What do you want to be true about your dream in a year? When I ask other dreamers about what’s keeping them from acting on their dream, there are a few repeated themes. One of the biggest struggles Christian women share is not having clarity on their dream. Others feel uncertain about the next right step to take. It's no wonder we feel this way. Without a clear road map to your destination of accomplishing the dream you’ll never actually arrive anywhere.
257 || How to Thrive in the Refining Fire of Bringing Your Dream into the Public Eye || Ainsley Britain
Have you been keeping your dream to yourself? Making your work public is an act of vulnerability. Writers, artists, and dreamers know what it feels like to share something beyond a small, trusted circle and afterwards experience a vulnerability hangover. In this episode, Ainsley Britain shares one painful but a necessary part of making your dream more public, how to work from overflow rather than exhaustion, and practical tips on planning your days to reach writing milestones even with a baby at home.
256 || Two Examples of How an Intern Can Expand Your Capacity and Grow Your Vision || Katie Bulmer & Christa Hutchins
Have you ever wondered about bringing on extra help but didn’t think you could afford it? Your dream is so big that you can’t do it all on your own, but you don’t have the budget to hire someone else. That doesn’t change the fact that your hours are limited and you’re spending more time on tasks that drain you rather than light you up. Today’s guests are sharing what they’ve learned about how to get started with an intern as well as some unexpected benefits they discovered along the way.
255 || Could Building the Right Team Be the Secret Sauce for Your Dream? || Lindsay May
What if your dream is already in the hearts of others? Have you ever considered that just because God gave you a dream that it doesn’t mean you were intended to fulfill it alone? Could there be others out there who have gifts and talents and experiences that you lack and who could be fantastic assets to your team and the fulfillment of your dream? Lindsay May is back to share why it was so important to build a team from the beginning and how she started with people who were right in front of her.
254 || Why Your Dream Could Be Ready to Launch Sooner Than You Think || Junia Judson
It can be difficult to know when and how to launch a dream because of limitations that seem impossible to overcome. Domestic violence survivor Junia Judson was overwhelmed when she began researching what it would take to build a company that would not only create a path toward financial freedom for herself but also for other survivors. Then she met someone who believed it was not only feasible but also could become a reality sooner than Junia ever imagined.
253 || [Solo] How Community Can Help You Finally Start on the Dream You’ve Had Forever || Merritt Onsa
Have you discovered the power of building community around your dream? When you choose to walk out your dream with others alongside you who are doing the same, you’ll uncover a power and wisdom that you cannot access on your own. In this solo episode, you’re going to hear about why you should intentionally surround yourself with people who think differently, getting uncomfortable in a safe group, and who my Accountability Accelerator is for (and who it’s not).
252 || Do You Need to Add More Playfulness to Your Dream or Your Parenting? || Joy Wendling
How do you Live out God’s Dream for Your Life Even When You Have Imposter Syndrome? I often encounter and encourage women who face imposter syndrome. They feel unqualified and inadequate to share the message God has given them to share with others. That’s why I’m excited for this conversation with Joy Wendling to bring to life ways we can trust God with what he has given to us to share, even when we feel unqualified.
251 || Finding Beauty in the Messy Middle of Pursuing a God-Shaped Dream || Christine Marie Bailey
How do you adapt when your dream isn’t quite what you planned? Fear and perfectionism are two of the biggest enemies when it comes to pursuing a God-shaped dream. Maybe you’d prefer to have it all figured out before you begin. Or you’ve stepped out in the past but then retreated when things didn't work like you thought they would. My guest Christine Bailey knows all about stepping into a dream that is not fully figured out and the courage that comes from taking simple steps of obedience.
250 || [Solo] Four Ways You Will Grow When You Build Your Dream in Community || Merritt Onsa
Have you resisted invited others into the hardest parts of your dream? We all want to be the one who’s there to help a friend in need, but who wants to be the needy one? Few of us easily admit weakness; it’s our fallen nature as humans. But it’s also the lie we see all around us: everyone else has their stuff together. Instagram highlights rarely touch the hard stuff, not in a real or meaningful way. So you end up feeling like you’re the only one who’s struggling.
249 || How to Go All in with Your Dream Right from the Start || Simone Ispahani
As a college student, Simone Ispahani learned the devastating truth about the millions of victims worldwide who suffer from human trafficking. With newfound perspective, she began to learn as much as she could about the issue, and in 2021, she founded Social Brew, a global e-commerce coffee marketplace devoted to fighting human trafficking through profits shared with organizations committed to the cause.
248 || How to Pursue a Dream That You Might Never See Finished || Angie Weszely
In June 2022, the nationwide conversation about abortion rose to the top after the U.S. Supreme Court decided the Dobbs v. Jackson case and overturned Roe v. Wade after decades of legalized abortion in the U.S. It was long before that, though, when today’s guest Angie Weszely began to understand how the politicized nature of the abortion discussion in the United States was doing more harm than good to everyone involved.
247 || How a Healthy Lifestyle Can Give You Capacity to Get Your Dream Moving || Robin Rhine McDonald
What can you do when you lack the energy and vitality to pursue your God-shaped dream? Oftentimes we find ourselves with to-do lists that far outweigh the hours we have in a day to complete those tasks. And somewhere in the mix, you realize you’ve lost sight of your health and how that impacts everything you do, including running after a God-shaped dream. But where do you start and how do you make healthy living sustainable?
246 || [Solo] The #1 Reason to Start Pursuing Your Dream before You Feel Ready || Merritt Onsa
One of the biggest lies keeping dreamers stuck is thinking you are lacking something necessary to begin. It’s like there’s a box to check, an accomplishment to achieve, or a degree to earn before you can truly begin on the dream in earnest. Well, that’s just not true. In this episode, you’re going to hear what’s at stake if you wait to feel ready, the truth about what pursuing a dream is really like (instead of what you’ve made up in your head), and strategies for starting before you feel ready.
245 || Listeners Ask: What are the Best Ways to Grow Revenue? || Jenn Jett Barrett
Do you have a burning question that feels too small to ask? If you have an Enneagram 7 friend, you will likely see the value in sitting down to brainstorm with her about the challenges you’ve faced with your God-shaped dream. Jenn Jett Barrett offers that gift to two podcast listeners on the topic of creative funding ideas for a dream. You’ll walk away from this one with creative inspiration for your own ambitions, and I can’t wait to hear what this conversation sparks for you!
244 || How to Invest in Your Spiritual Growth as the Foundation for Your Dream || Jen Evangelista
How do you discern God’s will for your life? I regularly speak to Christian women seeking to discern what God wants for their lives. They worry about hearing Him incorrectly, making a wrong decision about a direction to pursue, or lacking clarity in a vision for their purpose on earth. None of them wants to miss God’s plan for her life. That’s why I’m excited for this conversation with Bible teacher Jen Evangelista to shed light on what God has to say about His will for your life.
243 || How to Thrive Even While Feeling like a Foreigner in a Strange Land || Mabel Ninan
Mabel Ninan shares about realizing her identity as a spiritual immigrant and her dream to inspire believers to embrace their pilgrim journey and boldly pursue their heavenly calling. We talk about finding stability, permanence, and security when you’re feeling adrift in the world, knowing what you were made to do but having no idea where to begin, and how God meets you when you walk right out of your comfort zone.
242 || [Solo] 5 Phases of Chasing a Dream and Which One is the Most Fruitful || Merritt Onsa
Have you wanted to quit on a dream before you really started? In the early stages, the details are still foggy, and the lack of progress makes it feel like you’re pushing a boulder uphill, which can make it tempting to quit. But don’t give up before you get to the good part! In this episode, you’ll discover a simple process for confidently taking the first steps into your God-shaped dream and how to let go of excuses that are keeping you stuck.
241 || What Is Soul Care and How to Know If You Need It || Mindy Caliguire
In this episode Mindy shares about a dream that’s been on her heart for decades, the shape it’s taken over the years, and where she finds herself in it right now. We also talk about how soul care differs from self-care and why both are important, how to step into a dream in small ways rather than waiting for clarity on the whole thing before you begin, and specific soul care practices you can take with you and implement once this episode is through.
240 || Releasing Your Grip on What You Want Because God Has Something Better || Lindsay May
If you’ve wondered whether you’re on the right path, or how to hear God’s gentle whispers, or maybe you’re even sensing that he has something different for you, you will enjoy today’s guest, Lindsay May. Lindsay is a professional photographer turned print magazine founder as well as a fellow dream chaser who is learning to embrace the journey instead of trying to control her circumstances. She’s also bringing her best tips on how to get your writing published.
238 || Practical Ways to Build Intimacy with God into Your Day || Angie Gibbons
You likely already know the Bible’s instruction about not living an anxious life, but if that’s your current reality, how do you change? My guest Angie Gibbons is all too familiar with the struggles of anxiety and depression. It took a painful loss to help her wake up to see the reality of her life and the impact it was having on her family, particularly her children. She’s here to share how the Lord took her from finding momentary breakthroughs from anxiety to making them a lifestyle.