Podcast: Let's Talk Business

Business has the power to do more than generate income. It can strengthen families, create opportunities, and bring lasting impact to communities. In this conversation, Jackson Endeavors Founder and CEO, Denny Vander Molen, joins Vanessa Edmund of New Horizon Church International to discuss faith-driven entrepreneurship, business development, mentorship, and the role of business in alleviating poverty through sustainable growth.

From discovering your calling in business to developing practical plans, understanding community needs, and building a vision that lasts, this discussion offers insight for aspiring entrepreneurs, business owners, and anyone interested in using business as a force for good. Learn more about the training, partnerships, and mentoring opportunities available through Jackson Endeavors and how business principles rooted in purpose can create meaningful change.

Listen on Youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhxL-8dI5SU

Podcast Transcript Below:

Good evening. My name is Vanessa Edmund,

the owner of the IB Dog on Food Truck

and School Creation and Installation,

and I'm here with

>> Denny Vander Molen

>> with Jackson Endeavors. Mr. Vander Molen, it is so good to be here with

you today. Can you tell us exactly what

is Jackson Endeavors and give us a

little insight on it and tell us why

it's important that we partner with

Jackson Endeavors because New Horizon

Church International is very excited to

partner with Jackson Endeavors. So,

let's talk about it.

>> Be glad to. Thank you.

>> You're welcome. Jackson Endeavors is a

is an effort in uh around the globe to

try to in a in a faithbased arena be

able to alleviate poverty through

business with business.

>> Okay. So

what you're doing is you are connecting

with people that have businesses in

areas in low-income areas. Correct. And

you are giving you have a a design to

help us to strengthen those areas where

we will end up the the businesses will

be more you know lucrative um and the

people in that area they will be able to

have jobs. Correct.

>> That's correct.

>> All right.

>> So the the effort here is to inspire

people to follow their calling their

their their spiritual calling into

business.

>> Okay. And what business will do is allow

for redemptive work to happen both with

the the business owner, the people that

they employ and then and then reach out

farther into the community.

>> So

I read somewhere where you all have what

you call innovative solutions that lead

to growth and success. Can you just kind

of touch on what is the innovative

growth in the innovative solutions that

you all have? Um I know that you all are

nationwide. Correct.

>> We are global.

>> You are global. Oh my goodness. So you

are global. So how far what is the

farthest you've been with Jackson

Endeavors?

>> So Jackson Endeavors is actually part of

a network called Partners Worldwide.

>> Okay. Okay.

>> Partners Worldwide actually operates in

about 38 different countries and and so

they they they establish what they call

local community institutions or LCIS.

>> And what those LCIs is basically the the

the ground

zero of what happens with with the

greater um enterprise of partners

worldwide. And so we are we are kind of

the hands and feet of what happens in

the community as it relates to training,

mentoring, and just establishing

relationships in the faith community and

and and allowing people to understand

their calling. And uh and so often um

people are we're we're create we are

co-creators with with God and that God

created the world and he created

everything in it.

>> That's right. We are co-creators in

that. And so we have the ability to be

able to

understand who we are. Why are we here?

What is our purpose in life? And that we

can create things

not out of nothing like God did, but we

can create things in a way that can

develop enterprise. So often uh many of

us have got a hobby.

Hobbies is one of those things that you

you kind of learn to do, you love to do,

but you really don't make any money with

it.

>> A skill is another one of those ways

that we when we go to school, we get

educated,

uh we maybe go to vocational school or

we go to a four-year school or maybe we

go straight into the workforce.

>> Okay? And what that workforce does is

gives us um the skills of the of a trade

that we

>> the proper training we need to be

successful.

>> That's right. You can learn the trade.

And I the way I describe it is that so

often many of us that world's not big

enough. I don't want to just be a

carpenter or I don't want to be just a

plumber or an electrician or a mechanic.

I want to run my own shop. Yes.

>> I want to I want to lead a crew and u

and and build a house or build somebody

a garage or a deck.

>> Yes.

>> And uh or even maybe do landscape work.

And what that does is that allows you to

uh build up a business that um that it

can flourish. It can hire people that

that's that helps sustain their family,

>> right? And uh in in that way a community

can grow their your family can grow and

you and oftentimes you can build wealth

for retirement for um giving back to the

community or even doing um generational

>> generational wealth.

>> That's right.

>> So I hear planting the seed

>> Mhm.

>> watering it.

>> Mhm.

>> And watching it grow.

>> Right.

>> I heard that. I gathered that from what

you just said. So, in our communities,

we are

to get out there and make sure that it

functions. Um, one of the things that I

see when I'm um driving through Jackson

is a lot of light. I see a lot of um,

you know, trash on the street. I see a

lot of different things and I'm like,

how can we expect people to move and to

live a life, a conducive life in society

when they come home or they're riding

down the street and there's paper

everywhere.

If if our businesses function and the

people in the community and we get out

on Saturdays or whenever we have time

and we pull the businesses out and say,

"Hey, I understand that your lot looks

good, but the lot next to you has paper

and trash. Let's clean that up and let's

get that together." And then you'd have

people to feel better about themselves

um with, you know, making sure that the

whole community as a as a whole is oiled

and working, right? Um, and I'm excited

about some of the things because I read

the website. I read the website and I

want to encourage people to um, get into

the training, right? I want to um,

encourage them to be mentored. And I

remembered as we had a conversation

earlier on, you were telling me that you

have this in the training at the end of

the training, you all do a pitch.

I like that because I guess because I'm

a talker. Okay. So, let's talk a little

bit about

partnerships, training, and how you all

mentor us. So, how does that how does

that work? How do you sign up for that?

Where where would we be? Because I know

New Horizon Church International, we

have the business builders network, and

I'm the one of the leads for that, my

husband and I. So, what what I'm looking

for is I'm looking for New Horizon to

come on in here and let's get this

training. Let's partner with Jackson

Endeavors and let's be mentored so that

our businesses can flourish. Let's talk

about the the partnership, the training

and the uh mentoring.

>> I think I think we could go all the way

back to just this idea of you give a man

a fish, what what happens? He eats for a

day.

>> Eat for a day. You teach a man to fish

>> and hey,

>> he can eat for a lifetime.

>> A lifetime. That's great.

>> But I think what we try to do in this

business development is how you get

people to understand how do I own the

pond?

>> And that way you can pond. We can feed

many. We can capitalize on on the pond.

We can we we we can't just fish the

pond. We got to restock the pond.

>> Resto We just got We got to invest in

that in that pond.

>> Two. one.

>> Okay, Mr. Vander Molen. So, what is

Jackson Endeavors and what is its

training like and let's talk about can

we talk a little bit about that and what

are we going to accomplish when um we

come and be a part of this training and

get this good mentorship that you all

have going on? Can we talk a little bit

about the training?

>> Yeah. Well, that's a good question.

>> Okay.

>> Jackson Jackson Endeavors is actually a

501c3.

>> Okay. So, it's a nonprofit organization

that um that works with a uh an

operating board and primarily what we do

is we set up training events within the

faith community and uh and and and that

the curriculum is set so that uh there's

five days of tra five evenings of

training, not days, but five evenings of

training. So you can go to work and come

in after say 5:30 in the evening for 2

and 1/2 hours

>> and we're going to talk about what your

vision is.

>> And so that and so we we think about

that like a tree

>> and we know that in in God's creation

there is all kinds of trees. There is

hundreds. There's thousands of different

kinds of trees, right?

>> They all have a purpose.

>> Absolutely.

>> And they all have their own design. And

so we we think about that tree as being

the idea or the vision.

>> Mhm.

>> Every tree, pretty much all trees, not

all not all trees, but most trees start

with a seed or an acorn.

>> Okay?

>> And that acorn or that seed is is your

is the uh is the idea.

>> Okay?

>> That is the the idea that God has placed

on your heart and on your mind to say,

you know what, I think I want to develop

this into into a business. as well. So

that that seed then is has got to is is

that idea. So it needs to be nurtured.

>> Yes.

>> And um and uh and and and worked with.

But that seed has to fit in a has to sit

in a

>> soil.

>> And that's what does the soil represent?

The soil represents your community.

>> Yes.

>> That's the place where you're going to

operate. And so does the community is a

community needing that solution? Because

basically a pro a business is something

that solves a problem,

>> right?

>> And and you happen to have a solution

that identifies that problem that you

can make uh that you can capitalize on.

And so we think about the seed as being

that idea that you're going to plant in

the soil. the soil then is the is the

community well is is your community

um what's the demographics of the

community? What is the what are the

resources of the community? Are the does

the community um is the community hungry

for this idea? Has somebody already done

that? Had has somebody already done this

>> right?

>> And so uh that soil is a really really

important part. So, we spend an evening

talking about

>> what that seed is going to is going to

be like, but then also what is the soil

going to be like,

>> right?

>> Well, then you you're going to get that

seed is going to turn into a plant.

>> Okay?

>> That plant is going to is going to going

to start to grow. Well, you need to

protect that plant. You need to you need

to test it. You need to um make sure

that it's planted up straight. You need

to make sure that it's got plenty of

sunshine. You have to make sure that it

that it's getting watered in the way

that it needs to be,

>> right?

>> And uh and so that plant needs to uh

needs to grow and develop and then one

day one day that that plant or that tree

will start to produce fruit or it might

produce other

>> or it might produce flowers or it might

produce shade or it

>> or it might produce other other trees or

other plants

>> or it might produce lumber.

>> That's right. That's right. So, uh,

which we do a lot in Mississippi. We

have a lot of trees that, uh, that are

that are grown to, uh, to support the

building trade,

>> right?

>> And so, there's a lot of things that,

uh, that we that businesses can can, uh,

be started with when you have that idea

and it's the right idea. And that one of

the things that we do is we kind of

think about it like I'm going I need to

put a plan and it needs to be on paper.

And that's the best way to start a

business. That's the way actually the

best way to fail.

>> That's in the That's in the Bible.

>> Yeah. But it's also a great way to make

it plain.

>> It's also a great way to fail a

business.

>> Yeah.

>> Before you invest $10,000 in a business

and decide, oh, well, I I this is not

going to work.

>> And so, it's it's kind of one of those

things where u a good plan we can help

with uh giving you some structure in in

doing that. Well, then

ultimately you want it to grow.

>> A tree must grow. If it a tree doesn't

grow, if it if you a lot of a lot of

little oak trees are growing in our yard

now,

>> and those those oak trees will

eventually die because they're too much

shade, right? Because they're under a

under a tree. And so we need to make

sure that those trees grow, that idea

grows okay?

>> And uh and you're able to um uh harvest

some of that. And so yeah, so we'll

we'll spend a night getting to know each

other. We spend uh five nights. That's

right. The icebreaker night. And then

we'll do five nights of

>> working through the curriculum.

>> Okay.

>> And uh and then we're going to finish

with uh a pitch night. And so

>> So, so, so what I'm hearing you say is

we will have books, curriculum. Is there

a cost for the for the materials

>> that we we uh we have $150 for the

curriculum?

>> Okay. $150 for the curriculum. These are

things that we need to know. Right.

>> So, the curriculum is $150. Okay. All

right.

>> And the and the and the training and

everything is goes along with it and um

at at some point after you we complete

the class then we'll look at having a

few nights of mentoring.

>> Okay.

>> So, how do how do we because business is

learning.

>> It is

>> business is a very much a learning

opportunity to grow and learn and

constantly learn. Uh

>> you should never be comfortable.

>> That's right. better way to do it. And

and it's uh uh it's it's one of the one

of the ways that I've been in business

for nearly 40 years. And um and didn't

start I started with nothing here.

>> Okay.

>> And um we learned and we learned and we

learned and we made mistakes and we

learned some more and we made more

mistakes.

>> But uh ultimately we have a we have a

family transitional business and that's

that's I think that's very something I'm

very proud of. generational wealth, Mr.

Van Mullen. That's what it is.

Generational wealth. And you passed it

along.

>> You passed it along.

>> We talked about that. You passed that

along to your son, right?

>> Right.

>> Yeah.

>> The the operation of the business.

>> The operation of the business. Yeah.

>> And so what they're able to do is we're

able to to secure employment for

employees

because that's the best way to

transition a business, I believe.

>> Um we have customers that are invested

in the in the equipment that we sell.

>> Okay. and so they they can keep on doing

their jobs and supporting their

community.

>> And so I I think I think it's just one

of the things that if we learn to do it,

we have we have good living principles

that that are that are instilled in

that, but great business principles.

>> Absolutely.

>> And um I I actually believe that if we

can learn how to do business with each

other,

>> we can support this community in a way

that's never been done or hasn't been

done in a long time. Absolutely. So with

that training

um and the mentoring

then once we you know go through the

proper training um we get the mentorship

that we need.

>> Mhm.

>> Questions will be asked. I'm quite sure

someone will be there to make sure that

you know that we get whatever it is that

we're asking. The questions will be

answered. Um the pitch night and then I

saw Rogers. I saw someone on your page.

They got a certificate.

So, it's a certification comes behind

that.

>> It's a vote.

>> It's a vote.

>> Vote of confidence.

>> Vote of confidence. And And you know

what?

>> Some people just don't understand what

that what just the certificate of

completion means. You know, it means

that you took the time to invest in

yourself, your business, and your

community. with wrapping this up with

going through this particular um with

going through this particular um

um workshop that is about to take place

and I'm excited about it.

>> Jackson Endeavors will enlighten you in

a in a way that you haven't maybe seen

business before. Maybe business was

always to a little bit out of reach. But

this is a practical way of learning and

learning together with people that are

not college professors. But we are we

are basically business people that have

really learned things in a way that uh

that makes it very practical in that you

start with something that is maybe

undervalued and you and you basically

bring value to your calling into

business. And so it was it's it's one of

the things where um you will find

yourself um increased value to your

family, to your children, to your home,

and to your community, and even to your

church family in a way that uh that

maybe you hadn't looked at it before.

And I would like to encourage each and

every one of you to join the New Horizon

Church International Business Builders

Network where we're going to partner and

we have partnered with Jackson

Endeavors. You all come out and be a

part of something great. Everybody needs

to do continuous education when it comes

to something. We don't all know

everything. So come out and get this

good good education and strengthen your

business. And with that being said, may

the Lord bless you.

>> Could I add one more thing?

We have seen people that have said,

"My idea is not going to work." And they

find that early in the class. We have

found others that really kind of

identified what they want to do. And

when it came time to be to to for the

pitch night to really to really sell the

idea, we've seen people that have gone

through the program

when it came to pitch night, they were

scared to death,

>> but they had enough confidence in

themselves that they shown they shined

in that in that in their delivery. So,

what you'll you'll learn to is that

a good elevator speech is a great way to

learn who you are and what what service

you offer. And uh it's it's it's a great

way to sell your business, but also a

great way to sell yourself.

>> All right,

sounds good. Well, with that being said,

you all come out and join us. You're

going to be in for a treat. Blessings to

all. Thank you. - Generated with https://kome.ai