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In Today’s Issue:
Intro to the Guest and Topic: Matthew Pinto — Founder of Ascension Press & Ascension Presents
Core Takeaway: Build for Eternity
Episode References
Select Quotes
Key Moments
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Today’s Topic & Guest:
Matthew Pinto | Ascension Press, Catholic Catalyst, The Genesis Group
Hey folks! Excited to share this discussion with Matthew Pinto. He is an absolute legend.
Not only did he found one of the most widely known Catholic media assets today (Ascension Press / Presents, yes, the place Fr. Mike Schmitz Publishes), but he also does coaching of startups and angel investing.
Matthew is one of the rare people who deeply understand that their money is not for themselves. He views his role as a servant of God here to leverage the connections and network that he has with the excess capital he has to help advance the kingdom of God.
Oh, and he’s a serial entrepreneur. In addition to Ascension Press, he founded CatholicExchange.com, the Theology of the Body Institute, and Envoy Magazine.
It would be an understatement to say that Matthew is a giant in the history of Catholic Media in the modern age. But, you wouldn’t know it by his humility.
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Core Lesson:
As Catholic builders, we need to think in Decades.
Behind every massive, visible breakthrough we witness in the Church today (ie, the success of Father Mike Schmitz’s video content) lies a decade (or more) of hidden groundwork. There was infrastructure in place to handle the growth when it happened.
This means, as we build our companies, we need to be thinking in decades. As founders, it can be super frustrating if things aren’t ‘taking off’ right away, but, as is evident through Matt’s story, sometimes the time is necessary.
Jesus gave us the same example. 30 years of preparation for 3 years of ministry.
Let’s build for the future — let’s build for eternity! We as Catholics should understand this better than anyone else.
God Bless & Happy Building!
~Silas Mähner
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Key Episode References:
Books & Publications
Scripture & Parables
Movies
Select Quotes:
“I think this is the... I guess you could say in some ways the challenge of our age is like if we're going to try to be good Catholics in the world, it's a very challenging world to be in in so many ways, but we cannot become paralyzed by fear of making a mistake or, you know, fear of the wrong decision because then we have no momentum.” - Silas Mähner
“One is the book of Revelation with the Lord when he says, I'd rather you be hot or cold, just not lukewarm. I'm of the opinion that we're supposed to use prudence. You know, it's the mother of all virtues… I think the Lord would rather us strike out than not swing.” - Matt Pinto
“So I encourage anyone who's listening, who loves the Lord, loves the Church, wants to do things, pray specifically for a double portion of blessing and zeal and fervor for the faith.” - Matt Pinto
“Praise if everything depends on God. Work if everything depends on you.” - Matt Pinto
“And believe me, the celebration is not in oneself. It's in what the Lord did through broken instruments. Yes, we had skills, but it was all a gift.”- Matt Pinto
“She said, money in the right hands is a very good thing.” - Matt Pinto (quoting a prominent mother in Philadelphia)
“But what they do is they guard, they build safeguards when you don’t fully trust yourself. And at the end of the day, no human being should fully trust him or herself.”- Matt Pinto
“If you think of an idea and it looks like it works out from the different angles that you look at it, be bold and go for these things.” - Matt Pinto
“Think big, but realize that you gotta lock in and you gotta put in the time.” - Matt Pinto
“Think big, but realize that you gotta lock in and you gotta put in the time. Very few things are cultural phenomena. Even the viral things that we see pop up. Well, for every one viral phenomena, how many videos are produced that are not viral? 500,000? Have optimism, have zeal, pray for zeal. But I'm sorry guys, most instances you gotta get ready to lock in because there really are very few free lunches. It's just gonna take time.”- Matt Pinto
Key Moments: (outline)
[00:00] - Groundwork for Success: Matt Pinto highlights the 15 years of hidden groundwork behind Ascension Presents.
[00:52] - Show Intro: Silas welcomes listeners and introduces serial Catholic entrepreneur Matt Pinto.
[03:24] - Welcome and Framing: Silas sets the stage for a conversation exploring Matthew’s vast portfolio of faith-based building.
[04:04] - Introducing Matthew Pinto: Matt shares his background and historical achievements across multiple ministries.
[05:25] - Vision and Drive: Matt explains how conviction for the Catholic faith drives organizational action.
[06:29] - Handling Mistakes and Regrets: A reflection on navigating individual wrong choices while avoiding macro regrets.
[07:53] - Overcoming Lukewarmness: Matt shares how scriptural reflection drives him to push hard rather than stay passive.
[09:21] - Praying for Charism and Zeal: Christopher West’s insight on passion and the power of praying for a double portion of spirit.
[11:09] - Grace and Nature in Apostolates: Balancing hard work with reliance on God and rejecting false humility.
[14:20] - Commerce and Faith: Two vital self-examination questions for entrepreneurs concerning wealth and kingdom building.
[19:20] - Inflection Points and The Passion Project: The inside story behind the massive success of the Mel Gibson companion book.
[24:43] - Discovering Father Mike Schmitz: Leadership lessons on building a young staff to stay ahead of cultural shifts.
[33:37] - Tactical Advisory for Builders: Analyzing total addressable markets, assessing hidden costs, and identifying loss leaders.
[34:40] - Defeating Ego in Business: Matt warns that ego is dust and underscores the need for structural safeguards.
[40:31] - The Priority of Personal Prayer: Matt candidly reflects on wishing he had tripled his personal prayer time during operational seasons.
[47:20] - Catholic Integration of Body and Spirit: How Catholic theology leads to superior human resource and business practices.
[50:06] - Discerning Excess Capital: Strategic views on tithing safeguards and managing financial returns.
[56:27] - Accountability and Salvation: A sobering reminder from a mentor that failing to bring our natural gifts to bear risks our salvation.
[58:08] - Scriptural Inspiration: Matt shares the favorite Bible verses that hung on his office wall for a decade.
[1:03:09] - Episode Outro: Final practical thoughts on connection points, investment pauses, and closing encouragements.
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.
