Most People Know What to Do. They Just Need Permission. with Jason VanRuler

How to Lead People Through Change Without Losing Your Mind | Chuck Bomar

The world is changing faster than any organization can keep up with. The question isn't whether to adapt — it's whether you have a framework for it, or whether you're just reacting until you burn out. Chuck Bomar is back for part two. This time we go deep on the framework behind his new book Pivot Now — what's actually happening culturally and socially that's leaving leaders disoriented, why the old models for understanding how people relate to faith and identity no longer hold, and what leaders in churches and businesses need to do differently before they inadvertently strangle their own mission trying to protect their methods. We also talk about why your team shuts down when you ideate out loud, the difference between ideas and vision, why clarity beats hustle every time, and what it actually looks like to lead people through complexity without adding to their anxiety. This episode is for any leader who's felt the ground shifting and isn't sure whether to hold on tighter or let go. What We Learned * We can't keep up with the pace of change, but we can become change-ready — and those are completely different postures * Algorithmic curation has created a decoupled, fragmented society where identity, beliefs, practices, and affiliations no longer hold together the way they used to — and that person is walking through your doors every day * When you conflate truth with method, you risk choking your mission trying to protect your model * Clarity is greater than hustle — leaders who can't clearly articulate the why behind a change shouldn't say anything yet * Ideating around too many people is one of the most common and costly leadership mistakes — people treat your brainstorm like it's vision * Tying any change announcement to mission first is one of the most disarming and effective leadership moves available to you * Participation does not equal transformation — and finishing a process doesn't either * The tighter you hold on to your methods, the more at risk your mission becomes Resources Mentioned * Pivot Now: Mastering Change for the Sake of Our Mission [https://www.amazon.com/Pivot-Now-Mastering-Change-Mission/dp/B0GMQSS4RV] by Chuck Bomar — The book behind this entire conversation. A framework for understanding what's happening culturally, how to lead your organization through change without losing the mission, and why staying the same might be the biggest threat you face. * Death by Lightning [https://www.netflix.com/title/81707819] — Netflix miniseries Tim mentions he's been watching, based on the life and assassination of President James Garfield. * Destiny of the Republic [https://www.amazon.com/Destiny-Republic-Madness-Medicine-President/dp/0767929713] by Candice Millard — The book the Netflix series is based on. Tim is currently reading it. The story of James Garfield's rise from poverty to the presidency and the dramatic events that followed. * Fire Within [https://www.amazon.com/Fire-Within-Teresa-Gospel-Prayer/dp/0898702631] by Fr. Thomas Dubay — Chuck's current read. A deep dive into the prayer lives of St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross, and what their commitment to personal connection with God looks like for any Christian. * Convoy of Hope [https://convoyofhope.org] — Humanitarian organization mentioned in passing from Chuck's Part 1 story. One of the largest disaster relief organizations in the world. Produced by Sound of a Rose — https://soundofarose.com [https://soundofarose.com]

I'm Not Building a Business. I'm Building People. | Chuck Bomar

PODCAST DESCRIPTION Most business owners say they're building a company. Chuck Bomar says he's building people and using a company to do it. That one shift changes everything — who you hire, why you stay up at night, and what success actually looks like when you close your eyes. Chuck is a pastor, entrepreneur, author, and former President and CEO of Barna Group. He's bought and operated over a dozen companies across delivery, transportation, commercial mechanics, and in-home care. He's also had a partner commit fraud and land in prison. He's sold companies back to the people who ran them for what he originally paid — not what they'd grown to be worth. And now he's written a book that brings all of it together. We talk about what it looks like to run a business from a faith framework that isn't just a label, why economic mobility is the fastest path to social mobility, and how Chuck went from living rooms full of disoriented pastors to a book that finally gave language to what they were all feeling. What We Learned * Building a business around people instead of using people to build a business is a completely different operating system — and it shows in retention, loyalty, and culture * Caring for the whole person at work isn't a charity project; it's a strategy that creates the kind of trust most companies spend years trying to manufacture * Selling a company back to the person who grew it — at your original purchase price — is one of the most tangible ways to break a cycle of generational poverty * When your faith is decoupled from your business model, you don't sleep as well. Integration creates a settling that performance alone can't * There's a weariness in church leaders that sleep doesn't fix — and it's not a strategy problem, it's a language problem. Most of them don't have words for what they're sensing * The best ideas don't start as books. Chuck's started as a stick of dynamite dropped in living rooms full of pastors — and a guilt trip that made him write it down Resources Mentioned * Pivot Now: Mastering Change for the Sake of Our Mission [https://www.amazon.com/Pivot-Now-Mastering-Change-Mission/dp/B0GMQSS4RV] by Chuck Bomar — Chuck's new book giving pastors and ministry leaders language for the cultural shift happening around them and a framework for leading their organizations through change without compromising the mission. * Convoy of Hope [https://convoyofhope.org] — The humanitarian organization Chuck partnered with to bring his framework on church change to pastors across the country. One of the largest disaster relief organizations in the world, with a facility capable of producing a billion meals a year. Produced by Sound of a Rose — https://soundofarose.com [https://soundofarose.com]

The Five Reasons People Stop Listening with Jason VanRuler

div]:bg-bg-000/50 [&_pre>div]:border-0.5 [&_pre>div]:border-border-400 [&_.ignore-pre-bg>div]:bg-transparent [&_.standard-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pl-2 [&_.standard-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,ul,ol,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pr-8 [&_.progressive-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pl-2 [&_.progressive-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,ul,ol,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pr-8"> _*]:min-w-0 gap-3 standard-markdown"> What if the problem isn't what you're saying, but why you're saying it? In part two of this conversation, host Tim Meisenheimer picks up right where things left off with Jason VanRuler, therapist, coach, and author. This time they go deep into Jason's new book, Discovering Your Communication Type, built around five distinct styles: Peacemaker, Advocate, Thinker, Harbor, and Spark. Jason breaks down each type, helps Tim figure out his own on air, and gets into how understanding these styles can completely change the way you lead, love, and resolve conflict. They also talk about why teams full of conflict-averse people struggle to make hard decisions, why the same words land completely differently depending on who's hearing them, and why being a student of the people around you might be the most underrated leadership skill there is. If you've ever walked away from a conversation feeling completely misunderstood, this one will help you figure out why. What You'll Learn 1. The five communication types (PATHS) and how to identify your primary and secondary style. 2. Why you default to your type under pressure and how that creates conflict in relationships you care about. 3. How to apply this framework to your team and why employee turnover is often a communication mismatch problem. 4. The difference between speaking someone's language and manipulating them and why intention is everything. 5. How Enneagram types map to communication styles and what that reveals about the wounds behind the way we talk. 6. Three things that change every relationship — listen to what people say, understand why it matters, and honor it. Chapters 00:00 The Intent Behind Communication 02:56 Discovering Communication Types 05:50 Understanding the Five Communication Styles 08:47 Navigating Communication Under Pressure 12:08 The Role of Intention in Communication 14:52 Applying Communication Types in Leadership 17:49 Building Effective Team Communication 21:08 The Impact of Background on Communication 24:01 Healthy Relationships and Communication 26:52 Practical Tips for Conflict Conversations 30:12 The Joy of Making and Creating Resources Mentioned 1. Discovering Your Communication Type [https://www.amazon.com/dp/0310370426] by Jason VanRuler — The book at the center of this conversation. Five communication styles, why you default to yours under pressure, and how to use that knowledge to strengthen every relationship in your life. Releases April 14, 2026. 2. The Enneagram [https://www.enneagraminstitute.com] — Referenced by Jason as a companion framework to understanding communication types and the deeper "why" behind how people show up. 3. CliftonStrengths (StrengthsFinder) [https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/253715/34-cliftonstrengths-themes.aspx] — Mentioned as part of the team training framework Tim's team has worked through alongside Myers-Briggs and the Enneagram. 4. Five Daughters Bakery [https://fivedaughtersbakery.com] — Nashville's legendary cronut shop, name-dropped by Jason as his go-to donut destination when he's in the city.

Most People Know What to Do. They Just Need Permission. with Jason VanRuler

What if the thing holding you back isn't a lack of answers, but a lack of permission? In this conversation, host Tim Meisenheimer sits down with Jason VanRuler, therapist, coach, and author, to talk about what it actually looks like to work with leaders under pressure. Jason's path to this work started with a 3.98 GPA, a rejection from a private practice internship, and an unexpected stint working inside a prison system. What he found there changed everything. They talk about the hidden cost of always being the one who gives, why self-awareness can feel like a burden before it becomes a gift, and why leaders who claim to need nothing are actually the hardest people to love. If you're at an inflection point, whether that's a career shift, a business transition, or a relationship that's running on fumes, this one's for you. What You'll Learn 1. Why your outer world can't fix your inner world and the belief most high performers were handed as kids that keeps them stuck. 2. How to find clarity in a season of transition by starting with the rules you were taught about how the world works. 3. Why leaders who "don't need anything" stall out and what measured vulnerability actually looks like on a team. 4. The permission problem and why most people already know what to do. 5. What Jason learned in prison about how people change when no one around them cares if they do. 6. Why being hard to love is a leadership problem not just a personal one. CHAPTERS 00:00 The Importance of Needs in Leadership 02:50 Jason Van Ruler: A Journey to Therapy and Coaching 06:12 Working with Leaders Under Pressure 09:01 Understanding the Curated Self 11:59 The Challenge of Self-Awareness 15:09 Vulnerability and Generosity in Leadership 17:59 Navigating Career Transitions Resources Mentioned 1. Discovering Your Communication Type [https://www.amazon.com/dp/0310370426] by Jason VanRuler — Jason's new book releasing April 14, 2026, built around five communication styles (PATHS) and why understanding them transforms your relationships and leadership. 2. The Four Loves [https://www.amazon.com/Four-Loves-C-S-Lewis/dp/0156329301] by C.S. Lewis — The book Jason references when he talks about the risk of letting people in. Lewis writes that to love at all is to be vulnerable, and that the only alternative is a kind of slow, self-made isolation.

Stop Training Kids for the Wrong Future with Tom Stoner

If your child's future job doesn't even exist yet, what should school be preparing them for? In this continuation of the conversation with Dr. Tom Stoner, the focus shifts from what classical education is to why it matters for the future. As technology accelerates and entire industries rise and fall — from programming to AI — the question becomes urgent: Is education about training for specific careers, or forming the kind of person who can adapt, think, and discern in any career? Tom explains why classical education is not vocational training, but formation. Rather than chasing trends, it develops transferable skills — reading widely, thinking deeply, writing clearly, and synthesizing complex ideas. These abilities prepare students not just for their first job, but for a lifetime of change. The conversation also wrestles with truth in an age of AI and "your truth vs. my truth," exploring why discernment matters more than information and why education must form judgment, not just deliver content. What We Learned * Why preparing for jobs that don't yet exist requires deeper formation * The difference between vocational training and transferable skills * How liberal arts education builds long-term adaptability * Why STEM alone cannot future-proof a child * The impact of AI on the workforce and why discernment is essential * What it means for truth to correspond to reality * How moral and spiritual formation shape intellectual development * Why education must give students something solid to "push against" * How classical education cultivates thinking, not just information absorption Resources Mentioned * * Repairing the Ruins [https://a.co/d/04iEebZD] * Plato's Republic [https://a.co/d/0dZMAVns] * C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity [https://a.co/d/0eOqTKF4] * The Idea of a Christian School [https://a.co/d/0bn2RRPU] 00:00 Preparing for Unknown Futures 02:51 The Role of Classical Education 05:46 Truth and Education 09:05 The Importance of Shared Morality 11:58 Personal Reflections and Gratitude