“Now for the results,” I broke the silence. “How many of you believe at least one trait is essential for students in your major to succeed?” Every hand shot up. “Wow!” I exclaimed. “Let’s keep going. Please keep your hand up if two of the traits on the screen are essential.” All hands remained in the air. I kept going quickly. “Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight.” Not a hand dropped. “Howmany believe all nine traits are required for students?” Every hand stayed raised. “Perfect. Now, keep looking at the screen. I’m going to uncover the title of the graphic. I intentionally hid it from you so as not to manipulate the results.” With a click of my remote, the black box disappeared to reveal the heading: Nine Top Traits of a Successful Entrepreneur “According to your input, it sounds like you believe in order to be successful, everyone in every major needs to think like an entrepreneur!” WHAT IS AN ENTREPRENEUR? When I stepped on the campus over a year ago, this was my conviction. A few decades ago, maybe not. But our world has changed. I began my career in full-time ministry. Bachelor of Arts in biblical studies. Master of Divinity. Doctor of Ministry. Twelve years as a pastor. My mother was the director of a Christian adoption agency inWisconsin, offering compassionate and Christ-centered services to children and families through adoption and pregnancy support services. My father was a pastor and church planter. I bought into the belief that businesspeople were second-class citizens, a secular necessity to fund God’s Kingdom. I was wrong. In 2012, I heard the strong, undeniable call to shift from the pastorate to be a full-time entrepreneur. I left with my church’s blessing and entered a world of palpable risk, with three kids ages six and under. I loved every minute of it, as scary as it was. My wife Kelly, a 1998 Cedarville graduate, believed in me, and yet we both knew unless God showed up, I’d fail. My faith grew stronger in ways I never thought possible. I depended on God for everything. I felt like Abrahamwhen God said, “Go to the land I will show you.” I didn’t have a business plan — just a dream and drive to ignite souls. Clarity came with action, and every day was an adventure. I ended up starting a publishing company, turning books into 18 streams of income. Several years later, I started a complimentary blockchain-based company to protect those books (and intellectual property) through smart contracts. Every single day I’m in over my head, and I wouldn’t want it any other way. The word entrepreneur means “bearer of risk." At some level, every Christ-follower bears risk, but it is always in the context of our faith in a sovereign God. Name: Eve Welhener Major: Business Management Business: Eve’s Original Sin Cookies Eve’s Original Sin Cookies gives customers the chance to create their own cookie flavors by choosing the type of cookie dough and flavorings they think would taste delicious. evesoriginalsincookies.com 12
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