Girls Night #267: How to Take Control of your Life When it Feels Like it’s Controlling You — with Emily Ley

Hey friends! Welcome to Girls’ Night! I’m so excited for today’s episode because you get to hear from two of my favorite humans on the planet, my dear friends, Mariko Clark and Rachel Eleanor. Marri and Rachel have a brand new kid’s Bible coming out this week called The Book of Belonging and to say I am overjoyed and ecstatic about it is a huge understatement.  I knew I needed to invite them both on the show to not only talk about the book and incredible backstory, but also what the process was like while writing and illustrating it.  I loved this conversation so much because it reminded me that when God stirs our hearts to action, he equips us to do the hard thing, no matter how daunting the task (or how unqualified we feel!).  I can’t wait for you to hear from them! Let’s dive in! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey friends! Welcome to Girls’ Night! ​ I’m so excited because today we’re revisiting an amazing conversation I had with my dear friend, Hanna Seymour, a few years ago. If this is your first time meeting her, Hanna is an amazing writer, mentor, Bible teacher, and she’s the host of an incredible podcast called No Matter What with Hanna Seymour. She’s also one of my closest friends, and I just love the conversation we have in store for you! ​ Here’s a little bit of background on this episode before we dive in: ​ So, awhile back, I got a message from one of our listeners that just stopped me in my tracks. I’m going to read it to you. ​ She said, “Hey Stephanie, I have been listening to Girls Night for awhile now, and hearing you and your guests talk a lot about God and having a relationship with Him. I am not a Christian, but I think I might want to be one. I think I might want to have a relationship with God, but I’m not sure what that really means, or where to start. Can you help me?” ​ I LOVED her question because I remember exactly where I was when I was asking the very same thing. Also, as I was writing her back, I realized that there really aren’t very many resources to help with this specific moment in faith. ​ If you go to church, or read a book about Christianity, or listen to a Christian podcast, you’re usually walking in the middle of the story. It’s sort of assumed that you’ve started the journey, that you have some background information about God and Jesus, and for a lot of us, that’s not true. ​ When I became a Christian, I didn’t know ANYTHING about God or Jesus. I had been to church a few times, but I didn’t remember a thing from it. I really was starting from square one. (You’ll get to hear more of that story today!) ​ In this episode, you’ll hear me ask Hanna all of the questions I was asking at the very beginning of my faith journey. ​ Questions like: ​ What does it mean to have a relationship with God? ​ How do we actually begin a relationship with God? ​ What kind of life change should we expect to see in becoming a Christian? And what if we become a Christian but our lives don’t really change? What do we do then? ​ How do we put our full hope and trust in God, even when we can’t physically see Him? ​ And that’s just the beginning. ​ If you are new to your faith journey, or if you’re like, “I’m not a Christian, but I have some questions,” this episode is for you. ​ But also, if you’ve been a Christian for awhile, or even for your whole life, this episode is for you too. ​ I think so many of us come to a place where our faith just feels a little bit stale. We’ve been doing this forever, and so in some ways, it’s become routine. I know for others of us, we’ve been a Christian for a long time, but we’ve never really had a big transformation moment with God. We hear other people talk about how much God has changed their lives, and while we would LOVE to experience God in such a tangible, life-changing way, that just hasn’t been our story. ​ If you’re in either of those places, I know this episode will really help. ​ Guys, I have to be honest with you: This is my favorite episode about faith that we have ever done here on the podcast, and I can’t wait to dive in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey friends! Welcome to Girls’ Night! ​ Today, we’re revisiting a conversation I had with my friend, Dr. Sasha Shillcutt, on setting boundaries. ​ If you’ve been a Girls Night listener for a while now, this isn’t the first time you’re hearing me talk about boundaries. And it’s because this has been a HUGE lesson for me. ​ I am historically bad at knowing what I want and what I need — at drawing lines and saying no. ​ And for the longest time, I was okay with that. (Maybe even a little bit proud of it?) ​ I like being helpful. I like being needed. I like feeling useful, capable, and strong. ​ For years I thought that this was the best way to love the people I love: To always put their needs above my needs, to say yes to everything, to give but never take, and to have everything that’s mine be theirs without limit — whether it was my stuff, my space, my time, or my energy. ​ This is what I thought would lead to the healthiest, closest relationships. But over the last few years I’ve learned that the opposite is true. ​ Boundaries are an absolutely essential part of healthy relationships. They’re an essential part of a healthy life, of a healthy US. ​ And that’s what we’re talking about here today. ​ Our guest, Dr. Sasha Shillcutt, is a renowned cardiac anesthesiologist, professor, bestselling author and CEO and Founder of Brave Enough. Sasha is also a wife and a mother who has walked through seasons of loneliness, anxiety, and complete burnout. Needless to say, she has had to learn about boundaries the HARD way. ​ She wrote a book called, Brave Boundaries: Strategies to Say No, Stand Strong and Take Control of Your Time where she helps us find the courage to implement boundaries in our own life. ​ Here are just a few of the things she’s going to teach us in this episode: ​ How to take a personal boundary inventory and identify what boundaries we need ​ Why saying no to others and yes to ourselves isn’t selfish and can actually help us be a better version of ourselves (and love our people better!) ​ How to kindly respond to someone if we receive backlash for the boundary we’ve set ​ And so much more! ​ ​ One of my favorite things that Sasha says in the episode was, "The world will set your boundaries if you don't set them for yourself” and that couldn't be more true. ​ Friends, if you’re feeling anxious, burned out, or overwhelmed in life right now, this episode is for you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey friends! Welcome to Girls’ Night! Today, we’re revisiting a conversation I had with my dear friend, Emily Ley a couple years ago. We’re talking about super busy seasons of life, and how we can bring some order to the chaos! Emily is the founder of Simplified, a brand of planners and organizational tools for busy women. Her newest book, Sure as the Sunrise is 100 daily meditations on God’s mercy and delight to greet each morning with hope and joy. Along with being an author and entrepreneur, she’s also a wife, a mama of three kids, a friend, a woman of faith and so much more.  She truly does it all and in this episode I pick her brain on how she makes it all happen! (And the quick answer to that question is, “She doesn’t do it alone!) Here are just a few of the things she’s going to share about in the episode: How to structure our days to make everything run more smoothly  What tools and resources have been most helpful for keeping her schedule organized   How to figure out what to say no to How to prioritize what’s most important in your life, your family's life, and in your business’s life And how to stay consistent in your faith when life feels really busy If you’re feeling stressed out with a busy schedule, or just want to make your everyday life a little easier and more efficient, Emily’s tried-and-true systems are going to be a game-changer for you!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey friends! Welcome to Girls’ Night! Okay, friends, today’s episode is going to look a little different than usual! While getting settled in Spain these past few weeks, I haven’t had as much time to record new Girls Night episodes, although that will be changing VERY soon now that I have my little podcast studio set up in our apartment!  In the meantime, over the next few weeks, I thought this would be a great time to pull some of our favorite episodes out of the Girls Night archive. This is the perfect time to catch up on episodes you might have missed, or listen again to old favorites. Today, we’re revisiting a conversation I had with the incredible Dr. Marisa G. Franco where we talked about making and keeping friendships!  Marisa wrote a book called,  Platonic: How the Science of Attachment Can Help You Make--and Keep--Friends. Marisa is a brilliant psychologist, international speaker, and New York Times bestselling author. She is known for digesting and communicating the science of human connection in ways that resonate deeply enough with people to change their lives. Here are just a few of the things she’s going to teach us in the episode: Why friendship is essential no matter what stage of life you’re in How to not only make new friendships but also keep our friendships What an attachment style is and how we can figure out what ours is How to make new friends as an adult and improve the quality of our friendships And so much more! If you’ve been desiring deeper connections in your friendships, you’re in the right place. Marisa seriously has an abundance of knowledge to share with us on this topic – I can’t wait for you to hear from her! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey friends! Welcome to Girls’ Night! I’m so excited about today’s episode. Today my husband, Carl Wilson, is joining me to give you guys the scoop on what it’s been like to pack up our life and move our family to Spain!  We're answering your biggest questions about our move abroad — sharing the emotional highs and lows of leaving behind our life in Nashville and living out our dream, all while navigating life with two toddlers. This transition has been a wild ride, but it's already taught us valuable lessons about embracing change and living intentionally. We can't wait to share our story and inspire you to do the same – to live a life that's authentic, meaningful, and truly yours. Okay friends, let’s jump into the episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey friends! Welcome to Girls’ Night! ​ I’m so excited about today’s episode. Today, we're talking about how to stay true to who you are no matter what changes life brings your way ​ I'm looking forward to diving into this topic because, let's face it, change can be tough — and even tougher when it affects our livelihood or loved ones. This conversation felt incredibly timely and relevant considering I’m in the midst of a major life transition myself, having moved my family to Spain. And I know I’m not the only one — so many women in our community are walking through big changes in their lives as well. ​ So that’s what we’re diving into today! ​ Our guest for today’s episode is my new friend, Najwa Zebian. Najwa is a Lebanese-Canadian activist, author, speaker, and educator. Since self-publishing her first collection of poetry and prose in 2016, Najwa has become an inspiration to millions of people worldwide and a trailblazing voice for women everywhere - name dropped by the New York Times, The Huffington Post, and CBS News, among others. She has published books of poetry and self-development that followed her journey of healing, building a home within, letting go of her conditioning and reinventing herself. Her newest book, The Only Constant, explores the power of embracing change. ​ My hope is that by hearing Najwa's story — one of hope, power and resilience — you will have the courage to make change in your own life and fully embrace the person you were created to be! ​ Okay, you ready? Let’s dive into our conversation! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey friends! Welcome to Girls’ Night! ​ I’m so excited about today’s episode. Today we’re talking with my new friend, Joanna Gott. ​ Joanna is a first time single mom through international adoption and the Content Director for Emily Lex Studios — Emily Lex is an amazing watercolor artist, author, and her childhood best friend! ​ And today, Joanna is sharing all about her story and what the adoption journey looked like for her! ​ I wanted to have this conversation because I know there're so many women — both single and married — in our community who are interested in adoption, but aren’t sure where to begin. You might be asking questions like, “Is it harder to adopt a child as a single parent?” or “How much does adoption cost and are there any ways to find support?” Joanna is going to help us through all of this! ​ Before we dive in, I want to let you know that we ran into a few technical issues when starting the episode, so her introduction and part of the first question is missing. Because of that, Joanna was so gracious to give us a little recap of her introduction and some context for her background and story. ​ So, as I mentioned, Joanna is a mom and the Content Director for Emily Lex Studios. Her fun fact is that she knows the entire dance to Michael Jackson’s Thriller video and she once won first place in a Michael Jackson Thriller dance contest. Incredible. Right!? ​ After this, I asked her the first “How She Does It” question, which was this – ​ "Here on the show, we’re talking about what I like to call… The Everything Era — ​ this weird, wonderful, and wildly difficult span of years between our late 20s and early 40s during which we make the most biographically significant decisions of our lives ​ (Career, marriage, motherhood, and more!) —all at the same time—and in front of an audience, no less. It’s a LOT. There’s so much pressure, specifically on women, for our lives to look a certain way, and by a certain time. ​ So, to start, can you tell us what this has looked like for you? What are some of the biggest “supposed tos” you wrestled with during your Everything Era?" ​ Here was Joanna’s answer: ​ “The biggest challenge for me in this era was that I was at a point in my life when things should be getting "settled" and it all kind of fell apart. My marriage of 10 years ended, my career came to a screeching halt, I was not actively pursuing a relationship with God, and suddenly this "life plan" I thought I had just didn't exist. So in my mid to late thirties I made the decision to start all over. I sold everything I owned (my house, car, all my furniture) and moved to Waco, TX where I did not know a single soul and started a brand new job. It was terrifying and hard to let go of how I imagined my life would look, but it was also such a beautiful season of growth and refinement.” ​ Okay, more on that in the episode! Joanna is the best and her story truly embodies what it looks like to create a life you love on your own terms. ​ Again, our conversation will start a little abruptly, but you’ll catch on really fast! ​ Alright, let’s dive in! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey friends! Welcome to Girls’ Night! ​ I’m so excited about today’s episode. As you guys know (as I hope you know!) my family and I just moved to Spain! I’m sitting in our Airbnb in Granada right now as I record this, so I definitely have travel on the brain. That’s why today we’re talking about travel points — specifically how to maximize your travel credit card points so you never have to pay for a plane ticket again! ​ Our guest for today’s episode is my new friend, Abby Hatteberg. Abby is the owner of Wayfaren, Dallas mom of 3, who’s attempting to travel the world with her favorite people. She teaches others how to maximize their credit card points and miles to take multiple bucket list trips a year...for nearly free! Abby and her family have traveled to places like Italy, Hawaii, Switzerland, Disneyland, Cabo San Lucas, Norway, and SO many more for a true FRACTION of the actual cost...and she wants to teach YOU to do the same! ​ In the episode, she’ll be sharing how travel points work, what’s the best card to get started with, how to use your credit cards responsibly (and not wrack up tons of debt or ruin your credit), and so much more! ​ If travel is something you’ve always wanted to do, but it just feels way too expensive, make sure you tune in, because Abby is giving us all of the steps we need to take to make this a reality! ​ Last note here: I have travel credit cards and the points we’ve earned from them have made a massive difference in our ability to travel over the last 10 years or so. BUT, in this episode, I learned SO MUCH that I didn’t know AT ALL. I cannot wait to put into practice the things Abby taught me and I’m so happy you get to hear from her too! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey friends! Welcome to Girls’ Night! I’m so excited about today’s episode. Today we’re talking about how to better understand yourself and your kids using the Enneagram.  Since the Enneagram has gained popularity in the past few years, I’m guessing most of you are at least somewhat familiar, but, if you need a refresher, The Enneagram Test is basically a personality assessment to help us know ourselves better and to help us overcome some of the roadblocks in our lives and become the best versions of ourselves. I personally love using the Enneagram because it has helped me understand my heart and my mind and my personality SO MUCH BETTER. But, something I haven’t spent as much time on is learning how I can use Enneagram as a tool to better understand my kids and learn how they feel and process things. And that’s why I cannot wait to share today’s conversation! Our guest for today’s episode is my friend, Beth McCord. Beth is an accomplished Enneagram speaker, author, coach, and teacher with over two decades of dedicated experience. Her passion lies in helping individuals rewrite their life stories, empowering them to realize that lasting change and meaningful relationships are possible. Beth's mission led to the creation of the Your Enneagram Coach community—a nurturing space where individuals safely explore the Enneagram. Her most recent book is called, The Enneagram for Moms: See the True Colors of Yourself and Your Children as God Intends, and I cannot wait for you to hear more about it!  I absolutely loved this conversation and I know you’re going to love it too! Here’s my conversation with Beth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices