🎙️ From 40 Years at Goodyear to Transforming Christian Business Leadership: David Beasley's Journey with C12 Business Forums

In this inspiring episode, David Beasley, Chair of C12 Business Forums in Northeast Ohio, shares his remarkable journey from spending nearly 40 years at Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company—including roles as Vice President of North American Commercial Tires, Director of Airship Operations, and leading the challenging China market entry—to discovering his true calling: helping Christian business owners build great businesses for a greater purpose.

✨ Key Insights You'll Learn:

• Career evolution from Goodyear retail tire sales to Vice President of North American Commercial Tires

• Director of Airship Operations: overseeing three Goodyear Blimps and $100M+ capital project transitioning from old blimps to new Zeppelin-designed airships

• China market entry challenge: late to market against state-owned enterprises, educating fleets on total cost of ownership versus acquisition cost

• Two-step distribution in China: distributors fund retailers versus North America's one-step manufacturer-to-dealer model

• Cultural differences: FedEx's operational discipline versus Amazon's high-velocity innovation approach

• Retreading economics: $400 new tire with multiple $200 retreads delivers better total cost than $300 lower-quality tire driven to destruction

• Transition from operator to leader: helping entrepreneurs stop being bottlenecks and empower leadership teams

• C12 peer advisory model: 12 Christian business owners meeting monthly for accountability, collaboration, and strategic growth

• Balanced scorecard strategic planning: revenue, development, operations, financial management, and ministry goals

• Ministry integration: chaplaincy programs, care teams, dream manager initiatives, and generosity programs

• Performance-based identity transformation: counseling revealed worth comes from being loved by Christ, not accomplishments

• Asking powerful "what" questions over "why" questions: enabling self-discovery rather than prescribing solutions

🌟 David's Key Mentors:

Goodyear Leadership Teams: Provided 40 years of career growth opportunities every 2 years, teaching operational excellence and strategic business management across retail, commercial, international, and brand ambassador roles

His Wife: Wisely encouraged him to seek counseling before transitioning to C12, recognizing unresolved issues around performance-based identity that needed healing

Professional Counselor/Therapist: Facilitated breakthrough understanding that identity and worth come from being loved by Christ for who he is, not what he accomplishes

C12 Members: Teach him daily through vulnerability, accountability, and their journeys of integrating faith into business leadership

Authors of "Ask Powerful Questions" and "Spiritual Leadership Coaching": Transformed his coaching approach from giving answers to asking questions that enable self-discovery

👉 Don't miss this powerful conversation about transitioning from corporate leadership to kingdom work, discovering identity beyond accomplishments, and helping business owners build organizations that honor God while blessing employees, customers, and communities.

🔗 Connect with David Beasley:

LinkedIn: David Beasley

Website: C12 Northeast Ohio

📄 Transcript Available: Building Great Businesses for Greater Purpose: David Beasley's Journey from Goodyear to C12 Leadership

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📄 Special Thanks to Anthony Codispoti & AddBack Benefits Agency: AddBack Benefits Agency - Providing innovative employee benefits solutions that improve employee well-being while optimizing your bottom line Website: addbackbenefits.com

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