Ep 111. How Does Your Business Make Money? Revenue Models Explained
10/06/2026
How does your business make money, and is your revenue model strong enough to sustain your mission?
DO GOOD X hosts Kimberly Daniel and Stephen Lewis explain the difference between a business model and a revenue model and explore how social entrepreneurs can build financially sustainable, purpose-driven businesses.
Discover how customer discovery can help you choose between one-time purchases, subscriptions, memberships, B2B2C partnerships, usage-based pricing, and blended revenue models. Kimberly and Stephen also examine how grants, pricing confidence, scarcity thinking, and personal money stories can influence your business decisions.
Learn how to create, capture, and deliver value while choosing a revenue model that reflects your customers, costs, expertise, and impact.
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE
✅ The difference between a business model and a revenue model
✅ How customer discovery can reveal the right revenue model and pricing strategy
✅ Why grants, donations, and a single revenue stream may not provide long-term sustainability
✅ How your personal money beliefs can influence your pricing and business decisions
Join the DO GOOD X Community to access resources, connect with purpose-driven entrepreneurs, and grow an impactful business with intention.
In This Episode
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 How Does Your Business Make Money? Revenue Models Explained
01:01 How does your business actually make money?
03:50 Business models vs. revenue models
08:53 Different ways customers can pay for the same solution
10:10 Revenue model myths and the limits of grant funding
14:03 Subscriptions, memberships, B2B2C, and other revenue models
17:39 Using customer discovery to choose a revenue model
22:07 Charging for the true value of your work
24:13 How personal money stories affect your business
27:07 Replacing scarcity thinking with an abundance mindset
Key Takeaways
KEY TAKEAWAYS
💎 A business model explains how an organization creates, captures, and delivers value, while a revenue model explains how the organization generates income.
💎 Customer discovery can reveal how often customers experience a problem, what they currently pay for a solution, and which payment structure may work best.
💎 A blended revenue model can provide more stability than relying entirely on grants, donations, or one source of income.
💎 Founders must examine how their personal beliefs about money, value, and scarcity influence their pricing and revenue decisions.
About The Hosts
Kimberly R. Daniel
Kimberly R. Daniel catalyzes entrepreneurs and organizations to do good. She is co-founder and project director of DO GOOD X, a community that provides programs and support for faith-driven social entrepreneurs whose businesses focus on positive Change.
Kimberly also helps purpose-driven organizations clarify and design compelling brand and communication strategies. With over 15 years of experience developing and leading communications efforts, it is her commitment to produce effective processes and create authentic, “sticky” brands that are community-centered.
In addition, Kimberly has nearly 10 years of experience as a certified life coach and has facilitated workshops, spoken to communities, and written about innovation and entrepreneurship centered on social impact. She is co-author of A Way Out of No Way: An Approach to Christian Innovation (2021).
In any aspect of her work, she is deeply passionate about purpose, meaning, and the common good.
Social Media to Connect:
Stephen Lewis
Stephen Lewis is the president of the Forum for Theological Exploration (FTE) and creator and co-founder of DO GOOD X, a start-up accelerator for diverse Christian social entrepreneurs. He is an organizational change strategist and a leadership development specialist, focused on inspiring the next generation of faith-inspired leaders and entrepreneurs to live and work on purpose. Stephen is the co-author of Another Way: Living and Leading Change on Purpose (2020) and A Way Out of No Way: Approach to Christian Innovation (2021).
Social Media to Connect: