God Called Him to Preach at 14 — Then Sent Him to Listen to 100,000 Phone Calls | Episode 106

At 14 years old, Tom Vander Well had a vision. He saw himself standing in a pulpit. And he heard the words: You are going to proclaim my word. Three months later he preached his first sermon. Six months later he was traveling the state of Iowa preaching in churches every Sunday. At 15. So naturally — God sent him to listen to 100,000 business phone calls. In Episode 106 of Hear Where You Belong Podcast, host Dea Irby sits down with Tom Vander Well — CEO of Intelligentix, Amazon international bestselling author, speaker, actor, playwright, and host of the Wayfarer Blog and Podcast. Over thirty years Tom has analyzed more than 100,000 business conversations across every conceivable industry — manufacturing, healthcare, government, emergency services, collections, hospitality — and discovered something nobody was expecting: Business conversations reveal the human condition. And every great customer service principle? Rooted in God's Word. In this episode we talk about: 🎙️ The vision Tom had at 14 — standing in a pulpit, hearing God say you will proclaim my word ⛪ The six years of pastoral ministry that were, in his words, awful — and what God was teaching him through it 💼 The divine appointment with his old mentor Chuck at exactly the right moment — and the business that changed everything 📼 Starting in 1994 with Radio Shack cassette recorders and analog phone jacks — and where it went from there ✝️ How every customer service principle traces back to Scripture — and why that is the whole point 📖 The Wayfarer Blog — 20 years, 5,000 blog posts, through the entire Bible at least twice 🌏 Why the top three countries reading his chapter-a-day blog after the US are Hong Kong, Singapore, and China 🎭 The theater major who became an actor, playwright, and found his wife backstage after 15 years away from the stage 📚 This Call May Be Monitored — the book 10 years in the making that hit number one on multiple Amazon lists 🍽️ Why the dining room table is where Tom most belongs — and the guest who sat from 5:30 PM to 2 AM 🎵 Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, a wrong chord, and the most beautiful picture of God's grace you will ever hear And his favorite quote — three words from Miles Davis — is the one that will completely change how you see your mistakes: There are no wrong notes. Because God redeems them all. Every single one. That is grace. That is beauty. That is the whole story. 💛 📚 Find This Call May Be Monitored on Amazon 🌐 Visit tomvanderwell.com and join the chapter-a-day journey 🎙️ Find the Wayfarer Blog and Podcast on Apple, Spotify, and all major platforms 📺 Subscribe to Hear Where You Belong Podcast on YouTube 🔔 Hit the bell so you never miss an episode