Chris Heim
Meet Chris Heim
Chris Heim grew up in a small town in Iowa and now lives in Minneapolis with his wife, Heidi. They have been married for nearly three decades and have two grown children, Lauren and Grant. Chris has served as CEO of three different technology companies. He has just finished his most recent CEO role and is now exploring what comes next, including a new CEO opportunity and a consulting business of his own focused on people-first leadership.
What makes Chris's story worth hearing is not the titles. It is the way he has walked through each turning point: leaning in, even when he could not see what was around the corner. For anyone who cares about Christian living and faith at work, his journey is a picture of practical Christianity in everyday decisions.
Someone Saw More in Him
Chris was the first person in his family to go to college. His parents loved and supported him, but nobody in the family knew how the process worked. In his last year of high school, he was working at a grocery store and thought about simply staying there and becoming a manager.
Then his manager, a man Chris deeply respected, told him he saw something more in him and encouraged him to try college. That small push changed the direction of his life. It is a reminder that God often works through the people around us. Sometimes the nudge we need comes from someone outside our family who believes in us before we believe in ourselves. That is spiritual growth through community: we grow because others take the time to lift us up.
Training for the Hard Days
Chris loves endurance sports. He has completed an Ironman, climbed Kilimanjaro and swum from Alcatraz. When he was younger, these were physical challenges. After he became a CEO and felt the real weight of leadership, they became something more: practice for his mind and heart.
When your body wants to quit on a long run, you have a conversation with yourself about whether to stop or keep going. Chris learned that the same conversation happens at work during hard seasons. He believes leaders are responsible for helping others through their struggles, and they cannot do that well if they have never been tested themselves. Scripture tells us to guard our hearts, because the heart shapes the course of our lives. Chris's story shows what that looks like in practice.
The Sunday Night Question
Years before he became a CEO, Chris and Heidi were both working full time, with a young daughter at home. After two weekends in a row of nothing but errands, cleaning and yard work, they went to bed one Sunday night and asked each other an honest question: what are we doing?
Heidi offered to stay home with the kids so Chris could focus on a career that was about to involve a lot of travel. It was not an easy choice. It brought financial pressure. But it gave their family time together again, and their children, now young adults, understand the sacrifice their mother made. Chris credits Heidi for whatever he has accomplished in his career. For christian entrepreneurs and leaders, it is a powerful reminder that family is not a side project. It is the center.
Pursue, Don't Chase
Chris has learned that words matter. As a leader, he talks about helping people evolve instead of forcing change on them. In his own life, he noticed a difference between chasing and pursuing. Chasing a bigger role or a business win felt like doing it for someone else, or for an image. Pursuing meant leaning into what truly mattered, for the right reasons.
That shift is at the heart of faith-driven leadership. We do not need to see the whole road to take the next step. We can lean in, surround ourselves with good people, serve others through community service and leadership, and trust that God is preparing the road ahead.
Watch the full conversation with Chris Heim on Anchoring Hope, and ask yourself: what is God inviting you to pursue, not chase, this week?
Author: Jovilyn Abella
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“Just believe that something good is going to come from every thing that you’re facing.”
