Untimely Ideas

06: You Are Not Your Job: The Table That Restores Our Humanity feat. Tim Jones

"The table is the most powerful place on the planet, because it reminds us that we are human." In this episode, I sit down with Tim Jones, founder of Longer Tables, to explore why modern life has slowly trained us out of real human connection, and how the simple act of sharing a meal can restore what we've lost. In a culture obsessed with productivity, efficiency, and identity-through-work, the table becomes a quiet form of resistance: a space for presence, story, and belonging. We discuss: * Why the table is the great equalizer in a performance-driven culture * The power of invitation in creating safety and belonging * Why leadership isn't about titles, authority, or control * Why the table isn't just where we end up, but how we get there This episode is an invitation. Not to do more, but to show up differently. To slow down. To set the table. And to rediscover one another through countless of untimely ideas. 📰 SUBSCRIBE TO UNTIMELY IDEAS → https://untimelyideas.com [https://untimelyideas.com/] 🔗 BOOK A FREE CALL → https://iancrafford.com/prosper/ [https://iancrafford.com/prosper/] 👨‍💻 CONNECT WITH ME ON LINKEDIN → https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-crafford/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-crafford/] 🎙 Spotify Podcast / https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/6bikXVsHjyCmgv6YS78NpL/home [https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/6bikXVsHjyCmgv6YS78NpL/home] 🎙 Apple Podcast / https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/untimely-ideas/id1844942687?i=1000730880197 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/untimely-ideas/id1844942687?i=1000730880197] CONNECT WITH TIM JONES: 💻 LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/timjonesdenver/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/timjonesdenver/] 🔗 Website → https://www.longertables.org/ [https://www.longertables.org/] ⏱️ TIME STAMPS 02:30 – The table as the great equalizer 10:00 – Belonging begins with invitation 15:30 – Why Americans struggle to connect 18:50 – Story as the pathway to belonging 38:10 – Artists, storytellers, and hope 47:30 – Leadership as table-setting 52:00 – Why love should be addictive 56:20 – Identity before action 01:00:50 – How to start: set a table 01:03:30 – The invitation forward

05: An Untimely Conversation About The Christian Way of Being

In this episode, I’m back with Laura Sorensen to explore what it means to live and lead through a Christian way of being — not just believing the right things, but becoming a redemptive presence. We discuss: * Why the Christian life isn’t about doing more, but being transformed * How “control” and “hustle” culture distort our view of calling * What wilderness seasons teach us about identity and leadership * Why redemption means repossession — restoring creation to its rightful Owner * How to become a redemptive presence in your work, family, and community If you’ve ever wrestled with purpose, burnout, or what faith looks like in real life — this conversation will reframe everything. 📰 SUBSCRIBE TO UNTIMELY IDEAS → https://untimelyideas.com [https://untimelyideas.com/] 🔗 BOOK A FREE CALL → https://iancrafford.com/prosper/ [https://iancrafford.com/prosper/] 👨‍💻 CONNECT WITH ME ON LINKEDIN → https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-crafford/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-crafford/] 🎙 Spotify Podcast / https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/6bikXVsHjyCmgv6YS78NpL/home [https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/6bikXVsHjyCmgv6YS78NpL/home] 🎙 Apple Podcast / https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/untimely-ideas/id1844942687?i=1000730880197 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/untimely-ideas/id1844942687?i=1000730880197] CONNECT WITH LAURA SORENSEN: 💻 LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraksorensen/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraksorensen/] 🔗 Website → https://atelierlks.com/creative-director-partnership/ [https://atelierlks.com/creative-director-partnership/] ⏱️ TIME STAMPS 10:29 – Why “Feeling Seen” Matters in Sales 14:57 – The Tension Between Art, Work, and Identity 17:20 – Wilderness Seasons and Internal Formation 20:12 – The Weight of Being Needed 24:51 – Commandments vs. Way of Being 30:39 – Control, Surrender, and the Illusion of Certainty 33:17 – Work, Calling, and Where Identity Gets Distorted 41:28 – Redemption, Repossession, and Recovering Design 52:42 – When Business Becomes Busyness 58:21 – The Christian Way of Being in Practice 01:08:38 – Becoming a Redemptive Presence in Your Work

04: Does Your Work Matter to God? | A Christian Vision for Work

In today’s episode, I sit down (once again) with my friend Ross Chapman, CEO of the Denver Institute for Faith and Work, and we dive straight into a conversation that I believe far too many Christians are navigating alone: * What does it actually mean to integrate faith and work? * Does God really care about what I do from Monday to Friday? We also talk about: * How the sacred-secular divide formed, and how it’s quietly shaping our anxiety and view of calling * Why imagination is essential for living out your faith at work * The modern pressures reshaping our jobs (AI, autonomy, loneliness) and what Christians uniquely bring to that landscape * Practical ways to show up differently on Monday through Friday If you’ve ever questioned your purpose at work or wondered how to integrate faith with your career in a meaningful way, this episode is for you. 📰 SUBSCRIBE TO UNTIMELY IDEAS → https://untimelyideas.com [https://untimelyideas.com/] 🔗 BOOK A FREE CALL → https://iancrafford.com/prosper/ [https://iancrafford.com/prosper/] 👨‍💻 CONNECT WITH ME ON LINKEDIN → https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-crafford/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-crafford/] 🎙 Spotify Podcast / https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/6bikXVsHjyCmgv6YS78NpL/home [https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/6bikXVsHjyCmgv6YS78NpL/home] 🎙 Apple Podcast / https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/untimely-ideas/id1844942687?i=1000730880197 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/untimely-ideas/id1844942687?i=1000730880197] CONNECT WITH ROSS CHAPMAN: 💻 LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/rossandrewchapman/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rossandrewchapman/] ⏱️ TIME STAMPS 02:30 - On Theology & Imagination 12:55 - The Scared-Secular Divide 19:20 - Why Your Everyday Work Matters to God 23:53 - Calling vs. Job Titles: Where Christians Get Stuck 29:55 - AI, The Modern Workplace, and a Crisis of Identity 36:19 - Practical Ways to Bring Faith into Work 46:00 - What Churches Can Actually Do Better 56:23 - This is for Any Christian at Work

03: Why High-Achieving Leaders Feel Lonely (and How to Reconnect in Marriage and Life)

Success can look like everything you’ve ever wanted: * A striving business * Leadership influence * Financial stability And yet still leave you feeling empty and unseen. In this episode, I sit down with Lantz Howard, an executive-level transformation and marriage coach, to explore why so many high-achieving men quietly struggle with loneliness and disconnection at home. We talk about: * Why professional success often hides emotional and spiritual emptiness * How unresolved childhood wounds shape leadership and intimacy * The irony of achievement * The path of reconnecting with your spouse * Practical rhythms to rediscover your identity * And why healing begins with being seen and known, not being productive This is a call to integration. The men who lead best aren’t those who achieve the most, but those who are most fully known. 📰 SUBSCRIBE TO UNTIMELY IDEAS → https://untimelyideas.com [https://untimelyideas.com/] 🔗 BOOK A FREE CALL → https://iancrafford.com/prosper/ [https://iancrafford.com/prosper/] 👨‍💻 CONNECT WITH ME ON LINKEDIN → https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-crafford/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-crafford/] 🎙 Spotify Podcast / https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/6bikXVsHjyCmgv6YS78NpL/home [https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/6bikXVsHjyCmgv6YS78NpL/home] 🎙 Apple Podcast / https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/untimely-ideas/id1844942687?i=1000730880197 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/untimely-ideas/id1844942687?i=1000730880197] CONNECT WITH LANTZ HOWARD: 💻 LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/lantzhoward/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lantzhoward/] 🔗 Website → https://lantzhoward.com/ ⏱️ TIME STAMPS  02:49 The Journey to Marriage Coaching 05:59 Understanding Executive Pain Points 11:52 The Disconnect Between Work and Relationships 29:41 The Role of Leadership in Organizational Culture 33:01 Remedial Human Skills for Connection 34:00 The Pursuit of True Identity 39:07 Navigating Rejection and Codependency 41:26 Marketing True Identity 45:19 Practical Tips for Executives

02: How Scarcity Thinking Destroys Great Businesses with Laura Sorensen

Most business owners don’t realize they’re playing small until the consequences catch up with them — burnout, bad clients, and a business that looks more like employment with extra paperwork. In this episode, I sit down with Laura Sorensen, a fractional creative director who helps companies translate what they do into stories that actually land. We talk about the real shift every expert has to make if they want to stop operating like a technician and start thinking like a founder, learning to lead your clients, building leverage, and making decisions without second-guessing your worth. We talk about: * The “feast or famine” cycle — and why it’s often self-inflicted * What it means to move from freelancer to founder * How to lead clients who don’t understand your value * The difference between confidence and conviction * Scarcity mindset, opportunity cost, and overthinking * Building leverage, trust, and freedom in your business 📰 SUBSCRIBE TO UNTIMELY IDEAS → https://untimelyideas.com [https://untimelyideas.com/] 🔗 BOOK A FREE CALL → https://iancrafford.com/prosper/ [https://iancrafford.com/prosper/] 👨‍💻 CONNECT WITH ME ON LINKEDIN → https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-crafford/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-crafford/] 🎙 Spotify Podcast / https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/6bikXVsHjyCmgv6YS78NpL/home [https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/6bikXVsHjyCmgv6YS78NpL/home] 🎙 Apple Podcast / https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/untimely-ideas/id1844942687?i=1000730880197 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/untimely-ideas/id1844942687?i=1000730880197] CONNECT WITH LAURA SORENSEN: 💻 LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraksorensen/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraksorensen/] 🔗 Website → https://atelierlks.com/creative-director-partnership/ [https://atelierlks.com/creative-director-partnership/] ⏱️ TIME STAMPS 4:12 – From Designer to Consultant 8:03 – Bridging Creativity and Business 12:48 – Leaving the Agency World 18:00 – The Feast-or-Famine Trap 23:36 – From Options to Decisions 27:33 – Confidence vs Conviction 32:39 – The Prospect Paradox 41:25 – Delegation and Letting Go 54:00 – Scarcity Thinking and Opportunity Cost