God-Made Millionaire: Creating Wealth as an Emerging Entrepreneur

Copyright © 2015 Letitia Harris.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the MSG, The Message, Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Holy Bible: King James Version. Public Domain, 1987. BibleGateway.com. The Zondervan Corporation, L.L.C.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

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ISBN: 978-1-4917-6510-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4917-6509-8 (e)

iUniverse rev. date: 10/20/2015

Contents

Preface (My Story)

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Chapter 1         Mind, Money & Spirit

Chapter 2         Preparation to Receive Wealth from God

Chapter 3         Who Am I Really?

Chapter 4         The Unfolding of Divine Vision

Chapter 5         Why Most Businesses Fail

Chapter 6         Taking Your Rightful Place

Chapter 7         Your Million-Dollar Idea Starts Now!

Chapter 8         Creating Your Million-Dollar Plan

Chapter 9         Your Business Breakthrough

Chapter 10         God-made Millionaire Money Mindset

Chapter 11         Getting Supernatural and Personal Mentorship

Chapter 12         Organization– A Key to Wealth

Chapter 13         Building Your Online Global Presence

Chapter 14         Social Networking – Creating Relationships

Chapter 15         Sharing Your Wealth – The Great Responsibility

Appendix A – Funding For Women

Appendix B – SEO Tools Resources

Appendix C – Did you know the following are Christian businesses?

Appendix D – Business Affirmations

References

About the Author

Preface (My Story)

I have always been fascinated with being in control of my own finances. I grew up being the poster child for what not to do when it came to money. I struggled for years to understand why anyone would want to live paycheck to paycheck like I had been for so long. I always wanted to have enough money and freedom to go, be and do whatever I felt like doing. I, also, understood, though, I had to work for it. I was never afraid of working but it was often unfulfilling. I jumped from one job to another looking for the next big check. I set out to find an occupation that would make me happy and pay me well. I had often admired my father for leaving his 9 to 5 to pursue his entrepreneurial dream. God had given me a dream of success, too, earlier in my life but it never seemed to be something I knew how to make happen. Yet I would soon find out. This feeling is what lead me to my entrepreneurial journey and this book called "God-made Millionaire – Creating Wealth as an Emerging Entrepreneur.

One day I was hit with the entrepreneurial bug and off I went. I started several business ventures, but for some reason success kept escaping me. I often failed my way through life, vacillating between corporate America and the entrepreneurial dream. At times, I didn’t have access to money, relationships, or the knowledge to know how to get my business off the ground. But like I said, I was never afraid to work. I would pick a business, find wholesalers, and get started, not realizing there were pockets of missing information that would soon cause me to fail. Regardless, I still managed to start several businesses that earned me good money. I owned two retail stores, a boutique for women and a kid’s clothing and accessory store. I ran an online eBay kid’s shoe store in which I learned the true meaning of customer service. I loved it! I ran a very successful real estate investment company for years and was also a realtor. Even with these ventures, I had my share of failures that made me want to quit at times, but I never gave up.

One of these business ventures ended up being more successful than any of the others, and that was my real estate investment company where I bought and sold real estate, enjoying its lucrative returns. I had finally found my financial place of bliss. I was earning tens of thousands of dollars on many transactions. I was in heaven … so I thought. It wasn’t until the bottom fell out of the real estate market that I realized that earning a six-figure income with no money-management skills and a limited sense of business would lead me to my ruins. What I was headed for was the biggest financial disaster in my life. I lost it all! Our family faced foreclosure and homelessness, my car was repossessed, and our checking accounts were being seized by bill collectors to get their money. I was forced to seek help in a hurry, and this is where I gave my life back to Christ. I had given my life to Christ in high school but not to the extent where I depended on Him for guidance.

It was the weirdest thing because since I had started these various businesses and had accumulated these material possessions that represented success, I started attracting people who wanted to start a business. They didn’t know about the devastating events that had just occurred, and I was able to help them. Friends and acquaintances would call me, I would offer advice and strategies to try, and they would work. So I began studying as much as I could about starting and building a business. I started following people that were doing what I wanted to do and applying the principles through study, attending events and practice. And don’t forget—I was filled with knowledge of what not to do to avoid failure. Little did I know that God had taken over my life to show me what the true meaning of having wealth was all about.

I eventually started my own little coaching practice to put my experience and knowledge to work on a grander scale. I enjoyed it, and my students were seeing changes in themselves, which carried over into their businesses. They would say that God’s voice was louder now than it ever was before with clearer directions on steps they should take. Who would have thought that my failures would be the catalyst for my clients’ and students’ successes? I knew I had found my purpose in the heartfelt passion of being an entrepreneurial coach, trainer, and mentor to emerging entrepreneurs, which I hope to spread worldwide. This chain of events is what led to the contents of this book.

Acknowledgments

I thank God for not letting me go while I strived to understand who I was and why I was created. Through my fight to find out the truth about purpose and the Kingdom of God, I found a loving God that always has His children at the forefront of His mind.

I want to thank my wonderful and insanely committed husband, Drew, who never gave up on me. You allowed me to experiment with life and finances until I found my rightful path. Thanks for the sacrifices you made to allow this book to be completed amongst my many other endeavors. I want to thank my children, Deja and Christian, who unknowingly allowed their mom years to sit at the feet of Jesus to learn all I could. It’s to make a better life for you all, my loves.

I thank my loving parents, Joe and Carolyn, who always thought I was different but could never really put their finger on it. I always went left when you thought I should have gone right. Mom, thanks for leading me back to God and having God’s heart and mercy toward anyone you meet. Dad, thanks for paving the way for my entrepreneurial desires because I am following in your footsteps. You set the example of what will and determination can do for a person who desires to succeed to leave a legacy. Without you both, I would not be here today to make a difference in the lives of others. I love you!

I want to thank my Auntie June for being my personal banker, at times, for some of my failed and most promising ventures whenever I knew this was the one. Auntie, you gave me the ability to go into my virtual lab to research and come out with so many lessons learned in business. You never asked me too many questions but instead agreed to help me. Every emerging entrepreneur needs someone like you in their corner. You don’t know how much that meant to me and still does today because you are now a major contributor to the lessons learned that I can now pass on to others. Much love to you!

I want to thank my sister in Christ, Beverly. God dropped you in my path and made you my friend for life! You have been my anchor through my turbulent and why me moments in time. I have called you on many, many, many occasions to ask you to pray for me and rejoice with me, and you indeed loved and labored in the spirit with me. Everyone needs an intercessor, and I’m glad your gifting is being shared with me. Praise God for you!

I want to say thank you to family members—you know who you are—that helped me along the way by checking on me during times I couldn’t explain my life. You continued to love me in spite of my insecurities and faults, and to you I say thank you!

To Pastor Charles E Nesbitt Jr. who put the beautiful songs of praise and worship into my life. Thank you. Under your auspice is where God started my reunion with Him and His word. Those anointed songs still ring free in my heart today. Whenever I feel discouraged, disappointed, or just want to show God how much I love Him, those songs break out in me.

To Pastors Dr. Creflo A. Dollar and Taffi Dollar who taught me how to walk in the spirit! When I first found out about your church, I knew it was for me. So many opinions tried to persuade me otherwise. When I walked in your church, there was a feeling that I had never felt before, and I will never forget it. I couldn’t explain it, but I knew I had to be a part of whatever it was that was going on there. I spent three years under your guidance, and I have never looked back. You were a launching pad to even greater things that lay ahead for me. I found the essence of who I was in Christ. Thank you so much!

To my loving pastor, TD Jakes and First Lady Serita Jakes, thank you so much for your dedication to being mighty vessels of God. Under your parish, I have been elevated to new levels through the mind of Christ. Your masterful gifts have given new meaning to the existence of God and His Kingdom business. I continue to be amazed at how God speaks such divine instructions through you, which have been my shining light on my journey to purpose.

God Bless You All!

Introduction

This book is my effort to help Christian believers start a business using biblical and intellectual principles that God revealed to me on my journey. God-made Millionaire stemmed from my coaching private clients and volunteering as a facilitator for the YW of Dallas, a national non-profit organization that helps women with financial literacy. I realized that aspiring entrepreneurs had different backgrounds, resources, and experiences that gave them the confidence to start a business. But what made the coaching and teaching sometimes difficult for me, and possibly for the students, is the fact that there wasn’t one particular guide I could use as a prerequisite to our sessions. It would have been easier to refer them to a particular chapter or page if I felt prework should be completed first.

This resource would be a quick-start training guide that could help new entrepreneurs see results in a shorter period of time, whether on their own or coupled with our sessions. Most people, Christian or not, start a business without considering the cost or knowing what it really takes to make it.

I believed that if they each were exposed to the foundational principles of starting a business, there wouldn’t be so many failures—there would be more successes. This resource book would gauge if the desire to run a business was coming from a true place of passion or a place of selfishness for monetary gain.

More people in the world than you and I could ever imagine grow up with the dream of running their own company. But most never achieve this noble act because either they don’t know how to overcome the obstacles set before them or they misinterpret the fact that they need more resources. Emerging entrepreneurs have been led to believe that as long as they have a good idea it will work. This is true, but only to a certain extent. An idea is one way to get started, but is it the most effective for forging full speed ahead? The vast majority of start-up entrepreneurs quit without knowing that if they had only taken the time to put their ideas down on paper and measured their progress, there would have been a higher chance of success.

There’s really no difference between biblical principles and business principles, Cathy Truett said at one of his Chick-fil-A restaurant openings, according to Business Insider.

Whatever practices you set up for your business should be in alignment with biblical principles. Throughout the Bible you will see how God operates in perfect timing, wisdom, and stature in everything He does. He dispenses only the best to His people. Therefore, we should practice the principles and disciplines that He has taught over the ages in order to get the calculated results that we want to achieve today. To become a well-known company or brand, one has to deliver excellence along with business practices that create a system that keeps your customers coming back.

Now, I am not telling you that there is an exact science for building a business because this would be far from the truth. As you’ll soon find out, you are the business and your business will be a reflection of you. More so than you know, you have been created to do something that only you can do. With the right foundation, your journey to a profitable company, as with anything you put your hands to do, will prosper.

There are only two reasons why you don’t have wealth today. Either you don’t know the principles of wealth or you are not operating wisely within them. In this book, I will delve into some business principles that can help to move you along. The Bible mentions that if any person lacks wisdom and you want it, then just ask God for it. Oftentimes, we go through life not knowing what we don’t know until our eyes are opened to new perspectives.

There are so many get-rich quick offerings for people who desire to get out of the rat race of life. We all long for ways to do more, to be more, and to have more. We want the freedom that money can afford us. But it doesn’t start with finding out how to get more money. It starts with how to build wealth within so that you can enjoy the benefits of it in the world. Once you learn to build wealth within you, you will never be without.

You have a responsibility to create jobs, to teach and train others to be leaders, to give to charities and causes that can make this world a better place. You don’t have to try to cure all the problems of the world, but you can take on one corner that brings about a necessary change.

This book is a merging of two worlds, the spiritual and the natural (reality). In order to have long-lasting wealth, you must understand how to utilize resources from both worlds. The promises of God for your business are too big to not involve Him in the process. Some people feel that God and business don’t mix, but this is far from the truth! Many Christians struggle with loving God and believing He can give them a far greater life than they ever imagined for themselves. But in order to receive all God has for you, you must believe that He is who He says He is … and that He can help you get there! FAITH plays a major part in the grand scheme of your success. But there is still work to be done, which is to combine intellect, instinct, gifts, skills, and talent with the spiritual gifts and power of God.

There will be references to several scriptures because I want to show where I am getting the information I am sharing with you. I want you to become accustomed to trusting in what He says and experiencing what He wants to do for you. The only way to know anyone is to spend time with them. This includes God. Eventually, you will come to experience the inner workings of God through His biblical principles and mostly His love. If you believe that actions truly do speak louder than words, then get ready because God’s actions in your life will definitely get you moving. I can’t stress this point enough: you must believe there is a better life beyond where you stand today, and in order to receive it, you must change the way you think.

I believe The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit form what is called The Trinity—God’s presence in three separate beings that details Christianity. The Holy Spirit of God comes to us as a result of Jesus’ dying for our sins, rising on the third day, and sitting now at the right hand of God. I use various interpretations of the scripture, but mostly The Message Bible (unless otherwise noted) throughout this book to explain in everyday language the scriptures for better clarification.

Now, to move forward with ease, you must believe that God wants you to be wealthy! It’s often hard for a Christian to believe that having wealth (which could include millions) and being spiritual are still considered blessed to be a blessing. Some people think of financial prosperity and spirituality as rivals, like mixing oil and water. God loves you and will teach and train you to have and hold onto whatever He has for you. He wants you to be a co-creator of your life and business with Him.

There are many Christian business books out there, but none have explained HOW to build a relationship with God, to hear His voice and gain calculated moves in business along with technical guidance. This is all broken down into its simplest form so that you can come back to any chapter at any time for that specialized understanding. This book contains resources, tips, strategies, and God-moments that will empower you, inspire you, and motivate you to be all you can be.

There are techie strategies that can be implemented immediately for quick social media results. If you apply any of the information in this book, you will be better equipped than before you started reading it. Now, go get your blessings!

How to use this book

Chapters 1-3: Use these chapters to examine your life to make sure your actions and mindset are in alignment with Christ. If they are not, you may want to spend a little time dealing with those things that can prohibit your progress. The easiest way is to commit them to God so that He can help you conquer particular areas. These chapters can be used when you’re not feeling your strongest. Please don’t skip.

Chapters 4-5: These chapters check the stability of your vision. If you are struggling with it, you can find ideas here that can help bring clarity. Please don’t skip.

Chapters 6-15: Since every emerging entrepreneur begins their journey at a different place in time due to their past experiences, knowledge, money, and relationships, these chapters are necessary to acquaint the starting business owner with resources and information that can cut one’s learning curve for quicker results.

Note: I would suggest revisiting any chapter that you feel is necessary at any point during your business-building process. You may not need everything in these chapters now, but the information can be priceless later as well.

Chapter

1

Mind, Money & Spirit

Beloved, I wish above all things that thou would prosper (the mind) and be in health (the body) even as thy soul prospers (spirit). ~3 Jn 1:2

Wealth in the hands of a fool can only make one a bigger fool. Wealth in the hands of a person that seeks to make the world a better place is the answer to many of man’s problems. This is why God does not mind you being prosperous. He doesn’t even mind you being a millionaire or a billionaire. He wants you to have peace while gaining the mindset to prosper at whatever you put your hands to do. God knows that money can change one person, a group, a nation, or the world if used to spread wisdom, love, and empowerment to others.

So what does a God-made millionaire look like? You don’t hear that term being tossed around much, do you? There are more God-made millionaires in the world than you will ever know, partially because some of them don’t think it makes much of a difference to broadcast it. They just want to do what is right, in the sight of God, and run a successful company. Now, there are God-made millionaires and self-made millionaires operating on the same plane but existing in two different worlds, mentally. Let me explain.

The difference between a God-made millionaire and a self-made millionaire is that God is your source rather than your own intellect (mind) being your total source. Self-made millionaires tend to lean more toward fulfilling their egos than anything else. There is no real sustenance behind the glory they receive for their wealth. People believe that you have to be exceptionally smart to build a thriving, successful company. If their wealth is attributed to all the things they have accomplished through all their hard work and intellect, then this would mean that you would have to have a very high IQ. As we all know, everyone is not born with the same size brain to become an Einstein, Freud, or even Bill Gates or Warren Buffet. But God can give you one idea that can take you straight to the top of the financial and influential charts, and this is what levels the playing field.

In life and business, to depend on God is to find the highest form of you and to gain exponential wealth—emotionally, spiritually, financially, and physically—to serve your highest good. In my opinion, a God-made millionaire is one who lives a whole life. They are fulfilled in mind, body, and spirit along with their finances. When trouble comes, they know where to find their strength, their power, and their wisdom to overcome any situation. They live and lack nothing because they find everything they need in living through a God-conscious life.

There are wealthy people who live an internally unhealthy and unhappy life. You hear of movie stars, musicians, athletes, and even politicians who have secret, dark lives, and no one ever suspects it. They have all the external glories but no internal glory to give them the fulfilled life they want. They are always feeling that something is missing and not quite right. Some are constantly wondering if they are being loved for their money or for them as a person. The missing part is finding out who they really are and not the person everyone else wants or thinks them to be. This makes for a life of continual performances.

In the Book of Matthew, Jesus spoke of the young, rich ruler who had everything and wanted to know what he could do to have eternal life. Jesus told of commandments such as, Don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t lie, honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as you do yourself. The rich, young ruler said, I have done all that, so now what? Jesus told him to go and sell everything he had and give it to the poor and then to follow Him. Of course this depressed him. (Hint: Never get attached to anything that can be here today and gone tomorrow.) This is the last thing that the young, rich ruler wanted to hear because he knew he couldn’t bear life without his material possessions. Jesus looked at him as he walked away in despair and said to His disciples around Him, Do you have any idea how difficult it is for the rich to enter God’s kingdom? Let me tell you, it’s easier to gallop a camel through a needle’s eye than for the rich to enter God’s kingdom.

Now, before you start to think negatively about being rich, just know that the only reason it will be hard is that some who are rich do not know Jesus (The Divine) and will find themselves living a life of sporadic success in happiness, health, finances, peace, relationships, and even power. Nothing is guaranteed if there is nothing there with sustenance to maintain it. Their kingdom is built on faulty ground (material possessions) with no indication or guarantee on how to prevent it from crumbling one day. Because of this, there is room for things such as depression, loneliness, and a lack of trust in others, which can cause them to feel like their lives are not worth living. They may even be driven to chemical derivatives for relief instead of Jesus, who gives life. But those who have gone through tough times and lack have had a much better opportunity to experience God in the highest form because of their faith. I am not bashing rich or wealthy people because I consider myself one, in the highest sense. Just know that wealthy people with the right heart are doing magnificent things in the world—just as you will too!

Let me ask this: Have you ever heard someone say, I am a self-made millionaire? Check out what the word self-made means according to the dictionary. Random House Dictionary says self-made means "having succeeded in life unaided; made by oneself." The World Dictionary says it means, "having achieved wealth, status, etc., by one’s own efforts."

Nowhere do these definitions mention the word God. For those who declare to the world that they are self-made millionaires, I want to show you why this is not completely the truth. This is not to condemn those who have made this proclamation because they may not know what they are saying because they have not experienced Christ.

For those who have given their lives to Christ, however, here are two scriptures from The Message Bible that say otherwise about their proclamation as follows:

If you start thinking to yourselves, I did all this. And all by myself. I’m rich. It’s all mine!—well, think again. Remember that GOD, your God, gave you the strength to produce all this wealth so as to confirm the covenant that he promised to your ancestors—as it is today. ~Dt 8:17-18

In the greatest book ever written, you are told that it is God who has given you the power to get wealth. So this tells me that all those who have accumulated wealth derived it from God, whether one chooses to acknowledge Him or not.

God claims Earth and everything in it, God claims World and all who live in it, He build on Ocean foundations, laid it out on River girders. ~Ps 24:1-2

Some people were given this gift or natural talent and instinct for accumulating wealth from birth. Some have been given this knowledge through training, skills, and from experience. Either way, it originated from God, The Source, because He owns it all! Just know God wants you to have wealth and to enjoy every bit of your life, as you’ll find throughout the chapters.

Becoming a God-made millionaire is the practice of allowing God to direct your steps through the power of His Holy Spirit, to accumulate the true, long-lasting wealth you desire. Anyone can become rich with calculated steps and risks, whether with good or bad motives. But the challenge is being able to keep money or channel money to its highest and best use without becoming attached to it. Money in the hands of the ill-intentioned or financially inept person will lead to someone’s destruction.

For example, you’ve seen people who lost money on Wall Street and committed suicide because they couldn’t handle the loss. What about the woman who marries a wealthy man, but he decides he wants a divorce and she doesn’t? He hires a hit man to kill her because he doesn’t want to share his wealth with her. What about the lottery winner who was never taught how to handle money or invest it for