Author: Henry Murphy

We are taught to go to school then sell our time for money until we retire. “This can’t be life”, in my Jay-Z voice. This one is a touchy subject and I know for me it hit home. I’m not against school you’ve heard me say that before but I am more for entrepreneurship. I don’t know why I’m wired like this, but I know that there are many people like me. We’re just in a different climate now. Maybe at one time when we went to school there were some guaranteed jobs, but that is not really the case these days.

When I think about the highest bidder, it kind of makes me cringe a little because it’s almost as if, to qualify for something, we have to spend $100,000 in student loan debt and then sell our time to the job that we work for. Recent studies show that nearly 45% of college graduates find themselves underemployed working in positions that don’t require a college degree. I just never agree with that system. I didn’t know how to navigate the space or explain it clearly back then. I’m probably not explaining it the best now, but there are some jobs that need degrees. For example, performing surgery or interpreting the law demand years of specialized training, and careers like Certified Public Accountants (CPAs), engineers, and pharmacists also require formal education to ensure both competence and accountability.

But entrepreneurship… It isn’t about merely giving birth to new ventures; it’s about building upon your skill set, refining your expertise, and taking products and services to market. It’s innovation in every sense of the word. You have to be a go-getter you must always be a student of learning, continuously adapting to the market. I just had a conversation with someone I’m looking to bring on as a creative director for me, and the thing about it is her talent is so great that I know she won’t be with me long. Yet, it’s understood that success in this realm means constantly improving and ensuring that someone else is learning from you, ready to take the next step when the time comes. That is how entrepreneurship works. Yes, there may be some people who stick with you for the whole ride, but most of the time those people are exceptional they go on to create their own businesses and, in turn, employ even more people. The cycle goes on, and we get an opportunity to bring immense value to the marketplace.

I don’t apologize for being an entrepreneur. I don’t apologize for my stance. I know that this is the field God called me to, and this is possibly the field He’s called you to as well. Submit your plans to Him, work on yourself—because you have to become the person who can do the thing. Get good at that, and serve people.

God Bless The Entrepreneur

“What if skipping the hard parts meant missing the best parts?”

I know, I know. we just want to fast-forward through life sometimes. Nobody gets that more than me. I’m in a season right now where it feels like time is dragging, but here’s the funny thing: I’m learning so much. I’m becoming a better version of myself. My mindset is elevating. I’m adding to my skill set every single day. I’m spending more time with God. And yet, even in these good moments, it’s so easy to focus on the lack.

Do you remember what Satan pulled off in the Garden of Eden? He got Eve to focus on the one thing she didn’t have instead of the abundance all around her. And we do the same thing in our own lives. We fixate on what’s missing instead of appreciating the growth, the lessons, and the provision that’s already there.

The other day, I kept thinking about Adam Sandler’s movie Click. If you haven’t seen it, the movie is about a man who gets a remote that lets him fast-forward through the hard parts of life arguments, long workdays, anything he doesn’t want to deal with. At first, it seems like the perfect solution. But the more he presses that button, the more life speeds past him. He skips over the struggles, but he also misses the moments that mattered the time with his family, the lessons that shaped him, the experiences that made life rich. By the time he realizes what he’s lost, it’s too late.

And I think we do that sometimes in our own lives. We just want to press that button and skip ahead especially through the hard stuff. We don’t want to sit in discomfort. We don’t want to dedicate the time. But here’s what I know: God does His best work in our hard seasons. That’s when He teaches us to trust Him more, to depend on Him completely.

I’m writing this from the perspective of a believer because I know that blessings are found in adversity. The trials, the challenges, the moments that stretch us they’re where God is shaping us the most. And honestly, sometimes when I think about getting out of this season, my biggest fear is forgetting what I’ve learned. I don’t want to get comfortable and lose the fire. I don’t want to waste the lessons God has been teaching me.

The goal isn’t just to survive this season it’s to carry these principles into the next one. To remember the struggle when things get easy. To keep growing when life feels comfortable. That’s how we win. That’s how we get better. That’s how we stay yielded to God.

God Bless The Entrepreneur

Let’s be real if you’ve got a phone and apps like TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads, or Snapchat, you’re getting dopamine hits every time you scroll. Social media is inevitable, but what we can control is where we get those dopamine hits from.

I was on a coaching call, and my client asked, “Did you see my last reel?”

No, I didn’t, because I usually post and then get off.

I have a set time for social media, and when I do scroll, I’m intentional about what I consume. This is where TikTok is genius it curates content based on what you engage with. So, what do I engage with? Entrepreneurs, financial educators, credit experts, generational wealth builders, grant specialists, lawyers breaking down contracts, social media strategists, cinematographers teaching lighting techniques, and experts on business credit and tax strategies.

I could go on, but you get the point. I choose my dopamine hits wisely.

We only have so many hours in the day. Who you follow matters. What you consume matters. Don’t waste your time on distractions that don’t serve you.

OK, I’m off my soapbox for today. Salute.

God Bless The Entrepreneur

I have been struggling lately, and I know I’m not supposed to be perfect. I give myself grace because I understand that truly resting on the Sabbath wasn’t always a reality for me m even after becoming a believer. If you’ve been on this journey, you know the feeling. Some days, your mind is clear, and you just want to work. The crazy thing is, there’s nothing wrong with working in itself, but God gave us a blueprint, and in that blueprint, we rest. This rest isn’t just a rule it’s a gift. God knows we need it.

Honestly, the goal is to push ourselves to spend more time with God on the Sabbath, free from distractions. But yesterday, I woke up full of ideas. I started writing them down, my brain moving a mile a minute, and I had to stop and ask myself: What are you doing, Henry?  I had to remind myself if an idea comes, I can write it down, but that’s where it stops. That’s something I have to continue to tell myself.

Later in the day, a friend sent me a few sermons on YouTube, and I finally locked in. Let me tell you those messages hit differently. The day didn’t start how I wanted, but it ended on a great note. It also gave me time to pray and truly connect with God. And since we’re being honest here my wife and I had a disagreement, and I was pre-upset. You know that feeling when something gets under your skin, and it’s hard to let go? Normally, I would’ve let that tension linger, but because I was spending time with God, the Holy Spirit wouldn’t let me ignore it. It took me a few hours, but I finally let that simple disagreement go.

If you’re an entrepreneur struggling with taking a true Sabbath, I hope this helps. The grind mentality makes us want to go, go, go, but God calls us to rest, rest, rest. And here’s the irony when we do, He fills us with even more ideas than we can contain.

God Bless The Entrepreneur

One of my favorite scenes in Fast and Furious is when Tyrese says, “We hungry,” and takes a bite of his food. He wasn’t talking about hunger in the sense of an empty stomach he was hungry for opportunity. That scene always cracks me up because he’s such an idiot, but the analogy is real.

My point is simple: Are you hungry? If you are, your habits should reflect it. What are you doing every day? What are your goals and ambitions? If you have things you want to accomplish, you should be working towards them consistently, every single day.

As you can tell, I like movies, and I’m not against people watching TV or scrolling on social media. But let me tell you this if you’re watching TV, make sure you’re using some of that time to research and learn something new. YouTube can be an endless well of knowledge, so why not use it to fuel your growth? If you’re scrolling on social media, follow people who align with where you want to go. If you’re truly hungry for success, your feed should be full of people and resources that push you forward.

Everybody can talk about what they want, but the real power lies in action. So, let me ask you again: Are you really hungry? If you are, your daily actions will show it.

God Bless The Entrepreneur

If you’re anything like I was, you didn’t realize that time keeps moving no matter what. I had these hopes and ambitions, but year after year, I found myself in the same situation. Nothing had changed in my life.

I wanted more out of lifean adventure, if you will. I wanted something bigger, something more meaningful. I wanted to use my creativity. So why did I feel so stuck? I think the better question is: what am I willing to give up? What am I willing to lose to make my life more fulfilling?

We don’t ask this question enough. Many of us build a life only to realize we don’t even like the life we’ve created. We don’t like our jobs. We don’t like where we live. We don’t like our financial situations. We don’t like anything about our current lives. So why is it so hard to do something different?

I came to realize the thing stopping me wasn’t some outside force it was me. I wasn’t doing anything. My inaction was my greatest risk. I wouldn’t even take a chance to see what could happen if I leaped. I had to change my mindset and become so focused on intentionality that even if I took a leap and fell, I’d get up and leap again. And again. Until I accomplished everything I set out to do.

Nothing changes unless you change it. It starts with you. Faith is a verb, which means it requires action it requires doing. Without action, it’s nothing more than an idea.

God Bless The Entrepreneur

You might start out by yourself, but if you’re serious about building something real, you must first lay the foundation for yourselfand for those you will eventually employ.

If you’ve been following my blogs for a while, you know I run a school called The Ground Up Academy, where I teach entrepreneurs how to build their brands from the ground up, starting with foundational principles. It’s easy to skip over these foundational steps because, honestly, they don’t seem important at first. Most of the time, the main goal is to “get to the bag.”

But because of my passion and the mistakes I’ve made in business my declaration is simple: I don’t teach side hustlers. I teach people who want to build lasting brands. Even if you’re starting out as a so-called solopreneur, you’re still an entrepreneur. I actually hate the term “solopreneur,” but let’s not get stuck there.

Many times in business, you’ll start out alone nd that’s okay. But it’s also the exact reason why you need to build your brand with the future team in mind. This is why having a mission statement and core values is critical. They will drive your decisions now and, eventually, the decisions of everyone you hire. They shape the culture of your business.

If you’re that person using a quality industrial heat press to create shirts, you need to know exactly how long it takes to produce those shirts. Why? Because one day, you’ll hire someone for that role, and you need to ensure they’re doing the job not just correctly but efficiently. That’s where standard operating procedures come into play.

You also need to understand how essential brand identity and trademarks are. You should be able to tell your brand’s story in the blink of an eye. These things are just as critical as knowing where you’ll source your products wholesale, how your website will function, calculating costs of sales and profit margins, and designing the customer journey.

All these elements are essential to building a successful business. As the entrepreneur, you need to have a firm grasp on every aspect because your ultimate goal should be to work on the business, not in the business.

God Bless The Entrepreneur 

I hate the word tithe. Not because of the word itself, but because of how the culture has misused it. The word is often thrown around carelessly. When I was a young Christian, I was always told to tithe, tithe, tithe. Of course, I did it, not fully understanding why, but because it was taught as the right thing to do in the eyes of God. So, I tithed.

But when I started experiencing financial issues, I was still told to tithe, and it frustrated me. At that point, it felt foolish. I went through a period of rebellion where I decided I wasn’t going to give at all— nd I didn’t, for many years.

Over time, I realized that my issue wasn’t just about giving; it was about financial literacy. I didn’t understand how to handle money. When I turned to the Word of God, I saw that giving was good and essential, especially for advancing the Kingdom agenda. But what was the disconnect? I didn’t know how to manage what God had already given me.

I didn’t understand living within my means.

I didn’t understand saving.

I didn’t understand investing.

And I’m not alone—most people don’t.

I’m not here to blame the Church for focusing on tithing while neglecting financial literacy. I believe God has placed people in the Body who specialize in this, and many are already doing the work of teaching believers about managing their resources. But the need is still great.

One scripture that deeply resonates with me is Proverbs 3:9-10:

“Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.”

When I read this, I get it. God deserves the first because He gives us the power to get wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18). Giving 10% and operating on the remaining 90% is a reminder that everything we have belongs to Him.

But the story that connects with me most is found in Genesis 28:20-22. Jacob, after dreaming of angels ascending and descending on a ladder, made a vow:

“If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to my father’s household, then the Lord will be my God… and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.”

Jacob’s vow feels so real and personal. He essentially said, “God, however You bless me, I’ll give You 10% of everything.” That story hit me deeply, and it shifted my mindset.

As I started learning about financial literacy, I began to balance my lifestyle. Once I understood how to live within my means, save, and invest, I could freely give not just 10%, but morebecause I wasn’t operating in chaos anymore.

I’m writing this for anyone who struggles with the concept of tithing. The issue isn’t the word itself; it’s often how it’s presented or pushed without context. But here’s the truth: God has put people in the Body to teach us how to handle our finances. If we’re willing to learn, we can do incredible things for His Kingdom.

Let’s settle up with God not just in giving but in being good stewards of all He has entrusted to us.

God Bless The Entrepreneur

Time moves fast in this day and age of social media. The way we present our companies has changed dramatically. There was a time when traditional ads drove sales, but that time is long gone. Things are changing so quickly that it’s more important than ever to understand the market you’re in and how to appeal to people.

I’m digging into a series of books by Brendan Kane over the next few weeks to help me improve how I present my product, Unapologetic, to the masses. These three books are packed with strategies to help anyone stand out:

One Million Followers is all about building a large social media audience quickly. It explains how to get your content in front of the right people so they follow, engage, and stick around.

Hook Point focuses on capturing attention in just three seconds. It’s all about crafting messages that instantly connect and keep people interested, especially in today’s fast-paced world.

The Guide to Going Viral breaks down how to create content that spreads like wildfire. It shows what makes people share and how to get the most reach on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook.

I’ve also signed up for a TikTok webinar to learn more about its culture and where advertising is headed. TikTok isn’t just a trend—it’s shaping how businesses market to people, and I want to stay ahead. On top of that, I just downloaded an app to study my industry clothing and figure out what’s working for my competitors.

Here’s the thing: when you’re investing money in your business, you owe it to yourself to understand as much as you can. That’s just good stewardship, plain and simple.

I call myself the nerd that dropped out of school. It’s not that I didn’t like learning. I love learning. I just love specialized knowledge, the kind that’s directly connected to what I’m building. I’m all about learning new skill sets that help me serve people better.

If you want to make it, learn how to observe and adapt. That’s how you stay in the game.

God Bless The Entrepreneur

If you hang around me now and you’re not an entrepreneur, I might get on your nerves and that’s because my mindset shifted a while ago.

I remember seeing a reel that asked, “Are you a producer or a consumer?” The speaker described consumers in a way that hit home for me. In my own words, consumers don’t value assets over liabilities. They buy things that lose value, spend every dollar they earn, and binge-watch TV or scroll endlessly on their phones. Over time, these habits add nothing to their live they actually take away. You’re just existing, stuck in a cycle of working to give your money away.

I’ve been there. It feels like being on a hamster wheel, running but going nowhere.

Then the reel described producers the millionaires and billionaires. Producers read books, invest in assets that generate residual income, and focus on growth. I understood that deeply because, when I started making those changes, everything in my life transformed.

Now, I’ve got a spot on my calendar every single day dedicated to education. Whether it’s a book, podcast, YouTube channel, or an entrepreneur I follow on Instagram, the content I take in adds value to my life. Every reel I watch teaches me something.

Here’s the truth: becoming a producer isn’t hard, but it does take intentionality. You have to want to serve by solving a problem. You have to desire growth in your skills and genuinely care about helping people. Ask yourself: What do they need? What can I master? Then, you have to put in the work.

I’ll tell you right now, living as a producer is worth it. It’s amazing. You wake up with purpose. You feel alive, knowing you’re contributing to something bigger than yourself.

Now, I don’t want to be so hard on consumers that it breaks someone’s spirit that’s not the goal here. We all have a choice. The question is simple:

Do you want to be a consumer or a producer?

God Bless The Entrepreneur