I was early in my first ministry when I watched my step dad get forced out of the church he pastored. It made an impression.

I learned the importance of having a plan. It probably helped that I was entrepreneurial–though I didn’t know that at the time.

I made a What’s Next plan.

First I committed myself to my call to serve others through the local church regardless of what that looked like. My call was from God, not anyone else.

I experimented with side hustles. I will spare you the list. With every hustle I learned more about business. This would pay off one day.

I got out of debt. Stayed out of debt.

I studied business, mostly this was a matter of survival.

I set a goal–to create my own options for the future.

I am thankful to those who have helped me along the way. It has taken a while but the journey has been good. So here is my last tip. Find good people who will encourage you and walk with you.

Don’t hesitate to start right here. You can reach me at shapingstudents@gmail.com.