.
Oh, this thing is,can you just push it over that way?
You know, I used to deliver furniturein high school.
Craig.
Walking through, walking through.
Boom. Oh, crap.
Who's got,you know, Nick on the new table?
(29:44):
Who's got a paint pen?
Can we color it upand then put that table to the back wall
so the person doesn't see it?
Yeah,
that's the way I naturally went.
Let me hide it.
Let me get out of here so I can be okay.
And those peoplewill have to deal with it.
It just,
(30:04):
it so just gave me perspective
that this extreme ownership and integrityand just this,
this idea that if I do the right thing
for others,even if it's something that I have to
buy or do,I am happy to serve them by doing that.
(30:25):
Right?
Right.
It's it's the principle of living outtruth.
You know, I, I think we're, we'reI mean, we've always been
but we're not a world in a cultureright now where people are desperately,
I think, trying to find truth.
And like I said, it'sit's an age old debate and question.
I mean, you look back at,
Jesus's crucifixion, crucifixionleading up to that.
(30:48):
He's he's being,you know, interrogated by by Pilate,
you know, the Roman governor of the area.
And Jesus talks about truth and palaces.
What what is truth?
And there's a lot of people, and myselfincluded,
that there are days where we're askingthe question, what is truth?
And Jesus himself says in in the Gospels,
(31:11):
I am the way, the truth, and the life.
And so
Liz was living out what Jesus said, thathe is truth, right?
She's trying to live a truthful lifein admitting to you.
Hey, I, I messed up your towel
and that caused you to take noticeof something different,
because that was not a normal thingfor someone.
Someone to admit to. Right.
(31:33):
I remember as a kid, Todd,I would lie over the stupidest things.
to not get in trouble, right?
Yeah, me as well.
Now, I don't I don't know if you remember,or experience this form of discipline.
And I don't know if kids these dayshave ever had to experience this, but
do you do you recall the, discipline
method of writing lines?
(31:56):
I do, yes.
Picture the student, you know,writing up the big chalkboard, right?
My mom made me do that.
Right. I will not lie.
And it was usually a longer sentencewhich made it really a pain in the rear.
Yeah.
And you know I have to write thisat least 25 times I think that was
the minimum was right. This line. And
some peopleare going to think this is abuse.
(32:18):
But it it cemented something in my mind.
And she one time she had mewrite the verses from John chapter eight.
I remember the chapter.
I don't remember the verses now whereit talks about the enemy of our soul.
We'll call them Satan, right?
That's how Jesus referred to thembeing the father of lies.
(32:39):
And it just, it
it got to the point where I'm like,I don't want to be a person
known as being untruthfulbecause one word untruthful.
Nobody can trust anything that we say.
And how do you build a businesswhen there's no trust?
You know, we've talked about this
principle of people buy from peoplethey know, like
and trust. Trust.
(33:00):
Now there are people that
don't follow the Christian faiththat are truthful people.
You don't necessarilyneed to be a Christian to live in truth.
We we recognize that
because there's something built into usabout being truthful people.
But the the concept of, of integrityand truth is core to our faith, right?
In living that out. And God blesses that.
(33:23):
He blesses it.
Yeah.
Our humanness will tell us, hey,we better cover our own rear end for this.
But. Right.
We, we don't have to cover our own rear
and it's already been done for you, right.
Yeah.
Yeah that's that's a good point.
Yeah. So
(33:44):
Craig, let's go.
Let's go.
A few years down the roadI got one more to share here. And
there was some times and so
this is probably taught in his mid 20s and
for before kids just getting into the kid
phase and business was doing good.
And, I had some immature behavior.
(34:07):
We would, we would party.
None of us are.
We would party, I would drink,
I would, I would curse.
And, you know,we just did some immature things.
We had fun.
And I think the world looks at, you know,I think it's like, oh, let's have fun.
And I was probably I was trying to feel
(34:29):
feelings, feeling good, feeling
like I had earned it, feelinglike it was what you did to have fun.
And we were I was I always
I look back,I have really great memories of the time.
You know, I have some things I likeI wasn't proud of do those things.
Like there were somematuring that I had to do.
But we were loving this phase of our life.
(34:53):
We had just bought a new house.
We moved in.
Life was good,you know, like the business was good.
We were happy and
we went through this transition of,
you know, feel like, you know, one of thefriends kind of stabbed us in the back.
And that's what we, you know, onethat one fell out one moved away.
(35:18):
All these people were literallythey had moved into our circle.
Like,we live on this, like kind of big circle.
And they all live right there.
Like, we we had a lot of young peopleback there that we had gone to school with
and had funand all in the same stage of life,
we weren't consistently going to church,you know, I was like,
you know, on Sunday, like, oh,we going to go to church.
I can we sleep in?
(35:39):
You know, Todd probably partiedtoo much on Saturday night
and didn't have a, didn'thave a really strong group around me
because the group around me was enjoyingthe behaviors that we were having.
Sure.
And like I said,
the whole group kind of just fell apart
(36:00):
in a matter of like a month.
And this, like, rocked our world,
rocked our world,
and because it's what we were comfortablewith, it's what we were.
It's what we were doing. It's a lifewe were living.
It's like, hey, this is fun.
This is what I enjoy.
(36:20):
And going to this point of like,had these friends, like,
stabbed this in the back,the other ones are moving away.
Then everything fell apart.
It's like we just losteverything that we enjoyed
doing. Wow.
It was around that time.
Also, my wife was like, hey, I, I,I feel like
God's telling me not to drink anymore.
And we didn't have a drinking problem.
(36:42):
Craig.
And I'm not saying that you can't drink.
You know, I'm not saying that.
But I will say that my wife told me this,I was like what do you mean like
this is what we enjoy.
Yeah.
Like you're not going to likeI felt like a bit abandoned by that.
I was like, well,
because I was only thinking about me like,well, what are we going to do then?
(37:04):
What else?
What else is there to doon Friday night or Tuesday night?
And everything changed.
You know, I felt lonely.
We felt lonely like.
And and God slowly started to put
better people around us.
So when you say better people
(37:27):
can I,can I pull on that thread a little bit.
What what do you mean by that.
Yeah.
People that helped me grow up and peoplethat helped me grow in faith
and just gave me a,a different perspective that that were not
that were further down the roador were more mature than us.
That now looking back, I'm like,
(37:50):
this was so important
and us growing and maturing.
they challenged your statusquo and called you up to more.
Exactly. Yes.
Because the group that we were in,we all were drinking our own Kool-Aid.
Okay.
(38:11):
With a little bit of Tito'sor a lot of Tito's in it.
And we were no,but it was just where we are at.
And then we got into a new groupthat I mean, heck, one of my neighbors
two doors down, Dave, fabulous friend.
They were different.
(38:31):
They were the family. He was the guy.
He was a super friendly neighbor.
Like, how is that guy so friendly?
How is that guy always in his front yard
playing with his kids all of the time
tonight?
Why did that guy come down and ask?
I was doing yard work.Don't even really know him.
He came, comes down and asked me,do I need help?
(38:56):
Todd, I
I want to I want to interjecta little levity here again.
Yeah, I can't helpbut picturing Ned Flanders coming.
Yes. to Homer.
Yeah, it was, it was.
It was like like hideyho neighbor or something like that.
Or was that person from Home Improvement?
Yeah, I think it was.
Well, yeah,but it's like Todd shoveling mulch.
(39:18):
Todd's not happy about shoveling mulch.
And friendly Dave comes down like,do you need.
No. What, are you, crazy? What? Yeah.What do you think?
I don't even know.You want to help me? You like.
But he broke.
He broke down that barrier, didn't he?
He did, he did.
And I didn't know it at the time.
They happened to homeschool their kids.We didn't know it.
(39:39):
And God was laying these little piecesand in our lives.
And one dayJessica's and I went to public school.
My wife went to public schools, school.
Jessica's like, hey,
I want to homeschool our kids.
I'm like, the heck,I remember the homeschool kid.
You're you are crazy, Jessica.
(40:01):
No way, no how?
How was he going to play sports?
He's probably going to.
We're probably goingto have to buy a cave and raise him in it
like.
Like I was just like, are you crazy?
And so she wouldshe was like, okay, she wasn't pushing me.
She's very smart.She knows how to handle me.
(40:23):
She started praying again, didn't she?
Exactly, Craig.
What did I say about wives prayers?
Yes. And this was over.
Yes. Powerful stuff.
And this was over a long time. Cray.
Like she planted the seed
and this thing grew for seven seasonsbefore it actually sprouted.
(40:43):
Okay.
And let me tell you this story real quickas to how it sprouted,
because I think as I look back, I'm like,wow, this is crazy.
So she would plant the little seeds and,you know, get some information.
And she was praying,you know, all the time for
and just asking for God's will.
And she would hint at it.
And there was one time that I was kind ofgetting fed up, honestly.
(41:05):
I'm like, I'm not.Then we're not like, why?
Like no, like we live right by the school.
I was involved with the school, like,
and I just, I blow up one night.
I'm just like, no, I'm not doing it.
Big emotion blow up.
And I'm like, I'm done with it.
Like done with it. And.
(41:30):
The next day
I had a meeting with a large team.
This team happened to bein between their offices.
They were remodeling a new office
and they cut use to clarify a realtorteam.
Right, a realtor team. Yeah, yeah.
A client that we hadn't had yet,a large client in one of our cities.
(41:53):
And I drove down to Cincinnatiand we didn't meet at their office.
We met at their home
which has never happened before. So.
And I walk in and
we say our hellos and
Derek was with me, and I walk inand there's kids home.
(42:16):
This is a Tuesday morning.
Okay? Kids home. Why are they home?
Yeah. Why are kids home? Yeah.
There's puppies on the floor.
Oh. Like they.
Yeah. Like this.
How did they breed? Pup?
They breed dogs.
Puppies on the floor.
Like. Okay. Yeah. I'm same.
Well, kind of go on with the meetingand sit down and super friendly.
(42:39):
Very welcoming into their home.
We sit there, dining room table,their agents come in and, you know,
people are pulling chairs upin the living room.
I'm looking around.
I'm like,there's Bible verses on the walls.
Okay,
okay.
These people are just different.
Like, but in a good like in a, in a waythat like, I'm in their home,
(43:01):
they're so welcoming
and we have the meetingit's a fabulous meeting
and we get to talking.
You know, you just naturally the meetingadjourns and we talk to, you know,
you go around the room and talkand I got to talking to the,
the wife of the husband and.
(43:23):
I asked, and I don't know why I askbecause I would.
This was really weird to ask him, like,do you
homeschool your kids?
I had just blown up the night before. Itjust.
I'm like, no, I'm done no more.
Please don't ask me again.
I'm not going to homeschoolthe kids. It's not okay.
Person's house,
kids, puppies, Bible verses in the wall,talking to the husband's wife.
(43:45):
And I ask, do you homeschool your kids?
And she's like, we do.
What's the most wonderful thing ever?
And she goes on to helpguide me through this and breaking down
these myths, beliefs that I have aboutspending all of this time with your kids.
Okay. And.
(44:07):
There's just
no way, Craig,that that was a happenstance.
Like I went home,I told my wife, I'm still to this day,
get emotional about itbecause this was a very pivotal moment.
Like, I'm telling you all, like,this was a this was a decision.
Like, I'm no, I'm not going likeI that's not who I am.
Like.
And this was God molding meand just changing me little by little
(44:30):
and getting rid of my ego
and open our eyes upto how we can better influence our kids.
And I'm not here to sayeverybody should homeschool.
I'm saying that'swhat God laid on our heart, right?
And he made the paththat my wife eventually quit her job.
I a thing I never thought was possiblebecause she held the insurance.
All of these little thingsbegan to move out of the way for us.
(44:53):
Craig.
And he did it in the midst of a business
context,a business meeting in somebody's home
where God interrupted your workweek
with something entirely unrelated. Yes.
And that's why I strongly believe Godis interested in every detail of our life,
(45:15):
including our businessand how we run our business, and doing it
in ways that honor him and recognize that,
yeah, it'snot just a Sunday morning thing, right?
Man, he met you in a really practical way.
That's amazing.
He did, he did.
And he came down to my level.
My level was really low y'allI got very low.
(45:36):
And he came down to me and communicated
with me in a way that was perfectto get me to actually see it.
Yeah.
Well that just goes back to whoJesus is, right?
We believe that God, Jesuswas God incarnate.
He put on flesh, limited himself.
He he walked dusty streets in sandals.
(45:59):
He ate food.
He experienced everythingthat we've experienced.
He's gone through every temptationthat you and I have ever faced. And
it's not just a religion, it's.
It's a relationship.
God met you in a very practical,real way to you, Todd,
in that meeting in that houseabout homeschooling your kids.
(46:19):
I mean, it's just amazingthe opportunities
that we have to experienceGod in our day to day work life.
I've I've been able to to share the storyof how I got into this business.
And it was out of a prayer of God.Would you give me a trade?
Something I can produce with my hands
that I can financially supportmy family with
and provide something of value to somebodythat I know with a clear conscience
(46:41):
that I'm not just trying to sell some,
you know, some servicethat's not really needed.
This is a needed thing.
And Todd, I've got to share that storycountless times
with realtors, with home sellers,
where the home seller is going throughprobably one of the most stressful
times of their lifeand getting their home ready to sell.
(47:02):
And you can see the stress on their face.
And I've had the opportunity to prayjust for God's peace for them,
that the transaction would go smoothly,and to see that physical,
draining of the stress and just God'speace meeting them in their own home,
it's just incredible to really careabout people and to love people that way.
(47:24):
Man, what a privilege we have.
So we're getting ready to wrap up here.
Todd, thank you for those stories.
Just, really practical waysthat God meets us in our business.
And I just wanted to wrap upwith two things.
One is, a couple of booksthat have really impacted me
in, in, trying to live my faithout in the workplace and how God meets us.
(47:46):
I'll share that list of booksjust real quick.
I put a list in links to Amazon,
where you can get it on Amazonin the show notes.
But I want to encourage you,
whether you're a believer or not,a believer, it doesn't matter.
I want to share this real quick.
We all live with some anxiety in business.
Are we going to meet our goals or,you know,
or are we going to meet deadlines?Are we going to make enough money?
(48:08):
And there's this anxiety and this worryas owners, as entrepreneurs.
Right.
So Jesus,
these are the words of Jesus from Matthewchapter six verse starting in verse 25.
And Jesus says, thereforeI tell you, don't worry about
I'm going to paraphrase a little bit,all right, but look this up.
Matthew 625 thereforeI tell you, don't worry about your life.
(48:29):
What you'll eat or whatyou'll drink about your body.
What you'll wear.
Is not lifemore important than food in the body?
More than clothes?
Look at the birds of the air.
They don't so they don't reap.
They don't stow away in barns.
And yet the Heavenly Father feeds them.
Are you not much more valuablethan they can
any of you,by worrying at a single hour to your life,
(48:53):
see that
the ideais this that God made us in his image, in
that covenant that we talked aboutearlier, is with us that he took our place
on a cross, for our failings are missingthe mark in life,
in rebelling against him.
That's how much God cares about you,all right?
He cares about your business.
We we truly believe that
(49:13):
he cares about your businessbecause that's a major part of your life.
And so our prayer for you
is that you just experiencethat presence of God, his love,
that you'll be able to enterinto a relationship and talk with him,
bringbring your business concerns to him. But.
Right.
We can we can talk to God about here.
(49:35):
Here's what's going on with the business.
God, I need help in this area,whatever that is.
So we just want to encourage you.
He cares about your business.
You can bring it to him
and have conversation and experienceGod in your work life as well.
So the last thing those those booksI mentioned, a couple of them, Jordan
Rayner, the word before, the word beforework, a devotional kind of focused on,
(49:58):
you know, starting your workdaywith spending it in the Jordan.
Yeah.
Timothy, Timothy Keller, incredible book.
Every good endeavor about aboutliving your faith out in the workplace.
I got
another one from Jordan Raynercalled to create as creators.
As creatives.
Good book.
(50:19):
Really good book.
Odds. Hillman.
The 9 to 5 window againabout practical ways to live our faith,
our beliefs out in the workplace,exploring what?
What does it meanto live faith out in the workplace?
And then finally, if you're someone thatyou're just you're searching for truth.
You're trying to find some peace.
(50:39):
I want to strongly encourage, Lee Strobel.
He was a, journalist, atheist journalist
set out to disprove Jesus and did a very,
very thorough study and wrotethis book called The Case for Christ.
Incredible. Incredible book.
So, Todd, thank you for your transparency.
(51:00):
Thank you for your vulnerability.
We encourage you to leave comments.
We understandnot everybody is on the same page.
We get that.
But we had to share what we believebecause we care about you
and we believeGod cares about your business.
So any final thoughts, Todd?
We love to hear from you if we are here,if we really are here for you
(51:21):
and we're here for youand and any way that you need,
and many of you overthe years have emailed us when we've
mentioned faith and this is the largest,you know, that we have.
Maybe this is just God
saying, hey,it's time to mature yourself a little bit.
It's time to, you know, look at the
(51:42):
look at the waysthat laugh at me, at what I did.
Maybe there's some small adjustments
and there's adjustmentsI need to make every day.
But you can email ushello@spiro.media.
You'll get us. We'll respond to you.
Share it with us.We love hearing from you.
That'sGod intended us to do this in community,
and we would love and be honored if you,
(52:06):
let us be a part of your community.
Good deal.
Guys,we hope this was an encouragement to you.
We, like we said we love you.
We care about you.
We're prayingfor the success of your business.
All right.
Make sure you take some time this week.
Be thankful for the blessings in your lifeand make sure you take a breath.
Have a great week.
Coming up on this episodeof The Spiro podcast.
(00:04):
this idea that if I do the right thing
for others,even if it's something that I have to
buy or do,I am happy to serve them by doing that.
(00:29):
Hi and welcome to the Spiro Podcast.
Managing your real estate media business.
Spiro is a software platformdesigned by real estate photographers
for real estate photographersto help you manage and actually scale
your business up, help you grow.
I'm Craig Magrumand welcome back to another week.
If you're a returning listener or viewer,if you're brand new to the podcast,
(00:51):
we welcome you.
The whole point of thisis to talk about business.
Lots of great creative, outletsout there, YouTube
channels, you know, how tos.
We, we just want to focus on businessand how to build a strong business.
So it's going to be,
(01:12):
an interesting podcast today.
Let me introduce our, our co-host andSpiro owner/founder, Todd Kivimaki.
Todd, welcomeCraig.
It's great to be here today.
As always, I'm excited.
We're getting closeto the end of the year.
And, yeah, I flew by.
Yeah, sure.
Like you, I think you mentioned last weeka couple of those weeks or holiday weeks,
(01:35):
which is just going to make it flyeven faster.
So yeah. Yeah.
Enjoy the time. Enjoy the time.
We did an episode a couple of weeks ago.
On what to do in the slow season.
So if you haven't had a chance to checkthat episode out, you know, here in North
America, of course, we're obviously headedinto fall and winter eventually.
So just some great content there.
(01:57):
To give you some ideas on what you can doand working on your business,
not in your business.
Or did I have that backwards, Todd?
Working.You're correct. Working on your business.
Yeah, right. Yeah, that's the goal.
Great time.
You know, as shoot slowed down thingsthat you can you can ratchet on
and, make more efficient new ideas.
So checkmake sure you check that episode out so.
(02:19):
Yeah.
All right, Todd Craig, to help everybody with their calendars.
Before we get to the episode,I'm excited to jump in with your calendar.
So we just launched Titus,which is pay at close.
It's fabulous.
First pay at closecame in the day we launched it.
It was for 1200 and some dollars,I think $1,260.
That was just over doublethat individual's average order value.
(02:42):
So I was excited to see that.
Now I am not sayingthat it's going to double
all of your average order value,
but it is something that
the agents really need a morningmeeting for.
Wow Video Tours, our real estatemedia company.
We all get on Friday morning and Pam,
(03:02):
who is our business developmentspecialist in Dayton and Cincinnati,
she said that she received an email backfrom one of our top brokers immediately
after we sent out our Titus
newsletter,letting the agents know about Titus.
This individual emailed rightback, was extremely happy
that this option is coming.
(03:24):
Asked a couple of questions about itso that he could send out another
correspondence to all of his agents,letting them know it was that important.
He thought it had huge valuewith new agents,
but actually all agents,so he was excited about it.
That made my ears perk up,like if this individual took the time
to respond to our marketing newsletterand he writes the,
(03:48):
he runs a large companyand he was excited about this.
There is value in it.
Now, the thing with anything newis that it's going to take
proper communication and expectationswith your client.
You're goingto have to educate them about it.
You need to start doing that now.
We've already sent out our newsletter.
We haven't even launched it yet.
(04:09):
There was 20 early testersthat are using it.
It's working beautiful.
Okay, the next 50 are going inby the time this launches.
Everybody will be in by October20th of 2025.
Okay,so that's what the timeline looks like.
You need to start educating your clientsnow about it.
You can go to our resource guide.
(04:29):
Go to Spiro.media.
Click on the knowledge base.
Just search Titus.
You'll find everything you want.
You'll find Canva templates.
You'll find social media templates.
You'll find verbiage.
Copy and paste it,
put your logo on it and just send it outand educate your team as well.
If you have one about what Titus says,
I think it's going to bea great thing for all of us.
(04:50):
Yeah, one more thing to plan so well.
Two I'm sorry. I'll make it quick.
If you are not going to come and see usin Vegas at any of the conferences,
or you don't have your ticket booked,you need to do it soon.
Y'all okay.
reppteam.com search for their conferenceEli Jones is going to be excited
(05:10):
to be out there.
That's the first week in NovemberBrandon Cooper with PMRE
does have a conference as well.
We'll be there the third week of November.
If November doesn't work for you,you can begin
booking your SpiroSync ticket for January now.
So by the time you'reif you're listening to this,
(05:30):
you can go to Spiro.mediaand click on Spiro Sync in the menu.
You can book yourticket. Hey Craig, tickets
199 less than 200 bucks.
Not a bad deal there.
It's a two day event.
Come and hang out with us.
We want you to get set up for the for 2026to hit your goals.
(05:54):
Come hang with us.We have fabulous speakers okay.
A lot of the team fromWow is going to be there
Eli, Jared from the repp teamare going to be there.
You're going to meet Nick from Titus,Matt from AutoHDR.
And CubiCasais going to be in there now.
Many, many more people.
So check it out.
Go to Spiro.media. Click on it.
There are not many tickets okay.
This is our first event.
(06:15):
We want to have a intimate venue.
The venue I love
and it only can accommodate 150 people.
It's going to go.
It's going to go almost instantlyokay so book your ticket on there,
bring your team, bring yourselfwhatever it is,
and we are excited to see you in January.
(06:35):
What's that link again to book a ticket.
Spiro.media in the menu bar at the top.
Click Spiro sync.
Got it.
Awesome. Check that out.
Don't be too late.
Craig's going to be there. Craig'sgonna be hosting a session.
So we're going to be come spend time.
You know, I think.
Is that for sure.
Yeah for sure.
(06:57):
Well let me think about this Craig. Yes.
So we're going to have we're goingto have a different it's going to it's
not like your normal conference.
So we will have the normal speakers.
We'rewe're going to have some main speakers,
but then we're going to have what we callbreakout sessions.
They're going to be four sessionsgoing at once.
You pick what session you want to goto, you pick your topic okay.
(07:17):
We'll rerun some of those sessions,the most popular ones,
and you'll get a chance to go to them.
So you're going to let us know
what you want to hearabout what session you want us to rerun.
And you'll have these breakout sessionsto attend.
Also, we're going to havea couple of workshop sessions
where you're actually going.
Do do you want to decide to see how we seeit's best to write in that SOP.
(07:41):
Do you want to talk about the hiringprocess?
Whateverit is, it's your guys's conference.
There's somebody at the conferencethat's an expert on the topic
you want to know about.
We're going to pick some of them.
You're going to suggestwhat you want to learn about two
and you're going to do those things.
So our goal is not tohave you leave Dayton, Ohio,
on January 24th saying, I've got ten.
(08:04):
I've got 25 things I need to do.
Know you're going to say,I've got these things done
and I've got 1 or 2 very clearinitiatives.
I know where I'm heading for 2026.
There you go, it’s gonna be a fun time.
I'm looking forward to it.
I'm so excited.
All right. Todd.
Thank you.
All right, this week's this week's topic.
(08:25):
Kind of a different one for us.
Yeah.
In that it's not normal.
I'm going to say it's not a normal topicto talk about in business.
And obviously, you know the title already.
You've you've seen theyou know, the title on, on YouTube or,
on the audio podcast that you're listeningto, the title Faith in Your Business.
(08:45):
Now, you might think, okay,do I have faith in my business
that things are going to go, well,you know, there's
there's that aspect of it,but we're actually going to talk about
the Christian faith in your business.
Now, Todd,I want to set this up in two ways.
You and I, we're talking off air.
Of course, just in the last few weeks,
(09:08):
there was the, horrific
event of Charlie Kirk's assassination.
And that really got me thinking a lotabout how I live out.
What I say, I believe, and I know that itgot you take it as well.
Primarily because,
I mean, there's a lot you could sayabout about Charlie, about what he did.
(09:29):
But first and foremost, he did notshy away from sharing his faith in Jesus.
Right.
That was a normal partof pretty much every presentation he did.
He just didn't shy away from it.
It really drove him.
And that's what got me thinking,
a lot, because in the last yearor so, I've had some of my own,
(09:51):
struggles for lack of a better word,
trying to figure out where I am in my walkwith God, things like that.
Not that I've abandoned faith or anything,but it just
it's brought everything to to mind and so
the reason we wanted to talk aboutthis is,
as business owners,
(10:14):
just as working adults, period.
Not even necessarilybeing a business owner,
but the the bulk of our waking moments
in life are spent in work.
Eight,you know, eight hours, usually minimum,
that we're putting in in our day,a lot of times
more, more time with our work familythan our family. Family.
(10:38):
And if we are, a person of faith,the question of
how does that impact what I live dayto day out in the marketplace?
Do I live consistently with what I say?
I believe, but we, the other thingI want to,
just introduce this whole thing with Toddis we recognize that not everybody
(11:02):
that listens to this podcast or watchesthis podcast,
is in the Christian faith.
They might be in a different faith.
You might not have a faith at all.
You just you don't have a belief systemnecessarily.
And we we recognize that we respect that.
We're not trying to, discredit or,
(11:22):
minimizewhere you're at in life, in faith.
Todd, would it be fair to say
we're just we're sharing thisbecause it has
what we believe has an impacton what we're doing in the business world?
100%, Craig.
We get on here every week,and we have for years.
(11:45):
And we've talked about
everything in a bid
how to hire, how to acquire clients,how to do this thing.
Critical communication, setting expectations
What this thing.
I mean, we've talked about it alland as I look back, like,
I feel like I would like
(12:05):
up to this point, I feel like I've doneyou all disservice because
I haven't shared enough as to this
true light in this direction
in my life that I believe very stronglyin, that controls all of that.
And that's my faith in God.
And if I didn't share it.
(12:26):
I like I said, I just we're sitting here
and we're going,oh, like we need to do more.
And there's, there's some timesthat I didn't think
what I'm going to share todayand I am not.
I struggle with a lot of this daily.
And I think about what it is.
But as I look back over my life and the
(12:48):
and the timesthat God of God has been there
and how he was working in my lifeand those around me,
like, this is like the biggest thing, like
just the biggest secretof how I feel, like where I'm at.
And I haven't shared itand I've tiptoed around it and
(13:08):
we justdon't want to tiptoe around it anymore.
We're not forcing it on anybody,but we're here to share.
This is an integral part of my life,my business, everything.
And if we don't share it with you, then.
What good is in hiring a photographer?
This process of getting more clients,you know, this is this is important.
(13:31):
I think that there's two thingsthat come to mind, Todd
and one of which is, again,we are not perfect.
We do not live our faith out perfectly.
I fail every day, Todd.
Especially one of them, especially
when I'm on the road driving.
And there are timesI very close to losing my Christianity
(13:51):
that I have actually, actually,just for a little lighthearted
moment here, I have actually startedavoiding the expressway.
Like I put in Waze.
My navigation options avoid freeways.
I have been so much less stressed.
Yeah, so I get better.
Christianbecause I'm not not yelling as much.
(14:12):
So okay, just for being transparent,I'm trying to be real, right?
We don't have it all together.
Okay, so we want to say that the secondthing that I think is driving this in,
and I'm sure this is truefor you as well, Todd,
when we say we really careabout this community and we care about
you building a successful business, it'sbecause we really do care about you.
(14:33):
Yes, we're all in this to make moneyto, support our families,
take care of the people that we love,take care of our own needs.
But the specific reasonthat we're doing this topic today
is because we really do care about you.
What we saywe believe in, people's eternities.
(14:54):
It reminds me of something that,
try to, What? Penn and Teller.
What's what's, Penn's first name?
The magician. Do you remember him?
It isn't it Penn Jillette?
Isn't that his Penn?Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
You're right, you're right.
So there is a video clip of himtalking now,
Penn Jillette is,I believe he's he's an atheist.
(15:16):
Right.
But there is a recording of himbasically speaking to Christians, saying,
if you really say you believewhat you believe, if you really do
believe what you say you believe,how could you not evangelize
if you really believe in eternity,people's eternities,
and that you believe thatwhat you've discovered is, is truth?
(15:39):
How on Christ like would it
be to not sharethat with people you care about?
So at least that's my motivation
because I looked at Charlie's life nowlike hate him.
Whatever.
Agree with his politics,not agree with his politics.
Agree with his faith,not agree with his faith.
It just got me thinking abouthow I can't not share this.
(16:01):
Todd.
Honestly, I'm not a great business person.
I don't I'm not
I'm not wired for,
being business,being my my main motivator.
I worked in Christian ministrymost of my career and it's because I
the only thing of value and worthI really have to give
is the gospel that isn't even mine.
It's Jesus's gospelmeaning good news, right?
(16:24):
So I think I can speak for youin saying that
you care aboutthe people that were speaking to.
I do, and I while I'mnot a great businessman,
I feel like I excel more at businessthan I do
in sharing my faithand I'll say, Craig, that this is
I feel as though
what my words are to sayare going to be inadequate.
(16:47):
Like, I just, I just I'm just like,is it going to be enough?
But it's just this ideaof stepping out in faith.
So thank you all for sticking with ushere.
And I want to give in story.
I want to say, you know, I think I learnbest by other people's stories
and and just saying like,hey, I'm again, I'm trying to figure this.
I have a group around me.
I have a group of guys at churchhave we have a friend group.
(17:09):
We have a small group.
And I am still trying to figure this outevery day.
I just I feel like I knowI'm headed in the right direction.
I have seen how it has changed my life and
and that's what I want to get acrosstoday and share with you.
So Jesus told stories all the time.
That's how he taught me.
(17:30):
Because you're right.
We we relate to stories.
So I mean, let's just kick it off.
What what would be your
your first storyand how faith is related to business?
Yeah.
So I was probably six years
(17:52):
into the businessand the business was growing
and I was excited.
I was working way too much.
And I had this ideathat everything depended on me.
I had to tell youI was grown an ego or had an ego,
you know, I, I had a pretty good business,3 or 4 photographers.
(18:15):
I had a part time admin and, and it justgot to the point that it was too much.
And no, I was beyond the point.
There was no morehours to work in the day.
And I got to this breaking point where
I just needed to go find someone and hirethem.
(18:35):
And I had these thought airs
that no one could do it,that only Todd could do it.
It all dependent on Todd.
The business only ranbecause of Todd and Todd just wasn't
good enough as wellto to see outside of that.
Todd very narrow thinking.
And he liked the idea that it was him
(18:57):
that got the business to here.
Okay.
And and it was painful.
Craig I lived in this for a long time.
I, I can believe my own truth.
I can talk myself into anything and
I think I've told this story.
My wife was like, well, you know,I think you should hire someone.
No, Jessica, no one can do this.
(19:22):
No one
can look at a list of shoots that we did.
Four of them from yesterday.
You know, four of them.
You know, not like we were doing 80 shootslike we're doing today.
And type out an invoice in QuickBooksand send it to the client.
I had myself convince Craig,
and, you know,she would just calmly mention it to me.
(19:44):
And, you know, mymy wife is so has been so just.
Critical throughout my lifeand just being there for me.
But she prays for me.
She prays for the businessand she just let me go.
She knew it wasn't the right timeto really try to change Todd's mind.
Because when I get set on something,
man, I get said like,don't try to change my mind.
(20:05):
Just let me go for a little bit.
And Iwas convinced I couldn't find anybody.
And the part time admin that was workingfor me, she was she was in college.
So, you know,this was just a part time job for her.
She was fabulous, by the way.
But she starts dating this guy.
(20:27):
And this guy comes in for lunch.
And I enjoy talking to her name's Derek.
I've talked about Derek before. Derek,
was selling insurance at the time,
and we just got to talk,and he had an entrepreneurial spirit.
And I got along really,really well with him.
And it just came up like,
(20:49):
hey, you really doesn't like soundinsurance.
Insurance is a hard currency.
It's a hard business to get into. Craig.
No job. Very hard.
Yeah, very hard because everybody knowsan insurance agent or ten of them.
And it came up like, hey,
I, I've got some of these thingsthat I need some help with.
(21:10):
He happened to have a finance degreeand a minor in media.
So that's an interesting combo.
Craig.
No one in the world has gotten thatexcept him.
What did I need?
I needed help with invoice and I neededsomeone that had a creative eye
because of what we were going to do,because we're a media company.
(21:32):
Like, come on, Craig, he hates his job.
I'm convinced no one can help me.
He has.
He's the single person in humanity'sgotten the one degree that can help me.
Just just coincidence.
Todd. Just a coincidence.
Just a coincidence. Craig.
And I'm like, oh, no.
And then I get my left brainabout finances.
(21:54):
Oh, I can't, I just I don't think I can.
I don't think I can pay himthe $38,000 that he needed at the time,
which is nothinglike he was asking for nothing.
He's like, hey, Todd, I could probablywait some tables at Bob Evans
so you could pay me lessif you don't have work for me.
Wow. Yes.
Like every objectionthat I had, everything like it,
(22:15):
it was filled out to a tee and then some.
And he came in.
He didn't wait tables to Bob Evans. Okay?
I bucked upand I paid him the money he wanted.
And he brought this vigorand this excitement.
And he also he's a very strong faith
man of Christianity,a man of Christ.
(22:38):
And he brought this inand we ran like crazy.
Crazy.
I mean,we went from working out of my house.
We bought a small little building.
We outgrew that.
We remodeled it, outgrew it, boughtanother building, bought another building.
Over the next five, six years, like,we just did crazy things.
It allowed me to focus onwhat I was good at.
(22:59):
It allowed him to focus on what he wasgood at, and it was
it was faith by sure,God put this person in my life
at this time of this perfect individual.
I was convinced otherwise, and my ego
convinced meotherwise, that no one could help Todd.
And this perfect individual comes in
and helps me get from here to there.
(23:21):
So I was going to share this more towardsthe end of the podcast,
but it just fits so perfectlywith how you set this up in that
you had this initial beliefthat only you could do this
and, that this particular versecomes from the Old Testament.
It's the book of Deuteronomy,chapter eight, verse 18.
(23:41):
It says, but remember thatthe Lord your God, for it is he
who gives you the ability to producewealth.
And so and this is,this is what I think, really cool.
So you have this initial part
where it's Godgiving us the ability to produce, well.
And then there's this caveat.
The reason forthat is so it confirms his covenant,
(24:02):
which he swore to your ancestors as it istoday.
Now, yes, this is written to the Jewishpeople, but it's a principle,
that applies to all
of us in that GodGod gives us this ability
to build a business,whether we recognize it or not.
It's he's the source of that.
And it's a way of himconfirming his covenant
(24:24):
to us that he loves us, he cares for us.
He's interested in every part of our life,and that includes our daily work life.
I it it's just incredible.
It is.
And Craig, just because I am, I am a much
I'm much more beginning in my faiththan than you and
and the word covenant for a lotlike covenants of promise, right, Craig?
(24:47):
Yeah.
Basically, and it's a one sided,a promise.
God doesn't put any requirementson our side other than just accepting
a free gift.
The freegift of what he's promising to us.
Yeah.
Yeah. So an agreement, a promise.
Yeah. Contract. Think of it like that.
Yeah.
(25:07):
And it's not exclusive.
Right.
Open to all.
Open to every, every single person.
Yeah. It's amazing.
Well cool okay cool. First story.
All right.
So early in the business. Yeah.
Your wife is praying for you. And,
it's funny how wives prayers work for us
(25:28):
in the, in the background a lot of times.
And this guy's just not even realizing it.
That's cool.
Yeah.
I mean it took me a long timeto get over my ego and I still have one.
So you know, but it's just,you know my wife working
and these little nudges and,and finally Todd going oh wait a minute.
Like I think I see this thing or just,you know, falls into my lap.
(25:51):
So yeah, you know, I have a another one,a quicker one from the early days.
Craig, I, I, the part time adminwho was working for me, her name was Liz.
And and just so you guys know, Lizand then Derek, they dated.
They ended up getting married.
They have four beautiful little girls.
And, while Derek no longer works at wow,he was
(26:12):
he was a big, big influence and helped usgrow.
And, he, he made a great transitionin his life to a different career.
And they have a wonderful family.
So that was a neat story to to see.
There was a time sowe worked out of the house at this time.
I have, a little room I remember.
(26:33):
Yeah, yeah. You came to it.We call it this.
We call it the studiobecause we used to take photos in there.
Okay, so babies and families and.
But we worked in there, too.
We had our desk in there, and, there wasno bathroom other than in the house.
So Derek and Lizwould have to go in the house
and use the bathroom,which was no problem.
(26:54):
We didn't have kidsor had a baby at the time.
I think we didn't have kids. Excuse me.
So anyways,
you go in the house, use the bathroom,and one day she came out, she's like, hey,
I need to tell you something.
And I was like, okay, you know,
I'm you know what? Itwhat do we miss a bathroom?
Is there an unhappy client or.
You want a happy do you need a day off?
(27:15):
Or you know what? Maybe she's like, I was.
I went to the bathroom,I was washing my hands and, my ring,
it snagged your hand towel,and it it, you know, there was a loop, a,
you know, maybe seven threadsthat were in a loop out of the hand towel.
And it just kind of
(27:36):
disfigured it enough that
I don't know, like,I thought it was a nothing burger at the.
I was like, oh, like like, okay. She's so.
But she tells me that she, she said,do you want me to buy you a new one?
Well,
talk about integrity.
Yes. There was no more than seven threadsthat ran out of it.
(27:57):
Like, just cut it offlike it's a it's a solo call.
It's a solid color towel.
It's not like my grandmother had knitthis embroidery on it.
And this was like,this was a $3 towel from Kohl's.
And she's like, do you want me to buy?
And I'll be happy toI'll go get you a new one.
I'm like,
(28:18):
no, no, thank you for telling me.
No. It's okay.
Like, and I,I think I wrote it off at the time, Craig.
I was like like,why are you tell me about this hand towel.
Like,do you know what I have to think about?
I got a transpose for jobs fromyesterday, and the QuickBooks
again in my own head.
But I got to thinking about this,and this is years later.
(28:39):
This is 15 years later.
Think about the integrity of a person.
To come up and
and be so honest and open about somethingand saying,
hey, I snagged this thingthat might be so insignificant,
but I just want to make sure you're okaybecause this is something of yours
(29:00):
that I did something to, and I don't wantyou to not be whole like I'm here
to help you, and I want you to be wholeso much that I'll pay my own money.
Not like she said.
I'll use the business cardto get a new hand towel.
Right.
She took extreme ownership in her actions,
and that has stuckwith me to the point that
(29:23):
I think a lot of times in my
life I'm like,oh, can I oh, just turn it over.
Oh, this thing is,can you just push it over that way?
You know, I used to deliver furniturein high school.
Craig.
Walking through, walking through.
Boom. Oh, crap.
Who's got,you know, Nick on the new table?
(29:44):
Who's got a paint pen?
Can we color it upand then put that table to the back wall
so the person doesn't see it?
Yeah,
that's the way I naturally went.
Let me hide it.
Let me get out of here so I can be okay.
And those peoplewill have to deal with it.
It just,
(30:04):
it so just gave me perspective
that this extreme ownership and integrityand just this,
this idea that if I do the right thing
for others,even if it's something that I have to
buy or do,I am happy to serve them by doing that.
(30:25):
Right?
Right.
It's it's the principle of living outtruth.
You know, I, I think we're, we'reI mean, we've always been
but we're not a world in a cultureright now where people are desperately,
I think, trying to find truth.
And like I said, it'sit's an age old debate and question.
I mean, you look back at,
Jesus's crucifixion, crucifixionleading up to that.
(30:48):
He's he's being,you know, interrogated by by Pilate,
you know, the Roman governor of the area.
And Jesus talks about truth and palaces.
What what is truth?
And there's a lot of people, and myselfincluded,
that there are days where we're askingthe question, what is truth?
And Jesus himself says in in the Gospels,
(31:11):
I am the way, the truth, and the life.
And so
Liz was living out what Jesus said, thathe is truth, right?
She's trying to live a truthful lifein admitting to you.
Hey, I, I messed up your towel
and that caused you to take noticeof something different,
because that was not a normal thingfor someone.
Someone to admit to. Right.
(31:33):
I remember as a kid, Todd,I would lie over the stupidest things.
to not get in trouble, right?
Yeah, me as well.
Now, I don't I don't know if you remember,or experience this form of discipline.
And I don't know if kids these dayshave ever had to experience this, but
do you do you recall the, discipline
method of writing lines?
(31:56):
I do, yes.
Picture the student, you know,writing up the big chalkboard, right?
My mom made me do that.
Right. I will not lie.
And it was usually a longer sentencewhich made it really a pain in the rear.
Yeah.
And you know I have to write thisat least 25 times I think that was
the minimum was right. This line. And
some peopleare going to think this is abuse.
(32:18):
But it it cemented something in my mind.
And she one time she had mewrite the verses from John chapter eight.
I remember the chapter.
I don't remember the verses now whereit talks about the enemy of our soul.
We'll call them Satan, right?
That's how Jesus referred to thembeing the father of lies.
(32:39):
And it just, it
it got to the point where I'm like,I don't want to be a person
known as being untruthfulbecause one word untruthful.
Nobody can trust anything that we say.
And how do you build a businesswhen there's no trust?
You know, we've talked about this
principle of people buy from peoplethey know, like
and trust. Trust.
(33:00):
Now there are people that
don't follow the Christian faiththat are truthful people.
You don't necessarilyneed to be a Christian to live in truth.
We we recognize that
because there's something built into usabout being truthful people.
But the the concept of, of integrityand truth is core to our faith, right?
In living that out. And God blesses that.
(33:23):
He blesses it.
Yeah.
Our humanness will tell us, hey,we better cover our own rear end for this.
But. Right.
We, we don't have to cover our own rear
and it's already been done for you, right.
Yeah.
Yeah that's that's a good point.
Yeah. So
(33:44):
Craig, let's go.
Let's go.
A few years down the roadI got one more to share here. And
there was some times and so
this is probably taught in his mid 20s and
for before kids just getting into the kid
phase and business was doing good.
And, I had some immature behavior.
(34:07):
We would, we would party.
None of us are.
We would party, I would drink,
I would, I would curse.
And, you know,we just did some immature things.
We had fun.
And I think the world looks at, you know,I think it's like, oh, let's have fun.
And I was probably I was trying to feel
(34:29):
feelings, feeling good, feeling
like I had earned it, feelinglike it was what you did to have fun.
And we were I was I always
I look back,I have really great memories of the time.
You know, I have some things I likeI wasn't proud of do those things.
Like there were somematuring that I had to do.
But we were loving this phase of our life.
(34:53):
We had just bought a new house.
We moved in.
Life was good,you know, like the business was good.
We were happy and
we went through this transition of,
you know, feel like, you know, one of thefriends kind of stabbed us in the back.
And that's what we, you know, onethat one fell out one moved away.
(35:18):
All these people were literallythey had moved into our circle.
Like,we live on this, like kind of big circle.
And they all live right there.
Like, we we had a lot of young peopleback there that we had gone to school with
and had funand all in the same stage of life,
we weren't consistently going to church,you know, I was like,
you know, on Sunday, like, oh,we going to go to church.
I can we sleep in?
(35:39):
You know, Todd probably partiedtoo much on Saturday night
and didn't have a, didn'thave a really strong group around me
because the group around me was enjoyingthe behaviors that we were having.
Sure.
And like I said,
the whole group kind of just fell apart
(36:00):
in a matter of like a month.
And this, like, rocked our world,
rocked our world,
and because it's what we were comfortablewith, it's what we were.
It's what we were doing. It's a lifewe were living.
It's like, hey, this is fun.
This is what I enjoy.
(36:20):
And going to this point of like,had these friends, like,
stabbed this in the back,the other ones are moving away.
Then everything fell apart.
It's like we just losteverything that we enjoyed
doing. Wow.
It was around that time.
Also, my wife was like, hey, I, I,I feel like
God's telling me not to drink anymore.
And we didn't have a drinking problem.
(36:42):
Craig.
And I'm not saying that you can't drink.
You know, I'm not saying that.
But I will say that my wife told me this,I was like what do you mean like
this is what we enjoy.
Yeah.
Like you're not going to likeI felt like a bit abandoned by that.
I was like, well,
because I was only thinking about me like,well, what are we going to do then?
(37:04):
What else?
What else is there to doon Friday night or Tuesday night?
And everything changed.
You know, I felt lonely.
We felt lonely like.
And and God slowly started to put
better people around us.
So when you say better people
(37:27):
can I,can I pull on that thread a little bit.
What what do you mean by that.
Yeah.
People that helped me grow up and peoplethat helped me grow in faith
and just gave me a,a different perspective that that were not
that were further down the roador were more mature than us.
That now looking back, I'm like,
(37:50):
this was so important
and us growing and maturing.
they challenged your statusquo and called you up to more.
Exactly. Yes.
Because the group that we were in,we all were drinking our own Kool-Aid.
Okay.
(38:11):
With a little bit of Tito'sor a lot of Tito's in it.
And we were no,but it was just where we are at.
And then we got into a new groupthat I mean, heck, one of my neighbors
two doors down, Dave, fabulous friend.
They were different.
(38:31):
They were the family. He was the guy.
He was a super friendly neighbor.
Like, how is that guy so friendly?
How is that guy always in his front yard
playing with his kids all of the time
tonight?
Why did that guy come down and ask?
I was doing yard work.Don't even really know him.
He came, comes down and asked me,do I need help?
(38:56):
Todd, I
I want to I want to interjecta little levity here again.
Yeah, I can't helpbut picturing Ned Flanders coming.
Yes. to Homer.
Yeah, it was, it was.
It was like like hideyho neighbor or something like that.
Or was that person from Home Improvement?
Yeah, I think it was.
Well, yeah,but it's like Todd shoveling mulch.
(39:18):
Todd's not happy about shoveling mulch.
And friendly Dave comes down like,do you need.
No. What, are you, crazy? What? Yeah.What do you think?
I don't even know.You want to help me? You like.
But he broke.
He broke down that barrier, didn't he?
He did, he did.
And I didn't know it at the time.
They happened to homeschool their kids.We didn't know it.
(39:39):
And God was laying these little piecesand in our lives.
And one dayJessica's and I went to public school.
My wife went to public schools, school.
Jessica's like, hey,
I want to homeschool our kids.
I'm like, the heck,I remember the homeschool kid.
You're you are crazy, Jessica.
(40:01):
No way, no how?
How was he going to play sports?
He's probably going to.
We're probably goingto have to buy a cave and raise him in it
like.
Like I was just like, are you crazy?
And so she wouldshe was like, okay, she wasn't pushing me.
She's very smart.She knows how to handle me.
(40:23):
She started praying again, didn't she?
Exactly, Craig.
What did I say about wives prayers?
Yes. And this was over.
Yes. Powerful stuff.
And this was over a long time. Cray.
Like she planted the seed
and this thing grew for seven seasonsbefore it actually sprouted.
(40:43):
Okay.
And let me tell you this story real quickas to how it sprouted,
because I think as I look back, I'm like,wow, this is crazy.
So she would plant the little seeds and,you know, get some information.
And she was praying,you know, all the time for
and just asking for God's will.
And she would hint at it.
And there was one time that I was kind ofgetting fed up, honestly.
(41:05):
I'm like, I'm not.Then we're not like, why?
Like no, like we live right by the school.
I was involved with the school, like,
and I just, I blow up one night.
I'm just like, no, I'm not doing it.
Big emotion blow up.
And I'm like, I'm done with it.
Like done with it. And.
(41:30):
The next day
I had a meeting with a large team.
This team happened to bein between their offices.
They were remodeling a new office
and they cut use to clarify a realtorteam.
Right, a realtor team. Yeah, yeah.
A client that we hadn't had yet,a large client in one of our cities.
(41:53):
And I drove down to Cincinnatiand we didn't meet at their office.
We met at their home
which has never happened before. So.
And I walk in and
we say our hellos and
Derek was with me, and I walk inand there's kids home.
(42:16):
This is a Tuesday morning.
Okay? Kids home. Why are they home?
Yeah. Why are kids home? Yeah.
There's puppies on the floor.
Oh. Like they.
Yeah. Like this.
How did they breed? Pup?
They breed dogs.
Puppies on the floor.
Like. Okay. Yeah. I'm same.
Well, kind of go on with the meetingand sit down and super friendly.
(42:39):
Very welcoming into their home.
We sit there, dining room table,their agents come in and, you know,
people are pulling chairs upin the living room.
I'm looking around.
I'm like,there's Bible verses on the walls.
Okay,
okay.
These people are just different.
Like, but in a good like in a, in a waythat like, I'm in their home,
(43:01):
they're so welcoming
and we have the meetingit's a fabulous meeting
and we get to talking.
You know, you just naturally the meetingadjourns and we talk to, you know,
you go around the room and talkand I got to talking to the,
the wife of the husband and.
(43:23):
I asked, and I don't know why I askbecause I would.
This was really weird to ask him, like,do you
homeschool your kids?
I had just blown up the night before. Itjust.
I'm like, no, I'm done no more.
Please don't ask me again.
I'm not going to homeschoolthe kids. It's not okay.
Person's house,
kids, puppies, Bible verses in the wall,talking to the husband's wife.
(43:45):
And I ask, do you homeschool your kids?
And she's like, we do.
What's the most wonderful thing ever?
And she goes on to helpguide me through this and breaking down
these myths, beliefs that I have aboutspending all of this time with your kids.
Okay. And.
(44:07):
There's just
no way, Craig,that that was a happenstance.
Like I went home,I told my wife, I'm still to this day,
get emotional about itbecause this was a very pivotal moment.
Like, I'm telling you all, like,this was a this was a decision.
Like, I'm no, I'm not going likeI that's not who I am.
Like.
And this was God molding meand just changing me little by little
(44:30):
and getting rid of my ego
and open our eyes upto how we can better influence our kids.
And I'm not here to sayeverybody should homeschool.
I'm saying that'swhat God laid on our heart, right?
And he made the paththat my wife eventually quit her job.
I a thing I never thought was possiblebecause she held the insurance.
All of these little thingsbegan to move out of the way for us.
(44:53):
Craig.
And he did it in the midst of a business
context,a business meeting in somebody's home
where God interrupted your workweek
with something entirely unrelated. Yes.
And that's why I strongly believe Godis interested in every detail of our life,
(45:15):
including our businessand how we run our business, and doing it
in ways that honor him and recognize that,
yeah, it'snot just a Sunday morning thing, right?
Man, he met you in a really practical way.
That's amazing.
He did, he did.
And he came down to my level.
My level was really low y'allI got very low.
(45:36):
And he came down to me and communicated
with me in a way that was perfectto get me to actually see it.
Yeah.
Well that just goes back to whoJesus is, right?
We believe that God, Jesuswas God incarnate.
He put on flesh, limited himself.
He he walked dusty streets in sandals.
(45:59):
He ate food.
He experienced everythingthat we've experienced.
He's gone through every temptationthat you and I have ever faced. And
it's not just a religion, it's.
It's a relationship.
God met you in a very practical,real way to you, Todd,
in that meeting in that houseabout homeschooling your kids.
(46:19):
I mean, it's just amazingthe opportunities
that we have to experienceGod in our day to day work life.
I've I've been able to to share the storyof how I got into this business.
And it was out of a prayer of God.Would you give me a trade?
Something I can produce with my hands
that I can financially supportmy family with
and provide something of value to somebodythat I know with a clear conscience
(46:41):
that I'm not just trying to sell some,
you know, some servicethat's not really needed.
This is a needed thing.
And Todd, I've got to share that storycountless times
with realtors, with home sellers,
where the home seller is going throughprobably one of the most stressful
times of their lifeand getting their home ready to sell.
(47:02):
And you can see the stress on their face.
And I've had the opportunity to prayjust for God's peace for them,
that the transaction would go smoothly,and to see that physical,
draining of the stress and just God'speace meeting them in their own home,
it's just incredible to really careabout people and to love people that way.
(47:24):
Man, what a privilege we have.
So we're getting ready to wrap up here.
Todd, thank you for those stories.
Just, really practical waysthat God meets us in our business.
And I just wanted to wrap upwith two things.
One is, a couple of booksthat have really impacted me
in, in, trying to live my faithout in the workplace and how God meets us.
(47:46):
I'll share that list of booksjust real quick.
I put a list in links to Amazon,
where you can get it on Amazonin the show notes.
But I want to encourage you,
whether you're a believer or not,a believer, it doesn't matter.
I want to share this real quick.
We all live with some anxiety in business.
Are we going to meet our goals or,you know,
or are we going to meet deadlines?Are we going to make enough money?
(48:08):
And there's this anxiety and this worryas owners, as entrepreneurs.
Right.
So Jesus,
these are the words of Jesus from Matthewchapter six verse starting in verse 25.
And Jesus says, thereforeI tell you, don't worry about
I'm going to paraphrase a little bit,all right, but look this up.
Matthew 625 thereforeI tell you, don't worry about your life.
(48:29):
What you'll eat or whatyou'll drink about your body.
What you'll wear.
Is not lifemore important than food in the body?
More than clothes?
Look at the birds of the air.
They don't so they don't reap.
They don't stow away in barns.
And yet the Heavenly Father feeds them.
Are you not much more valuablethan they can
any of you,by worrying at a single hour to your life,
(48:53):
see that
the ideais this that God made us in his image, in
that covenant that we talked aboutearlier, is with us that he took our place
on a cross, for our failings are missingthe mark in life,
in rebelling against him.
That's how much God cares about you,all right?
He cares about your business.
We we truly believe that
(49:13):
he cares about your businessbecause that's a major part of your life.
And so our prayer for you
is that you just experiencethat presence of God, his love,
that you'll be able to enterinto a relationship and talk with him,
bringbring your business concerns to him. But.
Right.
We can we can talk to God about here.
(49:35):
Here's what's going on with the business.
God, I need help in this area,whatever that is.
So we just want to encourage you.
He cares about your business.
You can bring it to him
and have conversation and experienceGod in your work life as well.
So the last thing those those booksI mentioned, a couple of them, Jordan
Rayner, the word before, the word beforework, a devotional kind of focused on,
(49:58):
you know, starting your workdaywith spending it in the Jordan.
Yeah.
Timothy, Timothy Keller, incredible book.
Every good endeavor about aboutliving your faith out in the workplace.
I got
another one from Jordan Raynercalled to create as creators.
As creatives.
Good book.
(50:19):
Really good book.
Odds. Hillman.
The 9 to 5 window againabout practical ways to live our faith,
our beliefs out in the workplace,exploring what?
What does it meanto live faith out in the workplace?
And then finally, if you're someone thatyou're just you're searching for truth.
You're trying to find some peace.
(50:39):
I want to strongly encourage, Lee Strobel.
He was a, journalist, atheist journalist
set out to disprove Jesus and did a very,
very thorough study and wrotethis book called The Case for Christ.
Incredible. Incredible book.
So, Todd, thank you for your transparency.
(51:00):
Thank you for your vulnerability.
We encourage you to leave comments.
We understandnot everybody is on the same page.
We get that.
But we had to share what we believebecause we care about you
and we believeGod cares about your business.
So any final thoughts, Todd?
We love to hear from you if we are here,if we really are here for you
(51:21):
and we're here for youand and any way that you need,
and many of you overthe years have emailed us when we've
mentioned faith and this is the largest,you know, that we have.
Maybe this is just God
saying, hey,it's time to mature yourself a little bit.
It's time to, you know, look at the
(51:42):
look at the waysthat laugh at me, at what I did.
Maybe there's some small adjustments
and there's adjustmentsI need to make every day.
But you can email ushello@spiro.media.
You'll get us. We'll respond to you.
Share it with us.We love hearing from you.
That'sGod intended us to do this in community,
and we would love and be honored if you,
(52:06):
let us be a part of your community.
Good deal.
Guys,we hope this was an encouragement to you.
We, like we said we love you.
We care about you.
We're prayingfor the success of your business.
All right.
Make sure you take some time this week.
Be thankful for the blessings in your lifeand make sure you take a breath.
Have a great week.
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