Debunking Myths About Entrepreneurs

Host: Rev. Dr. Keith Haney (: 00:01

We welcome Daniel to the podcast. What a great name, Daniel. Welcome to the podcast, my friend.

Daniel Shalach (: 00:05

Welcome Reverend, how are you doing brother?

Host: Rev. Dr. Keith Haney (: 00:08

I'm doing phenomenal and I'm glad to have you on to have this conversation. I love talking to fellow believers, talking about how God is blessing us and how God uses us to really bring what he wants to bring to the world in a powerful way. So I'm looking forward to this conversation. But before I dive into that, I got to ask you my favorite question. What is the best piece of advice you've ever received?

Daniel Shalach (: 00:32

Now, I would want to say it was all scriptural, but it's not. The best advice I've ever gotten is from a mentor of mine, Les Brown. And one of the things they taught me was that service to others is the rent I must pay for taking up space on this planet. And so coming from that point of view, every night I ask myself, and this is a Daniel question, I'm not even trying to impose this on

your listeners or your watchers, but I ask myself, is my rent paid? What did I do today that serves someone else in Christ as I was led to and did I do it as he asked me to do? So I believe that service to others is the rent I must pay for taking up space on this planet. And I think that's made all the difference in my life.

Host: Rev. Dr. Keith Haney (: 01:26

You know, that is so cool because that is a stewardship principle too. God gave us everything we have as a gift and we're supposed to steward that. And how we give them back, not only to God, but to others, is a heart of the stewardship thing. I just had a talk with a group yesterday at church about stewardship. And it was funny because we were discussing the fact that we give them a grant and they weren't given anything back. It's like, what seems like a shell game. And so I had to stop and...

teach a little bit about what stewardship is. And he came back and appreciated the fact that I opened up the door and reminded him that all that we do is a gift from God. And it's not about a shell game, but it's about how we faithfully stewarding the gifts that God has given us and using that to bless others. And so we ended up in a good place, but it started out kind of like, this is a teaching moment. So how do you do that? And so I appreciate your words there.

Daniel Shalach (: 02:24

Amen. Thank you, brother.

Host: Rev. Dr. Keith Haney (: 02:28

So give me a little bit about your background. What led you on this journey of entrepreneurship and ministry? Because that's always a fascinating combination.

Daniel Shalach (: 02:39

Well, my background is eclectic, you know, I don't wanna you know, want to be clear I was I'm sure that you've heard of the of the ghetto Well, I was born in the gutter like my idea as a kid was if I could move into the ghetto I don't come up like if I could go to a projects. I heard they they even have elevators Wow, like that would have been like like the greatness and I grew up in a gang You know in my

You know, before I got saved, was a stick-up kid. As I got saved as a teen, when I went to the house of a neighbor who we all knew was the Christian people. And my intent was because I had been hungry for several days and the item I used to rob folks, I had loaned out to someone else to rob people and they were arrested.

Right. And so I didn't know where that was. I went to the Christian folks with the idea to borrow five dollars. Now, a lot of folks may be like, five dollars. What are you going to do with five dollars? Well, where you see me here, man, I'm pushing 60. So I may not look it, but that, you know, that black don't crack, you know, but it does flake and peel, which is why I use coconut oil. But anyway, back then, five bucks out, I thought I could get some eggs, a dollar ham.

Dollar cheese, which you know was was possible back back then some bread milk And then I was thinking I also stashed some stuff and steal some stuff while I'm there so I could have food for me and my dad Until he got his food stamps on that first, but when I went to this is their real name It's Deacon and sister Jones there the Joneses right when I went there They bought me into the house and gave me a box with something called spam

Many folks may not know what that is the spam. They shared some of their rice. I have a loaf of bread Some items and five hours and I was thinking who do you want me? Like what do you want for this because I was ready to do whatever they wanted me I was like listen, this sounds like it's hit money right now Like is anybody else bothering y'all cuz I got this and they were like, no, no We would just like to talk to you and ask me if you know Jesus. I say yeah, know Jesus

Daniel Shalach (: 05:02

I played ball with that fool like twice a week and they were like, no, no, not Jesus, not Jesus the super son. They were like, do you know Jesus Christ? And I was like, like little baby, like the one you see in the statues, like who knows a baby? And they were like, hmm. And they took me down what I know now to be the Roman road. I got cut by the cross. I accepted Christ and it led me to, I was trying to,

Legalized crime. I was telling my dudes. Hey, we can't rob old people. So they're like over 40 You can't rob them and one guy said do I ask him for for ID and I hit him I said listen you you just look me if they look we can't rob no females We can't rob, know, I mean I was and you can't rob on Sundays Like I was a big on this cuz I was trying I know now I was being convicted by Holy Spirit

And so I was fully trying to get things done my way. And Wade leans on the way. I got out of that because the Lord, as I know now, as I look back, he stepped into my life and he made a way for me to go due to my grades and due to what I had back then that was a stutter that wouldn't allow me to say even one word. I mean, I was like, and I couldn't even speak.

And so was difficult. That's why I was a man of few words. just, I would hit you or rob you or yell, but I didn't talk much like that. And so they made it so I could go to a school in Riverdale. And for folks that don't understand this, I went from the hood to a school that was where everybody in my classes looked like me and were probably all on welfare to a school where I was, maybe it was 5 % black.

20 % Hispanic the rest was Jewish and Asian Right and I was the only one in my class on welfare. So that taught me that made me see based on the fact that a lot of the kids were Cheating off of my tests and were asking me for help that I was as smart as them I was as capable as them and of course, I could beat many of them up So that you know that that was a plus since I got older

Daniel Shalach (: 07:28

Started to travel and the Lord called me when my dad died. He called me when my dad died I didn't listen because I was angry in my mind you killed my dad He called me again in 2007 and he says I will take care of you I didn't want to leave because I was a master broker and I know I had already made my first million I owned nine homes. I was a landlord for 12 years and I didn't want to leave that

but he made a way and it ended up me being alone for seven years in a home where he took care of everything for me. This may be hard for listeners to believe, but he took care. I never made one mortgage payment in seven years. And that's another story. But the bottom line is while I was there, he taught me that the church, cause that's what I started, the church.

needed a for-profit business to fund it. So I would never have to depend on the giving of somebody and the E.F.s and flows of them not giving or problems in their own life. And so I put the two together. So I had a for-profit business that funded the ministry and if someone else tithed or they gave, that was extra.

That was strictly for the Lord that strictly for the Lord. I never took money from that it was strictly to take care of the needs of the Ministry because I had Other means to make money that took care of my needs. Does that make sense, brother?

Host: Rev. Dr. Keith Haney (: 09:11

It does and it's a unique approach and I'm kind of wondering how did you integrate? Your faith into that because when I when we do churches today We have that model of it is completely dependent upon the gifts of the members To rise or fall and so we end up sometimes being in situations where we're I've seen it go to other extreme where the the pastor is kind of almost not teaching biblical stewardship, but he's

teaching biblical milking as he milks the congregation for minutes. So how do you align your faith with the church to do that in such a way that's for the good of the kingdom?

Daniel Shalach (: 09:54

Well, I believe that number one, as far as the business goes, I allowed him and I'm sure we'll talk more about this as we go on in the podcast, but I allowed Holy Spirit to guide me. As a matter of fact, if you look behind me, there's a picture by Nathan Green. There's G-R-E-E-N-E and it's called the Senior Partner. And it's a businessman that's introducing a young man to his partner, to the senior partner who is Jesus.

. So when: 2020

It didn't increase who we minister to but as far as my lifestyle none and that's a blessing because that's him anyway I allowed folks to know you don't have to type I Would like you to type I think it's biblical to type but that's me between you and the Lord. I taught on Tidings once a year Once a year and I went through all of the types of giving right the ties the arms of charity, right?

I went through all the types and then only if you were somebody new that came to the church we had a class where we did that discussed grace versus works Discussed grace versus works. We discussed what the church stands for what we believe in what the Lord says and about giving and tightly that's it never again, I never harping on that because I've had folks that were unemployed

I had one guy give me 63 cents. He gave me 63 cents and I tell this story often. cents. He was at one time he came in and says, all I got is 63 cents. I said, did the Lord tell you to tell me that? He says, no. I said, okay. So I don't understand why I needed to know that, but thank you for your 63 cents. And that young man right now has a business that's prospering. It's called

Daniel Shalach (: 12:18

Well, I won't throw out his business, but he named it after the Lord and it's prospering He's making money hand over fist and it's because of his His faithfulness to the Lord with that being said that's how I Incorporate it because I let folks know that I'm here to help you but mature and and Reverend as they grow in Christ as they become closer to the Lord as father

But Holy Spirit will guide them to give. I don't have to beat them down for it because if I help them grow and mature, then Holy Spirit will speak to them and convict them if they don't. They don't need me, brother.

Host: Rev. Dr. Keith Haney (: 13:04

I love that you have on your title there Christophanure. Tell us what you mean by that.

Daniel Shalach (: 13:09

Christ be with you.

Daniel Shalach (: 13:14

So I empower faith-based entrepreneurs to fulfill their God-given purpose in both life and business. And I do this by empowering them and teaching them to incorporate the character of Christ in their business points and what they're doing. I believe that we have mompreneurs, have some, someone once asked me, why didn't you use God?

God God for newer it's so much more stronger and it's powerful as God for newer I said what God It's what I said what God it's all God. I said, okay God to me Has a name. I think he is the I am I also believe he's Jesus the Christ Christ, right? He can be holy spirit three in one right but to somebody else it may have a different name and India

and maybe a choice of a few thousand. If we were back in Roman, could be a choice of a few hundred and Paul said he came there to represent the unknown God. So I figured that once you see Christ pre-nur, if you don't know, you will know. And you'll know that I am not ashamed to represent Christ. And if you want to work with me, that's fine. I don't harp on, I'm not going to beat you down with scripture.

But everything I do and every system that we have is biblical. That's what's up.

Host: Rev. Dr. Keith Haney (: 14:48

I'm curious a little bit as we go deeper into what you help people do, what are some key principles that you teach people who are striving to become Christopreneurs?

Daniel Shalach (: 15:00

Well, the number one thing is integrity. And I want to be clear, brother. Nothing works without integrity. It's facts. Maddie folks thinks that they can skate by it. They can. The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them. That's Proverbs 11.3. And when you prioritize transparency and honesty in all your dealings,

from marketing to customer to servicing them to building trust with clients and employees and partners and will bring you long term success. Next is stewardship. It says it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. That's first Corinthians four two, right? So you have to treat your resources and starting with time. Time is a resource. Time is more important than money.

Time is something you can't get back. So I steward my time, then my finances, then my employees, because that is a strategy that most folks fail on. And then the talents and gifts. These are things that allow you to prosper nonstop. The next thing is being a servant leader. Listen, it says in Matthew 20, but whoever would be greater among you must be your servant. So if you're leading with humility and a heart of service,

If you support and empower your team and your customers, this builds a loyalty that cannot be moved. It improves morale and encourages a positive workspace. As a matter of fact, brother, I believe before my heart that if you do not work at going the extra mile, as Christ said, with your staff and your clients, you're bound to lose them. I've been involved in businesses where I've had to leave because the person

now, many of them were caught: 1099

Daniel Shalach (: 17:27

The problem is that I was telling him to give on to God what's God and onto the IRS with stairs and to obey the laws of this land because I thought that Holy Spirit said great these laws and treat people like garbage. I just is it possible? No, it's just not his character. So those are the three things I think that would empower that and that that empower folks to not just be a business person.

but live out the word of faith-based entrepreneur or Christpreneur.

Host: Rev. Dr. Keith Haney (: 18:05

What challenges do you notice most often that people who want to start a business run into that you can kind of help them avoid those critical mistakes early on?

Daniel Shalach (: 18:16

Number one is excuse the word but is prostituting your faith for money and I want to speak from experience because I don't want to speak from experiment coming for me I can tell play that there was a time when I got this client They had they had all of the telltale signs of not being the right client, right? however They were willing, you know

Just to give you some background, when I first started doing this for clients, I charged $2.97 a month. So just under three. By the time I got done, it was $3K to onboard and $2K a month. So you know, things changed, things grew, right? And our systems grew. And that's not what I'm doing now, but this story is of that. This client was bringing in someone else, so was two each were gonna pay.

And they were ready to pay for the year up front. So I saw the money and I thought, you know what? I can take this money and do this, this and this. Nothing that I wanted to do was wrong. And most folks would say it was pretty good. It may have looked good, but it didn't look good because he's the senior partner. And I didn't ask Holy Spirit about this. And that's the issue. Why is that the...

issue. It's the issue because

so many problems with them. It caused so much strife among the staff, among me, even in my household. And it only got finished when I let them go because it's okay to fire your client. It's okay, but learn from it. So my point is that if you keep the Lord first and don't sell yourself out because of a dollar, He will reward you with something much better.

Daniel Shalach (: 20:19

Number two is being humble. Just because you learn something does not mean that you're a master at that. That's something that young that when they're starting out that, I learned this, learned that. Learn some more. Be humble and know that some folks like me or you have been doing this. You know, I've been doing this since 89. That's a long time. So to hear folks say, well, I know this and that, that's great. But be humble. And then the last thing is I think that they struggle with

delegation you don't have to learn everything You know if you buy no believe in a fivefold There's a place for everybody right if you believe that some folks are meant to pray to intercede some folks are meant to pray for this there's time for For our fasting there's time for eating is learn to delegate You don't have to do the artwork to this that in doing that You become overwhelmed and I see it time and time again

They get burned out the first 18 months and they say, this doesn't work.

Host: Rev. Dr. Keith Haney (: 21:23

That's very helpful. I like that. So you shared kind of one of your success stories. Is there another story from people you work with that when you think about where they started and where they ended up, that you go, first of all, was God did that, but God let me come alongside and just have a small part of that journey.

Daniel Shalach (: 21:45

Yes, so there's a Young girl named though the last name of Baker and when we first met she worked if I'm not mistaken she worked seven days a week six doubles So the only time she didn't have a double I believe was Sunday All right, and that's the afternoon that she you know did order

Wash it this is that blob, you know Phil Phil fill in the blanks That was that one day when most stuff is closed on Sundays, right? That's the one day she had to do everything on top of that on top of that she had a young young daughter who was three four and she'd go into daycare at like Like nine in the morning and be picked up at 12 at night. So she was in the care of Other folks that were not Christians

And then we have her best in 10 the whole day. She knew them more than she knew her mom. When she first came to the church, I let her know about the internship for being an entrepreneur. And she got involved. And when we first started, I asked her, is 10 grand a month a of money? She said, 10 grand? I said, yeah. She goes, take home? I said, take home. said, yeah!

All right 18 months later. I asked her she went now So what took place in those are eight, you know 18 months, right? What took place there? She started her own business. She let me guide her to being an entrepreneur She made six figures her first year She went from working. She went from working six days a week on doubles and the seven right with one shift to six days

to six days, five doubles, to six days, four doubles, three, two, one, to five days, to four days. She hung on that to that one last day and night. After I said, just for my own, know, me just thinking, you said it takes you like 90 minutes to get to work, right? To get ready and stuff, that's yeah. All right. You get to work for four hours, it takes you like 90 minutes when you get home.

Daniel Shalach (: 24:08

to break down and get back into the flow of things. says, yeah. So you actually, and to get ready and break down, you're doing it as much as you are while you're at work. Why are you still at work? She says, I don't know. I said, yes, we know why, it's fear. You want to think I have this thing, I have this thing attached, I got it. And if something goes wrong, being entrepreneur, I said, listen, if you get one more client,

Will you quit? She says, yes. I want to be transparent, That morning I had closed a client for her. So I pulled out the paperwork. I said, here's a paid invoice. She's what? I said, I'm sending you the money right now. Let's start working on your two weeks notice. And so she put in her two weeks. Five of her clients were there at her job when she quit and retired.

We worked on her credit. We worked on her business. Last year, she bought a home by herself on her own terms with a ridiculous rate of interest. Back when it was high, she got a ridiculous rate when they ran her credit. The guy said, she says he called him back and said, you told me you were in the seventh. She says, I'm not. He says, no, you're in the eighth.

She's like, all right, all right, good. But she's so calm now about that. And brother, I didn't do any of that. I was just the conduit. The Lord did that. But she listened. And that's one of the biggest success that I can share with you right now.

Host: Rev. Dr. Keith Haney (: 25:56

I love that. I love to ask all my entrepreneurs this question, because I get this, I hear this in the world a lot, that entrepreneurs cheated to get where they are, and they don't deserve it. And so we should punish entrepreneurs because of their success. And I'm always curious when I hear people say that they had it easy or they had a silver spoon in their mouth. You work with so many people.

How do you refute that mindset that I hear, especially during political seasons, that entrepreneurs didn't earn what they have? They didn't deserve what they have. So just kind of give entrepreneurs the opportunity to of put some words out there about that statement.

Daniel Shalach (: 26:34

Yeah, no, of course.

Daniel Shalach (: 26:41

Brother, I just told you a bit about my background, Based on that, does it look like I had a silver spoon? I mean, I was told that I wouldn't pass 21. So that's weird, right? I just shared with you about Ms. Baker, right?

single mom don't work like a hundred hours a week when she stepped out in faith in Christ and as an entrepreneur things changed the young man that that I spoke with last night last night a single dad started his own business he came to me for help he's living with his 16 year old son he's struggling

But he's learning to budget, to put money aside. When I shared with him what his investment would be into himself in our program, he said, well, I put aside X into this account X and I use this. With these things, I only have so much. It will take me six more weeks to get the rest. I said, brother, are you willing to invest

What you have right now? He says yes, we'll do it into a payments. Let's get started He said fine this brother struggling, but he had the mindset to have a separate account He he didn't cheat he followed good financial biblical stewardship and Paid himself first put some money first to two ties put the money next for his business aside that put put himself next

And in doing that, he has the money. It's not cheating. When the whole world was started like this, everybody that came to this country was an entrepreneur. The Indians that were here were self-working entrepreneurs. Folks that come here are entrepreneurs. Folks in the Bible all own their own business. They were entrepreneurs. So that's how the world works.

Daniel Shalach (: 28:56

It's odd for me. I haven't clocked in in so long. I don't know if I can't clock in I know I have my time yet if I went to a job right now and they were like here like what's this? like it's a time time time card my what card your time card What I do with this like I wouldn't know because I move on my own time that's the beauty what it is is Reagan once said

Ronald Reagan once said, it surprises me that everyone that's against abortion has already been born. So it surprises me that everybody that's against entrepreneurship or things we treated, we have a magic code, they have nine to five jobs that they probably don't like. So it's not my fault that I'm doing what I love to do.

Maybe it's your fault that you're working a nine to five. Don't know.

Host: Rev. Dr. Keith Haney (: 29:56

I love that. And I love that because you hear that and it becomes a kind of this ungodly thing of being jealous of somebody else's success and work ethic as opposed to just going, how can I do what someone else did? I have a passion for something. How do I live out that passion as opposed to making us resent other people who have done it? So I always kind of like to ask entrepreneurs who have taken that chance, who as somebody said, one of my entrepreneurs say,

You know, it's different when you have to sign the front of the check with your name on it. You know, that changes everything.

Daniel Shalach (: 30:32

Brother, and it's different when you homeschool, you have a wife, you have grown kids that you gotta deal with, you have a ministry, you have folks that call you with issues, you have issues in your own house, you gotta fix the front porch because the thing leans and we don't like the way it leans, you got the rabbits that get in your yard and eat your crop, you have voles which is slightly smaller than a mole.

And gets all the route and all these things and you still have to do a podcast You got to finish your next book, you know, I'm on my third book my next one out or I'll be out next month. It's called becoming a Christ prep for prenoir becoming a Christ prenoir and Getting this stuff done and still going hi guys Welcome, right that takes a lot of that drains you and it's not easy It's easier if I could just clock in and type

Thank you for coming and have a sesame. None of this is set in stone. It's all day by day. And I think that takes, that takes a titan to move day by day, not a midget. No offense to the other people.

Host: Rev. Dr. Keith Haney (: 31:47

Yeah, no problem. So I got to ask you my other favorite question. What do you want your legacy to be?

Daniel Shalach (: 31:52

Yes.

My brother.

Daniel Shalach (: 31:59

My legacy, I would appreciate it if they were doing a eulogy of me and they said his focus was always to honor Christ. And when he worked with individuals, he steered them to get closer to God as Father through building relationship through Holy Spirit. That his focus was always on leaving them better than when he met them.

Host: Rev. Dr. Keith Haney (: 32:28

Yeah, that's awesome. Where can people connect with you if they want to learn more about you? And where can they find that book you're going to be putting out soon?

Daniel Shalach (: 32:35

So if they if they go to Daniel is 360 calm that's my personal page if you want to connect with me via Email phone text chat. It's Daniel is 360 calm now Here's a catch if you click at the very top at the very tippy top and you click on contact which would be

right there. If you click on contact, you're going to go ahead and get a screen that says text. Text me your email and full name, your best email and full name. And I'm going to send you a free copy of my book as soon as it comes out. That's all. All of those on this podcast. Just mention Reverend's name. Just put it right there. Your email.

your name and his name and you'll get a free copy of my book.

Host: Rev. Dr. Keith Haney (: 33:38

what an awesome gift for the audience. Thank you so much, Daniel, and blessed is what you do. I love your spirit. I love how you pour into people's life, how you give back to what God has given you, because that's unique and unusual in the world. So continue to keep on, keep it on, brother.

Daniel Shalach (: 33:53

Thank you brother. God bless you.