Bravery is not the absence of fear, it’s obedience while your hands are shaking. Today I’m joined by missionary and author Heidi Nicole Elizarraraz, who shares how God called her to Mexico, how fear tried to stop her, and what it looks like to keep saying yes to Jesus anyway.

Heidi and her husband founded Open Arms Mexico, a Christ centered nonprofit fighting to keep families together by providing no cost childcare to vulnerable families so kids stay out of orphanages and off the streets. 

In this episode we talk about:
 • Why you can be brave and still be afraid
 • How disobedience can quiet God’s voice, and how obedience restores peace
 • The David and Goliath mindset, your ending is not here
 • Practical biblical guidance to overcome fear
 • How the Church can actually protect families, and what sponsorship can do

Links and resources
• Open Arms Mexico, learn more and get involved
• About Open Arms mission and work: openarmsmexico.org/who-we-are-copy
• Heidi’s book on Amazon: Unleash Your Bravery: Saying Yes to Jesus Even When You’re Afraid 

Call to action
If this episode challenged you, leave a review and tell me what brave thing you’re doing this week. I read them, and we celebrate them.

SEO keywords for the episode field
Christian bravery, faith over fear, overcoming fear as a Christian, obedience to God, hearing God’s voice, Christian confidence, saying yes to Jesus, missionary story, faith and courage, Christian women podcast, breaking fear, trusting God

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If this encouraged you, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts and subscribe on YouTube. It helps more women find hope, healing, and bold faith.

Disclaimer
Confidence and Coffee is a Christian centered podcast. All conversations are approached through a faith based lens that honors Jesus and biblical truth.

Connect with Ashley:
Order Ashley's New Book Confidence Is An Inside Job
Apply for Coaching with Ashley
Connect with Ashley to be your Next Speaker!
Subscribe to Confidence and Coffee here

What if real confidence is not loud, not performative, and not fighting for attention, but calm, grounded, and unshakable? Ashley sits down with Tara LaFon Gooch, host of Grasp Confidence, to talk about confidence that comes from Christ, identity rooted in God’s approval, and how to stop listening to the voice of fear, scarcity, and comparison.

This conversation also gets practical about protecting your marriage and legacy by closing the small “gaps” the enemy uses, how gratitude becomes a living prayer, and why surrendering your will can unlock the breakthrough you have been praying for.

What you will learn

• Why calm confidence is often the strongest kind
• The difference between arrogance and depth, the money jar analogy
• How to recognize the voice of fear vs the whisper of God
• Why comparison steals confidence, and how to break the cycle
• Collaboration creates legacy, gatekeeping shrinks your impact
• A practical way to close “space” in marriage and rebuild connection
• Gratitude as prayer without ceasing
• What surrender actually looks like when the math is not mathing

Favorite Quotes

• “Confidence is calm knowingness.”
• “If the jar is full, it doesn’t shake.”
• “The voice of God is a whisper, the opponent is loud.”
• “The enemy creates space, close the gap.”
• “God backed confidence is not worried about a giant.”
• “I no longer want what I want for myself.”

Scripture mentioned or referenced

• 1 Corinthians 13
• Proverbs 18:21 life and death in the power of the tongue
• 1 Thessalonians 5:17 pray without ceasing
• James 2:17 faith without works is dead
• Job 1 and 2
• David and Goliath 1 Samuel 17
• Armor of God Ephesians 6

Connect with Tara
Website: TaraLaFonGooch.com
Podcast: Grasp Confidence
LinkedIn: Tara LaFon Gooch

Leave a review
If this episode encouraged you, leave a rating and review. It helps other women find these conversations and keeps the show going.

Support the show

If this encouraged you, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts and subscribe on YouTube. It helps more women find hope, healing, and bold faith.

Disclaimer
Confidence and Coffee is a Christian centered podcast. All conversations are approached through a faith based lens that honors Jesus and biblical truth.

Connect with Ashley:
Order Ashley's New Book Confidence Is An Inside Job
Apply for Coaching with Ashley
Connect with Ashley to be your Next Speaker!
Subscribe to Confidence and Coffee here

Today I’m joined by filmmakers and Christian parents D’Lytha and Nathan D. Myers, creators of the musical comedy Aria Appleton Shines. We talk about why entertainment is shaping your kids more than you think, how to set real boundaries with tech, and what it looks like to create culture relevant stories that honor Jesus without being cheesy.

What you’ll hear in this episode

• Why “clean” content is not the same as pro God content
• The moment God called them to step out in faith and create the film
• Why parents have to check themselves first before blaming culture
• Tech boundaries that actually work, and why doom scrolling is discipling your home
• How to build a relationship where your kids tell you the truth
• What Aria Appleton Shines is about, and why kids get it even when adults do not
• Where to watch the film and how to grab the Parents and Leaders Guide

00:00 Intro and who today’s guests are
 02:50 How God reconnected a friendship and weaved the story together
 06:40 The radical faith step, selling the house, and starting from scratch
 09:20 “I think I’m writing a screenplay” and the creative download
 14:45 Five loaves and two fish faith, how the movie got funded
 16:45 Why entertainment targets the vulnerable, and why it matters
 20:35 The content gap, why kids content is not truly for kids
 23:00 Relevancy matters, modern stories that still tell truth
 29:35 Parents need lines, doom scrolling is discipling your kids
 33:40 Big sacrifices that protect the family
 42:50 The mother daughter relationship, having hard conversations early
 49:15 What the movie is about, and what it teaches
 50:20 Why it’s funny, satirical, and not safe for anyone
 53:10 It’s a musical, original songs, and how it’s structured

• Watch Aria Appleton Shines and find everything in one place via the Aria Appleton link hub 
• Connect with Nathan D. Myers and his official link hub 
• Follow D’Lytha on Instagram 
• Parents and Leaders Guide donation link is included in their link hub resources 

If this episode hit home, share it with a parent friend. And if you’re rebuilding what comes into your home, leave a rating and review so more families can find conversations like this.

Support the show

If this encouraged you, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts and subscribe on YouTube. It helps more women find hope, healing, and bold faith.

Disclaimer
Confidence and Coffee is a Christian centered podcast. All conversations are approached through a faith based lens that honors Jesus and biblical truth.

Connect with Ashley:
Order Ashley's New Book Confidence Is An Inside Job
Apply for Coaching with Ashley
Connect with Ashley to be your Next Speaker!
Subscribe to Confidence and Coffee here

In this episode of Confidence and Coffee, Ashley sits down with Michelle Doane, founder of Imani Vegan Cosmetics, for a conversation that is equal parts powerful and practical. Michelle shares her story as a Vietnamese American refugee, raised by a single mother, and how surviving unimaginable hardship shaped her resilience. She opens up about living with cystic acne, how it affected her confidence, and the moment that sparked her mission to create clean beauty products that actually work for acne prone and sensitive skin.

They also break down what most people never learn about skincare, including comedogenic ingredients, why product labels are often hidden, how misinformation spreads online, and the simple mindset shift that changes how you see yourself.

What you’ll hear in this episode
Michelle’s refugee journey and the resilience passed down through her mother
Cystic acne, self image, and the “ugly duckling syndrome” many women carry
Comedogenic ingredients, what clogs pores, and why ingredients matter
The 3 P’s of skincare, potency, penetration, proven
How to simplify your skincare routine without wasting money
Mindset, confidence, and the voice in your head that tries to sabotage you
A real conversation on faith, receiving, and the power of words

Favorite quotes
“Do you have a roommate in your head”
“What happens to a weed when you stop feeding it, it dies”
“It can be your darkest moment right now, dawn is coming”

Connect with Michelle
Imani Vegan Cosmetics, shop online and learn ingredients: imani.com
Also available on Amazon

Connect with Ashley
Follow Ashley for coaching, faith based confidence, and new episodes weekly
Subscribe on YouTube and leave a review on Apple Podcasts

Love the episode
Send this to a friend who is tired of feeling stuck in her skin or her thoughts
Leave a rating and review, it helps more women find the show

Support the show

If this encouraged you, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts and subscribe on YouTube. It helps more women find hope, healing, and bold faith.

Disclaimer
Confidence and Coffee is a Christian centered podcast. All conversations are approached through a faith based lens that honors Jesus and biblical truth.

Connect with Ashley:
Order Ashley's New Book Confidence Is An Inside Job
Apply for Coaching with Ashley
Connect with Ashley to be your Next Speaker!
Subscribe to Confidence and Coffee here

If you’ve tried therapy, prayer, self-help, and mindset work but still feel tense, overwhelmed, or emotionally stuck, this episode explains why.

Ashley sits down with Kurtis Lee Thomas, breathwork expert and founder of the Just Breathe Foundation, to talk about how stress and trauma live in the body and how breathwork creates real release, not just insight.

This is a grounded conversation about healing that includes science, somatic work, and faith, without hype or fluff.

What You’ll Learn

• Why the body holds emotional stress
 • How breathwork detox works
 • Why the gut is central to healing
 • The difference between calming and releasing
 • How to start breathwork safely
 • Why kids and single moms need these tools

Resources

Breathwork Detox: https://breathworkdetox.com

Just Breathe Foundation: https://justbreathe.org

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

Support the Podcast

If this episode helped you, please leave a rating and review. It helps more women find the show.

Support the show

If this encouraged you, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts and subscribe on YouTube. It helps more women find hope, healing, and bold faith.

Disclaimer
Confidence and Coffee is a Christian centered podcast. All conversations are approached through a faith based lens that honors Jesus and biblical truth.

Connect with Ashley:
Order Ashley's New Book Confidence Is An Inside Job
Apply for Coaching with Ashley
Connect with Ashley to be your Next Speaker!
Subscribe to Confidence and Coffee here

This week on Confidence and Coffee, Ashley sits down with Kevin Crenshaw — known worldwide as The Heart Guy — to talk about spiritual warfare, identity, confidence, deliverance, trauma, leadership, and the difference between self-help and soul healing.

Kevin shares his story of near-death experiences, addiction, homelessness, chronic illness, and the moment God completely dismantled his identity and rebuilt him. This episode is deep, honest, faith-filled, and wildly freeing.

If you’ve been wrestling with your identity, your emotions, your confidence, or your faith, this conversation is going to breathe life into you.

Connect with Kevin Here! 

Support the show

If this encouraged you, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts and subscribe on YouTube. It helps more women find hope, healing, and bold faith.

Disclaimer
Confidence and Coffee is a Christian centered podcast. All conversations are approached through a faith based lens that honors Jesus and biblical truth.

Connect with Ashley:
Order Ashley's New Book Confidence Is An Inside Job
Apply for Coaching with Ashley
Connect with Ashley to be your Next Speaker!
Subscribe to Confidence and Coffee here

In this episode of Confidence and Coffee, Ashley Henriott welcomes Dr. Kathy Goldstein, board-certified acupuncture physician and founder of True Energy Skincare, to explore the connection between holistic health, emotional intelligence, and natural aging.

Kathy shares her journey from Western medicine to energy medicine, offering insight into how emotional patterns show up in our facial expressions and how skincare can be used as a spiritual and emotional healing tool.

Together, they unpack how embracing self-care from the inside out builds confidence, balance, and a deep sense of peace.

Support the show

If this encouraged you, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts and subscribe on YouTube. It helps more women find hope, healing, and bold faith.

Disclaimer
Confidence and Coffee is a Christian centered podcast. All conversations are approached through a faith based lens that honors Jesus and biblical truth.

Connect with Ashley:
Order Ashley's New Book Confidence Is An Inside Job
Apply for Coaching with Ashley
Connect with Ashley to be your Next Speaker!
Subscribe to Confidence and Coffee here

In this powerful and raw episode of Confidence and Coffee, Ashley Henriott sits down with Howard “Quiggly” Chang, creator of the new faith-based toy universe Ancients and one of the original creative forces behind the iconic Ninja Turtles toys.

Howard shares his inspiring journey from global toy designer to spiritual visionary. You’ll hear about:

• His life-changing spiritual awakening
• Designing Ancients—a groundbreaking toy line rooted in biblical heroes
• What it means to bring faith back into pop culture
• How the creative process connects to calling, identity, and legacy

Ashley and Howard go deep into spiritual warfare, creativity, parenting, purpose, and God’s undeniable timing. This episode is for every parent, creator, and believer navigating how to be a light in a world full of darkness.

🛒 Support Ancients & learn more: https://ancients.com

📍 Ashley’s PO Box: P.O. Box 245, Stephenson, VA 22656

 📲 Follow Howard: @ancients_official

📖 Get Ashley’s book: Confidence is an Inside Job

👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review. It helps us reach more people with messages of faith, healing, and hope.

Support the show

If this encouraged you, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts and subscribe on YouTube. It helps more women find hope, healing, and bold faith.

Disclaimer
Confidence and Coffee is a Christian centered podcast. All conversations are approached through a faith based lens that honors Jesus and biblical truth.

Connect with Ashley:
Order Ashley's New Book Confidence Is An Inside Job
Apply for Coaching with Ashley
Connect with Ashley to be your Next Speaker!
Subscribe to Confidence and Coffee here

Ashley sits down with Greg Stier to unpack why Gen Z is surprisingly open to the gospel, how parents and pastors can model, mobilize, and multiply faith conversations, and why the gospel answers the three big questions of every teen: identity, belonging, purpose. Greg shares his powerful family testimony, practical training tools, and how to host a Day of Global Youth Evangelism in your home or church.

You’ll hear:

• Why teens come to Christ faster—and spread the gospel farther
• A simple framework any parent/youth leader can start this week
• Research showing 10x more gospel conversations in gospel-advancing groups
• How to keep it real: boldness (Joshua 1:9) + honest faith (Mark 9)

Links & resources:

• Dare 2 Share: dare2share.org
• Day of Global Youth Evangelism (Nov 8): dgyeglobalyouthevangelism.org
• Research: dontmissit.org
• Radical Like Jesus: Amazon/Audible
• Greg: gregstier.org | @GregStier
• Ashley: @ashley.henriott | Confidence & Coffee

Call to action:
If this encouraged you, follow + rate the podcast and share with a parent, pastor, or youth leader. Your review helps more people hear the gospel!

Keywords (for Buzzsprout SEO field):
youth evangelism, Gen Z, Christian parenting, gospel conversations, Dare 2 Share, Greg Stier, discipleship, church growth, student ministry, Christian podcast, faith and family

Support the show

If this encouraged you, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts and subscribe on YouTube. It helps more women find hope, healing, and bold faith.

Disclaimer
Confidence and Coffee is a Christian centered podcast. All conversations are approached through a faith based lens that honors Jesus and biblical truth.

Connect with Ashley:
Order Ashley's New Book Confidence Is An Inside Job
Apply for Coaching with Ashley
Connect with Ashley to be your Next Speaker!
Subscribe to Confidence and Coffee here

Today on Confidence and Coffee I sit down with Mitch Matthews, host of Dream Think Do and coach to leaders at Nike, NASA, and Disney. We talk about giving yourself permission to dream again, how to move past perfectionism, and why God meets us in the next small step. Mitch shares powerful frameworks like border bullies, the intellectual immune system, and the simple word that unlocks momentum: might. We also dig into Scripture that anchors real confidence in Christ.

What you will learn

• Why so many of us hesitate to dream the way God designed us to
• How to spot “border bullies” and set healthy boundaries
• A gentle path out of perfectionism and procrastination
• The “novice” mindset that frees high achievers to start again
• How to ask better questions using the word might
• How Joshua 1:9 and Mark 9 help you move while you still feel afraid

Scriptures
Ephesians 3, Joshua 1:9, Mark 9, Philippians 4

Guest resources
Website: MitchMatthews.com
Free resource: MitchMatthews.com/11prayers

Support the show

If this encouraged you, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts and subscribe on YouTube. It helps more women find hope, healing, and bold faith.

Disclaimer
Confidence and Coffee is a Christian centered podcast. All conversations are approached through a faith based lens that honors Jesus and biblical truth.

Connect with Ashley:
Order Ashley's New Book Confidence Is An Inside Job
Apply for Coaching with Ashley
Connect with Ashley to be your Next Speaker!
Subscribe to Confidence and Coffee here