Proximity with Ken Joslin

Growth can be addictive, and it can also be a trap. When we chase “bigger” too early, we end up building pressure into the system, neglecting culture, and pushing product harder instead of solving problems better. So we’re drawing a clear line in the sand: serve first, lead well, then build bigger.

We dig into a story every entrepreneur should know: Boston Market moves into Atlanta in the early 1990s and starts taking share in Chick-fil-A’s backyard. The easy answer is rapid expansion, but Truett Cathy refuses and delivers a principle that still defines elite businesses: when we get better, our customers will demand that we get bigger. We talk about what “better” looks like in the real world: customer experience, standards, leadership, and the daily discipline of culture that competitors can see but rarely replicate.

From there, we bring it back to servant leadership and stewardship. We share a simple, practical audit for founders and business owners: serve your top clients with nothing attached, ask your team what would make their work easier, and check your ambition by asking who your vision actually serves. If you’re building a faith-based business or just want leadership principles that hold up under pressure, this conversation connects service, integrity, and sustainable scale.

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Four million followers, red carpets, creator deals, and a life built around being seen, then one brutal realization: the platform had become a god. From Miami, we talk with Jan Lemieux about the moment success stopped feeling like success and why stillness became the only way back to clarity, conviction, and real freedom in Christ. If you’ve ever felt trapped in the scroll, addicted to validation, or scared that you’ve gone too far to be used by God, this conversation meets you right where you are.

We unpack what stillness actually looks like beyond a nice quote, anchored in Psalms 46:10. Jan explains how slowing down helps you stop letting feelings drive your decisions, and how the “secret place” becomes a practical strategy for entrepreneurs who live in go mode. We also get honest about ego, lust, and what happens when accountability disappears, including the kind of numb compromise that wakes you up to how far you’ve drifted from God’s voice.

Then the story turns toward rebuilding with purpose: deleting and archiving old content, choosing message over momentum, and redirecting media skill toward the gospel through Return To Eden, prayer centered community, and cinematic storytelling. We close with the difference between rest and stillness, plus why confession, brotherhood, and nontransactional love are essential to staying free.

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Staying still feels safe, but it can quietly cap your life. We talk about why “getting in the room” is not hype, it is a real spiritual and leadership principle that changes what you believe is possible. I connect the dots between proximity and momentum, and why God so often moves through people who take action instead of sitting back and waiting for confidence to arrive.

We anchor the conversation in Acts 2: they were together, in one place, in one accord, and then the Holy Spirit moved. That pattern matters. You can absolutely meet God on your own, but there is a unique kind of clarity and courage that shows up when the right people gather with aligned focus. We also walk through what it looks like when the room changes you from the inside out, including examples from Peter’s life and the spark that happens when Mary and Elizabeth come together.

On the practical side, I share a real story of choosing to invest, travel, and get in the room even when it felt like a stretch and how that decision shaped relationships, opportunity, and trajectory. Then we break down a simple framework you can use right now: your community, your circle, and your corner. Who are you traveling with, who are your 10 to 12, and who has the 10,000 foot view of your life? If you audit those rooms honestly, you can raise your lid fast.

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Proximity can change your life fast but only if you stop treating it like something you pick up when it’s convenient. Ken Jocelyn opens with wins from the Proximity book launch and momentum building toward Create 27 in Atlanta, then pivots into a coaching message that cuts deeper: most of us want the benefits of great relationships while resisting the responsibility that makes them last.

We go to Ruth 1:16 and the turning point between Ruth, Naomi, and Orpah. One person leaves when the road gets hard. One person stays and discovers that staying is a strategy. We unpack what commitment looks like in real life: letting the right people “test” you, refusing to treat high-level relationships casually, and choosing the hard conversation when tension shows up. Ken shares stories from decades-long friendships and what it means to clear your calendar and show up, because proximity is built through consistency.

Then we get practical. You’ll hear a simple exercise to “name your Naomi” and “name your Ruth,” plus a framework for strengthening mentorship and trust through time, talent, and treasure. We also talk about gratitude as a discipline that improves your thinking and keeps you humble, and we close with the reminder that staying is never wasted. If you’re considering Create 27 (Jan 27 to 29) tickets are discounted now and seats are limited. Subscribe, share this with someone you care about, and leave a review so more people can find Proximity.

A packed arena can make you feel untouchable. A single cruel review can make you question everything. Ken Johnson sits down with Ty Anderson, four-time Grammy Award winner and longtime Third Day bassist, to talk about the unseen side of success: criticism, grit, calling, and the daily choice to serve the people you are actually meant to reach.

We walk through Third Day’s early days in Georgia, the wild moment Ty steps onto a festival stage in Holland and sees 20,000 people, and the gut-punch headline the next morning: “Third Day, please stay in America.” From there we get practical and personal, digging into how entrepreneurs and creators can stop living for critics and start building real loyalty. Ty shares the big idea behind his book, Market Like a Rockstar: marketing should not end at the sale. The best marketing strategy is fan creation, built through relationships, trust, and unexpected moments of delight.

You’ll also hear a powerful thread on spiritual formation for business leaders: stillness frequency, turning off the phone, checking motives, and treating your work as vocational worship. Ty breaks down his STAR framework for customer experience and referral marketing: Serve, Trust, Advance, Referral, plus how identity shapes community, whether you are building a brand, a team, or a movement.

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Something in you may be waiting on a room you keep postponing. We talk about why proximity is a cheat code and why your next level is often one relationship away, not one more tactic, post, or plan.

We start in Luke chapter 1 with Mary and Elizabeth and that powerful moment when a simple greeting makes something leap to life. That story becomes a framework for spotting the people and environments that cause purpose, passion, and vision to wake up again. We also get personal, including a fifth grade relationship that shaped the trajectory of my life and still reminds me how long one voice of belief can echo.

From there, we walk through three “Mary” relationships that have sparked real movement: Pastor Jentezen Franklin and the kind of room where you can hear God with clarity, Troy Hoffman and the steady leadership voice that pulls you out of fear and into action, and Patrick Bet-David’s Vault Conference, where the right seat in the right room turned scattered ideas into concrete next moves. We also land the plane with practical application: identify your “Elizabeth,” text them today for 30 minutes, and then ask how you can be that person for someone else.

If you care about relationships, mentorship, leadership, faith-based entrepreneurship, and building a life where your calling actually grows, hit play and take notes. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs the right room, and leave a review with the one relationship that has changed your life.

Some people talk about generosity like it’s a personality trait. We see it as a frequency you can choose, practice, and refine and it changes everything from your leadership to your relationships. On Proximity Live, we sit down with Troy Hoffman, a two time Inc. 500 winner with a nine figure exit, to unpack what real giving looks like when it’s grounded in contribution, mastery, and trust.

We go beyond feel good stories and get honest about the cost. Troy shares how his parents modeled a life of serving others even without financial margin, and how that shaped his instinct to help. We also talk about the hard side of generosity: giving to the wrong people, confusing enabling with impact, and learning discernment so your time, money, and energy actually move the needle for the people who need it most.

Then we tackle the modern tension every entrepreneur feels: is someone truly generous, or are they networking with a receipt attached? Troy calls out performative giving, the commercialization of “help,” and why high trust communities collapse when takers outnumber givers. You’ll also hear simple, practical ways to practice generosity this week even if you feel broke, unknown, or disconnected plus why proximity to high achievers can act like a cheat code for growth, standards, and belief.

If this hits home, subscribe, share it with a friend who leads a team, and leave a review so more builders find the conversation. What’s one act of generosity you’re committing to this week?

Proximity can change your life faster than willpower, and Ryan D. Lee proves it with a story that starts in the cheapest “room” available: a book. We talk about how Ryan went from reading Rich Dad Poor Dad and Creating Wealth to building a real framework for financial freedom, leaving a six-figure corporate job, and eventually honoring the very authors who shaped his thinking. That arc turns mentorship into something practical, not mystical, and it shows how accountability can be learned long before you ever meet the people you admire.

We also dig into the part most people skip: freedom is not just the payoff, it’s the responsibility. Ryan breaks down the difference between victimhood and ownership, why stewardship is the other side of independence, and how telling yourself the truth becomes the foundation for real change. If you’ve ever felt stuck repeating the same year on loop, this conversation puts language around what’s happening and what to do next.

From there, we get personal about who has permission to tell you “no” and why that kind of truth-telling relationship is a gift. Ryan shares how his wife keeps him grounded, how strong coaching shifts your perspective, and how business clarity often comes down to one question: what’s the one thing we’re focusing on right now? We also connect money and marriage through core values, because most “money fights” are really values conflicts in disguise.

Finally, Ryan gives a simple launch framework you can use immediately: facts, feelings, focus. If you’re sitting on an idea and don’t know how to move it, this will help you pick the next right step and build momentum. If this helped you, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs a belief boost, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

What if the thing you call “pressure” is actually protection? We land the plane on the 14th and final Frequency of Proximity by talking about accountability as stewardship, the kind that keeps your faith, your leadership, and your finances from drifting. I walk through why this frequency is the reservoir that holds everything else, because faith without integrity will collapse, and integrity grows best when the right people have permission to speak into our blind spots.

We get practical with money and leadership: why most financial stress is not caused by a lack of money but a lack of clarity, why more income doesn’t fix poor stewardship and only exposes it, and how Scripture reframes the whole conversation through Luke 16:10 and 1 Corinthians 4:2. Then we hit the question that cuts through excuses: which money mindset is running your QuickBooks, fear, control, or faith?

I also share my own money story and how a generational blueprint of scarcity can shape decisions for years until you confront it with honesty and grace. From there, we map simple actions you can take right now: invite someone you like, know, and trust into your blind spots, keep your word at all costs, tell the truth fast, and build systems where integrity becomes a rhythm instead of a performance.

Want to go deeper? Join us for Proximity Live, a three-day online event to launch the book on October 14th, 15th, and 16th. Register free at grosstatdrive.com forward slash proximity live. If this helps you, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs clarity, and leave a review so more leaders can find it.

A terminal diagnosis in the workplace, a community carrying multiple cancer battles, and a leader trying to make sense of it all sets the tone for a conversation that goes way deeper than spreadsheets. We take a minute to pray, then we pivot hard into the question most entrepreneurs are quietly asking: how do you build real profit without losing your health, your faith, your family, or your culture along the way?

Our guest Jim Bloodworth, founder of Cutting Edge Landscaping in Middle Georgia, shares what 25 years of building looks like from the inside: 144 employees, three locations, $11M to $12M in annual revenue, seasonal staffing through the H2B program, and the daily pressure of costs like fuel. Jim breaks down why “profit was always easy” can still hide major pitfalls, and why you cannot outsource revenue with a slick hire if you have not first forged the standard yourself. We talk about the bivocational years, paying yourself slowly, and the truth that growth costs time, cash flow, systems, and emotional bandwidth.

Then we get tactical with small business finance and operations: KPI dashboards, checks and balances, tying bonuses to numbers, and the scary move of letting the whole team see the company’s financials. Jim also opens up about opening a new branch, discovering falsified reports, and what it takes to protect culture while scaling. If you care about profit margin, leadership, hiring decisions, and healthy growth in a service business, this one will stick with you.

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A teenager’s lunch feeds a massive crowd, an Uber ride turns into a holy moment of provision, and a late-night Waffle House becomes a reminder that God has not forgotten anyone. That’s the heart of Frequency 13 on the Proximity podcast: generosity as the overflow frequency, where giving isn’t driven by guilt or headlines, but by stewardship, stillness, and obedience.

We walk through John 6 and the question we all ask when the need is bigger than what we hold: “What good is that with this huge crowd?” From there, we settle the ownership issue with Psalm 24:1, then talk plainly about money, resources, and the mindset shift that changes everything for faith-based entrepreneurs and Christian leaders. When we stop acting like owners and start living like stewards, generosity stops being a complicated calculation and becomes a simple response to God’s voice.

You’ll also hear practical steps you can apply right away: listen, obey, and release. We connect generosity to stillness, because you can’t give where God directs if your calendar is too loud to hear Him. We also talk about why shortcuts break trust, why disciplined stewardship invites greater responsibility, and how to run a “stewardship audit” so your habits and systems can handle the increase you’re praying for.

If this resonates, subscribe to Proximity, share it with a friend who needs a reset around money and obedience, and leave a review so more leaders can find the show. What’s one act of generosity you feel prompted to practice this week?

A real vision doesn’t start when you “make it” it starts when you can barely make rent and you still decide your life will mean something. We sit down with Brent Gove and talk about what vision looks like when it’s tested by bankruptcy, a rebuilt career, and the pressure of providing for your family. He shares the kind of real estate journey most people skip over: slow early results, grinding through open houses, and one unforgettable moment of desperation praying on a dirty carpet while hoping a single client walks in.

From there, we dig into the tools and beliefs that made vision tangible: learning personal development young, building and revisiting vision boards, and treating vision as clarity you can act on, not “juju.” We also talk about humility as a growth strategy, why personal development sets the ceiling for professional income, and how fulfillment comes from building a life that serves others, not just a bigger lifestyle.

Then we zoom out to the role of proximity and relationships. The rooms you enter, the masterminds you join, and the people you text when life gets hard can either shrink your thinking or expand it fast. We close with a story about Brent’s father that reframes work, leadership, and purpose in a way you’ll want to carry into your next ordinary day.

If this conversation helps you think bigger and work clearer, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs fresh vision, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

Culture doesn’t fail because you lack ideas. It fails because you let the wrong things slide. We’re walking through Frequency 12 of the 14 Frequencies of Proximity: the culture frequency, the anchor that holds your organization steady when storms hit, growth accelerates, or pressure exposes the cracks.

We talk about why “culture eats strategy for breakfast” plays out in real leadership, and how loyalty multiplies momentum when people feel safe, clear, and committed. I share a favorite Patrick Lencioni conversation and the stat that still stops me: only 10 to 15% of organizations are truly healthy. From there, we get practical about core values that actually work: authentic, actionable, leadership driven, non-negotiable, and few enough to remember.

You’ll hear how to weave company culture into hiring, onboarding, performance, rewards, and even dismissal conversations. We also dig into a Chick-fil-A story that shows how servant leadership and operational excellence get baked into everyday behavior, plus the line every leader needs to write down: what you tolerate becomes your culture.

If you want a healthier workplace culture, stronger team accountability, and leadership tools you can use this week, hit play and take notes. Subscribe, share this with a leader on your team, and leave a review so more builders can find the show.

Link to EntreLeadership with Patrick Lencioni.

Titles can get you a seat, but they cannot make people trust you. Ken Jocelyn calls servanthood “the leadership frequency” and puts it in plain language: the greatest leader in history led with a towel, not a title. Using Matthew 20:28 as the anchor, we talk about why real influence is earned through humility, consistency, and choosing to serve when nobody is watching.

We get practical fast with a clear servant leadership framework built on three habits: put other people’s needs before your own, do things right the first time, and do things without being asked. Ken shares personal stories that make those ideas feel usable, from serving a friend through a difficult travel day to a daily routine of teaching his kids what servant leadership looks like in real life. If you care about leadership development, team culture, and trust, these behaviors are simple, measurable, and hard to fake.

You will also hear how servanthood scales in the workplace, including a story of earning followership through service and initiative, not age or position. Then we land the plane with concrete action steps: ask someone “How can I help you win this week?” and follow through, run a time, talent, and treasure audit, start serving at home first, and identify your strengths so you can deploy them for someone else’s win.

Subscribe to Proximity, share this with a leader who needs a reset, and leave a review if it helps you lead with more humility and more impact.

When leaders lose vision, they don’t just lose motivation, they lose restraint, momentum, and peace. We sit with the uncomfortable truth from Proverbs 29:18 and translate it into real life leadership: burnout often isn’t a workload problem, it’s a clarity problem. If you’ve been grinding, repeating what used to work, and feeling that creeping overwhelm, this conversation is a reset for faith-based entrepreneurs, pastors, and builders who want to flourish instead of drift.

We walk through what vision actually is, how it shapes culture and team health, and why fresh vision is the only way out of the doom loop. I share how writing the vision down and making it plain (Habakkuk 2:2) turns the invisible into visible action, plus why your belief system has to grow to match what’s in your heart. We also talk about the power of aligned relationships and why the right people reinforce mission, sharpen execution, and keep you moving toward what God called you to build.

Then we get practical with leadership tools you can apply today: create space on your calendar to be still and listen, draft a clear one-sentence mission statement, define core values that shape hiring and culture, and set BHAGs (big, hairy, audacious goals) with a three-year horizon. You’ll leave with a simple alignment question that exposes what’s real fast: does your calendar and your budget match the vision you say you’re pursuing?

If this helps you, subscribe to Proximity, share it with a friend who needs clarity, and leave a review so more leaders can find it. What’s one BHAG you’re ready to write down today?

Honor is not soft. It’s heavy, and it changes the kind of leader you become. Ken Jocelyn continues the 14 Frequencies of Proximity series with Frequency #9: honor, what he calls the legacy frequency, because honor is the seed and legacy is the harvest. When honor disappears, families fracture, workplaces get toxic, and our culture turns everything into something trivial. When honor returns, trust grows, relationships heal, and influence lasts.

We open up Exodus 20:12 and dig into the Hebrew word “kavod,” meaning weight. That single definition reframes everything: honor is a deliberate decision to treat someone’s role as weighty rather than light. We talk about why honor is not based on performance and why it’s often about honoring the office or position, even when you don’t agree, even when your story is complicated. We also make room for wisdom and boundaries, because honoring someone doesn’t require you to stay close enough to keep getting hurt.

Ken shares a personal story about a weekend with his dad and a conversation designed to remove regret and put honor back where it belongs. We close with a practical “weight audit” you can do today and one simple act of kavod you can take this week, a call, a text, or a clear statement of love with no strings attached. If this hits home, subscribe, share it with someone who needs it, and leave a review so more leaders can find the message.