Big Hearted Indy - The Citizen 7 Podcast

Greg Ballard and Joe Loftus on Friendship within Leadership, Indianapolis and the Secretary of State Race

Greg Ballard built one of Indiana's most unlikely political careers, winning the Indianapolis mayor's race as a near-total unknown against a heavily favored incumbent. Now he's running for Indiana Secretary of State as an independent, and the coalition that helped him govern is rallying behind him again. Ballard, a 23-year Marine Corps veteran and author of "The Last Urban Republican Mayor," joins attorney and political strategist Joe Loftus for a candid conversation about how they built a city government from scratch, why Indianapolis punches above its weight on civic collaboration, and what has gone wrong in Indiana's political system. Loftus, who previously served under Mayor Steve Goldsmith and spent decades at Barnes & Thornburg, explains how he assembled a transition team, recruited talent, and handed Ballard a complete governing blueprint two days after an election almost no one expected him to win. The two discuss pre-K funding, the water and wastewater transfer to Citizens Energy, the city's long-running sports strategy, transit equity, and why cross-partisan relationships, not ideology, define effective local government. Ballard also lays out his case for opening Indiana's ballot access, ending straight-ticket voting, and pursuing a Voter's Bill of Rights as part of his Lincoln Party candidacy. For information on signing the ballot petition, visit gregballard.com [gregballard.com%20]or ballardontheballot.com [ballardontheballot.com]. To get involved with Big Hearted Indy and the Citizen 7 community, visit citizen7indy.com [citizen7indy.com].

Too Busy for Purpose: Peter Greer and Scott Pothoven on Comfort, Calling, and Showing Up

Peter Greer, president of HOPE International, and financial advisor Scott Pothoven join the Big Hearted Indy hosts to discuss what it takes to stay on mission, personally and organizationally, in a world designed for distraction and comfort. Greer traces his path from studying in Moscow to leading one of the world's leading Christ-centered microfinance organizations, now serving more than 3.8 million families across 30 nations and approaching its two-billionth dollar of investment. He reflects on the lessons behind his books "Mission Drift" and "Lead With Prayer," including why organizations and individuals drift, and why a culture of prayer is the first defense against it. Pothoven shares what a trip to Rwanda revealed about relationship-driven development, including a Rwandan entrepreneur who grew from a $20 loan to a $20,000 loan over a decade, and savings groups where members contributing the equivalent of 30 cents pooled resources to care for one another. Both guests speak candidly about the tension between striving and Sabbath, the danger of comfort, and what the global church can teach communities in Indianapolis about shared meals, generosity, and genuine belonging. Join the email list and find upcoming events, including the Restored Family cohort and the May 13 Coffee and Connection on mentoring, at citizen7indy.com.

What Are People For? With Pastor Chris Henry

Human connection is eroding quietly, and the tools promising to replace it cannot deliver what people actually need. Chris Henry, senior pastor of Second Presbyterian Church, makes the case that presence, usefulness, and committed community are not optional features of a well-lived life but its essential structure. Henry draws on thinkers including Wendell Berry, theologian David Bentley Hart, sociologist Mark Dunkelman, and researcher Jennifer Wallace to diagnose what he calls the anti-social century: a moment when convenience has become a substitute for commitment, digital companions simulate belonging, and young men in particular are being sold connection in forms that cannot deliver it. The talk moves from personal vulnerability, Henry's own reckoning over whether to attend his grandmother's funeral, to a theological argument rooted in the concept of the Imago Dei, to three direct pieces of pastoral advice for leaders: guard your experiences of deep formation, rebuild your middle ring of relationships, and find tangible ways to be useful to others. Henry closes with a question he refuses to leave rhetorical: there is someone in your life right now waiting to hear that they matter. Go find them. Chris Henry is senior pastor of Second Presbyterian Church.

Honor God in the Grind: Faith, Failure, and Entrepreneurship With Phil Daniels and Darrian Mikell

Two Indianapolis entrepreneurs share what surrendering business outcomes to God actually looks like, including the failures they didn't see coming and the peace they found afterward. Phil Daniels, a founder, investor, and co-author of "Spiritugraphics" and Darrian Mikell, co-founder of Qualify, an HR tech startup he recently sold, join host Drew Kelley for a candid panel conversation on identity, ambition, and vocational faithfulness. Daniels reflects on building a company steeped in Christian values that still ended in disappointment for employees and investors, and how that experience now equips him to guide founders through their own difficult chapters. Mikell opens up about a brutal 2023 that included personal failings, a serious car accident, multiple rounds of layoffs, and the moment he stopped trying to control the outcome. Together, they discuss what it looks like to root identity in Christ rather than in professional accomplishment, the discipline of documenting God's faithfulness in real time, how the Lord's Prayer shapes daily decision-making, and why the path to meaningful work is rarely linear. Both men are wired for ambition. The conversation is about what happens when that ambition gets submitted to something larger than a business plan. Recorded live at Meridian Hills Country Club as part of the Honor God in the Grind Growth Session series, this gathering is designed for men in sales, business development, ministry, fundraising, and entrepreneurship.

Mark & David Muselman on Brotherhood, Faith, and Building Indiana

Two brothers building workforce housing across Indiana share how faith, family, and friendship shape every aspect of their work and lives. Mark Muselman, president and CEO of M2 Investments, and David Muselman, president of DJM Investments, grew up in Bern, Indiana, attended Taylor University, and have both planted roots in Indianapolis with a clear mission: provide attainable, quality housing in markets that need it most. In this conversation with host Greg Enas and Chris Spangle on Big Hearted Indy, the brothers trace their upbringing in a Swiss-heritage small town, the founding of a church that now draws 1,500 people weekly, and how their parents modeled open-handed generosity from the start. They discuss how they use apartment communities as a mission field, why they pursue what Mark calls "attainable luxury" housing in secondary Indiana markets, and how proximity, compounding relationships, and unreasonable hospitality have defined their lives in Indianapolis. The conversation also covers the state of young men, marriage, and community, including why brotherhood requires intentional effort, why loneliness is a growing threat, and why both brothers believe Indianapolis offers a rare combination of opportunity and accessibility that few cities can match. Mark and David Muselman are under 35, bullish on Indiana, and convinced that relationships are life's greatest currency.