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The Estherpreneur Podcast is where faith-driven founders, executives, and marketplace leaders learn to build business, wealth, and legacy God’s way.
Hosted by Edna Harding, Christ-Centered Business Architect, CEO of Favor & Wealth, Certified Marketing and Business Consultant, minister, speaker, author, and transformational strategist with 20+ years of experience, this weekly conversation brings biblical wisdom, prophetic clarity, and practical business architecture to leaders navigating growth, transition, sales, stewardship, and spiritual alignment.
Through Spirit-led teaching and powerful guest conversations, Edna helps entrepreneurs discern where they are, clarify where God is calling them, and design wisdom-led strategies that produce sustainable growth, sound decisions, peace of mind, and Kingdom impact.
This is not business as usual. This is building with favor, leading with authority, and stewarding success God’s way.
Visit FavorandWealth.com and EsthersOil.org.
Edna Harding [00:00:03]:
Welcome to Estherpreneur, a podcast for entrepreneurs and leaders doing business and life God's way. Each week we discuss biblical and practical tips to improve your mind, business, spirit, relationships, and finances. Listen along as I speak with special guests on how to thrive in all aspects of life. Hi, I'm Edna. Like many of you, I wear many hats. I'm a military wife, mother, author, certified John Maxwell business and executive coach, trainer, and founder of Favor and Wealth, where we help the good guys win. So tune in as we bring on the light. Well, hello everyone! Thank you for tuning in for another episode of the Estherpreneur Podcast.
Edna Harding [00:00:52]:
My name is Edna Harding. I'm nothing but a messenger of hope, life, and truth. For those of you guys who are new here, welcome, welcome, welcome. In this podcast, we talk about business and life God's way. And I just wanted to say thank you, thank you, thank you for listening to the Holy Spirit who drew you here, because I know that this episode is going to bless you. Now, in all transparency, my friends, I had a rough week this week. Long story short, I had some triggers that happened in my life this week that happened this week that just brought back my past from like 13 years ago. And I went through this whole like funk of like just being sad, being lonely, you know, just realizing all the things I overcame and just like not so much a pity party, but just like grieved by— I guess it was a pity party, grieved by, you know, the experiences I.
Edna Harding [00:01:56]:
And I was really thanking God for my husband. Shout out to him, because last night I was in bed and he was talking to me as we always do every night, and he told me, stand up and tell the devil to get out of your head. And I did it, and he's like, say it like you mean it. Like, you know, I was laughing. Because I felt like a little girl. But sometimes we need that. Sometimes we need our husbands to be like, no, like, enough. And obviously I was still feeling a little bit defeated and weak because I guess the doors that opened were pretty big doors, and I felt a little bit better but not 100%.
Edna Harding [00:02:39]:
And so my husband just laid his hand on my forehead and he prayed that devil out. Which got me to thinking about, you know, happiness and about joy, because the question he asked me, he said, what do you want? I said, I just want to feel joy again. I don't want to like fake it to make it, you know, act like, you know, I'm joyful when inside I'm dying, but I'm choosing joy. Like, I want to feel joy because I'm truly joyful, not because I'm choosing joy by faith. Does that make sense? I hope this is making sense. Um, obviously all around us the environment is very harsh and there's a lot of, you know, things that are just, um, detrimental to our souls, you know, and our souls is our mind, will, and emotions. I was binge watching, um, Epstein Files, and I probably shouldn't have, but I was just like— it was really, for those of you guys who don't know me, like my friends and I, well, people from the church and I would rescue girls from sex trafficking and go to Houston and, um, go to the different bars and strip clubs. And our— like, we would minister to these girls that if they were involved in sex trafficking, we would rescue them and we would partner with, um, law enforcement and things of that sort.
Edna Harding [00:04:03]:
And one of this episode that I was looking at was about a lady who was dealing with kind of like PTSD from the trauma. And, um, she was fine in the beginning, and he— the, the interviewer asked us a question. All of a sudden you see like something twitching her, um, like it was like it triggered something, like a wound that wasn't healed. And she started like touching her hair and then sinking down and started crying and like hiding. And it was just like I was I was like, so heartbroken for this girl, but then I also felt like that was kind of like me, like there was still some things that triggered me from my past, even though I forgave and moved on, there were certain things that the deep internal wounds that maybe I might have suppressed. Anyway, I'm sharing all this to say because I truly believe that the Lord wants to do a deep healing for His people.. And that involves really like doing open heart surgery, where even if the wounds that you didn't know were there, he's bringing it up for a reason, for a purpose. So today's episode, we're going to talk about that.
Edna Harding [00:05:16]:
We're going to talk about joy and happiness. And I want to just make it very plain that happiness and joy is completely different, right? Joy is something that God gives, right? But I'm talking about happiness, okay? Happiness, which is what— it's kind of like a surface level of joy, if that makes sense. But that's what I want to talk about today. I want to talk about happiness because, you know, sometimes we make it seem like God just wants us to suffer all the time, when in reality, God is a good Father and He wants us to experience joy. He wants to bless us. He wants us to be able to enjoy our blessing. I was reminded of because of the trauma of giving birth to my daughter that I was so like, I think I was dealing with postpartum also during that time. Oh, not around that time.
Edna Harding [00:06:17]:
I was fine. And then I hurt myself, injured my metatarsal. Gosh, I've been through a lot. But anyway, I want to focus on happiness, and I want to focus on happiness according to what the word of God says. And so let me just pray. Father, I just thank you for this day. I thank you for my family who's listening on the other side. I thank you, Lord, that it's not me who's speaking, but you, oh Lord.
Edna Harding [00:06:44]:
Use me today, God. I pray, oh God, that I will be an encouragement to my family and that they will just experience your love in a new way. We love you so much. In Jesus' name, amen. All right, so let me just say this plainly because I think this is going— I need to start with the point, then I'll dig deep. Okay, whatever it takes to make you happy, that is what it will take to keep you happy. And I'm sure you've heard this before, but I want you guys to hear this truth. Okay, if attention made you happy, you'll need more attention.
Edna Harding [00:07:25]:
If money made you happy, you'll need more money. If compromise made you happy, you'll need more compromise. If validation made you happy, you need constant reassurance. So if you hear what I'm saying, happiness has some sort of upkeep, right? And the reason why some of you are exhausted is because you're maintaining what you should have never built. Which was— I'm so glad that the Lord is removing that out of me now. At one point, I craved attention. At one point, I craved money, and now I realize, okay, we're debt-free, and I'm still not satisfied, right? If compromise made you happy, that I can say I haven't really compromised. I've been sticking to my values, but if that's what you did to get to make you happy, the more you're gonna have to do that later on.
Edna Harding [00:08:22]:
And here's the big one, the validation, which I just talked about. Validation, if you need people's likes and engagement to make you happy, that's a serious problem. And I believe that's why God is taking me away from the world systems even more, even the subtle stuff, the things that we don't even know are world systems that are in your face all the time. My friends. If that is like, for example, today, like, um, this morning, like I said, I was having a rough morning just because I still had a headache because I was tossing and turning the night before. And, um, I was spending time with God and I was like, I was just, you know, just pouring out my heart like as I usually do and just kind of explaining just how tired I was. And he told me to sit down on the couch, and I did. And he just told me all the things like he's proud of me of and like the things that I haven't really taken the time to acknowledge, all the things I overcame and I've overthinks and all the things I've accomplished.
Edna Harding [00:09:28]:
So instead of reminiscing on the bad stuff, but reminiscing on looking at it from a different perspective, right? Instead of looking at like, oh my gosh, I went through a lot of trauma and pain and heartache and and just failures and just abuse. Instead of looking at that, it's like I have to look at it from his perspective, which is, wow, I beat all of that, right? And this right here had just like spoke to my heart so much this morning. I was just like, you know, wow, God, this is This is absolutely beautiful. And so I know, like, okay, well, I have to go engage on my LinkedIn. So I go on LinkedIn, I'm supposed to go on LinkedIn and engage on my LinkedIn. And I'm like, you know what, Lord, I do not want attention, I don't need validation, I don't need to play the algorithm. I don't care if I lose followers, I don't care of anything. I just, I just need rest.
Edna Harding [00:10:30]:
And so I watched a movie, I watched this really good movie, I forgot what it's called. Oh, something, Summer of Hope, I believe that's what it's called. And it's, um, it's on Angel Studios. But bottom line, it's such a great movie, great family movie. I cried as usual. But I realized that I got so caught up in like my routine that the routine itself, even though the routine was something that God gave me initially so I could build everything it was stealing my joy, it was stealing my peace, it became more work, and I needed a break. And so that's what I did. And now, you know, a few hours later, I'm here recording this episode because I'm rested and I don't feel pressure, and I truly feel that I could pour into you on the other side.
Edna Harding [00:11:24]:
Okay, so I want to start off with discussing a law And it's a spiritual principle that we don't talk about enough, but it's called the law of acquisition, because acquisition determines maintenance. In fact, if you look at Galatians chapter 6, verse 7, it says, do not deceive God, is not mocked. Whatever a man sows, that, that he also will reap. So we focus on harvest, but we ignore the maintenance part, right? So if you sowed image, if you sowed seduction, if you sowed striving, overextension, half-truths, emotional manipulation, that is the soil your happiness is rooted in, or your joy, and that soil will determine an upkeep. And that That is huge because can you imagine keeping up with your image, keeping up with looking sexy, keeping up with striving all the time? Like I was like, no, I was like, I remember a long time ago, back in 2016 when I started documenting my YouTube journey, which by the way, I haven't really been updating it. I'm sorry guys, if you guys follow me on YouTube, I'm so sorry. Just been busy. Um, I said there has to be a better way.
Edna Harding [00:12:46]:
There has to be a simpler way. And that's what I've been seeking and trying to learn based on his word, on what exactly those ways are. Okay. And I was like, how do I keep this simple? How do I make it to where I am not tired of maintaining my blessing? Right? So I want you guys to hear me. So you get this like imagine you get this big blessing, but in order for you to keep the blessing, you have to like spread yourself out too thin and you have to like work yourself to death. I don't want, I don't consider that a blessing. Like to me that becomes more of a curse, right? And so I'm like, God, I want, I want the seeds that I plant, whatever makes me to create joy to be so simple but has external fruit. So like, like what I mean by that is like, imagine like, think of it's very like, that's what I'm saying, like a mustard seed, right? One mustard seed produces a lot of mustard, right? So my point is like, but mustard leaves, I don't know if it's mustard seed or mustard leaves, sorry guys.
Edna Harding [00:13:56]:
But the point is I want to do just one thing that will continue to bear fruit for me. And he narrowed it down to two things for me, which is speaker and investing. Those are the two things, like speaker and investing. I'm like, okay, so what does this mean? So it means that I just need to focus on activities that sharpens my speaking ability, right? And then I just need to keep investing, right? And so in people, investing money, investing my time, investing talents, things like that. So I was like, okay, all right. So I'm puzzling. I'm puzzling. Remember, I'm just sharing my journey with you guys.
Edna Harding [00:14:38]:
Okay, so that's where I'm at. Okay, so I finally took all the things that I'm really good at. I'm like, okay, what is it that you want? How do I simplify my life so that I'm not exhausted? Especially with being a military wife and just having littles and having two organizations that I'm in charge of, right? Outside of my business. I'm talking about from a volunteer standpoint. Okay, so I'm like, this is a lot. All right, are you guys still following me? I hope you guys are still following me. Okay, so I want to talk about how it— let's talk about performance for a second real quick. Okay, so if performance got you love, performance will keep you anxious.
Edna Harding [00:15:28]:
Because if you have to constantly perform and not really just be you, it's going to be— it's kind of like, okay, for example, let's say you're trying to impress your mother-in-law or your brother-in-law or somebody, right? Like, if you have to perform, it's exhausting, it's tiring, and you're like, oh my gosh, did I do it right? Because you don't even know which is real, which is fake, right? You don't want to live like that, right? And for example, if you striving like, okay, I got to work 40, 50, 60 hours, do this, this, and that. If that's what got you money, that's what's going to have to happen. Whereas if you started by keeping things simple and focusing on the 20% of activity that produces 80% of the fruits, and you build a business on that, that will keep things simplified, right? That make any sense? Or for example, if you're lowering your standards when it got you that man or that woman, lowering your standards will also keep you insecure, right? Because the standards are so low that if there's another person with a low standard, they'll cheat on you with that person because your standards were so low. Does that make sense? Like, then you have to constantly be looking as like, is this person cheating on me? And so forth. And this is why kingdom leaders and kingdom entrepreneurs cannot slow down. Okay, you don't— you should not build success on adrenaline. Okay, you should build success based on structure, little by little, from glory to glory. So it's a process, it's time.
Edna Harding [00:17:17]:
And, you know, sometimes I'm like, oh my gosh, why is it taking so long for me to build this thing? Because again, there's different programs. Mind you, the Holy Spirit told me already, he said, you already built it. But I'm just tired. I'm like, why am I tired? I'm not even doing anything. And it's just because of all the building, right? So now he's giving me rest, right? But what I love about this is because I did it little by little, I didn't do it like in one year. It took me about— how long did it take me to build this thing? Holy Spirit, 12 years to build this thing. 12 years. Okay, 12 years to get to this place that I'm at.
Edna Harding [00:17:57]:
And it was slowly, and I have systems in place. It's doable because the systems are there, the structure is there. So that I can ensure to be successful, not just in business, but also in life. Does that make sense? All right, so I want to talk about an example of Saul where his insecurity really became his strategy. So in Samuel, 1 Samuel 15:24, Saul admits that he feared the people and obeyed their voice. So approval made him feel safe, but then what happens is when that approval becomes his foundation, then he's enslaved to public opinion. So whatever they want, they're going to do versus what God told him to do, which then cost him the kingdom, cost him the kingdom, right? So not only did he lose the kingdom to David, he also exhausted himself trying to maintain an image that wasn't him. So what actually secured him as king of the people controlled him, right? So this is really important, my friends, that as you're building these things, you have to really ask yourself, like, okay, is it— is this worth it? Like, is this worth it? Like, everything that I'm sacrificing to do this, is it worth it? Right? Of course, and thank you, Holy Spirit.
Edna Harding [00:19:36]:
Of course, God's not telling you to be lazy, but you shouldn't be dying to build something, right? And what happened with me is because I was carrying all the burden for the business, for the ministry, for the organizations, for my clients. It was a lot on my shoulders. And that was me taking control of the outcome, me taking control of the process, and like, trying to be God in every area of life, including myself. Even though I trust God, I was trying to help God. Does that make sense? I wasn't trying to be God, I was trying to help God, and He doesn't need my help. And my friend, He doesn't need your help. What He wants from us is obedience. And what I love about God is the obedience part.
Edna Harding [00:20:22]:
The instructions He usually gives is very simple. It's like 1 to 3 instructions a day. So it's doable, it's manageable. We're the one that adds like 50 things to our task list, right? What I love about Proverbs 10:22, it says the blessing of the Lord makes rich and he adds no sorrow to it, right? So if what you're doing constantly requires anxiety— I'm sorry, it requires anxiety to maintain, that's not built under a blessing, right? That is stress. And I told God a long time ago, I was like, Lord, teach me how to prosper without sorrow. And quite frankly, I haven't figured it out yet. And I know in God's mind I'm already prosperous because I— what— thank you, Holy Spirit— prosperous, you know, prosperity's definition in the world term is money, money, money. But prosperity in prosper is to move forward, right? That's what God wants, is to move forward.
Edna Harding [00:21:34]:
And it was as if like the Lord is like sitting me down because I'm such a fighter and I'm such a go-getter. And then it's like he's telling me, stop, drop and roll. Just kidding. No, he's telling me stop, turn around, And look at all you've built for my namesake. And I felt like there was like a smile from his face. And he— and because I was so caught up in like, well, I still have this to get done and this to get done, like the new thing, right? The next thing. Even my husband said the same thing. He's like, why don't you stop? And my husband, for such a man of few words, he has such a lot of— he has a lot of wisdom.
Edna Harding [00:22:16]:
And he said, why don't you just stop and acknowledge like all that you overcame, like you overcame a lot and you're not jaded, you're still friendly, you're so kind and you're not, you know, he's like, you're a lot nicer than I am. And I haven't been through what— and the point, I'm not saying this is bad, but it was more like, yeah, maybe I should stop and just enjoy this a little bit, right? And just enjoy that I'm not at that place anymore. And I think part of it is because And to be quite honest, like part of it, the reason why I want to keep going is because I know a lot of my clients are struggling businesses and startups and they need income, they need money. And in my mind, I'm thinking like, if I could generate more income, I can help them more. And sometimes God is telling me like, that is not your burden anymore. In fact, I know that's what God's telling me. He will provide for them because for many, many years since I started, even when I didn't have much, I was the one shouldering the extra burden so that my clients wouldn't get burdened. And I would try to help them out as much as possible, even though I myself was struggling.
Edna Harding [00:23:25]:
And I did that not because of, I don't know, like, um, trying to earn God's approval, but more like this stuff don't really matter to me. And I know it sounds so crazy, but it's like, yeah, business To me, even though like this is a business on my podcast, business don't really mean anything to me. Like all I want is my father to say, well done, my good and faithful servant. And the business is like more of like a, I don't know, like a, not that I don't care. I mean, I do care, but it doesn't make me feel any better for myself, right? The reason why I want my business to prosper is because I want to help more people. And that's pretty much what it is. I want to be able to fund the gospel and fund people's assignments. That's really what it comes down to.
Edna Harding [00:24:20]:
And so the success of the business was never about, oh my gosh, I'm gonna get rich and do this and do that and buy this. Do I want those things? Yeah, absolutely. You know, I want my family. But then over the years since I launched my business in 2014, I've learned so much about what's important and what's not important and how much people, how many, how many people out there are in far dire situations and how people are just turning the other cheek. Like you have all these celebrities and influencers and influential people. I mean, not to say that all of them, but there's a lot of people, at least the ones you see in the media, they have all the funds in the world. They have so much resources and They're just keeping it to themselves and not helping those who truly need it. Now mind you, there are people who don't deserve the help because they buy drugs, they do all these things, and you know, they stray away.
Edna Harding [00:25:10]:
But there are, I truly believe there are righteous people who just haven't had a fair chance, haven't had an opportunity to really be successful because they just don't have access, right? And I believe that if that is you, Who's that person who didn't have access? I think it was fair. I want to share a story because I think it's going to encourage you that happened in my life in 2016. That's when pretty much all hell broke loose against me. I was running out of money because of, again, the scam. I don't have time to go into detail, but just listen to the first episode of this podcast of season 1. And I remember I had to shut down two of my offices. I had an office in the gallery, an office in the Woodlands, and I was like devastated because I couldn't afford it anymore. And I'm like, well, where am I going to? I can't take my client to my house.
Edna Harding [00:26:10]:
You know, I didn't want that. I was like, I wanted my own office space. And so long story short, that was in my heart, but I didn't really ask for it. I just, that was in my heart. And then one day I was at a cafe and like a cafe, yeah, it was like a coffee shop in like this building. And I happened to be sitting next to the owner of the office space. And long story short, he gave me an office, no charge, for free. And I had an assigned parking spot and it was right there.
Edna Harding [00:26:45]:
In the prime real estate of Houston. God did that. That wasn't me, that was God. And I remember that feeling. I was so grateful, not to the person, but to God. And that's what I want. Like, I want to be able to help people to the point where they're just so grateful to God. That, that God used someone to bless them in their dying time of need.
Edna Harding [00:27:16]:
And I'll never forget that, and that's why I do what I do. That's why I help people the way I help, because I remember those days and how much it blessed me and how encouraged me not to give up. Because I truly believe there's a lot of people giving up right now because they don't have hope. And hope deferred makes the heart sick, and when your heart becomes sick, then it turns into despair. And at some point, you don't even want to live your life anymore. I remember there was a couple times in my life where I wanted to die. I remember one time around that same time, because it was so bad, like I was so heartbroken because not only did I file bankruptcy, lost all my money, you know, lost all my savings because I gave it to this commercial real estate Ponzi, by my pastor and her friends, and then they disowned me. My pastors, my pastor and my pastor's wife, who I served under, I was your armor bearer, and, you know, took care of their son and went to their house, you know, and like did stuff, you know, like paid for like the venues and things like that, paid for their guests, like just like in my hardest, in the the most difficult time of my need, they weren't there, and they disowned me.
Edna Harding [00:28:37]:
And I felt so abandoned because I was like, this doesn't make sense. I was like, I did the right thing, God. Why do I feel so hurt? And I remember I let go of that wheel. It was raining in Houston on the freeway. It was raining so hard, and I was so devastated. By the whole situation that I let go of the wheel. Honestly, I don't even know for how long. I couldn't see.
Edna Harding [00:29:04]:
I let go of the wheel. That's how devastated I was. And I got the wheel by the grace of God, and I was fine. But how many people out there, and for those of you guys who are listening who are feeling that hopeless, who are feeling like it's over, it's done, well, let me tell you, my friends, coming on the from the other side. It's not done. I had to encourage myself in the Lord. I had to believe God that he will make a way. And guess what? He did.
Edna Harding [00:29:33]:
And although it took longer than I thought, and although he used people I never thought he would use, and although it might have not been the plan that I wanted, it was perfect. It was absolutely perfect. And I, I want to say this, that some of you are— you know, I'm gonna share something hard, but I think it's going to set you free. Some of you are not losing joy, you're paying the maintenance costs of a foundation built on the wrong thing. So you wanted happiness, or you wanted some sort of you know, stature more than aligning with what God told you to do. And now you're trying to keep up with the happiness that you built that was not built on the strong foundation of the Lord Jesus Christ. And that's why for me, when I built my program for people like you, I built it on a solid foundation, which is our identity in Jesus Christ first. Then we worked on the business idea and the foundations and the systems to support that, and then also your sales conversations.
Edna Harding [00:30:50]:
But if I didn't go through that process during my difficult season, and if I haven't worked with all the people that I've worked with, I probably wouldn't have gotten to that point. And so if you're tired because of the upkeep of sustaining what you built out of the world system, I want to invite you to a system that is based on obedience. You know, John 15:10-11 says, if you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, that my joy may remain in you. The word is remain, okay? So joy that is built on obedience remains. Joy that's built on compromise or stature or people approval and all that stuff, that has to be recreated. What I love about this is all he wants is your yes. He just wants you to say yes. So if he tells you something, say yes.
Edna Harding [00:31:55]:
All right, so I want you guys to ask these next 3 questions. I want you to ask these questions and really reflect on this. Maybe take a journal, pause this episode and, and write this in your journal. What did I trade to feel happy? What pattern did I establish to feel secure? And if I stop performing, does it collapse? Because if it collapsed when you rest, it was built on you, not God. Amen. That was so good. I was preaching to myself. And you know what, guys? This morning when I rested, it did not collapse.
Edna Harding [00:32:40]:
Why? Why? Because I built it on God. I built my business on God. It took me a while, but I built it on the solid foundation of God. And that's why when I rested, it did not collapse. My business did not collapse. There were times when I rested, not just recently but over the years, but because the foundation was God, my business kept going on. It's the kind of business that lasts, the kind of business that sustains, and that's what you need to build. You need to build a business that's based on God's wisdom and God's rock, which is the Lord Jesus Christ.
Edna Harding [00:33:29]:
Remember, whatever it took to get it, it's what will take you to keep it. So choose wisely, my friend, because joy rooted in God does not demand your exhaustion to survive, and anything that requires you to keep pretending was never peace. All right, well, I hope this blessed you, and I hope this encouraged you to hunger for the things of God. And that, remember, my friends, you're not alone in this journey. If this is something that you're interested in doing in my community, Business Unlimited, just go to faymarenewall.com, go to services, you'll find an option there. Now, if you need prayer, or just a community to chat with, join my WhatsApp group for the Estrepreneur Podcast and you can message me there. All right, well, God bless you guys and I hope this encouraged you. Take care, my friends.
Edna Harding [00:34:36]:
Bye-bye. Thanks for joining us this week on Estrepreneur. Make sure to visit our website favorandwealth.com for more information on our services. While you're at it, if you found value in this show, we'd appreciate a rating on iTunes, or if you simply tell a friend about the show, that would help me out too. Also check out my book, The Ugly Side of Sales, available on Amazon, where I share 7 of my secrets on how to win and grow business the right way. Until next time, keep shining.