Much of the capital available to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) around the world, especially in the U.S., is in the form of private equity. The majority of this capital is allocated via Private Equity (PE) firms that are generally structured with 10-year terms, and the investment target is 3x to 5x return in 3 to 5 years on each investment they make.
Read MoreI have worked in wealth management since 2004 and over the course of my career, I’ve experienced two big paradigm shifts that have dramatically changed how I see myself at work. The first of which was coming to understand God’s design for us to live integrated lives, combining the sacred and the secular, which has been discussed thoroughly on this website as well as the podcast and I am so grateful for Henry and William driving that conversation, because living compartmentalized lives does not lead to our flourishing.
Read MoreAt the heart of an entrepreneur is the curiosity and desire to find a solution where others see a problem. We at The Lion’s Den DFW are entrepreneurs just like many of you.
Read MoreIn life, there are winners and losers...and it is not a static thing, but something that is constantly changing. COVID19 will certainly yield some winners and losers. My mom and seven relatives were on the Princess Cruise ship, and three of them contracted the virus, while the rest of them did not.
Read MoreFrom an economic perspective, the Coronavirus pandemic is both a demand-shock and a supply-shock. So, as opposed to a significant hurricane or blizzard or even the 9/11 terrorist attack, this exogenous event may not simply push back economic activity, but rather may actually destroy it.
Read MoreWith the increasing coronavirus cases outside of China, many believers across the United States wonder how to respond to the increasing alarm. What would God have us do in the face of a growing international health crisis? Should our churches close their doors for fear of spreading illness? Should I take my kids out of school? Cancel travel plans?
Read MoreIt’s now clear that COVID-19 is a deadly serious global pandemic, and all necessary precautions should be taken. Still, C. S. Lewis’s words—written 72 years ago—ring with some relevance for us. Just replace “atomic bomb” with “coronavirus.”
Read More"Black start" is a term used in the energy industry. It refers to a situation, for example, when an entire electrical grid goes dark in a state, region or an entire country. In such scenarios, power plants are often unable to turn back on because they need electricity to start and run.
Read MoreAs the Bay Area wakes up to life under lockdown, and companies across the country are encouraging people to work from home encouraging “social distancing,” my thoughts flash back to lessons I learned from running a business under lockdown a decade ago. My family and I lived in Afghanistan where I helped run a media company with a Department of Defense contract, and a travel and logistics company. We lived in a shared compound of our home and the office, so we effectively “worked from home.”
Read MoreIt’s no secret that everyone’s day-to-day lives have been turned upside down by the coronavirus. While this particular pandemic is new, there’s much to learn from Scripture and other believers. Many difficult decisions await in the days ahead. And we should remind ourselves that as believers, “Worry is not our friend and panic is not our way.”
Read MoreIt’s on all of our minds. It’s the first topic of conversation and the first headline on the news. The COVID-19 coronavirus is an escalating health concern across the globe and has been officially categorized as a pandemic.
Read MoreIt has become standard practice for U.S. corporations to assure employees of support regardless of their race, gender or sexual orientation. There’s now an intensifying push to ensure that companies are similarly supportive and inclusive when it comes to employees’ religious beliefs.
Read MoreIt’s estimated that Christians manage over 150 trillion dollars. That's over half the world's wealth. That’s 200-300x what is given (around the world) philanthropically each year. Capital has influence. Yet many of us are content to let others determine our investment strategy.
Read MoreIn 1758, at their yearly meeting in London, all Quakers were called to “to avoid being in any way concerned, in reaping the unrighteous Profits” from what they called the “iniquitous practice” of slavery. Members of the same faith would later be among the loudest to call for divestment from the apartheid regime in South Africa.
Read MoreWhen it comes to investing, many people today believe you have to choose between financial performance and social impact. Many tend to see these two goals in a kind of a see-saw relationship, where if you want to ‘shoot the lights out’ on performance it will likely come with ethical compromise, and if you want to maximize social benefit it will likely mean accepting a lower rate of return.
Read MoreIn the same way that the political ambassadors of our day serve as representatives of their home countries while living abroad, we, as followers of Christ, live on the earth as representatives of heaven.
Read MoreI wrote several months ago about New Testament scholar (read here and here), Ben Witherington III, and his book, A Week in the Life of Corinth. What I find most fascinating about the book is the degree to which Christians were integrated into the economic life of the city.
Read MoreWhile Christian ethics around trade (be fair) and services (don’t cheat) and payments (don’t withhold them) is as old as Proverbs, the modern market is a complicated place.
“Most Christians are so removed from their money they don’t even know where it is.”
Read MoreWe often get the question ... it's probably I would say the number one question that I've gotten over the years is how I as a physician got into investing, and helping start a mutual fund company.
Read MoreWith an uncertain future, the Principle of Uncertainly tells us that it’s prudent for people to save and invest a reasonable amount of resources for their future provision. Hear how this principle relates to investment decision-making, since uncertainty is the most important reality that we must accept.
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