Jul 2, 2026
166| Culture Is Everyone’s Job: Parish Leadership Lessons from Chick-fil-A
In this episode of the Rebuilt Parish Podcast, Melissa Wilkinson and Tom Corcoran sit down with Natalie Marts, a Chick-fil-A owner/operator and parish leader at Church of the Nativity. Natalie shares her story of entrepreneurship, faith, leadership, and stewardship, from buying her first business at 19 years old to leading a thriving Chick-fil-A team in Towson, Maryland.
Together, they explore what parish leaders can learn from business leadership, including how to balance relationships and results, build layers of leadership, develop young people, hire the right people, and create a healthy culture. Natalie also shares a powerful story about praying before 70,000 people at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl and how God often prepares us before we even know what he is asking of us.
This conversation is full of practical “nuggets” for pastors, parish staff, ministry leaders, and anyone working to build a healthier, mission-driven parish culture.
Key Takeaways
Parish leaders are called to be both relational and results-oriented. Caring for people does not mean avoiding accountability.
Stewardship is not just about money. It is about recognizing that everything entrusted to us belongs to God.
Healthy leadership requires layers. Growth depends on building teams, developing leaders, and giving people ownership.
The personal ask matters. Many gifted leaders in the parish will not step forward until someone personally invites them.
Culture is everyone’s job. It is shaped by what leaders model, celebrate, and tolerate.
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00:00 Introduction
00:50 Natalie’s faith journey and path to Chick-fil-A
05:38 How early mentors shaped Natalie’s entrepreneurial leadership
08:26 Developing young people through work and leadership
09:32 Balancing relationships and results
11:15 Why clear expectations and hard conversations matter
14:26 Stewardship as a foundation for leadership
17:25 Leading through challenges with prayer and trust
20:47 The importance of having someone who challenges your thinking
22:16 Working with different gifts and shared leadership
25:27 When God is protecting or preparing you
27:08 Praying at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
31:38 Building layers of leadership in a large team
36:11 Why leaders cannot wear every hat forever
38:33 Getting the right people in the right seats
40:17 Hiring, recruiting, and protecting culture
46:21 Why parish leaders should personally ask business leaders to serve
48:55 Culture is everyone’s job
50:03 Closing thoughts
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Catholic parish leadership, parish renewal, Rebuilt Parish, Rebuilt Parish Podcast, Chick-fil-A leadership, Natalie Marts, Catholic leadership, parish culture, church leadership, Catholic business leadership, stewardship, parish stewardship, leadership development, ministry leadership, Catholic ministry, parish staff, pastors, parish leaders, Catholic evangelization, discipleship, team culture, volunteer leadership, business leaders in the Church, leadership layers, Church of the Nativity, Tom Corcoran, Melissa Wilkinson
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