Honor God in the Grind: Faith, Failure, and Entrepreneurship With Phil Daniels and Darrian Mikell

Two Indianapolis entrepreneurs share what surrendering business outcomes to God actually looks like, including the failures they didn't see coming and the peace they found afterward. Phil Daniels, a founder, investor, and co-author of "Spiritugraphics" and Darrian Mikell, co-founder of Qualify, an HR tech startup he recently sold, join host Drew Kelley for a candid panel conversation on identity, ambition, and vocational faithfulness. Daniels reflects on building a company steeped in Christian values that still ended in disappointment for employees and investors, and how that experience now equips him to guide founders through their own difficult chapters. Mikell opens up about a brutal 2023 that included personal failings, a serious car accident, multiple rounds of layoffs, and the moment he stopped trying to control the outcome. Together, they discuss what it looks like to root identity in Christ rather than in professional accomplishment, the discipline of documenting God's faithfulness in real time, how the Lord's Prayer shapes daily decision-making, and why the path to meaningful work is rarely linear. Both men are wired for ambition. The conversation is about what happens when that ambition gets submitted to something larger than a business plan. Recorded live at Meridian Hills Country Club as part of the Honor God in the Grind Growth Session series, this gathering is designed for men in sales, business development, ministry, fundraising, and entrepreneurship.