Today we’d like to introduce you to Kurt Francom.
Kurt, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Leading Saints started as a hobby blog back in 2010. Then, in 2014, I launched the podcast, and that’s when things really took off. By 2016, we became a nonprofit, and that’s when I went full-time with Leading Saints. Since then, my work has focused on helping Latter-day Saints be better prepared to lead, mainly through the podcast and other online content.
I started out as a young church leader myself—didn’t really know how to do a good job, but I wanted to figure it out. So, I began creating content and quickly realized there were so many others out there, just like me, striving to lead well. The response was incredible. It inspired me to keep bringing in experts, PhDs, authors, therapists—anyone with a unique perspective on leadership. My goal has always been to have genuine conversations and create content that helps as many church leaders as possible.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. From the start, my focus was on creating a solid service—a great archive and library of content—for church leaders worldwide. The biggest challenge, though, was figuring out how to fund it. I never wanted to push products or sell the content, especially since church leaders in our faith tradition aren’t paid. That made fundraising a bit tricky, which is why Leading Saints became a nonprofit. It made fundraising possible in a way that fit our mission.
Running an organization that orbits such a large, exceptional institution—the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—has its challenges. Building trust and good morale with the church has taken time and care, but it really has paid off. We’ve grown close and benefit from that relationship. Of course, the big question is always how to reach all the leaders who need what we offer. We’re not there yet, but we’re working on it every day.
How do you think about happiness?
What makes me happiest is having a job with tons of flexibility and the chance to connect with fascinating people who have valuable ideas to share. I really enjoy helping get those messages out to leaders everywhere. The passion I have for my work means I never dread a Monday. Being able to work from home, stay close to my family, and also travel and speak around the world is incredibly rewarding. And honestly, there’s nothing better than ending the day with a good movie.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://leadingsaints.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadingsaints
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeadingLDS/
- Twitter: https://x.com/LeadingSaints
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LeadingSaints
