Author: Henry Murphy

I’m not really talking about entrepreneurship today. This is one of those real-life blogs, just based on a conversation my wife and I had recently. We’ve been together over 30 years, so we’ve had a lot of associates, and a few real friends , come in and out of our lives.

That conversation made me think about that old Houdini song:

“Friends,  how many of us have them?”

The kind you can truly depend on.

That reflection made me say out loud:

Some people just get coffee.

What does that mean?

It means boundaries are set up based on the relationship. Not everybody gets full access, and they shouldn’t. Some relationships start at the coffee table, in public, in neutral spaces. You meet, you talk, you share, but it starts light. Open. Surface-level.

Sometimes coffee leads to lunch.

Sometimes lunch leads to dinner.

But getting invited to the house? That’s a different level.

And to be honest, I’ve let people in my house, both figuratively and literally,  that I shouldn’t have. But you learn. You grow. Boundaries evolve. And when they do, so does your peace.

This whole thing made me think about how people will identify with this more than they expect. Because when it comes to relationships, boundaries protect the heart. And yeah, you know me, I have to go back to the Word of God.

Think about Jesus. He loved all of His disciples. He spent time with all of them. But who did He invite into His more intimate settings? It was usually John, James, and Peter. That was His inner circle. That was who He let close.

So what does that tell us?

Everyone doesn’t deserve close proximity. Everyone doesn’t get the invite. Everyone doesn’t get the key to your heart or your space. You’ve got to watch people’s fruit. Because the fruit always reveals the root.

I’ll end with this:

Start with coffee, and build from there.

Observe. Discern. Set boundaries.

And be wise about who gets the invite.

God Bless The Entrepreneur®️

I remember like it was yesterday.

I was sitting in my warehouse, scrolling through Instagram, just looking at shelves stacked with folded tees , and then this new Pharrell and Jay-Z song called Entrepreneur came on. The line that stopped me in my tracks was:

“If you can’t buy the building, at least stock the shelf.”

Man. That hit different.

First of all, I wasn’t surprised that Jay dropped a line like that, but this one stuck. If you know me, then you already know how much I love entrepreneurship. And if this is your first time reading anything from me, let me tell you this: I might be one of the most optimistic entrepreneurs walking the planet.

Sure, I complain sometimes during the tough seasons. But even when I do, I know those moments are working in my favor. And honestly? You would be wise to remember that.

OK, maybe I’m overusing this next line. But then again, I don’t think it can be overused:

All work works. It’s either working on you or working for you.

Ever since I heard that, I can’t stop saying it, or applying it to my life. So let me ask you: where are you in your journey?

Because I remember when it was just folded tees in the closet. Now I’m sitting in a 5,000 square-foot warehouse. When did this happen? That’s the crazy part — I was so focused on the work, I just looked up and realized it. But here’s what I want you to hear: I celebrated every small win along the way, not just the big ones.

Wherever you are right now, embrace every part of the journey.

If you’re still developing your why, own it. Get in the mirror and say it to yourself every day until you can talk about it confidently.

If you’re still proving your concept, create the best design you can and put it in the marketplace. Let the market talk back to you. And if it fails? No worries. Go back and refine it. You got this.

Get your brand identity together, and trademark it. If you don’t own the trademark, you don’t own the brand. Protect yourself. Don’t build in vain. This is intellectual property, baby.

And don’t sleep on your business structure either. You don’t have to scramble for funding when you’re building properly. Build your personal credit and leverage that until your business credit is strong. Yes, there’s a difference, but we’ll talk about that another day. And yes, grants are out there for you too.

Dear entrepreneur:

You got this.

Faith.

Imagination.

Hope.

Perseverance.

See it. Trust God through it all. Submit your plans to Him and walk toward what you saw.

God Bless The Entrepreneur®️

I was having a conversation with my wife the other day, and I told her, “I think we should go ahead and renew our domain for the next 10 years.” That thought came from a place of reflection, thinking deeply about legacy, about what our work might say a decade from now or even a century from now.

When I first became a believer a couple decades ago, I fell in love with the writings of Charles Spurgeon. His words were sharp, convicting, and full of grace. What hit me most recently is that Morning by Morning, the devotional that helped shape my early faith walk, was written over a century ago,  and yet it still encourages me today. Spurgeon lived from 1834 to 1892, and here I am in 2025, still being impacted by something he put into the world more than 100 years ago. That’s the weight of meaningful work. That’s the power of legacy.

Another person I think about is C.S. Lewis. I loved The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. It was one of the few books I read as a kid, and I now own the movie as an adult. Lewis lived from 1898 to 1963, and his story is as powerful as his storytelling. His creativity still sticks with me to this day. The fact that Aslan was a representative of Jesus? Wow. That kind of symbolism has stuck with me for decades. Just the other day, I told my nephew that I wanted him to watch the movie with me,  and I plan to buy him the book too. Because something written before I was even born still lives on, and I want it to live on in him too.

That’s what made me think about the work we’re doing at Murphy Madison Publishing. A few years ago, I wrote my first book, God Bless the Entrepreneur: The First Decade. My wife is working on her first book and a journal. We’re both writing blogs. We’re putting the work in, not just for the now, but for the future. That’s why we need a place for this content to live. That’s why I said, “Let’s renew the domain.”

We’re hoping our words, our stories, lessons, and encouragement,  will still inspire someone long after we’re gone. That they’ll help someone push through hard times. That they’ll bring clarity, comfort, and joy.

I’m reminded of what James said: “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” So yeah, we make plans,  but we also submit them.

If you’re a writer, a teacher, a content creator — I encourage you to think beyond the post, the comment, or even the book sale. Think legacy. Let your work outlive you.

Keep writing. Keep planting. And let God multiply the impact.

God Bless The Entrepreneur®️

Are you in one of those seasons where you feel unseen?

One of those seasons where even your family and friends don’t see your potential? You’re grinding behind the scenes, investing in self-development, building something you know could change lives, and still, nobody seems to notice. Then that question creeps in:

What am I doing this for? Is it even worth it?

Trust me, you’re not the only one who’s asked those questions. And when those thoughts show up, it’s a signal to remind yourself of something deeper:

Work as unto the Lord.

I’ve had to learn this as an entrepreneur. My focus now is on the vision God gave me,  not the distractions. But I didn’t always have that perspective. There was a time when I wanted everyone to see what I was doing. I wanted the recognition. I wanted the proof that I was making progress:

“Look at what I’m doing this week.”

“Look how far I’ve come.”

“Look how many sales I’ve made.”

“Look at this launch.”

There’s nothing wrong with those things in themselves, the problem was the heart posture behind them.

I remember one time a close friend asked me:

“Yo bro, how do you stay so locked in,  even through the challenges of life?”

And I told him the truth:

“I work as unto the Lord. And I work with intentionality.”

Let’s go deeper into what that really means.

Work With Excellence, No Matter the Outcome

Whatever you do, do it in excellence. Whether you get three likes or three thousand,  show up with the same energy, the same storytelling, the same conviction every single time.

If you’re an e-commerce entrepreneur and you drop a new design that doesn’t perform, you go back to the drawing board with the same passion you had when you first dreamed it up. You don’t let the numbers dictate your consistency , you create again with excellence because that’s what God called you to do.

If you sell jewelry, clothing, skincare,  whatever it is, and the orders aren’t coming in yet, you still craft every product with care, serve your customers at the highest level, and move like it’s already a million-dollar business.

The Mindset Shift: You’re Not Just Working You’re Stewarding

This mindset is more than motivation,  it’s spiritual alignment.

God has been working since the beginning. He’s still working. And if He gave you something to build, it’s not just a hustl,  it’s an assignment.

Your job is to steward what He gave you with excellence, no matter who’s watching or not watching.

It’s not about perfection. It’s not about applause. It’s not about instant results. It’s about staying faithful with the little and trusting that God sees, rewards, and multiplies.

So the next time you find yourself asking, “Is this worth it?”

Remind yourself: You’re not just working,  you’re worshiping.

I pray this blog encourages you.

God Bless The Entrepreneur®️

I think the first time I heard about assets was from Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad Poor Dad. It was mind-blowing and it changed my life.

Like you, most of us were just taught to work hard, and that’s it.

But I knew there had to be more to it. Nobody around me was talking about real assets. The most I ever heard was “buy a home,” but based on my research, a home is more of a liability at first than an asset , unless it’s part of a business or helps offset taxes.

So let’s talk about what an asset actually is.

Let’s break it down:

An asset is anything you create once that can continue to generate income, even if it still requires effort to manage, market, or maintain.

It’s not about never working again, it’s about not having to start over every time.

➤ My first asset was Z180 Radio, something I created in 2009.

I built a platform that could bring in money month after month. It became an engine. I saw my salary double in just over a year, and that’s when I knew I had something.

I believed in it before I saw the proof, but eventually the proof showed up monetarily.

➤ Another powerful asset is an email list or text message list.

You already know my story: Facebook shut down my ad account,  something that should’ve been resolved easily, but it wasn’t.

But because I had over 10,000 people on my email list and 10,000 on my text message list, I was able to keep going.

Why? Because I had already built know, like, and trust with my audience.

I didn’t have to look far to introduce them to a new offer. That asset served me well in 2020, and I still own those lists today.

➤ Another asset I own, several, actually,  is trademarks.

And I plan to get at least five more.

If I own it and put my name on it, I’m trying to trademark it.

Trademarks aren’t just protection, they’re leverage. They’re legacy.

You can license them, partner with other brands, and expand your business model without compromising your ownership.

This is intellectual property, and it’s one of the smartest moves an entrepreneur can make.

➤ Courses are another form of intellectual property, and they’re powerful assets.

You can take your knowledge and skillset, package it, and serve people at scale.

If you’ve spent the time and effort to learn something that helps others, you’ve got something that can continue to print money, without trading hours for it every time.

➤ Books are one of my favorite assets.

I wrote God Bless The Entrepreneur: The First Decade at one of the hardest points in my life.

Just a year earlier, doctors had declared me legally blind.

I had the idea for the book, but I didn’t know what I was doing. Still, I knew I needed to document that first decade of entrepreneurship.

So I voice recorded everything, and God gave me the grace to finish it.

I partnered with a dope editor, and now that book is an asset — and we even built our own publishing company, Murphy Madison Publishing, so we never have to wait on anyone else.

We can publish on demand, when we want, how we want.

Let me be honest though, I don’t want you to miss this:

Creating assets still takes intentionality and effort.

You might be broke when you first start building them.

But if you keep planting seeds, if you keep showing up, those assets can put you in position to never be broke again.

Why? Because you created it once,  and it can continue to serve you over and over again.

That’s the goal.

Ask yourself:

How do I work hard at something once, and let it continue to pay me long after?

That’s the power of assets.

God Bless The Entrepreneur®️

As I sit on the couch this morning tying my shoes, I realize I’ve been wearing the same pair of Jordan 1s for the last eight months. Maybe I switched them once for my blue Vans, but even then, I’m usually mismatched. I’ve learned something while building businesses, I’m not overly concerned with how I look. Not in a sloppy way. I stay clean, but I’m just regular. Give me some comfortable Jordans, one of my branded tees, and some jeans or shorts, and I’m good to go.

I’m not sure where this mindset came from, but I love it. Don’t get me wrong, I love shoes,  I have a good bit of them. Some I haven’t even worn yet. But as far as every day? That’s not really my thing. I guess I’d rather be lowkey. Maybe it’s my background. Where I’m from, flashy often attracted the wrong kind of attention.

I do believe in quality though. So yes, I’ll buy my wife a super nice car. But even that, still modest. This isn’t fake humility , it’s clarity. I understand a car is a depreciating asset. I’d rather invest in intellectual property, stocks, and maybe sink my teeth into some real estate.

And I’ll admit, there was a time when I wanted to prove myself. When I did things just to say “look what I did,” “look what I achieved.” But I’ve been done with that for a while now.

KB said it best:

“Got a taste of the fame, but the flavor didn’t intrigue me.”

That line hit me hard.

Then there’s this one:

“Ten M’s under 35, yeah that guy, but we gave jobs to the homies that we baptized.”

“Only fools brag, yeah I know that guy,  but I’m just tryna show you what winning looks like compared to that Guy.”

And in case it isn’t clear, that second “Guy” he’s talking about? He’s talking about God.

Man. That entire segment is a whole message.

These days, I’d rather have impact. I’d rather move in silence. I don’t need clout,  I need clarity.

I recently heard a framework I love:

Creation. Connection. Contribution.

That’s the legacy I want. That’s how I want to live.

Create something meaningful.

Connect deeply with people.

Contribute to the world, especially to the next generation.

To me, mentorship is a part of that contribution. It’s not always about money. It’s about helping others navigate what you’ve already survived. It’s about building something that outlives you.

You can keep the noise. I’d rather build.

God Bless The Entrepreneur ®️

I’m feeling a little vulnerable as I write today.

Sometimes you find yourself in a moment where it feels like everything is falling apart.

It was about 9  p.m., and I had just gotten off the train inside Atlanta’s airport , coming up the escalator, feeling the crowd press around me more than usual. You’d think after coming through LAX and then Dallas, landing in Atlanta would feel like arriving. Like I made it to my destination. But my mind was somewhere else entirely.

See, if you don’t know my story, you might shrug and say, “What’s the big deal?” But for me, being legally blind, navigating new spaces can trigger anxiety. Things like figuring out how to get to the rideshare pickup aren’t small tasks. They’re big ones.

I stepped off the escalator, trying not to assign difficulty to what I had ahead of me. But even though I saw the large “Uber” signs on the ground with arrows pointing the way, it didn’t calm me. I used to be too prideful to ask for help, but I’ve grown. So I started asking folks, “Do you know where the new rideshare area is?”

Eventually, I saw a woman in a white shirt, easy to follow. But she was walking like she was training for a speed walk race. I couldn’t keep up. I thought to myself, “Do I really walk that slow?” My wife has mentioned it before. I guess I was lying to myself.

Finally, I reached the new pickup zone. Everything looked different from the last time I’d been there. The police officer said, “You won’t even recognize this place in five years.” I’m thinking, “I don’t even recognize it from last time.”

I asked a guy how the zones were set up, and while I caught some of what he said, not all of it stuck. Now it’s dark. I’m standing outside with the weight of the day and the stress creeping in. And at that moment, I became undone.

Normally I can hold it together. I go straight into prayer and lean into God. But this time my mind was racing. I felt unraveled.

After about 10 minutes, my shared ride showed up. The driver had a podcast playing, and surprisingly, it brought some peace. But when we got close to my destination, she wouldn’t take me to the gate. She dropped me off at the front office instead.

It was pitch black.

I had to roll my suitcase in front of me just to navigate the road, maybe a quarter mile. No streetlights. I used the wheels on the bag like a guide to stay clear of curbs and cars. I could barely see anything. And even then, I was trying to keep it together.

I told myself, “You got this close,  don’t fall apart now.”

Eventually, my wife met me at the gate. I came inside and tried to settle myself. My mind was spinning. I was grateful, but I was overwhelmed. In that moment, all I wanted to do was hide. Disappear for 30 days. Not talk to anyone. Just bury myself in work. I didn’t want to feel that feeling again.

But I had to remind myself , my foundation is built on the rock. On God. And He never leaves me. He was with me the whole time.

He’s the one who holds me together.

He reminds me of what matters.

He reminds me that He gives me the grace to do what I’m called to do.

There will be moments in your life when everything feels like it’s coming undone,  spiritually, emotionally, or in your business.

But lean into this truth: God is faithful.

He sees you.

He holds you.

He’s not going anywhere.

God Bless The Entrepreneur®️

In 2021, I was declared legally blind.

In 2022, God told me to walk away from Unapologetic Urban Gear , a profitable business.

Then God said, “Move to Los Angeles, California.”

I didn’t understand it all, but I moved anyway.

Truth is, I really didn’t care how it looked to people. I’d rather obey God than please people , and honestly, I still feel the same way. I wasn’t chasing validation. I was chasing obedience.

Now normally, I would’ve questioned a move like that,  heavily. But I had been spending more consistent time with Him over the last three or four months than I had in the last two decades. This was different. This was definitely God.

OK God,  what are we doing here?

I was feeling lost for a few years. Not like “I failed in business” lost, more like “God, what is happening?” I was trying to understand. What am I doing? Why am I doing it? But you know how God is.. He doesn’t give you the whole story. He just says, “Trust Me.”

So here I was, legally blind, trying to figure it out.

And on top of that, my wife’s health was failing. She couldn’t even walk. That hit hard.

We were in the valley. Automatically. No question about it.

But even there, God kept us.

Provision showed up. Direction showed up. But it came day by day. Moment by moment. It was hard to plan. Hard to dream big. I couldn’t see five steps ahead, but I knew I was still being led.

And even though I didn’t fully understand, I became something new.

Something still being revealed. Something still becoming.

I’m not the same person I was, not even close. And the truth is, I don’t want to be.

Because in the valley…

There’s purpose.

There’s clarity.

There’s provision.

There’s direction.

There’s intimacy.

There’s stillness.

There’s transformation.

I used to dread the valley. Now I embrace it.

No matter how God uses me, no matter where He sends me, no matter how high the mountaintop. 

I’m going back to the valley to sit at His feet.

Some days I like to throw on some music, and one of my go-to artists is Aha Gazelle. The first song that came up on shuffle today was 24, and I couldn’t help but pause when I heard it:

“Thank you Lord for that new 24.”

Man, it hit me different today. Now, I try to be intentional every single day — but I wasn’t always that way. I used to be lazy. Real lazy. My dad used to make me read Proverbs growing up, and Solomon didn’t hold back on how he felt about laziness.

“A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,  and poverty will come on you like a thief.” (Proverbs 6:10–11)

That was always in my face. And even with all that wisdom staring at me, I still had a two-year stretch of straight-up slacking. I wanted to shortcut everything in life. I wanted the bag without putting in the work. I wanted the harvest without sowing the seed. But deep down, I knew that’s not how any of this really works.

I wrote another blog titled Work As Unto the Lord, and it still rings true here. Because when we honor God with our work,  when we actually recognize that a new day is a gift —m, everything shifts.

Aha said it best:

“You got a new 24, what you gonna do with it?”

That lyric hit me like a challenge. Like a call to action.

So I’m asking you the same thing:

➤ What are you doing with that gift of creativity?

➤ What are you doing with that gift of imagination?

➤ What are you doing with that mustard seed of faith?

Every day, we’re given a blank slate. Another shot to show up. To keep your hand to the plow. I’m not telling you to grind seven days a week m, God Himself set the rhythm of rest. But what about the other six? What are you doing with them?

I believe we’ll be held accountable for how we used our time.

And here’s the thing about this “new 24”,  it’s not just a reset. It’s grace. Every morning you wake up is another opportunity to work as unto the Lord. To pursue purpose. To build with faith. To move with urgency.

Let me leave you with this:

Maybe, just maybe,  if we knew the exact date we were going to die, we’d try to game the system. We’d say, “I got 25 years left… I can chill for 10 and go hard for the last 15.” But that’s not how life works. We don’t know. That’s why every breath is a chance. Every 24 is a gift.

So don’t waste it. Don’t scroll it away. Don’t wish it away.

Do something with your 24.

God Bless The Entrepreneur®