Helping Pastors Find More Freedom & Fulfillment: A Tribute to Dan Miller of 48 Days

42% of pastors in full-time ministry considered quitting in the past year, according to a 2022 Barna report. Are you one of them?

What if instead, you could find meaningful ways to experience more freedom and fulfillment in your life and ministry?

In this episode of the More Than a Pastor Show, we’ll explore how to do just that, and pay tribute to my friend and mentor Dan Miller, who has guided many pastors through that process.

Links for Today's Show

• Dan Miller's 48 Days to the Work You Love
• My Latest Post: How a Middle Class Couple Gave Away $1 Million by Age 40
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My Tribute to Dan Miller of 48 Days

Today, I want to honor and remember Dan Miller, a friend, mentor, and major source of inspiration in my life. Dan passed away on January 21, 2024, six weeks after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He would have celebrated his 77th birthday on May 7, 2024.

If you’re not familiar, Dan is the author of the book 48 Days to the Work and Life You Love, and host of the 48 Days podcast.

In this episode I’ll share a little bit more about who Dan is, how he impacted my life, and how he inspired me to become a coach and encouraged me to launch More Than a Pastor. I'll also highlight some of the insights and wisdom he shared to help pastors like you and me find more freedom and fulfillment in our life and work.

Discovering Dan Miller

I discovered Dan about 20 years ago, listening to Dave Ramsey's radio show. Whenever someone called in with a career-related question or problem, Dave would send them a copy of his friend Dan Miller's book, 48 Days to the Work You Love. And Dave told his listeners they could buy their own copy on Dan’s website at www.48days.com.

Over time I learned that Dan and Dave both lived in the Nashville, Tennessee area, had been close friends for years, and were members of the same church.

If you’re familiar with Dave’s story, you know that early in his career he was a big-time real estate investor who was heavily leveraged with debt. One day the bank called a bunch of his loans due, and he ended up losing everything.

Through Dave's journey of losing it all and somehow finding a way to rebuild his life and finances again with the Lord’s help, he started teaching others in his Sunday School class at church about finances. That eventually led him to write books, create his signature Financial Peace course, and launch his life daily radio show heard on stations nationwide.

Around the same time that Dave got into financial trouble, Dan did too. Dan had owned several businesses, including a health and fitness center. One day the bank called his loans due as well, and he ended up having to sell everything at a huge loss, leaving him owing over $400,000 to creditors, including the IRS.

As Dan began to rebuild his life and finances again with the Lord’s help, he also started teaching others in his Sunday School class at church about how to find the life and work you were made for.

And that eventually led him to write books, create his signature 48 Days to the Work You Love course, and launch his live weekly radio show heard locally in Nashville, which turned into Dan's top-rated 48 Days to the Work You Love podcast.

It's fascinating that both Dave and Dan faced significant business setbacks, found a renewed sense of purpose and mission through helping others in their churches, and eventually built highly successful businesses that have transformed thousands of lives and brought them substantial financial success.

The concept of discovering and pursuing work you love struck a chord with me as a young pastor in 2004. Even though I knew I was called to ministry and enjoyed being a pastor, I always felt there was more to me than just that role—a deeper calling beyond what my ministry involved.

So I decided to purchase a copy of Dan's book for myself. At that time, the book was in its original format as a workbook set in a 3-ring binder.

I visited Amazon.com but couldn’t find it there. Then I remembered Dave had mentioned going to www.48days.com. So I went to the website, placed my order, and received the book in the mail a few days later.

From the moment I started reading it, I was captivated by Dan’s message about dreaming big, investing in personal growth, understanding one’s unique strengths, and creating a life and career aligned with those strengths.

His message deeply resonated with me and motivated me to clarify my goals, dreams, and passions and pursue them with purpose.

Since then, Dan has been a mentor to me from a distance. I signed up for his weekly emails, then later subscribed to his podcast when it launched. Over nearly 20 years, I’ve been continually inspired and enriched by the stories, advice, and insights he has shared.

Inspiring Me as a Coach

After signing up for Dan's weekly email, I discovered he had created a workshop where a facilitator guided people through the 48 Days workbook and offered personal coaching to help them create more fulfillment in their lfie and work.

Inspired by Dan’s message, I applied to become a facilitator and coach. After completing the training, I became certified to teach the workshop, coach individuals through the 48 Days process, and purchase workbooks in bulk for resale.

I started offering life and career coaching services alongside my full-time pastoral ministry. And I purchased a case of 48 Days workbooks to sell on Amazon, because I figured if I had gone there to buy the books, others must be too.

Turns out I was not wrong, because I ended up selling 5-6 copies a week and generating a steady side income of $500 per month.

Each workbook I sold included a flyer promoting my coaching services and inviting readers to join my email list for weekly career and life tips.

Soon after, I learned about a local job fair hosted by the major news-talk radio station in town, WOOD, and the Grand Rapids Press. I contacted them to see how I could get a booth to sell my workbooks and coaching. They offered one for free in exchange for leading two 30-minute workshops. That led to more book sales, coaching, and a feature on the front page of the Sunday newspaper the following day.

Dave Ramsey came to Grand Rapids annually to host his Financial Peace live event. When I heard he was returning, I contacted his office to inquire about promoting my 48 Days coaching services, knowing Dave was a big supporter.

Dave was incredibly generous. For two consecutive years he agreed to include my flyers in the attendee bags. What's more, he even introduced me from the stage alongside his “endorsed local service providers” who were present.

As a result, I connected with several endorsed local providers—financial coaches, insurance agents, and investment advisors. They invited me to join them in hosting our own event, which we did a few months later. This collaboration boosted both book sales and coaching opportunities for me.

Meaningful Personal Connections with Dan

I was blessed to develop several meaningful personal connections with Dan over the years. The first one occurred shortly after I finished my facilitator training.

Back then, I was such a huge fanboy and really wanted to meet Dan in person, hoping to learn from his personal wisdom that could benefit both my life and business.

Additionally, I thought it would be great to get a photo with Dan that I could use to promote my business.

Lunch at Dan's favorite restaurant, Garcia's

I asked Dan if he would be willing to let me take him out to lunch sometime. He agreed, and we planned for me to drive down from Grand Rapids, MI to Franklin, TN, just outside of Nashville, to meet him at his favorite Mexican restaurant, Garcia’s.

You might think it was a bit crazy for me to make a special 1200-mile round trip just to have lunch with Dan, but that meeting turned out to be incredibly valuable.

It was truly a blessing to connect with Dan personally, share a meal together, and absorb as much wisdom as I could during the few hours we had together. He was incredibly inspiring, wise, and generous.

Coaching With Excellence

I met Dan again a few years later when I attended his “Coaching with Excellence” event at The Sanctuary, a renovated barn on his property in Franklin used for offices and events. I also had the pleasure of meeting his wife Joanne and daughter Ashley, who worked alongside him in the business.

48 Days Acres of Diamonds Cruise

Five years ago, in May 2019, my wife Candace and I had the opportunity to vacation with Dan and Joanne, along with a few other couples, on a 7-night Caribbean cruise aboard the Celebrity Equinox.

This cruise coincided perfectly with a sabbatical my church offered me around the same time. As I prayed and thought about what my sabbatical might look like, I heard Dan mention on his podcast that he and Joanne were organizing a "48 Days Acres of Diamonds Cruise" for spring 2019.

Dan and Joanne enjoyed cruising and had been hosting annual cruises for members of the 48 Days community for several years. These cruises combined business with pleasure, featuring workshops, mastermind meetings, and ample free time to connect over meals, evening shows, and excursions.

In case you’re not familiar with Acres of Diamonds, or you’re wondering why this was the theme for the cruise, Acres of Diamonds is a classic story, and one of Dan’s favorites, about an African farmer who hears that other farmers have struck it rich by discovering diamond mines. The farmer decides to sell his farm and everything he has and go prospecting for diamonds himself.

He spends the rest of his life wandering around Africa looking for diamonds, but he never finds any. Eventually exhausted, broke, and disheartened, the farmer throws himself into a river and drowns.

In a twist of fate, the new owner of his farm discovers a sparkling stone in a stream running through the property. He brings it into his house and places it on his fireplace mantle.

One day a visitor sees the stone, picks it up, and asks him if he knows what it is. The new farmer says he thought it was some kind of crystal. The visitor tells him it’s one of the largest diamonds ever discovered. The new farmer has a hard time believing him and tells him that his creek is full of stones like this, though not all as large.

Upon further investigation, the new farmer discovers that his farm is situated on a massive diamond deposit - in fact, it turns out to be the largest in the world.

The old farmer who had exhausted himself in his search for diamonds elsewhere had been living on acres of diamonds all along. But he was completely unaware of the immense treasure that lay right beneath his feet.

Dan loved to tell this story and made it the theme of this cruise because it underscores an important life lesson: 

The treasures we seek elsewhere often lie within our reach if only we would learn to recognize them.

When I heard Dan announce the Acres of Diamonds Cruise and describe all the exciting activities planned, I started to wonder if I could include it in my upcoming sabbatical.

Thankfully, I was able to include the cruise in my sabbatical, and my wife and I had an amazing time! Only nine other couples booked with Dan and Joanne, so we all got to know each other personally.

We participated in sessions where we could dream, brainstorm, and explore our own "acres of diamonds" together, and Dan and Joanne shared their insights with us in various ways.

During one of the sessions, I explained how I...

• Always felt called to be a pastor and an entrepreneur but didn’t always know how to reconcile the two.
• Discovered a way to self-fund my earlier urban ministry years ago through a mix of fundraising and side business income.
• Was passionate about helping financially struggling pastors increase their income and achieve financial security.
• Noticed several social, cultural, political, and economic trends that could lead to long-term declines in church attendance and giving. This could force churches to reduce full-time salaries to part-time, requiring pastors to find ways to supplement or replace their decreasing ministry income.
• Dreamed of using my skills, experiences, and passions to create a successful online business.
• Sometimes doubted myself and wondered if I was "expert enough" and had something valuable to offer to other pastors.

During that session, something clicked for me and everyone else in the room. It felt like what I had just expressed was the message and mission God had given me—a foundation upon which I could build the online platform I had been dreaming of.

And “More Than a Pastor" was born.

After the cruise, I joined Dan’s 48 Days Eagles online community. This allowed me to stay connected with Dan and other members through weekly Zoom calls. We supported and encouraged each other while exploring topics like personal growth and business development.

EntrePastors Live Event

The last time I saw Dan in person was in October 2021 at the EntrePastors event in Florida, where he was a speaker. During that event he gave me a signed copy of the latest edition of his book, 48 Days to the Work and Life You Love, and I also had the chance to see his Corvette, which sported his personalized "48 DAYS" license plate.

Over the past two decades, I've benefited greatly from Dan, his resources, and the community he built. After his death, his influence continues to shape my life and, I believe, yours as well.

The lessons I've learned and the experiences I've had with him continue to inform and inspire my work here at More Than a Pastor. His legacy lives on through the impact he has had on me and many others.

Career and Life Coaching for Pastors

Early on, I discovered that Dan had a deep connection with pastors. Although he wasn’t a pastor himself, spending time listening to his podcast revealed his pastor’s heart, shaped by his faith in Christ, which guided everything he did.

Dan grew up in a pastor’s home, on an Amish Mennonite farm in Ohio. His father served as a bivocational pastor and farmer in the Amish Mennonite community. Both sets of his grandparents were what he called "Horse and Buggy Amish."

Dan personally understood the financial challenges pastors often face. His father primarily earned income from farming, receiving occasional offerings from the church.

He also grasped the scarcity mindset and self-limiting beliefs that can hinder us from fully embracing all that God has for us. Dan experienced these firsthand while growing up, where the expectation for him was to continue the farming tradition, limiting his own potential.

So it shouldn’t have surprised me to learn that pastors were among his top coaching clients, along with dentists, doctors, and lawyers!

I don’t know about you, but I feel it’s easy to understand why dentists doctors, and lawyers might become unsatisfied in their careers, but pastors? People who have the greatest calling in the world?

Dan explained that, in his experience, pastors aren’t all that different from the others. There are five main reasons why pastors often feel unhappy.

5 Common Issues Making Pastors Feel Unsatisfied in Their Ministry

1. Questioning our calling, wondering if it was misdirected or perhaps intended only for a season
2. Growing tired of managing an institution and dealing with constant criticism
3. Reaching a financial lid with our salary, and experience growing financial frustration
4. Feeling trapped in a job that is no longer fulfilling
5. Dedicating too much time to our work and end up feeling drained, with no time or energy for family or activities that renew us

Do any of these resonate with you? They did with me. As I thought about them, I realized how I could help pastors like myself who wondered if saying yes to God's call meant accepting feeling stuck, broke, or unfulfilled in our lives and ministry.

And that’s what led me to start More Than a Pastor.

6 Things I Appreciate About Dan Miller

As I wrap up this episode I want to quickly share a few things I've come to appreciate about Dan:

1. Dan believed “The best way to predict your future was to create it.” And he dedicated his life to helping others create and live the life and work they were made for. This principle has inspired me so much in my own life and it carries through into the lives of others.
2. Dan never let circumstances determine his attitude or influence what kind of day he was having. It didn’t matter to Dan if it was cloudy, rainy or stormy outside, because he said he always carried his sunshine with him on the inside. Isn’t that a beautiful perspective? Dan’s favorite band was U2 and his favorite song of theirs was “Beautiful Day.”  That’s one of my favorites too. Every day was a beautiful day with Dan.
3. He didn’t let unexpected change, obstacles, or roadblocks throw him off, cause feelings of fear or anger, or hold him back. Instead, he learned to ask, “What does this make possible?” And this perspective allowed him to see possible opportunities or blessings in the situation that he might not have seen otherwise.
4. He never stopped learning, dreaming, or setting new goals. In fact, Dan always said, “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” And he lived that out until his last day. Dan had been learning to speak Spanish in recent years. He continued to invest in coaching to guide him on the next steps for his business. At age 75 he was making plans and setting goals for the next 25 years and beyond.
5. He was passionate about helping people discover how God wired them so they could fully live the life they were made for. He often said, "When you get to heaven, God is not going to ask you why you weren't more like Mother Teresa, Billy Graham, or Bono. He's likely to ask you why you weren't more like you."  Do you know who you are? And are you doing the work God made for you to do?
6. When Dan discovered in late 2023 that he had terminal cancer, he confronted his mortality by first asking “What does this make possible.” While he wouldn’t have asked for the diagnosis he had received, he accepted it as a gift and was determined to make the most of it. Dan said, “I’ve been given the gift of being able to think and reflect. I’m having amazing conversations with my wife Joanne, my kids and grandkids. We’re celebrating now rather than after I’m gone. I get to reflect on my legacy, and here’s where you come in. My legacy is firmly embedded in people like you, people that I’ve had the privilege of interacting with in the past few years. You are my legacy. You are now the torchbearers of these principles that I borrowed from the previous great thinkers.”

Through his life and death, Dan inspired me and countless others. He showed us how to break out of a poverty mindset and overcome self-limiting beliefs. He brought out the best in others, showed us what’s possible, and modeled how we can discover our calling and create a life that is meaningful, purposeful, and profitable.

I don’t know about you, but that’s the kind of life I want to live as well.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Are you a fan or follower of Dan Miller? Do you have a story about how he's impacted your life through his books, podcast, or meet-ups? I'd love to hear it.

Or did something I shared today inspire or touch you? Please let me know. It would mean a lot.

Are you feeling stuck, broke, or unfulfilled in your life or ministry? I'd love to help and encourage you. You can email me at [email protected]. I read and respond to every email.