在《千禧年投资播客》引人入胜的一期节目中，主持人帕特里克·唐纳利（Patrick Donnelly）与永恒股权公司（Permanent Equity）的首席执行官布伦特·比肖尔（Brent Bishore）进行了对话。永恒股权公司是一家以长期投资家族企业而闻名的私募股权公司。此次对话深入探讨了比肖尔从无神论到深刻信仰的独特历程，及其对他的生活和职业生涯产生的变革性影响，同时还分享了实用的商业建议。
节目伊始，比肖尔分享了他受一位睿智的长者朋友、前NFL踢球手托德·彼得森（Todd Peterson）启发而来的强有力的日常实践。彼得森曾被问及15-20年前他会给自己什么最有益的建议，他回答说会告诉自己“每天阅读圣经”，并运用“知-是-行”练习：“基于你所读的，你该知道什么？基于你所读的，你该成为怎样的人？基于你所读的，你该做什么？” 比肖尔声称，他已坚持两年半多的这一实践，并在推特上分享了一年，它“改变了一切”——从他的婚姻到他的内心生活和健康。他强调这并非魔术，而是一种持续的灵性训练，能使一个人的心与真理对齐。
比肖尔接着讲述了他的个人皈依故事，追溯了他从小自称“超级理性主义者”无神论者的历程。他拒绝了他眼中循规蹈矩、索然无味的基督教，转而追求财富、名誉和权力，相信这些能带来满足。然而，在他20多岁末期，尽管取得了显著的物质成功（包括登上《公司》杂志500强榜单并为白宫提供咨询），他却感到“这一切都索然无味”。
转折点发生在他遇到像约翰·加勒特（John Garrett）这样的人时，后者散发出一种比肖尔所缺乏的“安宁、慈爱、善良”的气息。这些相遇促使他质疑自己的世界观，并踏上了一场激烈的智力与灵性探索之旅。他深入研读了数百本无神论者和护教学者的书籍，甚至修读神学院课程，挑战他之前的假设。像C.S.刘易斯（C.S. Lewis）、莫蒂默·阿德勒（Mortimer Adler）和李·史特博（Lee Strobel）等历史人物一样，他通过严谨的探究发现自己被信仰所吸引，认识到成为一名无神论者也需要深刻的“信仰”。他强调，最终，智力上的认同必须让位于顺服。
比肖尔故事中一个引人入胜的方面是他的信仰对他的生意所产生的影响。他分享说，在将自己的生命和事业顺服于上帝之后，他的公司“爆发式增长”。他引用了好百利（Hobby Lobby）公司首席执行官大卫·格林（David Green）的例子，格林曾表示，在他们将50%的利润用于慈善捐赠的那一年，公司的利润翻了一番。比肖尔相信，当他以“开放的心态”持有自己的事业时，上帝会使其倍增。他强调，这并非“成功神学”，而是反映了上帝尊荣一颗寻求祂国度的内心。他也承认在商业中公开基督徒身份会面临挑战和批评，但发现这些往往能引向更深入的对话。
当被问及为探索信仰的人推荐书籍时，比肖尔根据个人背景推荐了不同的书目。对于那些“逐渐远离信仰”的人，他推荐约翰·马克·科默（John Mark Comer）的《活出真道》（Practicing the Way）和大卫·吉布森（David Gibson）的《倒着活》（Living Life Backward）。对于那些曾被教会伤害过的人，他建议阅读丽贝卡·麦克劳林（Rebecca McLaughlin）的《直面基督教》（Confronting Christianity），该书直接回应了常见的批评。对于像他以前那样坚定的无神论者，他则推荐提姆·凯勒（Tim Keller）的《认识上帝》（Making Sense of God）和《为何是上帝》（The Reason for God）。
对话还谈到了标志性投资者沃伦·巴菲特（Warren Buffett）和查理·芒格（Charlie Munger）。比肖尔曾与他们共进晚餐，他认为尽管他们并非自称的基督徒，但他们的价值观深深植根于西方的“基督教世界”，许多像人类尊严这样的基本思想都源于此。他将这称为“普遍恩典”，即上帝同样祝福信徒和非信徒，而基督教价值观之所以塑造了社会，是因为“它们是真实的”。
最后，比肖尔向那些有抱负、对收购企业（尤其是通过SBA贷款）感兴趣的企业家提供了建议。他警告要警惕“交易盲点”和“风险-回报”的平衡。他说，创业面临更多的时间风险，而收购企业则面临更多的资金风险，但可以节省数年的发展时间。他建议采用三年的寻找过程，并认识到大多数交易都是“有效定价的”；他强调，在收购之后成功运营企业才是真正的挑战。他鼓励采取“慢行”策略，通过一次成功的收购建立坚实的基础，然后再尝试扩大规模，发展成为更大的控股公司，这与伯克希尔·哈撒韦公司（Berkshire Hathaway）长期、复合增长的历程异曲同工。
In a captivating episode of the Millennial Investing Podcast, host Patrick Donnelly sits down with Brent Bishore, CEO of Permanent Equity, a private equity firm known for its long-term investment in family-owned businesses. The conversation delves into Bishore's unique journey from atheism to profound faith and its transformative impact on his life and career, alongside practical business advice.
The episode opens with Bishore sharing a powerful daily practice inspired by a wise older friend, Todd Peterson, a former NFL kicker. Peterson advised Bishore, when asked for the most helpful advice 15-20 years prior, that he would tell himself to "read the Bible every day" and apply a "know-be-do" exercise: "What should you know based on what you read? Who should you be based on what you read? And what should you do based on what you read?" This practice, which Bishore has followed for over two and a half years and shared on Twitter for a year, has, he claims, "changed everything" – from his marriage to his inner life and health. He emphasizes that it's not magic, but rather a consistent spiritual discipline that aligns one's heart with truth.
Bishore then recounts his personal conversion story, tracing his journey from being a self-proclaimed "hyper-rationalist" atheist from a young age. He rejected what he perceived as a rule-based, uninteresting Christianity and pursued wealth, fame, and power, believing they would bring fulfillment. By his late 20s, despite achieving significant material success (including being on the Inc. 500 list and advising the White House), he felt "it all tasted like crap."
The turning point came when he encountered individuals like John Garrett, who exuded a "rested, loving, kind" aroma that Bishore lacked. These encounters led him to question his worldview and embark on an intense intellectual and spiritual quest. He delved into hundreds of books by atheists and apologists, even taking seminary classes, challenging his previous assumptions. Like historical figures such as C.S. Lewis, Mortimer Adler, and Lee Strobel, he found himself drawn to faith through rigorous inquiry, realizing the profound "faith it takes to be an atheist." He underlines that ultimately, intellectual assent had to give way to surrender.
A fascinating aspect of Bishore's story is the impact of his faith on his business. He shares how, after surrendering his life and businesses to God, his ventures "exploded." He cites the example of Hobby Lobby CEO David Green, who stated that his company's margins doubled the year they committed 50% of their profits to charitable giving. Bishore believes that when he holds his business "with open hands," God multiplies it, emphasizing that this isn't a "prosperity gospel" but a reflection of God honoring a heart that seeks His kingdom. He also acknowledges the challenges and criticisms of being openly Christian in business, but finds these often lead to deeper conversations.
When asked for book recommendations for those exploring faith, Bishore suggests different titles based on an individual's background. For those who "faded away" from faith, he recommends John Mark Comer's "Practicing the Way" and David Gibson's "Living Life Backward." For those hurt by the church, he suggests Rebecca McLaughlin's "Confronting Christianity," which addresses common criticisms head-on. For hardline atheists like his former self, he points to Tim Keller's "Making Sense of God" and "The Reason for God."
The conversation also touches on iconic investors Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger. While not professing Christians when Bishore dined with them, he believes their values were deeply steeped in the "Christian world" of the West, where many foundational ideas like human dignity originated. He terms this "common grace," where God blesses believers and unbelievers alike, and Christian values have shaped society because "they're true."
Finally, Bishore offers advice to aspiring entrepreneurs interested in buying businesses, particularly through SBA loans. He cautions against "deal blindness" and the "risk-reward" balance. Starting a business, he says, risks more time, while buying one risks more capital, but can buy years of progress. He advises a three-year search process, understanding that most deals are "efficiently priced," and emphasizes that operating a business successfully *after* acquisition is the real challenge. He encourages a "go slow" approach, building a strong foundation with one successful acquisition before attempting to scale into a larger holding company, drawing parallels to the long, compounding journey of Berkshire Hathaway.