Episode 1451: Interview with Karen Coffey About Spirit-Led Business

[00:00:00] Scott Maderer: Thanks for joining us on episode 1451 of the Inspired Stewardship Podcast.

[00:00:07] Karen Coffey: I'm Karen Coffey, and I challenge you to invest in yourself, invest in others, develop your influence, and impact the world by using your time, your talent, and your treasures to live out your calling. Having the ability to lean into what God wants for you is key, and one way to be inspired to do that is to listen to this, the Inspired Stewardship Podcast.

[00:00:28] The

[00:00:36] impact that I have, I hope to leave in the world is what I alluded to earlier, is that there is, it doesn't have to have my name on it. It doesn't even matter if my name, if anybody knows who I am, but that every city, every town, every village would bring God into their most minute everyday experience.[00:01:00]

[00:01:00] Scott Maderer: Welcome and thank you for joining us on the Inspired Stewardship Podcast. If you truly desire to become the person who God wants you to be, then you must learn to use your time, your talent, and your treasures for your true calling. In the Inspired Stewardship Podcast, you will learn to invest in yourself, invest in others, and develop your influence so that you can impact the world.

[00:01:33] In today's podcast episode, I interview Karen Coffey. I asked Karen about her journey to becoming a coach to spirit led businesses. I also asked her about writing her new book, Spirit Led Millionaire, and Karen also shares how her own personal journey goes from homelessness to owning a high earning business, all through leaning into her faith.

[00:01:55] I've got a new book coming out. called Inspired Living. Assembling the [00:02:00] puzzle of your call by mastering your time, your talent, and your treasures. You can find out more about it and sign up for getting more information over at InspiredStewardship. com Inspired Living. That's InspiredStewardship. com Inspired Living.

[00:02:19] Karen Coffey is the founder and CEO of Karen Coffey International, a multi million dollar coaching and training organization working with business men and women who are looking to fast track to seven figures and beyond per year using kingdom principles. Her company has won the Inc. 500 award two years running, is one of the fastest growing companies in America, and is a two time Stevie Award winner.

[00:02:43] Her story is heartbreaking and inspirational. As a homeless single mother, she was able to rebuild her life and her wealth building two multi million dollar companies in only two years time. Karen credits a hundred percent of her success to God and his guidance. It's what she calls [00:03:00] being spirit led. She is currently working on her latest book, The Spirit Led Millionaire, due out by the end of this year, 2024.

[00:03:08] Welcome to the show, Karen! Nice to be here, Scott. Thanks. Absolutely. So I shared a little bit in the intro about some of both the high points and some of the challenges that you've had in your story, but I always think of intros as like the Instagram photos of our life. We don't necessarily see the whole picture and see everything.

[00:03:28] We just see what's framed. So would you expand on your journey a little bit and talk a little bit about what has brought you to the point of both working, doing the work you do, and putting out this new book that's coming out soon, The Spirit Led Millionaire. What brought this message on for

[00:03:45] Karen Coffey: you?

[00:03:45] Oh, my gosh it has been years, but I won't bore you with all the details. I'll just give you the highlights. But it was Yeah, I guess it was about 10, 15 years ago there was a downturn in the economy [00:04:00] and it turned out that my son and I became homeless and we, I was a homeless single mom and we were sleeping on the sofas of friends and in basements and eating ramen noodles every night there was just constant and sometimes when you get hit, as Scott You, there's nowhere to go, but on your knees I had been a Christian.

[00:04:24] I had been saved when I was 12, but I never had this real intimate relationship, so to speak. So I got on my knees and I said, God, I don't even know at this point. if you're real, because I'm not understanding this pain, this disappointment. How when I'm a believer and how can life go so wrong? My mother passed, my husband and I divorced, the business tanked.

[00:04:52] I lost the family farm. There's that joke of I lost the family. I really did. Your life

[00:04:57] Scott Maderer: was a country

[00:04:57] Karen Coffey: song. It was like, it was a country [00:05:00] song. Exactly. I love that. And So when I got on my knees, I said, God, I really don't know what's going on here, but if you will just give me one thing, one thing today to do, I promise you I will follow through.

[00:05:17] I will be obedient. That word gave me the willies at the time. I was like obedience. I don't know about that, but at this point I would have done anything. And I felt as though I heard a feeling, a strong thought, and it was to do a specific thing around business and getting a job because I didn't have a job that worked.

[00:05:38] It was a whole mess. I did that one thing. Nothing really happened. The next day, give me one thing, Lord, and I will do it. I followed through on that one thing and I made that commitment every single day and at the end of, I think it was about 30 days, I had done, I had 30 [00:06:00] spirit led steps that created a business where I made 100, 000 in the first 100 days by following Holy Spirit guidance.

[00:06:09] I couldn't believe it. I just couldn't believe, I was like, like there's a God that cares about my business, that it's not taboo to talk about God and money in the same sentence. And I ended up doing very well. So that was in residential real estate sales. And then I went into, we created, just under half a million for that first year.

[00:06:31] And people started asking me, how did you do it? How did you do that? And I didn't even think to tell them it was God. I was like, Oh, you do this and skills and strategies and things like that. That's how I became a coach in the real estate sales space. And we did that for five years, creating a multimillion dollar Inc.

[00:06:51] 500 two years in a row, Stevie awards, all kinds of things. And last I think it was about a year and a half ago, [00:07:00] following God's guidance all the way, you know, making sure that we're spirit led in, in all things over these last five to six years. And about a year and a half ago, I heard the Lord say, I need you to close the doors to this very successful company.

[00:07:13] And I need you to pivot. And I'm like, no way! You just don't do that! You gave me this business. You gave me these clients. You told me what to do. And he's yeah, but I've got something else. Exactly. And so I did, and this is interesting. And, but as soon as I closed. the doors. It was like the next, I said I need confirmation first.

[00:07:40] I didn't just go off on a whim. And the next day I got two phone calls from two different people that had no idea I had even thought about this. And they're like, are you sitting down? I got this feeling. And I was like, Oh my gosh, this is crazy. Closed the doors, found all 15 people jobs within three days.

[00:07:58] All of them. [00:08:00] And miracle money just flowed in over the next week to the tune of 200, 000. Just out of nowhere, not from clients. It was from a bank from 13 years ago and a vehicle, I guess it was a class action lawsuit and I didn't even apply. And here comes this money. And that is when through the course of the last year and a half, we launched Spirit Led Business.

[00:08:28] And so that is how we get to today. I think that was what you asked.

[00:08:33] Scott Maderer: Absolutely. No, that is. So I want to circle back to about a couple of things that you mentioned that so one is that feeling of it's taboo to, to talk about money and business and God and two different ways.

[00:08:51] I'm hearing that from you and I want to make sure I'm hearing it right. One is that internal feeling for you of, I can't actually take [00:09:00] this to God.

[00:09:01] Karen Coffey: Yeah. Yeah.

[00:09:02] Scott Maderer: Then there's also the feeling of, okay, and even if I do take it to God, now I'm helping someone else. I can't mention to them that this God thing is going on I just need to tell him the tips and the tricks and what to do.

[00:09:13] I can't talk to him about the spirit part. Can you unpack that? Absolutely.

[00:09:20] Karen Coffey: When I was first starting on this journey, I did have those hangups. I was like, I was brought up conventional I'm not going to say which denomination, but it was conventional in the fact that I don't know that God really cares about those things, and so it was difficult for me in the beginning to bring this up. And because of that, I didn't even think to tell other people. Now Fast forward, I think it was my first year in business. When we did the first year, we did 1. 2 million the second year. We did 2. 6 and on. It went up from there and that's when I started [00:10:00] sharing this.

[00:10:00] this very boldly, this walk with God, Holy Spirit and Christ in our business. So now it's not a problem at all. It is, no, this is, someone asked me, they said, so what do what is it that you attribute your success to? And I thought about it for a moment. This is what started it in the first year of coaching on a national scale.

[00:10:25] And I said, wow, you know what? It's not one strategy. It is not one guru. It is not one tactic. It is strictly my intimacy and my relationship with the Lord and listening to Holy Spirit, inviting him in and letting him be the CEO of my business. And I work for him, not the other way around. Yeah, I think there's a lot of even now today, I'll, I will get some angry emojis on my posts on social people are like, you're kidding me.

[00:10:55] You're combining God and money. And it's you know what? The New Testament [00:11:00] alone, Scott.

[00:11:01] Scott Maderer: There's over 2, 000 people say that. I'm like, have you

[00:11:04] read

[00:11:05] Karen Coffey: the Bible? We live in a redeemed world. This is the New Testament over 2000 scriptures about money stewardship, like your show is about and business. and there's only, I think it was 215 on salvation in the New Testament.

[00:11:24] And I'm like, I don't know, but there's only about

[00:11:27] Scott Maderer: 800 to a thousand, depending on how you count them about, Oh, okay. About half as many about love. So yeah which is the message we all feel is very important. It's wait a minute. He's talking about money about twice as often. Why? Yeah. Yeah.

[00:11:41] Karen Coffey: Because money and I'm sure this is for later, but I'm just going to go for it. Because how we steward. anything is how we steward everything, how we steward our money is how we steward our covenant in our marriages, our family this, and it's just [00:12:00] money is one of those things. It's an emotional charge that will really get people riled up.

[00:12:06] make them feel secure, but our security is not in money. It is in God, but he is in all things. So anyway, I could go on and on. Go ahead.

[00:12:15] Scott Maderer: No, absolutely. Yeah. So what you mentioned obviously faith and that journey has been really important to you unpack that a little bit more.

[00:12:29] How has. faith intersected with your life in terms of the, this journey that you've been on.

[00:12:39] Karen Coffey: Yeah. So like I said I was brought up in church, very discontent, very disappointed. There was no, in my experience, there was no power authority. I read about it, but I never experienced it. And so I walked away from the church for many years as I got married had children.

[00:12:59] [00:13:00] And I was looking for something more powerful. And so I dabbled in new age. I dabbled in some mysticism. And as I'm in, this is a crazy story. As I'm in my living room, when one morning, my son had gone to school, my husband gone to work, and I'm sitting there and I'm like, I just don't. resonate with anything.

[00:13:25] I just don't know. And this is before I got on my knees and was screaming to God that I didn't have any money and had lost everything. But I really got this sense that God was in the room. I later learned that was Holy Spirit. And I began to get a sense that I needed to get a notebook and go write something down.

[00:13:49] And that sometimes I feel that God is always talking. We're just not listening, or we don't know how to tune in. You've probably heard the analogy of listening to God is like turning that [00:14:00] dial on an old radio. If it's a little to the left, it's squabbly. If it's a little to the right, you can't hear. But when you get it tuned in.

[00:14:08] It's extremely clear. And so I spent many days just really tuning in and I would feel and sense that Holy Spirit was in the room, that God was really speaking, and I would just write everything that I heard. And that happened for about 140 days straight where it felt as though Jesus Christ himself would walk into the room.

[00:14:28] Now, I never saw him with my physical eyes. I'm not going to say I didn't see visions of him. It just felt like this heavy presence and I got clear messages on everything from what to do in business, what to do in friendships and finances and stewardship and it was amazing. So that was really a relationship, the intimacy that allowed me to hear clear later on as I was building businesses.

[00:14:59] Yeah. What,

[00:14:59] Scott Maderer: [00:15:00] what happened for you as you felt that as that direction came to you was it just instantaneous? You trusted it from the very beginning? How did you?

[00:15:13] Karen Coffey: Yeah. Great question. I don't know a lot of things, but the one thing that I did realize was that when you, At this moment, when you feel Holy Spirit it's Holy Spirit it's God in this particular moment.

[00:15:29] I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt because it's nothing like I'd ever felt before. It was just a feeling of peace and love and light immense light. In my body, it wasn't something I didn't see immense light. Now that doesn't, that's not the way everyone experiences God. In many, it is when we are just still I do pray, but I listen more if that makes sense.

[00:15:58] And I don't feel, and [00:16:00] since that today, I don't feel that heavy that heavy presence. Of course I do at times when I'm worshiping or whatever it is, but, Most days it's just sitting down with the intention of, I want to hear you more than I need to ask for your favors. I just want to hear what's on your heart, God.

[00:16:21] And that can be a strong thought. It can be a feeling in your body. It can just be a feeling of knowing that most of the time God is speaking. We don't even know it's God's not telling me anything. Okay. So what about that situation? You're like he took I thought of that three months ago.

[00:16:40] It may have been God talking to you three months ago let's bring that up. And then in our company now and really it's a it's a mission and a love, a passion project. We will surround people and hear what God is, what they think God is saying for them. And then we [00:17:00] pray, get connected to Holy Spirit and then either confirm or go, Oh maybe think about that.

[00:17:06] Because I do think it takes a village for us to confirm what God is saying sometimes. So anyway, Yeah,

[00:17:12] Scott Maderer: you mentioned earlier that you had heard that you were hearing it. And then You had some friends and some other folks confirm it.

[00:17:19] Karen Coffey: Absolutely.

[00:17:21] Scott Maderer: And I do think sometimes the things that we see you can view them as coincidence.

[00:17:26] That, that is people view them that way, or you can view them as God putting those things in your path to confirm. No, you heard me, right?

[00:17:36] Karen Coffey: Exactly. No, that was me. No

[00:17:40] Scott Maderer: way. I don't know about you and your experience with writing a book, but that's been my experience with writing a book is no, I'm really not supposed to write a book.

[00:17:49] Yes, you are. Yeah. Somebody else says why don't you write a book? And it's shut up. I don't want to hear that. [00:18:00]

[00:18:00] Karen Coffey: I'm not feeling the flow. I'm just not feeling creative,

[00:18:04] Scott Maderer: And then the book comes into fruition. So I think a lot of times we I, but yeah we fight to hear God.

[00:18:13] And we fight when we hear God both of those are well

[00:18:17] Karen Coffey: said well said. Yeah, we do all the way

[00:18:21] Scott Maderer: So why do you think it is that so many people? And again, you mentioned earlier getting things on your Facebook post and I'm sure you've seen this out there You know for some people it's like they equate wealth and Means godly or holy.

[00:18:39] And for other people it's no, poverty means godly or holy. And they confound or con conflate that somehow or another. If you're wealthy, it means you've been blessed by God. And if you're poor, it means you've been blessed by God. You hear both of those messages, which obviously can't both be true.

[00:18:57] And yet they're all out there. How do you [00:19:00] see folks dealing with that or struggling with that? And what do you think is a better way to look at it?

[00:19:06] Karen Coffey: Wow. That's a question I've

[00:19:10] Scott Maderer: asked. Just solve that problem. Don't. Yeah. Would you mind? That's

[00:19:12] Karen Coffey: just like the oral problem. Not a biggie.

[00:19:15] I've thought about that so many times because you're right. If you're, if someone can look at you and go, Oh, wow, they're really favored by God. But I'll tell you, God is in all of it. He is in the wealth. He's in the power but I do believe that it's a perspective and a mindset that people have been taught.

[00:19:35] I don't know that it's natural to who they are, but they feel guilty. or ashamed if they have more money than their parents or, and other people are like, no, I don't feel ashamed or guilty. I'm just not making the money. And I don't feel favored. I tithe, but I still don't feel favored by the Lord. And that is a conversation, because many times, even though we give, and I call it a referral fee, not a [00:20:00] tithe.

[00:20:00] We can talk about that in a moment, but it's a referral fee back to God. Even though you may be doing those things It has to be a sacrifice and I just believe that the church has put, I don't know such poor teaching around it. I think we're moving into a new era right now where we are getting real teachings around money stewardship.

[00:20:23] And but I don't know the answer. I really don't know why people are just so upset. It may be jealousy. It might be anger. It could be lack mentality. All of these things, they're barriers also. All these beliefs are barriers to hearing the voice of God. And when we just surrender and release our judgments about it all, like I might have a judgment about poor people.

[00:20:54] They're just not working. Is that true? No, it's not true. Some of them are working two and three [00:21:00] jobs. And they might have a judgment about wealthy people. Oh they were born with a silver spoon in their mouth and you're thinking, Oh no, I wasn't I've worked hard all my life. So all of these judgments and the poor teachings that we've had around, I think have created a monster around money.

[00:21:19] And the number one tip that I would give is that you have to release judgment of it all because people, there are some people that are meant to reach a different demographic. And it's not going to be me. It's them. It's, it might be that they live in that area or live in that social status. Same with a wealthy person, but I don't know that it's, it doesn't it doesn't cross a line.

[00:21:48] Of course it does, but I don't know the answer. I

[00:21:53] Scott Maderer: think a lot of times too it's we're confusing cause and effect. What I mean by that is that [00:22:00] money is the cause of holiness or the cause or the lack of money is the cause of holiness. spirituality or holiness or faith and it's no, that's not the cause and yet if you think it's the cause then that's part of the struggle because that's which I think is why there's so many passages about money is because it's something that we confuse.

[00:22:25] Karen Coffey: Biblically Abraham was very wealthy. Jesus was not poor. They had all kinds of money. Matthew was the and Judas were holding the money bag and all the wealthy women giving him money. And we just. We've just been taught a different way and we think that might my grandparents perfect example salt of the earth Farmers very poor humble like you couldn't be humble if you had money and you can Very much.

[00:22:53] You'll be humbled money will humble you because you'll lose it all You'll gain it all back. It's just, it's a crazy role. [00:23:00]

[00:23:01] Scott Maderer: So you mentioned you, you called the tithe a referral fee. Go ahead and unpack that for fun.

[00:23:09] Karen Coffey: So I had a very bad taste in my mouth thinking that the tithe was, because I was spiritually immature.

[00:23:16] But I thought the tithe was the church's ability to manipulate me into giving my money. And so we all have these hangups from childhood and I'm like, I'm not getting you just want my money so you can pay for the Mercedes or you can pay for the, again, judgment of how they were using it and actually caring.

[00:23:34] And the Lord told me, God it was one of those things I was writing down one day told me that it all belongs to God. So if you get a client, if you get a customer, if you're in business, or you get a great harvest in your field, if you're a farmer, it's all gods. And when you receive that client and you receive the money exchange for [00:24:00] that, if it was a friend or if it was a business partner, some of us are in businesses where we're always giving referral, you give me a referral I will, I'm happy to bless you.

[00:24:10] And so the Lord spoke to me about everything is mine. Every client is mine that I give you. And all I'm asking is for 10%. In real estate, when we get a referral, we pay 25 percent minimum. And if we don't give that referral fee to another agent who referred us business, then they're not going to reverse business for very long.

[00:24:33] And I realized that when I give my 10 percent referral feedback to God, thank you Lord for that referral, all the business, and I am not attached to the outcome. So I give where I'm spiritually fed. And if that is online one week, I'll give online or it, I'd happen to go to a church every Sunday. And that family is where I'm spiritually fed.

[00:24:54] I can't be attached to if they use it for a ministry or a Mercedes, I don't [00:25:00] have a problem if they have a Mercedes. You know what, if that's what the Lord's told you, and so funny, I do belong to a church and someone gave them that. They didn't even buy it, but boy, there was a lot of stir in the church about that new Mercedes that the pastor was driving it's like, ah, so anyway that's the referral feedback to God.

[00:25:20] Scott Maderer: And a lot of times that's part of it too. We make assumptions. about things without actually knowing what's going on. Exactly. Yeah I've been very involved in some church where I'm actually one of the people that sits on a lot of the committees where we see the actual books and the actual numbers and the actual Yes!

[00:25:42] All the way up at a conference level where it's literally across hundreds and hundreds of churches. That does give you a different perspective of what often is going on when you actually see behind the curtain and you'll be like, Oh, okay this is the reality. I get [00:26:00] it.

[00:26:01] Karen Coffey: Right.

[00:26:02] Scott Maderer: So how do you think this kind of journey that you've been on you've had several different assignments, you've had several different things you've done. And yet. I always try to separate the assignment, the, what we do from what I call our calling or a purpose or kind of what drives us, because I don't think those are necessarily the same thing.

[00:26:24] Karen Coffey: So

[00:26:26] Scott Maderer: how have you felt this guidance from God leading you on a journey towards understanding more about what your real calling, what your real purpose is and what you're put on this earth to do?

[00:26:38] Karen Coffey: I think a lot of that is unpacked and unfolded over time. I'd like to say that I got all the answers in one download six years ago.

[00:26:48] And I didn't. And it feels it seemed like it was one step at a time, literally. I many times you'll get when you're in prayer and listening, [00:27:00] you'll get downloads or you'll get this blueprint and wow, God told me I'm going to be impacting the world. You're sitting in your one bedroom apartment going, I don't think so.

[00:27:11] This doesn't look very worldish or global to me. And you have this feeling in the back of your heart, I would say that even with that feeling, it doesn't look good right where you're at. But he'll give you one step for that day. And for me, it unfolded in create this six figure business in a hundred days.

[00:27:35] I didn't hear that. He just gave me the steps and that's what happened. And then it was half a million just in sales. And then I went into coaching for years. I thought that was the end of the road for me as far as I'm going to be a coach impacting mainly women and a few good men is what we always said.

[00:27:52] We dealt with about 2000, I'm sorry, 500 women a year and a few good men. And we just saw [00:28:00] so many changes in their lives. And in their business and their income and their confidence. And so I really thought, but then eventually everything was good and happy, but then eventually that knock on your heart on the door that says what, remember way back when I told you that you would impact.

[00:28:20] Yeah. I've got another assignment and you just, you're fighting like you had mentioned earlier. You're just fighting going. No, everything's good. You don't close a multi seven figure business. Everything's good. I'm good. But then you get back into this, you know what? There's nothing that makes me happier than doing what God has called me to do.

[00:28:41] So you tell me what it is and I'll do it. And that is the, I guess the understanding, the perspective. the frame of mind. And so once again, what do you want me to do? So spirit led business was formed at a it is [00:29:00] a mission. It is not a moneymaker to reach as many cities, villages, and towns across the world.

[00:29:09] That there would be one person in that village that could bring them together. Of course, we are online, but to bring them together and just all come together, listening to God, we call it listening labs, but listening to God so that they can go out and do their business in such a way that it is a model for Jesus Christ in the marketplace.

[00:29:31] Today and shifting atmospheres, changing lives where they're at in their careers and workplaces. So over this time I didn't have that full story. I still don't. I'm sure. I don't. I think I do. I'm positive that there's, there'll be something else like the book and there's a journal that's coming and different things like that.

[00:29:54] But Scott, I think It's a process and it unfolds over time, [00:30:00] but God gives us hints along the way.

[00:30:04] Scott Maderer: So let's talk a little bit about the Spirit Led Millionaire the book that's coming out soon. What's the core message of that or who would who should be picking it up?

[00:30:15] Tell us a little bit about the who's in the what's it's so to speak.

[00:30:21] Karen Coffey: This is a book and the reason it is called the Spirit Led Millionaire is because not many people are, they're not enticed to pick up the Spirit Led If I felt like the Lord said, you need to reach the people who've ever had a dream, who've ever had a thought, a calling to go into business.

[00:30:42] I think entrepreneurial ism is a gift. So it is for business owners, entrepreneurial ism, or anybody who has ever had a dream and a call, because I believe that God does bless. financially those that move into their call with surrender and with faith. So the people that should be picking that [00:31:00] up are any of those people.

[00:31:02] And it is a testament to God is not separate. He loves you and he wants you to thrive, not just survive. So he wants you to thrive in business and impact and influence. Whatever that might look like for you. And it's different for everybody. Some people have huge influence in their communities or will, others will have international influence or maybe just national we don't know, but the spirit led millionaire is that God is in every step along the way and can take you doesn't mean that everybody is cut out to be a millionaire, but they are cut out to be very prosperous.

[00:31:43] They're not supposed to struggle. I don't believe that anyone is supposed to be struggling. There's peace. when God is in it. And so that's what it's about.

[00:31:57] Scott Maderer: I've got a few questions that I like to ask all of my [00:32:00] guests, but before I go there and ask you those, is there anything else about either a spirit led business or spirit led millionaire that you'd like to make sure that the listeners hear?

[00:32:11] Karen Coffey: Yeah. If there is any there may be some listeners, Scott, that are really having ah, I don't know about this. I don't know about, Money. I don't know about money in God. And is God really interested? And is he really the guy behind the scenes writing the blueprint for a successful business?

[00:32:33] I would just encourage all of them. 1st of all, to read the New Testament or just Google scriptures. relating to business or financial blessing and just read them. Not just the New Testament. The entire Bible is full of promises and blessings, and it really comes back to surrender, trust, belief in this God, and just trusting [00:33:00] him with all that he is going, that he gives us and all that he's already given us, our gifts, our skills our So anyway, that would be just the final just wrapping that up.

[00:33:14] Just go in and read that. I think Tim Tebow was the one that called it the playbook. And it's not just about reading the playbook. It's about getting in relationship with the coach or the one who wrote it. And that's God. So definitely. Yeah, that's what I would say. Yeah.

[00:33:33] Scott Maderer: I tell people I've actually learned more about money by reading Proverbs.

[00:33:37] over and over again that I did it getting an MBA in finance. So

[00:33:40] Karen Coffey: a friend of mine reads one proverb because there's 31 proverbs. So every day, like today, if it's, let's say it's the first of the month, you read proverbs one second day and just over and over. And you're right. You will learn more. There's a

[00:33:55] Scott Maderer: ton of wisdom just in that one book alone, even if you don't want to, even if you don't want to branch out and [00:34:00] read anything else.

[00:34:01] That's right. And honestly, even if you're not a believer and don't believe in God and don't believe in it. Proverbs still has a lot of really good advice in it, it does. It is full of

[00:34:11] Karen Coffey: it. It's something

[00:34:11] Scott Maderer: that works regardless of whether you believe it or not, honestly. That's right. If you would apply it, but which may then lead to your belief as well.

[00:34:19] So that I would invite you to consider that. I'm a big believer in words, and you mentioned stewardship a couple of times as we were talking today. And my brand is Inspired Stewardship. I run things through that lens of stewardship. And yet, I've discovered that's one of those words.

[00:34:35] like leadership and some other words that it can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people. So when you hear the word stewardship, what does that word mean to you? And how has it impacted you?

[00:34:46] Karen Coffey: Wow, that is such a huge word for me because my life as I was just really chaotic money you made money and it seemed like it just went out faster than you made it.

[00:34:58] It just [00:35:00] was, I really didn't know what was going on. I had credit cards. I had debt. I had some years, a lot, some years, not so much. When I got into really being intimate, like spending time listening to the voice of God every single day, I got inspiration to get into your finances and know what's going on.

[00:35:23] First of all, for some of you listening Scott, they're going to be like I do. I know they're good about that. I wasn't. Stewardship for me was about putting my focus on what do I have? What am I making? What is my out goal? Those things like budgeting and paying off debt and one credit card at a time just the, just making sure that I knew what was happening and to make sure that I never missed a referral feedback to God ever.

[00:35:52] That was the first thing out, even when I didn't have it. And what I saw from that is what stewardship meaning is. [00:36:00] I need to know the gifts that have been given to me. I need to know what's happening with money because again, how we steward money is how we steward everything. In other words, we're just we're just getting by or it'll take care of itself.

[00:36:13] No, yeah, it will. It will, but not at the high level, not at a high level of prosperity that you're looking for intentionality that, that you should be living from. That we. I say should, I guess there's no should, but anyway. And so when I started really putting my finger on the pulse of my finances, what's coming in, what's going out, where's my referral fee, like tithe, for those of you who missed the beginning the tithe, where it's going and full surrender of it is none of my business, what somebody spends it on.

[00:36:49] And no, knowing that when I sowed that seed, there was going to be a harvest. And it may not look like what I had asked it to. to look like when I did that, [00:37:00] everything changed. That's when I went to making six at one point 16, when I first got into coaching, I didn't mention this. I made 16, 000 the first year.

[00:37:10] I made a hundred, but my expenses were like net nil. My expenses were a ton

[00:37:16] Scott Maderer: net. Yes.

[00:37:18] Karen Coffey: I profited. I went from that profit. To miraculously things coming into it and a spiritual father that came into my life and we made 30, 000 the first month that he was working with me 60, 000. The 2nd, that was the 1st year in real coaching.

[00:37:37] That ended up being 1. 2Million and then on and on up to the 6Million mark. And that was all from stewardship. from knowing everything that God was blessing, everything that was my responsibility and my only responsibility was to make sure that I tithed on all of it. Easy to do when you make a hundred dollars, by the way, right?

[00:37:59] You [00:38:00] make a hundred dollars, not a problem, putting 10 in the basket. But when you make a million, that's a hundred thousand dollars in tithe. When you make 6 million, that is 600, 000 in tithe. And you still have to have the faith and see the sacrifice. The sacrifice and the humbleness of going, I know where my provision comes from.

[00:38:22] I know my history with God is so great. that I would never miss that in a million years. So that's what stewardship, that was a long answer, wasn't it?

[00:38:33] Scott Maderer: No, it's a good answer. There's no good or bad. There's no right or wrong. There's no longer short. It's open ended on purpose so that you share what you share.

[00:38:46] Karen Coffey: It means a lot to me, stewardship. Here,

[00:38:48] Scott Maderer: here's my favorite question that I like to ask everybody. Imagine for a minute that I invented this magic machine and with this machine, I was able to. Pluck you from where you are today and [00:39:00] transport you into the future, maybe 150, maybe 250 years. And through the power of this machine, you were able to look back and see your entire life, see all of the connections, all of the ripples, all of the impacts you've left behind.

[00:39:14] What impact do you hope you've left in the world?

[00:39:17] Karen Coffey: I love that question. The impact that I have, I hope to leave in the world is What I alluded to earlier is that there is, it doesn't have to have my name on it, doesn't even matter if my name, if anybody knows who I am, but that every city, every town, every village would bring God into their most minute every day experience and people will bring God into their marriages.

[00:39:46] into their family, but sometimes very rarely will they bring them into their business and career. And where do we spend most of our time literally? And so I want God to be in the center of that because [00:40:00] he is going to end government. And we have a whole new, this is so great. We have a whole new division that is going to be working with governments and government leaders.

[00:40:10] And I'm really excited about that, but that's another podcast. Yeah. And I want that this connection that is so real, that seems imaginary much of the time, because you can't see it, but you believe in it, that it impacts and changes the world and that all that we're doing in the marketplace just changes the whole trajectory of our belief systems, our governments, and our just everyday life.

[00:40:41] So that is it.

[00:40:43] Scott Maderer: So what's coming next? What's on the roadmap as you continue on the rest of the year?

[00:40:47] Karen Coffey: Yeah. So finishing the book, Spirit Led Millionaire and getting that out there. We have the Spirit Led Business Journal, which will be coming out in the next couple of months, actually, it'll come out first.

[00:40:56] And this is just a guide along the way, [00:41:00] as you're listening, we have activations every day. So we have Spirit Led Business is an organization again, every week. I said every day, but every week we have activations. Where we're actually taking you into an experience of hearing, writing down what's God saying, and then either confirming or pivoting depending so we'll continue with that and growing that I'm very excited because, yeah it's not a moneymaker at all.

[00:41:29] It's almost free. So the and then after that, it will be working with the government's business leaders. around the world and really work moving into a prophetic voice in the marketplace is really what it will be. So we have a lot of cool things coming up. I hope we'll be in touch for that.

[00:41:50] Scott Maderer: Absolutely. So you can find out more about Karen Coffee over at spiritledbusiness. org. And of course I'll have [00:42:00] a link to that over in the show notes as well. So it's easy to find. Karen, anything else you'd like to share with the listener?

[00:42:06] Karen Coffey: Goodness. Wow. Yeah. Just sometimes it can feel very daunting, very heavy.

[00:42:14] Things aren't working the way that you want them to. There is a way out of that. I'm not going to say that God has the same steps for you that he has for everyone, but he does have the answer to every challenge that you're going through. So don't give up, get into a place of quiet and just listen.

[00:42:35] Scott Maderer: Thanks so much for listening to the Inspired Stewardship Podcast. As a subscriber and listener, we challenge you to not just sit back and passively listen, but act on what you've heard and find a way to live your calling. If you enjoyed this episode please do us a favor. Go over to inspired stewardship.

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