
Integrity Moments
Integrity Moments is a 60-second workday devotional from Unconventional Business Network Founder & CEO, Rick Boxx. It provides business leaders with helpful insight into what the Bible says about work and how to integrate faith into vocational calling.
Episodes

Love the Sinner
Years ago, my wife, Kathy, and I interviewed Sheri, a high school coach, about her faith at work experiences. We discussed several students whom she loved despite their past poor decisions. Kathy asked Sheri, “How hard is it to love these kids when they make such poor choices?” Sheri’s response was profound. “I’ve learned,” she ...
The post Love the Sinner appeared first on Unconventional Busi

Overvalued Businesses
Years ago, a University of Kansas researcher referenced in Harvard Business Review, discovered that people asked to sell their personal coffee mug wanted 2.2 times more than potential buyers were willing to pay. Their personal connection to the coffee mug caused them to overvalue the mug. Small business owners have a similar problem. The first ...
The post Overvalued Businesses appeared first on

Columbus’ Passion
Christopher Columbus was passionate about his dream. He had a desire to find a new and quicker route to the Orient, but he needed financial backing. In 1485, Columbus pitched his idea to the King of Portugal. His plan was rejected, but Columbus persevered. For the next seven years, he approached multiple nations and potential ...
The post Columbus’ Passion appeared first on Unconventional Busi

Honest Weakness
One of the kindest comments a colleague once shared with me is that I am open about my failures. He was troubled by Christians who proclaim to be challenge-free, even though their struggles are just as evident as anyone else’s. I jokingly responded that my shortcomings are so visible, it would be a sin to ...
The post Honest Weakness appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

Don’t Be a Hypocrite
New to his manager role, Steve made a mistake common for newly promoted team members; he wanted to keep everyone happy, even if that wasn’t best for the entire group. Over time, team members caught him saying one thing, only to later take actions that contradicted his words. Soon, team members lost trust in him. ...
The post Don’t Be a Hypocrite appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

A Compassionate Leader
A great leader not only has concern for those they employ, they also have compassion. One business owner I know agonized, prayed, and cried as he wrestled with how to reduce his payroll. Due to his compassion for others, I believe God provided a solution different than he expected. Rather than terminating several jobs, his ...
The post A Compassionate Leader appeared first on Unconventional Busin

Faith Resistant Workplaces
An executive of a financial organization shared with me recently that his company’s CEO, and most of his executive team, are Christians. But anytime my friend has encouraged the Executive team to be more forward with their Christian values his ideas get dismissed. Fear of getting sued, or a fear of upsetting employees or customers, ...
The post Faith Resistant Workplaces appeared first on Uncon

High-Performance Pilots
The Air Force Thunderbird pilots are the ultimate high-performance leaders. In September, Kathy and I attended an Air Show where the Thunderbirds performed. Their Diamond Formation was amazing with four jets flying 18 inches apart in a diamond shape, while traveling between 400-500 miles per hour. A simple sneeze, momentary distraction, or engine flaw could ...
The post High-Performance Pilots

Making Close Friends
In a recent Journal of Social and Personal Relationships report, University of Kansas Professor, Jeffrey Hall, discovered that it takes roughly 50 hours of time together to move from mere acquaintance to casual friend, 90 hours to go from casual friend to “friend” status and more than 200 hours before you can consider someone your ...
The post Making Close Friends appeared first on Unconventional

God is Good
A recent 60 Minutes program featured an Air Force Colonel called Bravo who was shot down in Iran. Bravo was ejected from his fighter jet only to discover that his parachute was shredded. Professionals believe that Bravo hit the earth traveling 70 to 100 mph. His injuries included a broken back, arm, and other significant ...
The post God is Good appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

Acquired Wisdom
Although Len had earned his retirement, the organization was distressed when he departed because of the wisdom and experience that he took with him when he went. Through years of service in various roles in the company, through highs and lows, good times and bad, Len had acquired a perspective and wisdom that would be ...
The post Acquired Wisdom appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

A Different Business Model
Anson Frerick, former president of Anheuser-Busch Sales & Distribution, was interviewed on The Daily Wire. He provided interesting insight into the business model shift corporate America made several years ago. In the 1980s, most corporations followed the Shareholder model, believing that the only purpose of business is profit. However, in 2019, 181 CEO members of ...
The post A Different Busin

Developing a Ministry Plan: Part V
There are five important issues to be addressed in Developing a Ministry Plan for Your Business. My final one is ministering to your community. Many businesses give employees paid time off to volunteer for local nonprofits. Others, like my friend, Rusty, take his work team on mission trips. There are many ways to impact ...
The post Developing a Ministry Plan: Part V appeared first on Unconven

Developing a Ministry Plan: Part IV
In my book, Unconventional Business, I wrote about Developing a Ministry Plan for Your Business. There are five important issues to be addressed in your plan, the fourth is ministering to customers, suppliers, and competitors. Many people are good at ministering to their employees, and some are good at focusing on customers. But few spend ...
The post Developing a Ministry Plan: Part IV appeared

Developing a Ministry Plan: Part III
In my book, Unconventional Business, I wrote about Developing a Ministry Plan for Your Business. There are five important issues to be addressed in your plan, including ministering to your employees and their families. Each of your teammates faces deaths, health issues, and family conflicts. One of our members decided celebrating employee victories was also ...
The post Developing a Ministry Pla

Developing a Ministry Plan: Part II
In my book, Unconventional Business, I wrote about Developing a Ministry Plan for Your Business. There are five important issues to be addressed in your plan, the second one is discipleship. Our Forum Groups, launched within a company, is one tool we have seen businesses use to train and disciple their people on understanding how ...
The post Developing a Ministry Plan: Part II appeared first on

Developing a Ministry Plan: Part I
In my book, Unconventional Business, I have a chapter on Developing a Ministry Plan for Your Business. There are five important issues to be addressed in your plan, the first issue being evangelism. Jesus called each of us to be ambassadors for Him, but how we do evangelism may differ. I know a publicly traded ...
The post Developing a Ministry Plan: Part I appeared first on Unconventional Bu

What God Knows
I applied for a wonderful new job, but the barriers to getting hired felt daunting. First, the company needed to secure several state regulatory approvals to create the new operation for which I would be working. The company needed to approve the position in the new organization. Finally, I needed to be the successful candidate ...
The post What God Knows appeared first on Unconventional Business

Ordained Worker
In his book “Second Wind for the Second Half,” Patrick Morley describes a high school teacher who proclaims, “I am an ordained math teacher.” We should seek to seamlessly integrate our faith and our work, doing our work as a form of our worship. There are many ways to do that. We can choose jobs ...
The post Ordained Worker appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

The Seeds of Jealousy
Once, I found myself working for the person who received the promotion I was recommended to receive. My jealousy turned into disdain for my new boss and damaged our working relationship. King Saul had similar feelings about David when Saul allowed seeds of jealousy to take root. After Saul returned from a victorious battle, the ...
The post The Seeds of Jealousy appeared first on Unconventional

A Growing Workplace Problem
While meeting with an entrepreneur named Mark, I asked him about his greatest challenges. Mark shared, “When I started this business eight years ago, I never would’ve imagined that marijuana usage would be one of my biggest problems. It’s pervasive, and a constant safety and productivity challenge.” A recent New York Post article claims that ...
The post A Growing Workplace Problem appeared firs

The Fruit of Barrenness
Organizational psychologist, Goh Hong Yi, wrote a profound online article for Salt and Light on barrenness that relates to business. Abraham was told that God was going to make him into a great nation. However, his wife, Sarah, was unable to conceive for decades. The author wrote, “The lineage of Abraham reminds us that ...
The post The Fruit of Barrenness appeared first on Unconventional Busi

Drawing Near
Linda was crushed when she lost her job. In the midst of worrying about how to survive the economic hit until she found a new role, she struggled to respond to how the traumatic change impacted her self-esteem. But she found comfort in the words from the writer of Hebrews. “Let us then approach God’s ...
The post Drawing Near appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

President Reagan’s Prayer Life
In President Ronald Reagan’s autobiography, he shares a story about his college football days. Before a big game, President Reagan’s football coach asked the team if they prayed. Out of fear that he would be ridiculed by his peers, Reagan did not admit that he was someone who prayed, even though he did regularly. Reagan ...
The post President Reagan’s Prayer Life appeared first on Unconventiona

The Roots of Labor Day
The Industrial Revolution’s technology, rather than eliminating jobs, created jobs for railroads and related industries that dramatically increased labor demands. This led to abuse and overwork, not leisure, as some expected. In 1894, the Labor Day holiday became a response to that abuse and overwork. The laborers demanded a day to rest and celebrate their ...
The post The Roots of Labor Day app

People Placement Matters
Vanessa Van Edwards, a Harvard behavioral researcher, shared at the most recent Global Leadership Summit many great workplace insights. One insight, backed by research, was that if you sit people near high performers, those people’s performance will increase 15% on average. But if you sit them next to low performers, their performance will decrease ...
The post People Placement Matters appeared

Rethinking Retirement
Jim Collins, author of Good to Great, shared at this year’s Global Leadership Summit that only 53% of Benjamin Franklin’s accomplishments happened by the age of 60. Collins’ point is that age is not a good indicator of future achievements. Prior to Social Security’s beginning, most people concluded they would work as long as they ...
The post Rethinking Retirement appeared first on Unconvention

Finding Happiness
Harvard Professor, Arthur Brooks, points to four pillars of happiness that include faith, family, friendship, and work that serves others. Regarding faith, Professor Brooks says, “A religious, spiritual, or even philosophical outlook allows us to transcend the self and see the bigger picture, admitting our smallness in the grand scheme of things and reminding ...
The post Finding Happiness appea

Is Life Meaningless?
According to Harvard Professor, Arthur Brooks, there’s an annual survey that asks men and women if they feel their life is meaningless. Prior to 2008, the percentage of people typically affirming that belief was just 15%. In 2008, however, the numbers increased significantly each year. For women, a meaningless life response reached 30%, and ...
The post Is Life Meaningless? appeared first on Unc

Be Faithful
According to the Wall Street Journal, Brian McClain, a Kentucky rancher, ran a Ponzi scheme that cost investors and bankers $170 million. The fraud could have been caught many years earlier. Lending on livestock, done properly, requires periodic livestock inspections. Rabo AgriFinance was McClain’s primary lender, but Rabo loaned McClain millions without any cattle inspections for four years. In

The Perfect Pair
My wife, Kathy, was paired with another woman to lead a vacation bible school. While Kathy loves having fun, it’s often unscripted. The first time Kathy spoke with her new teammate, Kathy told me, “She is very structured and scripted. We may drive each other crazy.” Personally, I think God chose the perfect pair. Some children learned from Kathy’s fun, free form style, but other kids needed the

Innovators Beware
Many entrepreneurs focus on one business and struggle to excel, while others, like Elon Musk, can create multiple businesses in vastly different industries. Some business leaders have a higher level of creativity and innovation than most. But for many of those innovators, they would have trouble admitting that without God they would have nothing. Colossians 1:16 says, “For in (the Son of God) a

Courageous Stewardship
When I owned a fledgling consulting practice, I met with a ministry leader named Ken. To my surprise, Ken changed the conversation by asking me when I was going to hire a salesperson. When I explained my concerns about affording a new hire, Ken reminded me that being a good steward often requires us to take a step of faith. After Ken’s prompting, I prayed and courageously ...
The post Courageo

A Silent Faith
In a Christianpost.com article, Michael A. Youssef, pastor of Church of the Apostles, emphasized that a Lifeway study reveals that 53% of Protestant church goers admit that many who know them do not know that they are Christians. Pastor Youssef highlights that “a silent Christian is not a neutral Christian; a silent Christian is a weakened witness. Because truth that is never spoken will eventuall

Wise Diversification
As a banker, I was once asked to make a loan to a businessman who owned nothing except one stock worth $2 million, but he owed $1 million against that stock. I was surprised by his lack of diversification. I declined his loan request. Later, that stock plummeted and he was forced to sell with a deep loss. Jesus began a parable by stating that a master entrusted his wealth ...
The post Wise Di

Leadership Lessons of Elisha: Whole Truth
The stories of the Biblical prophet Elisha in the Old Testament book of 2 Kings offer relevant wisdom for our work today. Seeking a cure for his leprosy, the army commander Naaman offered gold, silver, and clothing to compensate Elisha for healing him. Yet Elisha refuses to accept any payment. Seeing an opportunity for himself, Elisha’s servant Gehazi follows after Naaman and makes up a story t

Leadership Lessons of Elisha: God’s Army
The book of 2 Kings offers Biblical wisdom for our work today. The king of Syria seeks to capture the prophet Elisha. One morning, Elisha’s servant sees that an army has surrounded the city. The servant fearfully asks Elisha what they are to do. “‘Don’t be afraid,’ the prophet answered. ‘Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’” (2 Kings 6:16) Elisha prayed that the servant

Leadership Lessons of Elisha: Simple Solutions
The Old Testament book of 2 Kings tells of the Biblical prophet Elisha, whose leadership lessons have relevant wisdom for today’s workplace. Suffering from leprosy, the army commander Naaman asks Elisha for healing. Although Naaman is expecting some dramatic invocation of God’s presence, Elisha’s prescription is simpler: Naaman is to wash himself seven times in the Jordan River. Naaman is incen

Work By Faith
Florence Chadwick’s 1952 effort to swim from Catalina Island to the California coast is a favorite motivational story. The day was so foggy she could barely see the boats that accompanied her. Exhausted after swimming for more than 15 hours, unable to see her destination, she gave up. She learned later that she was less than half a mile from the coast. She told reporters, “All I could ...
Th

Why We Pray
If you’re part of Unconventional Business Network, it’s possible you’ve received a prayer card signed by our staff. My wife, Kathy, has led this effort for years. Someone recently asked Kathy why prayer is so important to her. When Kathy had breast cancer three decades ago, dozens of people showed up at our house during a blizzard to pray. The next morning, the hospital filled with people pray

Religious Exemptions for AI?
Employers could wind up in court if they outright dismiss workers who request a faith-based exemption from using AI. In a businessinsider.com article, Ashley Herd, a former McKinsey counsel and head of North American HR, emphasized this newer risk for businesses. According to the article, one Unitarian Universalist has already received a religious exemption from her employer because of her ...
T

Prioritizing the Urgent
Ray had a busy day scheduled at work. But soon after he arrived, he encountered an employee who entered the building after being physically assaulted. As you might imagine, the employee was very shaken and upset. Ray needed to decide where to spend his time. He could have decided that this was a personal problem that should be dealt with personally. Instead, Ray cleared his schedule. He spent

Stewarding Your Team
Keith was doing a great job of growing sales in a retail chain of stores and was highly trusted by the CEO. When the company lost their controller, the CEO appointed Keith as the new controller. When I entered as a consultant, Keith had two offices full of unopened bills and accounting records. Unfortunately, the IRS forced them into bankruptcy shortly thereafter. Stewardship is often equated

The Cost of Bondage
According to a National Survey on Drug Use and Health, more than 16% of the workforce have a substance use disorder. Furthermore, according to the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, this is costing over $93 billion in lost productivity a year. Proverbs 23 addresses all kinds of snares like alcohol, gluttony, and adultery. Proverbs 23:29 says, “Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Wh

Starting Point
In his book “Second Wind for the Second Half,” Patrick Morley describes questioning the team he hired to paint basketball markings on the driveway around his garage basketball hoop. When the team seemed to take a long time to get started, Morley asked if there was a problem. The team foreman said they were checking and rechecking measurements before they started work. “We’ve learned from experie

Shepherd Focus
For too much of my career, I was worried about where I ranked in the organization. How was my career advancing in comparison with others? Who was moving ahead faster? Who had the boss’s favor? It’s a human tendency, but it takes our eyes off the one on whom we should be focused. Peter falls prey to that tendency in the final verses of the Book of John. Jesus has ...
The post Shepherd Focus appe

The Cover Up
As Kathy and I toured Richard Nixon’s Presidential Library, we learned a more complete picture on this complicated man and time in history. Many believe Watergate wasn’t President Nixon’s biggest problem; it was the cover up. Some doubt President Nixon even knew about Watergate before it happened. But his lies and deception made the cover up far more harmful than the Watergate break-in itself, d

Presidential Buried Treasure
While visiting Ronald Reagan’s Presidential Library in Simi Valley, one of the interesting discoveries Kathy and I came across was his note cards. Sometime after President Reagan had passed, a folder of 4 by 6 note cards was found among the President’s possessions. President Reagan maintained a folder filled with quotes, stories, and jokes. He then categorized these handwritten notes into categor

A Blurry Movie
Kathy and I took our son to see the movie, Toy Story 5, recently. When the camera focused on an individual character, the focus was clear. But when the camera scanned out to a bigger picture everything was blurry. We assumed they would eventually fix the projector, but they never did. Afterwards, we learned we’d been in a 3D movie but were never offered 3D glasses. ...
The post A Blurry Movi

Serve Anyway
When Jeremy lost his job, he was so angry that he spent more time complaining about his situation than trying to resolve it. His bitterness came through in his job search and interviews. The Biblical story of Joseph offers a different response to setbacks. When he was falsely accused and sent to prison, Joseph chose ...
The post Serve Anyway appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.
Recommended

CBS Radio Mystery Theater | Old Time Radio

Solved Murders - True Crime Stories

紐約鳥|New York Aperture

The Swerve Podcast: Obscure Topics | Conspiracy Theories

The Bread and Banter Podcast

The Church of What's Happening Now: The New Testament

Busted Open

Deadline: White House

Crickets Corner

History of the Earthquake and Fire in San Francisco

Fox news

K-Drama Obsessed Mamas | Beyond “Just One More Episode!”