Cheryl Ziegler is a Kingdom business mentor and co-host of the Pursuing Hearts podcast. She works with Christian women entrepreneurs, especially those in the early years of business who find themselves disillusioned or unfulfilled. Cheryl equips women to partner with God in their work, so they don’t just survive in business—they thrive.

My work is deeply personal, and purpose driven. I’ve built a business that bridges faith and strategy, encouraging women to step fully into their God-given callings. It’s not just about hitting revenue goals—it’s about building a life and business that reflects Kingdom values.

As a business coach, I get to walk alongside women who are navigating both the excitement and the overwhelm of entrepreneurship. Many of them, like myself, started their businesses with big dreams and bold prayers—but somewhere along the way, they began to feel lost or spiritually dry. I help them re-center on God’s voice, reconnect with their “why,” and rebuild their businesses from a place of deep partnership with Him. I see myself in business with God, not under God or for God – a true business partner, the best kind.

This work matters because these women aren’t just building businesses—they’re investing in relationships, developing leaders, and shaping culture, both within their organizations and in their communities. When someone embraces their identity in Christ and brings that into their leadership, their work becomes a force for renewal. I believe my role is to help my clients stay grounded in the truth that their work is holy, their calling is sacred, and their success is about alignment in Him, not just outcomes.

My faith is the foundation for every business decision I make. I know that may sound too simplistic or tidy but living it out is often messy. One of the most stretching decisions I had to make was to pause my coaching for a season. Especially after knowing I was called to coach, and all the work I had put into my business. I went through a long stretch where it felt like nothing was working. Calls weren’t converting, content wasn’t landing, and I was exhausted. I kept asking, “God, what am I doing wrong?”

When I realized I was experiencing “fruitless effort instead of effortless fruit,” I knew something was off. After some extended prayer, I realized that I needed to lay everything down, my coaching and everything associated with it. Following this, He began detoxing me from “doing” and I started the difficult process of learning how to be. I learned to intentionally cultivate relationships during this season where I could be, without performing or manipulating the process. That decision led to deeper trust in where and how I was being led. As doors of opportunity slowly began to open, I started measuring success not by outcomes, but by my intimacy with God and my obedience to where He was leading me. I am now building my business from a place of abiding, which has changed everything—from how I create content to how I coach clients.

God has used my wilderness season of entrepreneurship to form His character in me. But in the quiet, I sensed a different invitation: Embrace where you are. I am giving you a rest from burnout. That season revealed hidden pride, self-reliance, and unhealthy striving. God wasn’t punishing me—He was pruning me. And in that pruning, I discovered new depths of humility, patience, and surrender.

One of the most powerful moments came at the beginning of this year, when I was invited to a women’s networking lunch by a friend. When I arrived, I realized this was the group I had been searching for over the past year. At that one lunch, I learned about a year-long program for leaders and small business owners that was starting the following week. I joined the year-long program and, through it, met a group of my peers who are profoundly impacting me. I am also in the process of collaborating on a business project with someone I was introduced to at the networking event. To me, this is what it looks like to rest in Him. I did nothing except accept the invitation to lunch, and as a result, several doors of opportunity opened up. It was His timing, not mine, and there was no manipulation to achieve a desired outcome.

What does it look like to you to rest in His promises, to trust Him in the droughts, and to show up faithfully even when you don’t feel fruitful?

Whether you’re in a boardroom, a cubicle, a lab, a classroom, a workshop, or behind a laptop in a home office, God wants to meet you in your work. He’s not just after your results—He’s after your heart. He’s forming something in you that’s far more valuable than a performance review or a client win.

Here’s a question to reflect on:

• Where in your work is God inviting you to be formed, not just effective?
• Lean into that place. Ask Him what He’s trying to grow in you there. You may find that the most essential thing you produce at work is not what you do—but who you’re becoming.