What are you willing to sacrifice or concede for the goal of healthy family dynamics?

In this episode, Jeff, Jeff, and Josh discuss:

• Your kids are watching what you say, what you do, what you proclaim, and how those align.
• Learning from our peers while in community.
• Encouraging vulnerability.
• Finding a shared common passion.

Key Takeaways:

• The Gathering gives opportunities for kids and adults, alike, to connect with non-profit leaders and learn and make a difference with important services and programs.
• There are things that you are going to be assigned to do, have you made space to allow the next generation to carry forth something bigger than you?
• We don’t want to forget what is tried, true, and proven to work. But we also don’t want to forget to look at what might be, what ought to be, and what is coming next.
• Stewardship with family should be amazing and life-affirming. It should show you the goodness of God.

"Sometimes there are generational differences in what strikes our hearts as worthy of God's resources - worthy of our attention, worthy of our family’s capital - and some of these, you can frame it as disagreements. You can also frame it as a search for what you find as a shared common passion." — Josh Kwan

About Josh Kwan: Josh Kwan is the President of The Gathering, a learning community of philanthropists motivated by their Christian faith to give humbly and steward wisely all the resources God has entrusted to their care. Previously, he was a Co-Founder and Partner at Praxis, a creative engine for redemptive entrepreneurship whose mission is to build ventures, foster community, and create content for equipping Christian innovators, founders, and funders.

Josh served as the Director of International Giving for the David Weekley Family Foundation, where he divided his time between conducting due diligence on innovative social enterprises and helping portfolio organizations scale their impact. He worked as a journalist and was published in The San Jose Mercury News, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, and Stanford Social Innovation Review. He also co-founded Abide, a mobile app for encouraging and enlivening the practice of prayer and meditation. He has an AB from Harvard College and an MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management. He lives with his family near San Francisco.

Connect with Josh Kwan:

Website: https://www.thegathering.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshkwan/

Connect with Jeff Thomas:

Website: https://www.arkosglobal.com/

Podcast: https://www.generousbusinessowner.com/

Book: https://www.arkosglobal.com/trading-up

Email: jeff.thomas@arkosglobal.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArkosGlobalAdv

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arkosglobal/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/arkosglobaladvisors

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arkosglobaladvisors/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLUYpPwkHH7JrP6PrbHeBxw

Do you understand your relationship with God, with money, and with generosity?

In this episode, Jeff and Jamie discuss:

• Understanding what it means to have a true relationship with Jesus Christ at every level of life.
• Recognizing God’s gift within to serve and bless others.
• Solving a problem for somebody versus having an impact on their change story.
• Are we looking for a reason to give or a reason to not give?

Key Takeaways:

• Don’t underestimate the power of a personal invitation. As you feel the tug to do so, you may be surprised at who accepts.
• As long as they are breathing, people need encouragement.
• It is about more than just showing up. It is about what it takes to show up in the first place.
• If you are going to serve on a board, understand if you are there for the right reasons. You need to want to be there. Organizations can only go as high as the board allows.

"I don't want to be successful, I want to be significant. I want to have a legacy that's built around whether I actually added value to someone. I get lots of awards and things like that, and it's wonderful and humbling that I get recognized at times, but at the end of the day, it doesn't matter if I haven't added value to a person." — Jamie Levy

Episode References:

• Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig
• Giving for Impact by Jamie Levy

About Jamie Levy: Jamie D. Levy is the Founder and Chief Vision Officer of JDLevy & Associates, founding partner of FiscAlign accounting and financial services and founder of Discover Philanthropy. Jamie is also a faculty member at Indiana University, where he teaches in the graduate and professional programs in not-for-profit management and development through the IU Lilly School of Philanthropy, The Fund Raising School, and O'Neil School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Additionally, Jamie has been recognized as a distinguished alum and appointed to the Indiana University O'Neil School of Public and Environmental Affairs Distinguished Alumni Council, a significant honor given to few alums. Jamie is a published author/writer and speaker. He has trained over 50,000 professionals from some 30 countries through his teaching and consulting. He has become recognized as an international expert in nonprofit organizational development and social impact. Jamie also serves on the product design and industry thought leader team at Bloomerang. He is an officially designated U.S. Department of Labor nonprofit industry field expert and was appointed to the Indiana University O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs Distinguished Alumni Council and Alumni Board.

Connect with Jamie Levy:

Website: https://jdlevyassociates.com/

Website: https://www.discoverphilanthropy.com/

Website: https://www.fiscalign.net/

Connect with Jeff Thomas:

Website: https://www.arkosglobal.com/

Podcast: https://www.generousbusinessowner.com/

Book: https://www.arkosglobal.com/trading-up

Email: jeff.thomas@arkosglobal.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArkosGlobalAdv

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arkosglobal/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/arkosglobaladvisors

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arkosglobaladvisors/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLUYpPwkHH7JrP6PrbHeBxw

How are you balancing your attention to the callings God has given you?

In this episode, Jeff and Jenny discuss:

• Finding what lights you up and lets you serve others.
• Serving your children to serve others.
• Scaling and growth with a seasonal product.
• Empowering mothers to help their families.

Key Takeaways:

• Everyone has different paths in life. Parenthood is not a death sentence to your entrepreneurial or mission dreams.
• Inviting babysitters into your family intentionally can help you disciple your children and help you serve your mission.
• Be on the same page with your spouse about stewarding in your family.
• Your family is not an obstacle or an anchor holding you back. But don’t let your dreams hold you back from building your family.

"The balance that we're going to experience as women, between our business and our family, is not a problem to be solved, it's attention to be managed." — Jenny Watson

About Jenny Watson: As the owner of The Elderberry Co., Jenny is a devoted wife and mother to three children. Her entrepreneurial journey began in 2017, launching her small business from her home kitchen. Through her unwavering dedication, what started as a modest endeavor blossomed into a prosperous e-commerce venture, amassing over $10 million in sales and reaching customers across all 50 states. Apart from her business pursuits, she finds solace and joy in nature, frequently exploring and adventuring with her family. Whether immersed in the outdoors or enjoying quality time playing board games, she treasures moments of relaxation and bonding with her loved ones. Her ability to balance family life and entrepreneurial success serves as a testament to her determination and commitment to both her personal and professional pursuits.

Connect with Jenny Watson:

Website: https://theelderberryco.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theelderberryco

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theelderberryco

Connect with Jeff Thomas:

Website: https://www.arkosglobal.com/

Podcast: https://www.generousbusinessowner.com/

Book: https://www.arkosglobal.com/trading-up

Email: jeff.thomas@arkosglobal.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArkosGlobalAdv

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arkosglobal/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/arkosglobaladvisors

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arkosglobaladvisors/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLUYpPwkHH7JrP6PrbHeBxw