Building a Faith-Filled Business Without Burning Out

A Conversation with Rachel Hendrick of Mercy Creates

Some businesses are built out of strategy first. Others are built out of obedience.

Mercy Creates firmly belongs in the second category.

In this episode of The Entrepreneur’s Blueprint, I sat down with Rachel Hendrick, artist, founder, and creative behind Mercy Creates to talk about what it really looks like to build a mission-driven business as a side hustle, steward your gifts faithfully, and keep going when growth feels slow, exhausting, or uncertain.

Rachel’s story is one many founders will recognize: limited resources, a deep sense of calling, and the tension of building something meaningful alongside a full-time job and family life. What makes her journey especially compelling is the clarity with which she has anchored her business to Scripture, integrity, and purpose—even when that meant saying no to what was popular or profitable.

From Etsy Experiment to Faith-Driven Brand

Mercy Creates began in the most humble way possible.

With about $25 to invest and no capacity for a big launch, Rachel opened an Etsy shop featuring a small collection of watercolor prints inspired by Scripture. At the time, the goal wasn’t building a brand—it was helping her family move toward a debt-free future. Etsy offered a low-risk way to test whether her art could resonate with others without the overhead of a full website or in-person events.

That first sale from a complete stranger changed everything.

It wasn’t just validation, it was confirmation. Someone she didn’t know had connected with her work deeply enough to buy it. From there, Rachel leaned into what would become one of Mercy Creates’ defining commitments: if a piece wasn’t rooted in Scripture or inspired directly by God’s Word, she wouldn’t sell it.

That decision meant walking away from popular verses that were often quoted out of context. It meant slowing down, studying Scripture deeply, and creating art that reflected the full story of the Bible, not just isolated lines that felt encouraging.

But that integrity became the foundation of trust her audience would later recognize and value.

When Business and Marriage Intersect

One of the most honest parts of our conversation centered on what it’s like to build a business with your spouse.

Rachel’s husband brings a logical, numbers-driven perspective to the business. She brings creativity, vision, and heart. That combination is powerful, but it’s also challenging.

Early on, this showed up in pricing decisions. Rachel was hand-painting encouragement cards and selling them for $2 each, focused on how much customers loved them. Her husband saw something else entirely: negative profit and an unsustainable model.

That tension forced them to confront bigger questions:

How serious is this business?

How do we make decisions together?

When is it a ministry and when is it a business that needs to function financially?

Over time, they learned to establish rhythms for communication, clearer roles, and shared expectations. Rachel was candid about the spiritual weight that can come with running a faith-based business: the resistance, the doubt, and the pressure that feels heavier than usual. But she was equally clear that working through those challenges together has strengthened both their marriage and the business.

Finding Motivation When You’re Running on Empty

Like many founders juggling a full-time job and a side business, Rachel has experienced deep exhaustion.

There are weekends filled with markets. Late nights painting. Seasons when creativity feels inaccessible and discouragement creeps in.

In those moments, Rachel doesn’t rely on hustle or self-discipline alone. She prays often simply asking God for encouragement. And time after time, encouragement arrives: a customer email, a review, a message from someone whose faith was strengthened through her work.

Those moments remind her of Mercy Creates’ original mission: strengthening women with Scripture so they can encourage others. Financial success matters, but faithfulness matters more.

Creativity, Capacity, and Letting Go of “Balance”

Rachel also spoke openly about creative burnout and the myth of perfect work-life balance.

There are seasons when creativity flows easily and others when it doesn’t come at all. Instead of forcing productivity, she’s learned to accept that capacity shifts. Some weeks her energy is spent almost entirely on her nonprofit design job. Other seasons allow for deeper creative focus.

Letting go of the pressure to give 100% to everything at all times was freeing. Rachel recognizes that God is ultimately responsible for the growth of Mercy Creates. Her role is to show up, prepare well, and steward her time wisely, not to force outcomes.

A Calendar in CVS (and Other God-Sized Surprises)

One of the most joyful moments Rachel shared was how her artwork ended up licensed for a nationally distributed calendar.

It started with a long-term creative project inspired by the book of Psalms. 150 paintings representing one verse from each chapter. Those pieces became consistent Instagram content, quietly building visibility.

One day, an email arrived from a publishing company asking about licensing her work. Rachel assumed it was spam. It wasn’t.

A creative team had discovered her art organically, loved it, and pitched it internally. That project led to calendars sold through retailers like Barnes & Noble and eventually, a moment where Rachel stumbled upon her own calendar in a store and watched a stranger purchase it.

She didn’t pitch. She didn’t chase. She simply kept creating faithfully and God handled the reach.

Growing Without Being Everywhere

Looking ahead, Rachel is focused on sustainability.

Her goals include building digital products, automating systems, and creating workflows that allow the business to grow without requiring constant physical output. By shifting some of the income generation behind the scenes, she’s creating space to return to what she loves most: painting.

It’s a thoughtful approach, one that many side-hustle founders can learn from.

The Lesson She Wishes She’d Learned Sooner

When I asked Rachel what she wishes she knew at the beginning of her entrepreneurial journey, her answer was both practical and refreshing:

Ask for help sooner.

Whether it’s grocery pickup, a Roomba, or friends helping tie ribbons on ornaments, small support systems make a big difference. Trying to carry everything alone only leads to burnout. Delegating doesn’t mean you’re failing, it means you’re human.

Why Rachel’s Story Matters

Rachel Hendrick’s journey is proof that success doesn’t always look like overnight growth or constant visibility. Sometimes it looks like obedience, patience, and trusting God with the results.

Mercy Creates is a reminder that meaningful businesses can be built slowly, honestly, and faithfully without compromising values or burning out in the process.

You can learn more about Rachel and shop her artwork at mercycreates.com, and follow along with her day-to-day life and creative process on Instagram.