We started SoZo with a leap of faith.

For years, we both worked in the corporate sector and made decent money, but the cost was high. I (Shawn) worked days, nights, weekends, and holidays and even had to reschedule a couple of Christmas mornings with our children. Laura worked in banking, so her schedule was more consistent, but many times our schedules were opposite. Some days I only saw my kids for about fifteen minutes. We knew something had to change.

So in 2011, we took a huge step. We quit our jobs, sold our home, and moved to Marshall. It was a fresh start—but it wasn’t easy. The first couple of years were tough. I had a dream of owning my own company, and while living in Hot Springs I had learned graphics and screen printing, even working part-time for a graphics company there. That experience, combined with the dream God had placed in my heart, became the foundation for SoZo.

From the beginning, we started SoZo with a clear mission. We knew we wanted our business to promote the principles—and the person—of Jesus Christ. That’s why we named it “SoZo.”

Over the years, countless people have walked through our doors and asked, “Where did you get that name?” And that question alone has opened the door to many conversations.

Sozo is a Greek word meaning “to save.” When the Bible says that Jesus came to save, the word used in Greek is “Sozo”. While the word is deep and rich in meaning, at its core it means to save from destruction, to heal from all disease, and to deliver from the penalties of judgment. Salvation through Jesus is so much more than a “free ticket to heaven.” He came to save us from judgment and absolute destruction, and heal us in the process.

Because of that truth, our company is built with the mindset that everything we do is for the glory of Christ (Colossians 3:17, 23).

We see SoZo as a marketplace ministry. We have often said that we are a ministry disguised as a business. God has given us the opportunity to minister to countless people who come through our doors—whether through the items we produce or simply through conversation. We believe in, and actively pray for, opportunities to share Christ as we live our lives. We want to encourage others, especially business owners, to live as “marketplace ministers.”

In corporate America, there were always boundaries placed around us. We stepped outside of those boundaries then, and we continue to do so now as a business owners. We believe the Spirit of God cannot be bound by the rules of men—and there are far too many people going through far too much for us to sit back and watch.