S3E4: From Selling Shampoo to Multiplying Churches | Michael Gutierrez

In this episode of The Go and Send Podcast, Cody and Mike sit down with Michael Gutierrez, VP of Finance at Multiplication Network. Michael's journey took him from a Catholic upbringing he walked away from, through a successful 16-year online business he built from scratch after 9/11, to a slow reconnection with Christ through his wife Jane — and eventually a call to leave it all behind for full-time ministry. It’s a remarkable story about surrender to God’s plans.  Michael shares how Multiplication Network is training national church planters across 70 countries — and why partnering with leaders already inside their cultures is one of the most effective and cost-efficient strategies in global missions today. He also shares the powerful story of woman whose miraculous healing, family rejection, and unwavering faith had a huge impact on her family. If you're asking the Lord what He wants from your career, your finances, or your future, Michael's story is a compelling reminder to hold your plans with an open hand. Contact us at [email protected] Resources & Links: Multiplication Network: https://www.multiplicationnetwork.org Christian Leadership Alliance: https://www.christianleadershipalliance.org Missio Nexus: https://www.missionexus.org   00:00 -- Introduction 00:39 -- Why National Leaders Are So Effective in Missions 02:12 -- The Advantages of Supporting National Church Planters 05:03 -- How Western Christians Can Best Come Alongside National Leaders 07:03 -- Michael's Background: Growing Up Catholic and Falling Away from Faith 08:57 -- Getting His Pilot's License at 16 and Changing Majors 09:34 -- Finding Finance and His First Jobs Out of College 10:54 -- After 9/11: Starting a Hair and Beauty Business from Scratch 11:54 -- Meeting Jane and a Slow Reconnection With Christ 13:44 -- Finding Faith Church and Going Through The Journey 16:01 -- Meeting John Wagenveld and Discovering Multiplication Network 17:33 -- Helping Multiplication Network as a Volunteer 19:39 -- God Closes the E-Commerce Door and Opens Another 22:27 -- Accepting the Fundraising Role and Understanding Ministry Development 24:12 -- Growing His Territory From $100K to $700K 26:03 -- The Website Crash That Changed Everything: John 15 and Pruning 31:28 -- Releasing the Business and Committing Full-Time to Multiplication Network 33:40 -- What Is Multiplication Network? 35:12 -- The 12-Module Church Planting Curriculum 36:46 -- Verifiable Ministries: Tracking Real Results 38:20 -- How the Hub System Works Across 70+ Countries 40:01 -- Different Denominations Praying for Each Other 40:46 -- The Story of Hadijah: Healing, Family Rejection, and Unwavering Faith 49:24 -- Her Entire Household Comes to Christ 50:37 -- Pastor Ronald's Church Between Two Mosques in Uganda 52:58 -- How the Solar Ministry Toolkit Became a Mobile Classroom 55:37 -- 23 Workshops and 300 Church Planter Profiles in Zimbabwe 56:41 -- Multiplication Network's 2030 Vision: 20,000 Church Planters in Training 58:34 -- The Cost Per Church Plant Is Now $415 01:00:00 -- A Global Staff Conference in Zanzibar 01:02:37 -- The Figure Eight: Stronger Churches and More Churches 01:06:21 -- Encouragement for Anyone Asking Lord, What Do You Have for Me? 01:07:56 -- Stepping In to Help His CFO Tim Through Brain Cancer 01:09:41 -- Carrying On Tim's Legacy as VP of Finance 01:14:15 -- How to Get Connected With Multiplication Network 01:18:12 -- Installing the Solar Ministry Toolkit With the Waorani Tribe in Ecuador 01:20:25 -- Dayuma's Great-Great-Grandson: A Story Decades in the Making 01:21:15 -- Closing   To learn more about SonSet Solutions, go to our website or follow us on social media @SonSetSolutions. Website: https://www.sonsetsolutions.org