In this month’s newsletter, we interview David Carradini. David is a business coach for Catholic business owners. We asked David to comment on what the biggest challenge is that he sees, and how a Catholic business owner can overcome it.
“Will integrating my faith more deeply in my business practices undercut my competitiveness and my profitability?“
According to David, it will bring greater fulfillment to you and to all engaged in your business than you can currently imagine. You may find that certain practices you once relied upon are no longer appropriate, because they do not really give glory to God. You may go through a dip as you make the transition from one way of business to another. But here’s the thing: if we seek to obey the commands, God will give us the means to obey them and blessings for doing so. Those who share these blessings with others – in better goods and services, better care of subordinates, better care of customers and clients, better care of family and friends – prosper and thrive.
August Turak, in his Business Secrets of the Trappist Monks, brings to our attention that the most productive business people ever, and the most humanly fulfilled, are monks and nuns – men and women who live solely for the glory of God. His book re-echoes the history of monasticism in the Middle Ages; then, monks went to the wildest, inaccessible wastelands they could find, in order to seek the Lord there and build houses for his praise and glory. Within a hundred years they produced the most attractive and productive farmlands for miles around them: and they did so through constant innovation in tools and methods. Those were happy, active, and productive enterprises – and the remains of their buildings and enterprise still dot the European landscape.
It’s not just a matter of medieval history. Look at the Argentinian businessman Enrique Ernesto Shaw. And in your own parishes, look to those businesspeople who are thriving – who are happy, successful, and holy because they have learned to put God’s glory first in all they do. Here, the Catholic business leaders’ organization Legatus has much to tell us.
Business practices rooted in the Faith give glory to God and create the abundance we can use to bless others – to provide truly excellent services and goods, to pay our employees well and offer the sorts of benefits that show them they are truly valued partners in the enterprise, to provide well for our family and prepare for our futures as best we can.
What’s your view?
What’s been your experience as a Catholic business owner when it comes to profitability and the Catholic values? Drop us a note if you’d like to discuss your personal wealth plan and how to make it align with your faith and business goals.