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In Today’s Issue:

* Intro to the Guest and Topic - Rob, CEO of Publicly Traded Hotel Brand - Now Investor

* Core Takeaway -

* Episode References

* Select Quotes

* Key Moments

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Today’s Topic & Guest:

Rob Hays | Investor & Entrepreneur

This episode is legendary! Why? Because Rob is legendary.

If you’re not familiar with him, he took over as CEO of a publicly traded hotel brand days before COVID. Crazy!

He had to furlough most of the company. And did what he could, little by little, each day to see them through that crisis (of having zero revenue).

Rob has spent a lot of time thinking about how to integrate his faith into what he does. Which makes him a great guest for us. He’s got some incredibly fiery takes.

In this episode, we dive into how that crucible of crisis refined his faith and why he believes professional prestige and mundane tasks are essential components of a founder’s sanctification

Core Lesson:

Professional prestige is a byproduct of excellence. That excellence serves as the "bait" for apostolic influence. Which in turn, gives us more credibility to share our faith (because they see we are good at what we do).

Seeking prestige often feels like an act of pride, yet Rob reframes it as a functional necessity for the personal apostolate. People naturally seek advice and leadership from those who demonstrate mastery in their craft. By striving for excellence as an input, we create the credibility required for others to take our witness seriously.

This perspective shifts the focus from self-glorification to professional stewardship. When we prioritize excellence in our roles as founders, fathers, and husbands, the resulting prestige becomes a tool to wield for the sake of the Gospel and human flourishing. We must remain detached from the output of prestige while remaining fiercely committed to the inputs of excellence and prayer.

(I should probably write more about this in the future)

God Bless & Happy Building!

~Silas Mähner

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Key Episode References:

* St. Josemaria Escriva Institute

* New Horizons Podcast

* St. Josemaria Escriva

* The Master and His Emissary by Iain McGilchrist

* The Matter with Things by Iain McGilchrist

* OptimalWork

* Kevin Majors

* Uniformity with God’s Will by St. Alphonsus Liguori

* Time for God by Father Jacques Philippe

* Sent Ventures

* Triumph of the Heart (Film)

* Anthony D’Ambrosio

* Dante’s Inferno

* Jeff Bezos on Work-Life Harmony

* Dr. Daniel Tataje - #49 He Beats PE Firm’s With Lower Bids

* St. Catherine of Siena

* St. Thérèse of Lisieux

* St. Joseph

Bible Passages

* 1 John 4:8 - God is Love

* Exodus 12:5 - The Unblemished Lamb

* Matthew 16:24 - Take up your cross

* Matthew 26:34 - Peter’s Denial

* Luke 2:51-52 - The Hidden Life at Nazareth

* Luke 3:23 - Jesus at Age 30

* Matthew 6:9-13 - The Our Father

Select Quotes:

* “St. Josemaria’s thesis was that he did that to show us that the mundane and the, and both the company of the mundane, ordinary things of life, know, family, living in a little village, going to work every day, but then also work is a part of the salvific plan of God and is part of our own redemption.” — Rob Hays

* “Jesus was a carpenter or blacksmith and doing mundane tasks as God of the universe. That’s completely insane. But that is the example that he gave us.” — Rob Hays

* “Who cares about what someone says who is bad at what they do?” — Rob Hays

* “Prestige, for lack of a better word, is effectively the ‘bait’ for the apostolate.” — Rob Hays

* “If I am in fact excellent at those things, there very well likel...

#59 Lessons From Running a Hotel Company Through Covid | Rob Hays