How does faith rewire your entire career? In this powerful episode of the What It Takes podcast, we sit down with Mrs. Esther Bergman, the CFO of Chai Lifeline, who oversees a massive $45 million budget dedicated to helping families with critically ill children.
Esther takes us on her incredible journey from a Spanish-speaking immigrant taking a job as a store greeter to becoming the financial leader of one of the most impactful non-profits. She pulls back the curtain on her unique philosophy that you don't work for your boss—you work for God—and shares how this mindset opened doors no résumé ever could. She reveals how a prayer for fish in Costa Rica was directly answered, the time she saved a $100M organization from collapse, and why she schedules her “depression” for 5 AM.
This is a raw, inspiring, and deeply spiritual conversation about the power of showing up, the true meaning of money, and how to lead with compassion—even when you have to let someone go.
💡 In This Episode, We Discuss:
◼️ Esther’s journey from Costa Rica to CFO without a finance degree
◼️ The Costa Rica “Fish Market Miracle” and talking to God in everyday life
◼️ Her grandmother’s powerful lesson: “Money is like fire”
◼️ The brutal cash flow crisis that threatened to shut down a $100M organization
◼️ How to transition from an individual contributor to a leader who builds other leaders
◼️ The art of firing someone with kindness and a prayer for their future
◼️ Why being multi-talented can be a curse for your career
◼️ The $15 million secret behind Chai Lifeline’s volunteer force
◼️ How to make a lateral career move that sets you up for long-term success
◼️ Her advice for anyone wanting to build a meaningful career in finance or non-profit
⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 Meet Esther Bergman: The CFO Who Works for God
1:04 The Costa Rica Fish Market Miracle
7:50 Immigrant Story: First Job as a Store Greeter in Brooklyn
10:53 The Kleinfeld Bridal Breakthrough
22:56 Switching from Customer Service to Finance
34:51 How to Fire Someone with Compassion
38:25 The $45M Budget of Chai Lifeline & The $15M Secret
43:02 The Crisis: A $100M Organization Frozen by Fraud
44:37 The Brilliant Idea That Saved the Company
50:50 Final Advice: How to Build a Career with Purpose
🔗 Connect with Esther Bergman
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/esther-bergman-87579117/
🔗 Connect with Tuli Kraus
X (Twitter): https://x.com/TuliKraus
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackbird.recruiting/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tuli-kraus/
This episode is sponsored by Blackbird Recruiting. Tired of sifting through unqualified resumes? Let Blackbird Recruiting find you top talent so you can focus on building your business. Visit blackbirdrecruiting.com to learn more.