Episode 49: Building a Purpose‑Led Life at the Intersection of Faith, Art, and Technology w/ Preston Zeller

What does it look like to build a purpose‑led life at the intersection of faith, art, and technology—and carry that through grief, family, and the realities of work? In this episode of Tech Break by Friday, I sit down with filmmaker, artist, and tech founder Preston Zeller to explore how he navigates all of those tensions in real life.​Preston has spent years building marketing technology and leading teams, while also creating a documentary on grief and art that has reached audiences in over 40 countries. We talk about his journey from inherited beliefs to an “adult” Christian faith, the parable of the three bricklayers, losing his brother in 2019, and how that loss reshaped his sense of legacy, vocation, and calling.​We also dive into his current work at the intersection of faith and AI: what it means to design technology that honours human dignity, how to avoid making productivity an idol, and why the hardest questions in tech are often spiritual as much as they are technical.​You’ll hear us discuss:How Preston moved from walking away from Christianity to taking ownership of his beliefsThe three bricklayers story and why framing your work changes everythingHow grief and mortality reshaped his priorities as a husband, father, and creatorWhy he cares about building tech that’s not just about money or metricsThe messy, real‑world questions at the intersection of AI, ethics, and faith​If you’re a builder, creative, or person of faith trying to integrate all the parts of your life instead of keeping them in separate boxes, this conversation will give you language, stories, and questions to sit with—not a checklist of hacks.​⏱️ Chapters (adjust to final edit if needed)0:00 – Intro & welcome to Tech Break by Friday0:16 – Who is Preston Zeller? Art, technology, and documentary filmmaking2:30 – Growing up Christian, walking away, and an “adult” conversion5:05 – Marriage, three kids, and self‑reflection as a husband and father7:40 – The three bricklayers: from “laying bricks” to “building the house of God”11:10 – Losing his brother and confronting mortality & legacy15:00 – Turning grief into art: why he made a documentary19:30 – What it means to live and build with purpose in tech23:00 – Faith and AI: where ethics, productivity, and dignity collide🔔 If this episode resonatesSubscribe for more thoughtful conversations on tech, AI, and the humans behind the products.Leave a comment: How do you describe the “brick” you’re laying in your own work right now?Production noteThis episode of Tech Break by Friday was recorded and transcribed using wiserwork, which helped me capture the full conversation and repurpose it into this article and other episode assets. https://www.wiserwork.ai/​Stay connectedPreston on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prestonzeller/​Explore Psalmlog: https://psalmlog.com​If you enjoyed this conversation and want more reflections at the intersection of tech, AI, and the humans behind the products, you can find me here:My newsletter (Tech Break by Friday & more): https://kivroglouparaskevi.substack.com/​Tech Break by Friday on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tech-break-by-friday/id1796711716​Tech Break by Friday on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3c6KAQPQ54vxXUvLLRffC1AureliaEdge – AI audits, OpenClaw & automations: https://theaureliaedge.com/ Get full access to Tech Break by Friday at kivroglouparaskevi.substack.com/subscribe