Ave Maria’s Vanessa Denha Garmo shares how to live out one’s faith at work with ‘The 7 Christian Habits for Professional Success’
DETROIT — Vanessa Denha Garmo wants people to know their greatest professional strength is their faith in Jesus Christ.
Denha Garmo, host of the “Epiphany” program on Ave Maria Radio (990-AM), this fall will release a book titled “The 7 Christian Habits for Professional Success: On the Job with Jesus,” which will explore what it means to carry Jesus into every meeting, every conversation and every decision in the workplace.
The book is set to be released in November, published by Marian Press, and accompanies a seven-week online workshop Denha Garmo will host beginning Sept. 24 and occurring weekly through Nov. 5, in which Denha Garmo will draw upon her own experience of being a witness to Christ in the workplace.
“When I was in boardrooms, working for the government or even in my own business in the media, I would wonder what Jesus would say (in these environments) right now, and that’s where this idea started,” Denha Garmo told Detroit Catholic. “I would just listen when I delt with bullies or with conflict and disagreements, and I would just sit and pray and ask, ‘OK, Jesus, what would you say to them?'”
For the book, Denha Garmo interviewed successful Catholics about how they have integrated their faith life into their careers. The book contains lessons from leaders in business and sports such as Tom Monaghan, founder of Domino’s Pizza and Ave Maria University; Jim Harbaugh, coach of the Los Angeles Chargers; Teresa Tomeo, nationally syndicated Catholic radio host; and Fr. John Riccardo, founder of ACTS XXIX.
“I started this segment on Ave Maria Radio on my Epiphany Show called ‘Faith at Work Friday,’ and I started to interview all these different people about how they bring their faith to work with them,” Denha Garmo said.
What each of these leaders had in common, Denha Garmo said, was they made Jesus “their CEO,” as the head for all of their decisions.
“We make about 35,000 decisions a day — most of them are small and are habits — about what to wear, how dark my coffee will be, or how to respond to an email at work,” Denha Garmo said. “But some decisions really shape our relationships, our leadership, our integrity and how we are witness in the world. Unless we make Jesus the CEO of our lives, we’re not going to make the best decisions for ourselves.”
In the book, Denha Garmo breaks down seven habits a Catholic can cultivate to be a better witness to Christ in the workplace, illustrating those principles through seven individuals whose interviews appeared on "Faith at Work Friday."
“Every single person, no matter what they’re doing, whether they’re running a major company or they are a clerk at a bookstore, they’re carrying Jesus with them,” Denha Garmo said.
Denha Garmo will host the online workshop through Guadalupe Radio Online Academy on Thursday nights from 8:30 to 9:20 p.m. Eastern, in order to accommodate people around the country who want to learn best practices for bringing their faith to work.
“We all have an opportunity to change our work culture, and we do that by bringing our Christian faith with us," Denha Garmo said. "You don’t have to be standing at the pulpit preaching; it’s the subtle things we do, how we treat people, the way we communicate with people and how we solve problems. It’s the way to find common ground and seek to understand people who are carrying Jesus with you.”
Participants and readers will learn tips for living out one’s faith in the workplace, even in places where faith is not openly accepted or encouraged.
“For example, when your coworkers are struggling, you could say, ‘May I pray for you?'” Denha Garmo said. “Some workplaces will allow you to have a statue of Mary at your desk, a crucifix or a rosary hanging — subtle things to show people that you’re prayerful, you’re Christian, and you bring Jesus with you.”
Faith isn't something to be compartmentalized, or saved for Sundays only, Denha Garmo said, but is meant to illuminate one's entire life.
“We are Christian, and so just as Mary carried Jesus to Elizabeth, we carry Jesus in our hearts wherever we go, and carrying him with us, people will see him in us, and it will make a difference in the culture,” she said.
'The 7 Christian Habits for Professional Success: On the Job with Jesus'
Vanessa Denha Garmo will host a seven-week online course, "The 7 Christian Habits for Professional Success: On the Job with Jesus," to help people develop habits and tips to integrate their faith in the workplace. The course is based on Denha Garmo's book by the same name, which Marian Press will release in November.
