There Are Two Ways
to be
an Entrepreneur
(which one are you?)
2
👇
The first way is to work from a place of self-reliance and striving. I call that “eating the bread of anxious toil”.
The phrase comes from Psalm 127:2
1
The First Way
"It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep."
Bread is what we are supposed to eat to sustain us. So the bread of anxious toil is when we believe the lie that OUR effort is sustaining us. And of course, if it’s our effort that sustains us, we can never rest, lest our lives come apart at the seams. We have to hold it all together. We have to keep all the plates spinning. It's exhausting.
Are you familiar with this bread? Are you tempted to skip your Bible reading because you just have “so much to do today”? Do you work long hours, never feeling like you can do enough? Do you feel like you always need to be doing something productive? Friend, I can relate. It’s a constant struggle for us as entrepreneurs!
2
The Second Way
Jesus gives us another kind of bread to eat:
"Then Jesus declared, 'I am the bread of life, Whoever comes to me will never go hungry'."
John 6:35
So the second kind of entrepreneurship is what I call, "worshipful entrepreneurship". Worshipful entrepreneurship is the practice of seeing your everyday work as a form of worship that pleases our kind God. It is developing your own business, but not for your own glory. It is seeking Jesus' wisdom and strength daily instead of relying on your own. It is serving others instead of serving yourself through your business endeavors. It is believing that the work you are doing today is part of the good works God laid out for you to do before He even made the world (Eph 2:10).
All of us are "eaters".
It isn’t a question of whether you will eat bread this week, but which bread you will be eating. We are all “hungerers” looking for sustenance. Will our hearts find rest in Jesus, or will we continue to eat the bread of anxious toil?
If You Believe That...
👑
You are an Image bearer, created by God to follow his example of creativity and take dominion over the areas of life God has given to you to steward
“Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.' So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:26-27
🔥
Someday your works will be tested by fire and only what was built on the foundation of Jesus will last. Your work is one aspect of your life, and you want to receive the reward of having built your business on the foundation of your relationship with Jesus. (1 Corinthians 3:11-15)
“For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.”
1 Corinthians 3:11-15
💼
God created good works for YOU to do, even before He created the world! If God has called you to business, then your business is part of those good works.
"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
Ephesians 2:10
🙋♀️
We were built for community and we do best when we work with others to grow.
"We, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us."
Romans 12:5-6
🙏
Learning how biblical principles apply to your work helps you to serve God and others better.
"His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness..."
2 Peter 1:3
✝️
Keeping your eyes on Jesus changes how you do business; it helps you see your moment-by-moment need of Him.
"I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."
John 15:5
...then this group was made for you.
Story Time...
This isn't my first business.
My first business was actually a social media marketing company. I loved the work, but when I went on maternity leave to bring my first baby into the world, I realized I had made a big mistake.
I had bought into the world's narrative of entrepreneurship.
The way that the world talks about entrepreneurship isn’t neutral.
From business books, to courses, to podcasts, to social media, the world is teaching you what “the good life” is. It is giving you a narrative to live by. There are often half-truths that make these messages seem true, but they leave out Jesus, and that leaves a vacuum that they fill with "self".
I call these messages
"Boss Babe Myths"
Here are a few I found from a quick search on Pinterest…
🔮 You can manifest the business of your dreams
💪 You are Enough
🌆 You’re building your own empire
💄 Be addicted to the feeling of having your $h*t together
💁♀️ Believe in yourself and you will be unstoppable
🧠 Success is a decision
🛍️ You need to be successful because you like expensive things
You've heard these kinds of things before.
back to the story...
I had done my best to weed through the blatantly unbiblical messages, but I still ended up believing some of the subtle lies of Boss Babe culture, like:
-
I believed the lie that I needed to hustle for my own success, instead of seeing that God is the one who gives success. That lie led me to overworking and then burnout, followed by shame because of my failure.
-
I compared myself to the highlight reels of others, and told myself that everyone else wasn’t struggling as much as I was.
-
I believed the lie that my lack of success was because I wasn’t BELIEVING in myself enough, and I just needed to pump myself up with more motivational quotes.
-
While my words would never say that I was building my own empire, I left God out of my business decisions.
All of these lies led me to a place of anxiety, burnout, discouragement, and shame.
I felt betrayed by my own selfishness.
Something in me had finally broken and come to the end of myself. I was not going to let my discouragement kill my entrepreneurial heartbeat, but I was unwilling to do business in my own strength any longer. I just couldn’t.
That’s what started me on this journey of exploring what it means to practice worshipful entrepreneurship while running a business with excellence.
🙅♀️The Last thing you need...
The last thing you need as an exhausted entrepreneur, hungry for motivation, is a minefield of messages. You're working hard to build your business, you don't need to be spending you precious time and energy figuring this out. I'm here to bring you biblical encouragement, help you build friendships, and grow in your faith and business excellence so you don't have to go figure that out for yourself like I did.
Tell me about The Group!
.png)
Lean into the power of social energy and collaboration...
🖥️ Our own exclusive online platform powered by Circle (web and app access)
✍️ Monthly Workshops to teach you a biblical worldview and business practices that align with Scripture
☎️ Group Chat with voice clip capabilities
❤️ Weekly Devotionals tailored to your entrepreneurial challenges
🛍️ First and early access to Voca Society merch (apparel, jewelry, and more for the Christian entrepreneurial woman!)
🙋♀️ Unlimited Feedback and Collaboration Opportunities
...and more!
Group Chat
We love voice clips around here! There's something so great about hearing someone's voice, but without the pressure of video (most of us are rocking a messy bun, no makeup and sweats, right?). Our group chat is like a "virtual coffee shop", where you can pop in and visit, ask questions, and bring prayer requests!
Learning
Once a month, we have a zoom call that focuses on a specific topic. We'll talk through goal setting, business finances, social media marketing, you name it! Business-oriented and grounded in the gospel. Pull up a chair, grab a cup of coffee, and let's dig in!
📖 Theology Matters.
Where I'm coming from doctrinally should matter to you, so I'm going to save you some time and tip my hand right now.
What you will NOT find in The Voca Society is...
🙅♀️ New Age or Manifestation
🙅♀️ Prosperity Gospel or Word of Faith
🙅♀️ Legalism
What you WILL find in the Voca Society is...
💁♀️ Jesus and His glory is central
💁♀️ God's Word is our ultimate authority
💁♀️ Grace-based motivation (not shame-driven)
💁♀️ A call to stewardship and dominion for women
If it helps, a few of my favorite authors are Dane Ortlund, Ruth Chou Simons, Tim Keller, & Jackie Hill Perry to give you a rough idea of where I'm coming from. 😉
Is the Voca Society for me?
The Voca Society is for you if...
-
You are serious about taking your business to the next level
-
You know you can’t go at business alone and you value community, even though it takes time
-
You want to connect your business and faith on a deeper level than most people are talking about
-
You want to apply biblical principles to your business and grow in understanding how Scripture applies
You've made it this far!
Seems like you're tracking with what we are doing here,
and we'd love to have you join us!
Membership
$24
/ mo.
-
Access to an exclusive community of like-minded Christian female entrepreneurs
-
We encourage self-promotion in the group in a way that serves our members and helps you get more sales!
-
Encouragement and gentle accountability to make progress on your business goals
-
Monthly themed discussions and group education on the skills and applied theology you need for a strong business
-
Access to a rich community of skilled business women to ask questions of, and network with!
Get your first month FREE with the code "welcome" at checkout!
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there different membership options?
Nope. Currently, we have only one membership tier.
How can I join?
Just click this link here to submit an application! You can get 1 month free when you sign up so you can try it out and make sure it's the group for you.
I have more questions...
Of course! I'd love to answer any questions you have. Feel free to set up a video chat with me here and we can discuss your story, your business, and if The Voca Society is right for you!
What exactly is the Voca Society?
The Voca Society is an online membership community! To join, you need to become a member. Once you are approved, I will add you to our Circle platform.
Can I cancel if it's not for me?
Of course! I offer a 1 month free trial so you can make sure it's the group for you. But you can cancel easily at anytime by writing to me at rachel@vocasociety.com.
When was The Voca Society started?
We became a community in the fall of 2021.
How do I get plugged into the group?
You will have a one on one zoom or phone call with me so that I can get you logged in and make sure you know where to start. We have a "challenge path" which is a series of challenges for you to accomplish that help you get plugged in, learning, and navigating the many aspects of group life. No second guessing if you're getting your money's worth!