Welcome to the Christian Business Growth Podcast where faith meets entrepreneurship. Each episode, we uncover the strategies, stories, and spirit-led insights that help Christian business owners align their goals with God’s call. From practical tips to real-life testimonies, we explore what it takes to build a business that honours Christ, serves others, and impacts the Kingdom.

In this episode of the Christian Business Growth Podcast, Rev. Lyle sits down with Mike Emery of TriWealth, whose journey from a devastating car accident to serving clients in top-tier financial advising is nothing short of God-written.

Mike shares how a college real estate class, a head-on collision, and years of learning to walk again prepared him for a calling he never saw coming. Along the way, God used renters, trucking companies, church connections, and “random” introductions to place him exactly where he needed to be.

For Christian entrepreneurs, Mike’s story is a reminder that God is always at work in the background—through relationships, opportunities, and even setbacks. You’ll also hear Mike’s practical business growth advice on staying engaged, constantly learning, serving others, and walking in integrity as a steward of the gifts God has placed in your hands.

“Different isn’t always better, but better is always different.”

“God placed everybody in my life for a reason. It’s my job to figure out why He put that person there.”

“If you did your best with what God gave you, you can lay your head down and sleep soundly.”

“When people trust you, it moves your business forward.”

Rev. Lyle:
Hello and welcome to the Christian Business Growth Podcast. Today I’m here with Mike from TriWealth. He’s in the financial world, and he has a really powerful story. You shared it at one of our networking meetings, and I watched the room go silent as people leaned in to hear how God worked in your life.

Would you mind sharing that story about how you got started in business?

Mike Emery:
Yeah, absolutely. Thanks for having me. I appreciate you bringing me on as a guest today.

I didn’t really start my business right away in life. After high school, I did what everybody said I was supposed to do—I went to college. I didn’t know exactly where it would lead, but I ended up taking a real estate finance class. We were learning things like complex compound interest, and I realized I had a real knack for it.

While other people were looking around confused, I was locked in. It just made sense to me.

When I was in college, instead of renting a place to live, I decided to buy a home. I wanted to start investing, so I bought a house and rented out the back bedroom to help cover the mortgage and keep me afloat.

That decision ended up being huge, because while I was in college, I was hit head-on in a car accident.

I spent about two hours trapped in the car while they cut me out, then three weeks in ICU, and about a month in the hospital. It took a long time to get going again. I ended up spending eight years of my life learning to walk again.

Through that season, renting out that room is what helped me pay my bills and survive. It was an incredible, painful journey—but it taught me a lot about life, people, and perseverance.

At the time, I wasn’t a trust-fund baby. I didn’t have extra money coming in. I was paying for my own college, going to night school, and working in automotive during the day to fund it. When I could work again, I went right back into automotive. I knew the industry, knew how to earn, and I was good at it.

I stayed in that industry for 14 years, running shops all over DFW.

Mike Emery:
Eventually, I hit a point where I was just done. I didn’t want to do it anymore. I didn’t know what was next, but I knew I couldn’t stay where I was.

A guy I’d known for many years who owned a trucking company had once told me, “If I ever have a position, you’re welcome to take it.” So I called him.

He didn’t actually have a position—because that’s how life works sometimes—but I started showing up anyway. I helped out in his office, did what I could. One day he said, “Man, you’re doing a great job. I’d love to have you on the payroll.”

So he brought me on. We grew and expanded the business, and eventually I brought in someone to handle group benefits for our company.

We went to lunch one day to talk about planning for the next year—how to help our drivers and office staff. He asked me the loaded question:

“How’s work going?”

I said, “It’s horrible.”

I didn’t have any passion for trucking. It’s important work—if you have something in your life, a truck probably brought it, because there’s not a rail yard behind Walmart. But it wasn’t what I was supposed to do.

He said, “Come work for me.”

I told him, “Thanks, but no thanks. I don’t really want to get into the insurance world.”

But I prayed about it for three months.

Three months later, I called him back and said, “Does that offer still stand?”

He said, “Absolutely. I know what kind of guy you are. Please come work with my firm.”

We went to lunch again, and I told him my education, my history, and this vision I had for a business. He said, “I’d love to see you get there.” He took me into his firm, trained me on the insurance world and group benefits.

And the whole time, he knew where I ultimately wanted to end up. When the time came, I said, “It’s time for me to leave. I’ve learned what I needed to learn. I’m moving on.”

He said, “That’s been the plan all along.”

Mike Emery:
I started calling firms, trying to figure out where to go next. Then someone I had rented my house to in the past called me.

We caught up, and I told him where I was in life. He said, “Man, I know a guy you’ve got to meet.”

He introduced me to a man named Kirk. I didn’t know who Kirk was, but we had a good conversation. I told him what I wanted to do, and he walked me through his business— and it was exactly what I wanted.

Then he introduced me to another guy—top floor in Dallas, overlooking the city. I didn’t know who he was until I Googled him later. And I was glad I did that on the way down, not on the way up.

We hit it off and had a good conversation. He invited me back to his office for a follow-up. At that meeting, I told him, “I want to work here.”

He kind of chuckled and said, “It doesn’t quite work that way, Mike.”

But my mindset is simple:
If I don’t tell you what I want, I’m never going to get it.

He asked, “Do you know how Kirk and I work together?” I didn’t. He said, “Go figure it out.”

So I called Kirk—he was on a ski trip with his family. He said, “Do you know who that guy is that I introduced you to?”

I told him I had Googled him.

Later, Kirk said, “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I kind of expected him to just push you off. The fact that he’s invited you back, not once but twice, means he sees something in you. Don’t take that for granted.”

So I show back up at his office on a Wednesday morning. The guy at the front desk—the gatekeeper—recognizes me and waves me in. I walk into this man’s office. He’s on his phone, doing something, and I say hi.

He stands up, puts his arms out, and gives me a big hug.

I thought, All right, this is going well.

We sit down in the conference room. He brings in another guy, introduces me, and then says, “I’ve got somewhere I’ve got to be. He’s going to do paperwork. You’re going to work with Kirk. Things are going to be great.”

The rest was history.

I found out that Kirk is in the top 1% of advisors in the nation. I now work with Kirk at TriWealth, an amazing team that’s been in business for over 33 years. The amount of resources and tools we have are things other firms dream about.

And it all came from relationships and connections built over time that God used to place me where I am.

Rev. Lyle:
It’s amazing to see God’s favor on your life.

You went from a devastating car wreck and eight years learning to walk again, to God putting you in a position where He can use you in an incredible way.

What’s God doing in your life right now in your business?

Mike Emery:
You’re right, Lyle. God has really supported and guided me in every aspect of my life.

When that former renter called and said, “Let me introduce you to Kirk,” I had no idea who he was or what he did. Same thing with the man in Dallas in that big office.

As we talked, I learned that he had cut his teeth in automotive, just like I had. We had a lot in common.

At the end of that Wednesday morning meeting, after he set things in motion for me to work with Kirk, he walked out of the conference room… and then walked back in.

He said, “Hey man, I forgot to ask you—what are you doing for dinner on Friday night?”

I knew it was a loaded question. I also knew it was my mother-in-law’s birthday and we had plans. But I said, “Nothing. What’s happening Friday?”

He said, “Why don’t you bring your family to my home for dinner?”

I said, “You got it.”

I’m calling my wife in the elevator on the way down, saying, “Hey, Friday, we’re not going to see your mom. We’re going to this dinner instead.”

My wife was frustrated at first, but my mother-in-law said, “Absolutely—go. This is an opportunity. Make it happen.”

So we’re sitting in this man’s home with his family, and his wife asks, “Where do y’all go to church?”

We told her we went to Hope Fellowship Church, McKinney campus. She said, “We go to Hope too.”

Then the man says, “You know how there’s a guy in the parking lot with the flags and the vest, directing cars to open spots? That’s me. That’s how I serve every Sunday.”

This man lives in what I’d call a resort of a home—an incredible place—and he’s out there faithfully serving in the parking lot. That hit me deeply.

Later on, I learned that Kirk also went to Hope. He asked which campus we attended and then asked if I knew a certain person there. I did. He said, “We need to get him in here. He’s one of our clients.”

So I reached out, thinking it was some kind of test. This guy had been pushing off his annual reviews for a while. I tried calling, catching him at church, everything.

When I finally got him on the phone, I said, “I’m working with Kirk. We need to get your annual review on the calendar.”

He said, “Kirk Quashnick?”

I said, “Yeah.”

He said, “You know he’s OG Hope, right?”

He was one of the founding members of the church.

I later found out it wasn’t a test at all. Kirk just really wanted this client to get back in for his review so his planning stayed on track.

All of that showed me something:
God has really connected me with great people—always at the right time.

There are plenty of people God connects us to and we don’t always understand why. But it’s always the right time. It will either teach you something or open your eyes to possibilities you didn’t know existed.

It might be tomorrow, six months from now, a year from now, or even later. But when I look back, those connections always make sense.

And it’s incredible to be a part of that and to grow those relationships over time into amazing opportunities.

Rev. Lyle:
We’re going through Judges in our Bible study at church. I teach an adult class, and we’ve been talking about how often God is working in the background where we don’t see Him.

Those connections you’ve shared—there were so many things happening before you that you knew nothing about. Even the relationship with your mother-in-law—God had already built favor there.

I really believe you’re a person of favor. People are drawn to you. You have a loving spirit and a servant’s heart. I love that you point that out in other people, because I see it in you as well.

Mike Emery:
I appreciate that.

And you’re right—how many mother-in-laws would shun their son-in-law for skipping their birthday? Instead, she supported it. She saw the opportunity this could bring to my career and to our family and fully embraced it.

Rev. Lyle:
Let’s switch gears and talk about business growth.

What are some things you’re doing in your business right now, and what tips would you share with other entrepreneurs?

Mike Emery:
The biggest tip I give anybody in business is this: stay engaged.

That simple phrase has a lot of layers.

For me, staying engaged means:

1. Always learning.
I schedule one hour every day specifically for learning.
It might be business-related, something about emotional health or family, or even just something I’m curious about. But that hour is precious to me.

My grandmother always told me, “If you’re not learning, you’re dying.” I believe that.

2. Working on your processes.
Different isn’t always better, but better is always different.

I’m always looking for ways to improve processes—both for myself and for my clients. Sometimes I’ll try something new and realize it’s not better. That’s okay. I can revert to what worked before.

Anyone who has ever lived in a house under remodel knows it’s not comfortable. Running a business that’s always “under remodel” can feel like that—but it makes things better over time. You learn where the landmines are and how to avoid them.

3. Being a giver.
Stay engaged by being willing to mentor others. When you mentor someone, it helps them—but it helps you too.

They ask questions you may not have considered. They bring ideas you’ve never thought of. You share your knowledge, and both of you grow.

4. Building relationships.
God placed everybody in my life for a reason. I always tell people:
It’s my job to figure out why God placed that person in my life.

When I ran the trucking company, I would ride with new drivers during their first week. I wanted to train them personally—because if I’ve shown you how to do something and it’s not done right, I know it’s not a training issue.

One time, we were at an intersection and there was a man experiencing homelessness on the corner. The driver I was training looked at him and said, “That’s a human being.”

The tone of his voice told me there was a story there. He had once been in that situation himself.

I’d never looked down on homeless people, but I also hadn’t seen them through the lens he did. Hearing his story helped me relate to people in that situation in a much deeper way.

God didn’t keep that driver in my life as an employee long-term—but He placed him there to teach me that lesson.

5. Doing what you say you’ll do.
If I commit to something—like this podcast—and then don’t show up, that’s a direct reflection of my character.

Honesty is about the past. It’s easy to prove—it already happened.
Integrity is future honesty.

It’s about what people can trust you to do next.

When you consistently do what you say you’ll do, it builds trust. And when people trust you, it moves your business forward.

6. Being able to clearly explain what you do.
Not just, “I’m in finance” or “I’m in insurance.”

You need to be able to explain what you do, how you do it, and who you do it for, in a way that people can understand.

When you do that well, it sets you apart from your competition. People can say, “People like me work with people like that.” That’s where real continuity and connection happen.

Rev. Lyle:
You mentioned relationships, and I know those are important to you.

Let’s talk practical. You’re at a networking meeting. You meet someone and sense a connection. What’s your process from there? How do you follow up, and how do you keep that relationship going?

Mike Emery:
Great question.

When I meet someone and feel a connection, I don’t just want to “get to know each other” on the surface. I want to know:

• What’s going well for you?
• What’s not going well?
• Is there some way I can help?

And when I say help, I don’t mean “How can I sell you my services?”

Sometimes it’s as simple as a connection.

Recently, I connected a nonprofit leader with another nonprofit. It was simple from my perspective, but it meant the world to them.

One had a vision to grow and touch people’s lives but couldn’t get in front of the right audience. The other had the audience but not the specific gift or service.

I made the introduction, and God did the rest. Not only did it go extremely well, they even asked them to come back later that day and start. They weren’t even fully prepared, but the opportunity was there.

To me, that’s glorious. It’s deeply rewarding to see those kinds of connections move forward.

Practically, it’s not complicated:

• I send an email.
• I make a phone call.

Either you want to be part of the solution, or you don’t. If we share values and goals, it doesn’t feel like hard work. It flows.

And if I call someone half a dozen times and they never respond—that’s okay too. We just weren’t meant to connect at that deeper level, and I can release that.

Rev. Lyle:
A lot of people see one-on-ones as, “I’m going to sell this person my stuff.” You see it as, “How can I make a connection? Why did God put this person in my path?”

That’s such a good mindset shift.

I go to networking meetings and see people say, “I want to be a CEO. I want to grow my business.” But they show up in a t-shirt like they don’t take themselves seriously.

Part of what you’re talking about—relationship, integrity, doing your best—speaks to how you show up.

As we wrap up, what’s one tip of wisdom you want to leave us with?

Mike Emery:
Do your best.

And let me unpack that a little.

When I say do your best, I mean:

• Take all your talents.
• Take all your resources.
• Use them to the best of your ability.

God has given us an amazing gift. We live in an incredible country with incredible resources. We’re able to do things others can’t.

Be a good steward of that—your time, your energy, your money, your relationships.

At the end of the day, if you know you did your best with what God put in your hands, you can lay your head on the pillow, close your eyes, and sleep soundly knowing you did the right thing.

Mike’s story reminds us that God is always weaving a bigger story than we can see in the moment. A college house, a car accident, a trucking job, a church parking lot, and a mother-in-law’s blessing—none of it was random. God used each relationship and decision to guide Mike into a place of greater stewardship and impact.

For you as a Christian entrepreneur, the takeaway is simple but strong:
Stay engaged. Keep learning. Serve generously. Do what you say you’ll do. And trust that God is working through every connection along the way.

If this conversation encouraged you, share it with another Christian entrepreneur who needs a reminder that faith and business belong together. And if you haven’t already, subscribe to the Christian Business Growth Podcast so you don’t miss stories like this that fuel your faith and your business.

• 📞 Phone: 469.400.0035
• 📧 Email: mike@triwealthllc.com

Rev. Lyle:
Hello and welcome to the Christian Business Growth Podcast. Today I’m here with Mike from TriWealth. He’s in the financial world. So I’ll let him tell his story. But first off, Mike, you have a really cool story. You shared it at one of our networking meetings. And I think the impact from that story made people just pause for a moment and really listen to how God worked in your life. It’s really cool. So would you mind sharing that story about how you got started in business?

Mike Emery:
Yeah, absolutely. Thanks for having me. Appreciate you bringing me on as a guest today. You know, I didn’t really start my business right away in life. I was in college—everyone tells you when you get out of high school, this is what you’re supposed to do. So I did. Didn’t know where I was going to go or where it was going to take me. But I ended up taking a real estate finance class, learning about things like complex compound interest and realized I had a knack for it.

People were kind of looking around lost, but I was really focused and engaged—it just made sense to me. When I was in college, rather than rent a place to live, I decided I wanted to buy a home, get started in investments, and rented the back bedroom out to others to supplement the mortgage. That ended up being a really wise decision because while I was in college, I was hit head-on in a car accident. I spent two hours trapped in a car while they cut me out, three weeks in ICU, and a month in the hospital.

It took me a while to get going again, but I was fortunate enough to be renting out that room, which helped me pay bills and survive. I ended up spending eight years of my life learning to walk again. It was an incredible journey that taught me a lot about life and humanity.

When I could work again, I went back into automotive. I knew the industry, knew how to make money, and was good at it. I stayed there for 14 years running shops all over DFW. Eventually, I was done. I didn’t know where I was going, but I knew I didn’t want to do that anymore.

I ended up working for a trucking company. A guy I’d known for years invited me in, and one day he said, “Man, you’re doing a great job. I’d love to have you on payroll.” He put me on, and I helped grow the business.

Eventually, I met someone who did group benefits. I didn’t want to get into insurance, but after praying about it for three months, I felt led to take the opportunity. God opened doors. That path led me to meet Kirk from TriWealth. I didn’t know it at the time, but he was in the top 1% of advisors nationwide. Now, I work alongside him on an incredible team with resources most firms only dream of.

It’s amazing how relationships and connections I made over time brought me here.

Rev. Lyle:
It’s amazing to see God’s favor on your life. You went from a car wreck and eight years trying to walk to God putting you in a position that He can use you in an amazing way. Tell me, what’s God doing in your life right now in your business?

Mike Emery:
Yeah, you’re right, Lyle. God has really supported and guided me in every aspect of my life. When that renter called me and introduced me to Kirk, I had no idea who he was. Later, I realized how God had perfectly orchestrated that meeting.

When I met the man who’d later become a mentor, he invited my family to dinner. At his house, his wife asked where we went to church. We said Hope Fellowship in McKinney. She said, “We go to Hope too!” Then the man said, “You know the guy in the parking lot with the flags? That’s me.”

Here’s a man who lives in a resort of a home, yet serves in the parking lot every Sunday. That showed me humility and servant leadership. Later, I found out Kirk went to the same church and was one of its founding members. God keeps placing the right people in my life at the right time.

Every connection has purpose. Sometimes we don’t understand why someone is in our life until later—but when we look back, we see God’s plan all along.

Rev. Lyle:
Yeah, we’re going through Judges in our Bible study, and we looked at how God is often working in the background. Those connections you’ve made—so many things had to happen beforehand. You’re a person of favor, Mike. People are drawn to you. You have a loving and servant heart.

Mike Emery:
Appreciate that. And you’re right—how many mother-in-laws would’ve shunned their son-in-law for missing their birthday, but mine praised it because she saw God’s hand in it.

Rev. Lyle:
That’s great. Let’s switch gears to business growth. What are some things you’re doing in your business, and what tips would you give to others?

Mike Emery:
The biggest tip is: stay engaged. That means constantly learning—I block one hour every day just to learn. My grandmother used to say, “If you’re not learning, you’re dying.”

Staying engaged means improving your processes. Different isn’t always better, but better is always different. Keep refining your systems. It’s like remodeling your house—it’s hard while it’s happening, but it’s worth it.

Be a giver. Mentor others. When you help people grow, you grow too. Build relationships—God places people in your life for a reason. My job is to figure out why.

Do what you say. If I commit to something, I follow through. That’s integrity. It builds trust and strengthens your reputation.

And finally, be able to explain what you do clearly—what you do, how you do it, and who you do it for. When you can do that, you set yourself apart and attract the right people.

Rev. Lyle:
I love that you said you ask, “Why did God put this person in my life?” That’s a great takeaway for listeners. As we wrap up, what’s one final word of wisdom you’d like to share?

Mike Emery:
Do your best. Take all your talents and resources and use them fully. God gave us so many gifts—time, energy, opportunity. Be a good steward of them. And if you know you did your best, you can rest easy knowing you honored Him with your work.

Rev. Lyle:
That’s powerful. How can someone get in touch with you?

Mike Emery:
The best way is email—mike@triwealth.com
.

Rev. Lyle:
Perfect. Thanks for joining us today.

Mike Emery:
Absolutely. Thanks for having me, Lyle.