Author Archive for bidelspachcr20

Hope Outfitters – Ryan Welch

Posted by bidelspachcr20 
· Tuesday, November 24th, 2020 
· 1 Comment

After finishing grad school and earning a degree in business management, Ryan Welch was eager to start a business that would make him rich. Some of his fellow business grads had the same idea, so they decided to form an entrepreneur group. The group met for a few months and Ryan was excited to be a part of an ambitious team, until one day his wife questioned him about his intentions with the group and the kind of life Ryan was pursuing for their family. She didn’t want their lives to revolve around making money, and wondered if they had missed a bigger purpose for their lives.

Shortly after, the family took a trip out west and visited an old gold mine. While there, they noticed many old photographs of the mine workers. They all seemed distressed and unsatisfied. Even though they were a part of one of the most profitable discoveries of US history, and likely got rich themselves, they seemed unhappy. They also realized that the mine workers and the people who profited greatly from the discovery and accumulation of gold were not remembered. No one knows their names or remembers their significance. It was in that moment that Ryan began to understand that pursuing wealth could not satisfy him and would not add purpose to his life. He and his wife discussed their experience and felt convicted to live differently and with purpose. They realized that pursuing money and earthly success would leave them empty and that the only thing worth doing with their lives was to love God and love others. This lead to the creation of Hope Outfitters.

Ryan decided to leave the entrepreneur group and, instead of investing in himself, he invested in others and in God’s kingdom by starting a t-shirt company that gives back 100% of its profits. The company is called Hope Outfitters, which is a fitting name, because the t-shirts’ designs reflect the hope and love that God gives through inspiring images, quotes, and Bible verses. All of the company’s profits are donated to organizations that help meet people’s physical and spiritual needs. Their current campaign goes to support organizations fighting human trafficking, and some of their past campaigns have helped provide water and supported adoption and pro-life initiatives. In addition, all of their apparel is manufactured ethically to ensure the wellbeing of the people involved in the production of their clothing!

Ryan is a great example of an entrepreneur with a heart for God and his people. His story shows how God does great redemptive work through people who start out headed in the opposite direction, but obey when they hear God calling them to something more. His story has inspired me in my entrepreneurial journey to always keep my eyes on God and the work He is doing in this world, despite all the opportunities to be distracted by lesser things.

https://www.hopeoutfitters.com/

 

1 Comment
Categories : Uncategorized

Uptown Cheapskate – A New Approach to Clothing Resale

Posted by bidelspachcr20 
· Friday, November 20th, 2020 
· 3 Comments

Scott and Chelsea Sloan, son and daughter of Brent and Shauna Sloan (founders of Kid to Kid), grew up watching their parents’ children’s clothing resale enterprise grow and become successful. As young adults, they began to see the need for a similar enterprise for their own generation. This lead to the development of their own company – Uptown Cheapskate. Uptown Cheapskate represents a new approach to teen and young adult clothing resale. They wanted to provide a more cost effective clothing option while still appealing to current styles and a positive shopping experience. They did this by designing upscale, modern stores and creating a better system for buying used items for resale. When you walk into an Uptown Cheapskate, it doesn’t feel like you’re walking into a thrift store. It feels as though you’re walking into a mall, but without retail prices! Their buying process ensures that sellers receive fair payments for their gently used clothing while Uptown Cheapskate keeps their racks stocked with high value, in-style items at low prices. In addition to creating a better customer experience within the resale industry, Uptown Cheapskate also encourages support for the environment and sustainable fashion. They understand that the increased consumption of new clothing items creates large amounts of waste, and that most used clothing ends up in landfills. Selling used clothing to Uptown Cheapskates allows your clothes to have a new life instead of adding to pollution. In the same way, buying used clothing instead of new is a much more sustainable way to shop!

3 Comments
Categories : Apparel/Accessories, Clothing, Environment, Fashion, Millennial Enrepreneuers, Reselling, Sustainable

“Binge Jesus”

Posted by bidelspachcr20 
· Thursday, November 5th, 2020 
· 3 Comments

After experiencing some failure in the film industry, Dallas Jenkins started formulating what is now the popular TV series, The Chosen. This project seemed to form gradually, like a “slow hunch”. It was born out of a short Christmas film Jenkins directed about the birth of Jesus, which led to the idea of a multi-season Biblical TV series. The short film was noticed by VidAngel, a faith-based streaming company, who advised Jenkins to share it on social media to gauge the amount of potential interest in his TV series idea. After receiving an unbelievable amount of interest in this short film, he decided to pursue this idea.

The Chosen is undoubtedly exploring uncharted territory when it comes to faith-based and Biblical film. Not only is it the first-ever TV series about the life of Jesus, but it is more powerful and engaging than any other Biblical film I have ever seen. It contains the perfect amount of artistic imagination that helps fill in for characters and backstories not mentioned in the Bible, while remaining extremely accurate according to scripture and historical context. This allows the audience to piece together the stories included in the Gospels to see how they all fit together in Jesus’ life and ministry, and even how they connect to the Old Testament. The Chosen allows believers to experience Jesus’ character in a unique way by watching his life play out. It also allows non-believers, who may not likely open up a Bible, a way to experience Jesus though film.

Dallas Jenkins showed many entrepreneurial traits throughout the creation of The Chosen. The fact that this project was born out of past failure proves that he was unafraid to continue taking risks in new endeavors. Jenkins also utilized a crowd funding approach to financing the production of season one, and now season two. This is certainly not the most popular way to fund film production, as it slows down the production process and requires much more risk. However, it has obviously not hindered the show’s success! In fact, I would say that it has been very beneficial. The process of crowd funding required getting the word out and spreading information quickly and to large audiences, which helped The Chosen gain publicity. In addition, the fact that each season is filmed only after it is fully funded requires placing all faith in God and relying on Him to provide for and guide the production of the series. I continue to see God working through this project, and I believe it is because of Jenkin’s willingness to step out in faith and allow God to work through him, despite his failure.

 

If you haven’t seen The Chosen yet, go check it out! Here’s the promo:

3 Comments
Categories : Film

BOLD3 Coffee

Posted by bidelspachcr20 
· Sunday, October 11th, 2020 
· No Comments

I am an ethical coffee enthusiast and have discovered many coffee companies that have a positive impact on coffee farmers and others working within the coffee industry.  However, I recently discovered a non-profit coffee ministry that goes a step beyond ethics by selling coffee that is mission-focused. Bold 3 Coffee is a non-profit ministry that sells organic, fair trade coffee and uses the profits to spread God’s Word to children all over the world.

Millennial founders, Jessica, Nick, and Jeff, found themselves lost and searching for hope and purpose during their college years. In the midst of this dark time in their lives, they were invited to attend a church service. God met each one of them during the service and they committed their lives to following Him. Over the next few years, they were overwhelmed with a new passion for God and a desire to share His love with the world. At the same time, they were dissatisfied with their old lifestyles and decided to take a fresh start by leaving their jobs and making other changes in their lives. They wanted to commit to growing in their new relationship with Jesus, so decided to spend time with Him daily by reading the Bible with their morning cup of coffee. While praying together over God’s will and purpose for their lives moving forward, they experienced a “break-through” moment regarding the start of BOLD 3 Coffee. They decided to start a ministry that combined the two passions they all shared: Jesus and coffee.

It doesn’t seem as though these three millennials would consider themselves entrepreneurs, however, it is obvious to me that they display many entrepreneurial traits. They were very creative and innovative in combining coffee with spreading God’s word. This is a great example of missional entrepreneurship as they use the ministry’s profits to partner with One Hope, a ministry that distributes reading materials that explain God’s love to children in 145 countries.

Learn more at https://www.bold3.org/

No Comments
Categories : Coffee, Ministry

Samuel Bistrian – Roma Boots

Posted by bidelspachcr20 
· Saturday, October 10th, 2020 
· 1 Comment

Samuel Bistrian was born in a small impoverished village in Romania and lived there until his family had the opportunity to emigrate to the United States when he was a young boy. One of his fondest memories of his time living in Romania was when he received a pair of rain boots as a gift. These boots were significant to him because of the wet climate of his village and his lack of adequate footwear, but even so, they were more than simply a pair of shoes. They were an agent of life-changing opportunities and an inspiration for all he would do in years to come.

Later in his life, while living in the United States, Bistrian happened to be working in the retail store where Blake Mycoskie launched his first line of Toms shoes. After talking with Mycoskie and hearing more about his “one-for-one” business model, Bistrian decided to do something similar with rain boots.  Despite his student loans and credit card debt, Bistrian started his company, Roma Boots, with the $5,000 in his savings account. He adopted Toms’ “one-for-one” model by donating a pair of boots to an impoverished child for every pair sold. However, he also took this redemptive aspect a step farther by using Roma Boots to support schools in impoverished villages by donating funds and reading materials. Bistrian recognized that in order to eliminate poverty, children needed more than a good pair of shoes. They also needed a good education that would empower and encourage them to do great things with their lives.

I think Samuel Bistrian is an incredible example of an entrepreneur who not only created a successful business, but also touched the lives of thousands of children in the process. He focused on his vision and not his circumstance. Though he did not necessarily have the capital and support that he needed at the time when he started his business, he sacrificed his own resources and personally took on the risk because he was determined to make an impact. His company’s motto, “give poverty the boot”, highlights the redemptive purpose of helping children overcome poverty. To this day, Roma Boots has been fighting poverty and empowering children in 26 different countries and donating over 100,000 pairs of rain boots!

Learn more at:

https://romaboots.com/

https://www.romabootspoverty.org/

1 Comment
Categories : Charity, Education, Fashion, Kids, Male Entrepreneurs, Redemptive Entrepreneurship, shoes, Social Entrepreneur, Social Impact

Dustin McBride – Zambikes

Posted by bidelspachcr20 
· Saturday, September 12th, 2020 
· 2 Comments

After a mission trip to Zambia, millennial entrepreneur, Dustin McBride, began brainstorming ways to meet a few critical needs that he experienced there: access to transportation as well as sustainable employment. This eventually lead to the formation of Zambikes, a company that builds and sells bikes in Lusaka, Zambia. This company meets the needs of many Zambians by providing job opportunities in an environment that encourages financial and personal development and by providing greater access to one of the most affordable and practical mode of transportation in Zambia.

McBride is driven by his love for God and his desire to serve Him by meeting the needs of others. This passion, along with the many entrepreneurial traits he displays, has allowed his company to be successful. McBride began by identifying a problem that Zambians were facing, and then addressing the problem in a way that appealed to the people’s needs. Then he took an idea that was already established and started innovating to develop new ideas. He noticed that the most common form of transportation among Zambians were bikes, because very few could afford cars. However, bikes were also in limited supply and many families did not have access to bikes. In addition, there was a great need for ways to transport goods to and from the market to sell, as well as ways to transport sick people to and from the medical center. With this in mind, McBride developed two bike attachments to meet these needs. One was a cart designed to haul goods and the other was a cart designed to carry people to and from the medical center. This is a great example of innovating a current product to better meet the needs of the people.

McBride is a unique example of an entrepreneur because he is not only in the business of improving a product, he is also in the business of improving lives. Zambikes improves the quality of life for Zambians by providing transportation that is less time consuming that walking, which allows them to be more productive with their time. It also allows for more direct access to health care by providing quick and safe transport. Most importantly, Zambikes provides vital employment opportunities to the community that go far beyond earning a respectable wage. The company empowers their employees by providing them with skills training, opportunities for advancement, an environment that encourages personal development as well as spiritual growth, and the ability to create sustainable businesses themselves. Zambikes is truly changing Africa one bike at a time!

Sources:

https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dustin-mcbride

https://www.facebook.com/zambikes/

2 Comments
Categories : Africa, Millennial Enrepreneuers, Social Entrepreneur, Social Impact, Sustainable, Transportation, Uncategorized