Fall 2022 Bethel Magazine

I Q WKH VXPPHU RI 1DJOH VHW KLV VLJKWV RQ KRVWLQJ D VXPPLW WKDW would bring his podcast audience into the same roomas his podcast JXHVWV +H SLWFKHG WKH LGHD WR /RUL 6WXW]PDQ 3K ' DVVRFLDWH SURIHVVRU RI EXVLQHVV DW %HWKHO 8QLYHUVLW\ Ţ7KHUHŠV QR EHWWHU SDUWQHU WKDQ %HWKHO WR GR VR , GLGQŠW KDYH WKH EDQGZLGWK >WR GR LW E\@ P\VHOI ţ KH VD\V $PLG VXPPLW SODQQLQJ 1DJOH LQWHUYLHZHG LQYHVWRU DQG HQWUHSUHQHXU 3DWULFN 6FKZDU]HQHJJHU VRQ RI $UQROG 6FKZDU]HQHJJHU RQ 6WDUWLQJ 6PDOO LQ 2FWREHU 6FKZDU]HQHJJHU KDG UHFHQWO\ ODXQFKHG D SURWHLQ EDU VWDUWXS FDOOHG 026+ ZKLFK KH FR IRXQGHG ZLWK KLV PRWKHU UHQRZQHG MRXUQDOLVW DQG SDUW RI WKH .HQQHG\ IDPLO\ 0DULD 6KULYHU $̃HU WKDW LQWHUYLHZ 6FKZDU]HQHJJHU FRPPHQGHG 1DJOH RQ KLV HWKLFV DQG GULYH DW VXFK D \RXQJ DJH 1DJOH VD\V 6FKZDU]HQHJJHU WROG KLP Ţ:KHQ \RX JUDGXDWH OHW PH NQRZ , ZDQW WR KLUH \RX ţ 1DJOH ZDV KRQRUHG E\ WKH RƂHU EXW IRFXVHG RQ WKH VXPPLW DQG KLV VHQLRU \HDU RI FROOHJH 7KH VXPPLW EXLOW ZLWK HDFK SODQQLQJ PHHWLQJ Ţ:KHQ , ƃUVW SLWFKHG WKH idea, itwas one speaker,maybe in a lecture hall.We began to add speakers, and I envisioned it getting bigger aswe began tomeetmore andmore,” 1DJOH UHFDOOV 7KH ƃUVW HYHU 6WDUWLQJ 6PDOO 6XPPLW ODXQFKHG RQ $SULO RQ WKH (YHUHVW 5RKUHU VWDJH DW %HWKHO 3HRSOH IURP ORFDO EXVLQHVVHV MRLQHG %HWKHO VWDƂ DQG VWXGHQWV LQ DWWHQGLQJ WKH VXPPLW ZKHUH 1DJOH PRGHUDWHG OLYH LQWHUYLHZV ZLWK -RH )RVWHU IRXQGHU RI 5HHERN 6WDF\ 0DGLVRQ IRXQGHU RI 6WDF\ŠV 3LWD &KLSV DQG %H%2/' %DUV DQG 'U -RQDWKDQ % /HYLQH IRXQGHU RI -%/ 1HZ <RUN &LW\ */2 6FLHQFH 1DJOH UHƄHFWV RQ )RVWHU Ƅ\LQJ LQ IURP /RQGRQ IRU the event,“Watching hiswork and knowing his history, and seeing himarrive inmy hometown,was surreal.” 7KDW VDPH QLJKW 1DJOH UHFHLYHG D WH[W IURP 6FKZDU]HQHJJHU ZKLFK UHDG Ţ+H\ KRZ DUH \RX GRLQJ PDQ" $UH \RX UHDG\ WR MRLQ XV"ţ $SSUHFLDWLYH RI 6FKZDU]HQHJJHUŠV SHUVLVWHQFH 1DJOH VWLOO KDG DQRWKHU PRQWK OH̃ LQ VFKRRO DQG KDG QRW SODQQHG WR PRYH DFURVV WKH FRXQWU\ D̃HUZDUG 7KH LGHD IDGHG DV 1DJOH JUDGXDWHG \HW 6FKZDU]HQHJJHU FRQWDFWHG KLP DJDLQ WKLV WLPH ZLWK DQ RƅFLDO RƂHU Ţ, ZDV WKH WKLUG LQWHUQDO KLUH IRU WKH FRPSDQ\ 026+ ţ 1DJOH H[SODLQV Ţ, DFFHSWHG WKH RƂHU LQ 0D\ DQG RQ -XQH , ƄHZ RXW WR /RV $QJHOHV DQG MRLQHG WKH FRPSDQ\ ţ 1DJOH ZRUNV DV WKH GLJLWDO PDUNHWLQJ PDQDJHU DW 026+ :LWK KLV RWKHU two coworkers being top talent executives fromWelch's DQG 1HVWO« DQG WDNLQJ WKH SRVLWLRQ ULJKW RXW RI FROOHJH 1DJOH VD\V KH KDV OHDUQHG WKH WHFKQLFDO VLGH RI WKH MRE TXLFNO\ Ţ7KH H[SHULHQFH OHYHO LV VR LQFUHGLEOH ,WŠV EHHQ JUHDW WR EH D SDUW RI WKDW DWPRVSKHUH every day.” As newopportunities arise fromStarting Small FRQQHFWLRQV 1DJOH SODQV WR NHHS WKH SRGFDVW at the forefront,continuing the Starting Small Summit.“I hope to scale the summit to a touring-type setupwhere I can host it at other XQLYHUVLWLHV Ũ ZH FDQ EULQJ LQ VSHDNHUV IURP WKHLU hometowns at a consistent and scalable basis,”he explains. Other plans for Starting Small include creating amedia company that hosts a network of shows focused onmusic, sports,entertainment,and PRUH ZLWK 1DJOH HTXLSSLQJ RWKHU KRVWV WR OHDG WKRVH SODWIRUPV :KDWHYHU KHLJKWV 6WDUWLQJ 6PDOO UHDFKHV 1DJOH KRSHV WR OHDQ RQ KLV IDLWK WR NHHS KLP grounded. “My faith has pushedme andmotivatedme to achievewhat Iwant to DFKLHYH LQ P\ ƃHOG EXW DW D KXPEOH OHYHO ţ KH VD\V ŢNHHSLQJ *RG DW WKH forefront of all.” 25 FALL 2022 Page 22: 1DJOH DW KLV KRPH RƅFH IRU 6WDUWLQJ 6PDOO LQ /RV $QJHOHV &DOLI Top OH˪ WR ULJKW /HYLQH 0DGVLRQ )RVWHU DQG 1DJOH DW WKH 6WDUWLQJ 6PDOO Summit. Right 1DJOH SLFWXUHG ZLWK DFWRU &KULV 3UDWW EURWKHU LQ ODZ WR 3DWULFN 6FZDU]HQHJJHU /H˪ 1DJOH SRVHV ZLWK 0DULD 6KULYHU UHQRZQHG MRXUQDOLVW DQG FR IRXQGHU RI 026+ ZLWK ZKRP KH ZRUNV FORVHO\