Steve Smith

COO, Rosedale Ministries · Fractional COO/CFO · Host, The Savage Executive Podcast

I help faith-driven leaders build organizations that last—with financial clarity, operational excellence, and wisdom that actually works.

For over 26 years, I've been in the trenches of business and ministry leadership. Fifteen years in sales taught me how to generate revenue. Eleven years running multi-entity operations taught me how to manage complexity. And leading a financial turnaround taught me what's possible when you combine discipline with wisdom.

Today I run a 160-person organization with multiple P&Ls, commercial real estate operations, and Maryland's largest private Christian school. I also serve a select group of CEOs as their fractional COO/CFO—bringing the same clarity and systems that transformed my organization to theirs.

The Turnaround Story

The defining moment that shaped everything I do today.

The Challenge

Eleven years ago, I stepped into an organization with enormous potential but no financial margin. Big vision, real impact—but the financial foundation wasn’t built to sustain it.

The Transformation

Within twelve months, we built $1 million in reserves. Not through gimmicks or shortcuts—through financial discipline, operational clarity, and applying timeless wisdom to modern challenges.

The Result

That was eleven years ago. Today: millions in reserves, millions in real estate acquired, and eleven consecutive years operating under budget. Same organization. Completely different financial trajectory.

$1M+

RESERVES IN YEAR ONE

YEARS UNDER BUDGET

$15M+

REAL ESTATE ACQUIRED

160+

EMPLOYEES LED

The Lesson

That experience taught me something I've carried into every engagement since: financial clarity isn't just about numbers. It's about creating the margin that lets you say yes to the right things—and building organizations that don't just sustain, but compound for decades.

Now I help other leaders do the same.

Current Role

→COO/Executive Pastor, Rosedale Ministries
→160 full and part-time employees
→250+ weekly volunteers
→Multiple P&Ls across education, camps, ministry
→Maryland's largest private Christian school
→Commercial real estate portfolio

Sales Background

→15 years in professional sales
→Revenue generation and pipeline management
→Client relationship building
→Quota achievement and business development
→Understanding both sides: revenue AND operations

Financial Track Record

→Built $1M+ in reserves within 12 months
→11 consecutive years under budget
→Multi-million dollar reserve building
→$15M+ in real estate acquisitions

Content & Teaching

→Host, The Savage Executive Podcast
→Author, Stories That Shape Business
→Speaker on leadership, finance, and stewardship
→Deep study of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes applied to business

Why Leaders Choose Me

Practitioner, not theorist

I run a 160-person organization. I face the same pressures you do.

Partner, not consultant

I don't analyze and leave. I stay in your corner month after month.

Clarity over complexity

The goal is simplicity on the other side of complexity.

Biblical wisdom, naturally applied

Not preachy. Not forced. Just ancient wisdom that works.

Wisdom That Guides

“Know well the condition of your flocks, and give attention to your herds.”
— Proverbs 27:23

“The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.”
— Proverbs 21:5

“Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.”
— Proverbs 11:14

Ready to Get Clarity?

The first step is always the same—a conversation.

Book a Clarity Call