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Hey folks!
As you may notice from the different format of these notes, this is not a usual episode.
It’s special because Tim Busch, legendary hotel magnate, philanthropist, serial entrepreneur, and founder of the NAPA Institute, welcomed us into his NYC apartment to record a very special episode of Catholic Founders.
Obviously, you can record these remotely, but it’s not the same as being in the room with them, or being there with the guest. Rapport increases, but so does the effect of the Holy Spirit — and I felt it with this interview.
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If this is your first time here, Catholic Founders is a Podcast (weekly), Newsletter (Saintly CEO, Tuesdays), and community (Catholic Founders Guild) of Catholics who seek to become saints. We just so happen to also be called to entrepreneurship.
Together, we are discovering what the theology of entrepreneurship is, and how we can actually live that out in our lives — and in how we run our businesses.
We are doing everything we can to help Catholics start and grow their businesses, with the true end in mind — heaven.
If you’re not already, subscribe today. If you’d like to join the Guild, learn more here, or if you’re already sold, upgrade to paid today.
We hope to get to know you soon.
Thank you to Our Father Construction & Associates!
Flying out to NYC and hiring a camera crew are not cheap. In order to fund this interview, we had to get a special sponsor to cover these costs.
That sponsor is Our Father Constructors & Associates
So please — if you’re building, leading, or funding a Church project, whether that’s a school, a church, a monastery, or a remodel, reach out to OurFather.US for support.
They will ensure your project gets done on time, wastes no money, is built the way St. Joseph would build, and most importantly, that is built with the true intention of serving the Church for generations to come.
Cristian is a good friend of mine that I cannot speak highly enough about. He is someone I’d entrust my entire family to. A man of deep faith, who is deeply committed to building up the kingdom using the gifts he’s received.
Reach out to OurFather.US today, or connect with Cristian on LinkedIn to learn more. Tell them we sent you.
Why this interview matters:
Tim is one of very few Catholic business owners who runs a huge organization with thousands of employees, who is also (a) willing to be visible / interviewed, and (b) choosing to stay in the arena.
At this point in his life, he could easily retire and take it easy. But as I’ve learned from the book his daughter wrote about him, and through meeting him for this interview, he’s not planning on backing down. He’s continuing to build and influence the world towards God using his resources, his network, and his time.
We desperately need more Tim Busch’s in the world. Will you be one?
Will you firmly root God at the center of your life as you build your enterprise?
Will you put in all your effort to build a substantial business and not get lazy?
Will you start projects that require long-term time and financial commitment?
Will you fund existing projects to help transform the culture?
Will you be open about your life so others have the opportunity to be inspired by your example?
In a word, will you be a Catholic Founder?
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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.
Key Topics Discussed:
The scale of their operation. $1.5bn in hotels w/ $400m in revenue. Busch family markets. NAPA Institute. Philanthropic work.
Keeping his faith alive in his work. The ways he integrates the faith into his work and how he runs his companies.
Why & What the NAPA Institute is.
Why personal giving is better than gov’t-funded social services. Why social services lack accountability and innovation. And why we should be doing this, giving ourselves while holding those orgs accountable.
How to treat employees with dignity. Specifically ensuring there are no gatekeepers to reach him in his company.
How he thinks about legacy and passing the business on to his children. And specifically the importance of handing things off to his children while he’s still alive.
Why he’s not really interested in retirement. He sees his life and success as a gift. He also really enjoys work. So he can’t understand why he would stop building. For him, with his network and track record, it’s now possible for him to do bigger and better things. He believes that in the next 10 years he’ll be able to do more than he’s done in the past 40 years of his career given the compounding.
(Among many other topics)
God Bless & Happy Building!
~Silas Mähner
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Key Episode References:
Select Quotes:
“It’s [your faith] the only thing you can give away, where you have more when you get done.” – Tim Busch
“We’re all called to co-create, but we have to do it with humility.” – Tim Busch
“The children will be your future. They’re going to take care of you. This is the other thing we’re missing in society: the responsibility that we take care of our children, and the children take care of the parents and the grandparents.” – Tim Busch
“Faith grows from within when you give it away because that’s what God always planned.” – Tim Busch
“You have to run the country with virtue. And faith is part of that.”
– Tim Busch
“Innovation comes out of necessity. It doesn’t just happen.” – Tim Busch
“The source of the money has to be the guide, has to be the moral compass, has to be the North Star.” – Tim Busch
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Key Moments (Time Stamps):
(0:00) — Faith as something that grows when shared: Tim reflects on teaching, evangelization, virtue, and bringing faith into public life.
(1:03) — Host introduction and Tim’s background: Silas introduces Tim’s hospitality business, family markets, philanthropy, and work with the Napa Institute.
(2:19) — Building a business portfolio: Tim outlines the family markets, hotel business, wine interests, law firm, and nonprofit commitments.
(4:00) — Why the Napa Institute exists: The conversation turns to the organization’s origin, mission, and its effort to unite faith, business, politics, and community.
(7:16) — Lay apostolates and accountability to the Church: Tim explains the role of Catholic organizations, spiritual direction, and staying connected to Church teaching.
(9:39) — Institutions, entrepreneurship, and evangelization: A substantive discussion of why independent Catholic initiatives can move differently from institutional structures.
(17:02) — Profit, philanthropy, and investing with purpose: Tim shares how he thinks about balancing commercial work, personal passions, and charitable giving.
(20:27) — Local responsibility and the limits of government programs: The pair discuss homelessness, subsidiarity, accountability, and the role of local communities.
(26:19) — Caring for employees beyond compensation: Tim talks about benefits, stability, workplace culture, and treating employees as people rather than numbers.
(31:40) — Leading thousands of employees personally: Tim describes meeting directly with employees and using those conversations to assess leadership and workplace health.
(34:30) — Why he hasn’t retired: Tim makes the case for continued work, purpose, creation, and resisting an aimless version of retirement.
(37:06) — Family businesses and preparing the next generation: The conversation explores succession, giving children room to lead, and avoiding over-management.
(43:46) — Catholic ambition, wealth, and humility: A strong section on building big things without letting success become self-serving.
(49:04) — Legacy, stewardship, and family continuity: Tim discusses handing down responsibility, transparency in family planning, and keeping future generations united.
(53:07) — Mentors, stories, and sharing faith publicly: Tim reflects on examples of successful, faith-driven leaders and why stories teach better than abstract ideas.
(57:11) — The value of successful Catholics telling their stories: A clear exchange about visibility, faith, and giving younger founders models to learn from.
(59:19) — Closing advice for aspiring entrepreneurs and young families: Tim offers encouragement about risk, prayer, family, building a business, and seeing children as part of a long-term legacy.
(63:25) — Closing reflection on serving the people closest to you: The interview ends with family responsibility, gratitude, and a warm sign-off.
