Refiner's Fire

Join us for inspiring, real-world conversations with Catholic professionals and young leaders navigating faith and career. Produced by Young Catholic Professionals (YCP), Refiner’s Fire offers practical insights, spiritual encouragement, and personal stories on living boldly as a Catholic in today’s workplace. Each 30-minute episode equips you to grow in virtue, thrive in your career, and embrace work as a path to holiness.

Refiner's Fire is a business podcast hosted by Young Catholic Professionals, with 27 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Young Catholic Professionals hosts Refiner's Fire, a business show with 27 episodes published.

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  Refiner's Fire

  How to Reinvent Your Career Without Losing Your Purpose | Former PepsiCo SVP Marie Quintana

  Sep 1, 202639 min

  What does it look like to keep growing professionally without losing sight of who God is calling you to become?In this episode of Refiner’s Fire, Peter Blute sits down with Marie Quintana, former PepsiCo SVP and longtime corporate executive, to talk about faith, resilience, leadership, and the courage to reinvent your career when the path ahead changes.Marie shares how her family’s journey as refugees from Cuba shaped her understanding of faith and perseverance, how an unexpected move from social work into IBM launched a decades-long corporate career, and what she learned leading through major transformation at companies like PepsiCo and Tenet Healthcare.Together, Peter and Marie explore how to discern what’s next, lead people with dignity, embrace mentorship, navigate uncertainty, and trust that even when you don’t feel prepared for the next chapter, God may still be inviting you forward.For any young professional wondering, Am I where I’m supposed to be? What if my career changes? How do I know when it’s time to grow in a new direction?

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  Refiner's Fire

  23-Year-Old Founder Joe Dunikoski on Building Verso Jobs and Reinventing Hiring

  Aug 3, 202644 min

  At just 23 years old, Joe Dunikoski is already the founder and CEO of Verso Jobs, a fast-growing hiring platform designed to connect people with work that aligns with their skills, interests, and values. In this episode of Refiner’s Fire , Joe joins Peter Blute to discuss how his experience at the University of Dallas, his early career at Lucid Private Offices, and his passion for building meaningful professional networks led him to launch Verso Jobs. Joe shares why traditional hiring systems often fail both candidates and employers, how AI is making resumes increasingly indistinguishable, and why curiosity, relationships, and genuine human connection remain some of the strongest predictors of professional success. He also explains how Verso uses personalized questions, selective candidate matching, and warm introductions to help employers cut through the noise and find people who are more likely to thrive in their roles. The conversation also explores entrepreneurship, ambition, faith, and the deeper purpose of work. Joe reflects candidly on building a company, pursuing a disciplined spiritual life, and his belief that helping people find meaningful work can strengthen marriages, families, and society as a whole.

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  Refiner's Fire

  From MedTech Executive to Wealth Advisor: Chris Wood on Faith, Leadership, and an Integrated Life

  Jul 6, 202645 min

  After nearly 15 years in MedTech operations and corporate leadership, Chris Wood began asking a deeper question: Was professional success enough, or was God calling him to something more? In this episode of Refiner’s Fire , Chris, now a wealth advisor with Arno Wealth and former president of YCP Fort Worth, shares how prayer, Catholic community, and courageous discernment reshaped the trajectory of his career and family life. Chris and Peter discuss what it means to live an integrated life, recognize God’s direction through open and closed doors, detach identity from professional titles, and lead with faith in the workplace. Chris also reflects on marriage, fatherhood, spiritual leadership, and why authentic Catholic community can profoundly influence the decisions that shape our lives. This conversation offers practical encouragement for professionals seeking success without allowing career, status, or control to become the foundation of their identity.

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  Refiner's Fire

  From MedTech Executive to Wealth Advisor: Chris Wood on Faith, Leadership, and an Integrated Life

  Jul 6, 202645 minS0

  <p>After nearly 15 years in MedTech operations and corporate leadership, Chris Wood began asking a deeper question: Was professional success enough, or was God calling him to something more?</p><p>In this episode of Refiner’s Fire, Chris, now a wealth advisor with Arno Wealth and former president of YCP Fort Worth, shares how prayer, Catholic community, and courageous discernment reshaped the trajectory of his career and family life.</p><p>Chris and Peter discuss what it means to live an integrated life, recognize God’s direction through open and closed doors, detach identity from professional titles, and lead with...

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  Refiner's Fire

  Prayer, Purpose, and the Integrated Life with Dr. Greg and Lisa Popcak

  Jun 2, 202650 minS0

  <p>In this episode of Refiner’s Fire, Peter Blute sits down with Dr. Greg and Lisa Popcak, founders of CatholicCounselors.com, to explore how young Catholic professionals can live with greater integration, purpose, and peace.</p><p>Together, they discuss why faith, work, relationships, marriage, family life, and personal gifts are not separate compartments, but pieces of one life God is patiently bringing together. Drawing from decades of counseling experience, Dr. Greg and Lisa offer practical wisdom on discernment, anxiety, healthy relationships, professional ambition, readiness for marriage, and the courage to take the next faithful step.</p><p>This co...

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