For Real with Kimberly Stuart

Today I get the chance to chat with a woman who had a crazy idea that made a lot of people give her the side-eye, but she stuck with it and boy, did it work! Stephanie Nelson, known as the Coupon Mom, took her love of clipping coupons (I didn’t even know there was a love like that), and she turned it into millions of dollars worth of donated groceries and a lot of really happy people who saved money for their families. And her heart is to help people find their own superpower and use it for good. I think you’ll love hearing from the woman who has single-handedly redeemed the Costco mailer for me.

Stephanie Nelson is the founder of the Coupon Mom website, which launched the coupon movement that took America by storm in 2008. As a savings expert, Stephanie has appeared on many national and local television news shows, including Good Morning America, the TODAY Show, and The Oprah Winfrey Show. Her entrepreneurial Coupon Mom concept started a national cottage industry of other “coupon moms” as she inspired women to start profitable websites in their communities. Her book The Coupon Mom's Guide to Cutting Your Grocery Bills in Half was a New York Times bestseller. Stephanie currently hosts her podcast, Pivotal People.

Find her online at StephanieNelson.com, her podcast Pivotal People, and on instagram @stephanie_nelson_cm.

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Dr. Emily Smith is a rock star epidemiologist, a UN presenter, and an author, not just of scientific articles I cannot understand but also a new book that I CAN understand. Dr. Emily has done a deep dive into what it means to be a Good Samaritan in 2023, both within our local communities and as people of faith who know God so loves the world. 

Emily Smith, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the department of emergency medicine/surgery at Duke University and at the Duke Global Health Institute (DGHI). Her debut book, The Science of the Good Samaritan: Thinking Bigger About Loving Our Neighbors, releases Oct. 24, 2023 from Zondervan.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Smith became known as the Friendly Neighbor Epidemiologist through her social media outlets which reached over 10 million people in 2020-2021. She continues posting on the social account and her Substack blog with a monthly reach of 2-4 million. Her work has been featured in TIME Magazine, NPR, the Washington Post, Christianity Today, and Baptist News Global.

Before joining the faculty at Duke University, Smith spent four years at Baylor University in the department of public health and was a research scholar at DGHI for two years. Smith received her Ph.D. in epidemiology from the Gillings School of Global Public Health at UNC Chapel Hill and a MSPH from the University of South Carolina. 

Smith has been married to her pastor-husband for 20 years and they have two fantastic children, one spoiled golden retriever and a new very-friendly goldendoodle puppy.

Find Dr. Smith online at emilysmith.substack.com and Facebook @friendlyneighborepidemiologist.

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On this episode, we have the ridiculous joy of welcoming Sean Dietrich to the pod. Sean, who also writes under the name Sean of the South, is one of the most creative people I know. He writes long form, short story, fiction, memoir, narrative essay, some of the absolute best stuff on social media, and as of this fall, Kinfolk, one of my favorite novels of all time. I feel a little like a sloth when I think about Sean’s productivity, but he’s such a nice guy, I can only be happy for him (and for us!). I’ll say no more and just let you listen in because this guy doesn’t need any more introduction from a Northerner or anyone else.

Sean Dietrich is a columnist, novelist, and stand-up storyteller known for his commentary on life in the American South. His work has appeared in Newsweek, Southern Living, Reader's Digest, Garden and Gun, The Tallahassee Democrat, the Birmingham News, The Mobile Press Register, and his column appears in newspapers throughout the U.S. He has authored fifteen books, he is the creator of the Sean of the South Podcast, and makes appearances on the Grand Ole Opry.

You can find Sean at SeanDietrich.com and Facebook and Instagram @seanofthesouth

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Kayla Craig joined us on For Real in our very first season. I loved her then and love her still, so I’m stoked she agreed to talk with me again. Kayla is a writer, a great question generator, a podcaster, a mother, and she writes the words I can’t seem to find some days when I’m talking about and with God. I love the way Kayla stubbornly and persistently invites the holy into ordinary moments and how she does that beautifully in her new book, Every Season Sacred, and in this conversation.

Kayla Craig is a former journalist who brings deep curiosity and care to her writing. She's the author of Every Season Sacred and To Light Their Way. With a poetic, prophetic voice, she created the popular Liturgies for Parents Instagram account, which Christianity Today named an "essential parenting resource." She also hosts the Liturgies for Parents podcast. Kayla's nuanced and accessible reflections, essays, and prayers are featured in various books, devotionals, and Bible studies. Kayla lives in a 115-year-old former convent in her Iowa hometown, where she hopes to create spaces of welcome alongside her four children, two dogs, and pastor-husband, Jonny.

You can connect with Kayla at kaylacraig.com and on Instagram @kayla_craig and @liturgiesforparents.

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I hope you’re hungry because today my guest is Bri McKoy. Bri is a fantastic cook. She’s the cook that you not only want on your Meal Train list, you might fake an injury just so she brings you a meal. But she did not start cooking until forced, so she has empathy for regular people. She is the every-girl that you want in your kitchen, teaching you how to make delicious food with confidence and joy. You are going to love this woman and the way she will help you launch out of any cooking slump, any season. 

Bri McKoy is an accidental home cook, the author of The Cook’s Book and a lover of gathering people around her everyday table. She is the creator of The Everyday Kitchen Masterclass, a five-week online course that teaches people how to become more confident home cooks. Find stories and recipes on her food blog at OurSavoryLife.com or watch her videos with recipe tips and tricks and read her reflections on Instagram @brimckoy.

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I'm super excited to be back at the mic to announce our third season of For Real! A third season? Who even are we? What an honor that you take us along on your coffee run, your carpool loop, your drive to the gym if you're that kind of person who will outlast us all because of self-discipline.

This season is already making me laugh and cry and want to linger for more. We have already recorded a bunch of these conversations and let me just assure you that you do not want to miss an episode.

Season three of For Real launches September 12. Subscribe on your favorite streaming platform right now so you don't miss a single episode!

Our last episode of Season Two! We made it! Again! And oh, man, do we have the best season ender for you. My guest is Jami Nato, and I want to assure you that she makes me snort-laugh. You know that really undignified laughter that makes you feel like you never actually left junior high but are still that awkward kid in braces and Aqua Net? Snort laughter in braces? That’s what I do with Jami Nato, AND I also learn a lot about redemption and forgiveness and how to be the person God hand-made me to be. I think you’re going to love this episode with author, Midwesterner, and fellow child of the 80’s, Jami Nato.

Jami Nato is a serial entrepreneur and leader of a multi-million dollar business built on faith, community, authenticity, and courage. Navigating life with her wonderful husband of 14 years and 4 unruly children is her greatest love and challenge.

She’s passionate about not doing laundry, hoarding socks, loves using humor, writing and honesty to convey the truth of the gospel. Sharing her own personal over comings with well-timed, awkward humor helps her and her audience navigate through tough topics. While she continually plans for the future, she recognizes God’s role as The Ultimate Curator of her life.

Find her online at JamiNato.com and on Instagram @jaminato.

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I’m trying not to hyperventilate. Sara Groves is on the pod today. This means that the woman who has sung the soundtrack to my adult life is ON THE POD TODAY. Sara has been singing my favorite songs for 25 years. She is an exquisite writer, thinker, and truth teller. She puts words and melodies to what our hearts can’t do on their own. And she’s also a Minnesotan, which means she knows how to weather pretty much anything. Lean in, folks, and enjoy a conversation I absolutely loved with singer-songwriter, Sara Groves.

Sara Groves is a 25+ year veteran singer/songwriter and recording artist with a passion for justice. Since 2005 she has been an artist advocate with International Justice Mission, a global organization that works to protect the poor from violence. In 2011, Sara and her husband Troy opened a unique community art center, Art House North, in a 115+ year old church. Sara’s 14th and most recent album, What Makes It Through, is a poignant reflection on reconciliation. Troy and Sara live in St Paul with their three children, Kirby, Toby and Ruby.

Find her online at SaraGroves.com and Instagram @grovesroad.

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Yowza. This conversation will not let me go. In this episode, I had the pleasure of chatting with a man who knows a lot about Plan B. Strahan Coleman was a touring musician and songwriter for years, and he had a very robust prayer life until he became so sick, he couldn’t get out of bed and he could not muster the energy to pray as he had before. Plus, he was rather irritated with the God of the universe who suddenly seemed very silent and very unwilling to give Strahan the help he needed. If you have ever felt like God isn’t very cooperative or that he’s distant or that prayer is mostly for super spiritual people, this is a conversation for you. I loved it, loved Strahan’s book, and cannot wait for you to listen in on what he had to say.

Strahan Coleman is a writer, spiritual director, and award-winning musician from Aotearoa, New Zealand. After spending ten years recording and traveling as a folk artist, he founded Commoners Communion in 2017, a ministry exploring conversations in Christian spirituality. Since then, he has given himself to his passion of helping others deepen their experience in God through his writing, podcast, spiritual retreats, and online prayer schools. He has published Beholding and three prayer books, Prayer Vol. 01, 02, and 03, poetic devotionals inviting the reader into a deeper honesty, vulnerability, and closeness with God. Strahan currently lives by the beach in the Coromandel in Aotearoa, New Zealand with his wife, Katie, and three sons, Mikal, Theodore, and Finley.

Learn more about Strahan at his website, CommonersCommunion.com and Instagram @strahanmusic.

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Author Jennifer Dukes Lee is a woman who is so dear to me and who has taught me so much. She is wise, funny, and exactly the same person in real life as she is in public. This is a remarkable and delightful character trait, I’m sure you agree. We get to talking about Jennifer’s new project, Stuff I’d Only Tell God, which is unique for her and a gift to us. We also dive into what it looks like to show generous compassion toward ourselves, how to be real with God, and the point of all this brutal honesty. I know you’ll love hearing from my friend and fellow Iowa girl, author Jennifer Dukes Lee.

Jennifer Dukes Lee lives on the fifth-generation Lee family farm in Iowa, where she and her husband have invested a life into raising crops, pigs, two beautiful humans, and an enduring faith. A former news reporter, she thinks you can learn a great deal by paying attention to what comes after the beautiful curve of a question mark. She's the author of several books, including her latest, Stuff I'd Only Tell God.

Find Jennifer at JenniferDukesLee.com and on Instagram @JenniferDukesLee.

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