Listen on: Fio (Catholic Spotify) | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube
News / Updates:
🤝 We host a bunch of events. In cities like Nashville (tonight), Washington D.C. (next week), Houston (22nd), Dallas (20th), and Wausau, WI. Check out our events here.
⭐ Check out last week’s episode of CF with Juan Dominguez of Ad Aeternum Media
🤖 We recently launched a bot to help you learn from ALL the content we’ve produced. Join the Guild today to gain access.
💸 Want to invest in other Catholic projects/companies/ventures? Subscribe (for free) to the Faithful Steward newsletter.
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.
In Today’s Issue:
Guest: John Cannon - Topic: When to Close a Chapter
Core Takeaway: Take the Next Step
Episode References
Select Quotes
Key Moments
First time here? Learn more about our mission. And don’t forget to subscribe.
Today’s Topic & Guest:
Today’s guest is the one and only John Cannon. He started SENT Ventures after many years as a monk. SENT currently puts on one of the biggest conferences for Catholic builders every year (happening in Denver this year). But now John is on to his next venture.
We take some time to discuss his journey, and we spend a bit of time on what it looks like to close a chapter and go onto the next one. It’s a core focus of the discussion.
John’s genuine spirit and care for the work he’s doing is very evident to all who meet him. Hopefully that comes through in this interview.
Do what John has promoted, build like the saints!
Want to get your business in front of hundreds of business owners?
Sponsor this podcast! — Reach out, admin@catholicfounders.com
Core Lesson:
The journey you’re called on, is going to be a lot crazier than you imagine. God is helping you take step after step — He doesn’t usually share the next 100 steps. But trust Him!
John’s journey, like many of us, did not go in a straight line. As entrepreneurs, we have lived this and seen how many ups and downs the entrepreneurship life has.
But what’s funny is often when we start out, we think it’s going to be in a straight line. Growth is going to be up and to the right, and before you know it, we’re going to be millionaires.
Anyone who’s been in this for any period of time knows that’s not exactly how it goes.
However, despite all of these ups and downs, the point is we must trust in God and take the next step and the next step and the next step. We must follow Him with trust, knowing that He will be with us.
The road ahead isn’t likely a straight line, but I assure you its the journey of a lifetime.
God Bless & Happy Building!
~Silas Mähner
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:
Her Last Conversations (book)
Select Quotes:
“The faith had transformed my life so much. I was like, well, why don't people like take this seriously out there?” - John Cannon
“It just got me seeing that entrepreneurship has actually been a key ingredient to how the church has renewed historically.” - John Cannon
“I found that there was like a lot of them, one of the things that they really benefited from or that was most important or meaningful to them was having like a community or at least a few other entrepreneurs they could really like, they trusted and they could bring hard problems or issues too to get.” - John Cannon
“There's a saying in entrepreneurship, fail fast, and that's actually preferable. If you just fail very quickly, then you know that doesn't work, and you can move on to the next thing. Like it's actually really painful to fail slowly because then you don't actually know you're like failing over a long period of time.”- John Cannon
“God, if you don't want this, like just crush it or have it fail or like, like actually praying that prayer.” - John Cannon
“The wheat and the weeds are all together, right? A little bit in almost any human endeavor.” — John Cannon
“I think the hard part for me sometimes feels, though, that there are two or three viable options that it feels like God's kind of saying, like, Hey, it's up to you to choose. Right? Like at the end of the day, still want you to be, to use your agency, to use your free will...” — Silas Mähner
“God will help open those doors in that path. And then I think on the human and natural level, like we're not relieved of doing the work there too, right?” - John Cannon
Key Moments: (outline)
[00:00] Intro Silas introduces John Cannon and sets the stage for discussing monastic life, high-level business networks, and the transition into fresh vocational missions.
[05:08] Founding SENT: John describes his deep-dive study into historical church renewal leaders like St. Benedict and St. Francis, highlighting the entrepreneurial core driving these major movements.
[07:56] Navigating the Evolution of Ideas An exploration of how early concepts begin as amorphous goals and must adapt continuously through initial feedback loops.
[10:38] Building Community Among Entrepreneurs: Discussing the critical value of trusted peer circles where founders can openly process professional and spiritual hurdles.
[13:11] Balancing of Faith & Entrepreneurship: Reflecting on the integration of everyday business with a life of prayer, including the practice of praying for non-viable paths to be cleared away.
[15:59] From Nonprofit to For-Profit: John details the early structural considerations of Sent Ventures and how its mission evolved over time.
[20:23] Reflections on the Impact: Discussing the unique synergy that occurs when sharp business operators and spiritually-driven apostolate leaders collaborate in a shared ecosystem.
[23:09] Introducing Monk Mindset: John presents his latest project focused on delivering traditional monastic structure and interior habits into modern daily schedules.
[29:27] Stoicism & Monk Mindset: Contrasting popular secular self-help philosophies with the deeply rooted, transcendent truths of Catholic monastic tradition.
[33:06] Cultural Shifts and the Return to Tradition: Identifying a growing societal hunger for continuity, timeless truth, and traditional institutional wisdom amidst modern digital overload.
[36:42] Monk Mindset and Its Impact on Entrepreneurship: How bridging media production with enclosed monasteries allows ancient charisms to reach millions of modern seekers.
[41:16] Daily Practices for a Flourishing Life: Breaking down the four core daily monastic habits necessary to establish interior stability, foster community, and prevent burnout.
[45:46] Discernment God’s Call: Exploring how to evaluate clear vocational signs and navigate the transition of handing off or wrapping up a major project.
[50:14] Rapid Fire: A concluding fast-paced segment touching upon favorite books, formative saints, and essential insights gained on the journey.
[58:04] Intentional Work: Why regular daily tasks, when approached with explicit intentionality, transform into a continuous expression of deep prayer.
[58:42] Embracing Change: Encouraging builders to release personal self-reliance and confidently allow the Holy Spirit to open or shut relevant doors.
[59:47] Closing: Final words from Silas outlining the mission of the Catholic Founders Guild and urging listeners to support fellow builders.
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.
