Faith Collides

Do you feel like a jack-of-all-trades, but master of none? Has your career taken a very non-linear path, as you bounced back and forth between different callings and passions? If so, you’ll probably resonate deeply with Max Anderson’s story. Max is currently the managing partner of Saturn Five, a venture fund in Denver, Colorado. But in the past 20 years, Max has also worked for McKinsey & Company, at Tim Keller’s Redeemer Church in New York City, and for Bridgewater Associates, one of the largest hedge funds in the world. He also came up with an idea called “The MBA Oath” that was so popular during his time at Harvard that he gained national attention from news outlets like CNN, NPR, and The New York Times. It’s basically a Hippocratic oath for MBA students who wanted to pledge to conduct themselves with honesty and integrity in the midst of the 2008 global financial crisis. Max has accomplished a lot, but it hasn’t always been easy. There were times when he didn’t know whether he should stay in the business world or work in Christian ministry. He was also torn between going to seminary and becoming a pastor, or going to business school and pursuing his MBA. Then, there was the time when Max had to decide, point blank, if he wanted to keep his job or write a book instead. None of these decisions were clear cut, but Max Anderson relied on his faith to help him be at peace no matter what he decided. We hope you’ll be encouraged by this episode if you’re not sure what’s next in your career, need help making a big decision, or feel drawn in different directions at the same time. By the way, you can subscribe to Max’s weekly newsletter here. Special thanks for this episode: Max and Jessica Anderson, Molly Ray, Trae Stephens, Josh Batson and Jen Lazala ­­­__________________________ Support Faith Collides podcast now on Buy Me A Coffee Or with a review—>  http://bit.ly/FaithC0llid3s Faith Collides podcast is hosted by Grace Huang from Lux Mundi.  More info rmation: www.lxmundi.com --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/faithcollides/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/faithcollides/support

Akeel Sachak is an investment banker in the United Kingdom, working for Rothschild & Co. He’s been with the company since 1985. Over the past 35 years, Akeel has climbed the ranks from junior analyst to Partner and Global Head of Consumer. Over the years, Akeel’s specialty is food and beverage related transactions. He’s helped companies like Coca-Cola, Asahi, and Weetabix through mergers & acquisitions, and strategic and financial advising. He’s had a fulfilling career, made lots of money, and generally been successful in his work. But Akeel’s main passion isn’t his job – it’s his Christian faith. Originally raised in a Muslim family, Akeel came to know Jesus at Oxford University after hearing an evangelist speak. Akeel then met his wife Joy at a church. At first, Akeel was timid about sharing his faith at work. But over time, he’s come to see that his job and beliefs can go hand-in-hand. He’s also realized that it was wrong to gather wealth without sharing it with others. You may not often hear investment banking and Christianity in the same sentence, but Akeel is used to being different than his peers. Growing up, Akeel was typically one of the only people of color in whatever setting he was in. From his boarding school to early days at Rothschild, Akeel was always in the minority. But even when he experienced racism, Akeel learned to work harder and trust in God by not worrying about things outside of his control. Akeel’s biggest challenges have come from balancing his work and family and making sure that he wasn’t investing too much of his time and energy into his career. He’ll share more of how he figured that out, and what he’s learned from the pandemic, on this episode. Feel free to let us know how this story has impacted you! Send us your thoughts or feedback via email or in an audio message Special thanks for this episode: Akeel and Joy Sachak, Mandy Paulse, Josh Batson, Jenn Lazala ______ Inspired by Akeel Sachak’s story and want to learn more on how he’s applied faith at work, check out the following links: Gospel Patrons City Lives ______ Support Faith Collides podcast now on Buy Me A Coffee Or with a review—>  http://bit.ly/FaithC0llid3s Faith Collides podcast is hosted by Grace Huang from Lux Mundi.  More information: www.lxmundi.com --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/faithcollides/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/faithcollides/support

Nona Jones is Head of Faith-Based Partnerships at Facebook. It’s her job to teach faith communities how to stay connected and engaged through social media. As a Christian, Nona loves helping churches across the country do “digital discipleship” while also assisting her husband pastor a church in Florida. But Nona’s life wasn’t always so great. Her childhood was filled with loneliness, neglect, and all kinds of abuse: physical, verbal, emotional, and sexual. Nona was so broken by her experiences that she tried to take her own life twice. Things turned around when a friend invited Nona to church in the sixth grade. As she experienced unconditional love and acceptance for the first time in her life, Nona began to do better in school, eventually earning a full-ride scholarship to the University of Florida. After initially pursuing a medical degree, she switched to Communications. After college, Nona bounced around a few different jobs, first with a broadcasting company, then Nationwide Insurance, and a utility company in Florida. Eventually, she found a job she really loved and saw herself doing for a long time at Pace Center for Girls. But then she heard God say: “this assignment is over.” Nona Jones turned in her resignation without having a new job to go to but being unemployed didn’t last long. She’ll tell more in this episode about the story of getting a random phone call from Facebook and what she does in her role there. Nona’s learned from her traumatic past that nothing bad can define us, if we allow God to use it. She’s especially aware of the importance of community and sharing our stories with people we trust. Of course, that’s not easy to do right now as the pandemic continues, but Nona is confident that we can have hope anyway. Her story is one of overcoming an incredibly difficult start in life and not letting brokenness stop her from living out her purpose. ______ Get a copy of Nona’s books from the links below: Success from the Inside Out: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PQ4Z88N/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1 From Social Media to Social Ministry: https://www.amazon.com/Social-Media-Ministry-Digital-Discipleship-ebook/dp/B081MZQV78 Love Nona’s story and want to know more? Feel free to connect with her. Nona Jones’ website: https://www.nonajones.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NonaNotNora Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/nonanotnora Special thanks for this episode: Nona Jones, Antwan Steele, Josh Batson, Jenn Lazala Support Faith Collides podcast now on https://www.buymeacoffee.com/faithcollides Or with a review—>  http://bit.ly/FaithC0llid3s Faith Collides podcast is hosted by Grace Huang from Lux Mundi.  More information: www.lxmundi.com --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/faithcollides/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/faithcollides/support

Peter Demos is a restaurateur and the CEO of Demos Brands, a family business that his father started. He successfully owns and runs multiple restaurants, but his career has had plenty of failure, too. Peter started working in his dad’s restaurant before he was even a teenager. He loved the community of “restaurant people,” but was also interested in becoming a lawyer after he saw the proceedings of a court case. During his undergrad years in college, Peter got in over his head with thousands of dollars in credit card debt… until he discovered some practical money management principles that he’s carried with him to this day. After law school, Peter started working for a firm in Tennessee, but realized it wasn’t something he wanted to do long-term. And so, things came full circle when he rejoined his dad’s business, taking over the management of the restaurant and eventually buying it from his father. All this time, the Christian faith wasn’t a huge part of Peter’s life. He’d gone to a Christian school as a kid, but had terrible memories of being bullied there by his classmates. His wife often asked him to go to church, but Peter’s focus was on making the restaurants successful – and he did that. And then one day, everything changed when Peter made the decision to become a Christian Instead of his business increasing in size and scope, a new high end restaurant concept he’d been working on began to fail miserably. Peter questioned why God would allow that to happen, but looking back, he sees how God was teaching him valuable lessons about facing fear, trusting Jesus, and handling failures… all of which have been vitally important during the COVID-19 pandemic. Peter’s life is proof that God’s plans for us are much greater than commercial or career success. If you’d like to hear more of his story, you can check out his new book, Afraid to Trust: One Man’s Journey Into the Love of God. Special thanks for this episode: Peter and Kristin Demos, Kristin Nill, Josh Batson, Jenn Lazala Support Faith Collides podcast with a review—>  http://bit.ly/FaithC0llid3s --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/faithcollides/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/faithcollides/support

Emma Anderson is Head of Solutions Delivery at Planet, a payments company based in Ireland, that provides services to companies like Starbucks, Adidas and Kate Spade. It’s an industry we don’t often talk about - yet it’s played a vital role in enabling our ability to make online payments and digital transactions. Emma had several stops along the way to get to this point, but her original career goal had nothing to do with the payments industry. Her parents were missionaries, and that inspired Emma to pursue being a medical missionary. But Emma struggled to make it through the rigorous and demanding coursework of medical school at the University of Birmingham in the UK. So, she dropped out and started working as a sales and operations coordinator for a heavy machinery company. In 2007, Emma was introduced to the endless possibilities in the world of digital payments when she accepted a position at Barclays. And then pivoted to a Senior Marketing Manager role at Visa to promote digital payment products and services to greater Europe.  And eventually took a position with Elavon that involved less travel when she needed to think seriously about starting a family. Emma absolutely loved working at Elavon, a subsidiary of U.S. Bank, until some changes shook up the company’s focus on ethical business practices. Knowing the importance of transparency in the financial world, Emma spoke up as a whistleblower at the risk of more losses to the company and ruining her relationship with her boss. Honesty is a big part of Emma’s story, so when she was later offered a new job in the UAE around the same time she finally got pregnant, she knew she had to turn it down. After the birth of their first child, Emma then took a position with Planet where she works today. Emma’s story is all about the importance of honesty and trusting God when the outcome looks different than what we imagined. Special thanks for this episode: Emma and Robin Anderson, Amy Maxson, Jenn Lazala and Josh Batson -------------------------------------------------------------------- Support Faith Collides podcast with a review—>  http://bit.ly/FaithC0llid3s Faith Collides podcast is hosted by Grace Huang from Lux Mundi.  More information: www.lxmundi.com --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/faithcollides/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/faithcollides/support

Trae Stephens is a partner at Founders Fund, a San Francisco-based venture capital firm with a portfolio that includes Airbnb, SpaceX, and Palantir. Trae is also the chairman and co-founder of Anduril Industries, a rapidly growing US defense technology company with over 350 employees, and a valuation of $1.9 billion. In this bonus content, Trae opens up on how he met his wife Michelle, how he learnt about stock options when he moved to big data start-up Palantir after working for the US intelligence, how he had to solidify his faith at Georgetown and how faith continues to impact the way he believes we should be working to make this world a better place. Full transcript of the interview story on www.faithcollides.com/traestephens_bonus --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/faithcollides/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/faithcollides/support

Trae Stephens is a partner at Founders Fund, a San Francisco-based venture capital firm with a portfolio that includes Airbnb, SpaceX, and Palantir. Trae is also a co-founder of Anduril Industries, a rapidly growing US defense technology company with over 350 employees, and a valuation of $1.9 billion. Trae opens up on growing up in rural Ohio with a grandfather who was the pastor of his church. He shares how he had the opportunity to travel to the Middle East on an overseas mission trip, what it was like to be the editor-in-chief of his high school newspaper, and how the events of 9/11 prompted him to pursue a different career path— one that may not have panned out without bold steps and prayerful intervention of getting on the waitlist at Georgetown University. Upon graduating in 2005, Trae secured a data analytics role in the US Intelligence community, working on identifying and tracing intelligence to terrorists’ activities. But despite getting into what he wanted to do after high school, Trae could not bear the bureaucracy within government, and in 2008, started working at a big data start-up Palantir Technologies as one of its early employees. Palantir (NYSE: PLTR) now valued at more than $45 billion was co-founded by Peter Thiel. While Trae was at Palantir, he came to know Peter Thiel, who was known to be the first investor in Facebook and one of the co-founders of PayPal. And through this connection, Trae was able to pivot into venture capital in 2014, and also merge his expertise of defense technology with investments. At Founders Fund, Trae saw the opportunity to start the next big unicorn in defense technology. In 2017, Trae partnered with Palmer Luckey, founder of Oculus, to start Anduril Industries, a company building advanced technologies to solve some of the most important and complex national security challenges. Read more on Trae's perspective on ethical warfare: The Ethics of Defense Technology Development: An Investor’s Perspective  While Trae has done exceptionally well in his career, he continues to share how his faith has shaped the way he thinks about his work and his successes so far. Listen to Trae’s incredible story on this podcast. Special thanks for this episode: Trae and Michelle Stephens, Elena Cladianos, Jennifer Lazala --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/faithcollides/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/faithcollides/support

Today Brad Kellogg is the Director of Consulting Services at Houston Methodist Global Healthcare, and he opens up on how his career journey has involved plenty of risks, a lot of change, and a humble reliance on God. Early in life, Brad learned about the ups and downs that can come with working. His family ran a car rental franchise, but the business went bankrupt in the 1980s. And as a kid, Brad started a successful lawn care company with a friend, and also experienced some challenging issues at church that made him come to his own faith. As Brad entered university, he had a desire to work as an engineer internationally after an internship in East Africa. When Brad graduated, he found a full-time engineering position with Schlumberger, a publicly traded oilfield services company. But entered the workforce when oil prices dropped to historical lows, so he experienced job uncertainty during his first months relocating to Texas. While Brad was able to keep his job and move up the corporate ladder, he and his wife Amy would have to transfer to Abu Dhabi and then to Venezuela. That’s when Brad felt like he was a cog in a big machine, and eventually took a large pay cut to shift industries from oil to healthcare. He started as a biomedical engineer and worked his way up to COO of a well-known hospital, Oasis Hospital now Kanad Hospital in the United Arab Emirates. Brad’s learned to hold things loosely and trust that whatever’s next is ultimately part of God’s plan for his life. You’ll hear more about it on this episode of Faith Collides. Special thanks for this episode: Brad and Amy Kellogg, Shaina Lee, Jennifer Lazala and Josh Batson Support Faith Collides podcast with a review—>  http://bit.ly/FaithC0llid3s Faith Collides podcast is hosted by Grace Huang from Lux Mundi.  More information: www.lxmundi.com --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/faithcollides/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/faithcollides/support

Jon Chiu did everything right to ensure a successful career by excelling in school, getting an engineering degree from UCLA, and landing a full-time job with an investment management firm right out of college. It looked like things had lined up quite nicely for Jon. But the year was 2008, and a financial crisis was about to crash the economy and change the world. Jon lost his job after only a few months. He reluctantly decided to work as a cashier at his sister’s frozen yogurt shop. All his hard work and his expensive degree felt pretty meaningless at that point. But Jon Chiu didn’t give up. He went back to school, earning a master’s from Stanford. Then he was hired as a management consultant for the prestigious McKinsey and Company. He thrived there, using his problem-solving skills to help the company’s clients make informed, data-driven decisions. Jon also worked at Google for a few years, and then came back to McKinsey as an Engagement Manager. Jon was good at what he did – but the long hours and high stress environment made him realize his faith and family were being put on the back burner. As Jon considered making a career change, his wife was given a job transfer from Silicon Valley to Los Angeles. Jon sent out his resume, hoping to find a new company in LA to work for that would give him a better work-life balance. Jon ended up as the Director of Strategy and Finance at Blizzard Entertainment, a video game company well-known for titles like World of Warcraft and Overwatch. For the past few years, especially during the COVID pandemic, Jon has enjoyed working in the video game industry. He’s achieved a better work-life balance and is happy to know that his company has helped people stay connected virtually during times when physical connection wasn’t possible. Jon’s story is all about overcoming obstacles by never giving up, always being ready to move on to the next thing when it’s time and trusting in God to help you make the right decisions. He shares more on this episode of Faith Collides. Special thanks for this episode: Jon and Karen Chiu, Jennifer Lazala, Josh Batson and Martin Garcia Support Faith Collides podcast with a review—>  http://bit.ly/FaithC0llid3s Faith Collides podcast is hosted by Grace Huang from Lux Mundi.  More information: www.lxmundi.com --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/faithcollides/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/faithcollides/support

Arin Pinto grew up in Texas yet has worked all over the world. His first trip abroad to India was a college internship with Goldman Sachs. After getting a master’s degree from Stanford University, he moved to China to study and do an internship with an energy-focused non-profit. From there, Arin moved to Ethiopia to take a low paying job with a private equity firm. When he tried to start his own business there, it failed, and he went back to the United States to figure out his next move. That’s when Arin discovered that “there’s a deeper, spiritual, mental, emotion element to what people need and it’s not just money.” On this episode of Faith Collides, he’ll share how he reached that point, and how it changed his mindset. Then, you’ll hear how Arin worked his way from sub-contracting to being on the management team of Khudairi Group, a Houston-based company focused on the oil and gas sector in Iraq.  It’s a story that will open your eyes to what it might look like to work in emerging markets. It’ll also give you a taste of what got Arin into energy, and how this industry drives economies and may evolve in the future. Special thanks for this episode: Arin and Rachel Pinto, Jennifer Lazala, and Josh Batson Support Faith Collides podcast with a review—>  http://bit.ly/FaithC0llid3s Faith Collides podcast is hosted by Grace Huang from Lux Mundi.  More information: www.lxmundi.com --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/faithcollides/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/faithcollides/support

Faith Collides is for people who think faith can collide with work. Season 2 dives into real and raw stories coming from industry leaders from all walks of life, who open up on how they’ve connected their faith in the most critical times of their careers. We believe if you care about doing well in your career, God cares too. Be inspired in the Christian faith, get career perspective and insight into different industries. Season 2 releases October 19th on all available podcast platforms. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/faithcollides/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/faithcollides/support

John Anderson is the former Deputy Prime Minister in Australia. He was part of a reformist government under the Howard Administration (a Liberal – National Coalition) that has been Australia’s longest standing government of our time. If you have not yet heard John's story of how he grew up on a farm, got into politics, and how he allowed his faith to define his identity, worth and work, you might want to first check out the episode here: www.faithcollides.com/johnanderson In this bonus content, we get into John's views a bit more. He shares his father's experience at war, how a politician might look at the issues facing western society, and what he thinks a Christian politician should respond during a pandemic. If you'd like to hear more thought-provoking conversations on politics, values and culture from John Anderson, you might want to check out his podcast and videos from his website: www.johnanderson.net.au. In a new series called John Anderson Direct, John stays safe and continues to talk to high profile leaders on today's issues -- direct from home. Note: The political views expressed by our valued guests are their own and their appearance on the show does not necessarily imply any endorsement of theirs or any entity they represent. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/faithcollides/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/faithcollides/support

John Anderson is a farmer who later became the Deputy Prime Minister in Australia, a role and rank similar to the US Vice President. He was part of a reformist government under the Howard Administration (a Liberal – National Coalition) that has been Australia’s longest standing government of our time. Since the mid-1800s, John’s family was farming and grazing sheep in Australia, and making a good living. But John was encouraged to be the first from his family to get a college degree. At the University of Sydney, John tried to study law but ended up intrigued by studying history. He says, “I'm one of those people who believes that you learn all you need to know about statecraft by studying history.” But the political scene did not come under John’s radar until after he graduated and went back to farming with his dad. Back at home, John realized the rural city divide between the Nationals, a party he represented, and the rest of the country. So at the age of 32 years old, John ran for Member of Parliament, similar to a seat in the US Congress, and was elected to represent Gwydir, one of the smallest districts in the country. John opens up about his political journey of dealing with public scrutiny and the politics in politics. He also talks about the challenges of reviewing the national budget and the challenging time Australia went through during the 9/11 era. Finally, John opens up about a personal tragedy, one he calls a “freakish experience where they have been the innocent cause of somebody else’s death.”  It caused him to lose his childhood and grapple with life’s toughest questions, but it also defined his faith and the type of leader he would become. After John retired from politics in 2005, he went back to farming and retreated into family life. But recently, John started a new venture where he invites prominent leaders in a discourse on values that define Western culture and faith in an effort to encourage open debate and better decision on public policy. Special thanks for this episode:  John Anderson, Alec Bennetts, Deb Sugars, Nathan Ng, Andrew Doust, Caroline DeJersey If you like what you’ve heard about John Anderson, below are a few more opportunities to get to know him more: John Anderson’s website: www.johnanderson.net.au (access to watch or listen to "Conversations with John Anderson") John Anderson on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JohnAndersonAO John Anderson’s biography Faith & Duty: https://www.amazon.com/Faith-Duty-John-Anderson-Story/dp/1741665647 About John Anderson’s new venture: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/weekend-australian-magazine/second-coming-john-andersons-new-venture/news-story/2221a61a7329912c005b3dcdffdebb6f ——– Support Faith Collides podcast with a review —>  http://bit.ly/FaithC0llid3s Faith Collides podcast is hosted by Grace Huang from Lux Mundi.  More information: www.lxmundi.com --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/faithcollides/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/faithcollides/support

Anne Beiler was 40 years old when she came up with the Auntie Anne’s brand for her famous soft pretzels. The company, now owned by private equity firm Roark Capital Group, has over 1,800 stores worldwide and annual sales of $800 million.   Growing up in an Amish community, Anne Beiler did not think about pursuing a career. She wanted to get married and raise a family. In her 20s, Anne married Jonas who was a mechanic and they were both lived happily on a farm. But on September 8, 1975, Anne was 26 years old when her second daughter Angie was killed in a tractor accident. Anne eventually sought counsel from a well-respected pastor in their community, but this would soon turn into seven years of sexual and religious abuse from him. When Anne finally had the courage to “confess” to her husband, Anne and Jonas got help through counseling. Out of that experience, Jonas wanted to change his career to become a counselor to help others in the community. Anne soon realized that she may need to find a job to support Jonas. So, in her late 30s, Anne started working at a farmer’s market making pretzels.   Starting her own franchising business had a set of challenges Anne never imagined. But she took it one day at a time. Anne shares how she borrowed $6,000 to buy the first store, how they came up with the secret recipe for Auntie Anne’s pretzels, and how she relied on her faith to get through the challenges of franchising the business and expanding the business nationwide. Anne also shares nuggets of wisdom on how she overcame the insecurity of having an 8th grade education as the CEO of Auntie Anne’s. She also gives insight on how and when she came to terms with selling the business. And most importantly, she opens up on how Jonas’ commitment to love her during their toughest days has made her into the women she is today.   Anne Beiler is now 71 years old, living each day with hope and freedom from her past. She wants the world to not just be inspired by the story of her starting Auntie Anne’s, but to also be encouraged by how she was able to break free from the most confusing, dark and depressing time of her life. Her latest book “Secret Lies Within” shares the details behind her abusive past, and more importantly, it provides an outlet for anyone who can relate.   ______ Get a digital or paper copy of Anne Beiler’s books from the links below (to support Faith Collides): Secret Lies Within: https://amzn.to/39TlhUY Twist of Faith: https://amzn.to/38XOkoS Special thanks for this episode: Anne Beiler, Gentry Lusby, Jennifer Phelps and Patricia Robson   Love Anne’s story and want to know more? Feel free to connect with her. Anne Beiler’s website: https://auntieannebeiler.com/ (access free resources) Anne Beiler’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/auntieanneb   ——– Episode break on Horst Schulze’s “Excellence Wins" book: https://amzn.to/37UWG11 ——– Support Faith Collides podcast with a review —>  http://bit.ly/FaithC0llid3s Faith Collides podcast is hosted by Grace Huang from Lux Mundi.  More information: www.lxmundi.com --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/faithcollides/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/faithcollides/support

Horst Schulze is the creative force behind The Ritz-Carlton hotel chain we know today. As President and COO, Horst grew The Ritz-Carlton hotel chain to approx. 50 hotels by his retirement in 2000. But Horst wasn’t finished, he says for fun he started an ultra-luxury hotel chain called Capella Hotel Group. Capella is also known as the hotel where President Trump and North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un shook hands for the first time at their 2018 historic summit. While Horst is widely known as the legendary luxury hotelier and for his contributions of excellence to the hotel industry – there is so much more to who he is. In Part 2 of this special episode on Horst Schulze, we find out how he became a founding member of building The Ritz-Carlton brand we know today. We also hear what it was like when Marriott bought a stake in the company, and what Horst did after he retired.  More interestingly, we find out what happened when he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer – primary leiomyosarcoma of the colon – and how that bought perspective to his faith, work and life in 1992. Since then, Horst has continued to pursue work with excellence, but he does so with gratitude and eternity in mind.   Special thanks for this episode: Horst Schulze, Kathy Wiggins, Alexis Schulze, Arnold Chang, Patricia Robson ——– Like what you’ve heard? Get Horst Schulze’s “Excellence Wins” on digital or print: https://amzn.to/37UWG11 ——– Support Faith Collides podcast with a review —>  http://bit.ly/FaithC0llid3s Faith Collides podcast is hosted by Grace Huang from Lux Mundi.  More information: www.lxmundi.com --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/faithcollides/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/faithcollides/support

Horst Schulze is the creative force behind The Ritz-Carlton hotel chain we know today. As President and COO, Horst grew The Ritz-Carlton hotel chain to approx. 50 hotels by his retirement in 2000. And shortly after, Horst founded an ultra-luxury hotel chain called Capella Hotel Group. Capella is also known as the hotel where President Trump and North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un shook hands for the first time at their 2018 historic summit. While Horst is widely known as the legendary luxury hotelier and for his contributions of excellence to the hotel industry – there is so much more to who he is. One way to get to know Horst is to listen to his incredible career story that involves faith, hard work and business sense. This first episode of a two-part special on Horst Schulze covers the stories and work highlights that he navigated through in the early part of his career. On Faith Collides, Horst shares some interesting highlights: Born in Germany when World War II started, Horst grew up in a small village yet knew he wanted to work at a hotel at 11 years old. At 14 years old, Horst was trained by the head waiter, the maître d', who taught and modeled excellence in whatever work he did, even as a bus boy. At 16 years old, Horst was inspired to write an essay at the trade school on defining himself at work. At 19 years old, Horst visited America for the first time. He worked as a waiter for the Holland America cruise ship. And visited the Waldorf Astoria in Manhattan to check off a top destination from his bucket list. In his early twenties, Horst moved from job to job in order to gain experience in the hospitality industry. He worked in the finest hotels in Europe such as The Savoy in London and the Bellevue Palace in Switzerland. At 25 years old and with $40 in his pocket, Horst took a one-way cruise to America to work at a new hotel in Texas. He quit after a few days and moved to work at a French restaurant in San Francisco. By 27 years old, Horst did not receive a highly coveted promotion to be room service waiter. From his late twenties to early thirties, Horst used vacation dates to enroll in hotel management courses at Cornell University for seven consecutive summers. In his mid-30s, Horst turned down an offer to be General Manager at Hyatt Hotels Corporation because he believed he needed one year of work experience in rooms management. In his late 30s, Horst was the General Manager for the most challenging Hyatt (former Howard Johnson hotel) in Pittsburg. It was also when he met his wife Sheri, who would impact him to apply faith into his life at work. At 45 years old, Horst became a founding member of The Ritz-Carlton Hotels.   This episode is packed with how Horst navigated through the early part of his career. We hope it will encourage you to remember how the path to achieving career success took a lot of hard word for even the most celebrated industry leaders and outspoken Christians like Horst Schulze. -------- Like what you've heard? Get Horst Schulze's "Excellence Wins" on digital or print: https://amzn.to/37UWG11 Special thanks for this episode: Horst Schulze, Kathy Wiggins, Patricia Robson, Jaime Roque   -------- Support Faith Collides podcast with a review --->  http://bit.ly/FaithC0llid3s Faith Collides podcast is hosted by Grace Huang from Lux Mundi.  More information: www.lxmundi.com --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/faithcollides/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/faithcollides/support

Caroline Tautz has played a pivotal role in bringing Arabic news and media content on a digital platform to the Middle East. In 2001, Caroline was asked to set up the first Arabic news service for CNN in the Gulf. Fluent in both Arabic and English, she was in charge of overseeing the launch of the CNN Arabic site and for covering news stories during a time of great regional upheaval. Caroline was the editor-in-chief for CNN Arabic services during a period of the US-led invasion of Iraq, the Arab spring, and the rise of the Islamist militant group ISIS.   In 2015, CNN appointed Caroline as Vice President of Arabic Services, and Rani R. Raad Chief Commercial Officer for CNN International stated, “Our continued investment under Caroline’s leadership in CNN Arabic reflects the strength of our aspirations for this region.” Today as the Dubai Chief Operations Director, Caroline continues to grow the CNN Arabic brand and build its operation in the region. In this episode, Caroline opens up for the very first time about how her career ambition became a reality. Caroline grew up in Jordan at a time when her community favored men over women. But fortunately for Caroline, her grandfather gave her the opportunities to sit in high ranking tribal meetings, ask questions, and join a children’s TV station.  When it was time for college, he paved the way for her to pursue journalism. Upon receiving a B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communications from Yarmouk University in Jordan, Caroline started working as a political reporter for Al Ra’i – the leading Arabic daily newspaper in Jordan. In 1990, Caroline represented the Jordanian delegation in Washington D.C. to cover the Arab-Israeli peace process, and as a journalist, found herself in the middle of a political situation beyond her control; she was viewed as a traitor to her country under the leadership of King Hussein. Caroline’s brother encouraged her to turn to her faith; and for the first time, Caroline realized there was a King who was above all kings in this world. And when the dust settled, Caroline was not only cleared from the situation, but continued to thrive in her role as a journalist and in her relationship with the Jordanian Royal Palace. Caroline shares how she got the opportunity to work for CNN, and how her faith has shaped the way she now looks at her work.   Follow Caroline on her social media. Twitter: @cfaraj LinkedIn: Caroline Faraj   Special thanks: Caroline and Carsten Tautz, Chris Benderev, Hannah Shinoda, Patricia Robson   ----------- Support Faith Collides podcast with a review --->  http://bit.ly/FaithC0llid3s Faith Collides podcast is hosted by Grace Huang from Lux Mundi.  More information: www.lxmundi.com --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/faithcollides/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/faithcollides/support

James Chia grew up in Singapore post WW2, at a time when the country was recovering after the Japanese occupation. The Chia family were village farmers, raising chicken, pigs and ducks to make ends meet.  James was the fifth son out of the 10 brothers, so he was somewhat shielded from farm chores and got to go to school and enter the National Military Service. But his second eldest brother S.L., started working odd jobs in high school to help out the family; and in 1969, S.L. got the opportunity to start his own art studio. This art studio was called Pico. Fifty years later, Pico is now a publicly listed company in Hong Kong, with a market capitalization of $400 million, over 30 offices worldwide and 3,000 employees. In this episode, James shares how his family grew up with humble beginnings, and his journey to join Pico and get into sales for the company. James also opens up about his faith journey, and how a phone call from his brother Henry got James to say a prayer for the first time at 40 years old. James went on to become the Group President of Pico, in charge of growing the business through an IPO and building relationships with employees to expand worldwide. Now close to retirement, James focuses his sharing on the grander scheme of things – like how he ties success to succession for his family to continue the business, and how he has finally found peace about life after his career ends. Read more on James Chia's story on Salt and Light   Special thanks for this episode: James and Woon Yeow Chia, John and Rosanne Chia, Carol Por and Michael Landry   ----------------- Support Faith Collides podcast with a review --->  http://bit.ly/FaithC0llid3s Faith Collides podcast is hosted by Grace Huang from Lux Mundi.  More information: www.lxmundi.com --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/faithcollides/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/faithcollides/support

Robert Dail never imagined he would have a career in the army. At a young age, he wanted to become a lawyer and enter politics. But it was also then when he committed his life to the Lord. Robert’s father was a blue-collar worker at a navy base in Virginia, and that was what prompted Robert to join the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC), a military preparatory program in college. Other than the fact that his father was a military man, Robert needed financial assistance. So, he joined the program half-hearted. It also didn’t help when the instructor told him that he would need to work in logistics. This meant Robert had to learn how to plan, procure and transport things like weapons, food and shelter. It wasn’t the manliest area in the program, but that was where Robert realized he was a natural at logistics. By the time Robert graduated from college, he had found out that he didn’t get into law school. He didn’t have a backup plan. But soon realized that since he had received a college degree and completed ROTC, he could join the US Army as an officer. So, he decided to try it out for two years. What was supposed to be two years turned into 33 years. Robert retired as a Lieutenant General, ranking 15 out of 1.5 million soldiers. Robert shares how a series of events happened that opened the doors for him to pursue an incredible career in the military. But also, how the ultimate door closed when he didn’t get four stars, and how he had to voluntarily retire from the US Army at 55 years old. Robert opens up about how he and his family were devastated, and how he picked himself up to see the breadth of opportunities for him in business. Since his retirement in 2008, Robert became the President of the US subsidiary of Supreme Group and eventually the Chief Commercial Officer of Supreme Group. He has also served and continues to serve on the Boards of several prestigious military and government-focused entities: ADS, Inc., LMI Government Consulting, iDirect Government Inc., Institute for Defense Business at University of North Carolina, National Technologies Associates and Flag Officer Advisory Council at Arizona State University. When Robert looks back at his career, he believes God’s plans have had precedence over his own plans. Even through the highs and lows of his career, Robert says he couldn’t have planned it better. Special thanks on this episode: Robert and Anne Dail, Hunter and Betsy Rawley, and Joel Arias   --------- Support Faith Collides podcast with a review --->  http://bit.ly/FaithC0llid3s Faith Collides podcast is hosted by Grace Huang from Lux Mundi.  More information: www.lxmundi.com --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/faithcollides/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/faithcollides/support

On July 28, 2019, GOOD TV released a speech from Jeremy Lin, and the media went viral on how Jeremy Lin hit rock bottom in his career because he feels like the NBA has given up on him. It was newsworthy because Jeremy Lin was on the Toronto Raptors, the same team who won this year’s NBA championship. And this was a historic win for Jeremy when he became the first Asian American to receive an NBA ring.   But the challenge was, Jeremy hardly played during the Finals. Also, his contract with the Raptors was ending after the season, and he was soon entering into free agency, which means he would need to secure a new contract with another team. Unfortunately, his prospects did not look promising. Since Linsanity, a record-setting streak of high-scoring games when Jeremy played for the New York Knicks during the 2011-2012 NBA season, Jeremy had sustained serious injuries. He would go on to play in six other teams until he joined the Raptors in 2019. And after a mediocre performance with Toronto Raptors, it didn’t seem like any teams were planning to sign him for the next season. So when Jeremy flew to Asia during his annual off-season tour, Jeremy was very disappointed. He opened up to his fans about hitting a career low on GOOD TV.  GOOD TV is the first Christian TV station in Taiwan, and every year since 2011, Jeremy has openly shared about his faith on this channel. But it was especially difficult for him to share this year, but at the same time, he decided to make it a meaningful message.  During his speech, Jeremy Lin broke down in front of a large auditorium of Taiwanese fans. He was not just crying because he was disappointed in having a crushed dream to not 'be the best basketball player he knew he could be,' but he was fighting to trust God through it all. That’s when he said: “I've given more of myself to God every single year. And every year, it gets harder. And in English there's a saying and it says, once you hit rock bottom, the only way is up. But rock bottom, just seems to keep getting more and more rock bottom for me. And so free agency has been tough, because I feel like in some ways, the NBA has kind of given up on me.”   Many people share about their failures after they’ve seen their successes. But not Jeremy Lin. His speech was powerful because of his openness and humility to trust God - even in the midst of uncertainty. He also goes beyond his personal career disappointment to share the hope and faith he has to others who are also going through a tough season. Jeremy shares about the prayer he said before his speech. “I told God, I said, ‘Man, if you want me to get up here, and cry in front everybody I will,’ because if the most powerful thing I can do is not to be a great player on the court, but to get up here, and share every last one of my failures with you. And if that's what it means to not give up, then I'll do it. And I just want to encourage you guys, don't disqualify yourself from what God wants to do in your life by giving up.”   Jeremy’s trust in God is contagious. He later goes on to give a response time, which can be viewed on GOOD TV. A lot of what Jeremy had to say really hits home and speaks to what we’re trying to do at Faith Collides. Because like Jeremy, we can often feel alone or confusion on ‘what’s next’ for our careers, even asking God where he is in the midst of it. It’s a good reminder that God is still there to sustain you. He’s still there to use you to bless others - even if rock bottom seems to get more and more rock bottom. Don’t lose hope. Like Jeremy Lin - make your hope and faith rooted in something real, something beyond your circumstance.   Note: On August 27, 2019, Jeremy announced on Instagram that he will be joining the Beijing Ducks. So, --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/faithcollides/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/faithcollides/support