“Should You Work for Yourself? What You Can Do As An Entrepreneur and How to Pitch Yourself”

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Author: Lexi Mitchell| Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2023-24

“There is something special about being an entrepreneur.”

Students were excited to hear from Mr. Thiel in a recent forum where he shared what he does as an entrepreneur. Mr. Thiel owns M3dia Buy, where he has created online advertisements for over a hundred clients. According to Mr. Thiel, entrepreneurial success is determined by two things: your desires and the market you will serve. In his lecture he reviewed how he started his journey as an entrepreneur, what it takes to be successful, the blessings it provides, and how to become one.

Mr. Thiel described an incident during his childhood where he did not do well in Algebra; however, when he took Geometry the following year, he was very successful. He used this example to illustrate that a struggle in one area does not limit that person from succeeding in another. Later, while studying in college, he started a side hustle making websites, and after 4 years, he earned enough from it to make it a full-time job. Mr. Thiel used his experiences as an entrepreneur to help the students understand what makes one.

Requirements

  • Discipline: An entrepreneur must be able to tolerate discomfort and realize that it is temporary
  • Resourcefulness: A reference to the 5th law of success
  • Self-starting attitude: Ecclesiastes 9:10
  • Love: Love is not the same as passion. Entrepreneurs must love the people or customers they serve, which motivates them and gives them perseverance. 

He quoted Nietzsche, who said, “He who has a will to live can bear almost any how.” 

After explaining what requirements he deemed necessary to be an entrepreneur, he listed the blessings one could receive from this profession.

Blessings

  • Financial: “Self-employed people are four times more likely to be millionaires than those who work for others” (Thomas Stanley, The Millionaire Next Door). A blessing of being an entrepreneur is the ability to put as much effort as you want into a business; the entrepreneur isn’t limited to certain hours they work. Proverbs 10:4 states, “He who has a slack hand becomes poor, But the hand of the diligent makes rich.”
  • God is your boss: An entrepreneur can create guidelines and policies for their company based on Scriptural principles.
  • There is less pressure to work on the Sabbath.
  • Status: Being an entrepreneur gives a person the chance to make a name for themselves and to be seen as successful by others. Proverbs 22:29 states: Do you see a man who excels in his work?
  • He will stand before kings;
  • He will not stand before unknown men.

Paths to Entrepreneurship

  • Advertise your skills on gig services like Upwork, Fiverr, TaskRabbit, or Amazon
  • freelance/ consulting- get paid for your advice/projects
  • Trade jobs
  • Writer
  • Tech- graphic design, digital advertising
  • E-Commerce- Shopify, Etsy, TikTok Shop
  • Mobile or doorstep services- delivering service to the customer’s home

Ways to Get Work as an Entrepreneur

Ways to get work include–speaking at conferences, making Google ads, creating a podcast or YouTube channel, and being referred by others for a job on your reputation.

How to Convince People to Pay For Your Idea

Research market interest using tools such as Google Ads keyword planner to check the popularity of the good or service you want to market. Then, test the market by running ads and tracking the sales or calls per ad or creating a webpage.

How to Pitch Yourself

Mr. Thiel described his method for pitching yourself, and it involves two steps:

  1. Write what you’ve uniquely accomplished.
  2. Write what you’re offering that appeals to the self-interest of your prospect.

Mr.Thiel provided an insightful forum on entrepreneurship that encouraged the students to think creatively. Drawing on his experiences as an entrepreneur, he provided them with a roadmap for assessing their qualifications to be entrepreneurs and learning how to become one successfully.

Being The Managing Editor

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Author: Lexi Mitchell| Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2023-24

In a recent forum, the students heard from Mr. Robinson, the managing editor for the Living Church of God. As managing editor, he is involved in the design and layout of Tomorrow’s World and Living Church News and nearly all of the church’s written and printed content. When God works in our life, He gives us the experiences we need to shape us for later in life. In his current job, Mr. Robinson employs design principles that are a key factor in increasing comprehension for the readers of Church literature.

Experiences Matter

Mr. Robinson stated that God gave him the perfect life experiences to bring him to where he is today. Despite only attending Ambassador College for one year and never finishing his degree, he had already learned the printing trade and used this knowledge to find a job in the field. He was at the right time to witness the technology boom in the print industry. At one of his first jobs, Mr. Robinson typeset business cards. After that, he landed a job at a high-end design agency, where he wondered why he was there since he had never been interested in design. Mr. Robinson worked at a print shop for 12 years before being hired by the Church.

We might have experiences in life that don’t make sense now, or we may be in situations that cause us to wonder, however, Mr. Robinson reminded us of Romans 8:28: 

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

God places us in situations that prepare us for what we will later do. He has a master plan for us, and we must remember that He has a perfect end goal. We shouldn’t be discouraged, even if we are in a difficult situation that leaves us wondering why.

After 20 years of publishing experience, Mr. Robinson was offered a job as the Managing Editor of the Living Church of God. His experiences working in print shops and design suddenly became useful; one of his first projects was redesigning Tomorrow’s World Magazine. Today, design is very relevant to his job. 

The Purpose of Design:

The design organizes and clarifies information to be intelligible to the reader; and conveys the essentials to them.

Principles of Design for a Managing Editor

  1. Structure of elements for a design and create a clear order of visual dominance between elements
  2. The font used and how the text is displayed matters
  3. Selection of color for printing and color theory
  4. Image & Cover Selection

Mr. Robinson provided an insightful forum into how he came to his job as Managing Editor of the Living Church of God and the importance of design. When we are left wondering why we are given a certain experience, we need to have faith that God has a master plan for us and there is a reason. 

Speedreading the Bible

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Mr. Gerald Weston closed this semester’s Living Education Forums program by sharing with the students the benefits of speed reading their Bibles. 

Throughout the hour period, Mr. Weston guided the students from the first chapter of Genesis through first Kings, highlighting key events and people, using a “Bible Speedreading” technique.

“Speed reading” the Bible means not just reading quickly but identifying key events and people that are part of the story flow of the Bible. This exercise provides a grasp of the overall layout of the Bible. While it may not focus on the details, it gives an understanding of where to find them, with a knowledge of the overall framework in mind. 

Mr. Weston concluded the forum by reminding the students that Bibles on cell phones have their place, but a physical copy of the Bible is important to own. A digital version can be handy, but for certain study techniques, like “speedreading the Bible”, it just doesn’t work! He left the students with the reminder to not neglect the practice of studying the Bible – and don’t let the attractiveness of a digital Bible outshine the value of the physical, written word. 

Winter Retreat

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Author: Katelyn Wissinger| Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2024-25

Over our winter break, we took a trip into the North Carolina mountains for a relaxing retreat before getting back to the books again. Despite the chilling temperatures outside, we students had the opportunity to go snow tubing and hiking through the winter scenery. When it was time to warm up, the students huddled around inside to play games, make candy, and catch up with each other. This winter retreat allowed us to make memories and build stronger bonds that will last far longer than just the couple of days of the trip.

Sunday

On Sunday afternoon, we set out for the three-hour drive into the North Carolina mountains to the rental house we would stay in for the next few days. The home was surrounded by a pine farm and sat high in the landscape, allowing us to fully appreciate the beautiful sunset. On the night of arrival, all of us students and the faculty members assembled around a long table for a group meal of taco salad. A major highlight of the night was a game of spoons that most students engaged in, eagerly on edge for that one remaining spoon.

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Monday

On Monday, we woke up to a continental-style breakfast prepared by some of the LE ladies who provided us with the nourishment we needed to go snow tubing in the chilly weather. Despite the long lines, the students enjoyed numerous rides down the slippery slopes, letting out whoops and hollers with the thrill of quickly sliding down the slope. After finishing snow tubing, we returned to the warmth of the house. The afternoon hours were spent relaxing and playing card games. Later in the evening, Mr. McNair announced to us that we would be in for a sticky surprise. Led by the 2nd year students, we were divided into teams to make the best-tasting honey taffy. We all found ourselves in sticky situations, but the result more than made up for it.

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Tuesday

On the final full day of the retreat, we traveled to Grandfather Mountain. While the fog hindered our views as we wound our way up the mountain, the Grandfather Mountain Park team provided us with an audio-guided tour in our vehicles that reviewed its history. Along the route, we stopped at the nature discovery center, where we viewed a short film on all the mountain offers its visitors. The fog parted on the way back down the mountain, and we got a much clearer view of the surrounding landscape. Back at the house that night, we all settled in for games of Bible-themed jeopardy, which made us realize how difficult it can be to come up with answers when put on the spot. The night’s activity reminded us of how much we have to learn yet and the usefulness of our classes in the coming semester.

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Reflection

This winter retreat provided our students with valuable memories that will last with us longer than the trip itself. While we may have been frozen on the outside by the crisp weather, our hearts were warmed by the stronger bonds we built between each other. Now it’s time to jump into the new semester!

Singles Movie Night

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Author: Katelyn Wissinger | Student, Living Education Charlotte 2024

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This past Saturday evening, the Living Education students helped coordinate a movie night for the singles in the Charlotte congregation. In the week leading up to the movie night, the LivingEd women’s and men’s RA tirelessly worked on the logistics, decorations, and snacks. The women had a blast digging out old decorations from the ladies’ dorm garage where they found signs and twinkle lights. The day before the movie night arrived; one student was making popcorn drizzled in sweet white chocolate. They tasted scrumptious! On Saturday night all of the students arrived at the meeting hall at our Headquarters facility to set up the chairs and tables for snacks. The kitchen was a hive of activity with popcorn and drinks hurriedly being made as well as the snacks being opened. The women enjoyed setting up the decorations and displaying the food for the movie night and a warm cozy atmosphere filled the meeting room. Once everyone had arrived, they settled into chairs or found a comfortable spot on the floor eager for the movie to begin. With the lights dimmed, the action started and everyone locked into the beautiful “Sound of Music!”

Jesus’ View of the Old Testament

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Mr. Kenneth Frank spoke with us this past forum on the important lessons we can draw from Christ Jesus and the way he treated the Old Testament 

Mr. Frank began by reminding us that there are three sections to the Hebrew Bible: the Law, the Writings, and the Prophets. He pointed out that Jesus demonstrated that all of these, not just the law and the prophets, are the authoritative words of God by quoting them in the New Testament. Jesus said in Matthew 5:17, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.” Christ also showed that He was the God of the Old Testament when he stated “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms (writings) concerning Me” (Luke 24:44).

Mr. Frank then gave several examples of how Christ confirmed the Old Testament as still relevant and how Christ Jesus views it. Jesus even quoted from fourteen separate books of the Old Testament.

He quoted from:

Genesis in Mark 10:6-8

Exodus in Luke 18:20

Deuteronomy in Luke 10:26-28

1 Samuel in Mark 2:25

1 Kings in Matthew 12:42

Psalms in Mark 12:10

Isaiah in Matthew 13:13-14

Daniel in Matthew 24:15

Hosea in Matthew 9:13

Jonah in Matthew 12:40

Zechariah in Matthew 26:31

Malachi in Matthew 11:10

Jesus confirmed the existence of specific people from the Old Testament:

Abraham is mentioned in John 8:56

Isaac & Jacob are mentioned in Matthew 8:11

David is mentioned in Matthew 12:1-3

Solomon is mentioned in Matthew 6:9

Queen of Sheba is mentioned in Matthew 12:42

Elijah is mentioned in Matthew 17:11 

Elisha is mentioned in Luke 4:27

Zechariah is mentioned in Luke 11:49-51

Jesus believed the stories from the Old Testament such as:

Moses commanded circumcision found in John 7:22

Manna was provided for the Israelites found in John 6:31

David ate shewbread found in Matthew 12:3-4

David wrote certain Psalms found in Matthew 22:41-44

Moses authored the law found in Matthew 8:4

The prophets were persecuted, as found in Matthew 5:11-12

Lot’s wife being turned to stone found in Luke 17:32

The destruction of Sodom & Gomorrah found in Matthew 10:14-15

The destruction of Tyre & Sidon found in Matthew 11:21-22

Adam & Eve found in Matthew 19:4-5

Cain & Abel found in Luke 11:50-52

The Flood found in Matthew 24:37-39

Jonah & the fish found in Matthew 12:38-41

Jesus confirms the authorship of disputed books such as:

Daniel found in Matthew 24:15, and Isaiah found in Matthew 8:16-17

From these examples, we can understand that the Bible is God’s inspired word. This will assist us so we won’t fall prey to misunderstandings brought by Satan the devil. This helps to solidify in our minds that Jesus Christ is the God of the Old Testament, inspired the writing of it, and it is only natural that He would accept as authoritative that which He inspired. 

Fast and Furious

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This past Sunday, 15 students and five faculty members visited the NASCAR Hall of Fame in downtown Charlotte. When it comes to North Carolina culture, NASCAR racing is definitely in the fast lane! During our visit, we viewed the exhibits, including a variety of winning race-cars, learned about the history of the sport and even had some good-hearted competition. 

Since most of group had little or no knowledge of auto racing, it was a surprise to learn that the origins of the sport dated back to the days of “running moonshine” in the Appalachian hills. Stock car racing took off in Daytona, Florida, in 1936, and that NASCAR was officially formed at the Streamline Hotel on Daytona Beach in 1948. Our group wandered around the displays, listening to the stories of famous drivers and learning about the development of the engines, car bodies, and the safety technology that has been a big part of the sport.

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When we found our way to the “pit stop” area, we were directed to form three-person teams and compete in head to head competition. In a side by side competition on two stock-car mock-ups, two teams were coached in the skill of jacking up the “half-car”, quick-changing the tire, and putting a replica gas nozzle into the car’s tank. With a “ready, set, go”, both teams raced to the mock cars, trying to clock the best time.

But the highlight of the day was the chance to drive a race-car simulator – experiencing what it is like behind the wheel in a race. Seated in replica cars decked with the necessary electronics, students and faculty had a blast competing for that sought-after trophy. Time and time again, we raced with the goal that we might come in first this time.

The drive home somehow felt sluggish after the high-pace racing, but we students were going back revamped and ready to take on the finals that appeared ever so daunting.

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Mark Cavendish: Never Enough

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At a recent forum, Mr. McNair surprised the Living Education students by announcing that they would be viewing a documentary featuring Mark Cavendish. Cavendish holds the record for most stage wins at the Tour de France (35), achieved across 15 Tours and 17 years (2008-2024). The students were able to draw some meaningful lessons and practice their analytical skills as they learned about Mark Cavendish and his career as a cyclist.

The Lessons

Perseverance: Mark Cavendish is described as an outstanding cyclist who won many Tour de France stages. The Tour de France is a grueling cycling race over a long distance broken up into stages, with some steep hills. In the beginning of the film, Cavendish is shown winning many trophies, but as he becomes more famous for his talent the pressure builds on him to keep winning. This pressure eventually got to him and he began to struggle physically and mentally. He was diagnosed with Epstein Barres syndrome, which took a toll on his energy and strength. However, he didn’t give up on pursuing cycling. Instead, he persevered through the dark and hard times he experienced as he struggled to regain his cycling glory.

Devotion with focus: From the time Cavendish started cycling he displayed tremendous focus on his goal of winning the Tour de France overall and winning several other races. He worked extremely hard and pushed himself hard physically to achieve his goals. He was devoted to cycling. Whereas Cavendish was devoted with a focus to pursuing cycling glory and an earthly goal, the LE students and those in the church can show this devotion and focus in seeking “first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33).

Final Thoughts

The film Mark Cavendish: Never Enough gave the students who watched it a view into the cycling world that many of them did not know much about. Not only did they learn more about cycling and Cavendish but they also were able to draw valuable lessons and perspectives from it.

Waldensian Field Trip

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Living Your Best Life!

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At a Forum this past Thursday, Mr. Argus Wiley, president and CEO of Red Door Brands, spoke on what it means to live ‘your best life’ and how to achieve it. “You are the future of this world! is a phrase often directed at the younger generation,” Mr. Wiley began. This may seem stressful, and keep people from succeeding. It really is a lot being asked of us, yet there are still people who take on the burden of this knowledge and still strive to live the best life they can. There has been and always will be this challenge for young people, but there is a necessity to go out and make the absolute best of it!

When is your best life?

He asked us if we believe that our best life is behind us, if we’re living it now, or if it is still yet to come. One could argue that being able to live with minimal worries means having a personal chef or being surrounded by people who love us – which we might think is our “best life.” Doesn’t this sound like our childhood? For others, their best life means moving out of their parent’s house.

The odds of living the best life

Mr. Wiley presented statistics from a quick Google search he conducted on how most people in the United States live. This helped to solidify within our minds the reality of the work needed to achieve our best lives as opposed to simply believing we can let it happen.

7.29% of people become a millionaire

11.5% will end up living in poverty 

83% of people will get married

50% of those who get married will stay married  

44.4% will become obese 

16.5% will be an addict of some sort

22.8% will suffer a mental ailment

53% of people report being unhappy in their life.

Looking at this, it is more likely for us to live in poverty than to become a millionaire. He wanted to drill into our minds the severity of these reports. “You shouldn’t brush this off just because we are in the church, don’t think that can’t happen to me.” We have to put in the work daily to ensure that we do not become one of these depressing statistics.

Keys to assist in achieving the best life

  1. Get a mission statement 

A personal mission statement can give us guidance on where we are going. “People have the drive for success, but lack the sense of direction to achieve the destination.” Mr. Ames has a sermon titled What is Your Mission Statement, that Mr. Wiley recommended. Businesses, successful people, and the wealthy all have mission statements, and we need to as well.

  1. Show up

Woody Allen once said that showing up is 80% of success. Showing up is the act of making up your mind to follow through and do something. Even the little things matter; the simple act of making your bed in the morning is showing up.

  1. Do Hard Things

Human nature has the desire to quit when things become difficult, thus we need to work to push through the difficult times that will appear in each and every one of our lives. Mr. Rod McNair gave a sermon titled Do Hard Things that goes into deeper detail. 

  1. Never stop learning

Author Bryan Tracy said, “Reading a book a week on one specific topic for 7 years will make someone an expert in that specific area.” If we stop growing and learning, then we ultimately will fall within the earlier-mentioned statistics. 

  1. It is all your fault

We all will end up with the results we deserve because of what we earn through our actions. We cannot blame others for what happens to us.

  1. Pray along the way

Prayer is a vital must, yet at times we may also have to pray on the journey. Mr. Wiley described a story about two kids who missed the school bus and saw it riding off into the distance. One instantly drops to his knees and asks God for the bus to stop, while the other immediately takes off running while praying that he can catch up to it. The only one able to catch the bus was the one praying while he ran. Prayer is necessary, but we also need to put in the work to achieve our goals.

“It will take all of these strategies to become successful in living the best life.”

We have all of these opportunities to live the best life, now what are we going to do with them?