Troy Pollock

FounderCEO

Nov 14

9 min read ⭑

“I see God working when a Tomie shares how a story on the Tome app helped them navigate a tough decision in life. Or how to overcome addiction. Or how to deal with depression. Or how the Creator of the universe actually cares about them. It is in these moments I feel God the most.”

If we had to choose one word to describe the many hats Troy Pollock wears, it would be “innovator.” As a published author, speaker, team-builder and leader, Troy is in his sweet spot when he’s casting a lofty vision, connecting with people or invigorating teams to build something from scratch.

While leading early-stage startups sounds intimidating to most, Troy can’t get enough of it. For over eight years, he led teams to success at Pushpay, a tech-driven company that helps churches and charities with donor management. And his latest endeavor is co-founding Tome, the world’s first video devotional app.

In this interview, we’re unearthing the creativity and faith that drive Troy in his day-to-day life — his passions, daily spiritual practices, favorite books and resources, and the most impactful lessons God has taught him over the years.

QUESTION #1: ACQUAINT

There’s much more to food than palate and preference. How does a go-to meal at your favorite hometown restaurant reveal the true you behind the web bio?

Tucked inside a forest of pine trees on a plateau 20 miles east of Seattle, is a kitchen that produces some of the most delicious food on planet Earth. Now, this is not your normal kitchen. What I mean by that is, sure, this kitchen is meticulously beautiful. Each item throughout is in its perfect place, and the smells coming from the stove lure you in like a magnetic pull. But it is also a place that is safe. A place where you can go to the table of truth and not fear backlash for being authentic or vulnerable. When you come to this kitchen to eat and fill your belly, you actually leave with something much more lasting — your love tank full.

This kitchen is my wife’s. This is #FromAprilsKitchen.

QUESTION #2: REVEAL

We’ve all got quirky proclivities and out-of-the-way interests. So, what are yours? What so-called “nonspiritual” activities do you love and help you find spiritual renewal?

There is a lake three miles from my house where I go to relax, take in the perfection nature has to offer and talk to Jesus. Along this lake, there is a path — partly paved and partly not — that extends over 4 miles each way. Along this path, I walk, I trot, I jog, I sprint and sometimes I sit down to rest. The beauty is not in the path itself; the beauty is in what surrounds the path. There are trees of many kinds, spiders, flies, squirrels and sometimes deer.

The sound of rushing water gives me all the feels. So I love that there are streams, too, and a giant lake. Sometimes, this lake is populated with boats, Sea-Doos, kayakers, paddle boarders and swimmers. At other times, no one else is out there, allowing the water to act as a mirror that reflects all the beauty surrounding it. Oftentimes, I go to this lake just to be. To be Troy. I don’t have to pretend. I don’t have to wear a title. I can just be me. This is where I go for spiritual renewal.

QUESTION #3: CONFESS

Every superhero has a weakness. Every human too. We're just good at faking it. But who are we kidding? We’re broken and in this thing together. So, what’s your kryptonite and how do you hide it?

I am a firm believer in the fact that our greatest strengths are also our greatest weaknesses when not kept in check. Attention to detail, meticulousness and being highly empathetic are all strengths of mine. When I do not keep these in check, attention to detail quickly becomes OCD, being meticulous quickly can become being too rigid and being highly empathetic quickly turns into apathy. Managing these is a daily process for me.

QUESTION #4: FIRE UP

Tell us about your toil. How are you investing your professional time right now? What’s your obsession? And why should it be ours?

2020 was a year so many of us never want to relive. That said, when challenges arise, an opportunity is lurking close by.

And 2020 challenges became personal to my co-founder, Chris Heaslip, and me as we had a front-row seat to so many people shipwrecking their faith and leaving churches in mass numbers.

So we started asking ourselves, “How can we help? How can we help unite people who are divided? How can we inspire people to keep moving forward even though they don’t see a light at the end of the tunnel? How can we give hope to those who are hopeless? How can we encourage people to keep moving forward when they don’t even see a way to make it through today?”

Because we’ve seen the positive effects technology has when leveraged for good, we started looking at some of the most well-respected tech giants. You know, the ones you have on your phone. The ones you have on your television. The ones you have in your garage.

Yes, those.

We started asking ourselves, “What does Spotify offer that so many consumers want? What does Netflix offer? What does MasterClass offer? What does Peloton offer?”

Sure, they offer a lot. But a couple of things they all have in common are that they’re incredibly convenient, engaging and highly personalized to me.

What do I mean?

Let’s use Peloton as an example. Peloton has taken an antiquated stationary bike that has been around 100 years and put a 21st-century technology spin on it. No pun intended.

Their technology allows you to join a fitness class from the comfort of your own home. You don’t have to drive to a gym. You don’t have to worry about what you look like or any other insecurities going to a gym presents. No, you can jump on a stationary bike in your pajamas from any hour of the day. You can choose the length of class you want. The level of difficulty. The instructor you prefer, and even your preference of music.

What am I saying? Peloton is convenient, engaging and personalized to your preferences.

I could go down the list. Spotify does the same for music. Netflix does this for entertainment. MasterClass does this for those looking to learn.

But who is doing this for people who want to grow in their faith journey?

No one.

So Chris and I began wrestling with how to fix this. Hence, the birth of Tome, a video devotional app. Simply put, the vision of Tome is to change the way people across the globe engage with the Bible.

In other words, Tome was created for the drifter. The skeptic. The disengaged. The lonely. The hurt. The hopeless. The disenfranchised. The angry. The sad. The discouraged. The sick. The anxious. The frustrated.

Tome was also created for the curious. The questioner. The thinker. The artist. The influencer. The leader. The mom. The dad. The child. The grandparent. The athlete. The business person.

Tome was created for you.

Tome’s mission is to serve as a guide for people who have a desire for the Bible but don’t know where to start or how to engage with it. We leverage today’s faith leaders and cultural influencers to create daily video devotions and playlists that are engaging, personal and convenient to you. We create content that allows people, like you, to engage with Scripture regularly.

So if you want to know what relevance the greatest-selling book of all time has today? I invite you to download the Tome app and see. Our Tomies are waiting to talk directly to you.

That’s right, to you.

QUESTION #5: BOOST

Cashiers, CEOs, contractors or customer service reps, we all need grace flowing into us and back out into the world. How does the Holy Spirit invigorate your work? And how do you know it's God when it happens?

I see God at work the most when I am hearing from actual Tome users. We call these people Tomies. Tomies are the very reason we created Tome.

I see God working when a Tomie shares how a story on the Tome app helped them navigate a tough decision in life. Or how to overcome addiction. Or how to deal with depression. Or how the Creator of the universe actually cares about them. It is in these moments I feel God the most.

QUESTION #6: inspire

Scripture and tradition beckon us into the rich and varied actions that open our hearts to the presence of God. So, spill it, which spiritual practice is workin' best for you right now?

The spiritual practice working best for me in this pandemic season is early morning walks. You know, when the orange light from the sunrise is starting to populate the sky, but it’s still early enough for the sun itself to be hidden. It is at that moment in the day that I’m reminded that God’s mercies are new every morning. In those moments, I talk out loud to him. I recite Scripture. I worship him. I am also quiet and let his Spirit guide me. This moment is sacred to me because it is where I find the strength to attack the day.

QUESTION #7: FOCUS

Our email subscribers get free ebooks featuring our favorite resources — lots of things that have truly impacted our faith lives. But you know about some really great stuff, too. What are two resources that have impacted you?

“How to Lead When You’re Not in Charge” by Clay Scroggins has helped me immensely. This book is tremendous for the person who yearns to make an impact and lead, the person who has some authority to lead or the apex authority figure in any organization. Each of these people has influence, regardless of position and authority. Clay helps the reader learn how to leverage influence for effective leadership through Clay’s own uniquely compelling and humorous brand of insight. As a leader with both influence and authority, this has helped bring clarity to my understanding of leaders up and down the org chart in my organization

The second book that has really impacted me is “A Tale of Three Kings” by Gene Edwards. “A Tale of Three Kings” looks at the relationships of Saul, David and Absalom. It is a book that is principally about forgiveness and how it is more important than grudges or revenge. I read this book during a particularly rough time in my life when I felt I had been wronged by someone close to me. This book takes a look at David’s actions toward Saul and later toward his son Absalom. Saul and Absalom both attempted to have David killed because they felt that he was a threat to their kingdoms. Edwards does a great job of disarming the reader while informing them of how God views forgiveness. It’s an excellent book for anyone who has ever been wronged.

We all have things we cling to to survive (or thrive) in tough times. Name one resource you’ve found indispensable in this current season — and tell us what it's done for you.

Surrounding myself with wise counsel in this season has been absolutely crucial to my success. As a natural introvert, processing things out loud and opening up verbally is not my natural bend. I like to process internally, pray alone and work it all out in my head before sharing externally. However, I have forced myself to change this behavior because I was driving myself nuts keeping it all in. Now, I am allowing people to help carry my burdens and speak into my life. It has been the catalyst of my success.

QUESTION #8: dream

God is continually stirring new things in each of us. So give us the scoop! What’s beginning to stir in you but not yet fully awakened? What can we expect from you in the future?

This is a challenging question because I am someone who lives life through the windshield, focusing on all the possibilities out there. In other words, I focus on the road I am on, but I also like to keep my options open by looking at the trees, what’s on the side of the road, the oncoming traffic and so on.

However, in this season, I feel God is telling me to put my blinders on and focus solely on Tome. My goal is to build the best darn organization that leverages 21st-century technology to help people take a step forward on their faith journey each day. So that is why this question is tricky because God is challenging me to stay more focused on the now and less focused on the dream plan five years or more down the road.

If we want to be effective in what we do, we need to understand ourselves. Our strengths. Our weaknesses. What energizes us. What drains us. Our God-given talents and unique position in life.

There’s great wisdom in understanding how we function, work and enjoy life best. Take Troy, for example. He knows he’s naturally an introvert whose secret talent is his ability to focus. (No surprise there, considering he’s an INFJ according to the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator.)

But even though he’s great at focusing, he knows that, as an introvert, he’s not naturally good at verbally processing his goals and plans with others. That’s why he’s intentional about it. He surrounds himself with wise counsel — people he can bounce ideas off of, share goals with and trust to give him sound advice.

So what about you, friend? What’s your secret talent or hidden weakness? And how can you intentionally use them to advance God’s kingdom?

Troy Pollock is a seasoned executive who has been part of multiple successful startups. He’s currently serving as CEO and co-founder of Tome, a new startup with the vision to change the way people interact with the Bible through engaging daily video devotions that are real, raw and relatable. During his tenure at Pushpay, Troy pioneered and led the Customer Success department to become an award-winning team. He held four executive positions and championed strategic initiatives such as Summit Conferences, Pushpay University and Church Disrupt. Troy is a published author, speaker, team-builder and leader.