Two Years of Catholic Founders: Reflections, Rebranding, and the Future of Co-Creation

Today marks a milestone that is deeply personal to me. It is May 1st — the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker.

As the son of a carpenter, this day has always held a special place in my heart. But today, it carries a double significance: it is the two-year anniversary of the public launch of my recruitment business and the birth of Catholic Founders.

At the start, the key goal was to understand how to be a Catholic Founder. How to imitate the way Jesus would run a company today.

The beginning was rough — my AI-generated logo and the sporadic blog posts. But it’s been two years, and things are a lot more refined. Not perfect, but it’s a good time for updates.

I want to cover why I started this, what we’ve accomplished so far, and where we are going (what we’re evolving into).

Why We Started: The Theology of Entrepreneurship

In 2019, I was struck by a question that I couldn’t find a substantial answer to: If Jesus were the CEO of a company today, how would He lead?

We have Theology of the Body and a lot of writing on the Theology of Money, but I saw a void where a Theology of Entrepreneurship should be. I knew there was more to the hustle culture of Gary V and Tai Lopez. Jesus wouldn’t be telling you about how to make money with a Lambo in the background.

My hope in starting Catholic Founders was that I’d find others who were also curious about this question. Thankfully, I did.

What We’ve Achieved So Far

What was at first sporadic blog posts and a simple WhatsApp group chat has thankfully become a lot more than that.

• The Podcast: In January 2025, we launched the podcast. We are now 64 episodes deep. We’ve been blessed to have heavy hitters like Alessandro DiSanto (Hallow), Andreas Widmer (CUA), Matthew Harvey Sanders (Magesterium AI), Tim Connors (Investor), John Johnson (Patmos), and many others.

• The Saintly CEO & Faithful Steward: We launched a tactical Monday newsletter and a free private deal-flow newsletter to connect Catholic investors with Catholic builders.

• The Community: We now have over 800 total subscribers, 109 paid members, and have hosted ~20 meetups, coffee hangs, and dinners. And the group chat is now a thriving WhatsApp community. (Join today)

The Next Chapter: The Launch Pad For Catholic Entrepreneurs

As we move into our third year, I have gained immense clarity on who we are here to serve. We are going all in on helping Catholics start and grow their businesses. The launchpad, so to speak.

We’ll continue to provide value and create resources that serve those early needs.

The four core types of people who would be a good fit for Catholic Founders are as follows.

1. The Aspiring Founder: You want to start a business but have no idea where to begin. Maybe it’s a side hustle to support a growing family; we are here to help you get off the ground.

2. The Struggling Entrepreneur: You have a business (likely under $1M in revenue), and you’ve hit a ceiling. You need mentors and peers to help you break through bottlenecks.

3. Seeking Friends Founder: You’re likely hitting your stride and winning, but you don’t want to go it alone. You want a community that cares about the same things you do.

4. The Mentor: You’ve achieved significant success and want to turn around and lend a hand to the next generation.

This IS the Missing Layer: While great organizations like Legatus or SENT Ventures exist for established leaders, there is almost nothing for the beginner. We are filling that gap.

Why This Matters Now: The Post-AI Civilization

We are at a crossroads. AI disruption is changing the nature of work, and many people are going to lose their jobs. But we know that work is good for man. God told us to dominate the earth before the fall of Adam. It’s part of our divine mandate.

I believe, metaphorically speaking, society is about to experience a series of gargantuan earthquakes that will level the structures we take for granted. But when the dust settles, the Church and her faithful will still be standing — visible in the distance. Gleaming like a city on a hill.

When people hit rock bottom, they become open to the Truth. This is a massive opportunity for evangelization. Think of the energy St. Paul would have today — he’d be on every podcast, in every forum, bringing the truth to a world in ruins.

On top of this, we have a chance to shape the new civilization. Will it be vapid and utilitarian, or will it be beautiful, founded on truth, and full of the laughter of children?

The future will be built by someone. Let’s make sure that someone is a group of Catholic entrepreneurs who love God.

Join the Guild

If this resonates with you, I invite you to join the Catholic Founders Guild.

We’ve priced it at $100 a year (or $10 a month) because I want it to be accessible to the person just starting. While there are many perks, I wouldn’t suggest joining for that reason. It’s about surrounding yourself with like-minded Catholics striving for both saintly greatness and professional excellence.

You were created to create. Don’t forget that.

Join us at: catholicfounders.com/subscribe

Subscribe now

Thank you for two incredible years. Here is to many more.

God Bless & Happy Building!

~Silas Mähner

News / Updates:

• Sign up for the Faithful Steward private newsletter.
  As mentioned in the episode, we are launching the Faithful Steward. A private newsletter for Catholic Investors.
  👉 Sign up to get deal flow here.
  👉 Submit your deck to be shared with the network here.

• Wausau, WI Monthly Meetup: Sign up here (Last Saturday of each month)

• San Francisco Meetup: May 14th, after mass at Star of the Sea (Feast of The Ascension, Holy Day of Obligation). Sign up here.

• Houston, TX, and Columbus, OH, are close to getting something on the books - reach out if interested in attending.

• Sponsor Catholic Founders to get in front of Hundreds of Catholic Business owners each week. admin@catholicfounders.com

In Today’s Issue:

• Intro to the Guest and Topic: James Reichert - Cana Wedding Group

• Core Takeaway: Our daily evangelization mandate

• Episode References

• Select Quotes

• Key Moments

First time here? Learn more about our mission. And don’t forget to subscribe.

Today’s Topic & Guest:

James Reichert | Cana Wedding Group

In this episode, I sit down with James Reichert, the co-founder of Cana Wedding Group, to discuss how they are taking on the “big wedding” industry. ie: Zoho, The Knot, etc. You know, the companies that have turned marriage into a commercial activity and nothing more.

His take (which I agree with) is that because Marriage is a sacrament, and we as Christians are the only ones really doing it properly, we should have a company to work with that doesn’t actively hate what marriage truly is.

Not to mention, we’re the only ones with families, so we’re the ones who are creating their future customers.

Aside from his story and what they are building, we also get into his thoughts on how Catholics should be building businesses, and how entrepreneurship is an incredible vehicle for evangelization.

You’re going to enjoy this — I’m sure of that.

Core Lesson:

Every Catholic-run business carries a mandate for daily evangelization, whether through direct witness or the pursuit of excellence in service.

For too long, we’ve separated our professional lives from our spiritual calling. It’s what the world has demanded of us. But as Catholic entrepreneurs, we know we are created to be instruments of God’s will in the world. James points out, if your target market is fellow Catholics and you can offer a tool that avoids the woke friction of secular competitors, you have a unique opportunity to strengthen the faith of your customers.

True success in business should be framed through the lens of excellence rather than blind ambition. While ambition can become vicious if it overlooks holiness, excellence glorifies God by utilizing the specific talents He has entrusted to us to their fullest potential.

The goal of a Catholic venture is not just to survive in a secular market. It’s to build an uncancelable ecosystem where our values are preserved, and our businesses serve as a primary vehicle for sanctification. By creating high-quality alternatives like Cana, we reclaim territory in the modern world and provide living examples of what it means to be a “Man of the Kingdom”.

God Bless & Happy Building!

~Silas Mähner

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Key Episode References:

• Magisterium AI

• Leaving a Legacy - Johann Kurtz

• St. Moses the Black

• National Catholic Register article

• EWTN article

Select Quotes:

• "It's a funny one too, if you're a Catholic and you run a company, there should be a level of evangelization every single day."— James Reinchert

• “Shoot for excellence, not ambition. Blind ambition, can I think eventually become a bit vicious in the sense that like if you have ambition over empathy or ambition over compassion, ambition over holiness, that’s where things can be a bit dangerous. So shoot for excellence. Ambition can be a good thing. You want to funnel and use that ambition for excellence and to glorify God in whatever way you can, but just be careful about taking it to its logical extreme.”— James Reinchert

• "The parable of the talents is a really important one, especially for the modern young man who, if he wants, he can sit on his couch all day long and play Fortnite... and never live up to the potential that he's supposed to."— James Reinchert

• "Catholics should be owning marriage preparation, wedding preparation, wedding planning."— James Reinchert

• “If you give, the Lord will give back. And that's not the reason why you should do it, but he really does love when you take the gifts that he's given you and you put them to good work.”— James Reinchert

Key Moments: (outline)

• [04:27] - Introducing Cana: James describes building the first Catholic and Christian alternative to secular wedding sites.

• [10:18] - The Need for Catholic Alternatives: A discussion on why certain industries like marriage require uncompromised faith-based solutions.

• [14:44] - Ambition vs. Excellence: James explores the fine line between healthy drive and blind ambition, emphasizing excellence for God’s glory.

• [21:02] - Parable of the Talents: The importance of using God-given skills to avoid wasting potential on earthly distractions.

• [35:12] - Honesty in Business: Why truthfulness creates a “spiritual resonance” in professional relationships and fundraising.

• [44:35] - Sacrifice and Startups: James shares the personal challenges of building a venture while providing for a young family.

• [51:41] - Leaving a Legacy: A brief discussion on the importance of generational support and the work of John Cortines.

• [54:19] - Reinvigorating Faith: James talks about the power of confession and adoration in his personal spiritual life.

Marketing for Market Challengers - Marcellino D'Ambrosio

Our latest Catholic Founders Guild Expert Call (Apr 28, 2026) featured Marcellino D’Ambrosio of Sherwood Fellows, delivering an essential strategy for Marketing for Market Challengers.

Marcellino introduced the four Ps of marketing, emphasizing that true marketing problems usually stem from issues with positioning or the offer itself. The core theme was that brand building is the most powerful “competitive moat” against AI and feature theft, achieved by establishing a distinctive aesthetic and articulating a unique value proposition aligned with fundamental human needs.

You can find the full recording and transcript here: Recording and Transcript.

🚨 SPECIAL OFFER: There is a special offer contained in this for any member of the CF Guild. If you’d like to get access to that, join the guild today to find out.

Join the CF Guild today.

One-Liner Takeaway

For those who aren’t paid members yet, here’s the quick one-liner takeaway:

The only competitive moat you can build today is a distinctive brand aesthetic that AI cannot replicate.

When features can be stolen and AI can automate execution, the relational and personal touch of the founder’s brand, manifested through a distinctive aesthetic, is the only thing that creates long-term, sustainable value and protects your company's ethos and identity in the marketplace. If you want to stop competing on price and promotion, you need to look and sound completely different from everyone else.

Ready to stop going solo? Join the Catholic Founders Guild to surround yourself with fellow Catholic entrepreneurs building their businesses in Christ. As a paid member, you gain access to the resources and community needed to grow your business.

Subscribe now

The Catholic Founders Guild is an association of Catholic Biz owners who believe that their business is meant to be an extension of God’s will in the world.

If you share this belief, join today!

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Happy Monday, folks!

Welcome back to Saintly CEO. Every Monday, while you sip your coffee, get some tactical advice to run your business fully in union with your Catholic faith.

Each week you’ll find…

IN TODAY’S ISSUE

• News/Events: SF, Nashville + a new perk for the Guild

• Feature Content: Make Generosity Your Entrepreneurial Compass

• Heavenly Hustlers: 8 folks. From Gluten Free Flour to an Uber Competitor

• Highlights: This Accounting Method Helps You Make Money

[read time: ~8.5 min | word count 1,845]

News / Updates

• 🚨🚨🚨 ICYMI: We recently launched the Faithful Steward. A free, private newsletter for Catholic investors to discover Catholic-run ventures raising money. A deal flow newsletter. It’s totally free. Sign up today. Builders, submit your deck here.

• 🎸 In Nashville? We’re hosting a hangout tomorrow night, sponsored by Lucid Private Offices.

• 🌉 In SF? We’re hosting a hangout after the Ascension Mass at Star of the Sea on May 14th. Details TBD, but sign up here to get notified.

• 🤠 In Houston? There will be an event the week of May 13th. Stay tuned for details.

• 🤖 We’re launching a new CF Guild perk. An AI bot that will answer questions from all of the CF content, and it will be able to help you meet other members of the Guild who can help you. To gain access, you’ll need to be a member of the CF Guild, so sign up today.

Make Generosity Your Entrepreneurial Compass

As entrepreneurs, it is easy to measure success by the bottom line, the growth rate, or the market share. But for the Catholic business owner, those are secondary markers. The real question is whether your work is ordered to God.

At the center of this vocation is a radical call to generosity. It is the key that unlocks our identity as stewards rather than masters.

Stewardship Over Ownership

If God has blessed your business with more than your family and your enterprise need to live well, that surplus is not just a cushion for comfort — consider it a sacred trust. The mindset should really be that this is His. Thinking “how should I give away my things” would be the incorrect framing. All of it belongs to God in the first place.

“In his use of things man should regard the external goods he legitimately owns not merely as exclusive to himself but common to others also, in the sense that they can benefit others as well as himself. The ownership of any property makes its holder a steward of Providence, with the task of making it fruitful and communicating its benefits to others, first of all his family.” — (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2404).

When we realize we are merely stewards, the temptation to stack up more and more dissipates. We begin to see our capital as a tool for the Kingdom.

The Entrepreneurial Fiat

To live this vocation well, your business plan must begin with a fiat. Like Mary, our response to God’s provision should be a total surrender of our professional path.

“Then Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’ Then the angel departed from her.” — (Luke 1:38).

This “yes” is not just a spiritual sentiment; it has to be practical. It must shape our time, our plans, and our use of money. You cannot follow God with your work while remaining closed-fisted.

Honoring God with Everything Over and Above

Scripture and Tradition are incredibly direct when it comes to how we handle the “extra.” The question is not, “How much can I keep?” but rather, “How can I honor the Giver with what remains?”

“But, when what necessity demands has been supplied, and one’s standing fairly taken thought for, it becomes a duty to give to the indigent out of what remains over. “Of that which remaineth, give alms.” — (Rerum Novarum, 22).

“Furthermore, a person’s superfluous income, that is, income which he does not need to sustain life fittingly and with dignity, is not left wholly to his own free determination. Rather, the Sacred Scriptures and the Fathers of the Church constantly declare in the most explicit language that the rich are bound by a very grave precept to practice almsgiving, beneficence, and munificence.” — (Quadragesimo Anno, 50).

We see this pattern throughout the Gospels. Martha “welcomed him into her home” (Luke 10:38). Mary sat at his feet and listened. Jesus “loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus” (John 11:5). And Joseph of Arimathea gave Jesus his own tomb, where he was “laid… in his own new tomb” (Matthew 27:60). These were people who made room for the Lord through the sharing of their home, their space, and their property.

A Mission, Not Just a Business

When we lead with a generous heart, our work takes on a mission-shaped purpose. We are not just building something for ourselves. We are building something that can serve God, serve the Church, and serve people in need. This is a direct imitation of Christ’s life of service.

That is what Catholic entrepreneurship looks like: faithful stewardship and open hands. Not a life focused on accumulation.

The Cheerful Giver

Ultimately, the goal is a heart that belongs entirely to God (because that’s what we’d have in Heaven). When we stop being selfish with our surplus, the grind of entrepreneurship becomes a joyful act of service.

Be generous toward God. When you do, your career can blossom into a path to holiness and a vehicle for delivering His will on Earth.

God Bless & Happy Building

~Silas Mähner

Heavenly Hustlers

These are other Catholic business owners. Nominate one (including yourself).

• 🚲 Patrick McFarland and Davide Thompson are co-founders of CARI, a campus-based alternative to DoorDash that helps employ students. This is a little bit of an over-simplification, but that’s the way I understand it. They are based in Nashville.

• 👩 Anna Saucier & Megan Gephar run Apostolic Fruit. Helping Catholic women lead healthy organizations. They run some really interesting retreats called Rest Boldly.

• 💼 Mark Mastroianni is building an app to help board members bring up the most critical things, and to help executives integrate the 12 levels of humility from St. Benedict. He’s generally doing a lot of things. A bit of a hustler. Based in the Indianapolis area.

• 🚗 Ryan Kreager is the CTO & Co-Founder of Rides2U. A high-trust ride-hailing network that only employs the people you’d feel comfortable giving your daughter a ride home at 1 in the morning. They do schedule ahead and have much better economics. He’s based in the South Bend area.

• 👻 Daniel Urdaneta recently launched a ghostwriting agency. He’s focused on serving Catholics, and he’s based in Argentina.

• 🍞 Emmett Ackerlund is commercializing his sister’s gluten-free flour recipe. Guy is sharp. Based out of NYC. I’m already on the waitlist for my wife’s gluten allergy.

  Share

🙋‍♂️ Nominate a Heavenly Hustler (including yourself) - It takes 1 min.

Thank you to Catholic Owned for helping us find some of these folks each week. Get listed today!

Highlight: An Ultra-Short Explanation of How to Use the Profit First Method

Many of the founders I encounter don’t take profit first. They have all their money in one bank account, making it hard to visualize how much burn you have left.

I get it. That’s what I used to do. Until I heard about the profit-first method of accounting. I’m not going to explain the whole thing, but will give you my version of it so you can (hopefully) be convinced to get the book and implement it and save yourself a lot of headache.

Instead of 1 bank account, you’ll have 5. Income, Owner’s Comp, Tax, OpEx, and Profit.

When you get paid, it goes to the income account.

Then, on a periodical basis (maybe once or twice a week), you’ll ‘balance’ the accounts.

Depending on your business, you’ll put x% into each account from your income account, leaving it with the minimum needed (I just keep $100 in it).

It might look like this. 10,000 comes into the income. 15% ($1,500) goes to profit, 20% ($2,000) goes to tax, 30% ($3,000) goes to OpEx, and the remaining 35% ($3,500) goes to Owner’s Comp.

At the end of the quarter, you can pay yourself a ‘bonus’ from the profit account. Usually, let’s say 50-75% of the value of the profit account.

The other key benefit here is that you’re ‘forced’ to make your company run on the allocated OpEx account, rather than forgoing your own compensation for the sake of the company.

This creates more discipline on spending, and will also help light a fire under your butt to get more sales.

Again, this is super ‘not official’ — this is just my read on it. But I’m confident a LOT of you would benefit from reading this book and implementing something similar to ensure you are actually making money rather than just scraping by.

Here is the link to the book.

Here is a huge list of various resources that we have complied overtime: The Ultimate Catholic Founders Resource Guide.

The Catholic Founders Resource Guide

Feel free to bookmark it as we’ll continue to update it. And if you have suggestions on what to add, ping us (even if you want to promote your own stuff).

How did we do? Reply with 1 (Great 😄), 2 (Mid 🫤), or 3 (Needs Work ☹️)

News / Updates:

• Sign up for the Faithful Steward private newsletter.
  As mentioned in the episode, we are launching the Faithful Steward. A private newsletter for Catholic Investors.
  👉 Sign up to get deal flow here.
  👉 Submit your deck to be shared with the network here.

• Wausau, WI Monthly Meetup: Sign up here (Last Saturday of each month)

• Nashville Monthly CF Meetup: Sign up here

• Sponsor Catholic Founders to get in front of Hundreds of Catholic Business owners each week. admin@catholicfounders.com

In Today’s Issue:

• Intro to the Guest and Topic

• Core Takeaway

• Episode References

• Select Quotes

• Key Moments

First time here? Learn more about our mission. And don’t forget to subscribe.

Today’s Topic & Guest:

Nhan Dinh | Seller Labs

Straight up, this is the most vulnerable conversation that we’ve had on the show.

Normally, we talk a lot about success and winning. But part of every entrepreneur’s journey is failure. And in some cases, shutting down your company.

Nhan, has started many projects and companies. He’s also shut down many of them. And this is all fresh for Nhan. He’s in a period of transition currently, seeking his next opportunity or company to build (so reach out if you’re interested in meeting him).

However, despite all of these challenges, Nhan keeps the faith as he steps forward confidently, trusting in God that he will be able to feed his 9 children.

His humility is inspiring to anyone with open ears. I encourage you to open yours.

Enjoy the conversation!

Core Lesson:

Your fear determines what you are attached to; whatever you are most afraid of losing is exactly where your heart is bound. God is seeking to free you from that attachment.

As Catholic founders, we often mistake our drive for stewardship when it’s actually a desire for control or recognition. Nhan challenges us to use the discernment of St. Ignatius to look at our businesses with “holy indifference,” being equally at peace with riches or poverty, success or failure.

If the thought of your business being taken away today causes a tantrum in your heart, it’s a clear sign that you’ve shifted your trust from God’s providence to your own hands.

Have the mindset that “I either succeed or I learn” so that you can grow. God will teach you and bring you closer to Him through these failures. The dark moments are times of blessing because they help bring us back to God. To trust in Him.

Finally, learn to embrace the “necessary endings” required to stay true to our ultimate mission. Sometimes God calls us to shut a door so that we can walk through a new one, and while that new path might not be more glamourous, but it is the path of obedience. Whether it’s a business, a relationship, or a dream that no longer serves the goal of glorifying God, we have to be willing to let it go — before we are forced to.

God Bless & Happy Building!

~Silas Mähner

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Key Episode References:

• Necessary Endings by Dr. Henry Cloud

• The Culture Solution by Matthew Kelly (Culture is king)

• St. Ignatius of Loyola - Spiritual Exercises and Discernment

• The Surrender Novena

• Raising Great Saints (Nhan Dinh’s youtube channel)

• Mastermind

• St. Maximilian Kolbe

• The Faithful Steward (Catholic Investors)

Select Quotes:

• “Your fear will determine what you’re attached to; so whatever you’re most afraid of losing, that’s what you’re attached to.”— Nhan Dinh

• “The odds of you closing a business is very high, so you gotta be prepared to go penniless.”— Nhan Dinh

• “It’s like, are you doing it because you want to glorify yourself? Are you really like in it to glorify God? Because God will test you. Like, if your heart’s not pure, He will test you. And at that point, are you going to be able, it’s still, you know, running to Him to trust.

  Because if you do, then your faith grows. But if you don’t, then it’s going to drive you away from God.”— Nhan Dinh

• “You don’t need to worry about not working hard enough. You need to worry about whether you’re trusting in God and going in the right direction.”— Nhan Dinh

• “Either I succeed or I learn.”— Nhan Dinh

• “Pray as if everything depended on God and work as if everything depended on you.”— Nhan Dinh (quoting St. Ignatius of Loyola)

• “The problem with the entrepreneur is not that they give up, it’s just that they give up too late.”— Nhan Dinh

• “I was like, how do I discern if I should continue a business or should just go get a job? And he's(spiritual director) like, your wife will tell you when you need to go get a job.”— Nhan Dinh

• “The mission of the business is king and you need to have necessary endings.”— Nhan Dinh

• “On your deathbed, which one are you gonna regret not making?”— Nhan Dinh

• “Desiring and choosing only what is most conducive to the end which we are created, which is to praise, to adore, and to serve God.”— Nhan Dinh

Key Moments: (outline)

• [00:00] - Intro: Fear and Attachment : Nhan explains how our fears reveal what we are truly attached to in business.

• [01:08] - Mission: Becoming Saints through Business : Silas discusses the core mission of Catholic Founders—sainthood through entrepreneurship.

• [04:27] - Background: The Vietnamese Immigrant Story : Nhan shares his family’s journey from post-war Vietnam to starting life with nothing in America.

• [07:33] - Family: Raising Nine Kids as an Entrepreneur : Discussing the necessity of entrepreneurship when providing for a large Catholic family.

• [08:49] - Risk: The Reality of Pennilessness : Why being willing to lose everything is the price of entry for full-time founders.

• [10:39] - Discernment: Glorifying God vs. Self : How to distinguish between building for your own ego and building for God’s glory.

• [15:05] - Exit Strategy: When to Shut Down : Learning when to embrace “necessary endings” rather than holding on too late.

• [17:23] - Mid-Roll: The Faithful Steward : Silas announces a new initiative to connect Catholic investors with builders.

• [21:38] - Motivation: Sorting Through the Desire for Recognition : Silas and Nhan discuss the spiritual danger of seeking recognition.

• [24:14] - Prudence: The Three Circles of a Viable Business : Identifying the intersection of passion, skill, and market demand

Thank God it’s Monday!

We get to serve God today. Just like every day!

Welcome back to Saintly CEO. Every Monday, while you sip your coffee, get some tactical advice to run your business fully in union with your Catholic faith.

Today you’ll find…

IN TODAY’S ISSUE

• Upcoming Events in Nashville & Wausau, WI

• Feature Content: Small Crosses

• Heavenly Hustlers: 8 Folks to Know

• Highlight: A Book Rec to Help You Find Product-Market Fit

[read time: ~5 min | word count 1,146]

News / Updates

• We launched a NEW free newsletter. If you’re a Catholic investor and want to get deal flow of Catholic-owned businesses that are raising, sign up today.
  If you’re a builder seeking funding, submit your deck today.

• Our next Nashville meetup is happening on the 28th of April. Register here.

• Don’t forget about the last Saturday of the month CF meetup in Wausau, WI - sign up here.

• If you’d like to host a meetup for Catholic business owners in your area, please reach out, and we’ll help you organize and promote it. admin@catholicfounders.com

• And finally, remember, if you know a Catholic who wants to start a business, send them my way. We are looking to invest heavily in helping Catholics refine their ideas, launch their businesses, and get to their first million in revenue.

Small Crosses

Going to keep it ultra-short this week.

Running a business is hard. Sometimes, the hardest part is when things become repetitive and monotonous. Sending out DMs, doing the admin work, and doing the sales calls.

Whenever you encounter that feeling, here is a tip for you.

View each task you have to do as a small cross. You can choose to willingly pick up that cross and sanctify your work. Regardless if you’re doing a client visit, doing cold calls, or replying to customer requests. Each of these small things is a small cross to pick up willingly.

Personally, I’ve found this framing helpful because it is no longer about ‘powering through’ so that I can pay the bills and keep the business growing. It’s about sanctifying my work. About walking alongside Jesus as He carries The Cross to Calvary.

It’s no longer about you. Do it for Jesus!

PS: Shout out to Rob Hays for this visualization that he shared at our Dallas dinner.

God Bless & Happy Building

~Silas Mähner

Heavenly Hustlers

These are other Catholic business owners. Nominate one (including yourself).

• 🧑‍⚖️ Cyrus Johnson is an independent business lawyer helping investors on the buy side as well as helping founders on the receiving end. He’s also got some really interesting AI projects in the legal space. Based in the Dallas area.

• 💨 Blaise Carney is building Fumus Et Ratio. A club to help Catholic grow in friendship and virtue as well as discuss edifying topics, while smoking premium cigars. Based in Ave Maria, Florida.

• 🚧 Tom Becher is the owner of Vitruvius Construction. They have a special focus on residential remodels, making homes beautiful. Given that he’s also involved in Thomas Aquinas College, I bet he’s pretty awesome. Based out of the Santa Paula area.

• 👣 Mike Meaney is the Co-Founder of One Small Step, a mental health platform to connect with peers when professionals are offline. Menlo Park-based.

• 💰 Joshua Elkington is the founder of investment firm Axial. They focus on partnering with early-stage life sciences founders and inventors. He’s based in the SF Bay Area.

• 👨‍💻 Jin Kuan and Leon Schwarzer are building Bicameral. A tech platform that helps developers build the right tech that has not already been stated as conflicting in some random memo or forgotten Slack message. It helps developers embrace the social nature of the act. Jin is SF-based and Leon is NYC-Based.

• 🥷 Vincent Casey is building something in stealth so I can’t tell you much about it, or I might have to… you know what. He’s also based in the SF area.

🙋‍♂️ Nominate a Heavenly Hustler (including yourself) - It takes 1 min.

Thank you to Catholic Owned for helping us find some of these folks each week. Get listed today!

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Highlight: Figure Out If People Want Your Product Before You Build It

For this week’s highlight, we’re going to talk about a book. The Mom Test, by Rob Fitzpatrick.

This book is for anyone trying to figure out what product to sell and who to sell it to.

Entrepreneurs who are trying to do something novel have to be aware that there may not be a market for that thing. When you start a lawn mowing or window cleaning business, you know it can work because there are dozens of them in even a small city. But with a new product, it may not actually be something the market wants. Or if it is, it may not look exactly like you envision it.

This is when you need to do product market fit testing. ie: talk to a LOT of customers in a specific type of way, to find out what problem they have, and if you can make a product that will solve said problem.

Notice how the problem is what matters. Not the idea or invention. Ideas and inventions are only as valuable as the problem they solve and for how many people they solve said problem.

So, if you’re embarking on your entrepreneurial journey, read this book so that you can learn how to speak with your potential customers and figure out if there is demand for it, without spending a ton of money.

Here is a huge list of various resources that we have complied overtime: The Ultimate Catholic Founders Resource Guide.

The Catholic Founders Resource Guide

Feel free to bookmark it as we’ll continue to update it. And if you have suggestions on what to add, ping us (even if you want to promote your own stuff).

How did we do? Reply with 1 (Great 😄), 2 (Mid 🫤), or 3 (Needs Work ☹️)

We are (finally) launching The Faithful Steward. A private, deal flow, newsletter for Catholic investors.

The mission is simple: Connect Catholic investors with Catholic-owned businesses that are fundraising.

For too long, it’s been hard for capital to find the right builders within our community, and vice versa. We’re fixing that (for free 🤫).

Sign Up Now

How it Works

When we get word of a Catholic-owned organization seeking fundraising, we send that deal directly to the newsletter.

• We don’t do diligence. We just make sure the ownership consists of reputable Catholic founders/business owners.

• We provide a simple memo on who they are and what they’re up to, plus a link to their deck or materials.

• You decide. All investors receiving the email can read it and decide to reach out on their own.

This process lets investors remain quiet and anonymous while still getting access to deals they likely wouldn’t have heard about.

Sign Up Now

Submit Your Deck, to Get Funded

Types of Deals

This is not just for venture-backed startups.

We’re talking about all types of businesses and all types of capital. If the ownership is Catholic, we will send it your way.

You will see:

• Pure play equity raises

• Real estate opportunities

• Debt financing

• Venture-scaled startups

Company Types:

• Brick and mortar stores

• Services businesses

• Agencies

• Venture Backed Startups

• E-commerce

• Product companies

• Media / Film

Sign Up Now

It’s Totally Free

The way we are running this allows us to make this service totally free. It’s not a lot of overhead, so we can make it work.

Our entire goal is to connect the Catholic Founder community in ways that help them. That’s why we’re doing this.

Down the road, there may be ways that we can improve the offering through a paid tier, but for the foreseeable future, this will be a free service.

And no, we are not selling the data we collect.

Ready to be a Faithful Steward?

Whether you are looking to invest or you are a builder seeking funding, we have a place for you. If you’re a Catholic looking to invest in other Catholic-run businesses, please fill out the sign-up form.

Sign Up Now

If you’re a Catholic-run business seeking funding of any type, please fill out the form to submit your deck.

Submit Your Deck, to Get Funded

Go to catholicinvestors.co to sign up and see more about what we are doing.

P.S. This is a private newsletter, so please share this link with your Catholic friends and network who are interested. We’ll do our best to be the connectors of the community!

News / Updates:

• Sign up for the Faithful Steward private newsletter.
  As mentioned in the episode, we are launching the Faithful Steward. A private newsletter for Catholic Investors.
  👉 Sign up to get deal flow here.
  👉 Submit your deck to be shared with the network here.

• Wausau, WI Monthly Meetup: Sign up here (Last Saturday of each month)

• Nashville Monthly CF Meetup: Sign up here

• Sponsor Catholic Founders to get in front of Hundreds of Catholic Business owners each week. admin@catholicfounders.com

Trigger Warning

Note to Listeners: This episode briefly mentions rape towards the end of the show. Viewer/listener discretion advised.

In Today’s Issue:

• Intro to the Guest and Topic

• Core Takeaway

• Episode References

• Select Quotes

• Key Moments

First time here? Learn more about our mission. And don’t forget to subscribe.

Today’s Topic & Guest:

Ian Stroud | Verti Commercial Real Estate

Today, we’re talking about real estate. Our guest is Ian Stroud, a multifamily investment sales advisor who specializes in the 20 to 250-unit range across the Midwest.

If the name sounds familiar, it’s because his brother Colin was on the show way back in Episode 6 talking about credit card points.

Ian brings a different flavor to the table, focusing on the mechanics of apartment complexes and how Catholics can steward their capital through real estate.

We cover a lot of ground here, from the boring back-office analysis that eventually led Ian to find his true calling, to the gritty reality of the current housing crisis.

My mind was blown when Ian shared a story about a real estate investor who managed to drop crime rates in a neighborhood by 80% by simply engaging with his tenants.

This is a prime example of what it means to be a Catholic entrepreneur — to use our role to bring Christ’s love to those around us, and make practical improvements as well.

We also get into Ian’s personal faith journey — including his family’s conversion and how Exodus 90 eventually led him to his wife.

In short, this is an example of how our interior and professional lives are meant to be woven together (like what Jeff Schiefelbein told us on episode 9)

Core Lesson:

True stewardship in real estate requires moving beyond the ‘greedy landlord’ trope to actively engage in the flourishing of the community and the tenants.

The common narrative around real estate often boils down to a supply and demand math problem, but Ian challenges us to see the human element behind the numbers.

While it is true that we are facing a massive housing shortage — needing roughly 5 million units annually just to stay flat — the role of a Catholic owner isn’t just to fill a gap in the market. It’s about recognizing that the property is a tool for human flourishing. When an owner engages with tenants rather than treating them as mere entries on a rent roll, it can transform an entire neighborhood’s safety and culture.

Again, it’s simple (not easy but simple). Engage with your tenants, as children of God, and you could reduce the crime rate of an entire neighborhood by ~80%. This ultimately leads to an increase in your property value.

Ultimately, for the Catholic business owner, real estate is a way to diversify excess profit while participating in God’s creative work. Whether it’s through multifamily investments or simply being a virtuous landlord, the goal is to be a Faithful Steward of the physical spaces where families live and grow. It’s a reminder that doing the right thing for your tenants often aligns with the long-term value and profitability of the asset itself.

God Bless & Happy Building!

~Silas Mähner

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Key Episode References:

• The Faithful Steward Newsletter

• Verti Commercial Real Estate

• Cornfields and Cap Rates Newsletter

• EWTN

• Exodus 90

• Wild at Heart by John Eldredge

• Save Your Parish by Patrick Neve

• Walsh University

• Patrick Madrid

• Jamie Baxter

• Catholic Founders Episode 6: Colin Stroud

• St. Francis of Asisi

• James 2:14-26

• Litany of Humility

Select Quotes:

• “I think we're always driven to provide. And if we're not providing, then what are we? And I think that's tough. It's a question I have no idea how to answer because I've never encountered it. I don't think I will for a while.” — Ian Stroud

• “I was in my suit and tie, asleep on the living room floor. I was just exhausted. And even though I was bored, it was like it was more draining because I was bored than if I was engaged. And I think a lot of people probably feel that way about their job is when you get bored, you can just kind of implode a little bit.”— Ian Stroud

• “There's a difference… where it's like you know something out there and then kind of taking it and internalizing it. And that was the point for me that I was able to kind of, to take what I knew to what my brain knew to be true and move it into my soul and kind of to bring it home.”— Ian Stroud

• “But we did it as a community and living with the guys that I was doing it with was the best possible way I could have done it because every morning we're complaining about the cold showers. But it's also, we're complaining about the cold showers but also it's like the feeling of we're doing this together.”— Ian Stroud

• “You're going in, you're not trying to make the deal work. You're trying to find a deal that works. And the difference is pretty big.”— Ian Stroud

• “You have a responsibility to treat her with the dignity. You cannot kick her [out]… immediately. I think you need to work with her… But on the other hand, she is causing a real risk for health problems for the other tenants. So you also have a responsibility to them.”— Ian Stroud

• “I credit that and therapy with saving my wife's life. I mean, for sure. So I think that people that don't recognize the power of having good people around you all the time, they don't really get what it's about.”— Ian Stroud

• “Being around the right people is so important that it is life saving. I mean, it's, it's, there's a reason that when we go to church, it's not one it's when two or more, there's a community inherent in the body of Christ.”— Ian Stroud

Key Moments: (outline)

• [01:14] - Intro: Silas introduces Ian Stroud and the mission of Catholic Founders as co-creators with God.

• [04:48] - Meet Ian Stroud: Ian details his role as a multifamily investment sales advisor and his work with AI-forward firm Verti.

• [07:29] - Falling into Real Estate: Ian shares his journey from “draining” back-office equity management to the dynamic world of brokerage.

• [13:40] - The RV Conversion: The story of Ian’s family’s conversion to Catholicism via EWTN radio while living in an RV.

• [18:01] - The Faithful Steward: Mid-roll announcement regarding a new initiative for Catholic investors to find deal flow.

• [21:06] - Exodus 90 & Awakening: Ian discusses his spiritual awakening through Wild at Heart and the community built during Exodus 90.

• [36:52] - Stewardship & Rent Crisis: A deep dive into the math of real estate, the supply-demand problem, and the reality for modern landlords.

• [46:50] - Outro: Closing thoughts on rent-to-own models and final community announcements.

On Apr 14, 2026, the CF Guild discussed how we all decided to start our businesses and some of the things we wish we had done differently.

A key theme was that the decision to start a business often comes down to finding the confidence and consistency to take action, especially after weighing the risk and establishing a financial cushion. We generally agreed that focusing intensely on one venture for the long term, rather than constantly seeking new ones, is key to achieving exponential results.

The topic call is a recurring monthly event where we discuss relevant topics about running the business. To join future events, become a member of the Catholic Founders Guild today.

Alright, the rest of this session is exclusively for CF Guild members. If you’d like to join future calls, consider upgrading to a paid membership today.

Subscribe now

The Catholic Founders Guild is an association of Catholic Biz owners who believe that their business is meant to be an extension of God’s will in the world.

If you share this belief, join today!

Read more

Hey everyone, welcome back to another Saintly CEO Monday newsletter! The place you go on Mondays, while you sip your coffee, get some tactical advice to run your business fully in union with your Catholic faith.

Thank you for coming back week after week. Shoutout to our biggest fan, Andreas Widmer.

I was just on his podcast last week, and he told me it’s one of the few newsletters he reads each week. If that isn’t the best endorsement I could ask for, I don’t know what is. Thank you all for reading each week.

Today we’ll be talking about pacing. Timing. Speed.

But first, some events/announcements.

IN TODAY’S ISSUE

• News/Events

• Feature Content:

[read time: ~6.5 min | word count 1,392]

News / Updates

• The YCP Conference was amazing. Stay tuned for more info.

• The dinner in Dallas was also amazing! You’ll see pictures at some point.

• Our next Nashville meetup is happening on the 28th of April (tentatively). Register here.

• We are likely hosting a Columbus meetup in early May. Reach out if you want to influence the mission.

• And finally, remember if you know a Catholic who wants to start a business, send them my way. We are looking to invest heavily in helping Catholics refine their ideas, launch their businesses, and get to their first million in revenue.

Join the Catholic Founders Guild Today

We're building the largest network of Catholic biz owners in the world.

It's for any Catholic biz owner who believes they are called to be an instrument of God's will in the world. 

Join today for $100 a year or $10 a month.

Curious? --> "What is the Catholic Founders Guild"

You Don’t Always Have to Go Fast

I’m writing this from a Tex-Mex spot in Dallas. I’ve been in Dallas since Wednesday, and the schedule has been relentless: I did the Beatidudes podcast Thursday. Had a few meetings Friday. Recorded three episodes at the YCP conference on Saturday. Somehow kept my own businesses running. And to top it all off, tonight, I’m hosting a Catholic Founders Dinner at Rob Hays’ home.

Why am I giving you a play-by-play? Because these last six months have been an all-out sprint. If you asked my closest friends, they’d say I’m stretched thin. Some might say burned out (I wouldn’t say that).

This pace has forced me to ask myself… How hard should I push? Should I cut everything else out to go all-in on one thing? Should I be dissatisfied with our growth to date?

Endless questions.

Despite the black hole of questions I could ask myself, it started to make some sense once I considered a few of the characteristics of God.

A Theological Framework for Pace

To find peace, I had to recall a few fundamental truths:

• God exists outside of time. He isn’t stressed by some arbitrary quarterly deadline.

• God doesn’t have a rigid timeline. He isn’t checking a watch to see if you hit a specific objective by age 30 or 50. He doesn’t care about you getting on Forbes 30 under 30.

• God wants your presence. He desires your love in the present moment, not your anxiety about the future. Anxiety about the future is a lack of trust in God.

• God honors duty. He calls us to fulfill our obligations to our families and our health, not neglect them for the sake of making more money.

When I internalized these, I realized I don’t have to push to an inhuman level. God asks me to work hard, but He does not ask me to ignore the natural signals of stress or burnout. Those act as traffic signals for me. Telling me to go faster, slow down, or stop.

Re-Ordering the Mission

This shift in perspective is already changing my behavior. I am learning to turn down anything that doesn’t serve my primary missions. I’ve categorized them by the Level of Duty:

1. Justice (The Business): My clients have paid for a service. In justice, they deserve what they paid for. This stays at the top of the list.

2. Mission (Catholic Founders): This is a calling. It gets as much time as I can spare to keep the weekly and monthly momentum alive.

3. Legacy (My Dad’s Business): While I’m helping this grow, it isn’t urgent in the same way. I’ve found peace in the fact that I won’t work on it as intensely right now; it’s a slower build.

Hire Catholic Offshore Talent
We help you find vetted Catholic offshore talent to help your business grow. 

$500 upon hire and $500 if you're still happy in 30 days. 

Email us your needs -> hire in days -> admin@catholicfounders.com 

How to Evaluate Your Own Pace

If sprinting is crushing you, or you’re worried you’re not going fast enough, consider these four filters:

1. Type of Venture

If you are building a venture-scaled business, your investors expect a ludicrous pace. In winner-take-all markets, success often requires being first. If you have chosen this path, acknowledge it and buckle up, buttercup. That’s the nature of the beast.

2. The Manufactured Rush

Alex Hormozi points out that most “rush” is manufactured. Unless you are competing for the first-ever smartphone users, your pace probably doesn’t matter as much as you think. Growing a service company or a local business doesn’t require you to go crazy fast. Most of the time, the pressure is just our own impatience.

I would add that in some cases, rushing can hurt your business growth. Rush can lead to bad customer experiences, which slows down the compounding machine of customer satisfaction.

3. Your Season of Life

In the same way you cannot control when or where you were born (I’ve talked about this a lot) you cannot simply change your state of life. If you are married with children, you cannot abandon them for the sake of advancing your venture. That would be a violation of your primary vocation. Your season of life dictates, to an extent, what pace you can have while still fulfilling your family obligations. Accept the constraint; it is a gift, not a curse.

4. The Timing of Your Calling

Some founders aren’t ready to build their great work until their 50s; others start at 18. Daniel Ek talks about Founder-Fit. A lot of investors also consider this when evaluating a founder. Some people are uniquely qualified, by skills, life experiences, and/or personality, to build specific businesses or types of business. Don’t rush a door that hasn’t opened yet.

All In Versus Part Time Build

Before we wrap up, I also want to address going all in on your venture versus building your way out. Using prudence, it’s up to you to understand if God is calling you to take the leap and trust in Him. Or if you should build your way out of your job.

As my friend Joseph Henry recently reminded me, Slow and Steady wins the race.

Just because some of the famous entrepreneurs, whom many of us undoubtedly look up to, went all in and made it work, doesn’t mean that’s what we are called to do.

Conclusion

God has a pace for you. There is no universal rulebook, only the specific call He has placed on your life.

But here’s the thing. You will only be able to hear the instructions He gives you if you take the time to reflect on your circumstances rather than just sprinting through them. Your circumstances are often how God speaks to you. He gives you hints, you just have to look for them.

Push hard, but push within the boundaries of the life God gave you.

God Bless & Happy Building

~Silas Mähner

Highlights

If you want the full list of resources, you can get them here: The Ultimate Catholic Founders Resource Guide.

The Catholic Founders Resource Guide

Feel free to bookmark it as we’ll continue to update it. And if you have suggestions on what to add, ping us (even if you want to promote your own stuff).

Today’s Highlights Are…

Being skipped. Only so much time to do it.

How did we do? Reply with 1 (Great 😄), 2 (Mid 🫤), or 3 (Needs Work ☹️)

News / Updates:

• Wausau, WI Monthly Meetup: Sign up here (Last Saturday of each month)

• (April 12th) Catholic Founders Guild Dinner in Dallas, TX. Register here (2 spots left)

• Sponsor Catholic Founders to get in front of Hundreds of Catholic Business owners each week. admin@catholicfounders.com

Join the Catholic Founders Guild Today
Get access to all CF Guild online events, the recordings, paywalled content, the CF Guild community/group chat, and CF Guild member directory. 

Many members have reported doing business with other CF Guild members within months of joining. 

With an annual membership fee of $100, it’s a total no-brainer to join. Consider this an association of Catholic business owners, not a high-commitment community that will sap your time. 

Join today for $100 a year or $10 a month.

Subscribe now

In Today’s Issue:

• Intro to the Guest and Topic

• Core Takeaway

• Episode References

• Select Quotes

• Key Moments

First time here? Learn more about our mission. And don’t forget to subscribe.

Today’s Topic & Guest:

Zuhair Madanat | Auto Glass Experts

Welcome back to Catholic Founders. Our guest for this episode is Zuhair Madanat, the founder of Auto Glass Experts based out of Charlotte, North Carolina. He started as a middle school religion teacher and ended up as the founder of a fast-growing service business doing auto glass repair and replacement.

I love Zuhair’s story because it shows how rewarding it is to fully rely on God in our business journeys. To set aside our will and plans, and to allow God’s to fill us and move us as He pleases.

No, it’s not always sunshine and roses, but it’s what He desires of us. And that’s all we should ever want.

You’ll learn a lot today, I’m sure. Zuhair’s got a lot of good perspective on upholding the dignity of his employees, focusing on quality, and treating himself as a servant to his team.

Perhaps most critically, he also shows us how each interaction with a customer or employee is an opportunity to be God’s hands in the world — to carry out His will.

Enjoy the episode!

Core Lesson:

True business leadership is found in the radical commitment to being a "servant of servants" by prioritizing the human dignity of every person within the organization.

Adopting the role of a “servant of servants” transforms the traditional hierarchy of management into a community of mutual care. When a leader focuses on providing for the needs and growth of their employees, those employees are naturally empowered to extend that same level of care to the customers. This creates a sustainable ecosystem where the business thrives because it honors the inherent value of every individual involved in the transaction.

Scaling a venture requires a profound death to self, particularly regarding the need for total control. Zuhair highlights that trusting God with the timing and the results of a business allows for a peace that surpasses market volatility or unprofitable years. By acknowledging that the founder is merely an instrument, the pressure of “owning” the outcome is replaced by the joy of stewardship, allowing the business to serve as a genuine conduit for grace.

Integrating faith into a service-based industry means looking beyond the transaction to the human connection. Whether it is keeping humans on the phone instead of AI or treating a windshield repair as an act of service, the goal remains the same: glorifying God through excellence. This approach ensures that the work itself becomes a form of prayer and a means of sanctification for the founder, the team, and the community.

God Bless & Happy Building!

~Silas Mähner

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Hire Catholic Overseas Talent
In LatAm and the Philippines, there are millions of Catholic remote workers (across all domains) who want to work for ethical bosses. 

Often they’re treated as second class citizens or work for organizations that ask them to do questionable things. They reach out to us in search of a Catholic boss. 

So, we started ParacleteVA (website coming soon). 

With ParacleteVA, we’ll find you vetted, Catholic overseas talent who will help you move your business forward. 

How it works: Pay a $500 finders fee when the candidate starts and $500 if you’re still happy with them after 30 days. 

To get started reach out to catholicfounders@gmail.com with what you’re looking for and we’ll get started. 

Key Episode References:

• Managing as if Faith Mattered

• The Prayer of St. Philaret of Moscow

• St. Joseph the Worker

• St. Josemaria Escriva

• St. Andrew

• St. Paul the Apostle

• Proverbs 16:3

• Matthew 5:16

• The Trisagion Prayer (Holy God, Holy Mighty One)

Select Quotes:

• “It’s hard to take credit, and when you just know He’s been a part of everything, it’s hard to—I know that He uses me and I’m His instrument in this world, and I’m bringing His light into the world. But yeah, it’s just it’s really humbling.”— Zuhair Madanat

• “If small business owners knew that this was the way that our faith is guiding us to run their business, it would look way different.”— Zuhair Madanat

• “I was like, all right, God, if this goes away, then just let it go away and just show me whatever I'm supposed to do. I'm doing this just to glorify you in the world, to provide for my family, but I could do anything. It doesn't matter.”— Zuhair Madanat

• “I tell them like I’m the servant of servants. So I’m here to serve you so that you can then serve the customer. And the way that I serve you is the way that I want you to serve the customer.”— Zuhair Madanat

• “The tasks that a computer or AI, whatever, can handle, we let them handle it so that we have more human-to-human interaction so that the customer service reps aren’t feeling rushed on the phone and like they have to hang up to get to something else.”— Zuhair Madanat

Key Moments: (outline)

• [00:00] - The Universal Human Experience: Zuhair discusses how his time teaching middle school religion taught him that human problems remain constant throughout history.

• [00:39] - Intro: Silas introduces Zuhair Madanat and the mission of Catholic Founders to help entrepreneurs become saints through their work.

• [04:12] - From Classroom to Auto Glass: Zuhair explains his transition from teaching to starting Auto Glass Experts and the leap of faith involved.

• [12:45] - Stewardship in Business: A discussion on the mindset shift from “owner” to “steward” and how it changes daily operations.

• [18:30] - Servant Leadership: Zuhair breaks down what it means to serve your employees so they can effectively serve the customers.

• [25:50] - The Challenges of Scaling: Insights into the growing pains of moving from a solo operation to multiple physical locations.

• [38:15] - Faith in the Workplace: How to integrate Catholic identity into a secular service industry without being performative.

• [42:05] - Spiritual Disciplines: Zuhair shares his daily prayer routine, specifically the importance of the Prayer of St. Philaret.

• [55:20] - Advice for New Founders: Encouragement for those sitting on the fence about starting their own Catholic-led business.

• [58:10] - Outro: Silas concludes the episode with a call to join the Catholic Founders Guild and a reminder that we were created to create.

Hire Catholic Overseas Talent
In LatAm and the Philippines, there are millions of Catholic remote workers (across all domains) who want to work for ethical bosses. 

Often they’re treated as second class citizens or work for organizations that ask them to do questionable things. They reach out to us in search of a Catholic boss. 

So, we started ParacleteVA (website coming soon). 

With ParacleteVA, we’ll find you vetted, Catholic overseas talent who will help you move your business forward. 

How it works: Pay a $500 finders fee when the candidate starts and $500 if you’re still happy with them after 30 days. 

To get started reach out to catholicfounders@gmail.com with what you’re looking for and we’ll get started. 

Happy Easter!

Welcome back to Saintly CEO. Every Monday… I mean, most Mondays, and some Wednesdays, while you sip your coffee, get some tactical advice to run your business fully in union with your Catholic faith.

Obviously, I’m late with this newsletter. Being back in Wisconsin for Easter, I decided to make the most of the limited time I had with family. After all, I’ll never get those moments back.

Today will be short.

I’m writing this at 11 at night and don’t yet know how I’m going to connect the resurrection to entrepreneurship, but I place it in the hands of the Holy Spirit to guide me.

Because that’s the case, let me stall a bit with some VERY important reminders and announcements.

• I’ll be at the YCP Conference this weekend in Dallas. If you’d like to do an interview with me there, let me know.

• This Sunday, we are hosting an event in Dallas for Catholic Founders. If you’d like to attend, register. We only have about 2 spots left.

• Our next Nashville meetup is happening on the 28th of April (tentatively). Register here.

• And finally, remember if you know a Catholic who wants to start a business, send them my way. We are looking to invest heavily in helping Catholics refine their ideas, launch their businesses, and get to their first million in revenue.

Okay, let’s get into it.

The Resurrection and Entrepreneurship

Suffering and Conviction.

Those are the two main things to reflect on from the resurrection as Catholic Founders.

Suffering.

Another way of saying this is sacrifice. Jesus suffered and sacrificed, ultimately sacrificing Himself, so that a greater good might be achieved: the salvation of humanity.

How often do we face suffering and complain about it? How often do we wish our business were a little easier to build and to scale?

If you’re anything like me, a lot. More than I care to admit, if I’m being frank.

But this is the point. If it were super easy, everyone would do it. If we only want an easy life without the hard work, what does that say about our character?

We suffer in order to achieve something greater.

So next time you’re feeling that suffering in your business, remember the crucifixion that led to the salvation of humanity. Think about the weight of that. Compare your cross to the one Jesus carried. I’m sure you can manage just fine.

If you’re a Catholic looking to start a business but don’t know where to start, reach out. We are launching our success-based coaching program for Catholics looking to start their businesses.

No cost up-front. Only pay if you actually make money. We only have space for a few of these to start with, so reach out today and book an intro call here.

Conviction.

If you’re celebrating Easter, that means you believe in the truth of what the resurrection means. The death and resurrection mean that what Jesus said is true. That He is God, and that He died so that we may have eternal life.

We celebrate because we have conviction that Jesus truly conquered death, proving all of those statements.

How can knowing this not give us a steadfast, immovable conviction that running our businesses in alignment with our Faith is worth it? That doing this will bring more people to know Him, and lead to our own eternal reward?

We are not just building businesses out here. We are the hands of God in the world. Carrying out His will using the co-creative abilities that He gave us. There are souls on the line.

So, where is your conviction about your faith in God when the times get hard or seem uncertain? When deciding how to conduct your business, where is your conviction about your faith?

Conclusion.

Let’s get after it this Easter season with full confidence in God that the suffering is worth it, and the conviction that we were called to be entrepreneurs so that we can bring others to know God.

God Bless and Happy Building!

~Silas Mähner

How did we do? Reply with 1 (Great 😄), 2 (Mid 🫤), or 3 (Needs Work ☹️)

Hacking Your Temperament: Master Outreach, Sales, and Holy Habits

Our latest Catholic Founders Guild Expert Call (March 24, 2026) featured Derek McMonagle of Beyond the Veil Coaching, delivering an essential strategy for transforming your professional and spiritual life.

Derek emphasized a fundamental shift: success isn’t about changing who you are or lamenting that you’re not “salesy” or “charismatic” enough. Instead, you must drop the excuses and lean into your God-given operating system by mastering the four Catholic temperaments:

• Choleric (The Driver)

• Sanguine (The Expressive)

• Melancholic (The Analyst)

• Phlegmatic (The Amiable)

By understanding your innate temperament, you gain a precise blueprint to leverage your strengths, confront your specific spiritual and professional flaws, and maximize your full potential in sales.

You can find the full recording and transcript here: Recording and Transcript.

🚨 SPECIAL OFFER: Derek is offering a powerful, limited-time special to the Catholic Founders Guild members who were on the call.The Special Offer: Two Weeks of Free Coaching! Derek is making 10 slots available on his calendar for this opportunity, with first dibs going to those who attended the call. This is free for those who are part of the guild. One of the many perks that you get for only $100/year. Join the CF Guild today.

One-Liner Takeaway

For those who aren’t paid members yet, here’s the quick one-liner takeaway:

Don't let your temperament be an excuse—leverage your God-given strengths and attack your specific weaknesses with targeted virtues to crush it in business and drive toward heaven.

The most powerful moment came when Derek exposed the root of limiting beliefs in sales and shared holy habits to maximize your God-given gifts and order your entire business toward heaven.. The full recording details the exact spiritual combat strategy you must use to drill down past the excuses, isolate the enemy’s lie, and combat it with life and truth.

If you want the full playbooks, accountability, and direct access to experts like Derek, it's time to stop coasting. Join the Catholic Founders Guild now.

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The Catholic Founders Guild is an association of Catholic Biz owners who believe that their business is meant to be an extension of God’s will in the world.

If you share this belief, join today!

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[read time: ~5 min | word count 1,133]

Good morning, everyone!

It’s Monday of Holy Week. Traditionally referred to as Fig Monday. We’ll get into that!

Welcome back to Saintly CEO. We’re on a mission to bring you a bit of tactical advice or encouragement each Monday to start your week off well.

Today, I’m going to keep things very brief given my current schedule and my desire for you to have only one thing to focus on this week as we wrap up Lent.

First, some quick announcements.

• We’re hosting a dinner in Dallas on April 12th. Apply to attend

• If you’re in central Wisconsin (Wausau area), join the last Saturday meetup

• We might be hosting a meetup in Columbus, OH soon - reach out if interested

• Raj Bhakta is speaking at a Fides event on Thursday April 9th in NYC. Register to attend (CF is co-sponsoring)

• Sponsors! We need some! Reach out admin@catholicfounders.com

Join the Catholic Founders Guild Today

We're building the largest network of Catholic biz owners in the world.

It's for any Catholic biz owner who believes they are called to be an instrument of God's will in the world. 

Join today for $100 a year or $10 a month.

Curious? --> "What is the Catholic Founders Guild"

Fig Trees and Entrepreneurs

Okay, let’s start with why today is called Fig Monday. It’s quite simple. On this day, certain liturgical traditions have the story of Jesus cursing the fig tree that had no fruit (despite it not being the season for figs), here it is. Matthew 21: 18-22

[18] In the morning, when he returned to the city, he was hungry. [19] And seeing a fig tree by the side of the road, he went to it and found nothing at all on it but leaves. Then he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once. [20] When the disciples saw it, they were amazed, saying, “How did the fig tree wither at once?” [21] Jesus answered them, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it will be done. [22] Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive.”

A lot has been said about what this message means for us generally as followers of Christ. But let’s focus on what it means for entrepreneurs.

The key elements to focus on are. (1) The tree had leafs on it but no fruit (alive but no fruit). (2) The consequences of being fruitless was to wither and die in the end despite a long life of growth to produce leafs. (3) We can do the same works if we have genuine faith.

As entrepreneurs, we have been given a lot of skills. We have the willingness to take risk, the capacity to work hard, and the creative ability to create things of value.

We are a tree growing and providing shade with our leafs. But the species of tree that we are is called to bear a multitude of fruit. Think back to the parable of the good and faithful steward. His dedicated work returned 5 additional talents to the 5 he had been given (Matt. 25:14-30). There is also the example of the seed that fell on good ground and produced up to one hundred fold wheat (Matt. 13:8).

Are we not exceedingly blessed by our work ethic, ability to manage and motivate people, our ability to sell, the list goes on.

We must ask ourselves, what is the fruit we are yielding. The fruit cannot be simply financial. The true fruit we are called to yield is eternal fruit that brings others to God. So what are we doing?

Are people drawn to Catholocism because of our actions? Are we leaving bread crumbs for people to pick up along the way to give them a little taste of the Faith?

For any of this to be possible, we need to recognize the gifts we were given, and we need to nourish the seeds of faith in our hearts. Giving sufficient water and sunlight through prayer, the sacraments, scripture, and contemplation.

St. Thomas Aquinas comments further on the example of the fig tree, taken from this passage and from the parable of the fig tree in Luke (13:6-9). He says (paraphrased), the fig tree is outwardly promising (leafy) through profession of faith and law, yet inwardly unfruitful in charity and good works, facing divine judgment after a period of merciful patience.

On one hand you have the judgement side of that to avoid. On the other hand, consider how motivating it can be for us to lean into what we already know and profess about the faith. Allowing it to produce a great amount of fruit in our lives and the lives of those around us.

Remember, even if you’re just starting out as an entrepreneur and don’t have that many employees, you will likely have many people reporting to you one day. If you stick with it, and apply virtue to how you run your business, you are likely to continue growing. As you grow, will those fundamental pillars be in place allowing you to be a truly positive influence on all of those around you. Employees and customers alike?

I know we’ve discussed this idea in some way shape or form but this matters. This isn’t just a nice to have option we can pursue. God specifically gave us these skills to help carry out His will in the world. Will you view it as a weight on your shoulders, or will you see this as the opportunity to go on the adventure of a lifetime?

Will you see it as a way to gain financial success and notoriety, or will you see it as an opportunity to bring hundreds, even thousands along with you on this journey home; this journey to heaven?

Will you be barren and cursed or will you bear fruit and be blessed?

God Bless & Happy Building

~Silas Mähner

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How did we do? Reply with 1 (Great 😄), 2 (Mid 🫤), or 3 (Needs Work ☹️)

News / Updates:

• Wausau, WI Monthly Meetup: Sign up here (Last Saturday of each month)

• (April 12th) Catholic Founders Guild Dinner in Dallas, TX. Register here (~5 spots left)

• Sponsor Catholic Founders to get in front of Hundreds of Catholic Business owners each week. admin@catholicfounders.com

• NOTE: There will be no podcast next week as we take time off to observe Holy Week and enter into the Triduum. (We’re still trying to get a Monday newsletter out, let’s see if we get to that)

Join the Catholic Founders Guild Today
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Many members have reported doing business with other CF Guild members within months of joining. 

With an annual membership fee of $100, it’s a total no-brainer to join. Consider this an association of Catholic business owners, not a high-commitment community that will sap your time. 

Join today for $100 a year or $10 a month.

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In Today’s Issue:

• Intro to the Guest and Topic - Rob, CEO of Publicly Traded Hotel Brand - Now Investor

• Core Takeaway -

• Episode References

• Select Quotes

• Key Moments

First time here? Learn more about our mission. And don’t forget to subscribe.

Today’s Topic & Guest:

Rob Hays | Investor & Entrepreneur

This episode is legendary! Why? Because Rob is legendary.

If you’re not familiar with him, he took over as CEO of a publicly traded hotel brand days before COVID. Crazy!

He had to furlough most of the company. And did what he could, little by little, each day to see them through that crisis (of having zero revenue).

Rob has spent a lot of time thinking about how to integrate his faith into what he does. Which makes him a great guest for us. He’s got some incredibly fiery takes.

In this episode, we dive into how that crucible of crisis refined his faith and why he believes professional prestige and mundane tasks are essential components of a founder’s sanctification

Core Lesson:

Professional prestige is a byproduct of excellence. That excellence serves as the "bait" for apostolic influence. Which in turn, gives us more credibility to share our faith (because they see we are good at what we do).

Seeking prestige often feels like an act of pride, yet Rob reframes it as a functional necessity for the personal apostolate. People naturally seek advice and leadership from those who demonstrate mastery in their craft. By striving for excellence as an input, we create the credibility required for others to take our witness seriously.

This perspective shifts the focus from self-glorification to professional stewardship. When we prioritize excellence in our roles as founders, fathers, and husbands, the resulting prestige becomes a tool to wield for the sake of the Gospel and human flourishing. We must remain detached from the output of prestige while remaining fiercely committed to the inputs of excellence and prayer.

(I should probably write more about this in the future)

God Bless & Happy Building!

~Silas Mähner

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So, we started ParacleteVA (website coming soon). 

With ParacleteVA, we’ll find you vetted, Catholic overseas talent who will help you move your business forward. 

How it works: Pay a $500 finders fee when the candidate starts and $500 if you’re still happy with them after 30 days. 

To get started reach out to catholicfounders@gmail.com with what you’re looking for and we’ll get started. 

Key Episode References:

• St. Josemaria Escriva Institute

• New Horizons Podcast

• St. Josemaria Escriva

• The Master and His Emissary by Iain McGilchrist

• The Matter with Things by Iain McGilchrist

• OptimalWork

• Kevin Majors

• Uniformity with God’s Will by St. Alphonsus Liguori

• Time for God by Father Jacques Philippe

• Sent Ventures

• Triumph of the Heart (Film)

• Anthony D’Ambrosio

• Dante’s Inferno

• Jeff Bezos on Work-Life Harmony

• Dr. Daniel Tataje - #49 He Beats PE Firm’s With Lower Bids

• St. Catherine of Siena

• St. Thérèse of Lisieux

• St. Joseph

Bible Passages

• 1 John 4:8 - God is Love

• Exodus 12:5 - The Unblemished Lamb

• Matthew 16:24 - Take up your cross

• Matthew 26:34 - Peter’s Denial

• Luke 2:51-52 - The Hidden Life at Nazareth

• Luke 3:23 - Jesus at Age 30

• Matthew 6:9-13 - The Our Father

Select Quotes:

• “St. Josemaria’s thesis was that he did that to show us that the mundane and the, and both the company of the mundane, ordinary things of life, know, family, living in a little village, going to work every day, but then also work is a part of the salvific plan of God and is part of our own redemption.” — Rob Hays

• “Jesus was a carpenter or blacksmith and doing mundane tasks as God of the universe. That’s completely insane. But that is the example that he gave us.” — Rob Hays

• “Who cares about what someone says who is bad at what they do?” — Rob Hays

• “Prestige, for lack of a better word, is effectively the ‘bait’ for the apostolate.” — Rob Hays

• “If I am in fact excellent at those things, there very well likely will be prestige that comes from it. And that prestige, I can then use for good.” — Rob Hays

• “I always think it’s about priorities rather than balance... that priority is a constant reordering of things.” — Rob Hays

• “Every day, the first several years of my role was the house is burning to the ground.” — Rob Hays

• “I needed to have the tangible list of things that I was gonna do so that I knew that if I accomplished these things today, it was enough.” — Rob Hays

• “If you don’t have this idea of detachment of the outcome and trust that God is in control, I don’t know how you make it through the trials and struggles and failures.” — Rob Hays

• “Holiness is very difficult, if not impossible, without suffering.” — Rob Hays

• “Where the value, the redemptive and salvific value comes is in the love that’s put into it.” — Rob Hays

Key Moments: (outline)

• [00:00] - Intro Hook: Rob discusses the hidden life of Jesus in Nazareth and the inherent value found in mundane labor.

• [01:02] - Introduction: Silas welcomes listeners and introduces Rob Hays, former CEO of a major hotel brand.

• [04:05] - Redefining Prestige: Rob explains why seeking professional excellence and prestige serves as a Christian duty.

• [08:20] - Priorities vs. Balance: A discussion on maintaining a “seamless garment” of life through prayer and constant reordering of priorities.

• [10:58] - Leading Through Crisis: Rob shares his experience taking over as CEO during COVID and managing extreme professional anxiety.

• [13:24] - Consecration of the Company: The story of Rob consecrating his business to Our Lady and the Lord while on the brink of bankruptcy.

• [17:02] - Detachment and Trust: Why entrepreneurs must trust God with outcomes and view professional struggles as hidden blessings.

• [19:19] - Happiness and Sanctity: Exploring the necessity of the Cross and suffering in the life of a Catholic leader.

• [21:50] - Sanctifying the Mundane: How the hidden life of Jesus serves as the model for finding salvific value in daily administrative tasks.

• [26:27] - Practical Reminders: Rob’s tactics for keeping faith front and center, including using a pocket crucifix and praying for others during difficult tasks.

Hire Catholic Overseas Talent
In LatAm and the Philippines, there are millions of Catholic remote workers (across all domains) who want to work for ethical bosses. 

Often they’re treated as second class citizens or work for organizations that ask them to do questionable things. They reach out to us in search of a Catholic boss. 

So, we started ParacleteVA (website coming soon). 

With ParacleteVA, we’ll find you vetted, Catholic overseas talent who will help you move your business forward. 

How it works: Pay a $500 finders fee when the candidate starts and $500 if you’re still happy with them after 30 days. 

To get started reach out to catholicfounders@gmail.com with what you’re looking for and we’ll get started. 

Another Monday! Another week is upon us. Another opportunity to carry out God’s will in the world!

Welcome back to Saintly CEO. We’re on a mission to bring you a bit of tactical advice or encouragement each Monday to start your week off well.

Today we’re talking about…

IN TODAY’S ISSUE

• News/Events: Nashville, Dallas, YCP, and NYC events

• Feature Content: Prepare to Observe Holy Week

• Heavenly Hustlers: From Catholic AI to St. Joseph Socks

• Highlights: Read Leaving a Legacy, by Johann Kurtz

[read time: ~5.5 min | word count 1,239]

News / Events

• Tomorrow I’m hosting a hangout for Catholic entrepreneurs in Nashville. If you’d like to attend, register here. We only have 2 spots left.

• If you’re in NYC, don’t miss the Fides Entrepreneurship event with Tim Busch, the businessman and philanthropist known for his involvement in the wine and hospitality business.

• I’ll be at the YCP conference, HMU if you’d like to link up there.

• We have a couple of spots open for our Dallas dinner on the 12th of April. Register if you’re interested.

• We’re looking for sponsors to help fund this project. If you’re interested, drop us an email, admin@catholicfounders.com

Join the Catholic Founders Guild Today

We're building the largest network of Catholic biz owners in the world.

It's for any Catholic biz owner who believes they are called to be an instrument of God's will in the world. 

Join today for $100 a year or $10 a month.

Curious? --> "What is the Catholic Founders Guild"

Prepare to Observe Holy Week

Holy week starts next Sunday. Hard to believe that we’re already coming to the end of Lent. But here we are.

Maybe your Lent was great. Maybe it was mediocre. Maybe you gave up entirely. Regardless of how it went, there is always the chance to end well. How to end well can be an art in itself. But as business owners, there is one thing in particular that we can do to end well.

Observe Holy Week by taking off of work.

I’m not asking you to take the entire week off. But I am asking you to truly observe Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Saturday. Take those days off, for you and your team (ideally paid leave if you can afford it).

Be uncompromising about Good Friday. Make it a day of no work. Set aside your day to pray and contemplate Jesus’ death on the cross. What does it mean for you? What is the weight of this sacrifice? How can you imitate Jesus’ example towards your employees? If you take none of this other advice, at least take this.

On Holy Thursday, consider doing something to serve your employees. Maybe make them lunch, then take the rest of the day off. If any of your team are not Catholic, invite them to the Holy Thursday mass and washing of the feet service.

On Holy Saturday, continue to observe the mourning of the death of Jesus. Place yourself in the shoes of the Apostles. Allow the silence to stew inside of you. Don’t play any music. Don’t respond to emails. Just leave work aside. Speak to God in this silence. Consider His sacrifice for you. No matter how much you want to pick up work and keep things moving. Let it be.

Our natural state as entrepreneurs is to work. It’s the default setting. But it’s not all that we are. We are given an intellect and a will to overcome these natural tendencies. Let’s make use of these faculties to be with God. To be with our family.

Of course, you should also invite your employees to the Easter Vigil / Sunday mass. This is a particularly great time for them to come and hopefully, witness many catechumens entering the faith. Perhaps it will inspire them, too.

It goes without saying, but really make sure to enter into Easter Sunday. Be present with your family. If you don’t already have some, consider establishing an Easter family tradition.

God Bless & Happy Building

~Silas Mähner

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Heavenly Hustlers

These are other Catholic business owners. Nominate one (including yourself).

• ✨ Peter Cooney and his brother Thomas are building Acutis. A general-purpose AI guided by Church teaching/morality. In other words, it won’t suggest that abortion is fine and good.

• 🕊️ Dan DeMatte co-founded Damascus with the purpose of creating a generation of Catholics who are capable of living out their faith. Really fascinating project.

• 🔨 John-Michael Pauzé runs JMR Contracting, doing renovation projects.

• 🧦 Scott Williams, creator of SockReligious, is now growing Catholic Concepts. A group that will help Catholic orgs create and sell merch as the printer for others.

• 🎥 Frankie Garcia is the founder and CEO of Kalorama Studios. A production agency focused on visual storytelling for trade associations, think tanks & corporations. Love to see a firm like this picking with and sticking with a niche.

🙋‍♂️ Nominate a Heavenly Hustler (including yourself) - It takes 1 min.

Thank you to Catholic Owned for helping us find some of these folks each week. Get listed today!

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Highlights

In case you missed it, we changed this section to focus on one or two key things we want to highlight each week. For the full list of resources, check it out here 👇

The Ultimate Catholic Founders Resource Guide.

The Catholic Founders Resource Guide

Feel free to bookmark it as we’ll continue to update it. And if you have suggestions on what to add, ping us (even if you want to promote your own stuff).

Today’s highlight is a book.

Leaving a Legacy by Johann Kurtz

You’ve probably heard me mention this at least once, but it bears worth repeating. His book contains, what I think, is the key to saving Western/Christian living at least in the US.

We had the opportunity to have him on the podcast in January (listen here). If you listen to/read this book, I’ll make time to call you and discuss your opinions on implementing it.

If you’ve already read it and are on board with what he’s doing, I’d highly recommend checking out the thing he’s building called The Hancock Club (DM me, and I can put you in touch to learn more). The first chapter is launching in Texas.

I’m hoping the next one will be in Tennessee.

In case you have not picked up on it yet, I really like what Johann has written. I think it’s a huge solution to many of the problems we’re facing. As business owners, we play a crucial role in shaping the future around us. Both locally and nationally. Integrating the principles in his book can help us do that. The premise is one of building enterprises that direct capital and create family bonds and continuity that are hard to break, thus leading to a stronger society as a whole.

Looking forward to discussing this with you once you’ve read it.

How did we do? Reply with 1 (Great 😄), 2 (Mid 🫤), or 3 (Needs Work ☹️)

News / Updates:

• Wausau, WI Monthly Meetup: Sign up here (Last Saturday of each month)

• (March 24th) We invite you to the in-person Nashville Meetup (next week)

• (March 26th) Tim Busch, major Church donor, wine and hospitality mogul, is speaking at a Fides event in NYC that we are helping sponsor. Register here (only a few spots left)

• (April 12th) Catholic Founders Guild Dinner in Dallas, TX. Register here.

• Sponsor Catholic Founders to get in front of Hundreds of Catholic Business owners each week. admin@catholicfounders.com

Get the full Ultimate Catholic Founders Resource Guide here (including more events).

Join the Catholic Founders Guild Today
Get access to all CF Guild online events, the recordings, paywalled content, the CF Guild community/group chat, and CF Guild member directory. 

Many members have reported doing business with other CF Guild members within months of joining. 

With an annual membership fee of $100, it’s a total no-brainer to join. Consider this an association of Catholic business owners, not a high-commitment community that will sap your time. 

Join today for $100 a year or $10 a month.

Subscribe now

In Today’s Issue:

• Intro to the Guest and Topic

• Core Takeaway

• Episode References

• Select Quotes

• Key Moments

First time here? Learn more about our mission. And don’t forget to subscribe.

Today’s Topic & Guest:

Francisco J. Lara | Catholic University of America

There are a LOT of businesses that need buyers — a lot of wealth being transferred (or not) to the next generation in the coming years. If you’re looking to buy a business, the time is now.

That’s what we are discussing today.

How one should do succession planning. How you’d buy a business in a way that respects human dignity. How to work well with your family as it’s passed from generation to generation. And perhaps most importantly, how to maintain the family business even if none of your generation want to run it, in its current form.

Core Lesson:

Succession requires a moral discernment that prioritizes the common good over lineage.

We often feel this massive weight to pass our businesses down to our children, assuming that lineage is the only path to protecting the legacy we’ve spent decades building. However, true stewardship requires us to recognize that our businesses are essentially communities of persons rather than simple family assets. If the next generation lacks the specific skills or the genuine desire to lead, forcing them into that role can actually jeopardize the very community we are trying to preserve. We have to approach succession as a rigorous moral discernment where the long-term health of the company and the well-being of the employees take priority over keeping a specific last name on the ownership docs.

This is where Entrepreneurship through Acquisition (ETA) becomes such a vital tool for the Catholic founder. By opening the door to a searcher, someone with the hunger and talent to lead but perhaps lacking the capital to start from scratch, you are essentially identifying a spiritual heir for your life’s work. It aligns perfectly with the principles of business stewardship we frequently discuss on the Substack and in our previous sessions. Much like our conversation with Andreas Widmer in Episode 15, we have to remember that leading a business is a vocation. Finding the right person to carry that vocation forward ensures the business continues to serve the common good and provides a stable foundation for the families who depend on it.

God Bless & Happy Building!

~Silas Mähner

Share

Hire Catholic Overseas Talent
In LatAm and the Philippines, there are millions of Catholic remote workers (across all domains) who want to work for ethical bosses. 

Often they’re treated as second class citizens or work for organizations that ask them to do questionable things. They reach out to us in search of a Catholic boss. 

So, we started ParacleteVA (website coming soon). 

With ParacleteVA, we’ll find you vetted, Catholic overseas talent who will help you move your business forward. 

How it works: Pay a $500 finders fee when the candidate starts and $500 if you’re still happy with them after 30 days. 

To get started reach out to catholicfounders@gmail.com with what you’re looking for and we’ll get started. 

Key Episode References:

Bible Passages

• The Parable of the Talents

• The Promise of the Hundredfold

Saints & Devotions

• St. Joseph

• Pope St. John Paul II

• The Holy Eucharist

• The Holy Mass

Books & Documents

• The Pope and the CEO by Andreas Widmer

• The Art of Principled Entrepreneurship by Andreas Widmer

• Rerum Novarum

• Laborem Exercens

• Centesimus Annus

• Stanford 2024 Search Fund Study

• Stanford/IESE 2022 International Search Fund Study

Organizations & Academic Institutions

• Catholic University of America (CUA)

• University of Navarra

• IESE Business School

• Polytechnic University of Valencia

• Catholic University of Valencia

• Lagar Brothers

• Stanford Graduate Business School

• Harvard Business School

• Wharton School

• Fiber (Fiverr)

• Castfeed

• Singularu

Episode Connections

• Episode 15: Andreas Widmer

• Episode 40: Mike Parrott

Select Quotes:

• “So then you need to make a discernment. And that’s the important moral responsibility of the family businesses, not to impose that succession into the family members if they don’t want to, and they are not able to, skilled enough to do that in the right way.” — Francisco J. Lara (00:36)

• “Search funds can be the solution for a family business to move from traditional family business into a family office.” — Francisco J. Lara (18:40)

• “He has to combine two difficult virtues that are humility with magnanimity.” — Francisco J. Lara (19:00)

• “Catholic social doctrine do not mandate dynastic control.” — Francisco J. Lara (24:19)

• “The firm is a community of persons, It’s not a nexus, it’s not a combination of social contracts, and it’s not an end.” — Francisco J. Lara (25:40)

• “The normative criterion should not be lineage, but stewardship effectiveness.” — Francisco J. Lara (29:45)

• “So the entrepreneur is not simply allocating capital, but choosing a community of work to steer.” — Francisco J. Lara (23:14)

Key Moments: (outline)

• 00:00] - Succession Discernment: Francisco discusses the art and moral responsibility of family business succession and the danger of imposing legacy.

• [01:02] - Intro: Silas introduces Francisco Lara and his role as an “evangelist” for Entrepreneurship through Acquisition.

• [02:30] - From La Mancha to CUA: Francisco shares his background as a Spaniard, his law degree from Navarra, and his family’s third-generation farming roots.

• [04:22] - Theory Meets Practice: The founding of Lagar Brothers and Francisco’s realization that the person behind the business matters most.

• [11:02] - The ETA Framework: A deep dive into the four stages of a traditional search fund: search, acquisition, operation, and exit.

• [14:15] - Identifying Talent: Why finding the right “searcher” who acts as the child the family business owner never had is the hardest part of the model.

• [22:09] - Moral Reasoning in ETA: Applying Catholic Social Teaching virtues like justice and prudence to each stage of the acquisition process.

• [24:19] - Stewardship vs. Dynasty: Breaking down why Catholic doctrine prioritizes the common good over “dynastic capitalism”.

• [31:00] - Outro: Final thoughts on professionalizing small businesses and a recommendation to listen to the episode with Andreas Widmer.

Hire Catholic Overseas Talent
In LatAm and the Philippines, there are millions of Catholic remote workers (across all domains) who want to work for ethical bosses. 

Often they’re treated as second class citizens or work for organizations that ask them to do questionable things. They reach out to us in search of a Catholic boss. 

So, we started ParacleteVA (website coming soon). 

With ParacleteVA, we’ll find you vetted, Catholic overseas talent who will help you move your business forward. 

How it works: Pay a $500 finders fee when the candidate starts and $500 if you’re still happy with them after 30 days. 

To get started reach out to catholicfounders@gmail.com with what you’re looking for and we’ll get started. 

Thanks for bearing with me. See you guys tomorrow for day…9, yes, that’s it!

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Get the novena here: https://www.usccb.org/resources/novena-saint-joseph-english.pdf

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