You were not meant to lead alone.

Before joining C12, I often felt like I had to figure everything out on my own. As a business owner, that can be pretty isolating. I also realized that I tended to view people through a skeptical lens. If I saw someone standing around for a few minutes or something didn’t seem quite right, I’d start wondering if there was a bigger issue. Looking back, I think I spent too much time looking for what was wrong instead of what was right.

One of the biggest things my chair, Eric, has taught me is that this isn’t really my business. It’s God’s business, and I’m simply a steward of what He’s entrusted to me. That perspective has been incredibly freeing. Recently, an employee left unexpectedly and I was caught off guard. Eric simply said, “They didn’t quit you. They quit God’s business, and God can handle that.” That helped me step back and remember that God is still in control.

That change in perspective has also affected the way I lead my team. Just recently, a customer was telling me how happy they were with one of my team members. A year ago, I probably would have thanked the customer and moved on. Instead, I found myself telling the customer how proud I was of them. It seems like a small thing, but I think it’s evidence that God is changing my heart as a leader. I’m becoming quicker to encourage people than I am to criticize them.

If you’re a Christian business owner who wants to build a business that honors God without neglecting the practical side of running a healthy company, I’d encourage you to consider C12. I still have a lot to learn, but I can already see God using it to shape me into a better leader, and I look forward to seeing where that journey leads.

When I joined C12, our business was already doing well. I wasn’t looking for someone to rescue the business. I was looking for someone to help prepare me for the next phase. As both the CEO and the head of sales, I knew the future of our company would require me to spend less time being the top salesperson and more time becoming the leader our organization needs.

One of the greatest blessings has been my relationship with my chair, Eric. He’s become much more than a facilitator; he’s become a friend and a coach in both business and life. Those two are inseparable. Every month I leave C12 with practical, workable ideas that I can take home and implement. Sometimes it’s just one idea, but one good idea can make a real difference. A great example was the Care Matrix. We put it into practice almost immediately with birthday cards, gift cards, and care interviews for our team. It has already made a noticeable difference in how we care for our people and has given us a practical way to live out our faith in the workplace.

The biggest change, though, has been in me. One piece of coaching that has stayed with me is to focus first on becoming a better leader myself before trying to make everyone else a better leader. As my team sees me grow, there will be time to help them grow as well. C12 has also helped me remember that this is God’s business. I’m a steward, not the owner in the ultimate sense. That mindset has brought a peace and confidence I didn’t have before.

Looking ahead, I hope people notice that our company continues to improve because I learned to get out of the way, empower our team, give people ownership, and lead better. If another business owner asked me whether C12 is worth the investment, my answer would be simple: absolutely. Leadership can be lonely, and every CEO needs someone in their corner who genuinely cares about both them and their business. C12 has been that for me.

C12 brings together two things I’ve been looking for: a deep commitment to Christian faith and practical principles for leading a great business.

I’ve experienced aspects of that through wonderful organizations like KIROS and C3 Leaders. What stands out about C12 is the depth and practical focus of a full day together each month. It gives me something to carry into the weeks that follow: How do I put this into practice in our business and with our team?

Just three months in, I’m already seeing practical value. I brought material from our forum to my leadership team, and they were fully on board with putting the ideas to work. We’re preparing to work through a strategic planning process together. We’re also developing a more intentional process for reviewing our clients and vendors, building on something we previously did informally.

For me, that’s what makes C12 valuable: it connects faith and business in ways I can bring back to my team and put into practice.