Andy Mason (00:01.348)
Hey everybody, welcome to the conversation. You're listening to Andy Mason. This is the Heaven and Business podcast where we help you navigate the messy intersection of faith, family and business. And this year at the Heaven and Business Conference, we had Nick and Molly Pastamack bring a bunch of students from a college campus. And it just got me intrigued. That wasn't the first time, but there's this story of what we've seen God do, God on campus.
a God with business people on campus, there's something beautiful going on. So if you're listening to this story and you've had a stirring or a prompting, what would it look like to engage with next generation rising entrepreneurs? How do you mentor and train them? Then listen up. If you are saying, what would it look like to bring students to an event? Then listen up, there's opportunity for you. And if there's a whole heap more in between, you're gonna hear their story.
as entrepreneurs and now entrepreneurs in residence at Taylor University. Nick and Molly, thank you so much for joining us.
Nick & Molly Pastermack (01:06.914)
Thanks for having us. It was a lot of fun.
Andy Mason (01:09.588)
So let's just dive right in. Tell us just a quick snapshot of who are you, where are you, and then we're going to dive into your own business entrepreneurship journey.
Nick & Molly Pastermack (01:21.43)
Yeah, I would say a year ago we were perfectly content in our home in Florida on an island with the sunshine all around. We were managing about nine businesses kind of remotely, but that journey started, we just started scooping ice cream about 27 years ago and between that time and now we've, gosh, we've opened about.
I think about two dozen companies. We've either acquired or launched out a couple dozen companies, some have failed and some we've sold. And right now we've got about nine operating companies and then some other holding companies and all that.
Andy Mason (02:03.258)
So for people listening, there's a catchphrase, yeah, I'm an entrepreneur and they have a coffee shop or an ice cream shop. define for us just so everyone's on the same page, what is an entrepreneur?
Nick & Molly Pastermack (02:19.042)
That's a great question. In some ways, I don't know if we're the classic entrepreneurs. I would say we're investors, business owners, and entrepreneurial in spirit. think some of the key factors of an entrepreneur are somebody who's innovative in their thinking, somebody who's willing to take risk, and ultimately someone who can solve a lot of problems. They're willing to just step out and try to solve problems. And the more problems you solve, the more value you create for the world. So we love to create value.
We buy businesses that are doing that, which then employs a lot of people and gives us platforms to have impact in communities. That's really our real passion is to have a life giving business system. So. And then our journey included partners who.
Andy Mason (03:02.618)
Okay.
Nick & Molly Pastermack (03:06.434)
just came alongside and had a similar vision. And so we've partnered with a lot of people who they get in and do a lot of the day-to-day work. And Nick and I do a lot of behind the scenes things. And so that's given us the opportunity to open multiple businesses and be in different states. And I think that kind of leads us into where we were now is we're empty nesters about two years ago and pretty dang comfortable in our lives. And then Taylor University asked us to come speak and we said, yes.
And then two months later, they said, hey, we lost our entrepreneurs in residence. Would you guys consider coming and teaching? And we were like, in Indiana? Or alma mater? No.
Andy Mason (03:49.23)
He he he he he.
Nick & Molly Pastermack (03:51.95)
And we do not want to go to this little cornfield. Thank you very much, but no thank you. And then we kind of looked at each other and the Holy Spirit just wouldn't take his finger off that. And that was when we showed up at Heaven and Business two years ago.
And we were just like, Lord, if this is something you actually want us to consider, you better show up and be pretty direct to both of us. And the first person we met, were at Heaven and Business, we were telling our story. He's like, Oh my gosh, are you talking about Taylor? I went to Taylor. And we're like, Oh no.
And the person we met, they were like, my gosh, my dad's still a professor at Taylor. And we were like, this is a problem. But we then came back and said, sure, we'll try it for a year. And we work with an amazing just cohort of people here. And when we launched and pitched the idea of bringing some students to have an in business, we pitched it when we first got here. And they were like, we'll see if we can make this work.
And I think they said that we could bring eight and I said 15 and then he's like 11. So we said, okay, we'll figure that one out.
Andy Mason (05:04.398)
Hehehe.
Andy Mason (05:11.086)
Matt, this is cool. just go back a step. What's what I mean, they got you to speak initially because you were by all means successful. 12 businesses, nine of them are still functioning, you've bought and sold in the process. There's up and down plus you were you'd been through Taylor yourself. So you had a track record and credibility. They obviously knew you they come, they come and teach a class or do a case study or something. But
There's a whole nother level between showing up and doing something and then being an entrepreneur in residence. What is, tell us what actually even is that?
Nick & Molly Pastermack (05:51.118)
So and I don't know there's it's kind of a newer thing that a lot of universities are starting to pop up these entrepreneurial programs and That is a classification. I think the entrepreneurial residents is something that a number of universities are doing but effectively it just means we're kind of the subject matter experts in the realm of entrepreneurship
So we teach a couple classes, which by the way was like, we are not academic. There's no way we're going to be able to teach. What do we have to offer? Lord, why are you calling us to this?
And then we said, okay, what class are we teaching? And he's like, transformational entrepreneurship. said, okay, well, where's the curriculum? He's like, no, no, no, you create it from your experience. And I was like, my goodness. So all last summer was going before the Lord and saying, what do I put on a Tuesday? And then what about the Thursday? And then what about the next week? So it's been a real journey of trusting and stretching. We're not comfortable anymore. We not, we purposely said, this is going to make us uncomfortable. Therefore you're going to get
we're going to get stretched and so let's do it. But the idea of transformational entrepreneurship was like how do we equip students to be even transformed by hearing the voice of God, engaging in communities and being a business leader and providing value for their community and for their employees. I think more than just like I'm going to go make money and give it to the church. It was we actually see
Andy Mason (07:17.806)
Yeah.
Nick & Molly Pastermack (07:19.682)
the kingdom coming through the doors of the marketplace and helping them transition their thinking a little bit. And sometimes, yeah, that money is okay if it's used well and it doesn't just have to, it can be more than just putting something in the giving box on Sunday.
Andy Mason (07:38.04)
I so agree. I've got so many questions around this. Hey, if you listen to this and you are doing something similar or you're pondering on wanting to do something similar, we're going to post Nick and Molly's email below and you can contact them directly, which I just think is so cool. But let's come back. Nick and Molly, there's this journey of entrepreneurship. You show up, entrepreneurs in residence.
Tell us about how simple it was to get started in the, was there pancakes? There was a house, tell us about that part of it.
Nick & Molly Pastermack (08:16.302)
So we have just something, we love opening our doors. And we have, over the years, gotten to work with the college-age kids. We were at the Naval Academy for a while. Just a few different college settings. And we've found that if you just feed them in a setting that's not pristine, they keep coming back. So we had this little 850 square foot house. And I refuse to complain about our housing here.
And so I was just like, Lord, what do we do? And he's like, well.
And one of our students asked if we would babysit his Blackstone grill in our backyard because he couldn't have it on campus. So we said, sure, we'll use it for pancakes on Saturday. And it was so cool because every Saturday that we had pancakes, it was a beautiful day and we could all be outside. And all of sudden there was like 30 kids showing up and then they all want to do, they're like, hey, would you do lunch with me? Would you grab coffee? So it really was not.
you just love on them. does it's not complicated. I you just open your home you love on students you make yourself interruptible make yourself available. Actually you learn that from one of our students. That's right one of our students this past semester said I just want to have a life that's interruptible. Yep. And I was like come on.
Andy Mason (09:32.89)
Quote that one.
Nick & Molly Pastermack (09:34.55)
Yeah, it was amazing. We've so much from these guys. But like this past Saturday when we had pancake breakfast, it's not like we have a huge agenda. We just get together in the name of Jesus. We set the tone as we pray beforehand and all that. We have fun together, play card games. But then we had an opportunity, a student was going to be sharing his testimony at a big gathering. And so everybody came around and laid hands on him and prayed for him and just like really got engaged in what he was doing. Interesting. He was one that came to Heaven and Business and practiced his testimony.
at Heaven in Business as well. And on Saturday, he gave it in front of like five different colleges.
Andy Mason (10:11.434)
wow. So, so it's really simple. It's just hosting people. It's just loving people, opening your home up. You got rid of your kids and now the world's kids are starting to come to your back door. So, so entrepreneur, so do you get paid to do this?
Nick & Molly Pastermack (10:31.342)
Yes. Yes, we do. We'll put that on record. We are paid, but that, you know, we didn't even ask what the pay was until like two weeks before we were supposed to start. He was like, Hey, we got to talk about pay. I was like, Oh, yeah, you are going to pay. Great. You know, that's not why we're here.
Andy Mason (10:44.791)
Again, yeah.
Now, but if someone if someone was looking, we're not talking about this is not like a promotion and career. This is about a calling. It's like you don't become a pastor to make money. You don't become an entrepreneur in residence to make money. You do it because of passion. Am I correct?
Nick & Molly Pastermack (11:07.49)
Yeah. Yeah, for sure. And it's been so interesting because we've been, we were teaching classes and at the same time we were talking about, what, what like acquisition or how to sell a bit, how to make an exit. We were at the same time in our other world had an offer come in on a house, you know, on a, on one of our businesses. And we were working through the numbers there. And so we're like, okay guys, here's the real life example.
Andy Mason (11:30.925)
in life. Yes, so good.
Nick & Molly Pastermack (11:33.078)
And they love it. They love like, this is actually what it's like out there and how we make decisions, the two of us. And there was some class time where we probably didn't always agree and they had to watch that go on. it was just being.
Andy Mason (11:45.178)
Ha ha.
Nick & Molly Pastermack (11:47.09)
And it was getting to share testimonies of like cool things God's doing in our businesses, like, you know, salvations of employees. We've done a baptism inside one of our businesses one day before we opened because they wanted to get baptized inside a chocolate shop in January and it was freezing. So we put in a baptismal pool there and like, we get to share that kind of stuff and they're so fascinated. They're just like, you know.
Andy Mason (12:09.484)
Yeah, And it's just blowing minds. It's parenting, it's modeling, it's mentoring, it's discipling. We'll come back to that. What do you, tell us your favorite story. And maybe you've got one each. Favorite story of what you've seen God do on a campus. Just give us a little bit of context. Is Taylor University, I mean, how many students is there? How many students in the program? Is it a Christian university? Give us a little bit of context of that.
and then tell us your favorite story of what you've seen God do just as you've made yourselves available.
Nick & Molly Pastermack (12:47.742)
say as a whole, like Taylor University is a evangelical Christian college. It's amazing what God's doing here right now. But I, and I'm going to tout Taylor for a moment, but I think God's working across a lot of campuses right now.
Andy Mason (13:01.124)
He is, yeah.
Nick & Molly Pastermack (13:01.954)
going to say it's just Taylor. These kids are hungry. They're hungry for the Lord. They're hungry for authenticity. So that's one of the things that we push hard is like, let's just be really real and authentic in the classroom, outside of the classroom when we have them over to our house. But I would say like Taylor has chapel three days a week. It's not me. It's standing room only. And these kids are just worshipping like intensely worshiping. It's fantastic. And it's 10 o'clock on a Monday, Wednesday, Friday.
and they all have a lot to do and they're all yeah yeah yeah yeah no it's great like we could hardly find a spot in chapel this morning we had to kind of we could go sit with some of the crazy boys yeah yeah
Andy Mason (13:35.226)
So 10 a.m. Yeah. I was thinking that's early for some of the students. Yeah.
Andy Mason (13:48.758)
So how many people we're talking to at Chappell and how many people on the campus as a whole?
Nick & Molly Pastermack (13:53.836)
So the campus is about 2,000 students and I think the chapel seats about 1,400. That's part of the issue. So we're working on building a new chapel currently. And the overflow seating is full too. Yeah, there's overflow seating like outside. There's a few hundred seats outside of the chapel right now. but again, it's not mandatory, but it's the culture on campuses like God.
Andy Mason (14:17.242)
Hang on, this man, this is better than most churches. There's 2000 members of the and 1400 show up three times a week.
Nick & Molly Pastermack (14:28.0)
Yeah, well, there's more than that, but they can't all fit in. yeah.
Andy Mason (14:33.538)
my gosh, you're going to need some entrepreneurs to work out a solution to that one.
Nick & Molly Pastermack (14:38.19)
Yeah, so it's really cool too, because Nick and I have just been self-appointed door greeters. So we, one of our jobs was we wanted to meet the kids on campus. So we show up about 15 minutes before chapel. He goes to one door, I go to another, and we just are like, we're changing the atmosphere. We're making sure that nothing goes in that shouldn't pray over the doors, pray over the students as they come in and we just greet them and love on them. So another easy way to just love on these kids. I would say, we don't have to do that. Door holders.
Andy Mason (15:03.128)
Now, you guys.
You're just like, hey, wear it, make yourself a little badge. That's called entrepreneurship, creativity, innovation, excellence. So just to qualify, these nine businesses that you guys have got, are they all primarily passive? And so they don't require a huge amount of time? Or do you work in them remotely? How are you navigating this? Because it sounds like you'd be giving
Nick & Molly Pastermack (15:08.764)
Engage doing.
Yeah.
Nick & Molly Pastermack (15:34.05)
Yeah. Wait for us.
Andy Mason (15:36.332)
an unofficial entrepreneur residence, i.e. Chaplin, i.e. Camp Mom, Camp Dad. Plus you've got all these businesses, how are you navigating all these different draws on you?
Nick & Molly Pastermack (15:43.427)
Yeah.
Nick & Molly Pastermack (15:49.206)
So our business is, we found that if we take managers and make them partners, we let them buy in, like they actually buy in as part owners. It does a couple of things. One, obviously they run the business better because they're invested. But two, it gives them spiritual authority in the community, more so than maybe just a manager does.
Andy Mason (16:05.634)
own. Yeah.
Nick & Molly Pastermack (16:14.126)
And since our passion is to inspire, develop, and network life-giving entrepreneurs, life-giving businesses, that's been our passion for years, is how do we have a life-giving business that has impact in the community? Well, if they are actual business owners running the operation, most of the communities we're in, like we're in Maryland, Virginia, Colorado, Louisiana, Florida, nobody knows who Nick and Molly are, and it doesn't matter. They know who Jesus is because they know our partners.
But you do a lot behind the scenes. We do a lot behind the scenes supporting them. and then he just works. So we do partner's prayer once a month with them. We do retreats with them. We bring them to heaven and business, our partners. And that was cool to have our partners and our students meet. And actually, we've been able to send some of our students to be employees in some of our businesses.
Andy Mason (17:04.475)
cool. So basically you've come to Taylor to take the best students to employ them.
Nick & Molly Pastermack (17:10.338)
That wasn't our purpose, but that's a possibility. It's actually happening a little bit and almost not even intentionally.
Andy Mason (17:15.577)
Yeah.
Andy Mason (17:19.162)
Okay, so 2000 students, how many are in the entrepreneurship program?
Nick & Molly Pastermack (17:26.67)
think we've got about, and it's only a minor on campus, but I think there's like about 70 students right now that are in the entrepreneurship minor. But one of the things, the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship exists to inspire innovative thinking and entrepreneurial thinking across campus. So part of our actual job description is we actually meet with other students on campus who have cool ideas or want to think business, but they're not.
program and we even work with some of the faculty like there's an somebody in engineering department is trying to launch spin-off of business and so helping him think through that you know so it's really more about entrepreneurial thinking across the campus.
Andy Mason (18:07.224)
Right. And I mean, you guys are, cause you're, you don't, it's not a theory, it's real and it's proven over decades. Favorite story.
Nick & Molly Pastermack (18:14.584)
Yeah.
Nick & Molly Pastermack (18:18.026)
at Taylor or in our.
Andy Mason (18:19.79)
Yeah, Ed Taylor, so far of what you've seen with one of the lives that you've gotten to influence, or maybe that's influenced you.
Nick & Molly Pastermack (18:29.8)
they've there's so many that have influenced us. But I think one of my favorite stories is we had started class and two days in this kid wanted to know if he could get in our class. He had transferred in. He was a junior, which is really hard because there's a lot of cultural. There's just a lot of culture here and that has been developed over the decades. And so he was coming in as a transfer. He was playing baseball. So that's harder to because he's in a sport full time. And
He's like, well, this was a class that I could take. And so I was like, hey, Kaden, going to, you're going to, we're going to be your family. And so he was like, okay, you know, and there was another kid in this class who'd sat back, you know, he was the cool kid. And I was like, I see you back there. We're going to have you up, you know, you're not going to be crossing your arms for very long. And in this class over this last semester, first of all,
I maybe had to say once, get off your phone. So these kids were leaning in, there were no phones, and they were all like writing us thank you letters and almost crying the day of class. And they're like, this is my family. And Kaden was like, you guys are my family. And like, even just before I came up here, he came in over and he gave me a hug. And he's not a business major. Like he's not in our
Andy Mason (19:47.802)
you
Andy Mason (19:57.518)
They're pushing in.
Nick & Molly Pastermack (19:59.106)
Yeah, and so what I saw was this group of like 18 students take in a kid and he now had he had friends instant friends and they were getting each other's backs all the time and the kid who was cross-armed like even at chapel today he's like hey you're getting high fives and
Andy Mason (20:18.852)
He
Nick & Molly Pastermack (20:22.316)
You know, they tell us about their girlfriends and breakups and all of the things. And so just the fact that the Lord can use two 50 year olds in the lives of these kids who they're like, no, you got to make sure you come to my wedding. And so I'm like, I can't promise this because we've got nine already this summer. like, the testimony that the Lord can, if you just say yes, like who would have thought we could have.
Spoke into these kids and they speak into us and I was gonna also you but Train in class Like the reconciliation stuff. Yeah, I mean there's just been Numerous I think the big thing is just when you're authentic and real and you you give people permission to Step out in faith and pray for each other and engage like first day of class It was like I just felt something on one of our students and and I just said
Hey, at the end of class, this young man named Q, I said, I want you to go pray for Tristan because I feel like he's struggling with something that you carry right now. And they all looked at me like, yeah, let's do this. know, and it's like this generation, they're so, and we've worked with a lot of youth for many years. They're hungry for authenticity and they haven't been told no enough yet in life. they're in a good way. Like they're willing to dream. They're willing to say, okay.
Andy Mason (21:28.794)
you
Andy Mason (21:39.962)
Yeah.
Nick & Molly Pastermack (21:45.858)
Let's do, let's, yeah. One kid started his ice cream business. He's like, I'm just going to go make ice cream and sell protein ice cream. And we're like, go for it, Cam.
Andy Mason (21:45.914)
Let's go.
Andy Mason (21:53.722)
Go for it. Yeah. Just get it. So you're just like, let's go. And you're obviously giving them wisdom and guidance and resource. There's all of that happening as well. It sounds like we should bring a Heaven in Business conference to you. And yet you you chose to bring. mean, in this case, wanted more, but 11 students came. You brought them to Heaven in Business. Why? Why? Why did you bring these students to a Heaven in Business two and a half day conference?
Nick & Molly Pastermack (22:25.44)
You know, it was one of those things where the exposure right now, just they open their eyes and they're like, we didn't even know that was out there. And so, Heaven in Business for us was one of those things where it was just such a refreshing life giving time the year before. And to be able to go with other believers and these kids came, because we wanted to show them that,
that those two words go together, that heaven and business go together. And it was funny because they came home and they're like, yeah, it was more heaven than business, but we learned so much about business. And we didn't know that there were so many people using Holy Spirit to make business decisions. So the exposure to that, and then all of a sudden it was like, it became fun and joyful. where, yeah, I mean, business can get hard, but when you infuse that and then make it a wild adventure for these kids,
The kids who are wanting entrepreneurship want wild adventure. so, just to hear other people around them say, you've got this, you can do this, come work for me. It was something that Nick and I can't completely bring, but if we bring them to you guys, was just so.
Andy Mason (23:41.434)
Yeah, yeah, or a room full of 150 business people. I know we set up a a special, like a workshop just for them, with some of the people that we know and trust. And I heard that was, I was kind of jealous that I didn't get to be a part of that. If you could tell us, what was the, what were the results? I mean, these students came in, all different business backgrounds, different ages, from dancers to, like all sorts.
Nick & Molly Pastermack (23:51.693)
Yes.
Nick & Molly Pastermack (23:57.527)
Yeah.
Andy Mason (24:09.066)
and different spiritual faith flavors as well. What were a couple of the results in these students?
Nick & Molly Pastermack (24:12.78)
Yes, very much.
Nick & Molly Pastermack (24:18.254)
Well, definitely led to a lot of really great conversations later on and just challenging their faith. Like for many of them, they grew up, I would say, without the Holy Spirit and with the Holy Scriptures. And so it was interesting because it led to a lot of great conversations that was like, I know
Biblically, we're supposed to hear the voice of God. But to see so many of these business owners operating in that and knowing that they were engaged with the Lord to help them with their businesses, not just to profit, but to help them make big decisions on how to take care of their employees and everything, they just said,
That's not my experience. So it led to a lot of great conversations and some of them have even continued to get together to pray and to press into some of that. We actually have a reunion dinner. do. they all wanted to put together. They put it together. They're like, can we use your house? We want to have a business reunion. Yeah. So.
Andy Mason (25:16.194)
man, that is awesome. I want to meet them. Like we got to make some excuse to come and do this. And I know this is happening beyond Taylor. We know we're connected with Jessup University. I know there's an entrepreneur residence at Georgia Tech. There's all sorts of things, but obviously God's up to something. You guys kind of see from a perspective that we don't have. What do you see God doing across campuses, at least in the States?
Nick & Molly Pastermack (25:45.166)
Well, it's interesting because we have the opportunity to go to Chile during our spring break to do a like a recon mission to potentially take students next spring break into businesses. And I invited some other colleges. Well, Cedarville College sent five boys from their entrepreneurship program, and they were
passionate about the Lord and passionate about entrepreneurship. And then we've also connected with Hillsdale and potentially Grove City. And so it's the Lord is definitely weaving through this medium. Yeah. The entrepreneurship, especially for us.
Andy Mason (26:27.194)
Which I think is so good. I stumbled over this scripture, Numbers 8, 23 to 26. It just talks about Moses is getting instructions to tell the Levites, you to work in the sanctuary and do the heavy lifting, like the butchering effectively from age 25 to the age 50. At the age 50, you to retire from the work of the sanctuary, no longer do the work of the sanctuary, the heavy lifting, but you can guard and assist, mentor, disciple, but you're not to do the heavy lifting.
And I just see that there are so many people, you guys are 50. I was 50 when God spoke that to me. And we see so many seasoned, mature, wise business leaders that just don't know how. okay, but how do I do this? Number one, you've developed the systems in your business that can run without you, at least to the like a large part. But then
Nick & Molly Pastermack (26:57.826)
Yeah.
Nick & Molly Pastermack (27:12.151)
Yeah.
Andy Mason (27:24.674)
If someone doesn't have access to a campus, can I do this with anybody? Like, what would you say, if I'm feeling astirring, I'm feeling provoked, challenged, convicted, what could I do? What are some wins to get started?
Nick & Molly Pastermack (27:35.934)
You may want to speak in a class and see how that's We can have you up to Taylor to speak to some of our students. We love bringing in entrepreneurs that love the Lord and have a business that they can share some of their experiences. But I think the bigger one is living a lifestyle, obviously, where you're connected with the Lord in the Word. But out of that, constantly be willing to put yourself in maybe a little bit
awkward situations where you're just having people around your dinner table, having people in your life where you do, Hey, can I pray for you? You know, those things, those are the kinds of things that, you know, touch people in crazy ways. just you end up, especially younger people, they tend to be a little attracted to that. They're like, wait, we're getting together in the name of Jesus, but we're not doing a very specific Bible study. That's very regimented. know, like we do some of that, but it's
It's more just like everywhere you go, live Jesus, you carry a revival around you. So as you do that, and be willing to just step out a little bit.
Andy Mason (28:42.862)
Yeah. So, yeah. Now you're going to say, Molly, what are we going to say?
Nick & Molly Pastermack (28:48.054)
I was going to say, one of the things we've been finding about this generation too, is that they're so hungry to learn from the older generation. I don't remember asking my parents anything like that was, but they all want to know. And when we were in Florida, we
Andy Mason (28:57.402)
you
Nick & Molly Pastermack (29:01.934)
We wanted to give back a little and we realized that some churches have a great youth program all the way up to like 12th grade. And then they're just kind of like, I don't know what to do with this next age group. And so we decided to do nugget night. So we just had chicken, chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese because my kids were in that age group. so we're like, just invite a friend and nugget night went from like five people to like 20 people. And then this was just back at home and they just wanted to know how to do.
certain things in life. know, even like, how do you get insurance? you know, what was your first step out of high school? So it is one of those things you just have to open your home and be willing to be a little weird like host nugget night.
Andy Mason (29:46.53)
which is, it's not weird. It's called hospitality. It's being hospitable. think that's the, that's what I wanted to hear you say is, yes, you can go to a local campus, a training institute and say, hey, I'm available. That's great. And I love that you've done that, but there's nothing wrong with just starting or starting where you are. And so you'd say, you did that through the local church that you were part of down there? Nugget night. There you go.
Nick & Molly Pastermack (29:50.638)
Yeah.
Nick & Molly Pastermack (30:07.15)
Yeah.
Andy Mason (30:14.734)
for somebody, you're going to start a night. And did you have a plan? Like, did you talk to the pastor? I mean, how do you, how do you start this?
Nick & Molly Pastermack (30:17.198)
Yeah.
Nick & Molly Pastermack (30:22.286)
We could talk to the youth pastor to kind of honor him and you know, how can we support. graduated that's needing some people. Yeah. So.
Andy Mason (30:33.848)
And who wants and who doesn't want food? mean, and then you just let them, how did they know about it? How'd you let them know about it?
Nick & Molly Pastermack (30:37.368)
That was a
Nick & Molly Pastermack (30:41.43)
You know, it just starts talking. People just talk and we're like, bring friends. And it kind of grows. And then sometimes it was game night. Like we played Monopoly, Monopoly deal or UNO and they're all about competition.
Andy Mason (30:57.718)
Yeah, so I'm just loving as the simplicity of this. It's just saying, and I like what you said, God, we're available. got, we had, mean, the two, you didn't even go seeking, you got asked and you just simply said yes. And I think that's easy. So real practical. How could, how could somebody get in touch with you?
Nick & Molly Pastermack (31:20.366)
Definitely, you can email us. We'd love to have conversation. We can get an email conversation going if it makes sense. We can get a Zoom call together. And if you want to come visit us at Taylor, we'd love to show you around the campus. yeah, we'd love to connect with anybody else who is a life-giving individual that wants to have impact in their community.
You know, we would love to support, but also learn from you. That's the big, we just like to host interesting people around our table or in our classroom, because we all learn from each other. And that's one of the things I found is the more I keep stretching myself and growing who I am, the more I have been to give to the young people or not my employees, you my leadership teams, whatever it is. So.
Andy Mason (32:09.796)
Yeah. And Molly, you mentioned like the value of bringing students. I think it's mutual. Bringing students to a conference. We've got one coming up in Dallas at the end of August. There's different timing with this. Probably there will be one in Nashville at the end of February with Heaven and Business. There's other conferences as well. Obviously, students can't necessarily afford that. to like afford somebody to said, and I think tell us about how yours got there.
how the school was behind it. And if people say, I can't, I'm not one to open my home, but I've got resources. I want to help this happen more. Tell us about how that could happen.
Nick & Molly Pastermack (32:51.106)
Yeah. It was, think it's a bit of just step, you know, having a little faith that some, something will work out first off. Let's, let's just pray into this and make it happen. But, we did have one of our donors. That's a part of our, that's a alumni of Taylor, offer to help pay for a portion of it. The center for creation and entrepreneurship covered other expenses. had each student pay a little bit just so that we're in the game, you know, but.
Andy Mason (33:10.425)
Okay.
Andy Mason (33:16.972)
in the game. Yep.
Nick & Molly Pastermack (33:18.594)
But it would be very helpful to have a business sponsor, a student, or a few students because higher ed has some limited budgets. Students think that they have limited budgets and a lot of them do. We found it was good for them to put a little skin in the game. And then the other interesting thing was, is once we figured out the location, we tried to find a local host family, which we found and they hosted us. And so it was just cool to see the body of Christ. We had hosts in the location.
which and we had people sponsor a kid and then somebody cooked for us along the way we stopped halfway down and somebody cooked us breakfast and so yeah.
Andy Mason (34:01.196)
That's so cool. mean, I for us personally, like three of our kids came and have come and obviously we fly them down because I can say that's part of the business experience. But like there's this twofold. One, I know they have know how to serve so they can serve. But two, they get to be part and it gets exposed to a bunch of business leaders. And they'll listen to these. I might say exactly the same thing as a parent, but they will listen to these others and form connections.
And it's been funny, it's like the second time in, our son said, this time I need to come again, can I come again? Because he says last year, I had no idea, I didn't know what to ask. I just kind of looked around with big eyes, but now I'm realized I missed an opportunity. Can I come again? And I know that even his interaction with you guys, the other students and other business people in the room.
that got exposed to the students got lit up as well. So I just think that's so valuable.
Nick & Molly Pastermack (35:02.754)
Well, and I think it's interesting because your son met my son who's at Auburn and he was potentially looking for, he had just found out that he got into the grad program. And then the Taylor students have been talking about your son and my son and they're all continuing to stay connected at a level that I didn't even know. My son will text me and I'll be like, I didn't even know that. How did you know that? And he's like, we're talking.
Andy Mason (35:20.119)
wow.
Nick & Molly Pastermack (35:24.992)
And so the networking of these kids who are going to be the next generation of business owners who are going to need people who they can bounce things off of that may not even be in the same communities. It's just so valuable.
Andy Mason (35:25.007)
Yeah.
Andy Mason (35:40.004)
So good, so three things. Number one, if you are already doing something in campuses and you wanna connect with Nick and Molly, their emails are gonna be below in the show notes or in the blog. We're gonna put there, you just directly can contact them. Number two, we've got a conference coming up in Dallas, Texas. If you wanna bring students to that, reach out to us. Number three,
If you want to sponsor, sponsor what Nick and Molly are doing, sponsor students to come to events, then either, reach out to us or reach out to Nick and Molly because that is such a good work and there is hope. It's just so exciting for what is going on. Nick and Molly, find a word, anything that you would say to people listening like you that you would want to stir up challenge or just pitch something to, what would you say?
Nick & Molly Pastermack (36:34.135)
There is, this next generation is amazing. Amazing, amazing, amazing. There's so much hope and it's so fun to watch them and to be their cheerleaders. Yeah, that's really good. I'm thinking of a quote that we just had in chapel last week, which was, kind of rocked me a bit, but is the life that you're living or the life that you're dreaming of living, and particularly for the young people, worth?
the death that Christ had for you. And that just kind of rocked me and that's what we are challenging these young people and they're really stepping up to the challenge. They're just saying, we want to fully surrender, go all in with the Lord. And that was what has drawn us here and caused us to say, know, hey, we're gonna keep working with these students. When you have kids who are pressing in hard, they're really wanting to learn.
then yeah, what else is more rewarding in life? So I would say, yeah, we love this generation. We love what they're doing. And they all have businesses with impact. It's like, that's what we do. And so this is great.
Andy Mason (37:42.636)
And I would just then wrap it up and just say, one, thank you, Nick and Molly for just saying yes and for doing this and for influencing my children. Like I just so appreciate that the wisdom, the maturity and the model and example of a couple in business and love one another and love Jesus and just love people. And that's coming out in everything you do. And just a challenge to everyone listening, just ask the Holy Spirit, hey, who was around me?
that I could start to encourage. Maybe that's take someone out. I know for us, we just took a bunch of young people out after church and just buy them lunch. Everyone's gonna say, hey, do you wanna go grab a burger? Of course they're gonna say yes. So, and pay for it. And so it's actually way easier than you think because there's always someone discipling the next generation. And if we cannot complain unless we're also a part of the solution. So thank you, Nick and Molly.
Nick & Molly Pastermack (38:42.52)
Thank you, Eddie. We can't wait to see you with another group next year.
