Scaling a Pregnancy Center: From $450K to $1.7M Growth

In a fun first for the show, Sarah Bowen takes the host chair to interview Jon Merwarth of Thrive Point Consulting — and Jacob just sits back and listens. Jon spent seven years leading a pregnancy center in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley, growing its budget from $450K to $1.7 million before launching Thrive Point to help centers nationwide. Drawing on a corporate sales background, a dozen years as an entrepreneur, and his own abortion experience as a teenager, he brings a rare blend of business rigor and ministry heart to the conversation.Together, Sarah and Jon dig into:How the Dobbs decision created new pressure on centers in blue states — and how Jon's center beat back local ordinances aimed at shutting them downWhy the Pennsylvania Pregnancy Wellness Collaborative gave centers a unified voice with policymakersMaternal health deserts and the "county maternal health intelligence brief" — using real data on transportation, Medicaid, and OB access to bridge the gapsThe business pitfalls that quietly sink centers: weak culture, no succession plan, financial blind spots, and fear of riskWhy "raise more money" is usually the wrong answer — and what to fix firstA string of jaw-dropping stories of provision behind their maternity home (you'll want to hear the $250,000 knock on the door)Practical, candid, and faith-filled — with a few laughs about rural internet along the way.Learn more about Jon's work at thrivepointconsulting.org.Send us Fan MailSupport the show