Editor’s Note: Matthew Chicoine interviewed Brooke Joiner, co-founder of Catholic Owned® via phone call on October 17th, 2025. Some of the questions/answers have been rearranged, edited, and paraphrased to provide the best reader experience without losing any integrity of the answers given.
From Calcutta to Catholic Commerce
You and Matteo met while serving with the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta. How did those experiences among “the poorest of the poor” shape the spiritual foundation and mission of Catholic Owned?
Great question! I went to Calcutta by myself to serve and my husband went there with a group. We had met and were introduced by seminarians. We were married the next year and lived in Italy for the next four years.
We consistently try to say yes when God is calling us to do something. And that started with both of us saying yes to going on the mission trip to Calcutta.
We experienced a similar call from God to leave both of our jobs to start Catholic Owned.
The Call to Radical Trust
You both left successful business careers to go “all in” on Catholic Owned. What did discernment look like in that season, and how did you recognize that this was truly God’s call for your family?
We were working in the yachting/marine industry in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. At the time of us thinking about doing something different we had three children. We have done (and are still doing) Mother of Divine Grace Homeschool. Part of the preschool curriculum is to listen to the Glory Stories from Holy Heroes and we had heard the Our Lady of Fatima story so many times. We started doing the First Saturday devotion, and this led to us praying the Rosary daily. This devotion started to create a chasm between our work and who we desired to be. God told my husband that we needed to start this business, so we started working on it on the side. The chasm just grew and it got to the point that we were willing to do whatever we needed to do to go “all-in” with Catholic Owned, which we did a month after our fourth child was born.
Building the New Catholic Economy
The phrase “Building the New Catholic Economy” is striking. What does that look like in practice, and how do you see Catholic Owned helping to renew the culture through business?
Building the New Catholic Economy refers to Catholics having resources like finances, professional resources, education, relationship resources and more: these collective resources comprise the Catholic economy. Catholics are notorious for not supporting each other, but our mission is to change that. We want to develop an ecosystem where it becomes the default to support Catholics first and to help Catholic businesses be successful. Successful businesses are profitable and help build and fund Catholic culture. And to help reclaim the culture for Christ.
Faith in the Workplace
Many Catholic business owners struggle to balance professional success with fidelity to the Faith. How does Catholic Owned encourage business owners to integrate prayer and Catholic ethics into their work life?
Today we are seeking ways to provide more content and resources for our members on this topic. This is our fourth pillar. It requires formation and theological authority coming from a place to advise them.
We require members to adhere to our founding pillars. The content and the formation piece is an ongoing development and we are seeking partnerships with people and organizations that are already doing that. Catholic Owned takes a collaborative approach to redirecting people to resources/organization. So developing those partnerships to be referring out to those who are more of an expert on this matter.
Consecration and Daily Devotion
Your company and your family are consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. How does that consecration guide your decision-making and sustain you during the challenges of entrepreneurship?
Good question! The work that we do is in reparation against the five major blasphemies against the Immaculate Heart of Mary. It’s this spiritual currency that helps with perseverance when times get tough. In terms of decision-making, consistently growing in holiness is key to helping us know what God is telling us to do.
When you already have the posture that the answer is “YES” to God’s will, once His Will becomes clear, the next step is easy. I am also really aware of when God brings people into our lives for helpful purposes. For example, I was recently meeting with someone who gave me advice about something, and this advice was applicable/helpful to me for another, unrelated situation three days later. This happens to me often, so I am always looking for it. Another thing we lean into is instinct. If there’s ever a time that I get a sense that something’s off about a situation, it’s an automatic “no,” even if it otherwise looks “good.”
The Verification Process
Catholic Owned lists “Verified” and “Featured” businesses that adhere to its founding pillars. Can you walk us through what that verification process involves and why it matters for Catholic consumers?
Catholic consumers who care about where their money goes, so our members put in writing their adherence to our Founding Pillars. Our first is our members are faithful to the Magisterium & in full communion with Rome.. Second, they fulfill their Sunday obligation + Holy Days, plus receive confession regularly. Third, they have a sincere daily prayer life. And fourth, they operate their business according to the principles of the Catholic faith.
We took our inspiration from the five precepts of the Church and what it means to be Catholic.
Hope for Catholic Entrepreneurs
What advice would you give to Catholics who feel called to entrepreneurship but worry about the risks, especially those who want to build something faithful and countercultural in today’s economy?
First, you have to consider all of your responsibilities. If you don’t have a way to cover your expenses for at least 12 months, figure that out first. Because you can’t let your kids go hungry. God will provide but you do need to be prudent. Jesus even spoke on this matter in Luke 14:28, “Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion?”. Grow in holiness. It’s absolutely fundamental throughout the process. And lastly, connect with a community to help support you.
In terms of general business advice, I highly recommend following the Hormozis (with the caveat of language and some ethical differences). I don’t take advice from them on spiritual matters but his books and content are highly recommended for strictly business advice, so I always send people there.
About Brooke:
Slave of Jesus in Mary, Catholic wife, mother of four, and the Co-Founder & CEO of Catholic Owned®, Brooke Joiner is originally from Colorado and spent the first four years of marriage in her husband’s native Italy. A convert to the Faith, her professional background is in business management, project management and strategic operations.
Since founding Catholic Owned in 2023 in South Florida, the company has launched its App and grown beyond the local area to include thousands of listed businesses across the country and serves more than 11,000 App Users & counting.
