Welcome to the Nightowl Book Club—where faith, leadership, and caffeine collide. Each review explores timeless principles from great books and how they shape the way we lead, serve, and create unforgettable experiences in the world of coffee catering.
God Built It. We Just Keep Showing Up.
I wouldn’t be celebrating year 8 as the Founder and CEO of Nightowl Coffee without the people God placed in my path. Every success—every event, milestone, client, and opportunity—has come through His timing and His hand. God protected me when I wasn’t following Him and preserved me when I felt like a failure in the corporate world. Since then, he's shaped me into a leader of men.
My confidence as a leader comes from knowing my identity is in Jesus Christ. Eternal life and true purpose aren’t earned through perfection or good works—they come only through faith in Him as Lord and Savior. Romans 6:23 says:
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Jesus is the only way to heaven—and the only source of lasting peace. If you’d like to learn more about God’s love for you, we’d love to hear from you.
How God Built a Leader (and Still Builds Them Today)
In Chapter 2, John MacArthur introduces Peter—the guy who talked too much, jumped too soon, and doubted when it mattered most. Yet Jesus still called him the rock. When we look at Peter, we see how God builds a leader. MacArthur explains, “The nickname became a perpetual reminder of what ought to be, and before long, it shaped his whole attitude.”
That hit me. Because that’s what leadership really looks like—God shaping raw material into something unbreakable. The name Nightowl became that same kind of reminder for us—a symbol of curiosity, hustle, and relentless pursuit. We’re not here to be trendy. We’re here to build something that lasts.
1️⃣ Curiosity Is the Cornerstone of Leadership
As if it came straight from the Nightowl Employee Handbook, MacArthur writes:
“People who are not inquisitive simply don’t make good leaders. Leaders need to have insatiable curiosity.”
That word—curiosity—defined my career long before Nightowl ever existed. Working under David Choate, COO at CAPIS, I learned what he called intellectual curiosity: the refusal to settle. The drive to dig deeper, to understand the “why,” and to never be satisfied with good enough.
Dave taught me how to learn—constantly, intentionally, in every moment. Each morning before market open, he required his sales team to deliver a full-market brief: the previous day’s close, the implied open, the futures of the S&P, Dow, and Russell, plus every story that could move the market. The lesson was simple but permanent—if the information exists, use it. Don’t coast. Don’t guess. Be the most informed, the most prepared, the most relentless person in the room. That mindset became the foundation of how I lead Nightowl today.
At Nightowl, that same mindset is baked into our culture. We don’t want yes-men. We want thinkers, problem solvers, question-askers. People who get obsessed with doing it better. When someone doesn’t last here, it’s rarely because of skill—it’s because the fire went out.
☕️ If curiosity had a motor, it would look like our Tap Truck—a wild idea that turned into a rolling coffee bar built from creativity, craftsmanship, and the courage to try something new.
2️⃣ Initiative: The Courage to Move First
Peter wasn’t perfect—but he was bold. MacArthur quotes:
“It is much easier to tone down a fanatic than to resurrect a corpse.”
That quote should be stamped on every leader’s forehead. We don’t want safe players. We want people who see an opportunity and grab it by the throat.
That same energy drives how I lead Nightowl. I stay close to the front lines—supporting our sales team, diving into operations, and protecting our standards like it’s oxygen. I show up early to lift weight off my people and remind them: I’ll never ask more from you than I give myself. Leadership isn’t about the title—it’s about who shows up when it’s hard.
🔥 Check out our Shopbop Grand Opening Recap—where a “two-hour event” turned into a four-day activation because we refused to play small.
3️⃣ Involvement: Leadership Happens in the Trenches
True leaders are always in the middle of the action. They go before their followers into battle.
Leadership isn’t about distance—it’s about proximity. I want my hands in the work, my feet on the ground, and my team knowing I’m right there with them. Culture is built shoulder-to-shoulder, not from the top down.
Every time I’m out there—checking setups, walking clients through logistics, problem-solving in real time—I’m reminded of Peter’s persistence. Even when he stumbled, he never abandoned Jesus. That’s the mark of a real leader: messy, faithful, unshakable.
💡 See how our leaders are our Secret Weapon for Espresso Catering Success.
3 Takeaways for Faith-Based Leaders
- Curiosity fuels growth. Never stop asking questions. Leaders who stop learning stop leading.
- Initiative creates opportunity. Bold beats perfect every time.
- Lead from the middle. Influence comes from example, not authority.
Final Thoughts
Peter’s story isn’t about perfection—it’s about progress. God doesn’t need flawless leaders; He needs faithful ones. He took twelve ordinary men and changed the world. He has an incredible plan for your life too if you'll trust Him.
☕️ Explore more stories like this in our Party Blog and see why Nightowl Coffee leads the way in DFW coffee catering, Dallas espresso carts, and mobile barista stations.
📅 Ready to bring that same energy to your next event? Book your cart at nightowlcoffeecart.com/book
