How Faith Transformed a Skeptical CEO Into a Servant Leader

Dan Pienta walked into his first Kingdom Factor meeting with zero expectations and a mountain of skepticism. The CEO of Fry Heating, Cooling and Plumbing was confident in his business acumen—but his faith life? "Unrecognizable," he admits. "I wasn't going to church. I was a wreck, faith-wise."

That was late 2019. Today, Pienta's company has grown 500%, expanded from residential HVAC into commercial service and plumbing, and moved into a building they spent 16 months renovating. His team has quadrupled. But the real transformation wasn't on the balance sheet—it was in the leader himself.

The Leader Who Didn't Know What He Didn't Know

Pienta came from a family business where faith was something you did on Sunday—never at work. "We didn't bring faith to work," he recalls. "Faith was one thing. Work was work. You don't cross-pollinate those two things."

But he'd noticed something: the Christian business leaders he met seemed to operate differently. They talked about integrating faith into their businesses, and he couldn't figure out how. "I just hadn't seen it," he says. "It was uncommon. I didn't know how to do it."

When Kingdom Factor founder Jim Martin reached out, Pienta was reluctant. After his first meeting, he nearly walked away. Then a member pulled him aside: "Dan, just stick it out. You don't know what you don't know yet. This group's going to change your life."

Pienta's first reaction? "Yeah, whatever. Are you smoking something funny?"

But doubt crept in—the productive kind. "I thought, what if he's right? What's it gonna hurt? I'd rather say 'this isn't for me' after three meetings than miss something that could change my life."

The Turning Point: From Power to Presence

The second meeting changed everything. "These guys know a lot about faith," Pienta realized. "I'm like an infant. I have no freaking clue about half the stuff they're talking about." He started consuming faith-based podcasts, listened to the Bible in a year for the first time, and began asking a different question: How do biblical principles actually apply to running a business?

The answer came in layers. Pienta began teaching his team about operating "above the line"—a framework drawn directly from Scripture's teaching on the flesh versus the spirit. "When I'm above the line, I'm thinking of others. I'm being a servant leader. I'm open, curious, thoughtful," he explains. "When I'm below the line, it's about me being selfish—living in the flesh."

I am a much better leader today than I was five years ago. There's no question. And I will give my Kingdom Factor group 90% of the credit for that.

He started building safety protocols around the parable of the wise man who built his house on a rock. He taught the Beatitudes and connected them to company culture. He framed hiring and talent development through the parable of the talents: What gifts has God given you, and are you burying them or multiplying them?

"Our team can see that and go, 'Yeah, that makes sense,'" Pienta says. "And I just see light bulbs go off. Now their behavior is different—not just at work, but at home, with their families and kids."

The Cost of Going Deep

About a year into his Kingdom Factor journey, Pienta hit a wall. He felt stale. He asked Jim Martin if he could visit other groups—maybe his wasn't the right fit. He spent six months bouncing around.

Then he realized: "The group I started in was the group I needed to be in. The problem wasn't the group. It was me—not being open, not coming in with enough curiosity."

He returned with a new commitment: go deep. "The deeper you go, the deeper we all go," he says. "I really want to understand what the issue is and why. How do I connect the dots?"

At a recent meeting, another member made a five-word comment. Pienta wrote it down immediately. "That's my takeaway," he says. "That's what I gotta be focused on." He spent his entire vacation processing that one insight—how to be more present and appreciative of his wife.

The deeper I go in my faith, there's so much more to learn. This is amazing. And I'm not done yet.

What Changed on Monday Morning

Pienta used to approach hiring from a place of power: "I have to hire somebody. I have the ultimate power. Watch out." Now? "I used to think it was nonsense when guys said, 'The Lord will deliver the person you need when you need them.' Then I heard it enough to say, 'Let's just see.' And something happened. And I thought, 'Huh. Maybe these guys aren't wrong.'"

That shift changed his entire interview process. "You're asking different questions. You're more open: 'All right, you're here. Tell me more. Why do you want to be here?' It's a much deeper conversation. And I think it pulls them in too."

The results? Better hires. Happier people. Healthier margins. A business that can afford a significant real estate investment. "We wouldn't be in this building," Pienta says flatly. "This required us to have a really good business. And it's not because I'm a genius. It's because I've been blessed to have people walk in the door who are really good at what they do—and I've had 'how to lead better' drilled into me from this group of guys I meet with once a month."

The Advice He Gives Now

Pienta is often asked to speak with people considering Kingdom Factor. His message is consistent: "If you want to change your world, this is how you do it."

He's candid about the journey. "You're going to go down this curve, and you're going to want to quit. Then you're going to make the decision: I'm not going to quit. And then you're going to see things turn, and you're like, 'Wow, I can't believe where I'm at. This is amazing.'"

Bring your faith into the business. It's not just going to be okay—it's going to be great. But you got to be willing to work at it.

For leaders who keep faith and business in separate boxes, Pienta's words are direct: "Ignore the stuff that says don't do that. Focus on it. Be who you were meant to be. God teaches you patience in those moments of 'I'm not done molding you yet. You're still in the potter's wheel, and by golly, this might suck, but keep going because you're going down the right path.'"

Today, Pienta arrives at Kingdom Factor meetings with a clean slate and a clear intention: go as deep as possible. "How deep can I go today?" he asks himself. "The most amazing moments we have is when I come in that way. And whatever I'm willing to give helps other people too."

The CEO who once kept faith and work in separate boxes now teaches the Beatitudes to his HVAC technicians. The leader who nearly quit after one meeting now tells others: this will change your life—if you're willing to let it.

Five hundred percent growth is impressive. But the real transformation? That's the leader who learned to build his business—and his life—on the Rock.