The Lubbock Christian University (LCU) School of Business and Center for Faith and Business recently hosted their eighth annual Business as a Calling luncheon. The featured speaker was Dave Marcinkowski, Founder and Partner at Madera Residential.
Dave Marcinkowski is a man driven by values, values that he and the other founding partners of Madera Residential live by everyday—Christ, Community, and Constant and Never-Ending Improvement. Their visionary leadership has grown Madera Residential from one property in Baytown, TX to owning and managing roughly 80 properties across the state.
Marcinkowski spoke to those gathered at the luncheon about his childhood, being raised in Detroit, and how it has led to where he is today. “The bottom line is, I’ve gone through some incredible highs, and I’ve gone through some incredible lows. I’ve had some good times and some bad. There’s nothing special about me outside of the experiences that I’ve had. Who I am has been made-up of those experiences.”
He went on to recall doors opening in his life, providing him with opportunities for growth and leadership. God was pulling him away from the comfortable, the easy, because he wasn’t fulfilled falling back on those easy things. “When you’re uncomfortable, it could be God calling you somewhere else,” Marcinkowski said.
In true entrepreneurial spirit, Marcinkowski and Madera Residential leadership have branched out into other industries and ventures, like property technology (Quext), Financial technology (Viva First), title insurance (Select Title), and fee-managed properties (Rockwood). His belief is really quite simple, do the right thing and treat people the right way, and success and profitability will follow.
“We’re not out there trying to just do the next cool thing we can,” Marcinkowski continued. “There’s a real strategy behind how we’re doing what we’re doing. And there are doors that are truly opening that we’re stepping through that God opened for us.” He went on to encourage attendees to fall in love with the process of what they’re doing. “Don’t worry about winning and losing. Every day is a new day. Today I can be better than I was yesterday. That’s what falling in love with the process is.”
Dr. Josh Sauerwein, Associate Professor of Accounting and Director of the Center for Faith and Business, shared in his introduction of Dave, “It doesn’t take long to get a real sense of Dave’s heart and his love for people and the Lord. His life clearly centers around Christ, community, and the constant pursuit of never-ending improvement.”
The Business as a Calling event illustrates the core mission of the LCU School of Business—helping students and others integrate faith into their business pursuits. Visit LCU School of Business to learn more about the School of Business and the Center for Faith and Business.