For many Christian business owners, the idea of using their company as a platform for ministry while running a profitable and sustainable enterprise can feel like a complex balancing act. However, Pete Ochs, CEO and Chairman of Capital III, offers an inspiring perspective. Drawing from biblical principles, Ochs highlights how businesses can serve as catalysts for economic, social, and spiritual flourishing.
Read the conversation here with Pete and Grove9 Founder + Chief Brand Strategist Justin Eklund from his book, Brand for Impact.
Justin: Can a Christian business owner build a high-impact business without specifically promoting themselves as a Christian company?
Pete: Absolutely. The purpose of business is to be a catalyst for flourishing. We see this as three-fold. [Refer] to Genesis 2:15–18. Verse 15 relates to economic capital, verse 18 relates to social capital, and the last thing mentioned is spiritual capital. To make it really simple, you need a good job, good friends, and Jesus. We call this the triple bottom line.
So I believe you can have a Christian business and make money and be friends with people, but if you don’t tell them about Jesus, you’re missing out. If all you do is hire people to make money, you are exploiting them. If you add in friendship, exploitation moves into respect. But if you add the gospel in there, you bless them. So you move from exploitation to respect to blessing. Here is our rule for how we talk about Jesus; it’s the parable of the Good Samaritan. We believe you lead with economic capital, you follow with social capital, and the doors to spiritual capital typically fly open.
Justin: Many Christian leaders see their business as separate from their faith. How can a for-profit, secular business also be a ministry?
Pete: I don’t think God cares what you do. I think that’s your own volition. But He does care deeply why and how you do it. We talk about the 3 Ps: purpose, passion, and platform. Your purpose is your why. Your passion is to serve, to be excellent, and to be a good steward. Your platform is your business. It is the venue God has given you to live out your purpose and your passions. On the other hand, if I’m living for myself, the 3 Ps become about pride, pleasure, and possessions.
Justin: What does integrating your faith with your brand look like at Capital III?
Pete: We always start with our values. So when I’m doing a sales pitch, I say, ‘Let me explain to you who we are, because you need to understand how we do business.’ Our first value is honoring God. The reason we say honor God is we think those Ten Commandments are really good ways to do business. You know…be honest, be fair, be square, love your neighbor as you love yourself. And then I go on to the other values. I would say nine out of ten times people respond very positively.
Justin: What does excellence look like for you, and how do business owners achieve that in a God-honoring way?
Pete: Oftentimes, we think of excellence being an absolute, but I don’t think it is. I think it is a relative term. I would define excellence as doing the best you can, where you are, with what you have, for the glory of God. The opposite of excellence to me is arrogance. Arrogance is doing the best you can, where you are, with what you have, for yourself.
Integrating faith and business is not about separating spiritual beliefs from professional endeavors but aligning them with purpose, passion, and platform. As Pete emphasizes, businesses can flourish when they move from exploitation to respect and ultimately to blessing. By honoring values, focusing on relationships, and striving for excellence in a God-honoring way, leaders can transform their workplaces into catalysts for meaningful impact. It’s not about what you do but why and how you do it—serving with integrity, fostering community, and creating an environment where both faith and work thrive. Impactful advice!
Interested in reading more inspiring high-impact case studies? Pick up your copy of Brand for Impact at justineklund.com.
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