Testimony: T J Baden

T J Baden, founder and owner of Baden Guitars and ex Sr. Vice President of Taylor Guitars, a leader in handcrafted guitars. gives his testimony of how God worked in his life, saved his marriage and gave him step by step directions in his business.

While serving as vice president of sales he was confronted  with a conflict of conscience, when his employer, the owner of Taylor Guitars, began to move into Scientology and their methods of doing sales.   TJ knew this was against his Christian principals, and felt he could not be connected with Scientology.and finally was challenged by Bob Taylor, who also was a Christian, but chose to use the scientology methods believing it would increase sales.  TJ was told that he either went along with scientology or he would be fired.  TJ told him to do what he had to do.  They let him go and gave him a large severance pay with a signed commitment that he would not start a guitar company for at least three years, since he had knowledge of all the clientele and the business.  He took a 6 months vacation to have time with his wife, his triplets, (2 boys and a girl) and his older son. He loved having time to be with all of them, and had really missed the opportunity because of the work load.  Meanwhile the bills piled up and his family, who were accustomed to living a pretty expensive high styled life began to feel the strain  as he found himself more and more into debt.  Keeping up his expensive home became a burden for him and because of the decline in housing sales, even selling his home would  incur a huge loss and he was torn because his family loved their home.

Finally after 3 years had past, he met with Bob Taylor and shared his plans for opening his own guitar factory and Taylor agreed it was okay with him.  He found a factory in Vietnam where there were French trained Luthiers and  where he could design a guitar without compromising the sound, just getting rid of  the costly frills, and place more excellent guitars into the hands of musicians who could not afford expensive guitars  After working on 3 generations of designs TJ was happy with his guitars but now the market had totally tanked and expensive guitars became a luxury rather than a need.  Frustrated and desperate, that was the moment he began to seek God for answers and got down on his knees to pray.  His mother kept encouraging him to get his life right with God and he would not only succeed but his company would have the trademark of  God, for what God puts His hands on becomes excellent.  TJ says the moment he surrendered and put the needs of his family and friends first and changed his worldly mindset to build an empire and compete for top position in the industry, God began to open incredible doors for him.  A large organization, Buffalo Brothers in Escondido, a company that had sales of over 1 million a year when TJ was with Taylor Guitar, offered him their front showroom free of charge and he moved into the factory.  He suddenly began enjoying his work again.  Other celebrity friends that he knew from the industry, began to jump on the bandwagon and TJ opened a non profit organization which would handle the needs of his family, support ministries and provide jobs for countless others.  Then the Lord moved him to start a distribution company where he could use his creative abilities.  All of this happened this month when God took over and TJ began to listen.  TJ wrote, please slow down on the prayers, my sales have increased so much, I am overwhelmed..  I will be starting a company soon in India. 

 Do you want the secret to success:
 When we do things God Way, He opens doors which no man can shut, and He shuts doors which no man can open.  So often the doors are open in front of us, but because of our stubborn ways, we are not able to lay it all down and give our life to Jesus and make Him Lord over everything.   Most of us have a Sunday Christianity Mentality and keep God out of our business and lives the other six days.  Actually, it is the six days of business that needs Jesus to Intervene.  On Sunday or when the Christians meet in fellowship,  is where Christians get together to celebrate, encourage one another, study His Word, and praise and thank Him for His Divine Intervention in our lives.   

Julie Baden Affonso,
Cornerstone International