Founded in 2015, The Executives’ Club of Fargo-Moorhead is a club designated exclusively for CEOs, Presidents, Founders, and serial entrepreneurs to have extraordinary conversations.

We were lucky enough to interview a number of those visionary leaders and are even luckier to get the chance to share them with you over our next few issues.

Want to join the club? Head to the100.online

About John Fisher, Executive Director, Friends of the Children Fargo-Moorhead

John Fisher earned his bachelor’s degree from Western Kentucky University in Religious Studies and Psychology; he then earned his graduate degree from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. John’s nonprofit story starts as a junior in college when he and a close circle of friends founded a nonprofit youth organization. It was during this time that the entrepreneurial spirit and passion for bettering communities and developing people was first sparked. That passion solidified as he worked with youth in church-based ministries in Tennessee and Kentucky. This desire to impact communities brought John and his wife, Abby, to North Dakota.

John started three churches, grew attendance and recruited leaders to help. All the while, he worked in the nonprofit sector. He was a program coordinator with the YMCA in school-based programs for almost six years developing youth, staff and families. From there, he worked in a Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) grant at North Dakota State University as a program director. Before coming to Friends of the Children Fargo-Moorhead, John has served as the executive director of CHARISM for three and a half years, a neighborhood nonprofit serving youth through mentoring. He serves of the board of the Badges of Unity project, Youth Improvement Board

For the last three and a half years, John has led the team at Friends of the Children Fargo-Moorhead and could not be prouder of the work that has been accomplished. The quickly expanding program continues to gain traction!

What is an important lesson you learned about business in 2022?

Scary decisions are not necessarily bad. They often are scary because you are going to grow through them.

What are you most looking forward to in 2023?

Growth, expansion and pushing light into dark places.

Take us through a typical day in your life.

I start the day in the gym. Lifting heavy things and just moving my body. Additionally, I dive deep into the Bible every morning. After that, I usually read some work of history for 30 minutes. When I get to work, I clean out email and then, I take time to plan and think. This takes me to when my team arrives and then it’s meetings, calls, emails or one-on-one’s until I head home. Then, I finish my day by cooking dinner, spend time with my wife and kids and then in bed early.

What’s the worst piece of advice you’ve ever received?

“You can always go get more money.”

What keeps you up at night?

12 months in the future.

What would you give a Ted Talk on?

The answers are often in the past. Whenever you can, listen to dead people.

How does the reality of your job differ from people’s perception of it?

Being the “boss” gives the perception that you do what you want. Well, you have all the pressure and responsibility.

What’s one thing the local business community could do to help you/your organization?

Give, volunteer, advocate and connect.

What’s your “Why”?

Finding Joy in following Christ in everything I do.