From Rock Bottom to Divine Purpose | Alex Sanfilippo

in this powerful conversation, Alex Sanfilippo, founder of PodMatch, shares the raw and honest story of how God met him at rock bottom and rebuilt his identity from the ground up. From selling golf balls at age 10, to losing everything in the 2008 crash, to sitting in a church parking lot battling shame and fear — Alex opens up about the moment God’s presence changed everything.

“I walked in and felt like Jesus was hugging me… saying no matter what you’ve done, I love you the same.”

We talk entrepreneurship, surrender, spiritual discipline, legacy, and what it means to lead with love, serve with humility, and build something that echoes into eternity.

If you’re a man feeling disheartened, discouraged, or discontented — this episode will speak directly to you.

Want to be a guest on The Valiant Forge Podcast? Send Mark Osborne a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/17432638464878159623a121d

Alex Sanfilippo – Founder of PodMatch.com and Host of Podcasting Made Simple

PodMatch: Matching Hosts and Guests for Podcast Interviews

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

A lot of men hesitate when God tells them to move. My guest today, Alex San Filippo, didn't, but it wasn't always that way. Before Podmatch, before the success, before the influence, he hit rock bottom. Debt, depression, loneliness, a part-time job breaking down boxes, and then one moment in a church parking lot, everything changed. Today, Alex reveals how God rebuilt him, reshaped him, redirected him, and redefined his definition of success. If you've ever felt disheartened, discontented, or stuck, this conversation will show you how God meets men in the cave and then calls them into their purpose, and that purpose will lead to building a legacy in the kingdom of God. Let's get into it.

SPEAKER_01 0:50

Welcome to the Valiant Force Podcast, where we help men overcome life's battles, show up better in the world, and become a valiant warrior for God. This is a place to look for practical practices to help you on life's journey to help us become the man of God's feet. Are you ready to overcome your doubt and fulfill your purpose just by duty? If so, let's go.

SPEAKER_00 1:22

Alex, welcome to the podcast.

SPEAKER_02 1:24

Mark, thank you so much for having me. It's an honor to be here today.

SPEAKER_00 1:26

I I feel like I'm in the presence of greatness right now.

SPEAKER_02 1:31

Me too. That's a mutual feeling. So about you. I've I've been we've we've been connected online for so long. I was kind of like it's just it's it feels surreal being here. So I'm I'm really excited about the value we're gonna get to add today.

SPEAKER_00 1:42

Yeah, I I don't know if you're aware of this, but you I don't know if you you probably heard my first episode, my very first, two years ago. Right after I put it out, you sent me an email immediately. And I think I think I responded and said, I don't think I'm ready for this yet, but I'll get back to you. I saved that email. I just I just thought it was so weird that like I didn't know anybody was gonna listen at all, but somebody you know of your caliber who listens to millions of podcasts probably throughout the week, heard my little tiny podcast and then reached out to me. I appreciate that.

SPEAKER_02 2:20

Yeah, it's uh listen, I love meeting podcasters, but I really love meeting podcasters that have a faith element that have you can just sense that like the Holy Spirit's driving it, right? Like to for me, that's that's a huge deal. So anyway, uh I was glad to reach out and and I I didn't necessarily know if I'd hear back from you, but it's really cool, like full circle. Like you said, like you came back. And so uh I don't know how many people have actually done that or saved email or could even find it later, but um it's cool that we've we've been able to like build this relationship over the years, starting with with that so early on. And you've you've come such a long way as a podcaster, it's it's inspiring to watch. And again, honored to be here. Like this is so cool today.

SPEAKER_00 3:00

Well, I I owe that to you. I definitely would not be where I am without PodMatch. And and what I really appreciate about PodMatch, I know this isn't a uh uh advertisement for PodMatch, but if you're not on PodMatch, get on it. There will be a link in my bio. But what I appreciate about PodMatch is you have so many quality people on there. I have not last year I interviewed 53 people from PodMatch. Wow. And I have not had one bad experience the whole time. A couple people showed up late, one person didn't show up. But out of all that, I get no bad experiences. I don't know if it's something you're doing or it's just God blessing your platform. But it it's amazing. I appreciate that.

SPEAKER_02 3:44

Oh, thank you. I I like to think we put in the work, but ultimately God's the one that makes it makes it actually work, right? So we put in the effort, we're we're God's hands and feet, but ultimately it works because of Him. So um I I give God all the glory for that. And and also I I said, hey, what we're it's what we're doing is working, right? So it means we're not far off from what God's telling us to do. So thank you. That's a that's a compliment that that I needed today. So thank you. That was very encouraging.

SPEAKER_00 4:08

Yeah, so let's let's let's get into your story a little bit. What led you to providing a platform like this? And I love the fact that it's it's not necessarily a Christian platform, but you have a lot of Christians on there and you don't shy away from your faith and who you are in God. So give me a little bit of background on that and why you stay uh keep it like that.

SPEAKER_02 4:33

Yeah, this when I start talking, it's gonna sound like this is gonna be a long story, but I promise I'll wrap it up. Um worries this all for me started when I was uh when I was a young kid. I got I got my first my first shot of entrepreneurship at 10. I started selling used golf balls and um and it was fun. I just did it across the street from our neighbor. There's a golf course, me and some friends started selling golf balls, and I loved it. I was actually good at it, even as a 10-year-old kid. And so that kind of followed me through high school and and into um into my later teen years, starting doing a technology startup in the real estate space. Started investing in properties as soon as I was 18. Um, and just I kind of felt invincible at that point. And my identity was wrapped up in becoming what was at that point, I think it's still a thing, but a Forbes 30 under 30. Like I was like, well, I want to be one of these guys. Like I'm too young now, but in two years, I can be positioned and ready. Real estate will be my vehicle. I've had all this background entrepreneurship, been working since I was 10. And so I had my identity wrapped up in this idea of like that's gonna make me feel good. And when I came of age and when all this started happening, is when that 2006, 7, 8, 9 market crash happened. And I got caught up in that. And I wasn't one of the people smart enough to see that it was coming. So I had all my eggs in the real estate basket from an investment standpoint, but also from a technology startup that served that industry. And so I went from being a young, young man, doing better than anyone I know, to very quickly being the most in debt, doing the worst out of anyone I'd ever met for my age. It was a full 180. It felt like it happened almost overnight. Like when that, when that hit, that recession hit, like it was, it was bad, right? And it happened very quick. And so for me, I went from being kind of cloud nine, thinking I'm gonna hit all these goals with a very shallow purpose. It didn't, I couldn't see beyond myself, to now being at what I would still divine as my rock bottom in life. I was anxious, I was stressed, I was depressed, I was very alone. The people I was hanging out with were also very shallow, so when the money disappeared, so today, including the relationship was in, like it just it kind of snowballed. And I can remember um I took a part-time job as a receiving clerk, which I never thought I'd be an employ like an employee somewhere. I just I kind of always felt like I'd be an entrepreneur. But basically, my job was to break down boxes at this company and take out people's trash. And uh it was part-time, and it's all I could get. It's how I could pay the bills. And I I remember just like going home every day feeling like defeated. And if anyone knew how bad I'd fail, I would never make another friend in my life. And uh to kind of tie this story up, what would ended up happening is I got a flyer in the mail one day for a young adult's church service that was happening. I looked at the address. I'm like, this has to be across the street from my neighborhood. It's gotta be right there. And so I actually kept it on my counter. I'm like a very like type A person. I don't leave stuff lying around, but I couldn't go, couldn't get myself to go because I knew what they would think of me, but I also couldn't throw it away because something wouldn't let me throw it away. And sat there for a couple weeks. And then finally I was like, you know what? I haven't been to church since I was a kid, but I'm gonna go. I'm just gonna step in there and and and see how it goes. I'll never forget. I sat in that parking lot and all the voices, as you know, Mark, that enter your head saying, Don't do this, don't go. You're not a church guy. No one here would accept you. When they find out how much a failure you are, they're gonna laugh at you, right? Like all these things just start popping into your head. And um, I finally just I just did it, right? There's that saying that um that courage means being afraid than doing what you have to do anyway. And I remember I just got up and I walked in. And man, I cannot describe what happened. I will just give it to the power of God because I don't know how else to define it. But I walked in there and felt this sense of calm and the sense of peace. And there wasn't even anything happening, right? It wasn't like fancy lights worship service. It was, it was nothing like that. I just stepped in and felt like I was home. And throughout that service, um, I met some people and they were nice. I still had my reservations about people, right? As soon as they'd find out. But what I didn't have reservations about was the fact that I felt like I felt the love of God. I felt like Jesus was like hugging me and saying, Hey, no matter what you've done, no matter where you are, I love you the same, regardless of your level of success or who you are, who you're not. And I felt that that sense of peace, that sense of calm, that sense of belonging, uh, love. And um, my life was never the same after that day. Like it never the same. Like I didn't go down for an altar call or anything like that. I just I left knowing something changed. I left something there. And when I when I went home, I was a different person. Now, I'm not saying like my life went from like rock bottom straight up, like it wasn't like a hockey stick type of um uh adjustment, right? But I started on the right trend. And to this day, I look at that time, that rock bottom, as the defining moment of my life, of my business, of everything that I do. From then it's shifted from Alex being this guy who's gonna be a success to now, how do I further the kingdom of God and show that same love to other people through everything that I do? Feeling called to being an entrepreneur, I know that that's the lens I do it all through. And so um that story was a little bit long, I know. No, that's the whole baseline for how I do everything in my life, both personally and professionally, though.

SPEAKER_00 9:19

So, what I love about your story, and it's like so many stories in the Bible. You you think of Samson, you know, he was this strong guy, and then at some point God humbled him, and then God used him again. Gideon, you know, he was one of the judges. He never felt, he actually never felt like he was this a-type guy, but then God humbled him. And what you're talking about where you walked into that church and you just felt the presence of God when you were already in this place of feeling defeated. You know, that's in Gideon's story when the angel of the Lord showed up, which is actually Jesus Christ, he felt that presence right away. He knew right away this this is not just a regular guy that's talking to me. And I love how you did that. I g I do got a question though. You said you didn't go up for an altar call or anything like that. When you came home that night, did you pray? Did you were you a praying person at that time? I know you said you went to church when you were younger.

SPEAKER_02 10:16

Um you know, I I should have given that that example. I actually I prayed while I was there at that church, and I went home and yes, continued praying. But I did, I just did it to my my myself. I don't think there was like any invitation to to do anything. I was just there in my own seat, and I was just like, God, like you're real, and I now know that. And like I I sensed that. And so I I went home a praying person. I started from that day, and and um, yeah, so it just kind of became who I was like in that moment, just from my seat all the way back to home.

SPEAKER_00 10:42

So, what led you? I know you before podcasting made simple, you had a Christian podcast. Explain what brought you to that, what made you start podcasting in the first place?

SPEAKER_02 10:55

Yeah, so I I I really became passionate during those years of in my walk with God. And I referenced that I took that part-time receiving clerk position at uh, it was an aerospace company, and um I I ended up deciding to devote myself to just doing excellent wherever I was for God, not for my own name or anything like that. And so I really applied myself with that work. And although I started off in a very humble position over a 15-year period that I stayed in big corporate, like I was an entrepreneur, I worked my way up to the the C-suite level. And when I started, it was a privately owned company. When I left, it was a publicly traded, multi-billion dollar organization. And so, like it, I saw a lot of growth throughout that. But while I was doing that, like aerospace, there's not a lot of um, not a lot of times to explore your passion for like sharing Jesus necessarily, right? Like it was kind of like closed quarters. I worked, it was focused below the atmosphere, it was um parts manufacturing. There wasn't even a lot of people involved all the time, right? So um I loved the job, but I needed an outlet to be able to share. And I I discovered podcasting. Funny enough, while I was at my job, somebody showed me a podcast or they let me listen to a podcast for a second. I was like, that's so cool. I went home and months later I'd started one, and it was um it was a faith-based podcast, just talking about Jesus. And I talked on it sometimes. I interview people that's back in the day when there was not a lot of tech to do it. So I was just doing it all through my phone. It would just sit at my on my couch and me and someone would have a conversation for for 20 minutes. And um, that was kind of my outlet. So I did that and I did some blogging. Just I like to write as well. And so that was kind of again the the creative outlet of of being able to share Jesus with people that that that maybe needed it, or just were in my my scenario of hey, I'm a busy professional, but I need to remember that like I'm doing this for God, not just for myself. And so that's what got me into podcasting was just being able to share my my passion of faith.

SPEAKER_00 12:41

Wow. I don't know if you I don't know if we talked about this before through messaging, but yeah, I know you were in aerospace. I worked at an aerospace company myself for seven years. So I was on the manufactur manufacturing side, and I'm still I'm still doing machining, but it's for a different type of company. But that's just another, you know, I call those like God nudges.

SPEAKER_02 13:02

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:03

When I found out you had a this background in aerospace, it was like, okay, God's telling me to connect with this guy in some way.

SPEAKER_02 13:10

I remember that. Yeah. And um it's fun that we're both on the uh on the boring side of it. We're not astronauts, skydivers, or fighter pilots, like everyone thinks. They hear, oh, you work in aerospace. Did you jump out of airplanes? It's like, no, I no one very few people do that. And the rest of us maintain them, you know.

SPEAKER_00 13:25

So let's let's go back to the beginning of PodMatch.

SPEAKER_01 13:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:29

When you when you started Podmat, which is a great thing, connecting other podcasters. As it grew, how did you see your influence and responsibility as it grew?

SPEAKER_02 13:41

Yeah, to give everyone an understanding, which I know you mentioned Podmatch a lot, and I'm really thankful for that. So for anybody who's wondering, it's a service um software that connects podcast guests and hosts for interviews. People can join on either side of the microphone as a host or as a guest, it'll match you together. You can message on the platform. And that whole thing was built out of just my own, not just my own necessity, I saw the problem, but I validated that hundreds of other podcasters at that time were also struggling with it. So uh built it and then Mark, I didn't I knew that God told me to. Like I knew that I knew that, and like I heard that and it was confirmed. I didn't know like what God's plan was with it. And at that point in my life, I just from previous experiences I already shared, I just learned that when God says jump, you say how high. And so like I didn't ask any questions. I'm just like, I'll do it. And um man, we launched it and it was it was immediately successful from the standpoint of um profitable within like two weeks. And I mean, people were joining without us doing any marketing, it just was like people were flocking to it. And still this day, that's it's primary growth, it's just organic and it just it just happens. And so day one, I still had a full-time job. And so I I went from being like, hey, all right, I'll we'll do this for fun on the side. I love podcasting, it's a hobby, right? To I need to leave my corporate job. It's time to pursue this full time to now that I have a responsibility here to make sure that I'm educating, improving the platform, teaching people how to use it, teaching people how to succeed on either side of the microphone. Um, it turned into a big calling really fast. And I'll be honest, it kind of terrified me. And I feel like I didn't know what I was doing, especially at first. Like it's kind of like I jumped into the deep end before I could swim type of scenario. Um, but as it evolves, I just remember that the more rooted I am in God, the more I feel that I learn about how to actually lead in a business like this. And so at first, when I try to jump in and control everything, I wasn't doing as well. Where now I actually have taken a bit of a step back and it's more seeking God than anything else. And and listen, to some people that might sound crazy. Like I and I get that, but I'm telling you, it works. I'm a better leader, I'm a better visionary, I show up with more energy when I don't feel like I'm in control, but I feel like I gave God control, and and that's where I'm at in my my leadership abilities when it comes to pod match.

SPEAKER_00 15:54

Yeah, that's that's where you and I are a little different. So, like you said, when God says do it, you just say how high, you just jump, you just do it. For me, I hesitated. So, where do where does that come from in you? Is that just part of your personality? You're just always this kind of go-getter guy? Or when you feel like God's calling you to do something, do you hesitate a little bit?

SPEAKER_02 16:17

I definitely I normally hesitate. Um, or I should say I normally did before kind of getting to this. I that there's a Bible verse that has really spoken to me over the years, and it's maybe one of the weirdest Bible verses to have speak to somebody, but it's it comes from Psalm 102, verse 23. Psalm 102, verse 23. And um different translations say it differently, but over the course of my life, God broke my strength. And so for me, like I I tend to be that guy who wants to be in control, who wants to know how everything works, who wants to feel like I've got a hand in it. Not again, I when I when I had that failure in the real estate industry, right, and hit that rock bottom, I don't need it for my name anymore. I just want to feel like things aren't spiraling, right? And unless my hand's in it, I feel like, oh, maybe it's out of control. Um, but the more I've learned to rely on God, the more I've realized He's broken my strength. And when I say my strength, like where Alex ends and God begins. And so for me, I I've I've not always been willing to give control and to say, God, what do you need? I'll do it right now. But I have learned time and time again that he is going to break me down if I continue following him. And eventually I'm gonna yield anyway. And I don't know if I'm tired, Mark, or what it is, but I've just learned that like now God says I'm like, sure, we're gonna do it, you know. Like it worst case I miss God, but I don't think God's gonna judge me too hard for thinking I was doing something that he wanted me to do, right? Like, of course, I do pray for discernment and stuff like that. But um, that's newer for me. I'd say probably a few years before starting pod match, that's what really started. Um, of me just saying, yeah, God, whatever you want, I'm gonna do it. So, like that place of total surrender. Obviously, always a battle. There's days where it's a struggle, there's days where it's not, but that's really become who I am, and it's it's not been too many years of my life yet.

SPEAKER_00 17:58

Yeah. Well, I I appreciate your example because a lot of a lot of men need to know that, you know, you can hesitate for a moment, but if it's something that lines up with the Bible and you're feeling led to do it, just start. And if it's not, if it's not God, there will be some kind of a sign or something along the way that says this isn't working, move in another area. But I what I will tell men is that God doesn't want you to just sit on the sidelines and wait for that voice to tell you what to do next. I'm gonna transition for a second. So the world's view of success is you know, you I'm in a world, PodMatch could seem very successful. It has a lot of people on the platform. It's every day there's thousands of podcasters recording interviews and putting podcasts out. The world's view of success is having money and fame and riches and you know, whatever you're doing is super successful. How do you personally define success?

SPEAKER_02 18:58

I I look at success from the just the lens of the gospel, and I do my best to do this. Like the worldly stuff is always back here creeping. So I don't want to sound like I've arrived when I say this, but for me, it's all about furthering the kingdom of God within the lens of what he's allowed me to see and to do. And I say that really intently. So for me, like I know that God's not called me to preach right now. I know he's not called me to be a full-time missionary on the field right now. I know that there's many things that like to me seem really cool that I'd love to do for the kingdom that I just don't even feel peace about. What I do know is God has told me to run this business and run it like it's his. I'm just the hands and feet in it. And so for me, success looks like showing up, working not just for God, but also with God and loving people through that. So finding a way to love, to serve people through that lens. The monetary gains, the, the, the influential gains in an industry, like that stuff is all secondary. And again, I have to keep that at bay because that stuff does exist and it is there. And I'm I'm in many ways grateful for it as well. But at the end of the day, that is completely secondary in its own category. My main definition of success again is am I doing what God has called me to do? Am I loving and serving people while working with and for God? And like that ultimately, this is my worship unto Him. And so that's my definition of success. And the reality is if I'd never made another penny doing this, or if I if my reputation never grew or anything like that, I've come to the conclusion that that's actually okay. Because it's it's not about me. God could have chosen anybody, and honestly, there's probably people far more equipped to be doing this better than I am, even right now. So that I'm just grateful to be here, right? And so my definition of success am I actually leading people to Jesus with what I do?

SPEAKER_00 20:37

Amen. So, how do you practically maintain that humbleness and maintain because you're you're meeting, you know, what the world would call famous people? And I know PodMatch, and everything that you're doing continues to grow, and you're meeting more and more people and getting higher and higher up the ladder, as people would say. But how do you practically maintain that humbleness with God?

SPEAKER_02 21:02

To me, it all begins. Um, I'm I'm a morning guy, so I say morning guy. I have a morning routine. So I like my mornings are very intentional. Before I ever open my computer, my computer actually is completely locked up, which is kind of funny. So all my digital devices, uh, Alicia, my wife, has all the passwords on him, and I'm basically her kid on all these devices. So she's able to set screen time. My computer will not turn on before 8 a.m. My phone, I cannot use it between certain hours. Uh like everything's set that way, and I have no way to bypass it. So for me, I wake up at around six, give or take a little bit there every day, usually, usually a little bit later than that, right? But I've basically got this almost two-hour block before I can even do any work at all. Like I can't even use a digital device before then. So I've got this two hour block where I am surrendering to God, submitting myself to God. And there's I've just developed some core values over the years that I recite to myself every day. And I, Margaret, I'd like to just share those real quick here because I think it should be helpful. So it's part of this like recentering act that. Do. Like what it's during my worship with God, during my Bible reading time, like all that stuff in the morning. But I remind myself it's in this order, but love first. Like love becomes comes before everything. It's me loving God, it's me loving Jesus, and it's also me being the hands and feet and loving others. Seeking to serve is the next thing. To seek to serve, not to be served, which many of us might recognize that from scripture. I think it was Jesus who said that, right? And then and after that uh is to lead with value. So like I'm not here to get rich, I'm not here to get famous, I'm here to lead with value. And to me, that that is so important. So what value am I adding to to others' lives? And the last one is just to honor others. Remember that other people are hurting, other people are striving for something, they feel God's put something in their heart. My job is to honor and try to elevate that. And so again, that's that's love first, seek to serve, lead with value and honor others. And I go through that every morning reminding myself of it. So for me, the way that I show up right in the morning when 8 a.m. hits and my laptop turns on and I start working, it might not be I want this continue, I want this to be a continuation of my worship. It might not be like the intimate worship like I had before. Now I'm working, but I want this to be part of my worship today. And so I just do my best to naturally flow my life right into it. And then as soon as I get into the work, it seems to be a lot easier for me to show up remembering like, okay, I'm here to love, I'm here to serve, I'm here to add value to others and to honor them. And that's really helped me show up in the right possible ways getting that morning right and that intimate time with God so the rest of it can be worship, and I can show up in a way where I'm not thinking about myself. I'm thinking about others as I show up.

SPEAKER_00 23:31

Man, I love that. I'm gonna push back a little bit, and just I'm coming from a different angle. This is not how I view things. Okay, it's how I how I used to view things before God got a hold of me and changed my perspective. Coming from a man who would work 10 hours a day, you know, that was my focus. I had I had to work, I had to support my family. I always said I didn't have time to spend time with God. I don't have time in the morning. I have to get up and be at work by 6 a.m. Blah, blah, blah. And people hear what you're doing, which is fantastic. I do this too, and I still have a job. They hear what you're doing and they'll say, Well, I just don't have time. So, what would you say to a man that says that? I don't have time because I have all these other things. It's easy for you. I'm sure you hear that a lot. It's easy for you. You're an entrepreneur, you don't have a nine to five job that you have to answer to. What would you say to that person?

SPEAKER_02 24:26

Yeah, the entrepreneurship thing is is funny. Um, because I always remind people, yeah, you're right, I have a 24-7 job. Um if the company crashes, so do I, right? So um it never never stops. But um, but I I listen, that I'm I'm so glad you brought this up, Mark, because I think it's super important we talk about this because you're right. Most people, I don't have time. I have three kids. I have this, I have to be up in the middle of the night. Like, there's all these different things. There's this um this quote that I wrote down just just yesterday, and it's this it's not about following your calendar, it's about scheduling what is actually important. So don't just following the calendar, but scheduling what's actually important. If you can't spend time with God in the morning before work, then do it when you can. Can you get a break? Like there's got to be some chance to breathe. And I'm I'm not, listen, I am speaking from a guy who has built out some time for this. I've carved out time intentionally in my life for this. I'm very grateful to be in a position where I can do that. I acknowledge not everybody can. But if you can find five or 10 minutes, then then use it wisely, right? Look at the screen time on your phone. Are you spending too much time on social media on your phone? Could you put a screen time limit on that to say instead of 30 minutes, I'm gonna do it for 15. That other 15, I'm gonna spend just praying. I'm gonna spend just listening to God. Or, hey, this time where I'm spending an hour and a half watching TV every day, can I cut that down to an hour instead of an hour and a half and spend a little bit of time with God? And I always, I always suggest giving God your time first. So, not, yeah, sure, I'll watch TV for an hour and a half today instead of two hours, and I'll just shut it off in the last 30 minutes of each time with God. Start with it, begin with it before you sit down and get too comfortable. Spend that time with God. There's plenty of times in the Bible, if you just read some of some of the Old Testament, especially with times of war and stuff like that, where these guys didn't have the luxury and ladies didn't have the luxury of like waking up early. If they woke up early, they're just fighting earlier, right? Like so they had to find any time they could to connect with God, right? And so think about that. Like somehow they still found a way. Like some of these biblical characters that we read about, these people that are pillars of our faith, they had to do the same thing that you're having to do, which is carve out some little bit of time. And God's not gonna be like, oh, well, it was only five minutes. I know you're busy, but that's not enough, right? No, God's gonna say, wow, you you you were you were doing what I called you to do during the time. You were working as hard as you had to, you had this little bit of time and you did give it to me, right? And I think that's what matters, is when you can prioritize it and get it in when you can. Like I get that again, not everyone can do what I can do in the morning, and I'm grateful to be there, but you've got to find some time to spend with God. And I always say prioritize it before you get to something more comfortable beyond it.

SPEAKER_00 26:59

Yeah, I love that you brought up the old times because now we can microwave our food, we can have DoorDish, DoorDash deliver our food, we can have the drop off our groceries. It's so much more convenient nowadays. So when people I'm I'm not a pastor, not yet, so I'm probably a little bit harsher when men tell me they don't have time because I work 50 hours a week myself. And some of the net when you talk about entrepreneurs, that's why I asked you this question. I've heard that entrepreneurs will work 80 hours a week to avoid working 40 for someone else. I don't know if you've ever heard that before, but and now I'm I'm working 50 hours a week. Um when I come home, I spend some time with my I'm intentional about spending time with my wife. And then I go and get on my computer, and sometimes I podcast. I make sure I don't do more than one interview a day. I have a little time that I do stuff on the computer, and then I go spend time with my wife, because that's important. I prioritize things. I love that you said that. I'm gonna get to the final question in a minute here, but before we do, are there any interesting stories from PodMatch that was like, okay, this is proving to me that this is a God thing?

SPEAKER_02 28:11

Yeah, I've got I've got a number of these. I'll I'll share my the first one. So um you know, I'll share two back to back because they kind of related. But um, when I got the idea for PodMatch, it was during 2020, the beginning of the year, speaking at a conference, and just asked a bunch of the podcasters after I was done speaking what they were struggling with. And they described Podmatch. And I went home. I like to think I'm a brilliant guy, but I had no idea to do with the feedback. Like I had uh a hundred people said the same thing. I'm like, I don't know what to do with this. And uh, this is like now the world had shut down at that point. It was during COVID, so I was working from home, but I was doing a um a workout just at my house, and um, I was like, God, what do I do with this idea from podcasters? Like, what do I do with this? And I was like on my back porch and I don't know what it was, but I just felt God tell me to go inside. I had a wall of whiteboards, being a corporate aerospace guy. You know, we've got we like our whiteboards. So I had a whole wall of them. And I just felt like God downloaded the idea to me. So I started in the top left-hand corner, wrote down, went to my next whiteboard, wrote all the way down through it, and then to my last wall of whiteboards. Uh, I wrote down the bottom, the bottom right-hand corner, I just wrote this like a dating app, but instead of can't people for dates, can't take people for podcast interviews. And I realized, like, I took a step back. I'm like, I don't remember writing any of this. I remember coming in the room, I don't remember writing this down. And uh I picked up my phone um at that time and I called an old friend of mine who was a developer. I'm not a software developer, I'm a non-technical co-founder, and he's like the technical guy, right? The guy who does the development work. Called him, knowing he's a busy guy, he had a really, really big job at that point. I mean, like a big time government contract job. And um, so I knew he wasn't gonna have a chance, but I'm like, maybe he knows somebody. So I called him. I was just kind of explaining the idea to him in like five minutes or less. And then he goes, Yeah, man, I'm in. When do you want to start? And I was like, What? I was like, You have time? He goes, Yeah, I'll make time. He goes, This is a good idea, let's do it. I was like, okay. And so for me, it was like, man, God download this idea and brought me a partner right away, right? And so we started working on it. And the second part of this testimony is when we launched, that was March 10th, 2020s when we started working on it. And then on June 15th, 2020s, when we launched it into our early beta. And it was me, Jesse, my co-founder, Alicia, my wife, who's the other co-founder, and um, Jesse's wife, Jenna. The four of us went to dinner just to celebrate. And then Jenna goes, Isn't it crazy how like God just confirmed this idea? And I was kind of like, well, like, what do you what do you mean? Like, what explain that? And she had forgotten to share a little detail with me that I would have loved to have known months before. And she goes, Oh, well, you called Jesse on a Tuesday. And she goes, But that Sunday at church, someone walked up to me who I didn't know and said, Hey, I don't know you, but God just told me to tell you that your husband's gonna get a phone call on Tuesday with a business idea, and he is to take that business idea um and into into run with it. And then she said the person just walked away. And uh, I called him on Tuesday. So that's why he said yes so quick, is because Jenna had told him that. And I just told her, I'm like, I would have loved to have known this three months ago. You know, like the control side of Alex would have loved to have known that like this is for for sure God's plan, not Alex's plan, right? Um anyway, those are two early on testimonies that just like reinforced it. Beyond that, we have seen people come to know Jesus because of Podmatch. And like there are individual cases like that where someone joins the platform, they're like, There's something different about y'all. There's something different about how you're running this, there's something different about Mark who's on the platform when they get to meet you, right? Like people are like, there's just something here that I've not felt before. They can sense that love that we lead with, right? And um that to me is like, listen, if we never made a dollar, like that, right? Like, isn't it worth it? Right, like helping lead one person to Jesus, like getting to witness in this way, what a gift. And we've got a bunch of testimonies like that. And um, those those are the things that keep me going. Like they keep me really motivated to keep on doing this thing.

SPEAKER_00 31:47

Well, I I can tell you that I wouldn't probably wouldn't still be podcasting if it wasn't for PodMatch. And I recently, I haven't even mentioned this on my podcast yet. But probably two months ago, I got an email from a young man and he's like, I've been seeking God for a while and I've been listening to your podcast, and since I've been listening to your podcast, it's pushed me to grow closer to God, and now I'm reading the Bible every day because of something that I heard on one of the podcasts, and I'm like, wow, this stuff like that keeps me going. Wow. That's amazing. You're connected to that, so I appreciate that.

SPEAKER_02 32:26

Man, thank you. Like we'll we'll never fully know the legacy that God has us leaving, right? Like the seeds that we're each planting. But man, that is incredible. Please never stop your podcast.

SPEAKER_00 32:37

Please I know we talk about men talk about legacy a lot. Something I heard recently that it hit me. Because we always say we want to leave a legacy, but a legacy is something you're establishing now. In order to leave that legacy, you gotta be building it while you're doing while you're here.

SPEAKER_02 32:56

So that's well said. I'm writing that down for myself for later. Thank you. That's great.

SPEAKER_00 33:01

So there is a question I ask every man that comes on the podcast. 1 Samuel 22, David was running away from Solomon or Saul, sorry. David was running away from Saul. And he went to the cave of Adulum, and it says in 1 Samuel 22 that while David was in the cave of Aduam, men of the kingdom became disgruntled, disheartened, and discontented. They came to David while he was in that cave. They ended up becoming David's mighty man throughout his time in the cave and getting in to be the king. Modern day, a group of men in front of you who are disheartened, discouraged, and discontented. What would you say to them?

SPEAKER_02 33:40

Yeah, so I didn't want to overthink. I don't like to script anything. So I'm trying to let like this type of thing flow from the heart. But as a listener of your podcast, which is phenomenal by the way, um, I I couldn't help myself a little bit here. But I I've actually been in situations like that a couple times in my life, and I can never say I've handled it fully the way I want to. First, I would look at myself and just full boldness with for Christ, say what's actually on my heart versus trying to people please. And again, I've never fully gotten this right, but that would be step one, to not hold back, to give it 110% without being like, okay, well, they're they're hurting, so I need to be like gracious here. I need to be careful here, and they're gonna want to hear this because I tend to be naturally a people pleaser. And so in the past, again, I've not fully done this right. But the the right version of Alex, the one that's fully aligned with God, I would show up with complete boldness and conviction to share exactly what I believe God put in my heart. And so that's first and foremost. Beyond that, I would remind them that, like, hey, like if I were to be like the leader in that situation, I'd remind them, like, hey, I'm following God and you're welcome to join me as we follow God with what we're going to do. Here is why I feel Him calling me. If that resonates with you, this is where we're going. And as long as I'm aligned with God and you pray and sense that yourself, then we'll go do it together. If not, then there's another direction for you to possibly go in, which would be that way, right? And so for me, it's just a matter of that boldness and not trying to people please in that moment. I think if I could have gotten this right in previous years, I would have done much better. One being in aerospace, one being my own startup, and actually like really just honing in on that and just fully sharing it, leaving nothing on the table, I think there would have been better results. So for me, once again, it's about aligning to God, speaking with total boldness, saying, this is where I believe God is going and taking me. Let's go together. And if not, there's that way because God might be calling you to something else. But firmly drawing that line in the sand, I think that's what I would want to do moving forward when I get that opportunity.

SPEAKER_00 35:33

Awesome. That's an amazing answer. I I appreciate everything you're doing. You know, and what you just said in your answer, I can tell that you're you're following God, and you have many people following you because you are following God's plan. So I appreciate everything you do. And thank you very much for coming on. Do you have any final words to say?

SPEAKER_02 35:53

Yeah, the the last thing I want to share is around this idea of legacy again. I love that you're talking about how we're establishing a legacy now. Like I wrote that down, already typed it up for myself for after this to really ponder it. But it made me think of this quote, which may be from a movie, possibly. I'm not really sure. It's probably pulled from scripture and then re-repurposed into a movie, though. That's usually what happens with good things that are said, right? Um, but it's that um it's this around the idea of legacy, once again, but it's that what we do for ourselves dies with us, but what we do for others echoes into eternity. And and I think it's so important that we remember that no matter what we're building, no longer, no matter what we're doing as men, no matter what we feel that God's put on our hearts, it's gotta be about more than us. It's got to be. And the more that we can be humble in that and become the number one servant for God and whatever it is he's called us to do, to leverage that, to lead others to Christ, to help others live a better life, that's what echoes into eternity. And so, like the example we had today is like me helping Mark continue podcast, which Mark hardly needs my help. He's done incredible, but that ultimately helping lead someone to Jesus and help them find a deeper connection to Jesus. Like that's the type of thing that, again, that's echoing, right? And so I just encourage everybody think about what you're doing, think about what you're establishing now, as Mark said, and walk in that. Walk knowing that, hey, today I'm doing something that's going to be a legacy builder. I'm doing it for Jesus right now.

SPEAKER_00 37:12

Awesome. Alex, I I'm looking forward to continuing on the journey with you. Thank you very much for coming on. God bless you. Success in the kingdom isn't about building your name, it's about surrendering your strength so God can build his. Alex said something powerful where Alex ends, God begins. And that's a reminder that every man needs. And hey, if you're a podcaster and you thought about sharing your story or you're getting this inkling to have other people on or start a podcast yourself, get yourself on Podmatch. I've met over 50 men, and all of them were fantastic, and I'm building relationships on there. And I think if you've listened to this episode, you see that there's been quite a bit of stuff about PodMatch. And every episode that I do, I leave a link in my bio, and if you click the link, it will take you directly to PodMatch, and it will show you how it all works, and you can reach out to me, and I'll be happy to help you get it started and figure things out. So there's that. But I want you to stay tuned for next week. Because I've been talking for the last few weeks about this community that I'm building quietly in the background. Next week I'm going to be releasing it. So you're going to want to be subscribed so you catch next week's episode and find out where you can join this community. It's not going to cost you anything. It's going to start out kind of small, not a whole lot of resources, but we'll build resources together. What I've been saying since the beginning of this podcast is I don't do this podcast for me, I do it for you. I'm trying to build something where men can grow and advance the kingdom where we end and God begins. And that's going to start in this community. So stay tuned for next week. Also, next week, I'm going to be speaking to Dr. Matt Coots. He's a pastor's kid, a professor, a leadership expert. And he shared one of the most powerful frameworks I've ever heard for leading your family with wisdom. And one point he said that still is sitting with me, and I interviewed him months ago. Strength is the same as surrender. You have to lean into strength by leaning into surrender. So again, make sure you subscribe to whatever platform you're listening to it on. Please leave a comment. There is a, if you're listening on the audio, there is a link that says send a text. That sends me a uh fan mail thing type thing where you can ask me a question, no one else sees it. If you're worried about anybody else seeing your comment, you have a prayer request, anything that I can do to help you. You got an episode that a topic you want me to explore, I am doing this for you. I'm trying to help. And if you're watching on YouTube, please leave a comment. Let me know what you thought of the episode. Let me know if you're interested in maybe starting a podcast. I'd be happy to help. I'm not an expert, I've only been doing this for two years, but I know a little bit about how to get started, and I'm more than happy to help anybody. So, with that, stay strong, stay valiant, keep forging your path, and be blessed.