Why "God Brought Me Here" is My Biggest Red Flag as a Business Owner

The internet has a way of digging up the truth, and the recent story out of Cambridge, Maryland, is a chilling reminder of how some people use authority as a weapon. A homeowner reportedly hired six Guatemalan roofers for tens of thousands of dollars in labor. When the job was $10,000 away from completion, she didn't reach for her checkbook-she reached for the phone and called ICE.

She even handed the agents a ladder.

Thankfully, one of the workers, Bryan Polanco, recorded the encounter. The footage is haunting. There is a specific kind of terror in being ripped away from your life-not for a crime you committed, but because someone decided your labor was free if they could get you deported before the invoice cleared.

But as the internet peeled back the layers of this story, the missing element surfaced: the homeowner was a devout Christian.

For many, that detail was a shock. For me, after nearly thirty years in public-facing roles-starting in the payroll office at the NYC Department of Health and now a decade + into small business ownership it was entirely predictable.

Throughout my career, I’ve noticed a recurring theme: the most unkind, unethical, and challenging individuals often lead with their religion.

In the corporate world, it was the employees who spewed Bible quotes in the breakroom but were the first to sabotage a colleague. In my business, it’s the clients who walk in and say:

• "God brought me here."

• "I prayed, and I found you on Google."

• "I’m a woman of faith, so I know I can trust you."

  
  

In my experience, faith is often used as a down payment for a discount they haven't earned. These are the clients who think exchanging pleasantries and blessings at the start of a relationship should impact the final cost of the service. They use religion as a tool for dominance and control, hiding a lack of moral capacity behind a thin veil of piety.

A few years ago, I made a shift. I increased my new client consultations to $250. It wasn't just about the money; it was a barrier to entry. Suddenly, that messy middle- the clients I tolerated but never enjoyed disappeared.

And wouldn't you know it? The devout crowd vanished with them.

Was the $250 too expensive for people who claimed to be blessed? Maybe. But what I know for sure is that there is a direct correlation between those who lead with religion and those who lack basic professional ethics. When I removed the ability for people to charm their way into a discount using God as their co-signer, my business became a much more honest place.

Am I saying don’t service religious people? Absolutely not. But I am saying be cautious of those who make their religion their primary identity in a business transaction.

The woman in Maryland didn't call ICE because she was a "law-abiding citizen"; she called them because she wanted $10,000 worth of roofing for free. She used a ladder-a tool meant for building-to help tear lives apart.

I’m almost 50 years old, and if there’s one thing my lived experience has taught me, it’s this: The louder someone talks about their relationship with God, the more you should protect your pockets. True ethics don't need a script or a Bible verse to justify themselves.

If someone leads with their faith instead of their contract, be careful. They might just be the devil in disguise, looking for a free roof and a ladder to

climb.

BLOG | MARCH 2026

www.vanityhairstudionyc.com