Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a former business executive who is now a college professor teaching sales courses at the University of Houston. I write in the Christian living space and I am about to have my second book released in November. This one is about how to live out your faith at work. There is a huge population of “complacent christians” that sit in church on Sunday’s but struggle with activating their faith during the week. I used my personal experiences and what I have seen in others to write a practical guide to bringing your faith to work. Prior to this book, I wrote “Enlisted – A Battle Plan for Living the Abundant Life” which challenges christians to participate in actively serving God where they are in their life. The core message is that everyone who makes a decision to surrender to Jesus is automatically enlisted in God’s program but everyone must decide whether they will be in active service or no service.
My passion is to encourage and equip christians to more fully live their faith on a day to day basis so they can be part of the amazing life God has planned for them.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The book is titled, “Soul Purpose Inc. – The Practical Guide to Living Your Faith at Work.” The inspiration for the book came as I shared a few different ideas for a book with close friends. The more we talked about various topics, the more I realized that my faith has been impacted the most at work. My experiences, the people I encountered and the obstacles I faced all had significant impact on expanding my trust in Jesus. After doing a little research on the topic, I felt like the majority of the material available had a heavy theology theme. I wanted something that was practical and could connect with most anyone in the workplace.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write in large chunks of time and mostly during the summer. As a college professor, it’s tough to write during the semester. I think about topics, do some research and just capture a few thoughts when I can but the bulk of my writing is on break. Given I write in the christian space, I pray often – either prior to, or during the time when I am writing.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
As a business person I have read many of the classics like “Good To Great” by Jim Collins and “The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team” by Patrick Lencioni which each shaped how I thought about career, people and my business. I am also a big fan of pastors like Andy Stanley, Craig Groeshel and Crawford Lorittz who have all written books that connect the Bible to leadership and business. One of my favorite books is Andy Stanley’s, “The Principle of the Path” which challenges you to consider the path you are traveling in key areas of your life – finances, health, spirituality, relationships, etc. The goal is to project where you will end up if you keep doing the things you are doing now. I spend time with this book every year around the holidays to examine my own path and see if I need to make any adjustments. It’s been a powerful influence on the direction of my life.
What are you working on now?
Right now I am working on promoting and marketing my Soul Purpose Inc. book. My goal is to open up opportunities to teach and speak about the message of bringing your faith to work in a bold, but respectful way.
I have an idea for my next project that centers on the idea of ambition and christianity. I want to write a book that equips and encourages christians to consider how to focus their ambition on the things that the Bible says are worth pursuing. I think it’s something many ambitious christians wrestle with in their day to day lives.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I promote more through social media than any specific website. Facebook and LinkedIn both seem to generate a lot of engagement for my work.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
The best advice I ever received was to just start writing. It worked! I never thought I would be a published author and it’s even funny to be writing about it. I have no training and I didn’t even start writing until a few years ago.
The second thing I would suggest is to find a good editor. I was amazed with my first book when the editor returned the first adjusted copy back to me. They did an amazing job of taking my work and cleaning it up.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Just write. It really is true that if you just get started and keep writing, your project can come together. My first book started as a Bible study, then I started writing. I thought I might write an article for some publication but I had no idea which one. As I kept writing, the material expanded and I finally realized I might have a book. The “just write” approach made all the difference in the world.
What are you reading now?
I am always reading a few books. In the christian space, I am reading Frances Chan’s, “Letters to the Church” which really challenges the way church is being done in our society. I love books that challenge the traditional ways to think about things. I am also reading, “Learn Better” by Ulrich Boser, which is a book about how people learn. It’s helping me on how to think about the way I teach my students so I can improve their retention.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Promoting my current book and hopefully getting opportunities to teach the material in more churches and Bible study groups. Once I get to the summer break, I will begin work on the Christian ambition project and see where it goes.
What is your favorite book of all time?
The Bible. I have found so much practical wisdom and sound truth throughout its’ pages that nothing else compares. The relevance and consistency of it’s content is supernatural and I love reading it.
Author Websites and Profiles
Craig McAndrews Website