Jay Johnson's faith guided his remarkable journey from college admissions consulting to educational technology innovation in his business. Hosts Kimberly Daniel and Stephen Lewis of the DO GOOD X podcast revisit this inspiring conversation about scaling a business with intention and divine direction. Jay, founder of College Prep U and Prep Intel, shares how church community support sparked his entrepreneurial path and how taking risks in business led to exponential entrepreneurial growth—expanding from 37 to 2,500 students in one year. His story demonstrates that purpose-driven business success requires both faith and strategic action, offering valuable insights for founders navigating their intentional business-building journeys.

What You Will Learn in this Episode:

✅ How church community support can ignite entrepreneurial opportunities and provide critical business mentorship connections that lead to exponential growth.

✅ The importance of business collaboration over competition, as demonstrated when Jay partnered with a competitor and secured strategic partnership development.

✅ How faith-driven decision-making shapes scaling a business sustainably, from choosing not to join a franchise to developing machine learning applications for education.

✅ Why overcoming fear in business through spiritual grounding enables entrepreneurs to embrace uncomfortable growth opportunities and build nonprofit to for-profit transition models.

Join the DO GOOD X Community to access resources, connect with purpose-driven entrepreneurs, and grow your impactful business with intention.

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 The importance of intentional business building and slowing down to reflect on purpose-driven business goals for 2026

04:00 Jay shares how support from his church community launched his college admissions consulting journey

05:03 The solar eclipse moment: taking risks in business to start College Prep U independently through faith-driven decision making

07:28 Scaling a business from 37 to 2,500 students through strategic partnership development and business collaboration

12:05 Jay discusses the challenge of being ok with being uncomfortable

13:26 Launch of Prep Intel: transitioning to educational technology using machine learning applications while making resources free for student success

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

💎 Strategic partnerships can transform your business overnight—Jay's willingness to collaborate with a competitor led to a contract serving over 2,000 students, proving that abundance mentality and business collaboration can create more opportunities than competition.

💎 Divine timing and spiritual discernment matter in entrepreneurial growth—from the solar eclipse metaphor to the Watch Hour prophecy, Jay's story shows how paying attention to spiritual guidance informs critical business pivots and taking risks in business.

💎 Building sustainable educational technology requires separating yourself from day-to-day operations—recognizing that College Prep U would close if something happened to him, Jay created Prep Intel to ensure student success continued beyond his personal involvement.

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Jay Johnson is the CEO and Co-founder of Prep Intel, an AI-powered platform that helps educational institutions and military recruiters identify and engage prospective students efficiently. He also founded College Prep U, providing families with expert college preparation guidance. A Morehouse alumnus, certified Collegiate Independent Counselor, and former Fortune 100 executive, Jay serves on advisory boards for The University of Alabama, Naval Academy, Clark Atlanta University, and University of Pennsylvania, and is President of the Birmingham Chapter of 100 Black Men of...

Guided meditation for entrepreneurs takes center stage in this DO GOOD X episode with hosts Kimberly Daniel and Stephen Lewis. This faith-based entrepreneurship session offers a transformative pause from the entrepreneurial grind, inviting listeners to reconnect with their business vision and purpose-driven business goals. Stephen Lewis leads a powerful meditation drawing from Christian wisdom traditions and the words of poet Lucille Clifton, helping entrepreneurs release old limitations and embrace new year reflection. Through intentional breathing and contemplation, this episode guides under-resourced entrepreneurs to realign with their inner life alignment and clarify their business dreams for 2026.

What You Will Learn in this Episode:

✅ How to use guided meditation for entrepreneurs to release limiting beliefs about yourself and your business goals while embracing new possibilities for growth and transformation.

✅ The practice of faith-based entrepreneurship through Christian wisdom traditions, learning to rest in your deep longings and trust in the business dreams that are calling to emerge.

✅ Techniques for creating entrepreneurial clarity by pausing the entrepreneurial grind, practicing mindful breathing, and reconnecting with your purpose-driven business vision for the year ahead.

Join the DO GOOD X Community to access resources, connect with purpose-driven entrepreneurs, and grow your impactful business with intention.

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Guided meditation for entrepreneurs and faith-based entrepreneurship practice for the new year

02:49 Begin meditation: Grounding exercise with breathing techniques to quiet the entrepreneurial grind and create space for reflection

04:40 Faith-based Christian wisdom of hope and conviction

06:15 Poet Lucille Clifton: Releasing old promises and limiting beliefs about your business vision and entrepreneurial capabilities

08:24 New year reflection on business iteration: Acknowledging new possibilities and the business dreams longing to be born in you

09:59 Closing invitation to rest: Encouragement to believe in your dreams and maintain entrepreneurial clarity through regular mindful business practice

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

💎 Entrepreneurial pause is essential for sustainable business growth—taking time to ground yourself through meditation and breathing exercises creates the clarity needed to discern your next moves and realign with your calling.

💎 Releasing limiting self-narratives about your capabilities unlocks business renewal and transformation—the beliefs you carry about what you can or cannot do directly impact your entrepreneurial journey and must be consciously examined.

💎 Faith and business integration through Christian wisdom reminds us that spiritual business growth happens when we rest in our deep longings and trust the dreams emerging within us, even before they become visible realities.

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

DO GOOD X - Website

DO GOOD X Start Up Accelerator

DO GOOD X - LinkedIn

Connect with Hosts:

Kimberly Daniel LinkedIn

Stephen Lewis LinkedIn

SEO KEYWORDS:

DO GOOD X, Kimberly Daniel, Stephen Lewis, Entrepreneurs, Purpose-Driven...

Successful entrepreneurship requires mindset, adaptability, and market fit. This episode explores why some businesses thrive while others fail.

In this episode of the DO GOOD X Podcast, hosts Kimberly Daniel and Stephen Lewis explore a critical question: what truly makes a successful entrepreneur? With data showing that most businesses don’t survive past year one, the conversation breaks down why a small percentage go on to build sustainable, impactful companies.

The hosts unpack three essential drivers of long-term success: solving a real market need, having knowledge or proximity to the industry you’re entering, and maintaining the agility to pivot when conditions change. Drawing on real-world examples—including lessons from the pandemic—the episode highlights how mindset, adaptability, and a commitment to listening to customers shape businesses that last. This conversation is a practical and reflective guide for aspiring and current entrepreneurs who want to build ventures rooted in purpose, resilience, and long-term impact.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✅ Why market fit is essential to entrepreneurial success

✅ How mindset and adaptability influence business longevity

✅ The importance of pivoting based on customer and market feedback

✅ What successful entrepreneurs do differently to scale sustainably

Enjoying the DO GOOD X Podcast? Subscribe and follow on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube for more conversations on impactful entrepreneurship.

Join the DO GOOD X Community to access tools and resources, connect with purpose-driven entrepreneurs, and grow your impactful business with intention.

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Welcome to the DO GOOD X Podcast

01:17 Why most entrepreneurs don’t make it past year one

02:07 The role of mindset, adaptability, and pivoting

02:31 Patterns seen in successful entrepreneurs

03:42 Market fit and solving real community needs

04:07 Industry knowledge and building the right team

04:41 The importance of agility and being open to pivoting

05:56 Lessons from entrepreneurs during the pandemic

06:52 Growth mindset and scaling beyond limitations

07:50 Defining a “no-excuse” entrepreneurial mindset

08:28 Balancing hustle, self-care, and feedback

08:57 Additional factors behind long-term success

09:23 Advice for entrepreneurs navigating their journey

09:44 DO GOOD X resources and the “Built For This” course

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

💎 Sustainable businesses solve real problems with clear market fit

💎 Successful entrepreneurs stay agile and open to pivoting

💎 Mindset and continuous learning fuel long-term growth

💎 Scalability requires feedback, self-awareness, and resilience

RESOURCES:

DO GOOD X - Website

DO GOOD X - Podcast

DO GOOD X - LinkedIn

DO GOOD X - YouTube

DO GOOD X - Spotify

DO GOOD X - Instagram

Built For This Course

Connect with Hosts: