Michael wanted to build the kind of business where people would ask him how he did it, and every day as he sat at his desk he was reminded of the lessons the carpenter had taught him. He truly hoped J. was right about everything being spiritual, especially since he kept praying for a miracle. With two weeks to go, he and Sarah needed something miraculous to happen or else their business and dream would be dead.

He thought they would easily be able to raise money from investors, but everyone he met with balked because Social Connect had already lost their biggest client. It raised too many red flags, and Social Connect was considered a very risky proposition. Investors figured that when the company went bankrupt its intellectual property could be bought for pennies on the dollar, so why take the risk now?

Michael knew that as soon as their biggest client’s contract ended, Social Connect would run out of money very quickly without additional funding. Even if they secured several new clients in the next two weeks they wouldn’t see the revenue right away, and without support from investors, he had to find other funding to keep them afloat until new client revenue came in. That is, if he was even able to acquire new clients.

He remembered reading about Fred Smith, the founder of FedEx, who, in the early days of the company, was faced with a similar situation. He didn’t even have enough money to make payroll, pay for their jet fuel, and keep the company afloat. Legend has it that he took whatever money was in the account, went to Las Vegas, and won enough at the blackjack table to keep FedEx going until they secured additional funding. Michael wasn’t about to go to Las Vegas, but he was on his way to the bank to bet his family’s future and secure a second mortgage on their home. If they lost their business, they would lose their home too. Michael knew it wasn’t the smartest thing, but it was the only thing he could do to secure funding and keep his company afloat a little bit longer while he tried to create the impossible.

On his way back from the bank, he decided if they lost it all they would start over. He agreed with the carpenter and believed that the spiritual creates the physical, and ideas and principles are what build lasting success. He felt equipped with the right tools, principles, and strategies to build something else if Social Connect should crumble. They could take his business and his home, but no one could take what he had learned from the carpenter. No one could destroy his spirit. No one could stop him from changing the world. It wouldn’t be easy, and for a while he and his family would lose all of the comforts they now enjoyed. But he was willing to endure the struggle and pain in order to live his purpose and follow his dream.

The fear he felt turned into faith, and his faith turned into trust that no matter what happened, they would be okay. He trusted in a bigger plan for his life and let go of the outcome. In what should have been the most fearful time of his life, he actually became the most peaceful and spiritual. He poured his heart and soul into every aspect of his business, and worked harder than he ever had, but didn’t feel stressed or tired.

A week later, with no new clients to celebrate, all seemed hopeless. Several sales leads had dried up and only a few referrals had come in. The prospect of securing several new clients appeared bleak to everyone. The business was about to crumble. Michael calmly accepted their fate and was preparing to lose everything and start over.

But when all seems hopeless, that’s when miracles happen. That’s when the physical gives way to the spiritual, and the impossible becomes possible. That’s when things you can’t explain happen and change your life forever. That’s when Michael and Sarah got a random call from a reporter from the local business journal.

She said she wanted to do a story about couples building a business together. She came to interview them for an article profiling 10 power couples in tech city. Michael and Sarah didn’t think much about it. A few days later the article ran, and their office phones wouldn’t stop ringing. The story was supposed to include a brief mention about them, but the reporter decided to make it a feature on them and their company. As part of the story the reporter interviewed several clients who sang Social Connect’s praises, gushing about their revolutionary software and customer-centric approach. Even more miraculous, the reporter didn’t interview the client who was leaving them because of their past mistakes.

That week they received more inbound sales leads and referrals than they did in the previous three months combined. It was as if they were living the carpenter’s words. Success takes time. It doesn’t happen overnight. People don’t always recognize you right away. But with this article, the truth shined through and their soul and spirit were on display for the world to see. At a time when it seemed all was lost, they found not just two more clients, but five more clients.

A few months later, Michael and Sarah stood at the bank together crying and hugging. As their last dime was leaving their account to pay expenses, together they deposited checks from their new clients. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect.