Living It Out: Gospel-Centered Management that Goes Beyond Words

Sarabeth Stone
5 days ago
4 min read

By Sarabeth Stone

“Those hard things that God brings you through? I have learned that they develop both your character and your faith,”

shared Paul Gallucci, owner of several Crumbl cookie franchises. In his presentation to the South Carolina Christian Consortium in January, Gallucci discussed his journey from real estate to owning several cookie stores in the Greenville, South Carolina area.

“I lost some opportunities that I really wanted,” he continued. “But in the end, I saw how it was God’s protection over me – every time.”

From Real Estate to Retail

Paul Gallucci started out in residential sales in 2008. He gradually expanded to flipping houses and successfully investing in commercial real estate. The profitability of those ventures and a desire to spend more time with his family led Mr. Gallucci to begin looking for franchise business opportunities in 2019. In November of 2019, he received a call from his brother urging him to look into the prospect of a little-known cookie company based in Provo Utah with 40 locations at the time. In January of 2020, Paul flew out to Salt Lake City to tour as many Crumbl cookie stores as he could. Fourteen stores later, with a car full of cookie boxes, he decided this was a deal to pursue.

Mr. Gallucci opened his first Greenville Crumbl cookie store on Woodruff Road in September of 2020. He didn’t have to wait for business to come, it took off with so many people home bound looking for ways to add normalcy to a worldwide lockdown. Fast forward to April 2021 when Crumbl menu reviews suddenly took off on TikTok and Mr. Gallucci’s business doubled overnight. Such quick success meant that it was already time to expand and open more locations.

Rapid Growth Requires Wisdom

Over the next two years, Paul and his family went from owning and operating two Greenville-area Crumbl locations to seven in the Upstate, one in Lexington County, and one in Matthews, NC. This rapid growth required a maturity of character in handling adversity and leading others to do the same.

“As a leader and manager of people, I had to learn early on how to handle adversity with my faith,” Paul shared.

“This world can be heavy, critical, and accusatory. It can be too easy for managers to come down hard on employees for mistakes or other issues. For me, living out my faith means that in the midst of crisis I can acknowledge that whatever negative situation we are facing, it’s never all there is. If it’s an angry customer, an order that was never fulfilled, etc. we must hold fast to the truth that God is going to provide. He’s got even the littlest situations that challenge us.”

Build Rapport with Younger Employees

Paul’s grace under pressure has proven to be a long suit when it comes to working with younger employees at his Crumbl stores. “It has to be a priority for business leaders, executives, and managers to faithfully listen to our people,” added Gallucci. “To let them know they are important – even if they’re young.” Raised by technology and social media, young people today are facing intense battles over their identity and self-worth and are often left feeling like their problems are insignificant to parents and older adults. When business leaders take the time to get to know and encourage young people, purposefully and consistently expressing praise when someone goes the extra mile or is attentive to details – it can make a big impact.

“Building rapport with our employees, and young people especially, starts with faithfully listening,” shared Gallucci.

“If we are open and available to talk when people need to be heard, doors will open for leaders to speak into young people’s lives at just the right time. Attentive listening seems so obvious, but it is truly the key to a willingness to receive on their end. I’ve gotten chances to pray with people when they’re going through truly difficult things.”

When asked what his biggest challenge has been in managing such swift expansion and in running multiple businesses, Gallucci explained “Focusing on what is important is always a challenge. Everything can seem urgent. So, I have to regularly discern what has to be dealt with first.”

Live out the Gospel in Word and Deed

For Paul Gallucci, the faithfulness of God isn't just a theological concept—it's an experienced reality that deepens the roots to how he leads. God's steady hand has been evident at every turn in his personal and professional life. For Gallucci, that faithfulness calls for a response: demonstrating the gospel not just in word, but in deed.

"Our employees, especially young people, are watching how we handle pressure, how we treat them when mistakes happen, how we prioritize their concerns," Gallucci explains. "That's where the gospel becomes real—not in what we say we believe, but in how we actually lead."

As South Carolina's business community continues to grow, leaders like Gallucci remind us that the most powerful witness isn't found in mission statements or faith declarations—but in the daily opportunities to reflect God's character in every interaction.

Sarabeth Stone is a wife, mother, and freelance writer residing in the Upstate. Her background centers around public affairs and communications work with Fortune 500 companies, nonprofit entities, and small and mid-sized organizations from a variety of industries.

Located in the Upstate, The South Carolina Christian Consortium empowers business leaders to view the marketplace as the mission field by providing the network, resources, and biblical foundation to transform work opportunities into ministry. We equip leaders to steward their unique talents as kingdom tools (Matt. 15:14-30; Mark 9:50) and foster connections that boost influence and impact.

Compartmentalized Christianity in business is ineffective—it’s time to unite with resolute purpose and set our faces like flint toward kingdom advancement (Is. 50:7). Your leadership, your organization can be the salt and light that transforms South Carolina.