Aaron Sanders shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hi Aaron, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
The first 90 minutes of my day are all about charting the course. I’ve learned that how I start determines how I lead, so I focus on three disciplines every morning: spiritual, mental, and physical exercise.
Spiritually, I spend time meditating on things that are good, joyful, and positive. It’s my way of staying connected to the infinite and aligning my thoughts with purpose before the outside world starts making its demands. Mentally, I challenge myself to learn something new, not because it’s tied to business, but because curiosity keeps me sharp and humble.
And physically, I move. Ninety percent of people over 35 will never sprint again, so I start every day with one. It reminds me that I’m alive, capable, and already ahead of 90% of people before 8 a.m. That’s a pretty good start to the day.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Aaron Sanders, and I a founder and chief strategy Officer of Avoda Holdings, a company built on a Hebrew word that means work, worship, and service. At Avoda, we’re proving that those three words were never meant to be separated.
We transform underutilized church and nonprofit properties into thriving seven-day-a-week community hubs, places where faith and commerce coexist to create impact. Our projects often include coffee shops, event venues, coworking spaces, Airbnb and creative studios that bring life back to spaces that used to sit empty most of the week.
What makes Avoda special is that it’s not just a business model, it’s a Kingdom of Heaven model. We see business as a form of worship, property as a platform for purpose, and community as the true measure of success.
My story is really about standing in the tension between the church world and the business world. I grew up in ministry but spent over twenty years in business leadership, and I’ve found that both sides need each other. My work now is about building that bridge, helping pastors think like entrepreneurs and helping entrepreneurs see their work as ministry.
Right now, we’re scaling the Avoda model across multiple properties, developing a new independent and focused funding model, building an online education platform, and developing a coaching network that equips business and ministry leaders to build together in a unique way.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
Before the outside world told me who I had to be, I was a kid who saw patterns where others saw problems and possibilities where others saw limits. I was endlessly curious about how things worked and how they could work better. That curiosity led me to start my first business at 11 and my second at 12. I didn’t have a word for “scale” back then, but I knew how to grow something. I saw exponential growth in these ventures before I even knew what entrepreneurship meant.
Then came the expectations. After high school, I felt the pull to conform, to take the predictable route. I spent 17 years in the corporate world. I was successful there, but I always felt a creative restlessness, a longing to express ideas that didn’t fit inside standard boxes.
Today, through Avoda, I’ve found the balance. It’s the perfect pairing of the creativity that defined my childhood and the discipline that corporate life taught me. I don’t regret those 17 years, they gave me structure, systems, and stamina. But Avoda allows me to channel all of that toward something deeper: turning curiosity into sustainable impact.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
The ancient Stoics taught that comfort kills, and the Apostle James told us to count it all joy when we meet trials of various kinds. Both understood something modern culture often misses; growth doesn’t happen in comfort.
It’s not always easy to start my day with the three disciplines of spiritual, mental, and physical development, but each one requires discomfort, and each one pays incredible dividends. Over time, I’ve learned to intentionally put myself in those challenging places because that’s where transformation happens.
Of course, not all suffering is chosen. Life has a way of throwing challenges that we never planned for or wanted. But I’ve come to trust that those moments are collaborators, not enemies. They’re working for my good, refining me to become stronger and wiser.
A life of constant success sounds appealing, but it doesn’t build much depth. It’s the resistance, the daily stretch, the unexpected trial, that forges resilience and reveals strength you didn’t know you had.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
My friends would probably say that what matters most to me is living with purpose and helping others do the same. I care deeply about alignment, about making sure my work, my relationships, and my impact all tell the same story.
They’d tell you I’m passionate about seeing people discover their God-given potential and put it to work in the real world. Whether it’s in business, family, or faith, I believe we’re designed to live integrated lives where what we do in the mundane parts of life carries the same meaning as what we do in the spirituality enlightened parts of our life.
At the end of the day, I value authenticity, excellence, and transformation. I want the people around me to rise higher, think deeper, and live truer to who they were created to be. If I can help unlock that in someone, that’s success to me.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. How do you know when you’re out of your depth?
The truth is, my drive, curiosity, and creativity ensure that I’m always out of my depth and I prefer it that way. Just like in physical training, there’s no benefit in lifting something that doesn’t have the potential to make you fail. Growth only happens under tension.
I don’t believe humans were designed to do safe things. We were designed to take on assignments so big they require community to accomplish and a Creator to empower them. That’s where the real adventure begins when you step into something beyond your own capacity and watch what faith and collaboration can do.
Honestly, I get more concerned when things feel too easy. Safe, simple, and predictable tasks tempt me to rely on myself instead of the people around me and the God who empowers me. For me, being “out of my depth” isn’t a warning sign it’s confirmation that I’m right where I’m supposed to be.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://TheAvodaLife.com
- Instagram: @theavodalife
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-sanders-93930a238?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
- Other: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-avoda-life-podcast
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