A Longer Table

One of the best bosses Manda has ever had the privilege of working with & learning from, Kelly Skiles, joins her in this episode to talk all things leadership. Kelly is currently the Executive Pastor at Soul City Church where she invests in the staff and the community of people who attend SCC. She spills the tea on a variety of tools she utilizes for leading others, as well as, her own personal growth at work, at home, and in her spiritual life. Connect with her @kellyskiles.

Marisa, a social worker and college admissions counselor, helps underprivileged, first-generation, and racially diverse students get into college. She shares why she's so passionate about her work and how those of us not in her field can use our privilege well to make a difference. *trigger warning: sexual assault is discussed*

Under an alias to protect her privacy, "Rebecca" shares the details of her year-long relationship with a self-proclaiming Christian man who physically, emotionally, and spiritually abused her. She starts from the beginning and explains how the manipulation grew, what red flags she eventually paid attention to, and how she ultimately left the relationship which left her searching for answers about God and her faith. She tells the full story in her book, But He Said He Is a Christian.

Kenisha entered the foster care system at the age of 4 and never settled into a permanent home. At 18, she found herself completely on her own, lacking resources and headed to prison. She sits down with Manda to talk about her memoir, "Labeled: Ward of the State" and how she changed her life to become the Social Worker she is today. Snag a copy of her book here.

Author and Writing Coach Ally Fallon joins Manda to talk about how writing as a daily practice can enhance all of our lives—even if we don’t see ourselves as writers. She offers practical advice on how to ask yourself good questions and find a writing process that works for you even if it’s only 30 seconds a day. Follow @allyfallon and check out her new book The Power of Writing It Down

Families Together Co. exists to build community & support systems through one-on-one matching of volunteers with families in need. Manda's family and foster children have directly benefited from the Neighbors Program specifically! Founder, Hope, and her employee, Abbie, share how YOU can get involved with foster care and helping families in need by simply providing a meal once a month. Follow the organization @familiestogether.co!

After experiencing burnout as a young professional, Taylor made it her mission to re-discover her best version of living. She is now a self-care guru (according to Manda) and started her own business helping others achieve and discover true self-care. Tune in to hear why Taylor believes this generation of young professionals is so fascinated with "self-care," what entrepreneurship truly looks likes, and her faith journey that just might surprise you.

Nate Knapper, founder of The Joseph Project, a non-profit helping victims of trafficking with pro bono legal counsel, joins us for an extremely insightful conversation about something that's closer to each of us than we may realize!

Tune in to hear...

-What the FBI’s role is in fighting trafficking

-Who The Joseph Project serves

-Who traffickers target

-Why pro-bono legal work so essential for survivors of trafficking

-Two real life stories of people Nate has helped bring out of sex trafficking

After the trauma of being bullied throughout her childhood, Ibie resolved to live her life so that no one else would ever feel like an outsider. This mission led her to a career in local politics and a passion for loving her community well. In this episode, she shares ways we can all become more politically informed and discusses how it only takes a few small steps to better support our communities. Connect with her at www.hart4change.com and @hart4change on IG.

Musician and author Jamie Grace was diagnosed with Tourette syndrome, anxiety and depression as a child and sheds light on her experience growing up with those diagnoses. Now, as an adult, she's sharing what she's learned about mental health, faith, and more in her new book Finding Quiet: My Journey to Peace in an Anxious World.