From Arborist to Brewery Owner: Chris Miller on Faith, Farming & Building Lone Oak Brewery

Chris Miller didn't set out to build a brewery empire. He started as a trained arborist with a forestry degree from Virginia Tech who loved working outdoors. Today, he's a partner in Lone Oak Farm, a vertically integrated operation in Olney, Maryland featuring a brewery, distillery, speakeasy, and event venue that's hosted 2,600 events over six years. But this conversation isn't really about beer. It's about a man shaped by mentors and family who learned to build businesses that serve community over profit, who leads a Tuesday night Bible study that's grown from five guys in a tent to 300 men, and who's navigating health crises, multiple ventures, and fatherhood while asking one question: What is God preparing me for? In this episode: • From arborist to entrepreneur: how a forestry degree and family farm roots led to Lone Oak • The fallen tree story: how the 250-year-old Lone Oak came down at 10:10 p.m. and what it means • Opening a brewery three months into COVID and pivoting to hand sanitizer to survive • Building with the right partners: why the father-son builder team made all the difference • The health crisis that nearly took Chris down: seizures, neurological issues, and the doctor he met in a grocery store • From symptoms to solutions: why testing beats guessing and how AI is changing healthcare • Holy Health app: building technology that heals mind, body, and spirit • GetLiquid.io: blockchain infrastructure for private credit lending and the kingdom vision behind it • The Peacemakers: how a five-person Bible study in a tent became 300 men and a mobile app • Paul Kukulis: the humble mentor who planted seeds and modeled faithful living • Building a business that glorifies God while selling alcohol: Jesus' first miracle and family-friendly design • The dream: buying land, discipling college men, and building a K-12 Christian academy • Delegation, communication, and building a self-managing business • Surrender: what it means to give it all to God when you can't even drive yourself to the grocery store • The 20-year vision: making disciples who make disciples for eternity Leaders On Tap is brought to you by C12 Maryland, where Christian CEOs and business owners come together to build great businesses for a greater purpose. ABOUT THE GUEST Chris Miller is a partner at Lone Oak Farm, a vertically integrated brewery, distillery, and event venue in Olney, Maryland. He's also COO of GetLiquid.io, a blockchain platform for private credit lending, and co-founder of several faith-driven ventures including the Holy Health app. A certified arborist and Virginia Tech graduate, Chris leads the Peacemakers, a Tuesday night Bible study that's grown to 300 men, and lives on the farm with his wife and growing family. CONNECT Lone Oak Farm: https://loneoakfarm.com GetLiquid.io: https://getliquid.io Peacemakers App: Available on iOS and Android C12 Maryland: https://c12md.com Take The More Audit: https://themoreaudit.com SUBSCRIBE for more conversations with Christian leaders building for a greater purpose. #LeadersOnTap #FaithAndWork #ChristianLeadership #LoneOakFarm #Peacemakers #KingdomBusiness #Entrepreneurship #Discipleship #BusinessAsMinistry ⏱️ CHAPTERS Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome to Lone Oak Farm 00:01:21 From Arborist to Brewery Owner: An Unexpected Journey 00:03:41 Finding the Property & The Vision for Lone Oak 00:09:36 The Fallen Tree & Opening During COVID 00:13:34 Partnership Philosophy & Building the Right Team 00:14:50 Hand Sanitizer Pivot: God's Provision in Crisis 00:16:49 Holy Health & AI Innovation: Beyond the Brewery 00:18:11 A Health Crisis & The Journey to Healing 00:21:19 GetLiquid: Building Blockchain Infrastructure for Private Credit 00:25:54 The Peacemakers: From Five Guys to 300 Men 00:26:41 Paul Kukulis: A Mentor Who Planted Seeds 00:32:23 Juggling Ventures: Priorities, Kinks & Kingdom Dreams 00:38:03 Faith in the Brewery Business: People, Place, Process, Product 00:42:16 Business as Ministry: Embedded Faith vs. Transactional Models 00:50:16 The Long Vision: Disciples Making Disciples for Eternity 00:52:36 Testing, AI & Taking Health Into Your Own Hands 00:56:15 Surrender, Systems & The Right People 01:00:12 Closing: Prayers for Family & Finding the Mission