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Tommy Londres

Age: 25
Location: Austin, Texas
Profession: Sales Associate at Oracle (NetSuite division)
Education: Jesuit college (took "Problem of God" class)
Family: Youngest of 4 children, three older sisters (ages 32, 32, 28)
Faith Background: Raised Presbyterian, recent authentic conversion (~6 months ago)
Personal Challenges: Currently working to quit smoking weed, struggles with self-reliance vs. surrender

Background & Family​

Family Structure​

  • Parents: Adopted two older sisters, then had biological children through IVF
  • Sisters: All older (32, 32, 28), described as "atheist/agnostic" with varying levels of spiritual engagement
  • Faith Journey: Raised Presbyterian but faith "didn't really click until six months ago" - describes it as moving from head knowledge to heart transformation

Education & Professional Development​

  • College: Attended Jesuit institution
  • Notable Course: "Problem of God" seminar exploring different approaches to spirituality
  • Exposure: Studied Buddhism, Hinduism (limited), had Orthodox priest on staff
  • Current Role: Sales at Oracle's NetSuite division, uses AI for prospecting and email composition

Professional Context​

Sales Role at Oracle​

  • Company: NetSuite (Oracle division)
  • Position: Associate level, shadows senior sales reps
  • Tools: Uses Oracle's CRM (not Salesforce), primarily Outlook-based
  • AI Usage: Leverages ChatGPT for product analysis, email drafting, and meeting notes
  • Challenge: Manual note-taking required, no automated transcription available

Sales Process & Technology​

  • Prospecting: Uses AI to analyze company profiles and recommend products
  • Communication: Dictates emails through AI tools
  • Meeting Notes: Takes manual notes during calls while on mute, processes through AI afterward
  • CRM Limitations: Oracle system lacks export capabilities and conversation history

Faith Journey & Spiritual Development​

Recent Conversion Experience​

Tommy: "I became transparent with my belief in Christ probably six months ago too... You know we were all raised Presbyterian. But I don't think it really clicked until six months. Yeah."

Heart vs. Head Transformation​

Tommy: "It's all about... It's all the right things. It just wasn't coming from the place of. I think the personal search... But there's another level of like when your heart really seeks out."

Current Spiritual Challenges​

  • Self-Reliance: Acknowledges strong tendency toward self-reliance as daily struggle
  • Substance Use: Working to quit marijuana, recognizes it as barrier to spiritual clarity
  • Family Dynamics: Frustration with sisters' lack of spiritual engagement despite shared upbringing

Theological Perspectives & Insights​

Spiritual Gifts & Discernment​

  • Knowledge: Familiar with spiritual gifts concept but "never put too much weight on them"
  • Caution: Recognizes temptation to idolize gifts rather than focus on God
  • Balance: Appreciates Gary's explanation of cessationism vs. continuationist perspectives

Problem of Evil & Worldview​

  • Recognition: Acknowledges reality of evil and spiritual warfare
  • Critique: Sees limitations in Buddhist approach to suffering and evil
  • Framework: Understands Satan's deceptive strategies and worldly temptations

Addiction & Spiritual Clarity​

Tommy: "There's like this false sense of connectedness... And I think that's what I've been trying to discern."

Bible Study Challenge:

Tommy: "But then I try to open up the Bible and I can't interpret it. Like it's like legit, I can't focus on it... There's like this false sense of connectedness."

Personal Philosophy & Values​

Life Perspective​

Tommy: "Life is a pressure cooker. And it's just like. It just cooks you. More and more. As you live."

Community & Authenticity​

  • Online vs. Reality: Recognizes disconnect between digital noise and real-world relationships
  • Desire for Forum: Wishes for genuine town square-style community discussion
  • Academic Interest: Attended UT professor's "Problem of God" seminar, interested in continued learning

Spiritual Disciplines & Growth​

  • Heart Focus: Emphasizes heart transformation over intellectual understanding
  • Community Need: Recognizes importance of Christian fellowship and accountability
  • Surrender: Struggling with daily practice of surrendering self-reliance to God

Interests & Personal Details​

Physical Activities​

  • College Sport: Rowed crew in college
  • Current: Cycling (good), rowing (can't do with cast)
  • Injury: Currently has cast on arm, affecting mobility

Spiritual Practices​

  • Fasting: Has never done food fasting, interested in Gary's three-day experience
  • Bible Study: Desires better focus and comprehension when reading Scripture
  • Prayer: Recognizes need for consistent prayer life

Cultural Engagement​

  • Media Consumption: Familiar with Mars Hill podcast, interested in spiritual documentaries
  • Reading: Mentioned "The Screwtape Letters" by C.S. Lewis
  • Learning: Open to exploring different Christian traditions and practices

Relationship with Gary​

Connection Points​

  • Technology: Both use AI tools professionally, shared interest in optimization
  • Faith Journey: Both navigating authentic Christianity vs. religious performance
  • Austin Community: Both seeking genuine Christian fellowship in Austin
  • Age/Stage: Similar life stage challenges with career, faith, relationships

Mutual Influence​

  • Gary's Impact: Tommy observes Gary's spiritual journey with interest and respect
  • Tommy's Honesty: Provides authentic perspective on young professional Christian experience
  • Shared Struggles: Both wrestling with self-reliance vs. divine dependence

Key Quotes & Insights​

On Faith Transformation​

Tommy: "It just wasn't coming from the place of. I think the personal search... But there's another level of like when your heart really seeks out."

On Modern Life Challenges​

Tommy: "Life is a pressure cooker. And it's just like. It just cooks you. More and more. As you live."

On Substance Use & Spirituality​

Tommy: "There's like this false sense of connectedness. Yes. And I think that's what I've been trying to discern."

On Community Need​

Tommy: "I kind of wish. We had a... A reddit thread. In... Yeah. Like an actual forum. Where the name comes from... Like a town. Town square. Yeah. People would like."

On Heart vs. Head Knowledge​

Tommy: "Everyone. Is. Who you are. Is your heart. You know."

Current Season & Future Direction​

Professional Growth​

  • Developing sales skills at Oracle
  • Learning to integrate AI tools effectively
  • Building professional network in Austin tech scene

Spiritual Development​

  • Recent authentic conversion creating foundation for growth
  • Working through practical discipleship challenges
  • Seeking authentic Christian community and mentorship

Personal Challenges​

  • Overcoming self-reliance patterns
  • Addressing substance use as spiritual barrier
  • Navigating family relationships with different faith perspectives

Potential Opportunities​

  • Connecting with Austin Christian professional networks
  • Exploring spiritual disciplines like fasting and deeper Bible study
  • Finding accountability partners for personal growth challenges

Tommy represents the modern young professional Christian navigating authentic faith in a secular work environment while dealing with contemporary challenges around technology, community, and spiritual discipline. His recent conversion experience and honest wrestling with practical discipleship issues make him a valuable perspective on reaching young professionals with genuine Christianity.

Transcripts​

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2025-09-20-gary-sheng-tommy-londres-faith-ai-sales-discussionSeptember 20, 2025Discussion covering AI in sales, spiritual gifts, addiction, and authentic Christian living in professional environments