Can modern corporate leadership principles actually make you a better Catholic—and vice versa?

In this episode, host Silas Mähner sits down with Joe Markey, a longtime NYC finance executive who retired after a 40-year banking career and went on to earn a degree in Theology. Joe brings a unique perspective on integrating Sunday faith with Monday operations, showing how secular leadership concepts like empathy, vulnerability, and emotional intelligence are fundamentally rooted in Catholic anthropology.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why good business and good religion naturally go hand in hand

• How corporate best practices can be applied directly to your spiritual life

• Moving past compartmentalization: living authentic Christian virtue in the workplace

• Dealing with leadership failure, wealth disparity, and building an economy that serves the marginalized

Timestamps:

(00:00) – Vulnerability and authenticity in leadership

(00:54) – Meet Joe Markey: From Wall Street to theology

(06:15) – Lessons from a 40-year career in banking

(10:35) – Merging employee care with lived faith

(17:47) – How authentic leaders motivate unengaged teams

(26:25) – Wealth disparity, culture, and economic responsibility

(40:22) – Sacred vs. Secular: Why business borrows from theology

(52:35) – Rapid fire: Scripture, saints, and daily habits

(1:01:07) – Outro & Catholic Founders community updates

Resources & Mentions:

• Centesimus Annus (https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_01051991_centesimus-annus.html) by St. Pope John Paul II

• Books: The Advantage (https://www.google.com/search?q=https://www.tablegroup.com/the-advantage/) by Patrick Lencioni | The Courage to Be by Paul Tillich

• Scripture: Psalm 46 ("Be still and know that I am"), Romans 12:1–2

• Devotions: The Holy Rosary, St. Ignatius of Loyola

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Upcoming Meetups:

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Episode Sponsors:

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