Well friends, today’s episode is going to be a bit different!

After nine years of weekly episodes, I’ve made the decision to take a break from the show for a little bit. This isn’t something I’ve taken lightly- it's something I’ve been praying about, wrestling with, and reflecting on for months. And while it’s hard to hit pause on something I love so much, I know it’s the right time.

With my daughter heading into middle school, my son starting fourth grade, my first year of seminary coming to a close, and my 40th birthday around the corner (!), life has been beautifully full. In the midst of it all, I’ve sensed God gently inviting me to slow down, create margin, and make space to truly listen to His leading.

I’m so grateful for each of you who’ve tuned in, reached out, laughed, cried, and grown with me over the years. Thank you for letting me show up as I am. This certainly isn’t goodbye, just ta-ta for now. I’ll see you again this fall- refreshed, renewed, and ready for what’s next!

FEATURED QUOTES

“I just am so grateful that God has given me this space to be able to have conversations with incredible people that I would never have had the opportunity to talk to otherwise.”

“I'm just really hoping that God gives me clarity and vision for what to do and where to take this show next.”

I’m thrilled to welcome back my friend, Whitney English, to the show today! She is an author, artist, and self-proclaimed reluctant expert in surviving family drama with grace... and a glue gun.

Whitney is known for telling the truth with humor, finding beauty in the mess, and believing that good stories and good design can heal just about anything- whether she’s organizing a junk drawer or untangling generational dysfunction.

Her new book, Organize First, Decorate Second, is out now, and today, we’re diving into everything from the psychology of organization and decoration to practical tips you can use in your own home. So, grab a cup of coffee and get ready for an episode packed with inspiration and fun. I’m so excited for you to hear it!

3:19 – Whitney 201

• Navigating a busy season
• Releasing a new book
• Seeing evidence of God in difficult times

5:21 – Organize First, Decorate Second

• The deeper philosophy behind Whitney’s book
• Balancing sentimentality and organization
• The importance of functional items

16:38 – Making Home

• Whitney’s journey of house hopping
• How Whitney stays organized with ADHD
• Practical tips for organization

36:52 – Takeaways

• Rapid fire questions with Whitney
• Connecting with Whitney
• Get your copy of Organize First, Decorate Second

FEATURED QUOTES

“Just because we've been through some hard stuff doesn't mean that God isn't good.”

"I think that if you have a big dream… it is okay to make a slow decision about it."

“Function is beautiful.”

Learn more about Whitney:

https://whitneyenglish.com/

Get your copy of Organize First, Decorate Second:

https://www.amazon.com/Organize-First-Decorate-Second-Creativity/dp/0785251960

Whitney on Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WhitneyEnglish/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whitneyenglish/?hl=en

I'm thrilled to welcome Niki Hardy to the show this week! Niki is the author of the Audie Award-nominated Breathe Again and One Minute Prayers for Women With Cancer. Her newest book, God, Can We Chat? A Daringly Honest Guide to Growing Closer to God, One Doubt at a Time, hit shelves in March, which I’m so excited to chat about today.

Niki has left corporate life, moved continents, gone to seminary, planted churches, launched businesses and nonprofits, and navigated seasons of deep loss, cancer, church hurt, and painful uncertainty. Through it all, she firmly believes that God loves a cheerful doubter.

In this conversation, we talk about what it means to bring your real questions and struggles to God, and how to navigate those seasons when it feels like He’s silent. It’s a rich and hope-filled reminder that joy can exist even in the hardest seasons.

4:30 – Niki 101

• Moving from the UK to North Carolina
• What led Niki to becoming an author
• Niki’s family and love for nature

6:11 – The Cheerful Doubter

• Niki’s struggle to reconcile her doubts
• Turning towards God in times of doubt
• How doubt and faith can coexist

12:51 – Walking in Doubt

• For the person that feels let down by God
• Practical steps for doubt walking
• The acronym “CHAT”

23:35 – The Legacy of Doubting Saints

• Peter walking on water
• Devotional elements and exercises Niki’s book
• Holding doubts and joys together

29:08 – God, Can We Speed Chat?

• Rapid fire questions with Niki
• Where you can connect with Niki
• Getting your copy of God, Can We Chat?

FEATURED QUOTES

“I think God actually loves a cheerful doubter. I think he'd rather we came to him than we just slid out the side door.”

“Feel free to question His presence and His provision and His providence and His goodness and His mercy, and cry out to Him, but turn towards him, not away from him.”

“I think holding the doubt and the questions and the confusion in tension with the joy and the love and the faith that we do have is just such a healthy way of walking our faith journey out.”

Learn more about Niki:

https://www.nikihardy.com/

Get your copy of God, Can We Chat?

https://www.nikihardy.com/godcanwechat

Niki on Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NikiHardyauthor/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/niki.hardy/?hl=en

You are in for an absolute treat this week! My guest is the one and only Melissa Radke- bestselling author, speaker, TV personality, comedian, and the self-proclaimed HGIC (Head Girlfriend in Charge). With over 1.1 million followers, Melissa has been lifting women up since 2016, dishing out everything from hair tips to life advice with her signature humor and heart.

Her brand-new book, Chicken Fried Women, just hit the shelves, which is a love letter to the strong, faith-filled, flawed, and unforgettable women who shaped her life. She reflects on generational legacies, healing family dynamics, motherhood, and the complex beauty of womanhood.

Trust me, even if you're a man, you’re going to take away SO much from this episode. This conversation is honest, funny, and full of heart- everything Can I Laugh on Your Shoulder is all about. I’m really excited to share it with you!

8:12 – Melissa 101

• Melissa and Molly’s mutual connection
• Melissa’s viral Facebook post
• Becoming a comedian, author and public speaker

10:53 – Chicken Fried Women

• Rapid fire southern culture questions
• The genesis of this book
• The women that inspired this story

27:54 – The Women That Made Us This Way

• The lessons Melissa’s learned from the women in her life
• Creating a supportive network
• Someone is waiting for you as much as you are waiting for someone

41:28 – How Strong Women Do It

• Mom vigilantes
• Melissa’s relationship with her daughter
• Passing on stories to future generations
• Getting your copy of Chicken Fried Women

FEATURED QUOTES

“These chicken fried women of mine were always topics of conversation that everybody wanted to know and that I love to tell.”

“This book was so easy to write because it was just me telling one story after the other. And when a book can come to you that beautifully and that naturally, that was the one you were supposed to write.”

“Who could grieve with me like the woman who'd walked in that fire before me?”

“Someone is waiting for you as much as you are waiting for someone. Someone needs you. They need your friendship, they need your humor, they need your style. They need the way you're such a great listener. Someone is waiting to forge a relationship with you as much as you are waiting for them.”

Learn more about Melissa:

https://www.melissaradke.com/

Get your copy of Chicken Fried Women

https://www.amazon.com/Chicken-Fried-Women-Friendship-Kinship-Made/dp/1546008241

Check out the Chicken Fried Women Podcast

https://www.melissaradke.com/podcast

Melissa on Social Media

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MelissaRadke

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MelissaRadkeStretchMarks/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msmelissaradke/

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@melissaradke

This week on the podcast, I’m joined once again by the brilliant Dr. Morgan Cutlip- author, psychologist, and relationship expert. She is known for equipping individuals and couples with practical, down-to-earth tools to navigate the most challenging parts of relationships. She has a true gift for turning psychological research into relatable, real-life strategies, and she shares her wisdom through her books, courses, blog, podcast, and social media platforms.

Morgan first joined us to talk about her book Love Your Kids Without Losing Yourself, and now she’s back with her brand-new release, A Better Share, which just dropped last week.

In this episode, we talk about the “invisible load” so many of us carry in marriage and relationships. From emotional labor and intimacy to resentment and repair, Morgan helps us understand what’s really going on beneath the surface- and how to stop feeling like you're carrying it all alone.

Heads up: we touch on some adult topics, so this one might be best saved for when little ears aren’t around.

I know you’re going to love Morgan’s wisdom, insights and message of hope today!

4:01 – Morgan 201

• Life in a book-writing hole
• Kids getting older
• The bob is bobbing!

6:56 – Morgan’s Expertise And Book Launch

• Morgan’s background in psychology
• Helping women stay connected to themselves
• How Morgan’s experience and others’ experiences influenced this book

11:28 – The Mental Load

• Defining “the mental load”
• The weight on women
• The emotional work of home and family

15:00 – Challenges In Modern Relationships

• Why couples end up in imbalanced relationship dynamics
• How women are socialized to self-sacrifice
• Breaking under the weight of assumed responsibility

20:43 – Repairing Resentment and Rebuilding Intimacy

• Talking about these issues without defensiveness
• Externalizing the problem and setting up conversations well
• 5 key conversations couples should be having
• Practical tools for improving relationships
• Getting your copy of Morgan’s book

FEATURED QUOTES

“If we just point the finger at our partners, it's not going to get us to a better place.”

“Everybody has a mental load…However, in home and family life, research shows us time and time again, even when women work full time, part time or stay at home parents, it doesn't matter, we tend to carry the bulk of it.”

“When couples stop talking about the little things, they stop reaching for the big things, like intimacy.”

Learn more about Morgan:

https://drmorgancutlip.com/

My Love Thinks:

https://www.mylovethinks.com/

My Love Thinks Podcast:

https://www.mylovethinks.com/relationship-podcast/

Get Your Copy of A Better Share:

https://drmorgancutlip.com/bs-preorder/

Get your Copy of Love Your Kids Without Losing Yourself

https://drmorgancutlip.com/book/

Morgan on Social Media:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drmorgancutlip/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mylovethinks/

This week, I am so excited to be joined by the incredible Lauren Sisler. She is an Emmy Award-winning sports broadcaster, ESPN sideline reporter, author, keynote speaker, and the queen of the sideline shimmy.

After landing her dream career with ESPN and reporting on college football and gymnastics, she began to open up about a story she once kept hidden: losing both of her parents to opioid addiction.

Through sharing her journey, Lauren has not only shed light on the stigma surrounding addiction, but she’s also found a powerful way to help others navigate their own struggles. Whether on the sidelines or speaking on stages, her mission is to help people find the courage to tell their own stories and live more resilient lives.

I can’t wait for you to hear this conversation, and to learn more about Lauren's powerful new book, Shatterproof.

3:11 – Lauren 101

• Residing in Brimingham, Alabama
• Lauren’s career in sports broadcasting
• Wife and mom

5:53 – Shatterproof

• The “why” behind Shatterproof
• The process of writing this book
• Lauren’s journey to acceptance

12:04 – Healing In Layers

• The challenges of writing this book
• Greif and healing are not linear
• How Lauren’s perspective shifted over time

18:02 – Understanding Addiction and Stigma

• The stigma surrounding addiction
• Finding compassion for those battling addiction
• Having open, honest conversations

27:22 – Holding The Whole Story

• Honoring legacy through honesty
• The lessons Lauren learned from her parents’ lives
• We shouldn’t be defined by our hardest chapters
• The difference between helping and enabling

34:08 – The Power Of Sports And Storytelling

• The resilience that sports builds
• How Lauren’s career has shaped her own storytelling
• The power of storytelling
• Getting Lauren’s book Shatterproof

FEATURED QUOTES

“Growing up, society tells us what addiction looks like, who it affects, who it impacts. And I felt like my parents were none of those things.”

“The good Lord will free you when you stare something in the face and say, you know what? This is what it is. And now we gotta work through it and move through it.”

“I hope anybody that's listening that has walked through addiction or is actively walking through it knows there's absolutely hope and recovery. There are… so many amazing stories out there and testimonies- but it's a journey.”

Learn more about Lauren:

https://www.laurensisler.com/about

Get your copy of Shatterproof:

https://www.laurensisler.com/my-book-shatterproof-lauren-sisler

Lauren on socials:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurensisler

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaurenSisler/

X: https://x.com/LaurenSisler/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurensisler/

I’m thrilled to welcome back my dear friend Mary Marantz for her third appearance on the show! If you’ve been here a while, you already know how incredible Mary is- she’s a powerhouse in every sense of the word. As a podcaster, author, speaker, photographer, and coach, she truly does it all.

Today, we’re diving into her latest book, Underestimated, which releases later this month. We’re talking about what it means to be underestimated, why fear is a boring liar, and how playing small was never part of your purpose. This conversation was so good and I’m so excited to share it with you!

4:23 – Mary 301

• Catching up since Mary’s second book
• The experience writing Underestimated
• The journey leading up to this book

6:25 – The Starting Line

• Starting over in your 40s
• It’s never too late to achieve your goals
• Untangling limiting beliefs

13:32 – Fear Is A Boring Liar

• Fear often repeats the same lies
• Fear’s jealousy of creativity
• How the enemy uses deception
• Flipping the fear narrative

27:31 – The Power of Naming Fear

• How unaddressed fears can lead to burnout
• Having an accountability partner
• Mirrors and microscopes
• Learning and growing from your mistakes

50:09 – Closing Thoughts

• Who this book is for
• Mary’s prayer for her readers
• Pre-ordering your copy of Underestimated

FEATURED QUOTES

“What does it look like for us to quit playing small on the good work that's been prepared for us in advance?”

“This book is for the one who feels like they're being called up to greatness. They're being called up to more, but at the very same time, you simultaneously doubt that someone like you could ever get there.”

“God did not call you to play small. He did not call you to shrink back. He made you for more than you realize.”

Learn more about Mary:
https://marymarantz.com/

Grab a FREE chapter of Mary’s book, Underestimated:
https://marymarantz.myflodesk.com/underestimatedch1

The Mary Marantz Show:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mary-marantz-show/id1478272407

Achiever Type Quiz:
https://www.marymarantz.com/quiz

Mary on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marymarantz/?hl=en

Mary on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marymarantz/

Mary on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marymarantz/

It’s been one whole year since If I Don’t Laugh, I’ll Cry made its way into the world, and today, we’re celebrating! In this special anniversary episode, I’m reflecting on the journey of writing and releasing this book- what it was like to put my story on paper, the emotional highs and lows, and the incredible messages from readers that have reminded me why I wrote it in the first place.

Whether you’ve read the book or are just hearing about it for the first time, I hope this episode makes you laugh, reflect, and feel a little less alone in your own beautiful mess.

Thank you for being part of this journey with me!

0:47 – Intro

• My 1-year bookaversery!
• A big thank you to my readers

3:06 – Behind The Pages

• What was it really like to write a book?
• The cathartic and terrifying writing process
• Reader messages that moved me

5:33 – Embracing The Messy & Real

• Offering presence, perspective and hope
• The anticipation leading up to release day
• Honoring my mom’s storytelling

11:08 – Future Plans & Final Thoughts

• Is another book on the horizon?
• Staying true to my voice

FEATURED QUOTES

“One of the goals that I had in this book is to just make someone feel seen, make you feel seen, to know that your mess is not too much for God- that you're not too far gone.”

“This year taught me that this story, my story, this book, didn't end with the last chapter. It has kept going in the conversations, in the tears that were shed at book signings, in the emails from strangers, in the quiet mornings on the farm, when I remember why I wrote it.”

“There's something really beautiful that happens when you let people see the cracks. Because what happens is light gets in, and you'll be able to watch other people shine too.”