Bringing Faith to Market with James Barnett
I love this episode with James Barnett — the president of DaySpring! I just know you are going to be so encouraged.
I love a good God story and that’s exactly what I have for you today. I am so excited to introduce you to James Barnett, the president of DaySpring Cards. Not only does he exude joy, but he has an incredible love for Jesus which comes through so clearly in this interview. Wait until you hear all he has to share with us about the history and the heart of DaySpring. To think it all started with two young pastors seeking God to do something impactful with their lives—and it didn’t even start with greeting cards.
I loved learning about how DaySpring has intentionally set out to integrate business and ministry together to encourage and equip others in sharing their faith. Often times people feel like there is supposed to be a separation between what we do for a living and our ministry. I know I struggled with the fact that my little online ministry had actually turned into a business. Could I have both? I have a passion to encourage people and point them to Jesus, but it felt weird as I started to make money doing it. Faith and business can be mixed together—and by doing just that DaySpring been successful at having an incredible impact on the lives of so many.
I hope you are so encouraged by this conversation with James Barnett! I know I was!
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Highlights from This Show…
James Barnett is the President of DaySpring. I loved learning about their mission statement and what gets them up in the morning — looking for ways to equip people to share the love of Jesus in new and fresh ways!Isn’t that so great?!- When I asked James about how much he loved being a grandparent, he ended up sharing a beautiful story about his own grandfather and the wisdom that he imparted to him in his 90s. It was truly inspirational.
- James and I chat a little bit about how we got started working together. It all started with a Facebook Live at a Teach Them Diligently Conference!
- One thing that always strikes me about James is that he really exudes joy. He always seems to have a big smile on his face! I’m so excited that he is finally able to be a guest on The Simply Joyful Podcast!
- James has had a really unique career at DaySpring. I asked him to share a little of his story and a little bit of history behind the DaySpring company. Did you know that DaySpring was originally based in California? Yay! Go California — it makes DaySpring a little bit closer to my heart. Also, something I found interesting was that they didn’t start with greeting cards!
- James has been at DaySpring for 37 years! That’s crazy in today’s society for a person to be at one company for that long! I asked James to tell about some of the roles he’s played over the years.
- Dayspring has ties with David Cook, Hallmark, and (in)courage blog. I asked James how these entities are associated with Dayspring.
- When I first thought of Dayspring, I thought of cards, but there are so many more amazing products now. I really like their home decor and kitchen products through the Mary & Martha brand. I asked James to share a little about Mary & Martha. It started as a way for Dayspring to help women earn a little extra money while sharing their faith in Jesus.
I love that part of Dayspring’s vision is the Great Commission. In Deuteronomy 6, it talks about how we are supposed to love the Lord with all our heart, but also that we are to impress Scripture on our children and to put it on the “doorframes” of our home. I think that is one of the things that is so beautiful about having products that share Scriptures. It’s such a great conversation starter and it’s beautiful! I’ve found that it’s given me the opportunity to share Christ with others. It’s a really easy way to connect.- One of Dayspring’s passions is integrating business and ministry. I asked James about a certain quote that I’ve heard is on one of the conference room walls at DaySpring, and asked him to share a little about it. James also talks a little bit about what goes on in headquarters. I love that they have weekly Bible studies and yearly opportunities for mission work!
- For those reading this after listening on the go, as promised, here is the acronym that James shared about their core values: PRAISE= Prayer, Respect, Attitude of service, Integrity, Stewardship, Excellence
- I can’t have the president of Dayspring on the podcast without asking him which product he buys the most of from Dayspring. His answer made me laugh.
- James shares what’s coming up next for Dayspring— books! They have recently launched a book division and have a number of books coming out. I know coming from Dayspring they are going to be amazing! They also have a lot of new gifts and new greeting cards coming. Plus, they’ve recently signed on Candace Cameron Bure!
Scripture Referenced:
“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” — Deuteronomy 6:6-9
Please Note…
- Be sure to grab your FREE copy of my book, Sanity Savers for Moms, by joining our Simply Joyful community. It’s a great way to keep in touch…and get subscriber only freebies like my book. Click HERE to get the book and join!
A Special Thanks to…
Rend Collective for allowing me to use their incredible song “The Joy of the Lord is My Strength” This song has so much special meaning to me and it highlights the theme verse for my podcast — Nehemiah 8:10. Be sure to check out their music! They are such a fun band to listen to…and to see live.
Connect with James Barnett…
James Barnett is president of DaySpring, headquartered in Siloam Springs, Arkansas. He joined the company in 1981 and has been leading DaySpring since 1994. DaySpring, a subsidiary of Hallmark, is the world’s largest Christian social expression company which annually distributes more than 200 million products in the United States and 60 countries worldwide.
A native of Northwest Arkansas, Barnett holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business from John Brown University, Siloam Springs, and an MBA from the Walton School of Business at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. He has been very involved in community and area organizations for more than 35 years, serving on several athletic, charitable and scholastic boards. He is currently on the Walton School of Business Advisory Board, engaged with the CEO Forum, and serves on the Executive Committee of the Siloam Springs Chamber of Commerce. He also has served on boards with the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, Urban Ministries, the Winshape Marriage and Family Foundation, the Soderquist Center for Leadership and Ethics at John Brown University, and Arkansas Athletes Outreach.
His business affiliations include membership in the Association for Christian Retail, the Greeting Card Association, and the local Chamber of Commerce. He and his wife Marilyn have three grown children and five grandchildren and are active members of Fellowship Bible Church in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Be sure to check out all DaySpring has to offer, and Kristi’s favorites at KristiClover.com/DaySpring.
(This podcast is by Kristi Clover. Discovered by Christian Podcast Central and our community — copyright is owned by the publisher, not Christian Podcast Central, and audio is streamed directly from their servers.)