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Author: Henry Murphy

The Waiting Room

There’s this episode of Seinfeld that had me cracking up, but the truth behind it hit me one day. Jerry talks about going into a waiting room, knowing exactly what’s going to happen—you’re going to wait. Then, after they call you, it feels like you’ve only moved from one big waiting room to a smaller one. It’s funny because it’s real. Every time you go to the doctor or hospital, 10 times out of 10, you’re going to wait.

Entrepreneurship often feels the same way. Dreams take before they give, and it can seem like all we’re doing is waiting. But let me tell you, if you learn how to wait right, waiting becomes powerful. What I mean is, while you’re waiting, you keep getting better. You keep working on your craft. You keep reading, going to seminars, listening to podcasts. You keep applying what you’re learning and finding new ways to serve people.

The waiting period isn’t passive—it’s active. It teaches you patience, and patience is everything when you’re building a business. It’s more important than most of us realize. So, be prepared to stay in the waiting room while chasing your dreams. Just know, they’re on the horizon. Your waiting isn’t in vain, as long as you never stop moving forward.

God Bless The Entrepreneur

Be Faithful Where You Are Planted

I haven’t always been the best example of working as unto the Lord. I remember when we moved to Atlanta and I took a job at a restaurant. My initial training was incredible—I was surrounded by great people, and I built relationships that lasted for years. But once I officially started in the store that I would be at after training, things changed.

Before the move, I was in a general manager position, running multiple stores. So, coming into this new job was humbling, to say the least. I had to work under a woman who led differently than I would have. It wasn’t about her being a woman in charge; it was about the drastic shift in leadership styles. I couldn’t stop thinking, “If I was leading, I’d do things this way.” But that’s the wrong attitude when you’re supposed to be serving under someone else’s leadership.

And to make matters worse, there was another manager who was… let’s just say, difficult. He had a way of causing division in the store. Nobody seemed to mesh well with him, and it just added to the overall tension I felt at the time.

Over time, things did get a little better. That manager and I eventually found a way to work together, and I gained a bit more peace in the workplace. But if I’m honest, my heart was never 100% in it. My mind was so focused on entrepreneurship and the next phase of my life that I wasn’t giving my all where I was. I appreciated the job, but I wasn’t fully present.

Here’s the lesson: as believers, we’re called to work as unto the Lord, no matter what kind of leadership we’re under. We’re called to serve well, even when it’s difficult or we feel like we could do things differently. God is always watching how we handle those situations.

Looking back, I realize I could have been much more faithful in that job, but I wasn’t. If you find yourself working for someone else—whether in a corporation or any other organization—be faithful. If you plan to have your own, you need to be faithful in someone else’s organization first.

God bless the entrepreneur.

Closer Than You Think

If we’ve been on the journey for a long time and start feeling the weight of exhaustion, that’s natural. I get it. There are days when I want to quit, days when my flesh says, “I’m done.” But I believe with all my heart that there’s something inside me that fights against that urge to stop. The Holy Spirit lights a fire in me every single morning, even when I don’t feel like doing anything. It’s almost as if I’m being encouraged by God’s Spirit to keep going. It’s an amazing feeling.

Sometimes, though, my mind and body get tired. You’ve felt it too, haven’t you? That feeling of being worn down but still being pushed by something you can’t explain? But let’s be honest here: if we really knew how close we were to the finish line, we’d never quit.

That reminds me of Florence Chadwick. In 1952, she attempted to swim across the Catalina Channel—a stretch of ocean 21 miles long. It was a grueling swim, but what made it even harder was the fog. It set in thick that day, and no matter how hard she swam, she couldn’t see the shore. She was tired, cold, and her muscles were screaming at her to stop. Finally, she asked to be pulled out of the water.

What she didn’t know—what the fog kept her from seeing—was that she was only one mile away from shore.

How often is that us? Right on the brink of breakthrough, but the fog of life—the distractions, the tiredness, the doubt—makes us want to quit. We’ve got to keep pushing forward, even when it’s hard, even when the goal isn’t visible. The truth is, sometimes we are closer than we realize.

Whatever you’re working on, know that you can be the first to do it. And when you succeed, you inspire others to believe in what’s possible for them. There will always be haters and people talking about you behind your back. Let them. Stay focused on your mission and keep going. Yes, the fog will try to block your view of the goal, but don’t let that be the reason you stop. Keep swimming—because you never know how close you are to the shore.

God Bless The Entrepreneur

Unsure

There are days when I refuse to pretend like I have it all together. It wouldn’t be fair to make you think my life is always on track because it’s not. I have plenty of days filled with doubt—days when I feel completely unsure of what’s next. I struggle to see the direction God wants me to go in. I only start feeling this way when the fruit hasn’t appeared yet—the kind I’ve been working toward, praying for, and expecting.

But here’s the thing I have to remind myself: just because I don’t see it right now doesn’t mean it’s not coming. I’ve learned that momentum is built on consistency. When I stay consistent, a few things happen. I get better. I grow. And I open up opportunities to reach new people. It’s really only a matter of time. Sometimes, all it takes is one person, one connection, to change your life forever. I’ve seen it happen in my own life, and I know it will happen again.

Even in my moments of doubt, I hold on to faith. I remind myself that the plans I’ve submitted to God, the work I’m doing every single day—it’s all part of a greater process. My work is working for me, and it’s working on me, whether I can see it or not. Myron Golden said something once that stuck with me: “Your work is always working for you.” That simple truth changed the way I look at everything. Even when it feels like nothing is happening, the work is still moving things forward in ways I can’t always understand.

Entrepreneurship has slapped me in the face more than once, and if you’re on this journey, you know exactly what I’m talking about. It’s not easy. There are highs and lows, and days when it all feels overwhelming. But even in those moments, I stay encouraged. I stay committed to the journey because I know I’m just one blog away, one book away, one piece of content away, one connection away. You get the picture—keep going.

God Bless The Entrepreneur.

Obedience to God: Faith and Surrender

Obeying God often sparks a profound internal struggle, questioning what it truly costs to follow His will. Yet, with the passage of time and the grace of God, the realization dawns that the challenges were not mere losses but a refining process.

Understanding God’s character is paramount; He is the good Shepherd guiding us along the path He has set for our lives. Despite the pain and apparent losses, it’s crucial to see beyond human perspectives tainted by past hurts. God, being faithful and incapable of lying, has a purpose for each life. Obedience unveils His plan, a journey marked by both joy and challenges.

Reflecting on personal experiences, such as the journey with Unapologetic Urban Gear, underscores the importance of surrender. Sacrificing what seems thriving and prosperous can lead to resurrection beyond imagination. Realizing that obedience aligns with a greater purpose, even in the face of external skepticism, speaks to the essence of a genuine relationship with God.

The story of laying down a flourishing business in 2021, despite financial success and external validation, exemplifies the challenges obedience may pose. Choosing to trust God’s guidance over worldly logic is a testament to a deep, unshakeable connection with the Divine. It challenges the notion of what is considered wise or foolish by societal standards.

A true relationship with God, marked by trust and obedience, becomes a compass navigating life’s pivots. Transparency about the struggle in making such decisions is a reminder that the external world may not always understand the internal callings of the spirit. The journey of faith is often solitary, filled with moments where one’s obedience seems perplexing to onlookers.

Ultimately, the narrative emphasizes the necessity of obedience, urging individuals to discern God’s voice amidst the noise of the world. Testing the spirits becomes a crucial step, ensuring that the call to surrender and obey is indeed inspired by God. The story serves as a compelling reminder that, in life’s intricate design, obedience to God is the thread that weaves purpose, faith, and ultimately, the joy of the Lord into every season.

Resetting: The Strength in Vulnerability

I spent today having a series of conversations with my wife about the idea of resetting. We talked about being real about the journey we’re all on. Yes, you may be doing big things in business, hitting goals, and pushing forward, but let me remind you—it’s OK to reset.

Lately, I’ve been speaking a lot about the Sabbath. It feels like God has been shouting at us, saying, “I made the Sabbath for you to reset.” I want to establish from the start that hitting reset is important. But what’s truly on my heart today is how important it is to let people know when you need that reset. We live in a time where social media shows us all the highlights. It’s amazing to see people pursuing their dreams and going big—trust me, I’ll applaud you if that’s what you’re doing. But where is the vulnerability in showing that sometimes, you don’t have it all together? That sometimes, you get weak and need to step back?

Showing the human side is necessary. People need to know that it’s normal to feel tired, overwhelmed, and in need of a break. When we only show the highlight reel, we mislead others—and sometimes, we mislead ourselves. That’s how we end up living double lives.

I love when my wife comes across someone on YouTube who’s out here doing big things, but then the next day, they share the real emotions they’re battling. They’re laying it all out there. They’re not trying to be some kind of superhero who never gets tired, never grows weary, and never needs to reset. There’s power in that honesty.

So, let’s get comfortable with transparency. Let’s be OK with admitting when we need to reset. Let’s be OK with asking for prayer, with being vulnerable. I know some of you might be thinking, “I could never let anyone know when I’m weak or struggling.” But we were built for community—we were never meant to do any of this alone.

Maybe you’re not in the spotlight of social media or business yet. But if you continue to build, you might be one day. As your influence grows, it can take on a life of its own, and that’s when you’ll need to be OK with hitting that reset button, or at least having a close circle that understands when you need it.

Do me a favor—consider it. Maybe you’re not there yet, but you might be one day, and when you are, don’t be afraid to reset.

God Bless The Entrepreneur

Lately, I’ve been speaking a lot about the Sabbath. It feels like God has been shouting at us, saying, “I made the Sabbath for you to reset.” I want to establish from the start that hitting reset is important. But what’s truly on my heart today is how important it is to let people know when you need that reset. We live in a time where social media shows us all the highlights. It’s amazing to see people pursuing their dreams and going big—trust me, I’ll applaud you if that’s what you’re doing. But where is the vulnerability in showing that sometimes, you don’t have it all together? That sometimes, you get weak and need to step back?

Showing the human side is necessary. People need to know that it’s normal to feel tired, overwhelmed, and in need of a break. When we only show the highlight reel, we mislead others—and sometimes, we mislead ourselves. That’s how we end up living double lives.

I love when my wife comes across someone on YouTube who’s out here doing big things, but then the next day, they share the real emotions they’re battling. They’re laying it all out there. They’re not trying to be some kind of superhero who never gets tired, never grows weary, and never needs to reset. There’s power in that honesty.

So, let’s get comfortable with transparency. Let’s be OK with admitting when we need to reset. Let’s be OK with asking for prayer, with being vulnerable. I know some of you might be thinking, “I could never let anyone know when I’m weak or struggling.” But we were built for community—we were never meant to do any of this alone.

Maybe you’re not in the spotlight of social media or business yet. But if you continue to build, you might be one day. As your influence grows, it can take on a life of its own, and that’s when you’ll need to be OK with hitting that reset button, or at least having a close circle that understands when you need it.

Do me a favor—consider it. Maybe you’re not there yet, but you might be one day, and when you are, don’t be afraid to reset.

God Bless The Entrepreneur

I Can Be Better

I used to ask God this question, and it felt a little strange at first: “Why did You give me so much vision?” It reminds me of Superman—he’s got these powerful beams coming out of his eyes, but if he doesn’t control them, he’ll destroy everything. That’s how I’ve felt at times about the things God shows me. It’s powerful, and I can see the potential, but without the proper control and growth, it can lead to chaos.

In my book God Bless The Entrepreneur: The First Decade, I talk about starting a lot of companies. Many of them were born before the full vision had time to develop. I saw the potential, I saw what they could do, but I didn’t give myself enough time to grow. I didn’t give myself enough time to get better in the areas that truly mattered. I value that time now more than ever. These days, I slow down, reflect, and think things through on a different level.

Every week, I create content for social media. It’s part of the rhythm of what I do. I like to go back and watch my own videos and read my posts. But it’s not just for the sake of review—I watch them to see how I can be better. Not just saying it for the sake of saying it, but because I know there’s more in me than I’ve imagined. When I rewatch my teaching videos, I ask myself, “Did I explain this clearly? Did I make this simple enough? Could I have told a better story—either my own or someone else’s?”

I’ve started thinking about the person on the other side of the screen, the one consuming my content. Did they walk away with everything I was trying to communicate? If not, then that means I could’ve done a better job—explaining better, telling the story better, and ultimately, connecting better.

This process of striving to improve is a lifetime mission. It’s the difference between good and great. Good is mediocre. Great is when we reach the fullest potential of the gifts we’ve been given. And this isn’t about comparing ourselves to others; it’s about asking, “How can I get better? How can I be better?” It reminds me of the concept of an audience of one—God. The One who gave us these gifts in the first place.

So, I encourage you: take your time, reflect, and strive for excellence in all that you do. Go back over your work, your projects, and your passions. Make them the best they can be. But in all of that, stay diligent, keep going, and never stop. You’re working for something bigger than yourself.

God Bless The Entrepreneur.

Recalibrate

I was having a conversation with a friend of mine, and we were talking about running ads on Facebook and Instagram, tracking performance, and adding more money incrementally to give the platform time to find the right audience. I kept thinking, man, that’s the power of recalibration, taking time to analyze everything.

Recalibration refers to the process of adjusting or correcting something to improve its accuracy, effectiveness, or performance. It’s all about making the necessary tweaks to align with your goals better.

I started thinking about my own journey as an entrepreneur on social media and my goal to put out at least one piece of video content a day, sometimes even two. The power in it is that I get to look at the analytics and see what’s doing well and what’s not. It gives me the opportunity to recalibrate and make it better.

I can’t lie; sometimes it can be discouraging. What do I mean? There might be a week when my YouTube Shorts hit 400 views for three days in a row, then suddenly drop to zero. That is heartbreaking, and I can’t lie about that. However, you’ve got to keep going and remember why you’re doing what you’re doing in the first place. You know I always preach about having a ‘why,’ because moments like these are why they keep you grounded.

It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been posting on social media. The goal is to get better. The goal is to track your efforts and adjust anything necessary to improve. When you find something that works and people respond to it, that’s what you double down on.

Keep going, because it takes time to build momentum.

God Bless The Entrepreneur

FOMO

fitting that I write this blog at a time like this. I created The Ground Up Academy, and in my life right now, I’m in a rebuilding phase. It’s amazing that I get to teach people how to build a business from the ground up while simultaneously building a new one myself. It allows me to organize my thoughts, reconnect with people I’ve built relationships with over the last decade, and bring others into the space—not just to make my students better, but to make myself better as well.

We cover topics like your story, your brand, identity, trademark, business structure, tax planning, personal credit, and so much more before we even get to printing a T-shirt. Why? Because the foundation is key. When it’s done right, it becomes unshakable.

But that’s not why I started writing this blog. I began writing to talk about the fear of missing out.

FOMO, or fear of missing out, is the feeling of anxiety or concern that others are having rewarding experiences from which you are absent. It can create a need to stay constantly connected, fearing that you’ll miss an exciting opportunity or event.

When you’re building from the ground up, you have to stay focused. How you spend your money and time must be intentional. I have friends traveling all over the world—places on my own travel list: South of France, Thailand, Paris—and the list goes on. I’m happy for them, and honestly, I can’t wait until I can travel internationally too. But that’s not my season right now, so I must stay focused.

I can’t dwell on what I’m “missing out” on because, in truth, I’m not missing anything. I’m in the process of building. It doesn’t mean you can’t have any fun, but maybe you can’t take that international trip right now. Maybe you hop on a train from Los Angeles to San Diego to enjoy La Jolla Beach for a day. You can still have fun, but how you budget your time and money matters because the foundation is everything.

FOMO is real, especially when you see others doing what you want to do but can’t in your current season. But remember, you’re doing what you’re doing for a reason. This feeling comes up more often than we realize, and that’s why it’s important to ground yourself. There is a time for everything. When it’s not your time yet, you have to be okay with that.

Keep dreaming. Keep putting it on your vision board or to-do list. Imagine yourself there—bags packed and ready to go. Know that if you build your business the right way, it will afford you everything you want to do.

God Bless The Entrepreneur

Crafting a Legacy: Intentional Productivity, Wisdom, and Ancient Inspiration

In a world filled with activity, the paramount importance of intentional productivity constantly echoes in my thoughts. This realization propels me to reflect on the creations I leave behind, not just for my lifetime but for generations to come, including my cherished granddaughter, Arie.

Contemplating the legacy I wish to bestow upon her motivates me to be deliberate in crafting content that transcends time. I envision Arie reading my words long after our direct conversations are no longer possible, finding solace and wisdom in the lessons imparted.

As I traverse this journey, I draw inspiration from the timeless work ethic of King Solomon, who wrote 3,000 proverbs. Blessed with extended life, I embrace the responsibility to contribute meaningfully and redeem the art of content creation. Join me in this mission – let’s move beyond mere information, inspiring and uplifting in the digital age.

Together, ladies and gentlemen, let’s shape a legacy that stands the test of time, just as I peer into King Solomon’s wisdom daily. This is what I call being Amazing Kent—a deliberate pursuit of a legacy, not only for family but for the world.