Take It or Leave It

Would you ask a random person to come fix your roof? What about your plumbing? Would you go to Home Depot and ask the employee overseeing the appliances to come install your new washer and dryer? Absolutely not! There are professionals for those jobs. Why then do so many ignore the importance of hiring professionals to focus on their graphic design? Maybe because it's not valued. Join us as we explore five practical reasons of why graphic design should be a priority for your church or business. 

What to expect from Season 3 of the Take It or Leave It Podcast! We are partnering again with Pro Church Media and Pro Church Media University!THREE NEW FEATURES:We are officially on YOUTUBE! Subscribe to get notified on new episodes featuring helpful creative content for you and your team. You can subscribe here.QUESTION & ANSWER episodes with Megan and Jason Watson of Pro Church Media. Submit your questions for Megan and Jason for special episodes during the season. Submit your questions here.MINI-SERIES episodes featuring special topics with knowledgeable and credible guests. Content featured will help add value to your team and your church.Subscribe today! Give us a review on how we can be better! Also give us a 5 STAR RATING so we can climb the visibility charts!

Join Austin and Stephen as they discuss the personal journey Austin has made from a college student figuring out what God wanted from him, to now, as Creative Director at Canvas Church in Alachua, Florida (Southwest of Jacksonville). As a Creative Director leading a handful of creative volunteers and staff, Austin's focus as a creative goes beyond a printed piece, a social post, or b-roll for a video. Austin said, "Creatives exist to put visuals to the vision of the leadership, anything else outside their God-given vision is false advertising to the community." Such a true and insightful thought. As Austin and his team work to bring consistency to the Canvas brand, they have realized that their creativity has led many to doorsteps of the church. Many who serve alongside Austin, including Austin himself, were drawn in to Canvas because of their message of real life and real love.Canvas Church constantly and consistently communicate these three values, which are also the cause of their incredible growth journey:Jesus is always number one.Offer Engaging Environments.Nurture Meaningful Relationships.Canvas church is reaching the "unchurched" and the "de-churched," or those who have been hurt by past church experiences and have started to walk a path of restoration. Austin talked about the branding of the church and the importance of consistency. "Consistency is king. Consistency tells others you can be trusted. Consistency builds trust. Ultimately branding is the feeling you get when you participate with a brand. As Christians our goal is to show consistency so that people can see God clearer."Don't miss our final conversation of SEASON 2. We will dive into how Canvas Church went from portable church to buying a shopping center, which is ideal to their continual growth. We also talk about why they like orange so much, and of course, no great Creative conversation is complete without talking about coffee! We explore the cohesive branding of their church coffee shop, Doxa Coffee. CONNECT WITH AUSTIN + CANVAS:PERSONAL INSTAGRAMPERSONAL FACEBOOKCHURCH INSTAGRAMDOXA COFFEE INSTAGRAMCANVAS CHURCH WEBSITE

Cameron Smith is the Media Arts Director at Christ's Church of the Valley (CCV) in Phoenix, AZ. He and his wife Mikela have been married for 15 years and have 3 children. Christ's Church of the Valley has ten locations within the greater Phoenix metro area. Cameron oversees the Media Arts team which consists of creating and producing content for three key areas/groups: NextGen, Weekends, and Adult Groups. These three areas are was drive CCV's culture of growth and community. Cameron talks about having a healthy culture of commraderie among team members. Having a mind to grow and learn is also vital to a healthy team. Growing from a couple basic DSLR cameras to a fully geared up team didn't happen over night, it came by building trust with the leadership team of the church. They also were great stewards of every piece of equipment given to them over the years. We speak a little to the importance of building a cohesive spirit within a multi-site campus. Cameron talks about how each campus is specifically chosen and sought out before purchasing or leasing. They want to make sure there are areas for people to congregate, hangout and fellowship, not just on Sundays, but throughout the week. This mentality has been a driving factor to their growth.Cameron and his team aren't all business, they also make time to do things as a team—even participating in some occasional office pranks. Enjoy listening to our conversation with Cameron Smith! FOLLOW CHRIST'S CHURCH OF THE VALLEY + CCV CREATIVEEMAIL CAMERON FOR RESOURCESCCV MAIN SITECCV CREATIVE INSTAGRAM 

Joe Cavazos is a leader on the Christian Creative scene. Joe returns to the show with more insight for aspiring freelancers looking to grow their businesses, while still being passionate about their craft. Joe gives us insight into his process which involves a distraction free zone and music. Also, we dive into a topic that overshadows many creatives today: depression and anxiety. Joe opens up a little on this topic as it is much needed content for creatives and Christians serving their churches. There were some timely words regarding our current culture and the traps many creatives have in wanting to be consuming rather than contributing. Joe believes in Actions over Consumption. "Our output should be greater than our input. We should be doing the work instead of always browsing the work of others. Put in the work."Joe Cavazos is the co-founder of SundaySocial.tv, an amazing resource for churches to grow and enhance their online and social platforms through incredible graphics. He also is the co-creator of NuSupply.co, another great resource for designers and creatives alike. CONNECT WITH JOEWebsiteInstagramFacebookSundaySocialNuSupply

RJ Prestenbach is a graphic designer from New Orleans who currently resides in Lafayette, La. He has over 15 years experience with working along side individual clients as well as churches to create memorable and lasting work that inspires both growth and productivity. Currently employed at a multi campus church who just planted their sixth location in Louisiana, RJ occasionally freelances when his schedule allows it. Our conversation with RJ was packed with great insight in regards to working and collaborating with a team. There are many dynamics with working with other designers and creatives, but the team that has been assembled at the multi-site church RJ works at, has allowed them to produce some amazing content for their community.We also discuss the importance of having the right resources in your life that will help combat against fatigue, discouragement, and during those seasons of crunch-time. Listen longer and find out how RJ responded when he discovered someone copied his work  layer for layer and didn't provide credit back to him.All this and more packed into one episode for you! Enjoy!CONNECT WITH RJ:WebsiteInstagramTwitterFacebook

Casey Olson's motto has been "Creativity is God's, collaboration is ours." We sit down and talk with Casey about just that and more. The deep belief that creativity comes from the greatest Creator of all, Jesus Christ, is something that motivates Casey and it should be something that motivates us in what we do. "Success is measured by how much I am able to give and use my gifts for the Lord," Casey says. She starts her day of focusing on the body (exercise), soul (mass/time with God), and mind (prayer and deep thought). Being creative isn't just found behind the computer, it is a bi-product of our relationship with Jesus. Creativity can grow as we grow closer to Him. She says, "Practice doesn't always make perfect, but it does allow us to make progress." What a powerful lesson to learn to collaborate with the Great Creator!Casey works as a senior designer for lifeteen.com. She creates content that helps teenagers understand they can have a meaningful relationship with Jesus. Her talent is truly seen through her custom illustrations and artwork, and her love for God can be heard in her voice. Go give her a follow and take away this truth: "Creativity is God's. Collaboration is ours." FOLLOW CASEY:INSTAGRAM

As designers, we tend to find our identity in our work. When our work is criticized, we take it personally. If we are not included in a certain skill class, we get offended. Art and design is personal, but as Christian creatives, we shouldn't find our sole purpose and identity in design. Our talk with James Graves highlights how he discovered his identity was in things that could be taken away rather than his relationship with Jesus...which can never be dissolved. We talk with James about everything from freelance, to working at several secular design agencies, to working on a church creative team. The pros, the cons, the ups and the downs, James shares how God continues to work on designing him to be more like Christ in all that he does. James Graves goes by the handle @visiualjams and uses his talents to inspire, encourage, and uplift those around him. He also gives us some insight into elephants—be sure to listen to the whole episode to find out what that insight is!CONNECT WITH JAMES:INSTAGRAMDRIBBBLEBEHANCEWEBSITE 

Ashley Ulmer and her husband know what it is like to lose everything...twice. Ashley shares her story of how building two tshirt printing companies brought them to where they are today. They have learned so much, and appreciate the little things of life. Ashley is a successful freelance designer, creating simple graphics for apparel, print, and social media. Born and raised in New Mexico, her heritage has a great influence in her design aesthetic. She also explains how her struggles play a huge part in finding beauty in the imperfections of life. Ashley enjoys being a wife to her husband, a mother to her three boys, and creating inspirational designs for anyone and everyone that will stop and look.We hope our conversation with Ashley will inspire you to keep create regardless of the obstacles that come your way. CONNECT WITH ASHLEYWEBSITEPRO CHURCH MEDIA UNIVERSITYINSTAGRAMFACEBOOK

Dustin Cooper is a 31 year old graphic designer based out of Toledo OH. He lives there with his wife and 3 kids.After graduating from Hillsong College in 2007 with a music degree, he went to work on staff at a couple churches such as Calvary Church in Toledo, and Free Chapel in Gainesville, GA. He also worked a few years at a marketing company in Toledo. A little over five years ago he made the leap to full-time freelancer so that he could help more churches and businesses through graphic design. He has been doing graphics for 10 years and is considered an expert in his field of work.  Along with working as a successful freelancer, Dustin has contributed his experience to being an instructor for Pro Church Media University. Dustin is a great example of following your passion even if it means changing a career path.  FOLLOW DUSTINFACEBOOK (BUSINESS)FACEBOOK (PERSONAL)INSTAGRAMWEBSITE

We sit down and chat with Jenessa Wait, a designer, creative, and speaker based in Austin, Texas. She started her hand lettering journey in 2015 as a hobby and it quickly turned into a business as well as a way to bring encouragement into peoples lives and homes. She has a strong passion to impact the way people think about who they are and what they're destined for. Her and her husband, Ben, moved from Redding, California to Austin, Texas a few years back after feeling God calling them to help with a church-plant. During that time, Jenessa grew her online following because of her fresh, raw designs and her desire to encourage others. She believes that as Christian Creatives, it's not about us, it should always be about the people serve. It's easy for creatives to create to please people, but we should really want to create because it brings light into who God is.When she's not creating, Jenessa works alongside her husband, pastoring a young adults group at their local church in Austin, Texas. CONNECT WITH JENESSA:InstagramWebsiteOnline StoreOnline Course

Creativity comes in different forms. This week we interview Josh Engler, a Creative Director and Worship leader of Grace Avenue Church in San Antonio. We explore the backstage of what happens behind a worship team that is connected to God and has the focus of bringing the congregation in tune with the Spirit during each and every service. Josh has been blessed with great experience as the frontman for his music group "Abandon," as well as working with two churches over the last decade. Through this experience Josh discovered that true worship is when we see a clearer picture of God's attributes. More of God and less of us. Josh's creativity can be seen through his skill as a musician, singer, and songwriter. He also manages and plans song sets and team members that serve people each and every week with the pursuit of glorifying God and settling the hearts of people before they hear the bible message. We were encouraged by our conversation with Josh, and we know you will be too!CONNECT WITH JOSH:INSTAGRAMFACEBOOKMUSIC

We had a blast chatting with Chase Eggenberger. Chase, originally from Alabama, moved to Memphis to pursue his business degree at University of Memphis. During that time he began a Valet business that eventually turned into something very profitable and meaningful to Chase. However, as he began searching he found that he needed something more. Reached through the social media of Life Church of Memphis, he began attending services and found exactly what he was looking for. Dabbling in design became a creative outlet that Chase grew passionate in, he was soon volunteering at his church in any way he could. Eventually his work was noticed by the Marketing Director of the church and was offering a full-time job as a Social Media Designer. The Life Church in Memphis will be six campuses come the Fall of 2020, and with almost 20,000 strong in attendees and membership. This is a huge undertaking when it comes to media, graphics, social and day to day outreach via the media outlets of our society. Chase and the team members he serves with is making an impact day in and day out to the people of Memphis. It is our hope that our conversation with Chase will encourage you, help you with practical resources to reach and influence your community more effectively! CONNECT WITH CHASEDesign InstagramPersonal InstagramRESOURCES MENTIONED:Life Church MemphisSprout SocialAsanaFluro Photos

Like many freelance creatives, JJ was self-taught by being given an opportunity to design simple promotional items for her work. She did such a great job, her boss fired their current designer and gave JJ the job. Since then JJ has stretched herself by learning and growing in new techniques, styles, and discipline. Being a stay-at-home-mom (a full-time, unpaid job), she juggles life and all it  throws at her each and every day by being humble and brave. Her curiosity gets the best of her, and that has caused her designs and creative ability to be noticed within the Prochurch Media Community. Her and her husband reside in Atlanta area where they both work from home while raising their two children. CONNECT WITH JJ GETZDesign Instagram

With 12 years of design and animation experience, Jason has worked with churches, design agencies and media producers from all over the world. Jason has experience in design, illustration, photography, editing and advanced design techniques for applications like animation. He loves to share tips + tricks he’s learned from working both inside churches and for agencies to help others create top-notch media for their church.We discuss how Jason got started in creative work and how he now assists his wife Megan Watson advance the mission of ProChurch Media and PCM University. We discuss several topics, one being  humility when it comes to learning and expanding in knowledge as designers and creatives. CONNECT WITH JASON:Personal WebsiteProChurch Media UniversityFacebook

Brady Shearer is a successful entrepreneur. He has built a successful company called ProChurch Tools where they focus on provided practical and relevant tools to churches during the biggest communication shift since the printing press. Brady is under the age of 30, but has so much to offer when it comes to balancing family, work, ministry, and so much more. He talks about being stretched, effort vs. environment, work vs. worth, and even some personal routines he has implemented into his life to navigate through the tough, busy seasons of life. Be sure to listen to the entire episode and leave us a review to tell us how it helped you!  CONNECT WITH BRADY:FacebookInstagramProChurch ToolsNucleus.Church

Born in North Carolina and raised in South Dakota, William is a creative content designer, speaker, and business owner.  He is also a former fashion and commercial model.  His work has been published in GQ Magazine, High-end Retailers, and New York Fashion Week during his time from Miami to New York City in 2007-2010. Upon seeing success in the fashion industry, Will took advantage of all the lavish parties and social events that surround the Hollywood lifestyle. As time went on relationships turned sour - alcohol and drugs became more prevalent and available as his network grew. Pressure and influence started taking root and priorities slowly drifted.  As focuses became blurred by desperate decisions Will’s reality became a living nightmare. Will made a 180 degree turn with his life in the spring of 2012 and is no longer pursuing the industry. Now it’s his desire to give forward and help rescue others that might fall prey to bad influence or become distracted. To help people recognize ulterior motives, educate on the risks of negative industry influence, and to be there for people who are sizing the shoes he once wore.CONNECT WITH WILL:THE NIGHT SHEPHERDTESTIMONY: 700 CLUBSHEPPROJECTSRANAE SHEPHERDINSTAGRAMCITYLIGHT CHURCH

Have you ever thought, "Someone should create something like that!" or "I should make something that will fix that problem."? It's probably safe to say all of us have thought it, but very few of us have actually stepped out and fixed a problem or offered a solution to a pain point of every day life. In our talk with Justin Trapp, you will find a guy who saw a few problems draining the time and energy of many pastors and Christian workers around the country, and created solutions to fix those pain points. The first was creating strategies for Bible sermons in the form of Sermon Series. By creating story and plot lines along with attractive graphics and media assets, Ministry Pass was a hit when it launched in 2014. Over the last 5 years, it has grown to be a staple for many ministries who rely on having relevant, creative sermon content at their fingertips. Ministry Pass is a leader in the Christian creative space for those pastors and ministries bogged down by hours of research and preparation for 1 or 2 hours of Sunday delivery.Another problem Justin saw was that of pastor's and speakers using computer apps to type out their messages, but not being able to access them in a simple and convenient way. He launched Sermonary just a few years ago to provide a cloud-based solution for those wanting a simpler way to develop and deliver their Bible messages each week. The clean, simple, color-coded interface provides the user fast and easy access to their messages and other resources while spending less time putting it all together. Over the last two years they have seen over 75,000 sermons created on Sermonary, and they expect it to only grow into the new and improved sermon builder.RESOURCES MENTIONED BY JUSTIN:REV APPED MYLETT PodcastRACHEL & DAVE HOLLIS PodcastMOVE THE STICKS PodcastFOLLOW JUSTIN TRAPP + CO:FACEBOOKINSTAGRAMMINISTRY PASSSERMONARY

We like it when it's good, and feel bad when it's negative, but giving and receiving feedback is a part of life. It is how we grow. We talk to Josh Teis, the lead pastor of the church he started in Las Vegas 15 years ago, Southern Hills Baptist Church. Over the years, he admits he has had his ups and downs with feedback, but gives us some great advice from lessons he has learned in the process.Josh said, "the best feedback we can receive is form people we trust. Those who want what is best for us and for what we do, will be on a level of trust and in a position to offer feedback that is beneficial to our growth." Receiving feedback from people that we don't know, don't like, or have never met, can produce a bad spirit because the trust isn't there. We don't know if they have our best interest at heart. If there is no foundation of trust how can there be any process of speaking truth?Josh also gave us a helpful acrostic FACT when giving feedback.FORTHOUGHT. Don’t just “wing-it” but thoughtfully write it out. Don’t let your frustration take over.ATMOSPHERE. Attempt to make the other person feel safe. You can create the atmosphere in which the feedback is given, even though you cannot create their response to that feedback.CLARITY. If you talk to someone, state clearly what the problem is. Don’t accuse the person, clearly attack the problem and the issue. Often times we walk away from confrontation with negative thoughts, and perhaps that is a reflection on the lack of clarity from the person giving feedback.TERMS. Outline the steps necessary to get back on track.Listen to the entire episode, you will get at least one take away to add into your life! FOLLOW JOSH TEISFacebookInstagramBlogFOLLOW IDEA NETWORKFacebookInstagramWebsite

ProChurch Media started because there was a void in the Christian creative world that offered inspiration, collaboration, and education. Megan Watson gives us the story behind her founding and creating ProChurch Media and ProChurch Media University.One of the biggest takeaways from our conversation with Megan was that she saw a need and came up with a solution. That is what creatives do, that is where we thrive. The church has the greatest message yet it often lacks great messaging. God is a Designer. He is a Creative. The heavens declare His glory and artistic genius. Why is it then Christians and churches often give this message any type of beauty or attractiveness? Megan saw that the problem was in providing a community where creatives from around the world could share their ideas, their designs, and be able to learn from one another without a "competitive" tone. That community has developed into a need not only for inspiration but also education. Megan and her husband Jason not only began ProChurch Media, but in 2018 rolled out a online University that gives creatives an opportunity to grow in their craft and be able to learn from expert Christian creatives in a wide variety of important fields. Along with the growth of ProChurch Media, Megan went through several personal trials, yet that motivates her to keep the PCM community focused on helping and encouraging one another. PCM is not just a community, it's a movement that is sweeping the Christian Creative stage.We have some exciting news in the upcoming weeks about our relationship with ProChurch Media, and we cannot wait to share it with you. In the meantime, go give PCM a shoutout on social media, or perhaps sign up for an upcoming class at their online University.  FOLLOW PROCHURCH MEDIAPCM FacebookPCM InstagramPCM WebsitePCM UniversityMegan Watson IG

As a design agency, we are always looking for inspiration and motivation. One of the designers we follow for both of these things is expert designer, Joe Cavazos. In our conversation with Joe we explore how his passion for design had a rocky start, but now has influenced thousands through his eye-catching designs, an Adobe spotlight, and being the co-founder of Sunday Social. Joe is not only humble but is an example at how every designer should be constant and consistent students of their craft/trade in order to better serve their customers. We must have a balance of taste and technique, and when our taste doesn't align with our client's, we still need to be servants and aim to meet their goal.FOLLOW JOE CAVAZOSBusiness WebsiteInstagramFacebookTutorialsSUNDAY SOCIALJoe was generous enough to provide our listeners to a 20% discount for SundaySocial.tv. There are several packages that could be beneficial to your church or business. Use the code: SHOUKPODCAST at checkout to receive your 20% discount!

We promised to be ourselves...and this episode proves it! We are not perfect, and we aren't experts, but we are learning and applying the knowledge we add into our lives. We are striving to be the best version of ourselves everyday, a version that glorifies God, edifies others, and that is down right enjoyable! When you are rested, organized, and doing what you are passionate about—why wouldn't you find joy in living life?In this episode we share some things we have learned and tried to implement even in the last 60 days. From sleep routines, specific schedules, batching, and customer service—we give you a little taste of what we are trying to do from a personal and practical side of our business journey. Feel free to take what can help you, and leave the rest for another person or time. Just remember, it doesn't matter how much you know, but how you apply what you know to your life. #justsayin

SOCIAL MEDIA. It plays a huge role in our daily lives. It dictates trends, can sway elections, mold our opinions, ruin our testimony or build our reputation all within it's interconnected platform. As of May 2019 there are just under 3.5 billion active social media users. On average, people tend to have 7 social media accounts. One of the most staggering stats on social media is that from April 2018-April 2019 Social media users grew by 202 million users —that works out to a new social media user/account is established every 6.4 seconds. If you are not using social media to grow your message and influence you are missing the mark. It is where the people (customer or church attendee) are living...to be influential in our marketing strategy we must go to where the people are. JACOB SCHMELZER, our episode guest, provides helpful insight and offers a great resource to churches looking to navigate the power of Facebook marketing. Visit Jake's website for more information on his Church Facebook Marketing Master Class as well as other helpful resources to expand your influence in your community.

The introduction episode to our new show "Take it or Leave it" where we share practical media solutions that will reach your community and expand your influence beyond yourself! Subscribe today! You will not want to miss out on the very special, gifted guests we will have on in the weeks ahead!