Conversations with John Mrazek

Today we’d like to introduce you to John Mrazek. 

Hi John, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I am a corporate refugee who has been a diesel truck mechanic, a computer technician, IT Director for a nationwide retailer, a feed store operator and the job-readiness program director at the Springs Rescue Mission. I transitioned from the marketplace into a non-profit position in 2007 when we moved from the Chicago land area to Colorado Springs for my first leadership role in a local church. After a short stint working for a for-profit higher education company helping students find jobs, I started a fractional business coaching service. SharedXP was started in April 2017 to serve as a part-time Executive Pastor and Executive Director service for small organizations that cannot afford to hire the help they need. For a ministry/non-profit sensitive monthly fee, SharedXP assesses staff and operational issues and recommends best practices policies and guidelines that help the organization get unstuck and grow. SharedXP promotes the servant leadership model that strives to treat employees with honor and respect and helps them become the best versions of themselves. After 5+ years of operation and surviving COVID, SharedXP is focused on producing tools and templates to help business leaders lead their organizations better. SharedXP is also self-publishing a book titled “Transitioning Well” about the differences between the marketplace and ministry and how to transition healthily and sustainably. As SharedXP 2.0 continues to grow and pivot, our goal will be to create more best-practice tools and templates to help non-profits and ministries become the best places on earth to serve. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
From 2017 until COVID struck I invested a lot of time and other resources to build a huge network of like-minded small business operators and marketplace leaders. The pandemic totally stalled my networking activities and referral pipeline. During the height of the pandemic, I focused on established clients and teaching classes for Colorado Christian University. After the pandemic, I have had to pivot and adapt to the new reality of rebuilding my network and relationships in smaller gatherings and one-on-one. Building a referral pipeline after COVID is very different and requires more time and patience. 

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
There are over 300,000 churches in the United States. 10% of the churches are 100 or more and would be considered mega-churches. Whether a church has 100, 1000, or 10,000 the business needs of each organization are the same and it only becomes a matter of scale. Pastors and ministry professionals are trained to study the Bible and care for people. But they are not always trained or excited about running a small business. SharedXP helps with day-to-day tactical operations and guides the leadership through strategic planning that is biased towards action instead of continuous conversation and planning cycles. Everywhere that SharedXP serves we collect best practice systems, processes, and policies that we can implement in other environments. One of the areas that we excel in is interpreting financials and creating dashboards for leaders who are not financial experts. We also promote a pastoral approach to developing and holding accountable staff who may be struggling or no longer engaged. ShareXP strives to make every organization the best place on earth to work and help the staff and leaders become the best version of themselves. 

So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
One of the most enjoyable parts of serving organizations is meeting experts in different business disciplines. Everywhere I serve I bring with me virtually 20-30 business experts who enable me to answer questions or connect them to my clients when they need special services or expertise. I call my list of experts my stable of race horses which is a carry-over from my time as a feedstore operator. Race horses are very good at getting from point A to point B very quickly. I have carefully vetted and built relationships with vendors and service providers who can help any organization win. I would appreciate meeting more experts because that will help me care for my clients even better. 

Pricing:

• Basic Leadership Bundle of operational and finance tools and templates = $289
• Growth Bundles for Churches of 500 or more with more tools, templates, and policies = $795.00
• Book = Transitioning Well from the Marketplace to Ministry = $12.95
• Monthly Fees Depending of Membership
• Basic coaching $100 per hour

Contact Info:

• Website: www.sharedxp.org
• Instagram: instagram.com/sharedxpllc/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/john.mrazek1