Melanie Penn is a gifted singer/songwriter who writes pop songs at the crossroads of faith and culture. Melanie began formal vocal training at a young age and eventually moved to New York City to pursue a career on Broadway. After years of being a mainstay in New York City’s theater scene, including a run of playing Sandy Dumbrowski in Grease for a Broadway touring company, Melanie decided to transition to song writing and pursue a career as a solo artist.
Read MoreChristyna Johnson is a Dallas-based, Non-Diet Registered Dietician whose nutrition philosophy is rooted in the social justice framework of Health at Every Size (R) and seen through the lens of Intuitive Eating. In short, Christyna loves helping others find freedom in their bodies and with food. As Christyna puts it, “Life was not meant to revolve around food and thoughts about our bodies. It’s a big world out there just waiting to be explored!”
Read MoreDaron Babcock is the founder and executive director of Bonton Farms near Dallas, Texas. Starting as a garden in a small lot, Bonton Farms has grown into two fully functioning, organic farms. The mission of Bonton Farms is “to restore lives, create jobs and ignite hope in a once forgotten and neglected neighborhood with some of the most marginalized people.”
Daron’s love for the people there and his passion for bringing about meaningful change is stunning. I truly can’t wait for you to hear more about his story, his heart, and his work at Bonton Farms.
Read MoreAllen Arnold is an author (The Story of With and Chaos Can’t) and speaker. He is also the Executive Producer of Content for John and Stasi Eldredge’s ministry, Wild at Heart.
In short, Allen’s passion is awakening people’s hearts to pursue their dreams and creativity with God. As Allen so poignantly says in our interview, when we bring something new into existence, we are “dancing with God to create good and beautiful things.”
Read MoreToday’s episode is a little different. Back in Episode 18, I shared a little about my story and why I’m so passionate about beauty and why I even started Impossible Beauty in the first place. In today’s episode, I share a bit more about why I care so much about this topic and why I hope you’ll join me in redefining beauty and seeking after true beauty.
Read MoreGinny Owens is a singer/songwriter and speaker, who was named the Gospel Music Association’s 2000 New Artist of the Year. Ginny has also won 3 Dove Awards, multiple ASCAP awards, sold over a million records, been a top performer on the Christian radio charts, and impacted mainstream audiences at Lilith Fair, The Sundance Film Festival, and the White House.
Having been blind since she was three years old, Ginny’s unique perspective on life and faith has a way of helping others see with more clarity.
Read MoreBunmi Laditan is simultaneously hilarious and full of wisdom. She also has the invaluable gift of putting you completely at ease in her presence. Bunmi is a writer living in Quebec, Canada whose work ranges from the humorous to the poetic, including titles such as The Honest Toddler, Confessions of a Domestic Failure, Dear Mother, and her most recent book, Dear God: Honest Prayers to a God Who Listens.
Read MoreThe work Ben Higgins is doing in the world is undoubtedly inspiring. While you may know him from ABC’s twentieth season of The Bachelor, Ben has gone on to use his platform to do beautiful things in the world. Alongside a couple of his friends, Ben founded Generous International, a for-profit company that invests 100% of its profits from coffee and apparel into life-changing partner organizations that improve education, create jobs, feed children, and empower communities to eliminate poverty.
Read MoreJavoni Cobb is an eating disorder recovery coach at the Eating Disorder Center in Rockville, Maryland. She has her master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling and currently works with teens and adults struggling with anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, and body image issues. In her work with clients, Javoni seeks to help them break free from disordered behaviors to discover food freedom, body acceptance, and self-compassion.
Read MoreKellie Haddock inspires me. She has lived through tragedy and found hope on the other side and now inspires others to do the same. Kellie is a singer, songwriter, wife, and mom. She is a former widow whose music draws on real-life stories of beauty, heartache, hope, and the celebration of life. Kellie has performed in Iraq, Israel, China, and across the U.S. and her albums include Leave the Light On, Wild Love, and her Christmas album Peace on Earth.
Read MoreKristy Cambron is a vintage-inspired storyteller, writing from the space where art, history, and faith intersect. She’s a Christy Award-winning author of historical fiction, including her bestselling debut, The Butterfly and the Violin, and nonfiction, including the Verse Mapping series of Bibles and Bible studies. A self-proclaimed history nerd, she loves to chase all things research, going behind the scenes at a Ringling Bros. Sarasota mansion, touring a former TB sanitarium, and exploring the backroads of Ireland.
Read MoreIn this episode, Whitney Otto talks about her experience as an endurance athlete, particularly as a world champion rower. Whitney was a member of the national rowing team and an alternate in the 2000 Olympics. She has also worked with Women’s Sports Foundation to help bring sport to girls in the inner city. Following her full-time rowing career, Whitney went on to get her masters degree in Counseling Psychology and work in the eating disorder field.
Read MoreJonathan Self is an incredibly gifted England-based photographer, the creator of a photography course for children called “Cultivating Wonder,” and is a copywriter for Penguin Random House publishing. In his photography work, Jonathan largely specializes in photographing families and children, in addition to providing portraits for branding and start-ups, headshots, engagements and weddings.
Read MoreShawna Boren is the Engagement Pastor at Woodland Hills. She has served in various pastoral staff roles in both Texas and Minnesota for over 20 years, but it is at Woodland Hills where Shawna is passionate about helping people find their place of belonging within the larger congregation. In my time with Shawna, she shares her powerful story of how love has transformed her life, her own struggles with beauty, and how her view on authentic beauty has been formed over the years.
Read MoreNicole Zasowski is a licensed marriage and family therapist, writer, and speaker. She is also the author of From Lost to Found: Giving Up What You Think You Want for What Will Set You Free. In her book, Nicole reveals her own story of how challenges such as unwanted transition, multiple miscarriages, and crippling anxiety gave way to a deepened faith and connection with Jesus. She has also been a regular contributor to Darling Magazine – a publication for women that seeks to redefine femininity and challenge women to find their true identity and purpose.
Read MoreDr. Jillian Lampert is a Registered Dietician, adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Minnesota and is the Chief Strategy Officer at The Emily Program, a treatment program for those struggling with eating disorders. Dr. Lampert is also the Co-founder and President of the Residential Eating Disorders Consortium and the Treasurer of the Eating Disorders Coalition, a DC-based national organization for eating disorders policy and advocacy.
Read MoreAdam is the founder and lead pastor of Embrace, a multi-site church based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and the author of Talking With God, a book on prayer, and his most recent book, Love Has A Name. He also hosts a podcast called The Conversation. Adam has a way of talking about really important things in a lighthearted way. He’s a great storyteller, dynamic speaker, and has a way of inviting us to notice the life of God at work all around us.
Read MoreDr. Thompson is a Washington D.C. based psychiatrist, author, and speaker who integrates interpersonal neurobiology and a Christian view of what it means to be human. He seeks to educate and encourage others as they seek to fulfill their intrinsic desire to feel known, valued and connected. Curt’s insights about how the brain affects and processes relationships help people discover a fresh perspective and practical applications to foster healthy and vibrant lives, allowing them to get unstuck and move toward the next beautiful thing they’re being called to make.
Read MoreStephanie is a pastor at Mill City Church in Minneapolis, she teaches at Bethel Seminary, and is the executive producer and cohost of Lead Stories Podcast with Jo Saxton. Stephanie has also authored two books, Stay Curious: How Questions and Doubts Can Save Your Faith and Make a Move: How to Stop Wavering and Make Decisions in a Disorienting World.
Stephanie was kind enough to tackle some tough issues with me: about faith, struggle, and about how she makes sense of the realities of beauty and tragedy.
Read MoreArielle is a Spoken Word Poet, author, and speaker. She has shared her work in keynote talks with companies such as Google, Lululemon, and Tedx and has emceed events such as Anchored in Love for teenage girls, featuring surfer Bethany Hamilton.
What strikes me about Arielle is the power of her words; not only the words themselves, but the conviction and artistry in her delivery. Her words have the power to pierce through life’s superficial trappings and speak directly to the soul; reminding us of Whose we are and calling forth the stirrings of our true self.
Read More
