What if the interruption you never asked for became the invitation that changed everything?

In this episode of EVOLVE thru God, I sit down with my friend Erika Rothenberger for a powerful conversation about faith, survival, forgiveness, purpose, and what happens when one moment changes the trajectory of your life.

Erika shares how her relationship with God evolved from something she practiced because she was supposed to into something deeply personal—and how that faith became essential after a traumatic event forced her to see her life, her purpose, and her future differently.

We talk about healing, PTSD, the choice to forgive, turning pain into advocacy, and why Erika now says:

“Connection is oxygen.”

This is not simply a story about what happened to Erika.

It is a conversation about what she decided to do with what happened.

1. Your relationship with God can begin with one small consistent step.

2. What happened to you does not have to become your identity.

3. Forgiveness is not approval—it can be part of setting yourself free to move forward.

The gift is reclamation.

Reclaiming your faith.

And remembering that even the hardest interruption may become an invitation into something bigger than you ever imagined.

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WHO IS ERIKA ROTHENBERGER?

Erika Rothenberger is a nationally recognized keynote speaker, media personality, bestselling author, and thought leader on audacity, leadership, and personal expansion. Through powerful storytelling and deeply practical insights, she inspires audiences to push beyond perceived limitations and build lives and careers defined by courage, resilience, and intentional growth.

Erika has appeared on FOX News and has been featured in numerous media outlets for her work in leadership development and empowerment. In 2025, she was named Dynamic Woman of the Year by Modern Luxury – Philadelphia Style, recognizing her influence in advancing women, leadership, and bold professional growth.

She is the bestselling author of Audacious Expansion, released February 22, 2026, and the author of You’ve Got This, Boss Mama. Her work centers on a powerful philosophy: true expansion happens when we intentionally add the right weight to our lives—challenges that build strength, courage, and the capacity to grow beyond what we once believed possible.

Erika is also the founder of the Audacious Women’s Summit, a sold-out leadership experience designed to inspire women to expand their voices, leadership, and influence. She is the host of the widely respected Grit, Grace & Glitz Podcast, where she shares conversations with leaders, entrepreneurs, and change-makers about resilience, reinvention, and the courage to lead boldly.

Professionally, Erika serves as Director of Performance Systems at Henkels & McCoy, a national infrastructure solutions company. With a background in engineering and field operations, she has built a career in the construction and infrastructure industry—one traditionally dominated by men—while focusing on developing people, strengthening leadership, and creating high-performance cultures across organizations. In addition to her corporate leadership, Erika is an accomplished entrepreneur who has successfully built ventures in real estate, wellness, and leadership coaching.

Her story also carries deep personal resilience. As a survivor of a brutal assault, Erika has become a powerful advocate for domestic violence awareness and survivor empowerment. She uses her voice and platform to inspire others to reclaim their strength, speak their truth, and build lives defined not by what happened to them—but by what they choose to create next.

Above all, Erika is grounded by her role as a wife and mother to two incredible children, Drew and Adelyn. She believes the greatest leadership lessons are not only spoken but demonstrated, and she is deeply committed to showing her children through her actions what courage, integrity, and audacious expansion truly look like.

What happens when the life everyone else thinks is successful is slowly costing you yourself?

In this episode of EVOLVE thru God, I sit down with executive teams coach, speaker, musician, and former pastor Michael King Jr. for a conversation about faith, leadership, burnout, identity, and what happens when God starts asking you to leave behind a version of yourself that no longer fits.

Michael’s relationship with God started young, but it became personal when he made the decision for himself to follow Jesus as a senior in high school. That “yes” eventually took him into Bible college, music ministry, a record deal, executive church leadership, and nearly a decade helping build one of the fastest-growing churches in the country.

From the outside, it looked like success.

Inside, Michael was disappearing.

Years of overwork, unhealthy leadership dynamics, spiritual manipulation, and the pressure to keep performing eventually brought him to the point where staying hurt more than leaving. So he walked away without a perfect plan, took a job at a car dealership, and started doing something far harder than building another organization:

He started rebuilding himself.

What came next became the foundation for the work Michael does today with executive teams and high-performing leaders. He learned that strategy means very little if you don’t know who you are first.

And one line from this conversation says it all:

“Authentic identity is your last competitive advantage.”

This episode is for anyone who has ever looked successful on the outside while quietly wondering, “Where did I go?”

• How to recognize when success is costing you your identity.

The gift is permission to stop performing long enough to remember who you actually are.

Michael’s story is proof that leaving one identity behind does not mean you’ve lost your calling.

Sometimes it means God is finally giving you room to become it.

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WHO IS MICHAEL KING, JR.?

Michael King Jr. is a two-time Best Executive Coach award winner (2024 & 2026), keynote speaker, and the founder of Teams.Coach. He is the Architect of Authentic Experiences — the only speaker in the world who opens every keynote with a live saxophone performance and an original cinematic film. He holds two Master's degrees and the highest-level executive coaching certification (ECCC). Michael has delivered 100+ keynotes across 20+ states and countries for Fortune 500 companies, associations, and leadership conferences — including Disney, ADP, Social Media Marketing World, C-Suite Network, Sports Philanthropy World, AI Marketing World, and Board of Advisors Mastermind.

What if the season you've been trying to escape is actually the season God is using to prepare you?

In Part 2 of Angela Goodman's conversation with Lady Gozen, the discussion moves beyond testimony and into transformation.

After losing her career because she refused to compromise her biblical convictions, Gozen shares how God completely shifted her perspective on waiting, healing, and surrender. Instead of rushing toward the next opportunity, she spent nearly two years allowing God to rebuild her from the inside out—learning to grieve, receive help, heal childhood wounds, and trust His timing completely.

Her ministry, Wife in the Waiting, isn't ultimately about finding a husband. It's about becoming the person God created you to be before receiving whatever you've been praying for. Whether you're waiting for marriage, healing, purpose, restoration, or your next assignment, this conversation reminds us that God is always more interested in our character than our calendar.

Throughout this conversation, Angela and Gozen unpack what covenant truly means, why emotional healing matters, how strong women often struggle to receive love, and why learning to ask for help may be one of the most spiritual things we ever do.

One of the most powerful moments comes near the end when Gozen offers this simple challenge:

"If you're wondering where God is… go back and do the last thing He asked you to do."

• Why waiting is often God's greatest preparation.

This conversation is for anyone who has ever wondered if God has forgotten them.

He hasn't.

Sometimes He's simply preparing you for something far greater than you can currently imagine.

The greatest gift from this episode is the reminder that God isn't withholding good things from you.

He's preparing you to receive them.

Your waiting season isn't evidence that God has forgotten you.

It may be the greatest act of love He's ever shown you.

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WHO IS LADY GOZEN?

Gozen Soydag, known as Lady Gozen, is a Christian speaker, author, psychotherapist, and founder of Wife in the Waiting. Through her own journey of heartbreak, healing, faith, and surrender, she has become a passionate voice helping women embrace wholeness, purpose, and identity in every season of life. With a unique blend of biblical wisdom, therapeutic insight, and personal testimony, Gozen empowers people to transform from the inside out while trusting God's timing and plan. Her message reaches thousands worldwide through speaking, writing, mentorship, and her growing Wife in the Waiting community.

What happens when following God costs you your career—but deepens your faith?

In this powerful episode of EVOLVE thru God, Angela Goodman sits down with international speaker, psychotherapist, author, and relationship mentor Lady Gozen to explore a remarkable testimony of healing, surrender, and unwavering obedience.

Raised in a culturally Muslim home, Gozen never imagined she would one day become a passionate follower of Jesus. After years of battling a painful autoimmune skin disease and hearing one of London's top specialists tell her, "I don't know what to do with you," she found herself completely out of hope. That desperation led her to church, where she surrendered her life to Christ—and everything began to change.

As God slowly healed both her body and her heart, He also began revealing a much bigger calling: preparing women to become the wives God created them to be before they ever meet their husbands. Through her ministry, Wife in the Waiting, Gozen teaches that true preparation begins with identity, healing, and intimacy with God—not with finding the right person.

But obedience came with a price.

After being recruited into a leadership role at a Catholic girls' school, Gozen was ultimately dismissed because of the biblical beliefs she openly shared through her online ministry. Rather than becoming bitter, she chose faith over fear and watched God begin opening doors she never could have imagined.

This episode is a beautiful reminder that God often uses our deepest pain to prepare us for our greatest purpose—and that sometimes standing for Him requires us to trust Him more than ever before.

• Why healing often begins long before physical symptoms disappear.

You'll walk away with a renewed confidence that God wastes nothing. Every disappointment, every delay, every unanswered prayer, and every closed door can become part of the story He is writing—if we're willing to trust Him through it.

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WHO IS LADY GOZEN?

Gozen Soydag, known as Lady Gozen, is a Christian speaker, author, psychotherapist, and founder of Wife in the Waiting. Through her own journey of heartbreak, healing, faith, and surrender, she has become a passionate voice helping women embrace wholeness, purpose, and identity in every season of life. With a unique blend of biblical wisdom, therapeutic insight, and personal testimony, Gozen empowers people to transform from the inside out while trusting God's timing and plan. Her message reaches thousands worldwide through speaking, writing, mentorship, and her growing Wife in the Waiting community.

What happens when God places a burden on your heart that you can't ignore?

In this inspiring episode of EVOLVE thru God, Angela Goodman sits down with licensed marriage and family therapist, nonprofit founder, and child advocate Ashley Hill, whose life has become a testimony of radical obedience to God's calling.

Ashley shares how what began as working with foster youth quickly became a heartbreaking realization that countless children were falling victim to human trafficking—and that God was calling her to do something about it. Instead of looking the other way, she listened to the quiet whispers that eventually became Magdalena's Daughters, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting foster youth who are vulnerable to trafficking and creating lasting change within the child welfare system.

From life-changing mission trips to Israel and Thailand, to learning how to discern God's voice, Ashley opens up about trusting His timing, leaving behind fear, and building a vision far bigger than herself—a village where vulnerable girls can heal, belong, and rediscover hope.

This conversation is about courage, discernment, purpose, and the incredible things that happen when we simply say "yes" to God.

Lessons You'll Learn:

• How God often plants a calling years before He reveals the full vision.

The Gift of This Episode

You'll leave this conversation with a renewed confidence that God doesn't always call the most qualified—He calls the willing. Ashley's story is a reminder that when we faithfully take the next step, even before we know the entire plan, God supplies the people, provision, and purpose exactly when they're needed.

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WHO IS ASHLEY HILL?

With years of frontline experience working directly with foster youth and youth impacted by exploitation, Ashley has become a nationally recognized voice on trafficking prevention, relational safety, and the urgent need to rethink how systems support vulnerable young people. Her work is rooted in a powerful belief: prevention doesn’t start with rescue, it starts with relationships.

Ashley is the creator of the RAISE Framework, Recognize, Assist, Inform, Support, Empower, a prevention-centered model designed to help youth build resilience, identity, safety, and belonging before exploitation occurs. Through initiatives such as Raise the Village and RAISE the Roof, she is helping build trauma-informed ecosystems, housing solutions, and community-based prevention models that address the root causes of vulnerability.

Known for her emotionally compelling storytelling and systems-level insight, Ashley’s TEDx talk has reached more than 1.3 million viewers and ranks among the top 1% most viewed TEDx talks globally. Whether speaking to policymakers, educators, advocates, healthcare leaders, or communities, Ashley challenges audiences to move beyond reactive systems and toward a future where every young person feels seen, supported, and protected before traffickers ever have the opportunity to exploit their vulnerability.

Ashley’s mission is simple but transformative: to build systems where vulnerable youth are not just rescued, but truly connected, empowered, and able to thrive.

When was the last time you truly looked up?

In this heartfelt episode of EVOLVE thru God, Angela Goodman sits down with author, speaker, and podcast host Tom Campbell to explore how life's greatest hardships often become the very moments that draw us closer to God.

Raised in a Catholic home, Tom shares how faith was initially something he practiced because it was expected—but everything changed after walking through divorce, losing his job, experiencing deep family pain, and questioning where God was in the middle of it all. Instead of finding answers in success or possessions, he discovered that God was quietly calling him toward purpose, compassion, and trust.

From a life-changing experience inside a children's cancer ward to an unforgettable encounter with an elephant named "Blessing" in Africa, Tom reveals the extraordinary ways God speaks when we're willing to slow down, become present, and simply... look up.

Together, Angela and Tom discuss the difference between man-made success and God-made purpose, recognizing divine signs, finding peace through surrender, serving others with intention, and why our greatest measure of wealth may have nothing to do with money.

If you've ever wondered whether God is still speaking—or questioned why difficult seasons happen—this conversation will remind you that He has never stopped working.

Lessons You'll Learn:

• How pain often becomes the doorway to a deeper relationship with God.

The Gift of This Episode

You'll leave this conversation with a renewed awareness that God is constantly speaking—through people, nature, unexpected moments, and even life's greatest disappointments. Tom's story reminds us that when we stop looking down at distractions and start looking up with expectation, we begin to recognize that God has been walking beside us all along.

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WHO IS TOM CAMPBELL?

What if the Kingdom of God isn't something we wait for—but something we awaken to within?

In the final installment of this powerful three-part series, Reverend Honi Borden and Angela Goodman explore some of the most profound questions of faith, spirituality, purpose, and divine identity.

After sharing her extraordinary life story and near-death experiences in Parts 1 and 2, Honi now takes us deeper into the meaning behind those experiences. Together, they discuss Christ Consciousness, spiritual awakening, personal transformation, and what it truly means to embody the teachings of Jesus rather than simply study them.

This conversation challenges listeners to move beyond labels, dogma, and fear-based thinking and into a direct, personal relationship with God.

Honi shares her perspective on the living Christ, the divine presence within each of us, and how awakening to that truth can transform every area of life. Rather than teaching religion, she invites listeners into remembrance—remembering who they were created to be and the love that has always existed within them.

Whether you're deeply rooted in faith, exploring spirituality, or somewhere in between, this episode offers a thoughtful and inspiring invitation to look beyond external answers and discover the Kingdom within.

This concludes our three-part journey with Reverend Honi Borden—but the conversation and the invitation to awaken are only beginning.

💡 Lessons Learned

🎁 The Gift of This Episode

The gift of this episode is remembrance.

Remembrance that you are not broken.

Remembrance that your relationship with God is available right now.

Remembrance that your purpose, identity, and divine connection are not things you must earn—they are things you are invited to rediscover.

If Parts 1 and 2 revealed Honi's story, Part 3 reveals the deeper message behind it all: the same divine presence that guided her life is available to each of us.

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WHO IS REVEREND HONI BORDEN?

Rev. Honi Borden is not a religious teacher. She is a living testimony. On January 8, 2012, she died from a rare illness and crossed into the

AfterLife — encountering the Living Presence of God Almighty, the Living Christ, and higher dimensional beings of light beyond any single human framework. She was sent back with one clear Mission: BE it. Walk it. Live it. Without hesitation, she surrendered a thriving career — including Washington D.C.’s first Holistic Wellness Medi Spa & Healing Center (2006) — and spent five years on a planetary mission across 40 sacred locations on earth.

A Johns Hopkins Post Master’s clinician, 20-year Advanced Meditation Teacher, and 20-year Women’s Circle leader, Rev. Honi Borden helps women of deep faith in God Almighty — across every background — truly remember who God Almighty created them to be.

She freely gives every audience her signature framework, The Four Living Declarations™: I AM · I HAVE · I CAN · I WILL. Together with her husband Michael Abramson, she co-hosts Ascension Alchemists™ podcast and offers self-paced courses at AscensionAlchemists.com. Devoted mother of Kiyan and Nevan.

What happens when you meet Christ face-to-face?

In Part 2 of this powerful three-part series, Reverend Honi Borden shares the moment that changed everything.

After years of extraordinary spiritual experiences, unexplained healing encounters, and a growing awareness that her life was meant for something more, Honi found herself gravely ill. What happened next would forever alter the course of her life.

In this deeply personal conversation, Honi recounts her second near-death experience, her encounter with heavenly realms, the beings who greeted her, and ultimately her direct experience with Yeshua—the living Christ.

What she received during that encounter wasn't simply comfort. It was an assignment.

A mission.

A calling that required her to surrender everything she thought she was, walk away from the life she had built, and trust God completely.

Together, Angela and Honi explore:

✨ Near-death experiences and spiritual awakening

This episode is a powerful reminder that sometimes what feels like loss is actually divine preparation for something far greater.

And this is only Part 2.

The conversation continues in Part 3 as we dive deeper into Christ Consciousness, spiritual awakening, and the bridge between faith and spirituality.

The challenges, losses, and struggles we experience may be shaping us for a purpose we cannot yet see.

Answering God's call often requires surrendering identities, plans, relationships, and expectations that no longer serve our purpose.

Honi stepped into a journey without knowing where she would go, how she would get there, or how it would be funded. She simply trusted.

The path doesn't always become clear before the first step. Sometimes clarity comes because we take the step.

One of the most powerful moments in this episode comes when Honi's young son gives her the courage she needs to answer the call she had been resisting.

The invitation is not simply to wait for Heaven, but to embody the love, purpose, and presence of God while we are here.

Every life carries a unique assignment. The question is whether we are willing to trust God enough to live it.

The gift of this episode is courage.

Courage to trust what God is asking of you.

Courage to release the identities that no longer fit.

Courage to believe that your challenges may be preparation rather than punishment.

And courage to take the next step, even when you cannot see the entire path.

Honi's story reminds us that sometimes the greatest act of faith is simply saying "yes" before we understand how everything will unfold.

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WHO IS REV. HONI BORDEN?

Rev. Honi Borden is not a religious teacher. She is a living testimony. On January 8, 2012, she died from a rare illness and crossed into the

AfterLife — encountering the Living Presence of God Almighty, the Living Christ, and higher dimensional beings of light beyond any single human framework. She was sent back with one clear Mission: BE it. Walk it. Live it. Without hesitation, she surrendered a thriving career — including Washington D.C.’s first Holistic Wellness Medi Spa & Healing Center (2006) — and spent five years on a planetary mission across 40 sacred locations on earth.

A Johns Hopkins Post Master’s clinician, 20-year Advanced Meditation Teacher, and 20-year Women’s Circle leader, Rev. Honi Borden helps women of deep faith in God Almighty — across every background — truly remember who God Almighty created them to be.

She freely gives every audience her signature framework, The Four Living Declarations™: I AM · I HAVE · I CAN · I WILL. Together with her husband Michael Abramson, she co-hosts Ascension Alchemists™ podcast and offers self-paced courses at AscensionAlchemists.com. Devoted mother of Kiyan and Nevan.

What if the most traumatic moment of your life became the doorway to understanding who you truly are?

In Part 1 of this powerful three-part conversation, Angela sits down with Reverend Honi Borden to explore a life that has been shaped by profound spiritual experiences, unwavering determination, and a relationship with God that defies conventional understanding.

Born in Iran, Honi shares the remarkable story of surviving a devastating car accident at just seven years old. In the moments following the crash, she experienced what would become the first of many extraordinary encounters with the Divine—an experience that forever changed her understanding of life, death, and the true nature of the soul.

As she navigated childhood, immigration to America, the loss of her father, motherhood, and the health crisis that nearly took her son, Honi found herself repeatedly being called back into deeper conversations with God. What began as anger, questions, and demands for answers ultimately transformed into faith, purpose, and service.

Listeners will hear how one mother's fight for her child led to the creation of a successful wellness center, national speaking opportunities, humanitarian work, and the early signs of a calling she would spend years trying to ignore.

This episode lays the foundation for a story that only gets more extraordinary in Parts 2 and 3.

Some of life's most profound spiritual awakenings arrive in moments we never would have chosen for ourselves.

The experiences that seem to break us often become the foundation for our purpose.

Even as a child, Honi sensed she was here for a greater purpose long before she understood what it meant.

What began as frustration and grief over her son's health became a mission to educate and help others.

Sometimes God places a vision inside of us and asks us to take the first step before revealing the entire path.

From mysterious encounters to seemingly impossible opportunities, God often works through people, circumstances, and moments we cannot explain.

There is no one-size-fits-all journey. Each person's path unfolds uniquely and perfectly for them.

The gift of this episode is permission to trust your journey—even when it doesn't make sense.

Honi's story reminds us that God is present in both our greatest miracles and our deepest struggles. The very experiences we wish had never happened may be preparing us for the purpose we were created to fulfill.

If you've ever questioned God's plan, felt disconnected from your purpose, or wondered why certain events happened in your life, this conversation will remind you that there may be a bigger story unfolding than you can currently see.

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WHO IS REVEREND HONI BORDEN?

Rev. Honi Borden is not a religious teacher. She is a living testimony. On January 8, 2012, she died from a rare illness and crossed into the

AfterLife — encountering the Living Presence of God Almighty, the Living Christ, and higher dimensional beings of light beyond any single human framework. She was sent back with one clear Mission: BE it. Walk it. Live it. Without hesitation, she surrendered a thriving career — including Washington D.C.’s first Holistic Wellness Medi Spa & Healing Center (2006) — and spent five years on a planetary mission across 40 sacred locations on earth.

A Johns Hopkins Post Master’s clinician, 20-year Advanced Meditation Teacher, and 20-year Women’s Circle leader, Rev. Honi Borden helps women of deep faith in God Almighty — across every background — truly remember who God Almighty created them to be.

She freely gives every audience her signature framework, The Four Living Declarations™: I AM · I HAVE · I CAN · I WILL. Together with her husband Michael Abramson, she co-hosts Ascension Alchemists™ podcast and offers self-paced courses at AscensionAlchemists.com. Devoted mother of Kiyan and Nevan.

When God Says "Hold On": Faith, Uganda, Clean Water, and the Power of Saying Yes with Dr. Kevin Spencer

What happens when you stop asking God for answers and simply trust Him with the next step?

In Part 2 of this powerful conversation, Dr. Kevin Spencer returns to EVOLVE thru God to share how a career in entertainment evolved into a global mission of healing, education, clean water, and hope.

What began with teaching therapeutic magic to children with disabilities eventually led Kevin to classrooms, hospitals, universities, and more than 67 countries around the world. But perhaps nowhere has God moved more powerfully than in Uganda.

In this episode, Kevin shares the remarkable story of how God opened doors he never imagined possible—from working with U.S. Embassies around the world to helping transform communities in Uganda through clean water initiatives, healthcare access, disability advocacy, and education.

Listeners will hear how one young boy named Eddie became family, how entire villages are being transformed through access to clean water, and how a single "yes" to God's prompting can create ripple effects that impact generations.

Most importantly, Kevin reminds us that God's direction is often revealed one step at a time.

You don't always need the full plan.

You simply need the willingness to listen.

🎁 The Gift of This Episode:

The gift of this episode is learning how to trust God when you cannot yet see the outcome. Kevin's story is a living example that obedience often comes before understanding, and that the smallest acts of faith can create extraordinary impact far beyond what we could ever imagine.

📍 Learn more about Kevin's Uganda work:

Many of life's biggest breakthroughs begin during seasons of uncertainty.

God rarely provides the entire blueprint. He simply asks us to take the next step.

The things you naturally love may be the very tools God intends to use for His purpose.

Access to water impacts health, education, economic opportunity, and future generations.

Kevin's relationship with Eddie became a reminder that family is often formed through love, not biology.

God first calls us to steward our relationship with Him and the people He entrusted to us.

A single "yes" can affect thousands of lives.

Learning to be still and listen is one of the most important spiritual disciplines we can develop.

The gift of this conversation is hope.

Hope that your current season has purpose.

Hope that the delays, uncertainty, and unanswered questions are not signs that God has forgotten you.

And hope that the simple act of listening for His voice may lead you somewhere far greater than anything you could have planned yourself.

As Kevin beautifully shares:

"Be still and ask God what He wants from you... and then listen."