In this powerful episode, Jason and Lauren Vallotton explore the quiet, often unnoticed habit of self-betrayal—the moments when we say “yes” to others while saying “no” to ourselves. Whether it's to avoid conflict, gain approval, or protect a fragile connection, self-abandonment can masquerade as kindness while silently eroding trust, peace, and authenticity.

Jason and Lauren unpack the mindsets that often drive this behavior—like the belief that it's selfish to have needs, or that disappointing others is dangerous. With wisdom, compassion, and real-life stories, they offer a roadmap back to honest boundaries, emotional integrity, and deeper connection with both self and others.

In This Episode, They Discuss:

• What self-betrayal looks like in daily life and relationships
  
  
• How people-pleasing and performance mindsets take root
  
  
• The difference between peacekeeping and true peace
  
  
• Core beliefs that lead to self-abandonment (“If I say no, I’ll be rejected”)
  
  
• Why honoring your limits is essential to relational and spiritual health
  
  
• Practical language and tools to say no with clarity and compassion
  
  

Reflection Questions:

• Where in your life have you been betraying your own needs to keep the peace?
  
  
• What fear is hiding underneath your yes?
  
  
• What would it look like to practice honest, courageous boundaries this week?
  
  

Listen in and be reminded: You don’t have to disappear to be loved. Wholeness begins where self-betrayal ends.

BraveCo Conference Registration - here

BraceCo Gala Registration - here

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In this honest and heartfelt Q&A episode, Jason and Lauren answer your real relationship questions—from navigating breakups to leading well in marriage. Whether you're dating, newly married, or wrestling with relational roles, this episode will give you insight, encouragement, and a few powerful reframes.

🔹 What does it mean for a man to promote his wife?
 Jason expands on his view that a man’s role is to provide, protect, and promote—and breaks down what it really means to elevate the people in your care.

🔹 "How do I do a breakup well?"
 Lauren and Jason offer practical guidance for ending a relationship with honor, clarity, and emotional health—especially when it’s still painful.

🔹 "Can Lauren talk about being someone’s second wife?"
 Lauren opens up about what it’s been like to marry a man with a past and how she’s navigated insecurity, redemption, and sacred second chances.

🔹 "My wife is controlling... how do I lead biblically?"
 Jason shares a compassionate but convicting perspective on male leadership, emotional safety, and what women really need from their husbands.

🔹 "We’re on a break… how do I move forward?"
 For anyone stuck in the “are we or aren’t we” season, Jason and Lauren speak to love, fear, communication breakdowns, and the difference between working through tension and ignoring red flags.

Related resources to check out:

• Ep. 118 – The Role of a Man & the Rite of Passage Our Sons Are Missing
  
  
• Ep. 114 – What Happens When a Woman is Forced into Fight or Flight Mode
  
  
• Foundations of Masculinity Course – Now available for men ready to lead from strength, tenderness, and truth.

👉 Whether you're dating, married, or leading your family, this episode will help you dig deeper, ask better questions, and grow into the man or woman you’re called to be.

Patreon
If you've enjoyed this podcast, would you consider financially supporting the show? Every donation, big and small, helps the Vallottons continue to prioritize making this content for you. Click this link to support! Thank you!

For information on the Marriage Intensive and other resources, go to jasonandlaurenvallotton.com !

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“Most of the world is built on the invisible labor of mothers.” In this heartfelt episode, Jason and Lauren Vallotton turn their attention to the sacred, unseen work of motherhood. Picking up where their recent Fatherhood episode left off, they dive into the beauty, burden, and spiritual authority of moms—the ones who so often hold the soul of the home together.

This isn’t a conversation about Pinterest lunches or parenting perfection. It’s an honest look at the emotional, mental, and spiritual load that mothers carry, and the divine calling woven into every unnoticed act of love.

In this episode, they explore:

• More Than a Milestone Tracker: Why motherhood is far more than meal plans and playdates—and what Scripture reveals about its true meaning.
  
  
• The Weight No One Sees: From overstimulation to spiritual burden, Lauren shares stories from her journey through blended family life, miscarriage, and motherhood.
  
  
• The Lie of the Perfect Mom: How culture pressures women to be everything—and why presence is more powerful than perfection.
  
  
• The Spiritual Authority of Moms: The quiet ways mothers set the spiritual tone of the home, and how every unseen act counts in the Kingdom.

With raw vulnerability and deep encouragement, Jason and Lauren remind moms everywhere: You’re not just holding it all together. You’re building something eternal.

Patreon
If you've enjoyed this podcast, would you consider financially supporting the show? Every donation, big and small, helps the Vallottons continue to prioritize making this content for you. Click this link to support! Thank you!

For information on the Marriage Intensive and other resources, go to jasonandlaurenvallotton.com !

Connect with Lauren:
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In this powerful conversation, Jason and Lauren Vallotton unpack one of the deepest needs of our time: the restoration of godly masculinity. Drawing from personal stories, biblical wisdom, and their experience walking with men and families, they explore why a man’s role in the home matters more than ever—and how the next generation is suffering without clear markers of maturity and initiation.

Whether you're a father, mentor, or just a man asking deeper questions about your purpose, this episode will stir your spirit and point you toward courageous leadership. It’s also an invitation to join the movement at this year’s BraveCo Conference, where men are being called up, healed, and commissioned.

In This Episode:

• Why men matter in the home
  The emotional and spiritual covering fathers provide—and what happens when it's missing.
  
  
• What sons need from their fathers and male mentors
  Identity, blessing, and challenge. The sacred elements of healthy male initiation.
  
  
• The pain of passive or absent masculinity
  How a culture without rites of passage has left young men lost, angry, or apathetic.
  
  
• Stories from the field
  Real moments of breakthrough, father wounds healed, and identity restored at past BraveCo events.
  
  
• Why the BraveCo Conference is different
  It’s not hype—it’s holy. A sacred space where men return to the Father, face their pain, and rise into purpose.

Join the Movement:
The BraveCo Conference isn’t just a weekend event—it’s a call to rise.
Register now for the conference and be part of a movement that’s raising up healthy, whole, and wholehearted men!

Check out more about BraveCo here!

Patreon
If you've enjoyed this podcast, would you consider financially supporting the show? Every donation, big and small, helps the Vallottons continue to prioritize making this content for you. Click this link to support! Thank you!

For information on the Marriage Intensive and other resources, go to jasonandlaurenvallotton.com !

Connect with Lauren:
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"Your gifts might open doors in ministry, but your emotional health and family life will determine how long you can stay in the room."

In this episode, Jason and Lauren Vallotton dive into the crucial (and often overlooked) connection between emotional health, family life, and sustainable ministry. Ministry isn’t just about being gifted—it’s about being grounded. Whether you're a pastor, leader, or someone pursuing a call to serve, this conversation offers a timely reminder: who you are behind closed doors matters more than what you can do on stage.

💛 Part 1: Emotional Health in Ministry

• Understanding the integration of body, soul, and spirit
• Why self-awareness is a superpower in leadership
• The impact of unresolved grief, resentment, and burnout
• How emotional intelligence often outlasts platform skills
• Why ministry tends to trigger unhealed wounds like rejection, people-pleasing, or perfectionism
• A personal example of how inner healing transformed leadership

🏠 Part 2: Family Health in Ministry

• Why the home is the first and most important ministry
• How ministry should overflow from family health—not compete with it
• Red flags: when someone feels powerful in ministry but powerless at home
• Encouragement to realign priorities and strengthen what matters most

Whether you're just stepping into ministry or you've been leading for years, this episode offers practical wisdom and vulnerable insight into what it really takes to lead with longevity and wholeness.

📣 Mentioned in this episode:
Interested in going deeper? Jason’s Pastor’s Cohort is open for enrollment.
👉 Sign up here

Patreon
If you've enjoyed this podcast, would you consider financially supporting the show? Every donation, big and small, helps the Vallottons continue to prioritize making this content for you. Click this link to support! Thank you!

For information on the Marriage Intensive and other resources, go to jasonandlaurenvallotton.com !

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"Most people want to reconnect with their spouse—but they don’t know how to hit the mark when emotions are high. They either get defensive, spiral into shame, or shut down. Today, I want to help you learn how to truly connect when it matters most—especially when there’s pain involved."

In this episode, Jason and Lauren Vallotton break down what happens when emotional disconnection builds over time and how to move toward reconnection with empathy, responsibility, and compassion.

This episode explores:

• Why disconnection happens: How unmet needs and unresolved pain quietly widen the emotional gap between partners.
• The shame spiral: Why shame convinces people they are the problem, and how shifting to personal ownership can restore emotional safety.
• Empathy, sympathy, and compassion: A practical breakdown of each—and why compassion is the key to repair.
• A step-by-step guide to reconnection:
  • Get curious, not defensive
  • Listen without fixing
  • Validate and empathize
  • Take ownership
  • Offer a sincere apology

Final encouragements:

• For those who’ve been hurt: Give space for ownership—don’t force it, but don’t shrink back either.
• For those who missed it: Perfection isn’t required, but presence is.

This episode offers practical steps and real-life insight for any couple looking to reconnect—especially when it matters most.

Patreon
If you've enjoyed this podcast, would you consider financially supporting the show? Every donation, big and small, helps the Vallottons continue to prioritize making this content for you. Click this link to support! Thank you!

For information on the Marriage Intensive and other resources, go to jasonandlaurenvallotton.com !

Connect with Lauren:
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In this vulnerable and practical Q&A episode, Jason and Lauren tackle some of your most heartfelt questions—from dating dynamics and stepparenting to conflict in marriage and unmet emotional needs.

With their trademark honesty and experience, they unpack the real stuff of relationships: fear, longing, love, and how to keep showing up even when it’s hard.

In this episode, the Vallottons respond to questions like:

• “How do I take dating slow while discerning if I can handle marrying someone with kids?”
  
  
• “Why do I shut down in conflict, and how do I stay present when fear hits?”
  
  
• “I’m walking through divorce and financial fallout—what now?”
  
  
• “Any tips for surviving the newborn season… with our marriage still intact?”
  
  
• “What do I do with my unmet desire for intimacy, pursuit, and emotional connection in marriage?”

From practical tools to spiritual insight, this episode is full of compassionate, grounded advice for anyone trying to navigate love in a complicated world.

Whether you’re in the trenches of parenting, learning to love through pain, or just trying to figure out what’s next—this one’s for you.

Patreon
If you've enjoyed this podcast, would you consider financially supporting the show? Every donation, big and small, helps the Vallottons continue to prioritize making this content for you. Click this link to support! Thank you!

For information on the Marriage Intensive and other resources, go to jasonandlaurenvallotton.com !

Connect with Lauren:
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“She never wanted to fight her husband. But somewhere along the way, she stopped feeling safe—and started showing up in survival mode.”

In this episode, Jason and Lauren unpack the emotional toll disconnection takes on a woman, especially when she's forced to lead, manage, and defend in her relationship. They explore what masculine energy looks like in a woman, why it’s often a trauma response—not rebellion—and how emotional safety (not control) is the key to restoring connection.

You’ll hear:

• A real coaching story of a disconnected couple
  
  
• How a woman feeling safe, seen and known activates connection
  
  
• What healthy masculinity is designed to bring
  
  
• Practical steps to rebuild trust and intimacy

Patreon
If you've enjoyed this podcast, would you consider financially supporting the show? Every donation, big and small, helps the Vallottons continue to prioritize making this content for you. Click this link to support! Thank you!

For information on the Marriage Intensive and other resources, go to jasonandlaurenvallotton.com !

Connect with Lauren:
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Connect with Jason:
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Spring cleaning isn't just for your closet—what about the things we’ve been carrying in our hearts, homes, and relationships that need a reset?

In this episode, Jason and Lauren take the idea of spring cleaning beyond junk drawers and cluttered cabinets and dive deep into the unseen spaces of our emotional, relational, and spiritual lives. From the bathroom cabinet that hasn’t been cleaned out in a year to the mental tabs we’ve left open way too long, they explore what it looks like to make space for peace, connection, and growth in every area.

What You’ll Hear:
🧠 Emotional & Mental Inventory

• How unspoken expectations, resentment, and grief can clog up your inner world
• What decision fatigue and overthinking might be trying to tell you
• Prompts to help you recognize what you’re still holding onto that you no longer need

💞 Relationship Reset

• Signs of relational clutter in marriage, dating, or singleness
• Are you acting like roommates or partners?
• How to replace criticism and avoidance with curiosity, gratitude, and fun
• A powerful question to ask: What’s gotten dusty in our connection that needs tending?

🙏 Spiritual Alignment

• Are you going through the motions or truly connecting with God?
• How to realign your priorities and make space for spiritual renewal

🧹 A Fresh Start
Jason and Lauren offer three simple “spring cleaning” actions to bring clarity and freedom:

1. Have a marriage check-in
2. Delete digital distractions
3. Forgive (yes, even that one thing… again)

Plus, a gentle nudge to revisit those New Year’s goals with fresh eyes and grace.

Takeaway Question:
What’s one area—internal, relational, or spiritual—where you want to clear space this season?

Patreon
If you've enjoyed this podcast, would you consider financially supporting the show? Every donation, big and small, helps the Vallottons continue to prioritize making this content for you. Click this link to support! Thank you!

For information on the Marriage Intensive and other resources, go to jasonandlaurenvallotton.com !

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The public school system is broken. Too many kids feel left behind, uninspired, and stuck in a one-size-fits-all model that doesn’t prepare them for real life—or real relationships. As a dad and leader, Jason believes we need a radical shift. That’s why he sat down with Dr. Tyler Thigpen, an education innovator, to explore a new approach—one that fosters independence, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence.

In this episode, Jason and Tyler unpack why the system is failing, what’s working in learner-centered models, and how parents can take the lead. These new environments don’t just teach facts—they shape identity, build resilience, and equip kids for healthy, whole lives.

If you care about how your kids are learning and growing, this episode is for you. Let’s raise a generation ready for both life and love.

More about Dr. Thigpen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thigpentyler/

Tyler grew up in Georgia and has worked in innovative district, private, and charter schools, as well as statewide and national nonprofits. Tyler is co-founder and CEO of The Forest School: An Acton Academy in Trilith, The Forest School Online, and the Institute for Self-Directed Learning, Academic Director at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, and Guest Lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Formerly, Tyler was partner at Transcend, a national nonprofit in school redesign, and worked closely on innovative school projects such as nXu, Whittle, The Academy Group, Washington Leadership Academy, Art in Motion, Hebrew Public, Teton Science's Place Network, EL Education, and the Brooklyn STEAM Center. 

Tyler also co-founded MENTOR Georgia, Transforming Teaching at Harvard, and the Chattahoochee Hills Charter School. Earlier, Tyler worked as head of the upper school at The Mount Vernon School in Atlanta, Spanish teacher in Gwinnett County public schools, and minister at the Grace family of churches where he led international development in Peru in areas of healthcare, education, poverty reduction, and infrastructure. 

Tyler holds a doctoral degree in education leadership from Harvard Graduate School of Education, a master’s in public administration from Harvard John F. Kennedy School of Government, and a master’s in theological studies from Regent College of the University of British Columbia. Tyler has written about the future of learning in the Washington Post, Education Week, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Getting Smart, and others. Tyler lives with his wife and four children, all of whom attended The Forest School, in Trilith, GA.

Patreon
If you've enjoyed this podcast, would you consider financially supporting the show? Every donation, big and small, helps the Vallottons continue to prioritize making this content for you. Click this link to support! Thank you!

For information on the Marriage Intensive and other resources, go to jasonandlaurenvallotton.com !

Connect with Lauren:
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Connect with Jason:
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