When Urgency Overrides Compassion: The Marketing Lesson That Changes Everything
SHOW NOTES
Steve Noble, founder of Call to Action, host of 3,400+ radio shows, and educator at Noble U, joins Dave Jones to discuss the fundamental shift in marketing: Your organization is not the hero, your audience is. You are their guide.
“Stop Preaching. Start Listening. The Marketing Revolution Nobody’s Talking About.”
I had the privilege of sitting down with Steve Noble, founder of Called2Action, radio host, and educator at Noble U, on The R7 Christian Marketing Podcast, and what I learned fundamentally challenged my 25-year understanding of marketing and ministry.
As someone who’s built M is Good from scratch and worked with countless Christian organizations, I’ve seen every marketing framework imaginable. But Steve’s journey revealed something profound:
The organizations that thrive aren’t the ones with the best message. They’re the ones who actually listen.
The Princeton Study That Changes Everything
In 1973, researchers at Princeton Theological Seminary conducted an experiment with 40 seminary students that should haunt every Christian marketer.
Students preparing to give speeches, some literally about the Good Samaritan, encountered someone in distress on their way. Those who were rushed? Only 10% stopped to help. Those with time? 63% stopped.
Think about that: Seminary students rushing to preach about helping others… didn’t help others.
“You’re giving a speech on the Good Samaritan, which is a story in the Bible about taking the time to stop and help somebody that’s hurting,” Steve observed. “But I’m in a hurry to give my speech about helping people. Then I see this guy in an alley who needs help, but I don’t have time to help him.”
The application for marketers is devastating: When we’re focused on our message, we miss the very people we’re called to serve.
“Your Audience is One Person”
Steve’s breakthrough came after 9 years of radio when mentor Tim Moranville asked a simple question: “How big is your audience?”
Steve threw out metrics and numbers.
Tim stopped him cold: “Your audience is one person.”
“You need to do radio every day as if there’s only one person listening to you,” Tim explained. “They’re sitting in their car, they’re sitting at their kitchen table, and you need to find out, Steve, why is that person listening to you every day?”
This single shift transformed Steve’s approach across every venture:
- His house painting company (1997)
- Call to Action political grassroots organization (2004)
- The Steve Noble Show syndicated radio (2007-2022)
- Noble U teaching platform (current)
The pattern never changed: Know your one person. Serve them completely.
From $68K to $250K: The Cost of Not Listening
Steve was raising $68,000 annually for his ministry, some decent money for a “side gig.” Then 22-year-old Mark Bentley confronted him with uncomfortable truth:
“There’s way more people in this city that appreciate you and want to support you. You just don’t know them and you’ve never asked them.”
Steve’s problem? “All I was thinking about was myself. I wasn’t thinking about these people out there.”
The result of shifting focus:
- Year 1: $68K → $160K
- Year 3: $250K+
The money didn’t change. Steve’s perspective did.
The Marketing Metrics That Should Terrify You
I shared with Steve the evolution of daily advertising impressions:
1980 (Reagan): 600 impressions/day, 30-day bounce rate 2008 (Obama): 9,000 impressions/day, 2-day bounce rate
2025 (Today): 21,000 impressions/day, 1-hour bounce rate
“We are so oblivious to the world around us,” I told Steve. “We’re not mindful at all of The Good Samaritan, people around us. We’re in a hurry. We’re watching our phones.”
Steve’s response? “What an amazing opportunity we have right now.”
While everyone else is distracted, checking likes and follows, what if you actually paid attention to people?
The Confession That Changed Everything
Steve’s most vulnerable moment came discussing his own children:
“If one of the four Noble kids wanted to be heard… they didn’t go to Dad. They went to Mom. Mom listened. Dad preached.”
This successful radio host, political organizer, and educator realized: “Mom was the marketer. Dad was just bowling them over with marketing material.”
Now at Noble U, Steve deliberately meets sixteen-year-olds where they are. “I’m going to stop preaching and I’m going to start listening. Because I care about you as an individual.”
His students feel it. They know it’s authentic. And that’s when transformation happens.
The Hotel Room That Exposed Everything
I shared my Hilton experience that perfectly captures the problem:
Standing at the front desk, I asked three employees (including a manager there 3 years): “Have any of you actually stayed in one of the rooms?”
All three: Never.
“This is an ergonomic nightmare,” I explained about their bathroom design.
The lesson: If you’re leading from the top and not experiencing your own brand, you are missing the experience.
Your donors aren’t saying thank you. They’re voting with their feet and leaving.
The Go-Giver Revolution
Steve introduced me to a concept that flipped traditional success on its head. We’re trained to be “go-getters.” But what if we became “go-givers”?
“When I’m listening to your story, I’m trying to figure out who do I know that can help you?” Steve explained. “Who do I know that could help you reach the goal that God has called you to?”
The principle: Serve without expectation. Help without hooks. Give without getting.
“Seek my kingdom first,” Jesus said, “and all the other things will be added to you.”
Three Champion Principles for Christian Marketers
1. You Are Not the Hero
Your client, donor, or first-time guest is the hero. You’re just the guide. As Steve learned: “It’s not about the Steve Noble Radio Show. It’s about my listener.”
2. Cheap Focus vs. Quality Focus
Coach Bill confronted me at PF Chang’s when I was distracted: “I took time away from my family. You need to be here and be present. This is cheap focus, Dave. I need quality focus.”
The world accepts cheap focus. Champions demand quality attention.
3. Experience Creates Authenticity
Steve showed up to sell his painting business with a full tank of gas. Why? “Every detail about this, every way I handle this guy is marketing for the gospel itself.”
Your Next Small Step
Steve’s framework challenges us to stop thinking about ourselves and start serving others. The question isn’t whether you’re capable of this shift. The question is whether you’re intentional enough to try.
Three actions you can take today:
- Identify your “one person” – Who is that individual you’re actually serving? What do they need from you?
- Experience your own brand – Sign up for your own email list. Go through your donation process. Sit in your own service.
- Stop eating the French fries – What’s one small habit that’s keeping you focused on yourself instead of others?
The Bottom Line Nobody Wants to Hear
“Encouragement is a currency we don’t trade in much,” Steve observed.
In a world of 21,000 daily impressions and one-hour attention spans, the organizations that will thrive aren’t the ones shouting loudest.
They’re the ones who put down their phones, lean in, and ask: “How can I serve you better?”
Because here’s the truth Steve discovered after 3,400 radio shows:
Your audience doesn’t care about your message until they know you care about them.
Stop preaching. Start listening.
Your ministry depends on it.
The R7 process helps Christian leaders and marketers discover their purpose and build actionable strategy around their calling. If you’re ready to stop using calling as an excuse and start living with championship-level intentionality, tune in to The R7 Christian Marketing Podcast for more faith-driven conversations about excellence in business and ministry.
Remember: Eagles don’t seek approval. They just fly. What’s keeping you grounded?
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