Gil Jones: His Life, Truth & Consequences
Gil Jones spent most of his life as a pastor in Colorado and is now living in Maui, Hawaii. He’s using his life and business experience to lead people into a more spiritual way of life. Born in Denver, Colorado, Gil spent much of his youth moving frequently while his father worked selling heavy equipment in the construction industry. He learned skills that would initially lead him to what was supposed to be a lifelong career in business.
Originally, Gil Jones was headed for the corporate world. He received a business degree in accounting and marketing from Bradley University while attending on a sports and music scholarship. After a few years in business, Gil took a hard left and attended Western Seminary in Scottsdale, Arizona where he received his Master’s of Divinity.
Combining his experience in marketing, Gil challenged his spiritual self by moving to Boulder, Colorado and helping start a small church of about forty people as their Lead Pastor. In short order, he expanded into other areas as the congregation grew to over 10,000, then did it again in inner-city Denver. Through this time, Gil had four children and wanted to be more available to them so he changed careers and led a small roofing company for some time.
Gil got his Business Degree at Bradley University and his Masters at Western Seminary and is an entrepreneur who started and grew the two largest churches in Colorado history. He is currently a speaker, teacher, and author around the topics of truth, trauma, and spiritual consciousness. Gil is the father of 4 and lives in Maui with his wife Beth and their two adorable Rottweilers Ulani and Nani. You can reach him at info@gil-jones.com.
More recently, Gil has been speaking publicly regarding his life, truth, and consequences. He has teamed up with his fiancé Beth, a psychologist, to provide a well-structured discussion on spirituality. Through his story, he hopes to guide people to do life and do it well.
Tell us a bit about what you do.
For the last half of my life I want to inspire others, whether it be from my personal wins or my face-planting losses. I’ve made great choices in my life that led to success—and let’s say I’ve made others that became excellent learning experiences! Beth and I will be working together, sharing our expertise in our own fields which match up well.
What gave you the idea to write and speak from Maui to provide solutions to heal people’s spiritual hurts, habits and hang-ups? How did it start?
My new venture came from my wanting to share my experiences in leadership, parenting, love, and life with high achievers who needed to hear it—the good and the bad, the great and the ugly. I have four kiddos 16 thru 22 who have our culture down so I’m pretty sure I can reach millennials. I’m a Generation X’er and so are a ton of my friends so that’ll be a fun audience. I’m a good example of falling down seven times and getting up eight. When it comes to spirituality, I think people desperately crave truth. We’re all in this together.
What’s your favorite thing about your chosen profession?
It’s seeing people’s life course being radically altered and pointed in a direction that may literally save them. I’ve been a part of that transition and it’s phenomenal. The people I work with are looking for their best selves, they’re looking for guidance in their journey. I cannot think of anything more fulfilling than being that help and then watching them reach their potential.
What keys to being productive can you share with us?
The number one thing to being productive is that, no matter what you do, it has to burn within you. You have to feel that in your gut, that need to do what you are doing. I have a bonfire in my belly. If you have passion, you’ll find the skill.
Secondly, you have to have the discipline to improve on your craft daily. My craft is to write and speak. Every day I implement my skills and I get better. It’s also important to have great mentors that will help guide you along the way.
Another key is to really know your culture. In business terms, it’s called knowing your target audience. Knowing who it is you will be speaking to, and knowing what they want to talk about but hide from others. The things they don’t want to talk about are in reality what typically is consuming their heart and mind. I love going there.
Tell us one long-term goal in your career.
My number one long term goal is to finish well. I want to care for my own soul and I want no regrets. When I’m ready to make my final transition from this planet, I want to look back on my life and know I loved my wife, my children, and the people God asked me to impact. Nobody dies saying they wish they spent more time at the office.
What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned through the course of your career?
Life is messy and you have to be able to navigate the wins and the losses. Chasing perfection will set you up for massive disappointment. Not to mention, everyone has a different version of perfection. Like Shakespeare wrote, To Thine Own Self Be True—so you better be honest with yourself. Fall in love with your inner voice and go with it no matter what everybody else wants from you. The peanut gallery will always be there. I always say “Thanks for coming peeps. Now you best be on your way.” When they leave I’m determined to get better, not bitter.
What advice would you give to others aspiring to succeed in your field?
Take deep dives into your experiences. Go into the caves that you’re most afraid to go in and stay there until you’re an over-comer. Be at peace with whatever your journey is. Allow your experiences to feed your heart.
Learn how to balance your life. Keep your career goals in focus, of course, but also make time for your soul. People get so caught up in the daily grind, they forget to think about their spiritual needs. You can run yourself ragged chasing business goals. Just be sure you allow yourself time to savor what’s really important.
What are your favorite things to do outside of work?
I love developing meaningful relationships, kicking back and discussing the deeper things of life. Beth, along with our two rottweilers, Ulani and Nani, are a blast to hang out with. I’m a sportsaholic. I love Chicago and there’s something special about being a Chicago sports fan. I also love all kinds of music and really love going to outdoor concerts whether it be James Taylor or Lady Gaga.
Name a few influential books you’ve read and/or websites you keep up with that you’d recommend to readers.
I more follow people on Twitter—people like Nadia Bolz-Weber, Candace Owens, Rob Bell, Dave Chapelle, Shane Claiborne. I tend to gravitate toward high-level people and materials on how to live your best life. I get excited about learning how to live transcendentally. Brennan Manning is a phenomenal author to read when you’re looking for spiritual guidance.
On the business front, Jim Collins has an excellent research team out of Stanford that has given great advice on how to do business with best practices. His book, From Good to Great, was a game-changing resource for me that I recommend.
What advice would you give your younger self?
I would say you have to be clear that you’re walking into a world that doesn’t play fair. What other people think is best for you oftentimes isn’t the same as your best for you. You don’t have to be cynical, jaded, and always on guard—but you do need to be aware of that. I think I’ve given myself away so much that I’ve left myself totally vulnerable at times. I’m learning that no is a complete sentence and it’s not selfish but rather self-careish to take care of yourself. If you’re not good to yourself you’re no good to the world.
