Christian Entrepreneurship: Stratil Enterprises, Inc. Part 1

[00:00:00] So then I started programming computers in seventh eighth grade on an apple, apple 2-E and started doing things that way and got that then through high school and I just always had that Yellow screen or green screen screens. There you go baby. Yeah

[00:00:24] Welcome to Christ In All Things, a conversation about meaning and purpose. It's based on a verse from the Bible Colossians chapter 1 verse 17 which says Christ is before all things and in him all things hold together

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[00:01:10] 210 East Pleasant Street in O'Connor, Wisconsin Welcome to Christ In All Things I am Pastor Lance Odonnell on Pastor Jason Schockman And we have with us today our first guest in the 2023 2024 season two series on Christian entrepreneurship We welcome Dale Stradel. Welcome Dale. Thank you

[00:01:40] We're delighted to have you We did a little bit of a preview of this type of thing in Season one we did a bonus episode with a young entrepreneur at St. Paul's name Colin Murdy Who I hope will have back to

[00:01:54] Who again? It would be great to have him great to have him back he owns the Murdy creative company So Dale we're gonna do as we we talked pre-service or pre-show here backstage backstage as it were

[00:02:09] What is the name of your company and why did you why did you name it that so the name of the company is Stratel Enterprises Incorporated One of the big reasons I was looking for something unique in our name is unique Stratel

[00:02:24] If you look up that name, you don't find many people in the United States with that name and most of those who you do know Or you would find I would probably be related to

[00:02:35] So that's fun the the name has a history from the hundred years war of Infant that was found and the name actually means lost. It's Bohemian Okay, so was an infant that was found at that time no parents and so he was named lost okay

[00:02:52] Okay pause for just a minute tell our listeners who might not know Tell them what the hundred years war is that's a the war in Europe In the creation area that was Bohemia at the time and

[00:03:08] That war then with the things that happened during that is undoubtedly where this infant came from as parents were Lost or killed or something during this war so for uninformmed People on European history what's the time frame of the quote unquote hundred years war

[00:03:25] Do you know right I do not know your top head now. Oh, it's a Google question It is it well. Well, just look because I don't remember off up the top of my head. This is a This is a post-reformation thing remember you know, so you got so

[00:03:38] The name means again what lost it means lost and the history they believe is there was a lost child From the hundred years war and so they just that became the name correct What a fascinating name to have for a Christian entrepreneur Yes, I know

[00:03:55] People that know it often laugh and then ask again for you to repeat it if they have a chuckle slacking or Bohemian background And they know the name of it. They'll ask to make sure that that's what the name is Yeah, so just FYI Wikipedia says

[00:04:09] Okay hundred years war was between 1337 and 1453. Oh, then I had my history all waction yeah I don't know the story. Okay. I had something else in mind That's all right, so that's really interesting. So your your name

[00:04:25] Means lost means lost right and and you chose but you chose the name business wise because you wanted something unique And there aren't many straightels around

[00:04:36] Do you get it pronounced miss pronounced a lot all the time? Yes, okay in the has the advantage of you being able then to correct them Yes, if that's an advantage is anybody ever ask you what it means never We do

[00:04:51] All right, so and a and a business side it just it provides some uniqueness and so what what is straight-learned surprises So we do Primarily business automation computer networking We do everything from firewall servers services and that's changed greatly over the years since it was incorporated and created

[00:05:11] To our offering now that's something that we just had a constantly change and keep up with no it went with so how old It were in the year the year of our Lord 2023 when what when did straight-learner prizes begin?

[00:05:22] So we started out as a partnership in college and then that broke up and I became the sole owner In 92 okay incorporated in 94 So straight-le enterprises incorporated 1994 correct the company has a whole 31 years and and under incorporation were just shy of 30 wow Congratulations, thank you

[00:05:45] So so really this guy started as a business for you while you were in college. Yes. Oh interesting. All right. Tell us I want to know so way back then that's

[00:05:56] Wawke PC if you're familiar with the company the area the person that started that was one of my professors in college and He asked me if I'd be interested in working for him and so I was his second employee

[00:06:09] Starting Wawke PC and while you were in school while I was in this was where this was at Market University in Milwaukee Yeah, so started that and then another person that I went to school with

[00:06:21] Came up to me and said to a lot of people ask you computer questions and ask for help and Had that conversation said did you ever think of charging for it? And we could do something with this and That's where that came together and the business so some

[00:06:36] The relationship with Jim Peter that owned Wawke PC knowing the PC building PCs and getting the hands on that information with the schooling We are then able to incorporate that in offer services to companies and two people

[00:06:50] So you started getting paid to do this while you're in college and we're talking what years here? We're talking early 90s 90s 92. Okay, that's when the internet had sound That was something akin to dialing a phone yeah, and that was pagers before cell phone cell phones

[00:07:06] We're very very earlier that stage at two expensive to carry but I had a I saw I bought a Answering machine that would then dial me out and

[00:07:15] Page me that I had a message that it was left and I would find us a phone drop a quarter in Call back to the answer machine play the message to you who it is then call that customer back. So Dale

[00:07:27] Have you been a Christian your whole life? Yes, so since baptism is a child Correct and where was that that was Walter Memorial pastor's souffle baptize me. Okay. Wow and As an as an infant as an infant. Yeah, so raised in the faith at

[00:07:42] Walter Memorial in Milwaukee, correct and and then grade school was Great school was public school so I went through public school. Okay, kindergarten through you know senior class and then on to

[00:07:56] Where was the university school so high school was Vincent and North West or North West Milwaukee okay? And then the market for computer stuff correct. I did business so the business school Was at that time as MIS management information system

[00:08:11] Okay, and I did a computer science minor. So that was the first time those things were coming together as far as the I S part of the information systems and the

[00:08:19] Computer science so those two schools were completely separate and we are one of the first classes that people were actually starting to take classes in both You're doing some programming under the computer science

[00:08:30] But we're also doing some of the business automation stars the design and implementation of computer systems in the learning that way So they asked us a lot of questions asked us a lot of input

[00:08:41] What was good about this? What was bad about this? How did things dovetail together? They're offering things in the business side as far as like word processing Spreadsheets stuff like that, but then you're doing the programming on the computer science side

[00:08:52] So I had the the management information systems was my focus in business and then the computer science on the technical side so you got involved As a businessman while you're in college Does your Christian faith

[00:09:08] Influence that at all at that time and if so how I would say no at that time it was more just a career choice And some of them are just very interested and I started Programming computers in seventh eighth grade on an apple apple two-e

[00:09:21] And started doing things that way and got that then through high school and I just always had that Yeah, low screen or green screen screen. There you go baby. Yeah, you know

[00:09:32] I meant you so you had it you had a classmate because it's my questions coming back around to Did I started programming computers in seventh eighth grade on an apple apple two-e

[00:09:44] And started doing things that way and got that then through high school and I just always had that Yeah, low screen or green screen screen. There you go baby one-year classmates said People are asking you for help have you thought about

[00:10:02] Basically monetizing this. That's the word we use now. We didn't use back in the 80s right I mean just charging them for it, but but that yet charging them for it is but you're providing a you're providing a service and Christ in all things

[00:10:21] It's just so you I mean you recognize you have certain gifts and interests as a young man You decide to do business slash computer stuff So when you're in high school where you you're an early computer nerd Thinking around with the apple and at at the high school

[00:10:38] Yeah, it was an interest at that point not knowing that would be a career So the business comes from different places You ask about like influence and things like that my parents had rental property

[00:10:51] And I used to help them a lot with the book side of it and sometimes my dad would you know the field side of it But do a lot of things Excel or now Excel spreadsheet that time it was one two three

[00:11:02] But you know putting receipts and doing that type of stuff helping with the book work Getting taxes ready that type of stuff so that was You know the practical side the family side of a business and then plus the business major and then be no

[00:11:15] Playa all those things. So actually went to school for what I'm doing yeah, so you now amazing you're dead You're dead you're so your mom and dad Had a family business

[00:11:25] Correct my dad was a firefighter, but he also had rental properties that which is very common for a firefighter Interest they all had a second business because of the work schedule yeah that that so I'm curious does

[00:11:40] Because it's it for me one of the one of our interests here. It's You hung out you hang out your own chingle your right in your own paycheck you I mean you are In a very ancient kind of way responsible for your livelihood

[00:11:55] Absolutely those are things that people don't fully understand There's doing things for monetary gain But there's also becoming self-reliant upon that you're giving away the whole corporate culture

[00:12:07] Europe it's up to you to make payroll it's up to you for all your savings it's up to you for all your Your vacations for everything that goes on insurance insurance is a huge thing yeah all those things that go along with it Become your full responsibility

[00:12:23] No pressure no pressure I I Think that's pretty awesome yeah turn tonner respect and Abs absolutely and so even though getting back to the question that I started to ask Even though it doesn't begin with this Christian impulse motivation underneath it it's there

[00:12:52] Because you have you have God given gifts you're in the process of developing them and a classmate says You know we should we should offer this is a service and make some money off it yeah And when and when I look back at my life

[00:13:07] I can see how everything dove tailed everything worked together what God was doing at the time You're very rarely do see that amen it's always easier to look back in retro Spectancy oh yeah, I can now connect those dots at that time you don't even see the dots

[00:13:22] So when did now you you're married to your lovely life lovely wife Kim yes and when did you guys meet? We met um 88 so while you're in college. Yes, okay and when did now you you are in business together right Correct

[00:13:39] Okay, and has cheap and there from the get go from the beginning yes So when did you guys get married by the way? 92 so suit a right upon graduation Correct the week after I love it, you know all the major stresses in one life

[00:13:54] Start to get married get married move So all the fun stuff all the way so the job part also Dovetailed in so 92 was a very depressed economy People were not interviewing people were not hiring

[00:14:10] So this was kind of a backup plan that I had something going and they brought people into market They gave us interviewing experience we didn't know at the time But like Northwestern Mutual life the big companies that come in and pick all the great candidates out of

[00:14:24] Our cat they came in and interviewed just for giving us interviewing experienced yeah They did not come in offering jobs. We found that out after the fact oh, but they weren't offering jobs correct. Oh nice

[00:14:36] But again, they wanted us to get the experience right if we did get out of it one of the one of the projects that we did in systems analysis systems design was setting up the date care For checking children in and out and

[00:14:51] Through that I met someone that had a spouse working at quad graphics Was I was able to get in interview and was offered a job at quad graphics at that time So out of college I did go full time

[00:15:03] I wanted everyone said you that corporate experience you've got to have something to fall back on And which I think was reasonably you know smart to do and so I still kept my my customer base

[00:15:14] I serviced them on lunch hours and after work and whenever I could fit it in and That grew at the same time is working full time

[00:15:23] So I put in about two and a half years. I think about two years. I went down to part time and then after that I went and

[00:15:29] resigned from that job and went full time and then found out two and a half years into it that customers were keeping work back from me because I knew I had a full time job They had more for me to do

[00:15:39] And after that I've never been bored since yeah, so wow and so How was that How did that go with the marriage when you said you know I imagine there's some conversations about

[00:15:52] All right when am I gonna give up this corporate gig and we're gonna go out on our own Full time how did that go well actually Kim my loving wife Left her job first and

[00:16:05] Did office work and helped out so I could keep be more efficient in the field So that at the same time she was pregnant with our daughter, so now you learn about co-bring insurance

[00:16:17] All those things that come at the same time. So yeah, there's a big learning curve There was there was something to it. There's always You know giving up the security and trying something new the unknown There's a lot of you know interpretation that comes along with that

[00:16:31] But there's also you don't want to have the regret sometimes you take on things that you feel it may be bigger than you But you know, it's a life experience your young you can bounce back so that was the time to do it

[00:16:41] How did how did your cushion faith impact that decision I think because you don't rely totally upon yourself and that's something that's come a lot More a part of who I am and how I view things what I believe in after that

[00:16:59] But now it's very much a part of I don't have as much control I don't need as much control as I think I once had I'm willing to give more of that up how I'm gonna do and where I'm gonna end up is more

[00:17:10] My relationship with Gathern is based upon how hard I work and in my wrong and suggesting this is a big deal for a computer guy That's a huge deal When you're anal to the point of every you know decimal point every period in your program

[00:17:24] You know makes a huge difference just basically pass or fail Yeah, you're very detailed oriented everything is scripted very Yeah, this is a very big turn of events. Yeah, so was there a

[00:17:38] precipitating event or or something along the way that really you can point back to and say that's the moment when Or that's the thing that happened when that switch flipped or is it just been a steady progression

[00:17:54] It's been just a steady progression of things that have double-date dove tail together to kind of push you down Comentrak so give us an example of one of those

[00:18:03] Well, just things like I said a professor in in school that had his own business outside that hires you into that Atmosphere and then also introduces you to some of your customers sure

[00:18:13] So he had people outside that he was servicing that he didn't all younger one to Duke's he wanted to focus on his core business and the teaching so he introduced me to people a got things going

[00:18:25] Very early on three of the customers that I started with I still have today really yes, that's amazing 30 years deep. Yes That's amazing. I have so we have kind of well we did the one basic question number one which was related to the name Question number two is

[00:18:47] You know what are the top three to five things that formed you as a As a Christian entrepreneur I think I want to I think I want to ask a Big question and Maybe it's a simple answer and you don't this is one maybe we circle back to

[00:19:07] Is there such thing as a Christian as Christian? Entrepreneurship and if so What marks it you don't have to answer that right now, but I think I want to circle back to well let's circle back to that because I suspect there's an answer

[00:19:28] I think there's an absolute answer. Yes, okay good Well, do you want to just go there? I'd be happy. Okay go fire away So I think the Christian part is that's the moral compass and everything you learned it's

[00:19:43] It's how you do things. It's not always about the dollar It's about the customer it's about the relationship it's about providing a service to them I always say that you

[00:19:56] What you want to do as far as your service with that customer is you always overperform under promise and You always want to you know exceed expectations That's the biggest thing You can always worry about the dollar amount in compensation things after the fact

[00:20:12] But you need to do your job and you need to be the best in your vocation that you can be That comes back to the god honoring if you're gonna be and it doesn't matter if you're a garbage man if you're a you know

[00:20:23] A slave whatever is you're going to be just be the best added to glorify God That becomes the Christian attitude within the entrepreneurial Because that's gonna be your focus. It's the honesty. It's the

[00:20:34] You don't cheat a customer you don't look for the quick dollar and you've had it just that integrity Knees the flow through everything on how you do business

[00:20:41] Your your employees will see it your customers will see it and then God can direct you where he wants you to go and become as big as you want to be It's not always about how many employees you have how many customers you have how much you make

[00:20:50] It's about treating people right and creating those relationships and that's the difference between Just any business and I think a Christian based business. I think it's a bloody good answer You're smiling. Oh, just have this verse running around in my head which is Whatever you do

[00:21:07] Right, I was thinking the same thing right do it all to the glory of the Lord Right as though you're serving God and not serving man and and Dale you through a word in there that I think Can get lost

[00:21:23] That I want to make sure we touch briefly vocation Right, which actually comes from the same word where we get vocal Which is calling right and so a Christian entrepreneur All right as as you talk about it. It's it's about relationship

[00:21:42] But it's also about work God has pastoral Donald you've alluded right where where God is gifted you and Given you interest and then and then those things line up and there's a

[00:21:54] Calling that you are filling by using those gifts for the service of your neighbor in a God pleasing way Full of integrity full of you know relationship first That is the basics of Whatever you do

[00:22:15] Do it for the glory of God as though you're serving God and not man You don't pass your shackman That makes I think this is a Let's call this part one And when we when we come back for part two Let's talk about the top

[00:22:34] three to five things that formed the business straddle enterprises and I suspect based on our pre-show conversation. There's gonna be some crossover With the Dale and Kim straddle family as well. Thanks for joining us and come on back to Christ in all things

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