Life, leadership, and faith are endurance journeys – not finish lines
I believe leadership is a stewardship, not a spotlight.
I believe it is a race of endurance, not a test of speed.
I believe faith is not separate from performance—it shapes how we lead and how we live.
I believe character outlasts results, and that sustainable success is
Life, leadership, and faith are endurance journeys – not finish lines
I believe leadership is a stewardship, not a spotlight.
I believe it is a race of endurance, not a test of speed.
I believe faith is not separate from performance—it shapes how we lead and how we live.
I believe character outlasts results, and that sustainable success is built slowly, over time, through consistent discipline and intentional choices.
I believe pressure doesn’t create character—it reveals it—and that the way we lead under pressure ultimately defines the impact we have on others.
I believe teams reflect the internal life of their leaders, and that growth happens when faith, discipline, and responsibility align.
In sports, in business, and in ministry, the same truth holds:
Who you become matters more than what you achieve.
Speaking | Coaching | Consulting
I help faith-based and non-profit teams, leaders, and organizations pursue excellence, purpose, and resilience by embracing the journey — not just the outcome.
Enjoy the Journey speaks to and coaches athletes, leaders, teams, and organizations about faith, endurance, and leadership – drawing from Scripture,
Speaking | Coaching | Consulting
I help faith-based and non-profit teams, leaders, and organizations pursue excellence, purpose, and resilience by embracing the journey — not just the outcome.
Enjoy the Journey speaks to and coaches athletes, leaders, teams, and organizations about faith, endurance, and leadership – drawing from Scripture, endurance sports, and real-world leadership experience to help people persevere, grow, and finish well.
Through real-world stories drawn from faith, endurance sports, and leadership, Enjoy the Journey helps organizations and individuals:
Not hype. Not shortcuts.
Transformation through intentional effort, character, and purpose.
Because your team doesn’t just need energy — it needs depth.
Because sustainable leadership requires more than tactics.
Because endurance, faith, and leadership belong together — even when they’re rarely presented that way.
I bring:
Because your team doesn’t just need energy — it needs depth.
Because sustainable leadership requires more than tactics.
Because endurance, faith, and leadership belong together — even when they’re rarely presented that way.
I bring:
If your team wants more than motivation —
If you want transformation that lasts —
Let’s begin the journey.
I help people and organizations pursue excellence, purpose, and resilience by embracing the journey — not just the outcome.
I'm Dave VanEpps, a leader, storyteller, and athlete. I’m also on a lifelong mission to make a positive, kingdom impact on every person I meet.
As a leader, I've spent the last three decades working in middle-to-senior leadership, executive leadership, and the c-suite for start-ups, Fortune 500s, and non-profits. I've been recognized as one of the "Top 10 Visionary Tech Leaders" by CIO Views. I also serve as the Chairman of the Board for the Southeast Michigan Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Sports have been a part of my DNA since an early age. In the last 15 years, I have completed 18 marathons, 6 ultramarathons, and 8 full-distance Ironman triathlons. My faith, perseverance, and character have been pressure tested on the race course in the harshest of conditions, and the lessons learned translate very well into the classroom and boardroom.
My faith life has included serving, discipling, evangelizing, mission trips, a pilgrimage to Israel, ordainment as an Elder in a rapidly growing megachurch, and am wrapping up a master's degree in Ministry Leadership at Moody Theological Seminary. My greatest passion is my family. I love being a husband to a wonderful wife, a father to amazing children and their spouses, and a grandparent to my growing family.
" Dave knows firsthand what it takes to make a complete transformation occur in every aspect mind, body and spirit. " ~Cindy Crandell, Functional Medicine
"Dave is one of the most driven and inspired individuals I have ever had the pleasure to work with. His extraordinary journey is one for the books. It will help anyone with his or her own personal development and growth in an inspiring, passionate, life-fulfilling kind of way.”
~Carly Secoy, Dietitian
I've had the pleasure of being a featured speaker for a variety of faith-based, athletic, and leadership audiences.
As a leader, I speak at conferences, and I'm routinely invited to speak at corporate events (Software Excellence Alliance, Pitt Agile, Systems Engineering Community of Practice, and more). I also conduct regular training sessions where I'm honored to speak to audiences of both up-and-coming and seasoned leaders, new and experienced employees, and teams looking to achieve their potential.
In sports and faith, I regularly speak to teams and coaches, both privately and as part of broader events, including through the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
I welcome the opportunity to motivate and inspire your organization!
Victims to Victors frames career uncertainty as a defining leadership moment, challenging individuals and organizations to choose between a victim mindset that reacts to change and a victor mindset that rises through it. Using resilience as the differentiator, I argue that uncertainty is not an obstacle to be feared but a proving ground for growth, ownership, and adaptability. The talk calls leaders to help themselves and their teams move from passivity to agency—shifting from “what’s happening to me?” to “what will I do with this?”—and equips them to navigate disruption with clarity, confidence, and forward momentum rather than fear. Check out a sample at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0T7gU8F-9qw.
Based on their lack of material wealth, I expected Haitians to be depressed and downtrodden. Instead, I learned a few life lessons about finding joy in all circumstances. Some people choose to be victims of their circumstances, while others use adversity as a way to rise above and beyond. The winners in life find ways to adapt, adopt, and overcome all circumstances to prevail.
Check out #StoriesFromTheSaddle - a series of short, motivational, and inspirational videos.