In an interview with PragerU’s Marissa Streit, In-N-Out President and CEO Lynsi Snyder revealed details about her relationship with God. She said, “Ultimately, God is good.” She also explained how she continues to depend on Him after experiencing the loss of her close family, which led to her inheritance of the company at the young age of 17.
Streit asked Snyder what she says to critics who dismiss her achievements and position because she inherited the business. “And my initial reaction was, I can’t imagine at 17 how hard it was to inherit,” Streit added. The CEO responded “For me, defending myself and trying to get into that, I just had to lay it down a long time ago. And you know, being a Christian and being — accepting that persecution, it’s like I’ve doubled down on people judging me.”
The now 42-year-old business magnate continued, “I mean, it says in the Good Book, that as soon as you align yourself with Jesus, and, you know, go by God’s word, it’s like you’re making enemies, you know. And so there’s going to be persecution and I know that if that’s already part of the plan and to be expected, then people just judging me and thinking, you know, she doesn’t really do anything. She’s just a trust fund baby, or whatever they say, you know.”
Snyder went on to say that she found peace in God. She hopes the customers know about their values “because they see that we’ve held.” She went on to explain that You know, we’re still doing the same thing. We’re not changing and doing what everyone else is doing, and we’re not compromising our product. At the end of the day, I know that God knows the truth, and the people who love me and know me know the truth, and so I just have to let the rest go.”
She explained how initially she wanted to peruse something else but “I mean, just really being the guardian and continuing my family’s legacy. Because I was going to pursue other things, but at the end of the day, all the things I was passionate about, I’m able to do in some way here at In-N-Out or through ministry.” She runs over 400 restaurants.
She credits God for her success and especially for enabling her father and uncle to reconcile before her uncle’s passing. “It just has to come from God,” she said. “…I see that people that have unforgiveness have poison inside of them, and I think it affects your health. I mean, I really think it affects your health. And because I’ve had so much loss, I’m always pushing people to just forgive,” she said.
“Like, hey, you know, you’re — think there’s a saying that you’re drinking the poison and expecting it to hurt them, you know, but really it’s hurting you, yeah, and — but I do believe that some of the grace and forgiveness I can remember pretty young where I just loved my dad so much, and I saw him struggle, and God just gave me a grace for him, you know. And I saw the way he had that for others, too. And I think that just kind of went with me,” she explained at length.
She also went on to talk about the bible verses on her company’s products. “That came from my uncle. Yeah, it was actually, you know, not too many years before he passed away, he became a Christian, that he started doing that, and he put them on cups, the packages, and we’ve since added to more,” she said. She also went on to explain that she’s added some herself.