CHM175. Faith Driven Entrepreneurs with Dana Roefer

Hi, everyone, Welcome to the Christian Homeschool Mom's podcast. I have with me today a wonderful guest that I've been chatting with. Her name is Dana Roefer, and she serves as the vice president of Faith Driven Entrepreneur for Teens. She has had entrepreneurship as the heart of her career, both in launching her own venture and supporting other people in their ventures. And so we're going to be. Talking about entrepreneurship and kids and faith and all of those wonderful things today. Dana, thank you so much for being here. I'm so happy to be here with you today. Thank you. I would love to hear about yourself. Introduce yourself and tell us about things that make you happy, your hobbies, what you love to do, your favorite things. Yeah, oh, my favorite thing is my family. So I'm fortunate. Matt and I have been married for almost seventeen years and we have two boys twelve years old and ten year years old, and we are homeschool parents, which is really fun. So I'm just thrilled to be here with you in connecting with your audience too. Again, that's a journey. There's been other seasons that we haven't been homeschool parents, so all that is you know, it changes all the time, but yeah, they are my favorite. Like anytime that I can spend time with my family, even my parents, mister my brother in law, family time is like absolutely key for us. Yeah, I love being together. I love that. I love that family time and to governess because we only get this, you know, these few moments which really are years and years by at the end of the day, it's like it's just moments, and so to have that and to be with your family is everything is pressed. Yeah, it goes so fast. I mean the fact that my boys are twelve and ten and your girls remind me their actual ages. Well they are. I have one at seventeen and the other yet almost twenty three. Oh, I'll go so fast. I pretend. I keep pretending that they're like not going to get into high school, even though it's like almost here. I'm like, I, no, no, it's just I'm just going to stick with We're going to stay twelve and ten forever. I know, I'm not am not realistic, I feel like, but I'm pretending. Yeah, I feel like my seventeen year old was just seven. I just feel like she was just seven, because I remember the things that we did together, the games we played, all of them, the curriculum we used, and it was so many years ago, but it just felt like it really felt like it was yesterday. So time does fly. I know, Yeah, yeah, yeah, Well, you at some point started to realize that you wanted. To help entrepreneurs, and so this is. Where in our conversation we're going to start talking a bit about that. And I would love to know, like, what inspired you to start helping teenagers, specifically to become faith driven entrepreneurs. Yeah, so it's such a great question. I knew nothing about entrepreneurship growing up personally, and I spent time When my husband and I got married, we moved I live in Michigan, so I'm in West Michigan, and my husband and I moved down to Austin, Texas because he got a job down there. I ended up, by the grace of God, really in like the epicenter of entrepreneurship with my first couple of jobs in my career work, and I just loved the energy of creation, of people recognizing that there were needs around them and wanting to meet those needs even when. It's like really hard. I mean, you know this, right, we could have a whole conversation about entrepreneurship because you're doing it. And I just fell in love with that, the whole feeling around creation and really started connecting these dots of passion points. So I am so deeply passionate about our young people and the opportunities that they have to kind of create our future, right Like, they are our future and they're going to be the ones that are creating it. And so how might we then, with intentionality, like really pour into the young people and also have them just recognize what they're capable of now? You know, I think there's this sense with young people of like someday you'll get there, right or you will eventually figure out what you want to do. True, like that is all true, but there's also this very real of like what. About right now? And they're capable of so much right now. So yeah, it was just this whole like connection of dots of things that the Lord had been stirring in my heart and then those connecting over time. Wow, that's amazing. And the fact that you said yes to this little itch in your heart and you went ahead and acted on it, that makes a big difference. Well, you have a signature program, tell us the name of that program, and then how you partnered with some of some bigger names in the christ community like Lacree and Laura Casey Isaacson and these are like powerhouse Christian entrepreneurs. So how did you get them involved in this. Project and kind of what's the heart behind this course? So tell us about the course. Yeah, yeah, please, thank you. I am so fortunate to be part of the Faith Driven organization. So faith Driven Entrepreneur and faith Driven Investor. Have been kind of making their way I would say over the last five to six seven years in creating really intentional content in building community around the world. It is a global organization. And then I knew. Still to the team because they were like, Hey, we're looking for someone that has this heart in this passion for young people because we're doing a lot of work with entrepreneurs with investors, and they're coming back to the organization going. Like, but I have kids, Like what do I do about my teens? What do I do about my college age? What do you do with my kids? And that's what we're doing at FAIT Driven Entrepreneur for Teens is taking some of these stories that we are really fortunate to tell at Faith Driven and say how might we utilize these to plant seeds with our young people? And yes, you're right, like you're so fortunate. Lacree in Laura and Man Jeremy Lynde's story in Kobe Cotton from Dude Perfect, which my kids love because you know, we're in the twelve ten and they're like, you get to work with Dude Perfect, Like, oh my gosh. And it's just it's such a gift because there are so many entrepreneurs out there, especially those there's so many of them that are following the Lord that are just like we want to we want to share our story not because it's like the highest of highs, but also because He's taken us through a whole journey throughout entrepreneurship and we want to share that, all different sides of it all the time. So it's been super fun. That's how that sounds like a lot of fun. And I know your kids are feeling like, wow, so so blessed to have my mama do this this work Like it's a cool job. I'm like, I do have a cool job. I'm really grateful for Yeah, Okay, so Lacree For those who aren't familiar, he's an American Christian rappers, singer, songwriter, so big stuff. And he talks a lot about influence and using your platform for good, which is so important. That that he does that right. And so your program teaches teens to navigate today's world with a Kingdom mindset. And that's for topics. That you know, we sometimes we don't think of money and Kingdom, money and Christianity, but you need to think about how those things mix money, success and purpose. So how are these topics covered in your course? Yeah, So we have twelve sessions within our course and it's a pretty like flexible. You can do it on your own pace or you can do it in a group. And we dive in, i mean to all of the topics. So we've taken a lot of our content and create that we've had in the past and created new content. We are not shying away from topics. I mean, we talk about we do we go deep on money. What does the Bible say about money? Is it good? Is it bad? Is it well? Like? What is it? What do I use it for? Is it mine? Is it gods? Am I a steward? Do I own my company, like all these big questions. We talk about pride, we talk about overcoming fear and anxiety. We have a story Jeremy Lynn, who was an NBA player, talks about being at the height of his career lynsanity. It was in twenty twelve. I remember it like so clearly, and he was like, I was there and it was so hard and I had to. Work through it. But having young people be able to see that where they're like, man, he was a star in the NBA at that moment, and yet he struggled, you know of like some of those real things. And then you asked about la Craye and him talking about platform and walking in that. I think what we do step by step throughout the course is share that it is there's a lot of entrepreneurship because we tell stories through business owners, right, But it's also like, wherever God calls. You, how do you just be faithful in that space? Right? Like, how can you show up faithfully in who He's created you to be? And so lacray we don't just talk about his story as an artist because he's also a business owner and he has six other artists that are on his platform, and so he has to step into, Like I have a. Whole team that I have to manage, and I'm a business partner. And like, how do we continue to be faithful with each step that the Lord leads us to? And I think having some of these recognizable names, it's not just you know Kobe that you see with us five friends doing trick shots, but it's also like, how do you run a business with five friends? Oh? Yeah, how do you get out of your own way when you're like, well I was right or they think they were right, or like how do you work through that stuff? Right? Because that's real relational pieces as well that we have to learn about and grow through. So yeah, we really try. It's so much in this course an entrepreneurial mindset, whether they become an entrepreneur or not. Right, we know that that's so important in life. Yes, I love what you just said about really covering the topics on relationships within the business structure, like how do you how do you have a partnership with someone? How do you communicate when there's a communication breakdown? What happens? Right? And then I'm pretty sure you talk about contracts or are things that are business related so that you know communication is handled, but all this is important and money success purpose, all of this is covered in your course, and so I would love to know for homeschool families. We have a lot of homeschool moms listening right now who are like, yes, give me that course for my kid because they want to be an entrepreneur. They are an entrepreneur. So how long is the course? Kind of tell us a bit about how you would recommend the structure and the flow of that typical homeschool family's life. Yeah, in a family, it's really fine. Again, we do this right. So what we've loved to do is we have access to the course, who purchase the course, and there's twelve different sessions, and so for us we've basically just like projected it up on our TV, right, and we've gone through it together as a family because sure it's my kids are going to grow from it. But so am I right Like I think there's there's so much growth that can be done within the family. Now, can the kids say watch it by themselves? Absolutely? Can you have questions and work through it with them? So there's flexibility because it's an online course and it can be self paced, but twelve different sessions twelve different topics. But how it's built out is it starts with like a fifteen to twenty minute video that shares a story. So whether it's a Craze story or you know Jeremy Lynd's story phil Visher talking about failure when after he created vegietails in Loston and bankruptcy. I mean we tell that story as well. And so there's a. Fifteen to twenty minute video and then we have an additional segment that's like how do you make this real? And then that is accompanied by a workbook. So there it's really sometimes it's a one page, sometimes it's three D pages, but it's just what do I do with this information and how do I make it active in real in my life? And so we have the opportunity to go through that. What I love of it for it is a mom is the content is super engaging. That's good, right, Like it's. Not, it's not. It doesn't feel like an assignment. So I tell this to a lot of people. I was reviewing all the content before we launched, right, I mean that's my job, and my kids actually knew I was doing it at that time because I'm looking for like all the nitpicky things, right, So then they run I'm in my bedroom reviewing content. They come in and they're like, what are you doing? Like I'm reviewing content. They're like, well, we want to watch it and so, and they sat with. Me and helped review content like six episodes because they are so drawn in. So it's right, Like, as a mom, that matters to me where they want to do it. You know, it's not just me saying, hey, we have to do this thing. They're like, you know, can we watch the next one? Can we ask? Right? Right? Just to have your your kids involved in That's that's like the proof that this works. The stuff works because your kids were so intrigued with it. And I'm just wondering. Okay, So there are a lot of who might be saying might be saying, well, hey, I don't have a background in business. I don't really know how I can support them. So like, how would you say that they can support their team's journey even if they don't have a business background. How does this curriculum help them with that? Yeah, So I have a saying that I like to say in all circumstances that curiosity is a superpower. And I feel this. I tell this to young people all the time, that curiosity is a superpower. But this is true for mom and dad. Yeah, so even if you don't understand something that they're into or that they're interested in, how might you be curious to. Learn more about it with them, curious on the side of them, Yeah, like alongside them, And so that might be Man, I don't understand why my kid keeps making all these things, and I'm not sure what we do with it. But might I ask them a question of. How did you come up with this? What was your thought process? How did you think through it? Who do you think might like to have this? Is there somewhere that you could sell it? Is there? Like just kind of helping. To bridge that even if you're not fully confident in it, you know, helping them to do some of that research. And so I think that lens of curiosity, both for the young people and the parents is so important. I think so too. I think so too. And I love that you are saying that it's not you don't have to have the. Answers to anything. You just know with an open mind, Yeah, and learn alongside your child, because again, we're all we're all learning even those of us who have been in business for a while, we're still learning so many things. We don't know everything there's to know. So yeah, I would agree with you not to be discouraged and to just take this as kind of like, you know, a point of adventure to see like where your child could go with this. That said, how do you guide teenagers to kind of hear from God as they're being supported in this entrepreneurial journey Because sometimes, you know, the hustle of work and business it can kind of be a juxtaposition to our faith if we're not careful. So how do we kind of bring that together for our kids? Yeah? I think we do. So I don't mean to make this about the course, but there is a lot of really good questions and seeds planted of like why are we actually doing this? You know? And I think that if we can, especially with creation. So the course is called Call to Create, and the premise of that is that God is the creator. He created you in his likeness, right, he created us in his likeness, whether that means that you ever create a company or anything like that, like you are made in his image and so we are creators. So then how might we step into the world looking for opportunities. That's really what we're asking these young people to do. So then they're not necessarily walking in just with like, man, how can I make money from this thing? It's how might I serve these people around me with the gifts that I have? Yes? Right, And so that piece actually is the most important. I think as parents, how do we help them and come alongside them as they uncover the gifts that God's given them. That's perfect, That's perfect. That's what it's all about. It's allowing them to express or first of all, to be able to locate that thing, like what is that thing? To call it out and say, oh, this is what I love doing, and then explore it. Giving them the opportunity. To explore what that is in a safe place, in a support of the environment. Yeah. And then I love that your course helps our kids to do just that. And so you've got this course available. I know there's a lot of things surrounding this, such as maybe some bonuses or anything else you might have, maybe a community or maybe coaching, but just kind of share with us what comes along with the course. Yeah. Yeah, So the course you can access immediately, right, It can be purchased. We are on a founding member start, so for our first five hundred, we've only been out for a few weeks, but it's we're at a ninety nine dollars price point right now from a one ninety nine, so eventually it'll be at one ninety nine. Right now, we're at a super special for the first five hundred users of ninety nine dollars, and we do have a lot coming in the future. You know. One of the things that people have asked us is like, I love this, I'm super excited about this. I don't necessarily. Feel equipedo fully walk alongside my child, and so we're exploring what does it look like to have a coaching group to come alongside the young people over time where we can have check ins with groups. That's good. That's just a sneak peek. It's not yet so I can't give you timing on that. But we are going to be doing a virtual conference in April of twenty twenty six, so we. Are working on that right now. We'll have some new friends that will be part of it as well, and so it just jump on, you know, jump to our website, check it out, jump on the email list, because that's always going to be where everything comes first. We don't email a lot, like once a month, but anyway, if they jump on the email list, that's where they're going to find out of all the new things that are coming out. Okay, that's so cool, Dana. Thank you for like letting us know that there's there's some other things coming around the corner. And so to get on that mailing list, how do we do that? Where can we go to learn more about the course? Yeah, if you had a faith'ri of an Entrepreneur for Teens dot org, everything is there so you can grab the course right there. You can also see the conference information that's continuing to come over time and grab jump on the email list there too. We're also i mean we're on Instagram, we're on LinkedIn. We're in different places, but we're still building. I mean, this is a new ministry for us. It's a new initiative with fature of an Entrepreneur for Teens. Of course we're building on a really strong foundation with faith driven but we're out there. That is. I'm so grateful for you and for this conversation because we just want to connect and encourage parents in this in this journey alongside their kids. Yes, and we appreciate you for letting us know about what you're doing, because I mean, how would we know, I know, I know exactly to know what's happening that's available for our kids, and that way we can support our kids better, right, and we have so. Many of us have entrepreneurial kids, but just like. To have resources that specifically help in that area, and Christian based resources too are just that's phenomenal. So thank you for what you. Do, and thank you, yeah, and what you're doing, and so I would love it if you, as a family that homeschools can encourage other Christian homeschool moms who are listening right now, just in like trying to raise purpose filled, world changing kids in this generation. Yeah, well you're doing it. First of all, you're already doing it. You've made the big decision, the intentional decision for your family to say no no this time is important to us. Our family is important to us, and we want to make sure that this foundation is strong. So like, keep going. I know the days are long and it can get really hard, but keep up the you know, keep up the fight, and that's what it feels like sometimes, But what an incredible gift to be their front row with your kids as they are growing, as they are developing, as they are finding out and discovering these gifts within themselves that you can then help to steward. Right. And so that's my encouragement to parents is just like you have a front row seat, what a gift, be curious right about when they show interest to something, dig in, dive in, like, tell me more about that. I'd love to learn. This is where I see it in you, right, So we also have the opportunity to call out those truths. And this isn't just homeschool families, this is every family you know, just from a parenting like you have the opportunity in the gift from the Lord to steward these young people. And so I just encourage you to be curious about them and what are you seeing in them and then speak that life over them. That's so good, Dana, Thank you. Just speaking life over our kids. Just ending on that note is just brings peace, you know. I think it's what we need to continue hearing and being encouraged to do that. Our kids are unique individuals that they are created by God in the image of God, and if le A's parents have that front row seat, why not, you know, use this opportunity to help facilitate where they're going, where God has been him to be. So thank you for encouraging us to do that, and thank you for being here on the show today. Such a gift. I appreciate you and the work that you're doing so consistently and faithfully. I know it's not always easy, and so you're planting seeds, you know, for futures, futures to come. I appreciate that. Dana, thank you so much