The Workmatters Podcast

Latest Episodes:

How to Pursue a God-Sized Dream (Even When You’re Scared) with Amy Counce Oct 19, 2026

Show notes

Christian leadership starts with humility. Amy Counce, co-founder of Nexus Coffee & Creative, shares how she turned a napkin dream into a values-based business.

In this conversation, Amy talks honestly about fear of failure, the pushback she got for being “too young,” trading pride for humility, building a “mentor village,” and why the self-made narrative doesn’t hold up.

Learn why mistakes aren’t the end of a calling but part of how God builds it.

⏱️ CHAPTERS

00:00 – Intro
01:03 – Meet Amy Counce of Nexus Coffee & Creative
01:44 – The napkin dream: starting with her dad
03:09 – What it means to be called outside of ministry
04:11 – Why every leader needs a “mentor village”
06:20 – The River Market and a 200-year-old building
10:46 – Staying connected while your city changes
13:10 – Clean, safe, fun: advocating for your neighborhood
14:38 – Business as a force for good
16:31 – Leading through hard times: pride vs. humility
18:12 – Servant leadership: “Lead by Serving”
20:50 – How to tell when you’re leading in your own strength
21:42 – The 30–45 minute reset before you respond
24:10 – Facing doubters: “You’re too young”
26:39 – Owning your mistakes in front of your team
28:09 – Advice for anyone with a God-sized dream
31:01 – The Workmatters Institute

—

🎓 TAKE THE NEXT STEP

Ready to connect your Sunday faith to your Monday work? Join the Workmatters Institute - a transformational 10-session course covering practical teaching, spiritual formation, leadership development, and workplace discipleship.

👉 Learn more: https://workmatters.org

🔔 Subscribe for more conversations on faith, leadership, and finding purpose in your work.

This episode is sponsored by Schuber Mitchell - https://www.schubermitchell.com/

#WorkMattersPodcast #FaithAndWork #ChristianLeadership #WorkplaceCulture #ChristianEntrepreneur #PurposeDrivenWork

Leaving a Legacy When Your Work Feels Small with David Roth Oct 12, 2026

Show notes

What does leaving a legacy really look like when your work feels ordinary? It starts with stewarding what God has already put in your hands.

Workmatters founder David Roth joins CEO Brandon Swoboda to talk about legacy, leadership transition, and finding purpose at work. After 20 years leading Workmatters, David explains how a moment of journaling while recovering from surgery told him it was time for new leadership. He also shares how the two of them built a healthy handoff, and what God formed in him along the way.

Whether you’re leading a company or building spreadsheets, this conversation shows that your work matters to God, and that your legacy is being built right where you are.

⏱️ Chapters

01:01 What kind of legacy will you leave?
01:57 Welcome, David Roth
02:43 What does it mean to leave a legacy?
04:55 How do you know it’s time to step down?
06:11 “Seven epiphanies from God”
07:19 Handing your life’s work to a stranger
09:29 The pressure of following a founder
11:11 Monthly lunches and a healthy leadership transition
13:21 Watching someone else lead your vision
15:45 The leaders who shaped David’s faith at work
18:42 What others say about David’s legacy
21:04 Obedience, impact, and the team
23:22 What God formed in David over 20 years
26:06 Legacy is about people, not money
26:46 What’s next: helping individuals flourish
28:55 How to start leaving a legacy today
30:33 Take the next step: Workmatters Institute

🎓 TAKE THE NEXT STEP

👉 Learn more: https://workmatters.org

🔔 Subscribe for more conversations on faith, leadership, and finding purpose in your work.

This episode is sponsored by Schuber Mitchell - https://www.schubermitchell.com/

#WorkMattersPodcast #FaithAndWork #ChristianLeadership #WorkplaceCulture #ChristianEntrepreneur #PurposeDrivenWork

Toxic Workplace? What a People-First Company Does Differently with Todd Simmons Oct 05, 2026

Show notes

Toxic workplace or a company where people actually flourish?

Simmons Foods CEO Todd Simmons shares how faith, integrity, and putting people first built a healthy company culture. Third-generation leader Todd Simmons talks candidly about carrying CEO pressure as a Christ follower, the product recall that tested his company's integrity, and why ego has to be dealt with before healthy leadership can grow.

Todd also shares how Simmons Foods cares for nearly 10,000 team members through chaplaincy, generosity, and on-site health clinics built around shift workers' lives. Plus: why grace for yourself is where leading others well begins.

⏱️ CHAPTERS

00:00 Intro
01:00 Toxic culture vs. a company that puts people first
02:10 Meet Todd Simmons
04:28 How faith became part of Simmons Foods' culture
07:47 Healthy cultures make room for bold ideas
09:15 Handling pressure as a Christian CEO
14:53 When your faith is tested: the recall decision
18:37 Integrity requires action
20:19 Building a people-first culture
22:00 On-site clinics for hourly team members
25:46 Should you put yourself first?
29:49 Grace, boldness, and caring for yourself
33:19 Take the next step: Work Matters Institute

---

🔗 CONNECT WITH TODD

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/todd-simmons-3255936/

---

🎓 TAKE THE NEXT STEP

👉 Learn more: https://workmatters.org

🔔 Subscribe for more conversations on faith, leadership, and finding purpose in your work.

This episode is sponsored by Schuber Mitchell - https://www.schubermitchell.com/

#WorkMattersPodcast #FaithAndWork #ChristianLeadership #WorkplaceCulture #ChristianEntrepreneur #PurposeDrivenWork

Feel Like a Fraud at Work? What Jesus Says About Imposter Syndrome with Bryan Fittin Sep 30, 2026

Show notes

Over 70% of professionals say they've struggled with imposter syndrome at some point in their career.

In this episode, Darrell and Brandon sit down with Bryan Fittin, CEO and founder of Go Rogue Studio. Bryan shares how he felt like a fraud leading a team of 40 at 25 years old, and why the feeling didn't go away even after landing Walmart as a client.

Together they talk about how imposter syndrome shows up at every stage of a career, why it isolates us, and how Christian professionals can respond through practical tools and a clearer picture of God's posture toward them. The tools include naming your inner critic, seeking small wins, and practicing gratitude.

⏱️ CHAPTERS
0:55 Welcome to the Work Matters Podcast
1:42 Why 20,000 people search for imposter syndrome every month
2:30 What is imposter syndrome? A working definition
3:40 The hidden loneliness of feeling like a fraud
5:15 Bryan's story: one of Verizon's youngest managers
7:55 How imposter syndrome shows up in your 40s, 50s, and 60s
13:56 Boldness vs. bravery
15:05 Reject it, embrace it, or deny it? What the Apostle Paul teaches
16:56 Recognize it, then go get a small win
19:21 How the kingdom of God flips the script
20:43 Name your imposter
21:53 Where is God when the imposter is loudest?
22:55 "No condemnation": how God sees you
25:27 Wisdom from a trusted circle of advisors
29:15 One takeaway: gratitude and "cease striving"
32:17 Where to find Bryan Fittin
32:43 Take the next step: Work Matters Institute

---

🔗 CONNECT WITH BRYAN

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/fittin/
Website - https://goroguestudio.com/

---

🎓 TAKE THE NEXT STEP

Ready to connect your Sunday faith to your Monday work? Join the Work Matters Institute - a transformational 10-session course covering practical teaching, spiritual formation, leadership development, and workplace discipleship.

👉 Learn more: https://workmatters.org

🔔 Subscribe for more conversations on faith, leadership, and finding purpose in your work.

This episode is sponsored by Schuber Mitchell - https://www.schubermitchell.com/

#WorkMattersPodcast #FaithAndWork #ChristianLeadership #WorkplaceCulture #ChristianEntrepreneur #PurposeDrivenWork

How to Pray When Work Hurts with Keisha Fowler & Darrel Harvey Sep 21, 2026

Show notes

Learn three practical ways to pray when your job is hurting you, and why God isn't offended by angry, confused, or desperate prayers.

Hosts Keisha Fowler and Darrell Harvey get honest about what it feels like to be broken by work, whether it's a toxic workplace, burnout from emotionally heavy work, or a job that looked perfect on paper but wasn't.

They share personal stories of prayer for problems at work, offer real strategies for prayer when overwhelmed, and walk through three prayer frameworks you can use the next time work hurts.

⏱️CHAPTERS

[00:00] Intro

[01:03] Welcome to the episode: how to pray when work hurts

[01:33] When work breaks us

[03:42] Darrell's story: the job that should have been perfect

[04:10] Where do you even start praying in the pain?

[05:00] Petition prayers: "Get me out of here, God"

[08:14] The long road to healing

[10:19] You're not alone: the power of community

[13:18] Prayers that soothe you while you're still in it

[14:13] The wall between two prisoners: pain as connection to God

[16:19] Slowing down and bringing your body into prayer

[21:51] Three frameworks for prayer

[22:14] Framework 1: Praying through liturgy

[23:47] Framework 2: Writing your own liturgy

[25:05] Framework 3: Reminding God who He is

[26:36] The Prayer of Unknowing (Thomas Merton)

[27:44] Closing: Work Matters Institute

---

🎓 TAKE THE NEXT STEP

👉 Learn more: https://workmatters.org

🔔 Subscribe for more conversations on faith, leadership, and finding purpose in your work.

This episode is sponsored by Schuber Mitchell - https://www.schubermitchell.com/

#WorkMattersPodcast #FaithAndWork #ChristianLeadership #WorkplaceCulture #ChristianEntrepreneur #PurposeDrivenWork

Does My Work Matter to God? with the Workmatters Team Sep 14, 2026

Show notes

We’re back with Season 3 of the Workmatters Podcast!

In this first episode the Workmatter’s team answers the question every believer eventually asks about their job, purpose, and place in God's story.

Whether you're behind a desk, on a job site, or between jobs right now, this conversation tackles the doubt that creeps in when work feels menial or disconnected from faith.

Darrell, Brandon, and Keisha dig into what the Bible actually says about faith and work, why most of us start the story of work in the wrong chapter (curse, not calling), and how finding purpose at work starts with seeing your skill set as something God is genuinely proud of.

⏱️CHAPTERS
[00:00] Intro
[01:09] Does My Work Matter to God?
[06:58] Why We Doubt Our Work Matters
[08:46] The Real Story of Work (Genesis 1 vs. Genesis 3)
[14:12] Exodus 31: God's Bragging Rights Over Your Skillset
[19:20] Why Unemployment Wounds Our Humanity
[24:49] Learning to Receive When You're Used to Giving
[29:33] 3 Practical Ways to Remember Your Work Matters
[33:16] Closing & Work Matters Institute

---

🎓 TAKE THE NEXT STEP
Ready to connect your Sunday faith to your Monday work? Join the Work Matters Institute - a transformational 10-session course covering practical teaching, spiritual formation, leadership development, and workplace discipleship.

👉 Learn more: https://workmatters.org

🔔 Subscribe for more conversations on faith, leadership, and finding purpose in your work.

#WorkMattersPodcast #FaithAndWork #ChristianLeadership #WorkplaceCulture #ChristianEntrepreneur #PurposeDrivenWork

How to Live Out Your Faith at Work (Without Making It Weird) with Julia Oltmanns Aug 17, 2026

Show notes

Faith and Work - How to live out your faith at work with wisdom, legal clarity, and courage, without making it weird.

HR and employment law expert Julia Oltmanns (Coca-Cola Consolidated, Zurich, Strategic People Partners) joins the Workmatters team to unpack what it actually means to be a disciple of Jesus at work - legally, practically, and relationally.

From starting a Christian employee resource group to praying before your day even begins, Julia shares hard-won wisdom on discernment, workplace boundaries, and building trust-based relationships that naturally open the door to faith conversations at work.

⏱️ CHAPTERS
[00:00] Intro
[01:07] Meet Julia Oltmanns: HR, employment law & faith
[03:31] Staying "neutral" vs. living out faith at work
[04:54] Julia's awakening: what God really wanted from her at work
[06:55] Starting a Christian employee resource group at Zurich
[09:13] Whole-life discipleship and the faith-work gap
[10:54] Practicing your faith at work — legally
[12:18] Sharing your story without making it weird
[14:01] Discernment: knowing when and how to engage
[16:16] Demanding your rights vs. showing love
[19:03] When your faith request gets denied
[21:26] Persecution, blessing, and being a disciple at work
[22:20] Case study: how Coca-Cola Consolidated shows up for employees
[24:47] Living out love as a workplace pillar
[25:58] How love opens doors to faith conversations
[29:21] One thing to try tomorrow: start with prayer
[31:14] Where to find Julia Oltmanns

---

🔗 CONNECT WITH JULIA

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-oltmanns/

---

🎓 TAKE THE NEXT STEP

👉 Learn more: https://workmatters.org

🔔 Subscribe for more conversations on faith, leadership, and finding purpose in your work.

#WorkMattersPodcast #FaithAndWork #ChristianLeadership #WorkplaceCulture #ChristianEntrepreneur #PurposeDrivenWork

Finding Purpose at Work: Stop Building Your Own Kingdom with Jennifer Cristofaro Aug 03, 2026

Show notes

Finding Purpose at Work - Realtor and nonprofit founder Jennifer Cristofaro shares how a near-fatal heart attack rewired the way she saw success, calling, and business as a mission field.

Jennifer, co-founder of Mission House Real Estate and the food-truck ministry For the Love, unpacks what it looks like when your vocation and your mission stop competing and start working together.

Darrell and Brandon dig into faith and work integration, Christian leadership in business, and what it actually costs to build a company around generosity instead of gain.

⏱️ CHAPTERS
[00:59] Meet Jennifer Cristofaro
[02:52] "I stopped dreaming for myself and started dreaming for others"
[04:00] Her favorite quote on committed, thoughtful action
[06:37] The origin story of the For the Love food truck
[07:51] Living on "the edge of yikes"
[09:11] What Neighbor Night is really about
[10:14] Lives changed around the table
[13:09] Growing to 4 locations, 1,400 people fed weekly
[14:18] Why real estate is kingdom work
[16:41] Navigating hard ethical moments in business
[17:27] "People are the purpose. Work is the mission field."
[18:11] Discerning the Holy Spirit's voice in daily decisions
[19:51] Building a Christ-centered team culture
[20:34] The heart attack that changed everything
[23:11] 3 things you can do right now to rethink your work
[26:19] Where to find Mission House Real Estate & For the Love

---

🔗 CONNECT WITH JENNIFER
Mission House: https://missionhouserealestate.com/
For the Love: https://www.forthelovenwa.com/

---

🎓 TAKE THE NEXT STEP
Ready to connect your Sunday faith to your Monday work? Join the Work Matters Institute — a transformational 10-session course covering practical teaching, spiritual formation, leadership development, and workplace discipleship.
👉 Learn more: https://workmatters.org

🔔 Subscribe for more conversations on faith, leadership, and finding purpose in your work.

#WorkMattersPodcast #FaithAndWork #ChristianLeadership #WorkplaceCulture #ChristianEntrepreneur #PurposeDrivenWork

What AI Reveals About How You Really See Your Team with Matt Randerson Jul 20, 2026

Show notes

Faith and work integration means wrestling honestly with how fast the world is changing, including AI, without losing sight of who we are.

In this episode, you'll learn why every leader is headed toward a defining moment: will you treat people as a cost to manage, or as true image bearers of Christ entrusted to your stewardship?

Darrell sits down with Matt Randerson, Founder & CEO of Human Culture, to explore christian leadership in business through the lens of AI adoption. Matt shares why efficiency isn't the whole story, how leaders can redeploy human capital instead of cutting it, and why using AI doesn't make you "less human" it can actually reconnect you with your calling to create as an image bearer of God.

⏱️ CHAPTERS

0:23 – Welcome to the Workmatters Podcast

1:00 – Meet Matt Randerson, Founder & CEO of Human Culture
2:28 – Family update: baby #2 on the way
3:20 – Matt's faith story and how he landed in business, not ministry
4:49 – Why Matt started Human Culture: protecting the human element
6:19 – What Human Culture actually does for organizations
7:41 – How leaders and companies are really responding to AI
8:54 – Why AI's rapid rise triggers identity questions
10:06 – The moment every leader will face: commodity or image bearer?
12:09 – Jensen Huang's quote on imagination vs. layoffs
13:56 – Redeploying human capital instead of cutting it
17:16 – AI, distraction, and our relationship with God
17:55 – Rewiring the narratives we tell ourselves about AI
20:39 – Is using AI "cheating"? Wrestling with integrity
22:50 – Reintroducing friction: Matt's practice for staying human
26:03 – Two practical steps: engage your narrative, go create
28:39 – Rapid-fire: unplugging, stargazing, and country music
30:15 – How to connect with Matt and Human Culture

----

🔗 CONNECT WITH MATT

Human Culture: https://www.humanculture.ai/

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-randerson/

----

🎓 TAKE THE NEXT STEP

Ready to connect your Sunday faith to your Monday work? Join the Work Matters Institute — a transformational 10-session course covering practical teaching, spiritual formation, leadership development, and workplace discipleship.

👉 Learn more: https://workmatters.org

🔔 Subscribe for more conversations on faith, leadership, and finding purpose in your work.

#WorkMattersPodcast #FaithAndWork #ChristianLeadership #BlueCollar #FamilyBusiness #EdgertonGear #CraftsmanWithCharacter #WorkplaceCulture #ChristianEntrepreneur #PurposeDrivenWork

From Prison to Purpose: How Faith Transformed a Family Business with Dave Hataj and sons Jul 06, 2026

Show notes

He swore he'd never come back to the family business. 34 years later, Dave Hataj — along with his sons Jason and Caleb — is running Edgerton Gear as a place where faith and work aren't separate at all.

In this episode of the Work Matters Podcast, Dave, Jason, and Caleb Hataj open up about generational dysfunction, burnout, a father-son surrender in the middle of the night, and what it actually looks like to bring God into a blue-collar machine shop every single day.

🔑 In this episode:
- Why Dave initially refused to return to the family business
- The 20-year wrestling match that finally broke in a moment of surrender
- How burnout and health struggles reshaped Dave's leadership
- Caleb and Jason's honest take on growing up in the shop
- Breaking generational cycles of dysfunction
- What "embracing the suck" really means
- Three practical ways to bring your faith into your workday

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS
00:41 – Meet Dave, Jason & Caleb Hataj
01:24 – Introducing Edgerton Gear & Craftsman with Character
02:23 – When faith and work first clicked for Dave
03:08 – Regent College and the calling he tried to run from
03:45 – The vocational test that sent him home
04:29 – Wrestling with God for 20 years
05:33 – The bedroom surrender that changed everything
06:54 – From "prison" to "happy place"
07:31 – Burnout, health issues & changing the culture
08:37 – Losing employees who wanted "the old Dave" back
10:34 – Caleb's winding path back to Edgerton Gear
12:23 – Jason's story & Dave's dinner-table faith lessons
13:56 – The Isle Royale trip and healing as a family
15:56 – Discipleship of work & breaking generational cycles
17:52 – "Embrace the suck": what stress reveals in us
19:46 – What it's really like working together as family
21:07 – Advice for young people starting their careers
22:11 – Why work itself is good — not just a means to an end
23:40 – Jason's honest struggle to keep God in focus daily
25:45 – Encouragement for every listener
26:17 – 3 practical ways to practice your faith at work
29:12 – Recap: awareness, brokenness, influence
29:46 – Where to find Edgerton Gear & Craftsman with Character
30:29 – Closing thoughts & final encouragement

🔗 CONNECT WITH DAVE, JASON & CALEB
Edgerton Gear: https://edgertongear.com
Craftsman with Character: https://www.cwcharacter.org/
Dave's book: "Good Work: How Blue Collar Business Can Change Lives, Communities, and the World"

🔔 Subscribe for more conversations on faith, leadership, and finding purpose in your work.

#WorkMattersPodcast #FaithAndWork #ChristianLeadership #BlueCollar #FamilyBusiness #EdgertonGear #CraftsmanWithCharacter #WorkplaceCulture #ChristianEntrepreneur #PurposeDrivenWork

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected