iRetire4Him Show 145: "The First Time I Retired..."

Jim Brangenberg: Your retirement years can be 30 years of purpose driven, fully funded ministry. Years of making impact in ways and places you've never imagined.

Martha Brangenberg: Welcome to iRetire4Him. We are your hosts, Jim and Martha Brangenberg. Check us out online at iRetire4Him.com.

Jim Brangenberg: Julé Colvin is ready to retire, at least she thinks she is. Last year she tried to work out a business ownership operation transition so she could retire and God said no. Julé stayed in the saddle and could see the hand of God in the delay. And what's next? Why did God say wait? What does God have in mind for what is next for Julé Colvin?

And I think we should all be asking this one question: I spent my entire life learning to iWork4Him? What does it look like when I say iRetire4Him? Julé Colvin is here to share her faith work and maybe soon retirement story. Julé, welcome to the show.

Julé Colvin: Thank you so much. It is just, I'm thrilled to be here. Great to be with you both.

Jim Brangenberg: Alright, before we get started, we always ask this question of every guest on our show. How did you become a Jesus follower?

Julé Colvin: I love starting with that, thank you. While I did not grow up in a Christian home, along the years, of course I could see all the seeds that were planted and then really related to iWork4Him. The actual time that it was harvested was by someone that I worked with. And that was when I was in my early twenties.

And there was a young man by the name of Randy Federers, and I always like to say his name. He was 25 years old. He was full of life, so fun, always joking and loved Jesus. And I knew that, I at that point would go to church occasionally, but I really was not sold out for the Lord. And there was a particular Friday that I had just purchased a Trans Am. It was lovely with the T tops and all of that out. And of course he thought it was awesome, and so I said at lunch, let's go take a ride at lunch and we'll get some burgers or something and I'll take you a ride in it.

And so we did that. And that was on a Friday. And on Sunday evening, I received a phone call that he'd been tragically killed in a car accident by a drunk driver. And of course I was heartbroken, but then I went to his funeral. At his funeral, I learned so many more things about him than I knew, and I started to really question my life. I knew where Randy was going, but I sure didn't know where I was going.

And so I started me on a journey of seeking the Lord and I found him. And so that was 40 years ago in my early twenties, and I've been following him ever since. The working for him in work really touches a deep part of me as that's what led me to the Lord.

Martha Brangenberg: And we never know what that's gonna look like. And your friend, being your friend and being close enough at work that you wanted to go to his funeral, who could have ever imagined that was, would be the open door?

But I think that's so critical for everyone to hear on our show that we are a billboard no matter what we're doing, and doing that for the Lord is so critically important. Okay, so Julé, for the last 20 plus years, you have been running a company that is called Pathways to Growth. Why don't you tell everybody what you guys do?

Julé Colvin: Thank you. Yes, it has been 20 years and in some ways just feels turned around in a circle. So we work with nonprofits, started out just serving nonprofits in the Tampa Bay area, but since we've spread across the country. And we also do international work with some international ministries.

And we have two sides of the company. One is focused on grant research and grant writing, and then the other is on capacity building. And with that we do strategic planning, board development, leadership development, all the nonprofit management training. So that is our focus. We have a team of about 20 to 25, typically all work remotely across the country, grant writers and trainers and consultants.

Jim Brangenberg: You've got a specialty though. You really love working with Christian nonprofits, don't you?

Julé Colvin: Yes. So when I started out, that was my sole focus. I had moved to the Tampa Bay area at that time and was working as a director of development for a ministry and started meeting other ministries. So when I started the Pathways to Growth, it really focused just in that area. Now we have, as I said, clients, faith-based clients across the country, really Judeo Christian because we also have some Jewish organizations that we work with.

But also over the years it has grown to secular organizations, obviously aligned with our principles and beliefs. But that's where focus is still, been on Christian organizations.

Martha Brangenberg: So a lot of people would think that, okay, you're serving Christian organizations, therefore you're a ministry. But take that a little bit deeper because for you, your business is a ministry, not just because you're serving Christian nonprofits.

Julé Colvin: So it takes me back and I know, I remember having conversation with the two of you about this years ago. It's been like five years already, where I was at a point where I started to feel dissatisfied with the work and thinking, because I felt like I was so focused on how am I going to make payroll? All of those things when you're in a for-profit business and we were working, had more secular organizations coming on, and we weren't just Christian focused.

So I started to lose my way and fortunately I had the wisdom years before to hire some great advisors, Christian advisors. And one of them said to me, Julé, why don't you take some time and study the Word about what it means to really own and operate a Christian focused business.? Kingdom focused, not just Christian, but kingdom focused business. And so I took that assignment very seriously and I took about a year to really go through every single part of the business from sales and marketing to quality control, hiring, hr, all of that, and spend time in the Word finding scriptures that align with how do you do that in a way that, that we believe Jesus would do that?

So worked on all of that, ended up developing it into a handbook. So all of that kind of background to say now it's really about how are we with our systems, with our processes, with our relationships, working to be Jesus in our in our business? How are we working to disciple others, to pray for others, and have an impact?

Aside from that, our impact is really awesome in that we're raising millions of dollars for wonderful causes across the country. But it's in that day to day working with our team members and working with our clients that really, we want to be able to reflect the kingdom of God.

Jim Brangenberg: Perhaps the Lord is saying you should publish that handbook thing you put together. Did you ever think about publishing that?

Julé Colvin: It's, Jim, we had talked about this.

Jim Brangenberg: Oh yes, we did.

Julé Colvin: And of course, of course it got in the way. As I was preparing for this time with the two of you, I brought it back out. And it started to relate to one of the other questions I know we're going to talk about today is like, what does God still have for me to do?

I do think that publishing is in that, but I also think that I'm going to need to do a better job. Perhaps part of the waiting part that God has for me is to really delve back into that deeper and make sure that we're really walking out. We're not just have it on paper, but that we're really walking it out.

Jim Brangenberg: I love that. I love it, love it. All right, so if you're listening today and you wanna see your business as a ministry like Julé, then we have a great place for you to be supported and encouraged. The US Christian Chamber helps Christian business owners grow their businesses and impact through expert resources, powerful collaborations, and a national directory for greater exposure.

Grow your busines at uschristianchamber.com. And now you can gather with other members at the US Christian Chamber at an expo in April of 2026, visit SWC2026.com to learn more and use code IWORK4HIM when you register. We'll see you there.

Martha Brangenberg: Okay, so Julé, you are technically able... retirement age, let's just say that, like this is coming. And you have contemplated retirement. Your husband Alan has been retired already. And Jim said in the intro, you tried to retire last year, but God said, wait. So again, why do you think that is?

Julé Colvin: I think... I'm still learning all of the reasons. It's still, that happened at the end of December and I really was reeling for a little while from it, saying, God where are you taking me?

I thought I was heading this direction and now I'm going this other direction. But over these months, these past six months, I've just really gotten a better understanding of where he wants to lead me, and I'm definitely at peace with it. I'm like no longer feeling upset. Why? I'm not asking the questions anymore, but I believe he's just overall, he's not done with me yet in this business. And actually, we talk about kind of key takeaways. All along there have been times where I've just wanted to walk away because it was hard.

Jim Brangenberg: Amen.

Julé Colvin: And God always said, no, here. Going to do this, have this client come in, whatever the issue was. So I really am fully trusting that he has more for me to do at this point.

Jim Brangenberg: We like to say on iRetire4Him, that if you've got a pulse, you've got a purpose. If you're not dead, you're not done. When you retire, your calling doesn't retire. You've gotta keep all those things in perspective. All right, but we've been friends for a long time. Now, when you do actually get to retire, when God says, okay, now's okay. What do you think God has in store for you and Alan?

Julé Colvin: Yeah, so we've spent a lot of time talking about that, writing it down, talking to others. I've spent a lot of time reading. What I see it is still, and I think you in your intro you talked about this, it's really about adventure.

I don't really wanna know all that he has in store for us. I know we have some frameworks of skills and abilities that we have. One of them being, and I know I believe this is the way we connected with you many years ago, is that we are trained as marriage mentors through Dare to Be Different. And so we love that and those, the relationships we've built with young couples over the years have led to long-term relationships and having goddaughters, we now have three goddaughters.

We still want to be very actively doing that. We also love spending time with our adult children and now our grandchildren. We're hoping for more grandchildren to come in the years, so we love to be able to speak into their lives and be able to help support them. And in the new community that we moved to, I think I mentioned to you that we have a Bible fellowship here and we've already become very active in that. And we were privileged a few weeks ago to lead one of the sessions that we do on a Tuesday night, so we see us really being involved in that.

And we live in an active adult over 55 community and there are many people here who don't know Jesus. So for us to be planted here with this other group of Christians and be able to speak into others' lives and be able to serve them is a really exciting part. Also and the last thing is part of the reason we moved here is we really wanna be taking good care of ourselves physically. So that, and exercising regularly and all of that so that we can be used as long as possible by the Lord.

Martha Brangenberg: Wow. There's so many nuggets there that we could unpack, and I love the example that you're setting and being intentional. And I just wanna remind everybody, when we talk about retirement, we're talking about the financial part of it, right? Saying, I'm gonna be done with this. You're not punching a clock, but you have obligations and responsibilities tied to a company where people's livelihoods are at stake. And so sometimes, retirement may just mean I no longer have that responsibility, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna sit on the couch and eat bon bons all day. So that's what I hear you saying, Julé. Although one day, once in a while, that might sound really good.

Jim Brangenberg: But where in Tampa Bay would you go to get a Bon Bon?

Julé Colvin: Carrot cake. Remember for me it's carrot cake.

Jim Brangenberg: Yes. I'm all about carrot cake. That's like eating a vegetable. (laughter)

Martha Brangenberg: Okay, so we're talking so much about the intentionality. You guys are doing a great job of having conversations in your home and saying, what is the future gonna look like for us? But one of the things that, a couple things that you've hit on, God gave you very intentional instructions regarding your company and your employees and how to steward that well.

As you look at how God has helped you to build this Kingdom culture that you've set up at Pathways to Growth, how will that, how do you know that it will be perpetuated? That it will continue long after it's not being led by Julé?

Julé Colvin: Yeah, and therein lies really that wait answer, that I needed to, I believe I needed to slow down and spend more time looking at that and preparing for that.

So part of that is, right now I have some leaders on the team who are very interested in being a part of whatever that exchange looks like, and obviously I'm not going to go into detail about that. So spending more time with them deliberately in this handbook that we've developed, looking at what are the principles.

We've been doing some leadership study. We also even did some leadership study with the two of you virtually, looking at discipling the leadership and putting in place those key components. Also, I do see myself... i've thought about... i've done this with the Lord. I'm not saying here's the date, Lord, that I need to be done. I've got some ideas of how I wanna continue to reduce my schedule but, I wanted to just be able to stay on and the people on the team are open for me staying as long as I would like. And maybe I'm just there as the spiritual advisor to the team through that side and to help them to be keeping track of how are we doing with all the things that we've said are our priorities.

How are we doing in helping others to grow in Christ in our work? So I think those will be the main things, focusing on the things we already have in place, more intentional type of discipling and probably staying on for longer than what I originally thought.

Jim Brangenberg: But not a surprise to God, though.

Martha Brangenberg: Yeah, not a surprise to God. And with a very intentional purpose. I think a lot of business owners stay on too long in their role. And I love your heart that you're like, I'm not necessarily saying I need to lead everything forever but to care about the heart and the intentionality that can go with that in leadership, because you've already been modeling it.

That's not all the sudden you're deciding to be a different person. I know have been an incredible leader to your organization and all of the people that work for you. So I love the willingness and for those that were listening and not watching the video, Julé was holding open her hands when she said, I'm just saying, Lord, this is yours. I'm holding it, my palms up and open for your calling.

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Jim Brangenberg: All right, Julé, as you talk about how you really had to contemplate why did God say wait? And you've talked about the opportunity for you to be able to do ongoing discipleship and mentoring to your leadership team even after you've turned over the reins of leadership to them, what a great opportunity that is. And you've talked about how you intentionally, you and Alan intentionally moved into a neighborhood full of ministry opportunities because as we also have lived in a 55 plus neighborhood in Florida for 20 years, we know that there's so many people that are lost and hopeless because they've moved there thinking, if this is the American dream, I could do anything I wanna do and play tennis and pickleball and get seashells and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And they're miserable because there's no purpose.

And you and Alan have been brought there to teach them that purpose. As you guys, as you contemplate and look back - how many years have you and Alan been married now?

Julé Colvin: 35.

Jim Brangenberg: 35 years. So 35 years you've been heading towards retirement. Besides preparing financially and moving, so that it's a little bit better place for you guys to be, how else have you prepared mentally for retirement and what that may or may not look like?

Because obviously the first years that you were married, you still thought the American dream of retirement was biblical. But now, after being friends with us all these years, you know that's not true. So how have you guys prepared mentally for what God's got next?

Julé Colvin: Yeah. Yeah, great question. And I wrote this down. There were I key points along the way. One was years ago, I probably, one of the only times in my life I paid full price for a book, I was in a bookstore and I saw this book called Business Secrets of the Bible or from the Bible, and it's by Rabbi Levin. And I picked it up, and I have it sitting here on my desk actually.

I had it marked at all up and dogeared all the pages, but I got into the middle of the book and he started having these chapters on how retirement wasn't biblical. So it was the first time I had heard that and he gave all of these reasons and said all of these different things. I was very challenged by it and I didn't know if I believed that honestly in the beginning.

Then I ended up sometime shortly thereafter meeting the two of you and hearing more about iWork4Him and iRetire4Him, and I read the iRetire4Him book and we, of course, the four of us have had these conversations. Then most recently, about a year ago, I was introduced to this book by Arthur Brooks called From Strength to Strength, and it actually is about the process of going from what your typical intelligence is to what he calls crystallized intelligence, which I think is more like a another way of saying wisdom that we have and about the process of moving into retirement but also knowing that you have other things that God has for you to do in that time.

So it's not as strongly a Christian book as iRetire4Him is, but certainly there's some really great spiritual principles in there also. The other thing was that along the way over the last couple of years, I'd be at different places and out of the blue without me even talking about it, people would say "the first time I retired," oh, and then somebody else said a few days later "the first time I retired" and I thought, this is very interesting. God's wanting me to be open. And I don't know whether it's work that's coming next or not, but I know there's still a lot to be done.

Jim Brangenberg: I think you should go back though and explain what did those people mean by the first time they retired.

Julé Colvin: These weren't necessarily folks that were kingdom driven, let me just say that. But they finished their job that they'd been doing for years and years, and then something else came along that interested them and they decided they wanted to get into something else and start something new.

So that, to me, it was like, also helped me to say Julé, you don't have to think you've gotta hold onto to this business so tightly and that this is the only thing, if financially, let's say I needed to do something else, or if God was calling me to something else, who knows what that could be. Hey, I just had an aunt that I just went to her 100th birthday party.

Martha Brangenberg: Awesome. You might have a lot of the time left, right? That's exactly right. It reminds me, as you talk about our iRetire4Him book, there's a chapter in there where we discuss, it may mean going back to work and it may not. It may or may not be because you need to financially.

My dad, I think that's the story in the book is my dad, my mom said, Hey, Ted, you're getting boring. Maybe you should go get a job. And he had done his hobbies and was doing his things, and he went and got a job at a woodworking store where he could interact with people every day and love on them and love them like Jesus would love them.

And it was more just to fill some time, and then he got money to buy his hobby tools, his woodworking tools, but that's exactly the point is that it, whether or not it's for financial reasons, there is other work that we can be doing to just fill that calling that God has on our lives. So I love that when people said "the first time I retired."

Julé Colvin: Yes. Yes. Oh, one other thing I wanted to bring up in that, in terms of our preparation is I'm just, I'm a big believer in writing down the vision. And when the scripture talks about writing it down so that the runner may run with it, so I have over here in the corner of my office, a very large whiteboard and on it, the visions and the steps of what I need to do to get to whatever that next part of life, what we need to do.

And of course, certainly part of it's like all the things we've been talking about. It's the discipling, it's the financially preparing it, all of it. Part of it was moving to a community like this. So it felt great to have that in writing, and we were able to do that. Now, we know that God's leading us along that path. So for us, we took that part very seriously. It's something that I look at pretty much every day.

Martha Brangenberg: And I just, I feel like it's important to touch on the point that you weren't set up in your twenties with this mindset and this heart. It's a thing that grew over time and you activated on it. You acted on it and allowed God to prompt you, to convict you, to say very intentionally, what does the future look like? I know we have, as friends, have had a lot of those conversations, the four of us. And sometimes that can be very daunting, but it's never too late to learn God's future for you.

And it may not be that it's written out like, this is what you're going to do next, but this is your heart and this is your, this is how I want you to be willing and to realize that God has so much more for us in the frame of life where we may not have to show up at a certain time every day to a certain place to do a certain task. But that there's plenty of kingdom tasks for us to do.

And I just, I wanna encourage people 'cause I think it can often feel like I didn't have this mindset 30 years ago, and so now how could I ever get there now? But God works on us every day, and I just wanna encourage the listeners to take this as an encouragement and not a discouragement for what the future may hold.

Jim Brangenberg: Amen. Any final words of wisdom, Julé, before we say goodbye?

Julé Colvin: Yes. I would say for the listeners, really just, we often quote Romans 8:28, trusting that God works all things together for good for us. It's really - and I know there's remaining part of that, but I'm paraphrasing. It's something different to look at that when you're going into your older years and to really believe that because we watch our parents. There're others in our lives, we see their physical capacities or maybe even their mental capacities start to to go down. We're not holding down a job where we're earning money.

There's volatility in the market, like what's going to happen to the money, right? There's a whole new level of trusting the Lord that comes from that time in your life. So I'm just, I feel like I'm on a journey with that every day of just being free to know that whatever the retirement quote unquote looks like, that he is going to be there and provide for our every need, whether it's financial, physical, whatever it is.

And I have many stories, if we had time, especially a story to tell about my mom and dad and how God has provided for them financially in their eighties, that's just, it inspires me so much to see how much he cares about that. And then also just encouraging people to write down the vision and start really putting it out there. What are the things that you would like to be able to do?

For many people, it's traveling. For us, we've got a couple of places we might like to go, but we're not really big at looking into travel. So for us it really became what does the all of this look like for the relationships in our lives, whether it's with our family or friends or people we haven't met yet. And then I did wanna share from Psalm 92 and, oh, I'm sorry I didn't write down the exact verses these are, but I have this on my phone. And this is our ultimate goal. It says: The righteous will flourish like a palm tree. They will grow like a cedar of Lebanon planted in the house of the Lord. They will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age. They will stay fresh and green, proclaiming the Lord is upright. He is my rock, and there is no wickedness in him. That encourages me so much. I'm looking forward to those days.

Martha Brangenberg: Amen.

Jim Brangenberg: Julé Colvin, thanks for being on our show today, for just sharing your story, your work, and your retirement story all at the same time. Thank you, Julé.

Julé Colvin: Thank you.

Jim Brangenberg: You've been listening to I iRetire4Him with your hosts, Jim and Martha Brangenberg. In this retirement phase of life, I want my life to be full of meaning and purpose, so I say iRetire4Him.