Surrender begins with recognizing that the leader is not ultimately in charge.

Entrepreneurs and ministry leaders are often used to solving problems, making decisions, and carrying responsibility. Surrender requires stopping, listening, and allowing God to establish the plan.

Stephanie points to Proverbs 16:3:

“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.”

The emphasis is on who establishes the plan.

Not the entrepreneur.
Not the ministry leader.
Not the business owner.

God establishes it.

She also references John 15:5: “Apart from me, you can do nothing.”

For someone who wants to reach people, create impact, and serve God’s Kingdom, the answer is not passivity. It is refusing to lead independently from God.

Surrender means:

• Giving God the leadership role

• Committing plans to Him

• Becoming willing to stop doing what is not assigned

• Releasing ego and personal control

• Trusting His direction before taking action

For Stephanie, one of the hardest lessons was not learning to do more. It was learning what not to do. She was not afraid to act; she was afraid to stop acting.

Some people are afraid to begin. Others are afraid to stop. Both require trust.

The second practice of a Kingdom CEO is to speak.

Stephanie explains that anyone called to lead, teach, inspire, write, coach, minister, or create change uses a voice in some form. Speaking is broader than standing on a stage.

It can happen:

• In person

• Virtually

• Through a podcast

• Through a training

• In a book

• On paper

Stephanie once resisted being called a speaker. She was already speaking through her podcast and virtual trainings, but the label made her uncomfortable. When she was booked for her first keynote, she had to face the fear of man connected to speaking in person.

That experience helped her recognize that her voice was her assignment.

It was not simply something she was trying. It was part of what she was called to do.

That is why she urges leaders not to hide from their assignment. Fear may say that someone else is more qualified, that you are not equipped, or that people will judge you. Stephanie reminds listeners that God does not give a spirit of fear.

Her response is direct:

“I better start that podcast.”
“I better write that book.”

The message must be shared.

Stephanie’s speaking assignment became closely connected to podcasting.

In 2018, she had a dream in which the Lord told her to start a podcast. She did not listen to podcasts, did not understand how the direction made sense, and did not know what the show should be about.

Still, she obeyed.

She began with a low-cost microphone that sounded poor, created her own podcast artwork, and chose a title she later described as random. She does not recommend those specific choices, but she emphasizes that she started messy and scrappy because she believed God had asked her to begin.

The podcast reached hundreds of thousands of people in its first year.

Stephanie compares this with the time she spent on short-form platforms. She says she had been spending four to five hours a day on Instagram, Facebook, and similar channels. Podcasting required about two hours a week, yet it created much greater reach and visibility.

For her, this revealed a more sustainable way to be heard.

A library of long-form episodes can remain available where people search and listen. It can build trust, generate future leads, and continue reaching people over time.

Stephanie does not say that direct messages, short-form content, or live networking never have a place. She asks leaders to consider how they can move a God-given message faster and reach more people in the same amount of time.

The third practice is stewardship.

Stewardship is often discussed only in relation to money, but Stephanie expands it to include the whole life of a Kingdom leader.

Money is a resource and a means of exchange. When people of God steward finances and wealth well, they can bless their families, churches, communities, and the work of God.

The heart check is the intention behind the desire for money. She distinguishes money itself from the love of money.

But stewardship also includes:

• Time

• Energy

• Physical health

• Family

• Capacity

• Rest

• Boundaries

• Work

• Worship

Stephanie asks what leaders are building if they cannot show up with greater capacity for their families, themselves, Sabbath, church, community, and neighbors.

She does not believe God created people to become workaholics.

Stewardship may therefore require becoming obedient enough to stop doing something. It may also involve caring for the body, staying fit, eating well, and recognizing self-sabotage through food or overwork.

It includes the home as well as the business. Kingdom leaders are also called to show up for their spouses, children, and families.

The goal is not perfect balance every day. It is a God-led life in which both business and home are stewarded intentionally.

Stephanie describes the rhythm of a Kingdom CEO as:

Rest.
Work.
Worship.

Then repeat.

It is not all work, and it is not all rest. It is a rhythm that supports sustainable leadership.

Boundaries are part of that rhythm. Stephanie mentions:

• Taking a Sabbath or break

• Having family dinners without technology

• Going for an intentional walk

• Spending time in Scripture

• Creating periods of restoration

• Fasting

• Protecting quiet space

These boundaries help renew the mind and keep the leader connected to God.

They also create room to listen. Stephanie notes that people often hear God in the shower or while driving because the phone is finally down and the distractions are gone.

This leads to an important question: If we were silent more often, how much more would God have to say—or how much more willing would we be to listen?

Stephanie closes with a simple planning order:

1. God first

2. Family second

3. Business third

She also encourages leaders to protect “gray space” so God has room to move.

A calendar filled with constant activity leaves little room for prayer, thought, recovery, or unexpected direction. Protected space allows the leader to listen instead of simply reacting.

Planning is therefore not only about productivity. It is part of surrender and stewardship.

Stephanie summarizes the message with three actions.

Surrender Daily

Schedule the business meeting with God. Present the plan, pray, journal, become still, and ask what He would have you do.

Speak Boldly

Use your voice to teach and serve. Do not hide from the assignment because of fear, comparison, or concern about what others think.

Steward Wisely

Create rhythms of rest and boundaries. Steward money, time, energy, health, family, and capacity so the business remains sustainable.

A Kingdom CEO is:

• Not striving, but surrendering

• Not hiding, but speaking

• Not burning out, but stewarding well

Watch full episode on YT - https://youtu.be/JGWPtrDpivo

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