He knows what he’s talking about.
This former tech CEO and current chief operating officer worked about 100 hours a week from his late teens into his 20s running his own successful business. Some things worked out, others didn’t.
Then, he learned how to strike a better business, personal and faith/life balance — with some core values making him successful in all three areas of his life.
That’s why Sam Card, former chief executive officer of Card Technology and current COO of SkyTide Group is perfectly poised speak on “Balancing Faith and Action” as the first business speaker at the diocesan-sponsored Catholic Business Network breakfast Sept. 5 at Holy Savior Church, part of St. Mary Star of the Sea Parish in Ocean City, Maryland.
The Catholic Business Network model is a way to connect Catholic business leaders in the community with one another, to offer mutual support and intertwine business vocations with faith journeys, organizers said.
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Click here to register for breakfast or phone 302-573-3120.
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“I like the idea of connecting faith and enterprise,” said Card. “It’s good to get business leaders together to see how faith plays a role in their business life. A turning point for me was when I stopped looking at the business from the perspective of what it did for me and looked at it for what it did for others.”
The 42-year-old plans to walk through some of his life story, how he got to where he is (with a father who took a computer class and brought home floppy discs for him and his son to learn the computer) and lessons he’s learned along the way. All of which have helped him grow companies successfully while building a family and re-connecting with family. A return to the Catholic Church (to which he credits his wife, Megan), connections within a peer-to-peer business group and an executive coach helped transform in his life.
Card will reveal what he did and how he lives differently now.
“Through my experience leading the Catholic Business Network in the Diocese of Camden, New Jersey, I learned that when Catholic business leaders gather in faith, they don’t just share ideas, they build a culture of integrity, generosity and service that strengths our church and our communities,” said Sheila O’Hagan McGirl, director or development for the Diocese of Wilmington. “Launching this network is about more than creating connections; it’s about awakening Catholic leaders to the reality that their professional life is also a calling — a vocation to bring Christ into the workplace and beyond.”
“Being a business leader is a vocation, a calling from God, that comes through the gifts that you have been given,” Bishop William Koenig said at the introductory Catholic Business Network breakfast in Wilmington in June. “Being a business leader is not just about managing numbers, hitting targets or expanding markets. It’s about shaping lives. It’s a role filled with moral weight, opportunity and responsibility.”
Card knows that all too well.
“I used to get upset when people would call in sick, but I have learned to be patient with that. I needed to learn that family is the most important enterprise,” he said.
“So, with help, I created a business plan and a life plan that considered personal, family, vocational, community and spiritual perspectives,” said Card. “When I finally let go and let God in, our revenue tripled in one year.
Card will talk about patience and perseverance in the face of setbacks and how he views God’s plan working in his professional and personal life.
To hear Card’s talk on “Balancing Faith and Ambition,” Friday, Sept. 5, at Holy Savior Church, 1705 Philadelphia Ave. Ocean City, MD, 21841, register for the Catholic Business Network Breakfast by calling (302) 573-3120.