In this powerful and faith-filled episode, Matt sits down with motivational speaker, pastor, and leadership coach Benjamin Lundquist, host of the Rise and Lead podcast, to talk about what it really means to live with purpose, build a life of impact, and rise as high as your foundation is strong.

Benjamin shares a miraculous story from his college years—an experience that nearly took his life but instead became a divine wake-up call that set him on a lifelong mission to awaken purpose and raise world-changing leaders.

Together, Matt and Benjamin unpack deep truths about calling, purpose, and identity, including why:

1. Your calling isn’t the same as your career.
2. You rise only as high as your foundation is strong.
3. We must work from approval, not for it.
4. Noise, comparison, and distraction are the enemies of clarity.
5. You already have what you need in your hands for your next step.

They also explore the idea of primal questions—the deep, core questions that drive how we lead, love, and live—and how identifying your own can bring clarity and healing in your relationships, business, and faith.

Whether you’re an entrepreneur, pastor, or parent, this conversation will help you realign your focus, rediscover your purpose, and remember that you are already enough because of who you are—not what you do.

Key Themes & Takeaways

1. “We rise as high as our foundation is strong.”
2. Identity and purpose come from God, not performance.
3. Your career is a platform; your calling is bigger.
4. Cut out the noise—clarity comes from focus and stillness.
5. Steward what’s in your hands before asking for what’s next.
6. You already have the resources and relationships for your next step.
7. Leadership begins with leading yourself well.

About Benjamin Lundquist

Benjamin Lundquist is a top motivational speaker, pastor, and leadership coach recognized as one of the leading voices empowering today’s generation. With over 25 years of ministry and leadership experience, Benjamin has become a trusted coach to pastors, executives, and purpose-driven leaders around the world.

His mission is simple yet powerful: to awaken purpose, ignite transformation, and raise up world-changing leaders.

Benjamin is the founder and host of the Rise and Lead Podcast, a top 1% global show heard in over 145 countries, where he equips listeners to crush limiting beliefs, discover their true value, and lead with bold, Kingdom-centered vision. His practical, faith-driven message resonates with audiences across schools, corporations, churches, and conferences, inspiring them to live the life they were created for.

Beyond the stage, Benjamin is a devoted husband to his wife Kim and proud father to two amazing kids. His passion for family and faith shapes everything he teaches—reminding leaders that true success begins with a strong foundation at home.

Connect with Benjamin

1. Website: www.riseandlead.com
2. Instagram: @benjaminlundquist
3. Email: info@benjaminlundquist.com
4. Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rise-and-lead/id1469123862

All right, all right, well, welcome back to this episode of the One Life podcast. Thank you again for listening. So grateful that you were part of our One Life community. You are in for a treat today. I am so excited to introduce my new friend, Benjamin Lundquist to you. Benjamin, man, thanks for being here, bro.

Matt, Matt, absolutely huge, huge honor. And I've been really looking forward to this conversation.

Yeah. The moment we first connected and you said, Hey, I'd love to be on the podcast sometime. And I was like, okay, this is like, I literally put it in bold on my invite list and said, this has got to happen soon. So, but excited to share Benjamin with all of you. just a personal connection or story with Benjamin is I don't even honestly remember how I started listening to your content, but somebody must've shared something on Instagram, a story and whatever the quote was, it must've caught my eye months ago.

And man, I'm telling you, it's like your content is made for me. I started listening to a couple just snips and clips. Next thing you know, I'm in full podcast episodes and I'm like, man, he's talking to me. So bro, you've been such an encouragement to me and I just am so excited to share you with my community. So just want to honor you for the work you're doing. The platform guy has blessed you with and you're leveraging it for his glory and it's just, beautiful, bro. So I honor you for that.

No.

Matt, thanks so much. And yeah, I don't know if it was Instagram, LinkedIn, but have loved your vibe, what you're building from the very beginning. And I think that was a good way to describe it. I think we got a growing relationship that I hope is really going to go long term. And there's a kind of that idea that we're stronger together. you know, I know you're blessing me. I hope I can add some value to you and your audience. But I think God's got big things ahead for both of us.

And actually for many of you, you'll be at a marriage and business retreat we're doing here in, well, it'll be probably behind us by the time this episode comes out, but Benjamin's going to be leading a workshop for us at that retreat, doing a keynote talk for us over our celebration dinner. So it's going to be special, but let me honor you, Benjamin, just do a formal introduction. If I may, just to introduce you to our community, Benjamin Lundquist is a top motivational speaker.

Pastor and leadership coach recognizes one of the leading voices empowering today's generation. With over 25 years of ministry and leadership experience, he's a trusted coach to pastors, executives, and purpose-driven leaders across the globe. Benjamin's mission is clear, awaken purpose, ignite transformation, and rise up world-changing leaders. His practical, faith-driven message helps people crush limiting beliefs, discover their true value, and lead with bold, Kingdom-centered vision.

He's the founder and host of the Rise and Lead podcast, a top 1 % global show heard in over 145 countries. So cool. Each episode challenges listeners to grow in character, expand their influence, and live the life they were created for. Sounds very similar to the mission of One Life, bro. Benjamin speaks to students, professionals, corporations, faith communities, and universities, equipping every audience with tools that work and a message that moves. And bro, I can absolutely...

confirm that that's your message because that's the impact it's had on me. So again, thanks bro. We'll get started here. Also a little bit more about Benjamin. Probably more important to you and more exciting for you than that whole beautiful bio is your wife. You've been married to your wife Kim for 20 years now, right? And you got two kids in high school. Is that correct?

Yep, yep.

Yeah, I just for anybody like pray over your brother because I'm you know, we're trying to figure out the fatherhood journey and experience. But yeah, I've got a daughter who's a freshman and volleyball player and then a son who's a sophomore. So yeah, two grades back to back. So yeah, Kim and I are right in that parenting high school student journey. And as much as you may do that, you know, as far as supporting other other people's kids.

When it's your own, feel like you're back in that classroom and you're just in that learning mode of, I thought we had this figured out and it's new to all of us. So yeah, I'm really enjoying that time. And even with all the opportunities to serve and do different things, I try to be at every volleyball game, every track meet, and just sitting there in the stands loving all the kids and being part of their journey.

There's a quote I've shared on this podcast many times, Benjamin, but it'll align perfectly with what you just said, but no other success can compensate for failure in the home, right? We can go save the world, but if it's at the expense of our own kids, no way, no thanks. So tell us real quick, I know you lived in Scottsdale for years and you moved your family to Oregon. So just for a fun question to kind of kick us off, what does a fulfilling week look like for you, or maybe a Friday through Sunday when you're with the family?

That's it. That's it.

doing your routine in Oregon. What's that rhythm and routine look like for you?

Yeah, that's a good question. there are a couple, I'll just start with me on the personal level. There are just some foundational habits that are kind of for me, things that I just have to lock into every single day, kind of my non-negotiables. so I really like, this, selfish or not, I like an hour of solo time before I see anybody else. So, you know, I try to get up, you know, early.

And I just do an hour in the word, hour with prayer, walk in my backyard a little bit, feed the dogs. But I need about an hour of solo time for me just to kind of collect my thoughts and really just get my mind focused on the day. And then sometime throughout the day, I get a workout in for sure, try to knock about six of those out per week to make sure that I'm just moving and staying healthy.

And then I usually try to have some good conversation with my wife Kim every day. We've got a practice that we call 20 minutes of phone free conversation a day. So we try to just put the phones away and just check in minimum 20 minutes a day to just say, hey, how are you doing? What's going on? How's your heart? How's your mind? How are we doing? I'm often asking her, there anything else that I can do either this day or this week?

to make you feel more loved, more supported, and just be more present in what she's doing. And Kim's been going through some health challenges in the last six months. And for anybody who's gone through health stuff, you can be extremely healthy at something just comes out of nowhere that you don't see coming. And so a lot of the last six months for me, if I can just be a little vulnerable.

has been trying to just adjust my approach to life to make sure that as Kim's in this season of needing a little bit of extra emotional support that I can be there for her. And I think we may get into this later, Matt, but I think a lot of life, it's really about the assignment that is in front of you. so I think right now, one of my key assignments is just to be present for my life partner who is going through a challenge that she didn't invite.

that she doesn't even wanna be experiencing. And God's been so good, but that's a lot of my time is just trying to be present with her and then show up at all the kids stuff that I can. somebody, mentor of mine shared this kind of idea about influencing your kids. They said the number one way that you can influence your kids is to impact their friends.

And so when you know all the friends of your kids and you're the dad speaking life into all the friends of your kids, you're going to end up doing that for that tribe and community. But inevitably that's going to trickle down into your kids as well. just, you know, being on the core high-fiving people, cheering for all the teammates by name. So they know who I am and they know that I know who they are, but that's kind of a big thing for me is just, lead myself well.

being present with the family. And then I think just keeping momentum going and momentum for me is continuing to try to add value to people, keep the podcast going, follow up on opportunities, look for ways to connect and collaborate with different people and just keep that momentum going. So yeah, those are a couple of things. Me leading me, being there for the family. And then I think just trying to do my best daily and weekly to just steward

the opportunities and momentum that God's got, got in my life.

I'm so glad you got into that and thank you for for being vulnerable to share that I didn't I didn't know that about Kim walking through that and and guys I want you to hear something that he just you know, we talked a lot on this podcast about it might sometimes feel kumbaya because we're talking about you know marriage and family and community and we don't necessarily spend as much time talking about the hard work but guys this is why we roll up our sleeves and we work hard and we steward well what's in front of us is because

we need to structure a business and a life that we can step away confidently and show up when that assignment changes like Benjamin just said, because how stressful would that be if if we didn't have systems and personnel and processes in place where business can still happen, but we can still show up for those that need us when they need us. So man, thanks for sharing that dude. I'll be praying for you. I promise. And for Kim, but hey, let's get into your your story specifically. And I want to start

Yeah, thanks so much.

I want to start where your podcast starts. This hiking story where you're leading a hike, right, with I think a youth outreach or youth ministry that you're leading. I don't want to steal the story from you. So share that with our audience. What was that pivotal moment in your life like?

Yeah, so we're going, and again, this makes me feel a little bit aged, if you will. But like, we're going all the way back to like university college experience for me. And I don't know if anybody can relate, but I have always struggled, we'll get into this I'm sure later, Matt, but struggled with the clarity of what in the world is God wanting me to do? And how do you approach this idea of calling clarity and career? How do you make sense of all that?

you know, confusion and the pressure. So I was a couple of years into college and at that point it had, I think Matt, eight different declared majors. So this was not just ideas in my head. I had declared majors eight different times, trying all these things, trying to figure out, you know, I think what God wanted me to do and what this career thing was supposed to look like. And I finally came to what I would say was a kind of a crossroads of

I really don't know what I'm doing and I just need to pull back and reflect. And so I ended up taking a year off and I went and served on an island in the South Pacific as a student missionary. And the idea with being a student missionary is, I went into a school and I taught as a teacher in a faith-based school for a year. And there was a moment in that journey of those 10 months of teaching.

where I really felt that God was calling me into full-time ministry, potentially being a pastor. And I ended up during that year taking a group of students who were visiting our island, just taking them hiking, like you had mentioned, Matt, taking them hiking on a Friday. And as I was taking them hiking up this mountain on the island to do a camping trip and then come down the next day, I ended up.

falling almost 60 feet off a cliff, I landed on a pile of rocks. And the interesting thing about that is, and I don't know if you as a listener to this podcast, if you believe in spiritual warfare, you believe that there are, you know, there is a path that God is leading you on. And there's also a individual or group of people that doesn't want that to happen. But when I ended up falling off that cliff, that was literally,

about 18 hours after I had told the first person that I think this is what God's plan for my life is. I think I'm gonna go back to school. I'm gonna pursue becoming a pastor. And then fast forward about 18 hours and I'm lying on a pile of rocks and I wake up for being knocked out for about an hour or so and a friend of mine is looking down at me on this pile of rocks.

And he says, hey, Benjamin, not sure how to tell you this, but your back is broken. We're pretty sure your back's broken. So I look down at my feet and my lower body is stuck in the fork of a little tree. So don't have really any feeling in my legs at all. And long story short, they take me to a clinic there on the island and I get some x-rays. This doctor comes in to this room where I'm resting at the time. And he just tells me, I don't have any way to explain this.

but you fell about 60 feet, pile of rocks. We looked at your X-rays and you don't have a single broken bone in your entire body. Every vertebrae is in the right place. Your spine is exactly how a healthy spine should be. really just for me, I think that was just God's provision, God's covering, God's protection over the launching of a whole new journey and path for my life. And so to wrap this story up.

I was recovering because Matt, had a headache because I'd taken a fall. So I had a headache and I was just taking a day off from teaching at this small school and a phone call is patched into the room where I'm just resting. And I'm sure people can relate to this that when you know somebody's voice so well that when you hear their voice, you know who that person is. So the phone calls patched in, I pick up the phone and it's my dad. I know his voice.

I bet.

Nobody sent an email to him. Nobody's called him. And my dad starts off the conversation, and he didn't call a lot during those 10 months. I'm off doing my student missionary thing. He's doing his life in upstate New York. But he starts off the conversation, Matt, by saying, what in the world happened to you? And I was curious why he even said that. And I said, well, I took a fall, but I'm OK. Got checked out at the hospital. And my dad said, let me tell you a story.

And so my dad is about to tell me a story about me. And here's what he said. He said, in the early hours of the morning on Saturday, and I had fallen on a Friday evening, he said, in the early hours of the morning, he said, I heard God's voice say, get up and get on your knees and pray for the life of your son, Benjamin. So my dad in the early hours of the morning is in upstate New York.

He crawls out of bed to not wake up my mom and he is on his knees really begging, pleading to God for protection, for covering for me. And I just asked my dad, said, what time was that? And all of a sudden, both of us tears are kind of welling up in our eyes, different parts of the world as we're connected by the phone call. And we realized that my dad,

was, it even gets me a little emotional, you know, thinking about this. It's been 20 years, but my dad is on his knees praying for my safety, Matt, at the second that I was falling off the cliff in the South Pacific, halfway around the world. And we had no idea that our stories would be intertwined and connected in that way. And so I, I just want to say this. I don't know all the

reasons why some things happen at certain times and other things don't happen. I lost my sister to cancer in the fall of last year, extremely challenging. I don't know exactly why that may not have happened with the healing, but I do believe that 20 years ago there was a sparing of my life and I believe that was for God's reason. And it was just neat for my dad and I.

even to this day to be able to reconnect. And sometimes we'll be driving in the car, my dad's retired, and I'll say, hey, dad, tell me about that moment when you got woken up 20 years ago. And we just kind of revisit that moment. it really, Matt just launched me personally, professionally in a completely different direction that has opened up some of the most incredible.

god doors and opportunities, things that I could never have imagined and was really a pivotal part of my life early on.

Thank you for sharing that with our community and it's such a powerful story spiritual warfare is real whether you believe it or not listening to this and It's so cool that so often we hear spiritual warfare and we hear what the enemy is trying to do But a lot of times you hear the stories you don't get to hear about the the other part of the battle, right? And your dad was on his knees fighting for you Covering you. It's just it's so beautiful man. I love it. I love it. I love it

So let's get into the foundation of your podcast and listen, one of my goals is, that anybody listening to this podcast leaves my podcast and goes and listens to rise and lead because it is incredible. So, um, hopefully you find time for both, but you have a core quote for your podcast and it says, we rise as high as our foundation is strong. Um, the first time I heard that I literally, you know, you're on audible in the car or not audible, but, uh, listen to the podcast. literally, I think we're around that like three or four times in a row, cause I just wanted to like solidify to my brain.

Appreciate you.

So there's a lot packed into that statement, I'm sure for you, Benjamin, but we rise as high as our foundation is strong. Unpack that for us further,

Yeah, so I think for me, this idea of foundation has just become so important to me when I think about just stewarding life well. And it's the idea of you have to know who you are as the foundation of your life. And whether that means you leading personally, professionally, you just have to have to know who you are. And you've got to have a clear foundation.

that you are always going back to. And I can't tell you, and Matt, you've experienced this too. You can have a killer day on Monday and you got crisis on Tuesday and so on and so forth. And so I think it's the idea of you have to have something in your life that is rooting you, that is grounding you, that you go back to time and time again to re-center yourself and re-anchor yourself. And so for me,

the idea of a foundation, it is first and foremost having clarity on my identity from God and where my worth and value comes from. And I think for me that has been transformational because I don't walk into any room feeling like the room defines me or the room is the source of my worth and value. I walk into a room, any room that I'm in,

believing I have value to add to that room and knowing that my identity, worth and value is already settled before I even step foot into that room. So foundation for me is that clarity of knowing my identity and the fact that that comes from God. And there were two things, Matt, that have absolutely been transformational truths and understandings for me.

One is this idea, and this comes from the Prodigal Son story, which we could spend an entire podcast on, but it's this idea. You are a son or daughter always, period. And so there is never a time in your life when you have not been a son of God or a daughter of God. Your circumstance does not change.

that relational identity that you have with the father. And so I think for me, part of that foundation is reminding myself, Matt, every day, Benjamin, regardless of how this day went, regardless of how that podcast recording went, that speaking opportunity went, regardless of how that 20 minute conversation with Kim went, how the dynamic is with your kids, you are a son of God always. And so for me,

that has just become an anchor foundationally that I always go back to. you can relate to this too. You got times when your mind is the craziest battlefield and lies are just coming in and doubts and insecurities. And I think in those moments, it's just calling the time out in your own mind and saying, I'm gonna go back to the foundational truth that I am a son of God.

always and just like the prodigal son there was never a moment in the entire story when he was not a son. Never. And so for me that's been foundational and the second truth that has really been foundational for me and this this just hits deep and and this is even saying this is emotional because I think I know the struggles that I've had

with trying to earn your worth and value from God and earn your salvation and that kind of stuff. But it's the truth and principle that what Jesus, what Jesus did for me is enough. And to rest in those two truths foundationally every day, to be able to say personally, professionally, I am a son always, and what Jesus

has done for me is enough. And it takes the pressure off of having to earn God's approval, God's love, God's forgiveness. But I think it positions you to receive who you already are in God and to receive what God has already gifted you and to let that be the foundation from your life. And I know Matt, something I appreciate about you so much.

is your intentionality about winning at home and winning in business. And the idea that you can be effective in both spaces and you can win in both. So when you steward your family well, I think you got to remember you are stewarding and hustling from the who of who you already are. You are not hustling to earn.

You're hustling from who you are already are in God with your family. And when you're trying to crush it in business, hustle and work hard from the who of who you already are. You're not having to earn anything. It's the belief, it's the acknowledgement of who you already are, what you've already been given and operating from that foundation in your life personally and professionally.

Dude, that's so solid, Benjamin. And you just said the word, said who, and you said that multiple times, and that's a different way to say it. And I love how you said that. I'm going to stew on that. But you also just said the word from. And one thing that God has worked on me is this idea of working for man's approval is exhausting. And waking up every day trying to go into the jury, hoping that the gavel goes in your favor. But what you just unpacked is the verdict's in.

We're already accepted, we're already approved. And when we can wake up working from approval instead of for approval, just as a way to say, God, I want to honor you. I want to steward well because of what you've put in front of me, because you've been so kind. The shackles are off, but yet the spiritual warfare is real. And this comparison culture we're in now, our audience is entrepreneurship. So everything you just said, good day today, rough day tomorrow, that is literally defines our life.

That's it.

That's it.

So guys, rewind this and listen to that multiple times. He used the word anchor. He used the word rooted, foundation. Man, so much richness and truth in that. I also love Benjamin, you mentioned the prodigal son, because we do have those days where we have these fiery arrows coming at us, right? All these lies. And I love the book from Craig Groeschel, Winning the War in Your Mind. And he says, expose the lie and replace it with truth. What does God say about me? What's my position? Is what Benjamin just unpacked for you guys. And what's so cool is,

Those days that Arra struggled, well the prodigal son, when he comes home, there was no shame, there was no, the father ran down the street after him, that's exactly what God does for us when we come back to him, in those moments that we forget our position, right?

And something I think about, you know, Matt often is the words we say about ourselves matter because when you speak into your own life in allowing thoughts to, you know, take root in your mind, it affects you and it affects your perception of yourself. And so something I've tried to use as a filter when it comes to me allowing thoughts to flow into my head. And I'll just.

Say this, that's not an easy task. Any given day, research supports that we have, you know, give or take 65,000 thoughts that come into our head every single day. Every day. So you're getting bombarded with all this stuff into your head. Think about this, Matt. 95 % of those thoughts are repeated from the day before, and 80 % of those thoughts are negative by nature.

So the thoughts you allow to sit in your head, really matters. Why does it matter? Because if you don't disrupt thought patterns, you're gonna think the same thing tomorrow and you're gonna think the same thing the day after that. So a filter that's been helpful for me is this. I'll often ask myself this question or I'll just replay this statement. If Jesus wouldn't say it about you, you should not be saying it about you.

So think about the principles of scripture and the word and Jesus and him speaking life over people. If he wouldn't say that about you, you shouldn't be saying that about you. And so just using that principle as a filter to think about what thoughts am I allowing to take root in my head and are the thoughts true and are the thoughts helpful and are the thoughts supporting

who I want to become personally and professionally. Are they supporting the entrepreneur that I want to become, the realtor that I want to become, or are these thoughts distracting from the vision of my ideal for myself personally and professionally?

That's another multiple times have I rewound that in the car when you said if Jesus doesn't say it about me, I shouldn't say it about me. It's so good, man. So yeah, no doubt I'm going to lose an audience because you guys need to go listen to rise and lead. It's Benjamin is God is in it and it's encouraging. Hey, I want to move to five essentials and this is another reason guys go listen to the podcast for real. It's so good. He he's got five essentials that he kind of the foundation of the rise and lead.

you know, mission, if you will, it's calling, authenticity, passion, courage, and hunger. So go listen to hear about all those. But the one I want to lean into just for the sake of this one life community, Benjamin, is the first one, which is calling. You say something on the podcast that I 100 % aligned with, but I want you to unpack it. You say that calling isn't the same as career. And I think a lot of people don't quite understand that. It's much bigger than that.

So, let's lean into that for a moment. What do you mean by that? Calling isn't the same as career.

Yeah, so the idea, and again, a lot of this, Matt, has just been trial and error in my own laboratory of life with tons of days of insecurity, tons of days of just feeling lost, like who am I and what in the world am I even doing? I would just see, is there an entrepreneur out there that can relate to the idea of you just questioning, do I have what it takes?

it like, should I just go get a day job like a regular nine to five that's consistent? And you're just second guessing everything. So I didn't have this figured out early on. It's been over the last 20 years of being in the laboratory and just trying to figure out what has been helpful and what has made sense to me. So when it comes to calling this, this is where it has landed with me, which, which has just helped me kind of make sense of this idea.

I think when you look at even Jesus calling the original disciples in Matthew 4.19, he says, follow me and I will make you fishers of men. So I think even in that little verse in Matthew 4.19, you see a dual calling that we are given by Jesus and it is sequential. So the second calling,

is built on the first calling. And I think sometimes we get those all out of order. And so here's what I mean by that. I believe as a person of faith that my superior calling is to follow Jesus as friend, savior, and Lord. And I just want to say this, if you are following Jesus, you are fulfilling your highest calling. And so for me, that's where it, okay.

Say that again, Benjamin, say that again.

If you are following Jesus, you are fulfilling your highest calling. Even if there was nothing beyond that, you are fulfilling your highest calling when you make the decision every day, I am choosing to follow Jesus as my friend, my Lord, and my savior. So from that calling, there is a second calling where Jesus says to his disciples,

I will make you a person of impact. I will make you a person of purpose. I will mold you and shape you to use all the gifts and the abilities in the toolbox that I have given you to do something great and leave a mark on the world. So I think the calling idea is follow Jesus as your Lord and savior of your life first.

And then out of that calling, you step into the calling of, that my identity is rooted, now that I foundationally am secure, I'm gonna use every single thing that I can to make the biggest impact and mark on this world possible. That means that Matt is gonna use every gift, every ability, every passion, and we're gonna steward every gift well, which means we're never gonna be satisfied with the development of our gifts.

that we're gonna pursue development for the rest of our life in learning and growing and how can I use this? So you've got this first calling, following Jesus. Second calling is make this massive impact on the world. And here's where you were getting at, of which your career is a huge part of that second calling, but your career cannot contain that calling.

because the calling is bigger. So you think about it, if Benjamin or Matt, if we're called to impact the world, we don't ever check out of that calling. It's not a nine to five calling that, it's 501. I'm gonna shelf that calling. If I'm called to speak life, if I'm called to raise up the next generation of leaders, Matt, you better believe I'm gonna do that 24 seven. I'm gonna do that on Saturday. I'm gonna do that on Sunday. I'm gonna do that on my kids.

sports games just last night. My daughter was playing her varsity game and her team. They put a good whooping on a very young team, but I noticed that this visiting team had a young lady who showed great leadership potential like I was watching her and listening to her guide her team who was going through this tough loss because they're young and they're just getting going. So the game is done.

I made a point to weave through the crowd and I went right over to her and I said these words, I see great leadership potential in you. And I heard the way that you were guiding and speaking encouragement into your team. And I just want to say, I see that and I think you're going to be a great leader. And so that just happened last night. So you don't, if that's my calling to do those types of things.

It's not just confined to the career space or the boardroom or the nine to five. It is what you do with your life. So here would be my invitation to everybody. Your career does matter because your career is a huge platform to use your gifts and abilities to impact people. And it very much matters, even though your calling is bigger than your career. So here would be my invitation.

over your lifetime, try to maneuver your career to be in as much of alignment with your bigger calling as possible. But just know, a career, it's never gonna be 100 % in harmony with your calling. There's things about my career in coaching a group of 100 pastors right now that I don't love every aspect. But I think that's the idea of your career does matter.

It occupies a lot of headspace and time. It can do a lot of great things for other people. But look for ways over your life that you can maneuver your career to be in better alignment with your calling.

So let's lean into that statement specifically because the whole mission of one life and Benjamin you've heard my story and not to recap go back to the early episodes of the one life podcast to hear it but the short version is this is I used to compartmentalize my life like all these spinning plates I had my career my marriage my kids community contribution all the things and God said blur the lines I need a bigger vision a bigger mission a bigger north star invite my marriage and my kids into the greater mission and story

So my business is now in alignment where the greater purpose and mission of the life we're building as a family, that greater vision is we're going to talk about the retreat. What's the greater vision for my marriage and family and submissive to that? does my business come into alignment and chase that same North star? What would you say after all the coaching you've done for leaders, entrepreneurs, pastors specifically in the season right now? would you pastors might be kind of almost an easy answer because you would think that they're

Their mission is pretty aligned in those. But how do you find that alignment? What have you found to be a cheat code for that, if you will, on how the entrepreneur can bring that career into alignment with the greater mission for their life?

Yeah, absolutely. And I just want to say, when you think about being an entrepreneur, you have massive potential and massive opportunity to impact so many people. You have the fluidity, which is sometimes challenging, but the fluidity of calling the shots on your life and your business and the connection between your family and your business. But there is so much

massive impact in being an entrepreneur. When it comes to finding that North Star, that purpose, or how do I leverage this business for or find purpose in the business, here's a couple of things I would say. Start by just asking some really good questions. And I think this is something you can process over time, but a couple of questions that I really think are valid and valuable ones to look at would be this.

A couple of questions. What would you do for free because you absolutely love that thing so much? So what would you do for free? And if you're gonna do it for free, you absolutely have a passion for that thing. Drill down, why do you have a passion for that thing? Matt, I was coaching an entrepreneur, this has been in the last year. And I asked the gentleman, said, what do you love to do? Like, what would you do for free? And here's what he said. I would coach kids' soccer.

And I said, why would you coach kids soccer? And he said, well, I love soccer. And I said, go a little bit deeper. Why do you love soccer? And he said this, I love seeing young people overcoming limiting beliefs about themselves. So when you think about what you would do for free, drill down to what is it at the core that is the reason why you would do that for free. So think about what would you do for free? And what would you take a 50 % salary cut?

And then two more questions I would give you. When is the last time, Matt, that you had a day fly by and you lost track of time because you loved what you were doing so much? You got up, it's 8 a.m., and all of a sudden you look at your watch and it's 8 p.m. and you think to yourself, where in the world did the day go? And it just disappeared. What were you doing during the days when the day flew by? And you're lost in that space.

of just using your gifts and your abilities. And then third question and final one I would ask you to think about would be this. What breaks your heart the most? Because often what breaks your heart the most is what God is calling you into to create the greatest change. So what would you do for free? When's the last time a day flew by and you lost track of time? And what breaks your heart the most?

And you know, Matt, I'd love to have you speak. I'm not hosting you, but you could even speak to this as well. I would imagine something that is heartbreaking for you is when you meet entrepreneurs who have to choose between winning with their family and winning a business. And I believe that's probably heartbreaking for you because I believe that you believe the reality that when you get your life in order, you can win in both.

spheres and to see entrepreneurs grinding at the expense of their family, I would imagine that's heartbreaking for you. And maybe you've been at a place in your life like that, that you're not in there anymore. And so, yeah, just a couple of questions I would think about. And then ultimately, how do you leverage the platform that you have, all the relationships to use the gifts that God has given you?

to make the impact on the people that are resonating with your heart. something that Kim and I always think about, and I'll just end with this on that thought, be you gotta take care of your people. So in this season of life that anybody is in, who are the people who God has entrusted to your care? Take care of your people.

I know Matt from our growing friendship, you take care of your family and you have a calling to take care of entrepreneurs, to take care of leaders that are out there growing new spaces and places in the marketplace. And I just think that's a great calling that you have.

Thanks for the encouragement and speaking life into me. And you're absolutely right. I actually started to well up a little bit when you're talking about that, that burden for the industry, because it is, I mean, I've said it before in the podcast, but I'll never forget hanging out with a good friend of mine, a very successful friend of mine. And he, he's talking about some guy's company that was extraordinary. I was like, Oh my gosh, what's it take to build a company like that? And he said about three marriages. And I was like, dang, that's not funny. You know, like we chuckle at stuff like that, but it's just not funny. But I think that is the

you

That's what we subscribe to subconsciously if we're not intentional about changing the way we our philosophy on life, right? And, and I want to say something for our community. When Benjamin gave those three questions to ask, and he said, what happened the last time that they flew by? And I don't want you to hear, it might be changing careers, but it might be for, let's say you're a realtor, like my day to day. It might be, what are those God given talents? What's that unique ability that God has has uniquely.

gifted each of us for, there might be certain aspects of my career that it flies by because I'm really living in unique ability or God given talents. Well, there you go. That's what we structure the business around. Let's make sure 80 % of my time is in those activities where I'm using my gifting for impact and for my career. And then you find other people and their unique abilities to do their best 80 or 90%. Right? So it doesn't mean we got to switch careers. It just might, we might need to get under the hood and

tweak a few things to structure the business in such a way that's more fulfilling and more life-giving to us and the people we serve,

And I think, that is a huge principle and a very important point that you bring up. Are you stewarding well what you have in front of you right now? And I think often you may think, I've got to change careers or I got to go in a different direction. But at the root, you're not even taking care of what you have in front of you right now.

and you're not maximizing the opportunities for calling and giftedness and impact in your office space or in the team that you're currently working at. And this is something I've seen as just a challenge for, I think, lot of leaders, entrepreneurs. If you are not maximizing where you're at and you think making a big, dramatic change is going to fix that, if you're not working hard and stewarding well where you are,

What makes you think that you're gonna make a massive change and steward that new space well? Now I will say there's times when you got so much toxicity that you just gotta, you gotta make a change. But I think for a lot of us, before you think about even something like that, are you stewarding the relationships in front of you well? And are you maximizing the opportunities that you have right now to really make the most of your gifts and impact the people that are around you?

So good. You you are faithful with little, we trusted more, but we don't want to be faithful with little, So that's so good, man. So Benjamin, I'm looking at my questions for you, bro, and I'm looking at the time. There is no way we're getting through everything I want to talk to you about. So I got to pick my battles here. So let's go to this one here. You you coach, you currently coach, I think over a hundred pastors and leaders, specifically pastors.

Yep. Yep.

What a huge responsibility, right? They're leading a congregation, a lot of influence, a lot of pressure on them, a spotlight on their life, not to mention their own marriage and family and all the different things. What would you say, not just specific to them, but leaders in general, is the biggest challenge that leaders are facing right now in our world?

Yeah, that's a huge question. I think there are a number of those. I think for one, we have a lot of leaders who are operating with so much noise in their life. They have forgotten who they are. They've forgotten what matters most in their life. And I think you mentioned that idea of kind of the true north. I think there just a lot of leaders who are trying to

to lead well, but they have so much noise in their life right now. And that could be either voices that are not affirming, it could be just endless doom scrolling on social media, just like, man, I gotta be in the know about all the news. Like, do you really? Is that edifying to you? Is that building you up? Is that making you better? But I think there are a lot of leaders who are dealing with a lot of noise. I think there are also a lot of leaders, and you mentioned this Matt as well, who...

are just in that hamster wheel of comparison all the time. And it's like, I'm not good enough. I'm not good enough. Or I'm not where she is. Or I'm not where he is. And it's this feeling of scarcity when we serve a God that calls us to operate in abundance. And so I think for a lot of leaders that I coach, I counsel them. And it's often just asking questions. What noise in your life do you need to cut out?

because it's distracting you, it's pulling you off course, and it's undermining who you really want to become. So what noise do you need to cut out? How can you pull out of that hamster wheel of comparison, define the assignment that is in front of you right now, and lock in on that assignment? And I think for a lot of us, we are thinking

30 years down the road, 20 years down the road. I think there's nothing wrong with thinking decades out. But when you think about this purpose of life over your lifetime, it is built on assignments. So ask yourself the question, what might God want me to do for my life? But focus in on the assignment in front of you right now. And the assignment in front of you right now for every leader is to

lead yourself extremely well, stay rooted, stay grounded, take care of the people who God has entrusted to your care, maximize every opportunity in front of you right now. There are some of you who are standing at the threshold of the most incredible door of opportunity and you are second guessing everything.

You are doubting everything. You are letting insecurities come in. Let me just tell you this, if the door is open, walk through the door. so, steward the opportunities well, and then look at any area of your life, where God has momentum. Partner with God in the momentum that you already have. Who's God? I feel like God, Matt, I think God brought you into my life. And we don't even know what that's gonna do long term.

But where do you have momentum? Who is God bringing into your life? Care for those relationships, care for those moments. But I think in just coaching people, the noise that you got in your life. Try to cut some of that noise out so you can stay a little bit more focused. And I think really get back on the assignment in front of you. Focus on the assignment.

when you crush your current assignment mat, it will set up your next assignment. So where you're at is significant and where you're at, it matters. So cut the noise out, quit comparing your stuff to other people's stuff and lock in on the assignment that is in front of you right now. Lead yourself well, take care of the people who have been entrusted to your care, maximize the opportunities, the open doors.

and steward that momentum that you have in your life.

the questions I had to choose from I'm glad I asked that one because I needed that answer bro that was that's good the noises is real man it really is and they're good things sometimes the noise guys are good things but it doesn't mean it's the right thing or the best thing or the thing God's actually planned a purpose for us and Benjamin I'm what you say about this and I know you actually had a podcast episode that really came at the same time I was walking through this on my own but I think so often

Yep. Yep.

We want the spotlight. We want to see what the whole journey is going to look like 20 years down the road you just mentioned. But what God has challenged me on is, I didn't promise you a spotlight, but my word is a lamp unto your feet. One step at a time, faith, trust, obedience, one step at a time. And you specifically, where you really kind of came alongside this principle for me was the podcast you released that was talking about, you do have

resources, gifting, relationships already in your life for the next step. But so often we don't want to take the next step because we can't see the 50th and 60th step from here. What would you say to that?

Yeah, you know, I think, again, my what has made the most sense for me, Matt, out of the 20 years of laboratory ups and downs is the idea of keep an eye on the future, but keep your focus on the present and the assignment that is in front of you right now. And so you got to look down the road, but you got to stay focused on what is in front of you, because what is in front of you is what is going to build

down the road that you may see as a goal for your family or goal for your business. And so I think it may come back to the idea of you can either choose to operate, Matt, from a scarcity mindset or a mindset of abundance. And I think the scarcity mindset says, God, I don't have enough. I don't have the tools. I don't have the opportunities. I don't have the relationships. I don't have the knowledge.

I don't have the past. I don't have the foundation. And I think we can be so stuck in what we don't have that we are completely missing what we have already been gifted. And so a mentor of mine said, just ask the question, what has God put in your hands? Like, what do you have right now? You have a toolbox of experience, of skills, of gifting. You have been through stuff that nobody else has.

And so the idea of what is currently in your hands, tools, gifts, abilities, opportunities, and use what you have already been given. And I think that's that pivot from, I'm not gonna operate personally or professionally from scarcity anymore. I'm not gonna grovel as if God has not given me things already. I'm gonna wake up every day and I'm gonna say, new day, new opportunity for me to steward well.

what is in front of me, what is in my hands, and use the gifts and the abilities that God has given me. And so that doesn't happen overnight. I still have days where I feel like I don't have enough, I'm in that scarcity mindset, but I'm quick to say, hang on, God is good. He's been journeying with me for 40-some years, God is good. And I'm gonna believe that he has given me every single thing I need.

for the opportunity and the assignment that he has placed in front of me right now. And so I'm gonna step forward in courage and I'm gonna use what he has given me. And I'm gonna trust that when I need something new, Matt, he's gonna bring somebody new into my life who can iron sharpens iron, new gifts and new abilities. But I think for me, it was just that pivot to say, I'm never called to a life of scarcity. I am called to a life of abundance and God is good.

and I have everything I need in the moment right now for the assignment that he has put in front of me.

There's other questions I could ask Benjamin, but I want to end with that. That was, it's just, okay, well you shouldn't have said that. So I'm going to, got, I got a couple that I'm going to ask you. This is too good. And I'm so grateful to share you with our community. So, um, Primal questions, you, uh, I know you're a coach. You lead these workshops. You'll be doing that for us here shortly. I'm super excited for that. What's your Primal question? I don't want to get into all seven of them. Well, that's, they need to come to a workshop. They want to do that, but what's your Primal question?

I got time, you're the host, you know. Okay.

Yeah, so just a quick one minute. The primal question is the concept that even in adulthood, all of us ask key questions every single day. And the questions represent the apex or greatest needs that we have in our life based on the life experience that we go through. When you get a yes to your question, you thrive.

When you get a no to your question, which is a no to your apex or greatest need, you live in a scramble and we are gonna unpack this on the deepest levels at our upcoming event, Matt, that I'm so excited about. But there are seven questions. When you take the 10,000 questions that people ask, you can boil those down to seven and they are seven core questions that we as humans ask. And the seven questions that I'll get to mine, the seven questions are,

Am I safe? Am I secure? Am I loved? Am I wanted? Am I successful? Am I good enough? And do I have purpose? And so when you understand your question and the questions of the people around you, it is revolutionary in the way you lead yourself, the impact that you make. We're gonna get into all that at the conference. So for me, my primal question

is do I have purpose? And where that came from is that I grew up in a faith community from childhood where so many well-meaning parent figures, grandparent figures, Matt were always telling me, God's got a plan for you. God's got a plan for you. God's got a plan for you. God's got a plan for you. And that became anxiety in college because I was always second guessing.

Is this the right career? Is this in alignment with God's plan for my life? And so I've always struggled with this idea of, I living in my purpose? Am I accomplishing my purpose? And so part of understanding your question is us just by nature, we are always going to doubt the answer to our question. So I may wake up.

One day, I have an opportunity, a couple years ago, I spoke for University of Colorado, right before Deion Sanders got there. It was a great opportunity. I left in the car ride, man, I just had this great moment of purpose. I got friends playing in the NFL now, Seattle Seahawks, all that kind of stuff. But then three days later, I got no speaking gigs, and I'm not coaching anybody, and I'm not on a Zoom call. And even just a few days after that speaking opportunity, in my headspace,

I'm beginning to tell myself, Matt, I don't have a great purpose. Like, I'm not really making the impact that I'm called to make. Am I really living in alignment with God's plan? When just three days earlier, I was speaking the gospel to an entire coaching staff and coaching team. But now that I'm aware of that question, I can catch that spiral right away and say, hang on, time out.

you

Benjamin, you are for God's glory living a great life of purpose. And here are case studies and examples over the last six months where you've stepped into those moments of purpose. so understanding that question has been so key for me because it really came back to the most challenging days, Matt, that I have are days when I don't believe I'm making a difference.

and then I'm living my purpose. And I second guess everything. And I'm short tempered with Kim. I'm short patience with her. I don't have the extra to give to my kids. And it's all because deep down, I don't believe I'm living a life of purpose. And I have a need for that. And so in understanding that question, it now allows me to lead my life so much better because I know what is going on underneath.

when I'm having those off days. And that's exactly what we're going to get into coming up in a week or so.

Nice. Well, and I'm glad you unpacked the overview of that. Thank you for that. I was trying to honor your time, but I'm glad you did that and slowed down for us. The reason I wanted to ask you that is because I was convinced that your primal question was my primal question, and it's not. Mine is, am I good enough? And all of like so much of your content that you put out is answering my question. It's reminding myself if Jesus wouldn't say about you, why would I say it about me, right? So.

Yep. Yep. Yep.

Yep. Yep.

I was so curious because I think oftentimes we perform and do things naturally well that answer our own question. Like I'm a value creator. I'm constantly trying to lead something, create something, add value wherever I can because I think I'm trying to convince myself I'm good enough. So I was already told myself, convinced myself you had the same question. So it's interesting that you don't.

And I think that's, and this is, and I'm happy like after the conference, we can follow up with a whole episode on this. I think that Matt is one of the beauties of understanding that question of, I good enough? Because part of Matt's superpower is helping people create things of value. And you remind people that they are

good enough, you remind dads that they're good enough and moms that they're good enough and you help people to build platforms of incredible value. And that's part of that question is that it's not just so you can understand you, that is a massive part of it. But it's also that your question and that understanding releases a superpower to the world where if your question is, I good enough? You now are on a mission.

to remind every person that you come in contact with, I get it, insecurity runs rampant, lies, I get it, you're good enough. You are good enough and you do good work. You are a good entrepreneur. You're a good dad. You're a good mom. You're a good friend. And I want you to know that you're good enough and rest in that.

You know, I've always been told from friends over the years, man, you're such, you're so encouraging and the most encouraging friend I have. it's cause I'm a words of affirmation guy. Cause I want the encouragement. I'm giving it out like crazy, think just subconsciously. So it makes so much sense. I'm excited to dig deeper into all this. So, all right, we're going to round third last question. And then we're going to allow you to wrap this up for us. So those five principles, calling authenticity, passion, courage, and hunger, which of those five has God been refining in you in this?

season you're in right now or this most recent season you've been in.

Yeah, that's a great question. I would say probably the, I think the idea of passion. And I think it's the principle that you wanna care about what you're doing. You wanna care about what you're doing. So I think the refinement for me is God helping me not care about 50 things, but maybe just care about three things.

So I think it's the refinement of my passion that in this season, I am very passionate about showing up for my wife with her health needs. Like I'm passionate about that. I am passionate about being a 100 % engaged dad to a freshman daughter and a sophomore son. I'm passionate about that. And I'm very passionate about helping to come alongside leaders.

and helping them anchor their identity and leverage all the gifts and abilities that they have been given. I also love other stuff, but I think for me, God in this season has just helped me refine my passion areas a little bit so I can focus a lot of energy in a few areas during this assignment and this season.

Well, I'm sure anybody has spent the last hour with us would not doubt your passion. think it's very evident. And if they listen to your podcast, they'll definitely catch the passion. So thank you for being vulnerable with us today, Benjamin, about your journey and your own family and what you're walking through right now. have no doubt you've encouraged and inspired many, many in our community. So thank you. I also want to thank you. If I could boil it down to just one statement is just reminding our audience, our community that we only rise as high as our foundation is strong.

And as you are listening to this and we wrap up, I am sure with confidence you have heard a very firm foundation that Benjamin has. I have it too. I don't say that with arrogance. I don't say that bragging. I say with humility and gratitude of the foundation I have in my relationship with Christ. This isn't a Christian podcast necessarily, but I always said I'll never be shy about where I find that foundation, that anchor, that route that you referred to Benjamin and

There's just nothing else that gives that type of peace and purpose. So thank you for sharing that with us as well. So we're going to wrap up here, but I'm going to close this out. But then the very last thing I'm going to do is, Benjamin, I'm going to ask you to pray over our community, if you could. That would mean the world to me and I'm sure our listeners. But before we do that, just a listener reflection. What's your foundation built on? Think about that. What's your foundation built on? Is it strong enough to carry the life you're dreaming of?

Absolutely.

would love that.

You have a plan and a purpose. You do have a calling. Is your foundation strong enough to carry the life that you're dreaming of? And that's what I'll leave you guys with. And just want to thank Benjamin again for being here. Thank you for listening to our podcast, being part of our community. As always, please rate the podcast, review the podcast. We want to get this out. Please share it with somebody that you know what this would encourage. I'm sure there's multiple people on your mind right now that need to hear this episode, but please share it with a friend.

And again, thank you for listening. So Benjamin, we'll be done as you pray over our community and we'll wrap up. Thank you.

God, just want to pray, just pray a blessing and pray leading and guiding over anybody listening to this episode. If there is something you want a person to focus on, may you just put that in their heart and may they not be able to shake it. If that's reprioritizing their life, if that's looking and assessing the foundation that they have in life personally, professionally.

but just pray God that you will allow someone not to shake what they need to lean into, assess, reflect on, and focus on. Keep blessing this community. Thank you God for Matt. Thank you for his leadership. Thank you for this podcast. And I just pray God that the people that need to hear this episode, that they're gonna somehow have it arrive right on time. In your name we pray, amen.

man. Benjamin, grateful bro. Thank you.