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.

CONTACT

• Coach Tony Martin

What if the biggest thing holding your business back… is waiting?

In this episode, Coach Tony Martin shares his journey from decades in ministry to stepping into business at nearly 70 years old. His message is simple but powerful.

Stop waiting. Start moving.

We talk about purpose, calling, and what to do when you feel successful on the outside but empty on the inside.

Tony breaks down:

• Why “follow your passion” can lead you off track
• How to actually hear God’s direction in business
• The danger of over-planning and under-acting
• Why you need a coach, even when you think you don’t
• How to grow your audience without starting from scratch

This episode will challenge you, encourage you, and push you to take action.

Because clarity doesn’t come before movement. It comes through it.

🔹 Tony Martin 

“Just do something. Just start. Give yourself permission to mess up.”

“I don’t think God’s will is like an Easter egg hunt. He lights your path just enough for the next step.”

“All of us are smarter than one of us.”

🔹 Rev. Lyle 

“Failure is part of the process. Failing is where you learn.”

“Your headlights only go so far. You must continue to move forward towards your dreams.”

“Failure isn’t the problem. Fear of failure is.”

“Planning feels safe. Action creates results. Progress starts where perfection ends.”

In this post, we’ll explore how to navigate the shift from a traditional ministry role to becoming a business coach. Coaching can offer a fulfilling way to help others while building a sustainable career. Here’s what you need to know to make this transition successfully.

 About Tony Martin
Tony Martin has spent decades in ministry and has recently transitioned into business coaching. With a background in student ministry and editorial work, he brings a wealth of experience in understanding how people learn and grow. His unique approach focuses on helping frustrated Christian entrepreneurs find their purpose and fulfill their calling in the business world.

1. Understand Your Calling
Transitioning from ministry to coaching begins with understanding your calling. Ask yourself:
- What is my purpose in this new role?
- How can I serve others?

Tony emphasizes that it’s essential to ensure that your passion aligns with God’s purpose for your life. This spiritual alignment will guide your coaching journey and help you connect authentically with clients.

2. Develop Your Coaching Skills
While your background in ministry provides valuable skills, coaching requires a distinct set of competencies. Focus on:
- Learning coaching techniques
- Understanding business principles
- Developing effective communication skills

Tony shares that he had to adapt his approach from providing free services to monetizing his skills. Engaging with coaching resources, books, and courses can help you build a solid foundation.

3. Start Small and Set Achievable Goals
Tony advises new coaches to take baby steps. Start by setting small, achievable goals that allow you to gain experience without overwhelming yourself. For example, you could:
- Offer free coaching sessions to friends or family
- Create a simple coaching program
- Gather feedback to refine your methods

This incremental approach will help you build confidence and credibility in your new role.

4. Embrace the Learning Process
The journey of transitioning to coaching is filled with learning opportunities. Tony highlights that you should never stop learning. Embrace mistakes as part of the process.
- Seek feedback from trusted friends or mentors.
- Be open to refining your methods based on client experiences.
- Remember that learning is a continuous journey, and it’s okay to not have everything figured out from the start.

5. Foster a Relationship with God
At the core of Tony’s advice is the importance of maintaining a strong relationship with God throughout your coaching journey. This relationship will help you discern your path and keep your motivations aligned with His will.
- Spend time in prayer and meditation
- Regularly read scripture to guide your decisions
- Allow your faith to inspire your coaching practice

Wrapping up
Transitioning from ministry to business coaching can be a fulfilling journey that allows you to make a significant impact in the lives of others. By understanding your calling, developing your skills, setting achievable goals, embracing learning, and fostering your relationship with God, you can create a rewarding coaching career.

Want to dive deeper into coaching? Listen to the full conversation with Tony Martin at the top of this page for more insights and tips!

Rev. Lyle Hello and welcome to the Christian Business Growth Podcast. I'm here with Tony Martin. We're just going to call him Coach Tony Martin, and he's going be sharing his story with us today. So Tony, how did God get you started in business?

Tony:
Yes. How did God get me? Well, I tell you, my background is local church student ministry. I did that for a long time. And then for the last 25 years, I worked for our state denomination office as editor of our state newspaper and just had a good run with that.

Somewhere along the way, and I actually retired from that day job back in December, so I'm living that life now. It's hard for me to even say this, but I'll be 70 in May and just feel like I've got a lot of good ahead of me still.

To your point, I have always been fascinated by how people learn and how they process and how they grow from that. So I sort of started out with this sense of doing course production because my degree is in education and I'm kind of a curriculum geek.

But I realized pretty quick this is not going to sustain me. If you have to sell 50, $35 courses to even put a dent in your expenses, that's not a good move.

So what happened was I realized just how accessible people were online and how I could meet people’s needs from that space. That’s where the idea started. Then I realized you can actually make money at this.

I'm not motivated by money, although like Zig Ziglar said, somebody that says they're not concerned about money will lie about other things too.

So I thought, I've got this gift. I feel like it's a providential God calling. How can I, with integrity, monetize that? That’s how all that started.

I've been in this space now for about 7 to 9 months. That’s where we are.

Lyle:
So what specifically are you coaching?

Tony:
The Lord has given me a real heart for the frustrated Christian entrepreneur. The one who’s had that late-night crisis of belief. The one asking, am I fulfilling the purpose God put me here for?

Because I believe if you're still here, you're not done yet.

So my role is to come alongside that person and ask hard questions. You might be financially successful, but still feel hollow inside. That’s scary.

So I help unpack that. Discover what you're supposed to be about. Then create a plan to actually live it out.

Lyle:
What’s God doing right now in your business?

Tony:
It’s a constant learning process. In ministry, I gave this away for free. Now I’m learning how to monetize it.

The biggest challenge is getting the right people in front of me. Because I feel like if I can talk to you one time, I can help you.

But I don’t come from a business background. So I’m still figuring it out. I’m a pilgrim.

Lyle:
What would you tell someone transitioning from a job into business?

Tony:
Be careful with “follow your passion.” The question is, is God in it?

Start by being a resource hog. Read, listen, learn.

Then take action. Set hard but achievable goals.

And give yourself permission to mess up.

My approach is simple: beta now, better later.

Don’t sit there aiming forever. Do something. Ship something. Then refine.

Get feedback from trusted people.

All of us are smarter than one of us.

Lyle:
How do you align that with God?

Tony:
It comes down to your relationship with Him.

You can’t expect clarity if you’re not spending time with Him.

It’s not an Easter egg hunt. His will is available.

But you have to trust Him.

He lights your path just enough for the next step.

So take that step. Then the next one.

Just do something.

Lyle:
What are you doing to grow your business?

Tony:
I realized I needed a coach.

You can learn a lot online, but you still need guidance.

So I invested in coaches.

And the other big thing is this: borrow other people’s audiences.

Reach out. Build relationships. Offer value swaps.

Most people say yes.

There’s not a limited pie. There’s plenty to go around.

You have a unique voice.

Lyle:
How should someone find a coach?

Tony:
Start with relationships and referrals.

Find people who get it.

Use groups, social media, conversations.

And understand different coaches bring different strengths.

Lyle:
Same personality or different?

Tony:
Different.

I don’t want someone just like me.

I want someone who challenges me.

But I do want shared values.

Lyle:
How can people reach you?

Tony:
Email me at tony@coachtonymartin.com

Or visit coachtonymartin.com

Let’s talk. Let me hear your story.

Lyle:
Final wisdom?

Tony:
Trust the Lord with all your heart. Don’t lean on your own understanding.

When you say “I’ve got this,” you’re about to mess up.

God’s got it.

He didn’t bring you this far to abandon you.

So trust Him.