Ben Haugh didn’t grow up in a classroom. He didn’t learn grammar, spelling, or the rules of punctuation.
As a child, his entire education revolved around scripture. He wasn’t enrolled in any formal school. He didn’t learn to read or write in the conventional sense. But by the time he was a teenager, Ben had a deep understanding of biblical stories, principles, and values—even if he didn’t fully grasp their meaning yet.
And then, he walked away from it all.
The organization Ben was raised in turned out to be a religious cult based in Waco, Texas. When he left, he left angry, disillusioned, and done. He rejected God, rejected Christianity, and began calling himself an atheist. Later, while living in a boys’ home in Houston, he became the only resident to ever exercise his right to religious freedom and refuse to go to church. The founder told him that years later.
Ben wore that defiance like armor. He was determined to think for himself, carve his own path, and succeed without the belief system he felt had betrayed him.
And somehow—he did.
Despite being illiterate well into adulthood, he built a business. He faced the storm of entrepreneurship head-on. And by most people’s standards—even his own—he found success. Exceptional success, considering where he started.
But something deeper began to shift.
Not long ago, Ben was talking with a young guy who was just getting started in business. The young man was in that early stage—figuring it all out, frustrated, overwhelmed. Ben told him a story from the Bible, the story of Samson and Delilah, to make a point.
The young man looked at him, completely blank. Ben said, “You know… the Bible?” And the guy replied, “I’ve never read the Bible. I don’t go to church.”
That moment hit Ben harder than he expected.
Not because he was trying to convert anyone. Not because he believes you have to go to church to be a good person. But because he realized just how foundational the Bible had been in shaping the way he thinks about business, leadership, struggle, and resilience—even in the years when he didn’t believe in it.
And for the first time, he said something out loud he had never fully put into words before:
“Why would you try to run a business in America if you’ve never read the Bible?”
Ben later brought that idea up with a friend. Their response?
“I don’t get it. What does the Bible have to do with running a business?”
Ben’s answer was simple and direct: Every organization—every movement, every company—runs on a set of principles. A framework of ethics, philosophies, strategies, and beliefs about people, money, leadership, and work.
And whether people admit it or not, American business culture was built on biblical principles. Things like:
Even though some of those values have been eroded over time, they’re still woven into the DNA of how businesses operate, how leaders are expected to behave, and what customers expect from the brands they trust.
So Ben went back to that young man and said:
“Don’t read the Bible to get saved. Read it to get smart.” “Don’t read it for religion. Read it for perspective.” “Read it like you would any business book—but maybe with a little more reverence.”
Because if you’re trying to build a company in a country shaped by those values and you don’t understand the source material, then you’re missing something. Maybe something big.
And if, along the way, you happen to find faith—well, Ben believes that’s not such a bad thing either.
After years of bitterness and confusion, Ben found his way back to faith. Not back to the cult. Not to blind obedience. But to something real. Something earned. Something personal.
He rebuilt his belief the same way he rebuilt himself: through reflection, hard work, and pain that turned into purpose.
And now, Ben will tell you this without hesitation:
His belief made it possible to stay strong. His faith helped him stay focused. And yes—that’s why he’s still in business.
Not every business story has to be spiritual. But his is. And maybe someone else’s will be too.
Stay strong. Stay focused. Stay in business.
