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What if your phone isn't just stealing your time, but quietly changing the way you lead, think, and connect with the people who matter most?
In this episode of the Follow 2 Lead Podcast, Tony Miltenberger sits down with Jedd Medefind, president of the Christian Alliance for Orphans (CAFO) and author of Rule Your Tech So It Won't Rule You, for a conversation about technology, attention, spiritual formation, and the hidden costs of constant connectivity.
Jedd believes one of the greatest gifts a leader can offer is their presence. Not simply showing up, but bringing a sense of calm, hope, and genuine attentiveness to the people around them. Unfortunately, the technology we rely on every day is making that increasingly difficult.
Drawing from research, personal experience, and his work leading a global network of Christian organizations, Jedd explores how our devices influence our ability to focus, maintain healthy relationships, and experience peace. He also shares why technology itself isn't the enemy—and how small, intentional boundaries can help us reclaim what matters most.
From phone-free bedrooms to team-wide spiritual practices, this conversation offers practical encouragement for leaders who want to use technology wisely without allowing it to shape their priorities.
In this episode, you'll discover:
Coaching Question
What is one boundary you could establish with technology this week that would help you become more fully present with God, your family, or the people you lead?
Connect with Jedd Medefind
Jedd Medefind serves as president of the Christian Alliance for Orphans (CAFO), a collaborative network of organizations committed to caring for vulnerable children. Previously, he served in the George W. Bush administration, including at the White House, helping advance the Faith-Based and Community Initiative.
His book, Rule Your Tech So It Won't Rule You, explores how intentional technology choices can protect our attention, relationships, and well-being.
CAFO Website: https://cafo.org/
Book: Rule Your Tech So It Won't Rule You — Available on Amazon
Integrated Leader Mastermind — Applications Open
Strong leaders weren't meant to lead alone.
Tony Miltenberger and Trey Tucker are bringing together 12 Christian men for a six-month mastermind focused on growing professionally, personally, and spiritually alongside other leaders committed to doing the same.
Learn more and apply:
https://leader-integrated-cohort.replit.app/
Connect with Tony Miltenberger
Website: https://www.twmilt.com/
12 Questions: https://www.follow2leadbenchmark.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@twmilt
Substack: https://twmilt.substack.com/
Instagram: @twmilt | @follow2lead
Please check out our sponsors:
EBEB Solutions
https://www.ebebsolutions.com/
That Sounds Fun Network
https://thatsoundsfunnetwork.com/
Follow 2 Lead Coaching
https://www.follow2leadbenchmark.com/
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/follow-2-lead-a-christian-leaders-podcast/id1429933082
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What happens when the thing you're working so hard to build becomes the very thing God is asking you to surrender?
In this episode of the Follow 2 Lead Podcast, Tony Miltenberger sits down with author, speaker, and coach Ryan Miller for a conversation about ambition, identity, surrender, and the surprising power of meekness in Christian leadership.
Ryan knows what it's like to chase a big vision. In his twenties, he was on the verge of a major Hollywood deal for a multimillion-dollar film project. Then, at the height of its momentum, he made the difficult decision to walk away. What followed were years of financial uncertainty, failed ventures, and a painful confrontation with an identity built around achievement.
But in that wilderness season, Ryan began discovering something that would change the way he understood leadership: meekness isn't weakness. It's strength surrendered to God.
Drawing from his new book, Meek as a Mustang, Ryan shares how the process of taming wild horses became a powerful picture of discipleship, trust, and the freedom that comes from letting God lead. Tony and Ryan also explore the importance of spiritual rhythms, discerning whose voices to trust, protecting your priorities, and recognizing when even good ambitions have become distractions.
In this episode, you'll discover:
Coaching Question
Where might your ambition be getting in the way of your obedience—and what would it look like to surrender that area of your leadership to God?
Connect with Ryan Miller
Ryan Miller is an author, speaker, and coach passionate about sharing stories that point people toward Jesus. His book, Meek as a Mustang, explores how surrender, trust, and meekness can transform the way we live and lead.
Website: https://jesuspeoplemovement.org/
Instagram: @ryan_miller
Integrated Leader Mastermind — Applications Open
Strong leaders weren't meant to lead alone.
Tony Miltenberger and Trey Tucker are bringing together 12 Christian men for a six-month mastermind focused on growing professionally, personally, and spiritually alongside other leaders committed to doing the same.
Learn more and apply:
https://leader-integrated-cohort.replit.app/
Connect with Tony Miltenberger
Website: https://www.twmilt.com/
12 Questions: https://www.follow2leadbenchmark.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@twmilt
Substack: https://twmilt.substack.com/
Instagram: @twmilt | @follow2lead
Please check out our sponsors:
EBEB Solutions
https://www.ebebsolutions.com/
That Sounds Fun Network
https://thatsoundsfunnetwork.com/
Follow 2 Lead Coaching
https://www.follow2leadbenchmark.com/
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/follow-2-lead-a-christian-leaders-podcast/id1429933082
Learn more about your ad choices.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
You want to develop better leaders. But are you still developing yourself?
In this episode, Tony sits down with Peter Hiskey for an in-person conversation about developing leaders, remaining a lifelong learner, discerning God’s call, and continuing to grow in every season of life.
Peter has spent decades discipling and developing people in the world of professional golf, carrying forward a ministry that began when his father started gathering PGA Tour players for Bible study more than 60 years ago. His approach to developing leaders starts with something simple: never stop being a learner yourself.
Tony and Peter also explore the major transitions that have shaped Peter’s life—from leaving a successful 25-year career with Ping to following God into ministry, to building The Saltire House at St. Andrews, to climbing Kilimanjaro, to taking on one of his biggest assignments at an age when many people are thinking about retirement. Through it all, Peter has learned to keep asking where God is leading, stay aligned with his wife, and remain willing to move when the answer comes.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
Coaching Question
If you want the people you lead to keep growing, where do you need to become a learner again?
Connect with Peter Hiskey
Peter Hiskey has spent decades discipling and developing people throughout the world of golf. Today, his work includes The Saltire House at St. Andrews, creating opportunities for discipleship, connection, and spiritual formation at the historic home of golf.
Website: The Saltire House
Email: [email protected]
Integrated Leader Mastermind — Applications Open
Strong leaders weren't meant to lead alone.
Tony Miltenberger and Trey Tucker are bringing together 12 Christian men for a six-month mastermind focused on growing professionally, personally, and spiritually alongside other leaders committed to doing the same.
Learn more and apply:
leader-integrated-cohort.replit.app
Connect with Tony Miltenberger
Website: twmilt.com
12 Questions: follow2leadbenchmark.com
YouTube: youtube.com/@twmilt
Substack: twmilt.substack.com
Instagram: @twmilt | @follow2lead
SEEDS
Download the free SEEDS app and take one small step today: plant your first seed and see what God can grow.
Please check out our sponsor:
EBEB Solutions
ebebsolutions.com
That Sounds Fun Network
thatsoundsfunnetwork.com
Follow 2 Lead Coaching
follow2leadbenchmark.com
Apple Podcasts
Follow 2 Lead on Apple Podcasts
Learn more about your ad choices.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What happens when praising God no longer comes naturally?
In this episode, Tony sits down with author, speaker, and Bible teacher Wendy Speake for a deeply personal conversation about praise, perseverance, spiritual disciplines, and learning to trust God when life gets hard.
For years, praise had been a natural overflow of Wendy’s faith—until she entered a season where life became tremendously difficult. In the middle of feeling physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and relationally broken, Wendy began to discover that praise and thanksgiving aren’t dependent on our circumstances. Sometimes, they become a discipline we choose precisely when we don’t feel like it.
Wendy shares the unexpected airplane conversation that led her into an “ask fast,” where she temporarily stopped petitioning God for what she wanted and instead focused on praising Him for who He is. That practice became an important part of her healing—and ultimately inspired her new book, A Sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving.
Tony and Wendy also explore the daily practices that keep faith rooted, how our thought patterns shape our relationships, what it means to share vulnerably without sharing every detail, and why persevering in our relationship with God matters even when everything else feels like it’s falling apart.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
Coaching Question
What spiritual discipline are you building today that will help anchor you when life gets hard?
Connect with Wendy Speake
Wendy Speake is an author, speaker, and Bible teacher whose latest book, A Sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving, explores what it means to praise God through difficult seasons.
Website: wendyspeake.com
Integrated Leader Mastermind — Applications Open
Strong leaders weren't meant to lead alone.
Tony Miltenberger and Trey Tucker are bringing together 12 Christian men for a six-month mastermind focused on growing professionally, personally, and spiritually alongside other leaders committed to doing the same.
Learn more and apply:
leader-integrated-cohort.replit.app
Connect with Tony Miltenberger
Website: twmilt.com
12 Questions: follow2leadbenchmark.com
YouTube: youtube.com/@twmilt
Substack: twmilt.substack.com
Instagram: @twmilt | @follow2lead
SEEDS
Download the free SEEDS app and take one small step today: plant your first seed and see what God can grow.
Please check out our sponsor:
EBEB Solutions
ebebsolutions.com
That Sounds Fun Network
thatsoundsfunnetwork.com
Follow 2 Lead Coaching
follow2leadbenchmark.com
Apple Podcasts
Follow 2 Lead on Apple Podcasts
Learn more about your ad choices.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What if everyone on your team is saying yes—but you’re not actually aligned?
In this episode, Tony Miltenberger sits down with real-life friends Allison Steele and Rachel Huffman of Emerge Recovery & Trade Initiative to talk about what it takes to build a team that can move in the same direction without avoiding the hard conversations along the way.
Rachel shares a recent realization from Emerge’s leadership team: they were good at making decisions and moving forward, but sometimes they were acting like “good soldiers” instead of spending enough time in healthy conflict. Real alignment requires more than agreement—it requires trust, curiosity, honest conversation, and a willingness to stay at the table when perspectives differ.
Tony, Rachel, and Allison also explore leading through rapid growth, navigating relationships with founders, discerning God’s direction, and Allison’s approach of simply doing the “next one right thing.” And they get personal about the relationship they’ve built as leaders—one where disagreement is safe, hard conversations are possible, and neither has to lead alone.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
Coaching Question
Where might your team be settling for agreement when you need to spend more time building real alignment?
Connect with Emerge Recovery & Trade Initiative
Emerge Recovery & Trade helps people build healthy, sustainable lives through an integrated ecosystem of behavioral health services, supportive housing, and workforce development—including its on-site Trades Institute.
Website: https://emergerecoverytrade.com/about
Integrated Leader Mastermind — Applications Open
Strong leaders weren't meant to lead alone.
Tony Miltenberger and Trey Tucker are bringing together 12 Christian men for a six-month mastermind focused on growing professionally, personally, and spiritually alongside other leaders committed to doing the same.
Learn more and apply:
leader-integrated-cohort.replit.app
Connect with Tony Miltenberger
Website: twmilt.com
12 Questions: follow2leadbenchmark.com
YouTube: youtube.com/@twmilt
Substack: twmilt.substack.com
Instagram: @twmilt | @follow2lead
SEEDS
Download the free SEEDS app and take one small step today: plant your first seed and see what God can grow.
Please check out our sponsor:
EBEB Solutions
ebebsolutions.com
That Sounds Fun Network
thatsoundsfunnetwork.com
Follow 2 Lead Coaching
follow2leadbenchmark.com
Apple Podcasts
Follow 2 Lead on Apple Podcasts
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What if one of the biggest things holding you back as a leader is believing you’re supposed to have the answer?
In this episode of the Follow 2 Lead Podcast, Tony Miltenberger sits down with Joni Fedders, President and CEO of Aileron, for a conversation about vision, self-leadership, creating space to think, and what it really takes to help people and organizations grow.
After more than two decades leading Aileron, Joni has seen the power of a clear vision play out across hundreds of privately held businesses—and in her own life. She shares why a vision should be more than words on a wall, how it changes the way you show up today, and why leaders need to intentionally get out of the urgent and immediate if they want to think differently about the future.
Tony and Joni also explore the influence of her longtime mentor and Aileron founder Clay Mathile, the unexpected career path she believes was guided by the Holy Spirit, and the coaching lesson that transformed the way she leads: the person sitting across from you doesn’t need you to have the perfect answer. They need you to help them discover theirs.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
Coaching Question
Where are you trying to provide the answer when your leadership would be more powerful if you asked a better question?
Joni Fedders + Aileron Summit
Joni Fedders is President and CEO of Aileron, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping privately held businesses build healthier organizations through professional management, leadership development, coaching, and community. She has led Aileron since 2003 and has spent decades helping business owners and leaders grow themselves as they grow their organizations.
Aileron Summit brings business owners, CEOs, presidents, and their teams together to step away from the day-to-day, connect with other leaders who understand the weight of leadership, and create space for meaningful conversations about building healthier businesses.
There’s still time to register and join Tony at Summit.
Learn more: aileron.org
Integrated Leader Mastermind — Applications Open
Strong leaders weren't meant to lead alone.
Tony Miltenberger and Trey Tucker are bringing together 12 Christian men for a six-month mastermind focused on growing professionally, personally, and spiritually alongside other leaders committed to doing the same.
Learn more and apply:
leader-integrated-cohort.replit.app
Connect with Tony Miltenberger
Website: twmilt.com
12 Questions: follow2leadbenchmark.com
YouTube: youtube.com/@twmilt
Substack: twmilt.substack.com
Instagram: @twmilt | @follow2lead
SEEDS
Download the free SEEDS app and take one small step today: plant your first seed and see what God can grow.
Please check out our sponsor:
EBEB Solutions
ebebsolutions.com
That Sounds Fun Network
thatsoundsfunnetwork.com
Follow 2 Lead Coaching
follow2leadbenchmark.com
Apple Podcasts
Follow 2 Lead on Apple Podcasts
Learn more about your ad choices.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What have you already decided you could never do—before you’ve even explored what might be possible?
In this episode of the podcast, Tony Miltenberger welcomes back bestselling author, podcaster, entrepreneur, and longtime friend Annie F. Downs for a conversation about vision, leadership, risk, relationships, and what happens when we stop allowing “no” to be our first answer.
As Annie prepares to release her new book, Don’t Let That Hold You Back, she shares why hearing people repeatedly say, “I could never do that,” made her start questioning the limits we place on our own lives. Sometimes the door you thought you were heading toward will close—but taking the next step may reveal doors you couldn’t see from where you started.
Tony and Annie also get candid about leading through major life change, protecting a God-given vision without softening it to keep everyone happy, surrounding yourself with people who expand your thinking, knowing when to end something that’s still successful, and learning to hold the things you build with open hands.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
Coaching Question
Where have you already told yourself “I could never” without first asking, “Could I?”
Connect with Annie F. Downs
Annie F. Downs is a bestselling author, podcaster, speaker, entrepreneur, and founder of the That Sounds Fun Network. Her new book, Don’t Let That Hold You Back, releases September 15 and challenges readers to examine what has kept them from becoming who God created them to be.
Website: anniefdowns.com
Don’t Let That Hold You Back: dontletthatholdyouback.com
Integrated Leader Mastermind — Applications Open
Strong leaders weren't meant to lead alone.
Tony Miltenberger and Trey Tucker are bringing together 12 Christian men for a six-month mastermind focused on growing professionally, personally, and spiritually alongside other leaders committed to doing the same.
Learn more and apply:
leader-integrated-cohort.replit.app
Connect with Tony Miltenberger
Website: twmilt.com
12 Questions: follow2leadbenchmark.com
YouTube: youtube.com/@twmilt
Substack: twmilt.substack.com
Instagram: @twmilt | @follow2lead
SEEDS
Download the free SEEDS app and take one small step today: plant your first seed and see what God can grow.
Please check out our sponsor:
EBEB Solutions
ebebsolutions.com
That Sounds Fun Network
thatsoundsfunnetwork.com
Follow 2 Lead Coaching
follow2leadbenchmark.com
Apple Podcasts
Follow 2 Lead on Apple Podcasts
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Are you actually leading your organization toward the future—or just getting really good at managing today?
In this episode of the podcast, Tony Miltenberger sits down with longtime leadership expert, bestselling author, and former Chick-fil-A executive Mark Miller to talk about two responsibilities leaders can’t afford to delegate: casting vision and creating alignment.
Mark explains why so many leaders struggle to articulate where they’re going, why knowing exactly how you’ll get there isn’t a prerequisite for casting vision, and what it takes to get an entire organization moving toward the same preferred future.
Tony and Mark also dig into the leadership discipline of margin, the power of storytelling, personal development planning, and the lessons Mark learned through decades of working alongside Chick-fil-A founder Truett Cathy.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
Coaching Question
What leadership work are you neglecting because the urgent work keeps winning?
Connect with Mark Miller
Mark Miller is an author, speaker, leadership coach, and former Chick-fil-A executive whose work is dedicated to serving and developing leaders. His latest release is the fourth edition of The Secret, co-authored with Ken Blanchard.
Lead Every Day: leadeveryday.com
The Secret: https://a.co/d/02PZvYst
Integrated Leader Mastermind — Applications Open
Strong leaders weren't meant to lead alone.
Tony Miltenberger and Trey Tucker are bringing together 12 Christian men for a six-month mastermind focused on growing professionally, personally, and spiritually alongside other leaders committed to doing the same.
Learn more and apply:
leader-integrated-cohort.replit.app/
Connect with Tony Miltenberger
Website: twmilt.com
12 Questions: follow2leadbenchmark.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@twmilt
Substack: twmilt.substack.com
Instagram: @twmilt | @follow2lead
Please check out our sponsors:
SEEDS: Download the free SEEDS app and take one small step today: plant your first seed and see what God can grow.
EBEB Solutions
https://www.ebebsolutions.com/
That Sounds Fun Network
https://thatsoundsfunnetwork.com/
Follow 2 Lead Coaching
https://www.follow2leadbenchmark.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
#470: Monika Kirkland — When You're Called to It but Can't Keep Carrying It
What happens when you know God called you to something—but you’re exhausted trying to carry it?
In this episode of the Follow 2 Lead Podcast, Tony Miltenberger sits down with author, podcaster, and speaker Monika Kirkland to talk about overwhelm, surrender, spiritual disciplines, and what happens when high-capacity leaders begin relying on their own strength.
Monika shares the wake-up call that forced her to reevaluate a very full life. She couldn’t simply walk away from her work, family, or responsibilities. Instead, she had to learn how to carry the same things from a different posture—moving from striving and self-reliance toward surrender and dependence on the Holy Spirit.
Tony and Monika also explore storytelling, creativity, discerning God’s voice, navigating seasons when He feels distant, and the message behind Monika’s book, Ever With You.
In this episode, you'll discover:
Coaching Question
Where are you trying to carry a God-given calling in your own strength?
Connect with Monika Kirkland
Monika Kirkland is an author, podcaster, and speaker whose work explores intimacy with God and what it means to live an integrated life of faith. Her new book, Ever With You, is about becoming fully awake to the God who is near.
Website: monikakirkland.com
Instagram: @monikakirkland
Integrated Leader Mastermind — Applications Open
Strong leaders weren't meant to lead alone.
Tony Miltenberger and Trey Tucker are bringing together 12 Christian men for a six-month mastermind focused on growing professionally, personally, and spiritually alongside other leaders committed to doing the same.
Learn more and apply:
leader-integrated-cohort.replit.app/
Connect with Tony Miltenberger
Website: twmilt.com
12 Questions: follow2leadbenchmark.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@twmilt
Substack: twmilt.substack.com
Instagram: @twmilt | @follow2lead
Please check out our sponsors:
EBEB Solutions
https://www.ebebsolutions.com/
That Sounds Fun Network
https://thatsoundsfunnetwork.com/
Follow 2 Lead Coaching
https://www.follow2leadbenchmark.com
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/follow-2-lead-a-christian-leaders-podcast/id1429933082
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Here is the application to the Integrated Leader Mastermind.
What if the answer to feeling overwhelmed isn't doing more—but getting clearer about what was yours to do in the first place?
In this episode of the Follow 2 Lead Podcast, Tony Miltenberger sits down with longtime executive coach, author, and leadership advisor Dr. Stephen Graves to talk about building a life and leadership that flourish over time.
After nearly four decades of coaching CEOs, founders, and executives, Steve has learned that great leaders don't try to be great at everything. They learn to distinguish between God-given assignments and good opportunities, surround themselves with trusted voices, make wise choices consistently, and recognize what each season requires.
Tony and Steve also explore partnership, learning to say no, managing yourself well, and Steve's countercultural perspective that aging isn't a problem to be solved.
In this episode, you'll discover:
Coaching Question
Where in your life do you need to surrender a little control and realize this isn't a problem to be solved?
Connect with Dr. Stephen Graves
Dr. Stephen Graves is an executive coach, author, strategist, and founder of Cornerstone Group.
Website: stephenrgraves.com
Cornerstone Group: cornerstoneco.com
Integrated Leader Mastermind — Applications Open
Strong leaders weren't meant to lead alone.
Tony Miltenberger and Trey Tucker are bringing together 12 Christian men for a six-month mastermind focused on growing professionally, personally, and spiritually alongside other leaders committed to doing the same.
Learn more and apply:
leader-integrated-cohort.replit.app/
Connect with Tony Miltenberger
Website: twmilt.com
12 Questions: follow2leadbenchmark.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@twmilt
Substack: twmilt.substack.com
Instagram: @twmilt | @follow2lead
Please check out our sponsors:
EBEB Solutions
https://www.ebebsolutions.com/
That Sounds Fun Network
https://thatsoundsfunnetwork.com/
Follow 2 Lead Coaching
https://www.follow2leadbenchmark.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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