Session 7: Risk Taking, Barrier Breaking, Bold Leadership: Catherine Rohr

Session 7: Risk Taking, Barrier Breaking, Bold Leadership


Catherine Rohr
Prison Entrepreneurship Program

• Was earning 200K a year at age 25... got an invite to see prisoners, saw potential in them, began teaching business to them, creating business plans, and helping them in their next steps...
• Simple prayer...."Bring it on God"...
• Emptied 401K to fund the ministry, moved to Texas, car got broken into, and started with nothing. She had the "opportunity" to be cleared out...
• "I've benefited from 'ignorance is bliss'"- CR
• "God has better plans for me than I do- I just need to chill out and give up control"- CR
• 1 of 15 in US go to prison...
• Society contributes to it by labeling them as "Ex-con"- Christians are Grace-junkies...yet today it seems like we don't want to have anything to do with them
• They recruit prisoners, break down barriers, and put them through a business boot camp..
• They've achieved a single-digit return rate compared to over 50% nationally...
• 70% of graduates are doners to the program after they're out...
• Don't put all your eggs in one relational basket, get exposure, visibility to the mission
• "We're not trying to take a dope dealer, give them business skills, so that they can become a better dope dealer"-CR
• Handling Criticism: Don't let my emotions get in the way of my business... yet, be honest if it's valid feedback... Invite feedback- seek it out...
• Self-leadership- She lets someone actually manage her life closely- Sacrifice privacy for accountability.
• PEP is working hard not to get too spread out (like to open up to new markets, the homeless, women, etc)... Staying focused... Waiting to find leaders prior to expanding...
• Deep level of ownership, they hire from within... they get what it means to be willing to die for something..
• They do a great job of speaking vision into these prisoners lives, they strongly respect and ask a lot of these men... they challenge them and raise their bar....
• Catherine has got "IT".

Thoughts:

• Several testimonies from this minsitry just remind me again.... how can one deny the incredible life change Christ brings?
• Jesus.... "Bring it on."