30 Leaders, 30 Countries, 30 Years Branches Worldwide

In this episode of Torch Talk, Lindsey Chupp sits down with Cody Carpenter, Vice President of Branches Worldwide, for a behind-the-scenes look at building a global organization, navigating growth, and developing leaders with long-term impact.

Cody shares the story of Branches from its early days to where it is today, along with all of the challenges, setbacks, and lessons learned along the way. The conversation explores what it takes to build something from the ground up, especially when the vision is bigger than what currently exists. Cody highlights the role of adaptability and community in shaping the organization, from early uncertainty to growing international momentum.

The discussion also dives into how Branches develops leaders through its three-year model, focusing on leadership, business strategy, and community impact. Cody explains how the organization is working to support entrepreneurs around the world while creating a network that extends far beyond a short-term program.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• The origin and evolution of Branches Worldwide
• What it takes to build and scale a global organization
• Lessons learned from early challenges and setbacks
• How the three-year leadership development model works
• The long-term vision of investing in leaders for lasting impact

This episode offers a practical and honest look at leadership, growth, and building something meaningful over time, especially for leaders thinking beyond short-term success and into long-term influence.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

It's really designed to be a space where we bring ideas for collaboration. What we've realized is that, you know, what we do here in Ohio may not work in Brazil or Cluj, Romania, or, you know, Cape Town, South Africa. But what we do have is a group of highly intellectual entrepreneurs that do know how it works for them and that they can bring their experiences into this really think-take environment.

SPEAKER_05 0:35

Welcome back to Torch Talk, the show where we spotlight bold leaders growing their businesses and communities with grit and purpose. Today's guest is Cody Carpenter, the vice president of Branches. In this Torch Talk episode, we'll explore the evolution and purpose of branches, what it takes to build something new, navigate setbacks, and create a culture that allows people and organizations to thrive. So welcome to the show today, Cody.

SPEAKER_01 0:59

Uh Lindsay, it's great to be here.

SPEAKER_05 1:00

Nice to have one of my good friends here.

SPEAKER_01 1:02

Yeah, finally, right?

SPEAKER_05 1:03

Fun and lively conversation. Okay, so we have known each other for four, I think four years now. It's hard to believe. Yeah. We've been a part of working uh Fierce's heavily involved with branches as a partner. Yeah. Um, but we want to tell the world, because we think everybody in the world listens to this podcast. Not yet now. Not yet. Maybe, yes. We're headed that way. Uh tell everybody listening about branches. Um, and then we I'm gonna talk a little bit through the evolution. So a lot of people don't know what branches is still, believe it or not. So let's tell everybody what it is.

SPEAKER_01 1:39

For sure. Uh first off, Lindsay, it's just a pleasure to be on uh the Torch Talk and be able to just join you here today. It's been great to see uh just fears continue to grow over these past couple years and be a part of that as well. Uh you mentioned that the partnership that we've been able to have over the past couple years has just been been really cool, very fruitful. Um and yeah, just really good to be able to be here, talk about branches. We obviously believe in the mission of branches holy. Uh, and that is that we're out to connect with Christian entrepreneurs, support them, because we believe that entrepreneurs have the opportunity to change their communities for Christ. So um that has just been something that we have kept rooted in our mission through and through, all the way since the beginning. Uh, and though things have continued to evolve over these past couple years, uh, just been a huge staple mark. So uh man, going to the beginning.

SPEAKER_05 2:35

I know it's so much. I know there's a lot. It seems like too much to say, but yeah, well, let me try.

SPEAKER_01 2:43

Um so I'll speak from the beginning from Cody's perspective.

SPEAKER_04 2:47

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 2:47

Uh, because I wasn't the the first one in branches. Obviously, we know uh Dan and Brian uh were really the thought leaders behind that and really standing up the organization for where it is today. Uh but I am was number two behind Dan. So getting to step in early, early in the the phase. Uh I just celebrated five years with branches, especially.

SPEAKER_05 3:11

Congratulations.

SPEAKER_01 3:12

Yeah, it's it's crazy. I don't know where time goes.

SPEAKER_05 3:14

That is not wild.

SPEAKER_01 3:15

It yeah, 100%.

SPEAKER_05 3:17

At the same time, five years goes like this, but it also feels like 10, right? Like that's like fierce time. That's what we call it around.

SPEAKER_01 3:23

Fierce time. We'll we'll take that one back. Um so yeah, whenever I got uh onboarded with them branches, uh I stepped in. Uh it was me and Dan in this single office. We sat across from each other and stared at each other all day. Uh so well, we we were working pretty heavily, but uh needless to say, it was just a nice little humble beginning. Um and I remember one of my first things that I did that week was help onboard the third leader of branches. So uh being on uh being in that space, William Ventura, one of our amazing leaders down in the Dominican Republic, uh, was coming on board for the first time uh within the program. And I got to meet Rod Welker there because Rod Welker was going to be his mentor, uh, and really just got to see this first taste of what a Christian community of business leaders could look like. It was just this first little start. Um, and for me, I didn't know I didn't know, right? I was coming out of this regular manufacturing, logistics background, uh and always felt called into that leadership development space. Uh, but that was my first time actually seeing it and not only seeing it, but seeing it cross-culturally. So it was just really exciting to start off in that way. And my first week, like I'm sitting down in the Zoom call, which by the way, five years ago, uh, who knew what Zoom was? Uh, that I was learning Zoom, I was learning all these different things, and it was just a really interesting start. But uh early branches from there, uh, you know, I would be remiss to say that there weren't a lot of challenges, things that we just didn't know uh of how to start a global business redemptive environment for these entrepreneurs entrepreneurs to connect with. Um and you know, I'm just blessed uh to reflect back on the community and the people that we had within our references to start those discussions as far as to how to build this, what has your experience been, how to bring those right individuals into that space, not only to help design and build branches out to be what it is today, but then also to help find the people, right? You know, we're talking about finding people all over the world, and there isn't like this special database that you can jump on and figure out where a Christian entrepreneur is in Costa Rica or Brazil. So all of these different things we just we had to learn, we had to figure out, we had to grow in. So uh needless to say, I I can reflect back in that first year. Um the amount of learning that happened, uh, the learning curve in general was just astronomical. But uh each one of those steps, the failures that the setbacks and the ability to get back up, dust yourself back off, keep moving forward, the tenacity uh is really what it comes down to is really where uh how we've built off of where we are today.

SPEAKER_05 6:52

And really, I think are seeing momentum now. So all of that learning has built a good, strong foundation for how we can repeat this and scale this out so that we can, you know, bring on 90 leaders as the future five-year branches goal is. But so the original vision I remember talking to you when we wanted to come on with consulting was 30 leaders in 30 countries for 30 years. And I went to the first branches summit, and Dan's opening it up, and he says, Imagine you're gonna be here in 30 years. And I was like, I'm gonna be 71 and really had a moment. Yeah, but it it is a testament to the long-term commitment of the community building for Christian business owners. Um, and really that community is so valuable. But to think about, oh, I mean, you would join a church and think, oh yeah, I'll be here for 30 years. It's it's not a church, but it's weird when you think about it from a business perspective to commit to something for that long. So tell us a little bit how that vision has evolved and where we're at now from leaders and countries and all of the things.

SPEAKER_01 7:58

Definitely. Yeah, so branches, as you said, uh the vision has been 30, 30, 30. 30 leaders, 30 countries, 30 years. And within that, the meaning within that phrase, that that zingy, uh fun phrase really equates to 30 leaders, meaning that we want to work with a wide network of leaders that isn't so wide that nobody knows each other. It's intentional, it's close-knit, but it's also a uh wide cast net. Uh and we are doing that, we want to do that in 30 countries. What that means is really we want to see this grow globally. We have seen what Christian business looks like in communities. Uh, you know, the community that we live in is a great example of that, and the type of cultures that that creates. Uh, and we believe that that can be uh really used and leveraged all over the world. So seeing that grow internationally, globally, and multiple different countries all over the world is really huge for us. And then lastly, uh 30 years. So I remember that being one of the first questions that any new person that I meet with sits down and asks me like 30 years. Like I don't know what I'm doing in 10.

SPEAKER_05 9:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:20

30, 30, why 30? And really what that what that equates to is that branches wants to work with, connect with, and grow with people for a lifetime of their business. So much of what we do in our day-to-day lives is uh the quick fix, you know, try to get from point A to point B. And what we realize is that life shouldn't always be that way. There's opportunities to journey, to really go the distance together. And we believe that that is where the best fruit is found. So uh all that to say, those are just the main roots behind that. Uh, but you mentioned it, branches is growing, and maybe perspectives around those 30, 30, 30s have adjusted to uh just instead of only having quote unquote 30 people in the program, uh, branches is on path and on scale to uh be in a space where we are bringing 30 new people into the program a year. And that really uh would design uh be by design for them to go through a three-year development program that has been developed and designed to talk through that individual's leadership, their business, and a specific impact plan for how they are using their businesses to influence their communities for Christ, really just to bolster and pour into them uh and the work that they're doing.

SPEAKER_05 10:47

So you're referencing the first three years of a leader coming on and the types of like curriculum. So explain that a little bit. Like what does year one, two, and three look like?

SPEAKER_01 10:56

Yeah, yeah. So year one really focuses on that person's leadership specifically. So uh there is a a lot to it because we're talking cross-culturally, uh, and there's uh it's really designed to be a space where we bring ideas for collaboration. Uh what we've realized is that, you know, what we do here in Ohio may not work in Brazil or Cluj, Romania, or, you know, Cape Town, South Africa. But what we do have is a group of highly intellectual entrepreneurs that do know how it works for them, and that they can bring their experiences into this really think-take environment. So we'll cover multiple different aspects of leadership, how you lead your family, how you lead your staff, uh, and how that translates into your community. Uh, we'll talk about business more so in year two. Talk about how you use marketing. What do you do whenever uh you need to develop a sales pipeline? What does your forecasting look like? We have all that design on the program. And then lastly, the third year is really talking about impact. There's so many different ways that you can impact your community from how you uh work with your staff and with your manpower within your organization, creating ways to develop them instead of looking at them as a resource to produce the product that you create. Uh, you have opportunities to look at how you are using your business to show others the love of Christ with how you market, so much of your marketing, and we could talk about that. We could talk about marketing all day. Yeah, you know, marketing has the the potential to be very manipulative. And then you have the other side of it that you could really use marketing to show the life change and the positive uh within that as well. So yeah.

SPEAKER_05 12:54

What happens after years three then?

SPEAKER_01 12:56

Yeah, three.

SPEAKER_05 12:57

I know we're figuring it out.

SPEAKER_01 13:00

So, fun fact, uh this has been our second year that we've officially had leaders go through a full three years. Uh so we have what is it, uh 15 different leaders that have completed all three years of the program. Uh and what you'll see is, and this goes back to that 30, 30 years mentality, is it's about finding ways to pour back in. So those first three years are all about investing in that individual because we know that the more we invest into them, the more they have the opportunity to invest into the next generation. So these past couple years have been all about finding ways for them to be able to pour back into their communities. And you see that primarily through them jumping as ambassadors of the program. Or we have this awesome new role called Course Fellows, where uh the leaders that have been through the program can come back in and help coach the new leaders that are coming through it. And uh lastly, we have the branches institute, which is designed to be this ongoing cutting-edge uh business as mission uh think tank that travels all over the world uh to really be on the front end of what does a Christian business leader need to do to be able to be successful in this world and really create content in that space. So all these different areas have been developing over the past couple of years, and we've been really excited about it.

SPEAKER_05 14:31

So to go back, you have we have three different years of development. So we have basically you guys call them like we call them cohorts. So we have uh you could have 30 leaders in year one, 30 year leaders in year two, and 30 leaders in year three, which is where we end up possibly with having 90 at the end of the vision, all inside uh the curriculum at one time, but then there's an entire community outside of that. It's crazy to think about how much it really has exploded since we first started, and um, just seeing that multiply, the momentum that's there. It's um it's really exciting to see all of those opportunities to connect uh with business owners around the world and truly an experience I'm grateful for because I never thought I would be like, I'm going to fly to Mongolia and meet sweet little Sophia, you know, that's like those opportunities are just great and humbling. Yeah. It's just amazing when you meet other people who are using their businesses for good. I cannot tell you how many times I get on a call or I talk to somebody, I'm like, we're not doing enough. You know, somebody in some other country, you know, it I'm I always joke, I'm like, every branch's leader has a business, a nonprofit, and all of, you know, like they're doing all of the things. They're amazing at what they do. So it's very inspiring to be a part of that community. Um, so I guess tell people how they like what are the roles involved with branches? What it what does branches need?

SPEAKER_01 15:56

Yeah. Yeah. So there's lots of ways to get involved with them branches. You know, the easiest way is contributing. Uh, branches is a nonprofit uh by nature and really designed to be able to pay it forward to those next generations of leaders because we believe that by paying it forward to these young entrepreneurs sets them up to have a much bigger stage, much more opportun a lot more opportunities to really create influence for Christ. So that's always an easy way to get plugged in. But for someone that likes to get a taste of the world, likes to uh dive into the aspects of culture and build relationships, really the ones that want to go the next mile. Um, there's a lot of really cool ways to get plugged in. Uh, first off, we have our vision trips. Uh, vision trips are groups of individuals that actually will go out and travel to some of our leaders in around the world uh and get to see the work there on the ground. So get to uh connect with that uh entrepreneur, get to see the business, get to see the work, uh, and really get a flavor for what it is that they're doing there. And it's one of the best ways to actually see the work of branches. It's it's it's the best way.

SPEAKER_05 17:20

There's no better way than seeing it in person for sure.

SPEAKER_01 17:22

That's it. That's it. Additionally, uh, some of our volunteers include our ambassadors, uh, which you've actually gotten to do a little bit of that, right? Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 17:33

So in the in October when it was zero degrees. I just talked to Sophia the other day. She said it was negative 50.

SPEAKER_01 17:38

Yeah. Well, you chose the right time to go. Yes. Uh Mongolia, yeah, is uh is the opposite way, opposite direction from Costa Rica, as far as the temperature at least. So uh yeah, our ambassadors are integral to what we do. Uh they are the frontline uh people within the organization. I like to call them our gatekeepers. Uh they help us connect with and find the right people to come into the organization. And they do that by interviews, by actual genuine relationship building, but then also by jumping on a plane and flying to Mongolia, uh, getting to connect with people in their home, in their business, and really develop those relationships. So that's been just a really fun way for people to get involved. Um, and then the last way that I'll I'll point out is our mentors. Our mentors are the backbone to what we do. These are the professionals and individuals that have really earned their bumps and bruises along the way as business, uh Christian business owners and um uh managers and just leaders along the way. And they've gotten to this place because, you know, if you run into any of these types, uh once they're nearing retirement and or the end of their career, uh, these people they don't stay still. They need something. They're like purpose. I need something, yes, exactly.

SPEAKER_05 19:11

They still need a purpose in life.

SPEAKER_01 19:12

100%. And branches has been that purpose for a lot of people. It's been a great way to connect with a new, younger, ambitious individual that wants to build their business, wants to see success in that. And the entrepreneur and these mentors have the opportunity to find someone that cares something, cares about something like they do, and then help them grow in that themselves. So uh I can't speak enough about our mentors and just the amount of time and influence that they have poured into branches to to create the experience that we have today.

SPEAKER_05 19:48

Well, and that being said, I mean, they meet with their leaders once a month, they attend the cohort meetings, they go visit them once a year in person. So it really is a commitment time of time, which is why it works better for somebody in that stage of life as well, because you have to have uh the ability to be able to commit to that.

SPEAKER_01 20:05

That's it.

SPEAKER_05 20:06

Also to highlight the financial side because you are a nonprofit. Um you know, going through the ambassador uh process with a new leader, we always stress that this is not we're not a money organization, right? Like you are not going to these leaders and giving them money, we're giving them tools and coaching. Um, Diana said, you know, when we visited uh Sophia, she's like, you know, business coaching is very expensive in our countries. And so the resources and the tools and the teaching and the training and really that community is what branches is providing. That's where the donations go to support that. Um and I know that branches consulting was actually brought around a couple years ago to help support and fund the administrative side of branches so that all of those donations go directly back to funding, supporting those leaders. So do you want to highlight that a little bit?

SPEAKER_01 20:53

100%. Yeah. Uh branches consulting has been a new initiative over the past couple years. Uh, and we've been really excited by it. Uh ultimately, I remember a couple years ago uh sitting down, it was uh just Dan and I still uh and we kept circling around this idea of we are running this program designed to help entrepreneurs grow their business while running a nonprofit. And there was a piece to that where we're like, are we missing something here? And that's where branches consulting really was kind of birthed out of is this idea that we we want to practice what we preach because we believe in for-profit business, and that that for-profit business has so many opportunities to create influence, uh whether that's through uh financial donations or the structure or so on and so forth. But branches consulting then started uh by recognizing hey, we have a lot of services that we do on the nonprofit side that could be really useful for a A for-profit environment to be able to expand our capacity. You know, whenever you look at the nonprofit side, you're capped out because you only have so many resources to actually deliver out to individuals, so on and so forth. So we saw this as just this amazing idea and opportunity to take all the same skill sets that we are using to develop these young entrepreneurs and then to open them up and have this opportunity to uh provide them at a larger scale for a fee. And not only does that opportunity be or not only does that create more opportunity for people to have access to these resources, but it also creates a sustainable fund funding model for the nonprofit. That's one of our uh goals within Branches Consulting is to create this organization and continue to grow and scale it to the point that all the funds from branches consulting covers the overhead of branches worldwide. That way, every dollar for dollar that is donated into branches worldwide goes to the work that is happening.

SPEAKER_05 23:02

And it's exactly what you said the the curriculum, all of the content that's being taught on the nonprofit side is super valuable to anybody who is in a for-profit business. Plus, if you're going, I'm speaking personally because branches consulting is our business coach. But if you're a business, you know, a Christian business owner and you're like, I want to have a coach, what better way than to know the money that you're investing into a business coach is not only paying for that, but also giving back in another way. So it's you know where that money is going to support.

SPEAKER_01 23:33

That's it. That's it.

SPEAKER_05 23:35

It's it's I love the way that the whole thing is set up and seeing the organization evolve. Um, again, seeing that momentum grow. So tell us what is on the horizon then for branches. I know where dangerous question.

SPEAKER_01 23:50

That might be a more loaded question than what has the past five years looked like. Okay. Uh, you know, we we have some big plans. Uh we see the the start of where we are as truly just the start. Um I'll say this. I don't think we could have projected how much we've been blessed over these past five years to be where we're at. Uh and all we feel is the acceleration of that. So um I'll give I'll give a sneak peek per se. How about that? Sneak peek. Sneak peek. Uh I I foresee branches not only continuing to look to grow internationally, but focusing on putting international events on the map uh and getting to a space where we are regionalizing our our support in a way that isn't centralized here in North America, but really uh dispersed around the world. Where we are not only uh cultivating this nice tight-knit home here in Homes and Wayne County.

SPEAKER_05 25:04

We have satellite branches offices in other countries, huh, Cody?

SPEAKER_01 25:08

Exactly, exactly. Where where we can really maximize the knowledge of this world, of uh finding who we believe are the best Christian entrepreneurs to join this movement to contribute to it and really to see what God can do with a community that is on fire for a mission like this over the next 30 years. So uh all that to say, we we have a lot of different tactical pieces that are moving out there. We're planning on doing our first international event here this year. Um, and we we anticipate that is just the start of it. So we're really excited.

SPEAKER_05 25:48

So what we know is going on this year, ever all parts of the branches community come together once a year at the summit.

SPEAKER_01 25:55

Yes.

SPEAKER_05 25:55

So tell everybody what the summit is, what that looks like, and how they why they should be a part of it.

SPEAKER_01 26:01

Yeah. So the summit, if you haven't experienced it, you're missing out. That's all I gotta say to start off.

SPEAKER_05 26:07

It's a wild week.

SPEAKER_01 26:09

It is a wild week. So the summit is really our time to bring all of the pieces of branches together. Uh what we recognize is as an international organization is we have representatives all over the world focused on their work. And the summit is a week that we uh invite everyone, all the leaders, all the mentors, all the consultants, uh, and the general public to come and participate in an event that really centralizes what we believe is some of the best content around Christian business. Uh, and it's a great way to one, just get uh involved and get to see the work that is happening, to learn a ton. I feel like I've had so many conversations uh year after year of leaving the event and people just saying how much that they gain from the event itself. But then the best part about it is you connect with people that truly get it. Uh, this is an event that is designed specifically for entrepreneurs, for leaders that are leading at a high capacity. And what you find is whenever you sit across the table from other people that are that way, there's just this synergy that happens, this relationship that builds because you know that they are dealing with the same challenges or similar challenges that you are. And it creates opportunity for discussion and vulnerability, and that's where the magic is made.

SPEAKER_05 27:41

So awesome. So they can check out information about the summit on your website.

SPEAKER_01 27:45

Yes. Yep. Go to the website. Uh, got a great year coming up this next year. We're uh summit is going to be happening in October, the end of October. Uh, and it will be a uh great spot to be able to just go find all the content, uh, get more information, and make that RSVP to be able to join us.

SPEAKER_05 28:05

Wearebranches.org.

SPEAKER_01 28:06

Wearebranches.org. That's it.

SPEAKER_05 28:09

We can plug that in. I love Summit Week. Um Branches is a little confusing sometimes for the outside world. And I think we're all working better to be able to explain that in a more digestible way.

SPEAKER_03 28:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 28:23

Um, but there is nothing like that helps you connect the dots better than being there in person, seeing the leaders, and then you start going, oh, oh, I see you're mentoring this person and this person, and like seeing the web of how everybody is connected. So I definitely encourage everybody to be there. I know that we brought um a number of clients and friends with us to the event last year, and they were even some of them a little bit resistant to coming. They might not have normally gone to like a leadership event. And the ones that came all said, Oh my goodness, thank you so much for taking us. This was an amazing day. They really left like spirit checked a little bit, I think, and inspired to to say, Oh, what could I be doing with my business? Um, so you know, if you're a Christian business owner, you definitely belong, like there's a place in this community for you, and there's other people out there like you. So that's it. Just encouraging people to be a part of it.

SPEAKER_01 29:15

Yeah, come come check it out. There's there's no better way to be challenged than uh listening to Trinity from Uganda talk about his uh his walk and his path from the slums to running a massively impactful business in Uganda.

SPEAKER_05 29:31

Literally being in a gang.

SPEAKER_01 29:33

Literally.

SPEAKER_05 29:34

And yeah, the stories are really really inspiring. So um okay, so if somebody wants to be involved, they want to volunteer, they want to donate, they want to know more about branches, that's all at wearebranches.org. Where else can they learn more about branches?

SPEAKER_01 29:50

Yeah, great questions. So wearebranches.org is the the main landing point. So uh that will ultimately filter uh you out to some of the sub-organizations within branches between branches institute, branches consulting, and lastly, our our favorite branches worldwide. So there are lots of different ways to get involved, whether it's from the nonprofit on branches worldwide, or maybe you're looking to get involved with some coaching and consulting yourself, branches consulting and branches institute are great ways to explore that. Uh additionally, look for us on LinkedIn, uh, Instagram, and Facebook. Uh, we have a great social media team over here uh that helps us be able to talk about our work. Uh and it's a great way just to stay up to speed with our mission, where we're going next, and more than anything, get to hear the amazing stories that are happening all over the world through the entrepreneurs that we're working with.

SPEAKER_05 30:51

And they can also join the collective. So if you go to the website, you can learn more about that. So you can uh be a part of monthly newsletters and there's some content and things like that are pushed out there. But for sure, just find branches online, send some questions in, or feel free to reach out to them directly uh if you think that you might want to be involved. So we really appreciate it. It was so good to talk to you today, Cody.

SPEAKER_01 31:11

Lindsay.

SPEAKER_05 31:11

It's always a pleasure.

SPEAKER_01 31:12

It really is.

SPEAKER_05 31:13

We were really nice to each other for this whole entire time.

SPEAKER_01 31:17

I'm biting my time. Completely kidding.

SPEAKER_05 31:19

Thanks for tuning in to Torch Talk. If today's story sparked something for you, share it with a colleague, community leader, or future change maker. Until next time, stay inspired, stay intentional, and keep your fire burning.