Hey friends! Welcome to Girls’ Night!

I’m so excited about today’s episode. Today we’re talking about how to get on the same page about household responsibilities with your spouse.

Question for you – 

Do you and your spouse (or partner or roommate) ever have a hard time figuring out who is responsible for managing certain household tasks? This could apply to chores, paying bills, or making meals.

Okay, another question for you – 

Are you frustrated because the majority of household tasks always seem to fall on you? 

Friends, I’ve lived in that tension before, but, today’s guest (and her book) changed everything for me and my relationships in general! 

Our guest for today’s episode is my new friend, Eve Rodsky. Eve is an expert on the gender division of labor. She wrote one of my favorite books called, Fair Play: A Game-Changing Solution for When You Have Too Much to Do (and More Life to Live). In it, she discusses the issue of unequal labor in the home, why this is hurting our relationships, and what we can do to fix it. 

One of my favorite parts of the episode is when she explains the concept of being the “She Fault” and why so much of the domestic work falls in the hands of women. More about that soon! 

Friends, whether you’re married, engaged, single, or dating, I know there’s something for you in this episode! 

Okay, one more quick thing before we dive in –

I wanted to let you know that there are a handful of cuss words in this episode, so if you’re listening with tiny ears around that repeat everything like my girls do, maybe put some headphones in for this conversation! 

Alright, let’s jump into my conversation with Eve!

Hey friends! Welcome to Girls’ Night!

I’m so excited about today’s episode. Today we’re talking about why it’s so important that we stop trying to be the “perfect” Christian.

Tell me if any of this sounds familiar to you:

You try to do all of the “right” things like pray and read your Bible, but sometimes it feels like you’re checking boxes off a to-do list rather than experiencing real intimacy with God. 

Or maybe you feel like you need to do X,Y, & Z, you fill in the blanks, in order to be a “good Christian” or person of faith.

Or, if you don’t have your quiet time (or whatever the thing is you feel you’re supposed to do), you feel like a bad Christian and that God must be disappointed in you. 

Does any of this resonate with you? If so, I want you to know you’re not alone and we’re going to work through this together. 

Our guest for today’s episode is Kimberly Stuart. Kim is a writer, speaker and podcaster. Her most recent book is called, Star for Jesus (And Other Jobs I Quit): Rediscovering the Grace that Sets Us Free. In it, she’s reminding us that our faith is not about trying to be good enough or doing all of the right things — instead, it’s about accepting the free gift of God’s grace. 

Kim is hilarious and warm and relatable and wise. I can’t wait for you to meet her.

One of my favorite quotes Kim says in the episode is this, “There is more than enough grace to cushion every single fall every single day.” Yes and amen to that! 

I hope this conversation reminds you how loved you are and that there’s room for everyone at God’s table! Okay, let’s dive in!

Hey friends! Welcome to Girls’ Night!

I’m so excited about today’s episode. Today we’re talking about friendship, specifically how to navigate friendship conflict and find forever friends.

To help us with this, I invited a Girls Night favorite back on the show, my dear friend, Danielle Bayard Jackson! Danielle is a female friendship coach and educator who speaks nationally about the science of women’s platonic connections. She has a brand new book out called, Fighting for Our Friendships: The Science and Art of Conflict and Connection in Women's Relationships. 

This book offers the strategies we all need when navigating our friendships and she’s sharing several of those strategies with us in today’s conversation! She’s also sharing more about “friend types” and how to know which one you are! 

One of my favorite moments of the episode was when she shared her advice for setting boundaries in your friendships. Y’all need to listen in, because you’re going to LOVE what she has to say about this!

Okay, friends, make yourself cozy — here’s my conversation with Danielle!

Hey friends! Welcome to Girls’ Night!

I’m so excited about today’s episode. Today we’re talking about how to stay present even if you’re not exactly where you want to be in life. 

I’m excited about this episode because if you’re anything like me, when you’re going through a waiting season, all you want to do is skip forward and get to the “good part” where it feels like you have your life together again. Or maybe you want to skip ahead because what you’re currently facing — in your job, in parenting, in a relationship —  is too hard, too messy, or not at all where you pictured you would be at this time in your life.

Friends, I get it. I’ve been there too. But the more waiting seasons I’ve lived through, the more that I’ve discovered that they're not something to wish away. They’re actually something to lean into, and today’s guest is going to teach all about this!

Our guest for today’s episode is my new friend, Ruth Chou Simons. Ruth is a bestselling author of several books and Bible studies, an artist, entrepreneur, podcaster, and speaker, using each of these platforms to sow the Word of God into people’s hearts. I’ve been a fan of Ruth for years and love the work that she does. Her newest book is called, Now and Not Yet: Pressing in When You’re Waiting, Wanting, and Restless for More. 

In the description she says this book is showing us how to “embrace the biblical truth that someday is made up of thousands of right nows” and that’s really what this episode is all about!

If you’re feeling stuck in your current circumstances, I hope today’s conversation is the reminder you need that no season is wasted and it’s possible to grow in the right here and right now.

I’m so excited about today’s episode.

Here’s the thing — we’ve all been there. We’ve all had days where it feels like our emotions are getting the best of us or our minds can’t stop racing. These moments are so frustrating because often we think, “I shouldn’t be feeling this way” — but still, we do! And these feelings have a way of impacting every facet of our lives — our relationships, our career, our body image and so much more! 

But, the truth is, it’s okay to feel our emotions, what matters is how we respond to them! 

Our guest for today’s episode is Dr. Alison Cook. Alison is a psychologist, podcast host, and the author of three books, including her newest book called, I Shouldn't Feel This Way: Name What’s Hard, Tame Your Guilt, and Transform Self-Sabotage into Brave Action. For 20 years, Alison has helped women, ministry leaders, couples, and families learn how to heal painful emotions, develop confidence from the inside out, forge healthy relationships, and fully live out their God-given potential.

One of my favorite parts of the episode was when Alison shared her strategy on how to “name, tame, and transform” our thoughts. I will be using this all of the time! 

Friends, my hope is that you leave this episode feeling like you have a better grasp on how to navigate your tricky emotions and have more compassion for yourself.

Hey friends! Welcome to Girls’ Night!

Today, I’m so excited to read a section from my new book, Create A Life You Love. 

Did you know that the average woman makes most of her biggest life decisions between her 25th and 35th birthdays? Who you are, what you want to do with your life, where you’ll call home, who your people are, which person you’ll share your life with, and whether you’ll have kids—there's major pressure (internal, external, and even biological) to decide the major plot points of our lives, all within just a few short years.

My book, Create a life You love, is a guided journey of self-discovery, helping you take the pressure off what you think your life is supposed to look like by now and intentionally, confidently, and authentically build the life you actually want to live — a life that looks and feels like YOU. 

The book comes out THIS WEEK, and you can order or purchase a copy wherever books are sold. I’m SO excited and honored to share this with you. Okay, so for today’s episode, I want to actually read a section of the book to you! Eeek, I can’t wait to share this with you. Let’s dive in!

Hey friends! Welcome to Girls’ Night!

I’m so excited about today’s episode. Today we’re talking about how to decorate your home (when you’re not a professional home designer).

Decorating a home can feel challenging because there are so many different components to consider, but, like most things in life, there are some guidelines we can follow to help make things a little bit easier! 

To walk us through this, I invited a Girls Night favorite back on the show and that’s my dear friend and home design enthusiast, Myquillyn Smith. Myquillyn, also known on social media as “The Nester,”  believes every home has a silver lining. She's created a beautiful home in 15 different houses and she loves teaching how to create beauty in imperfect circumstances. She recently wrote a book called, House Rules: How to Decorate for Every Home, Style, and Budget. In it, she shares 100 universal decorating truths that apply to every house. One of my favorite rules that she shares is, “you can’t ruin something you already hate” — more about that in the episode! 

This episode inspired me to look at my home through a new lens and I hope it does the same for you! Ready? Let’s dive in! 

Hey friends! Welcome to Girls’ Night!

I’m so excited about today’s episode. Today you’ll hear the advice I WISH I would have had when I was single.

Today’s episode is going to look a little different than usual. If you’ve been around our Girls Night community for a while, you know that it’s girls only. (With the occasional exception of my husband Carl). Today, we’re breaking that rule — but I promise it’s for a really good reason!

Our guest for today’s episode is my long-time friend, Ryan Wekenman. Ryan and I met back in college at a campus ministry we were both a part of, but today he’s the teaching pastor at a church called Red Rocks Austin. He recently wrote an incredible book called, Single Today: Conquer Yesterday's Regrets, Ditch Tomorrow's Worries, and Thrive Right Where You Are.

In this episode, Ryan is sharing his journey as an unmarried pastor for over a decade. He has such a unique perspective on this topic and I knew we needed to have him on! Ryan is the REAL DEAL. 

He’ll talk us through some of the biggest struggles we all face when we’re single — “How do I respond to a relative who keeps nagging me about my relationship status?” “How do I stop comparing my timeline to the other people in my life?” “Can I experience intimacy even as a single person?” “Is there something wrong with me for wanting to be single?” or “Is there something wrong with me because I’m not married yet?” And that’s just the beginning! 

If you’re a single person in your twenties or thirties, I hope this episode will bring you so much encouragement and remind you that you’re not alone! 

Okay, ready? Let’s dive into my conversation with Ryan!

Hey friends! Welcome to Girls’ Night!

I’m so excited about today’s episode. Today we’re talking about why your 20s & 30s are some of the most important years of your life and how you can make the most of them! 

To walk us through this, I invited none other than the twentysomethings expert herself, Dr. Meg Jay. Meg Jay is a clinical psychologist and author who specializes in twentysomethings. I read her book, The Defining Decade, about a decade ago, and it totally changed my life. And she actually has a new book releasing this week called, The Twentysomething Treatment which is about young adult mental health — I cannot wait for you to hear more about it! 

In our conversation, Meg is teaching us why the twentysomething (and thirtysomething) years are so critical in shaping who we are. Along with that, she’s sharing her research on the young adult mental health crisis in America and her best solutions for improving your mental health, and your life in general! 

My hope is that you’ll walk out of this episode feeling less alone knowing that it’s totally normal to struggle with life in your 20s or 30s, but also, feeling so equipped to take your next steps forward. You don’t have to do this alone!

Okay, you ready? Here’s my conversation with Meg!

Hey friends! Welcome to Girls’ Night!

As you may know, I have a new book coming out soon called Create a Life You Love and in it I tackle what I call the Everything Era — that wildly confusing decade-ish where we have to make some of the most significant decisions of our lives, typically all at the same time.

I've spent the last 10 years wrestling with these big life decisions and the pressure that comes with them — and I've talked to countless women who are doing the same. But I didn't know it was a thing — actually a thing — until two years ago when I heard a statistic I will never, ever forget.

In a rare study of life-span development, researchers at Boston University and the University of Michigan found that 80% of our life’s most defining moments happen before we turn 35. In fact, the average woman makes the majority of her biggest life decisions in the decade between her 25th and 35th (ish) birthdays.

So… I wasn't exaggerating, it wasn't my imagination, this season of life is actually as big, and hard, and consequential as it feels. So that's when I started to dig. I needed more information. I wanted to know more about what's happening in us during these years, and what's happening around us.

I also started to wonder what these years have looked like for the generations of women who have gone before us, because I realized I didn't actually know.

I have learned SO MUCH as I’ve heard stories of women from past generations. The more I’ve learned about women’s history, the more I understand why our lives look the way they do today.

This is why I’m so excited to introduce you to today’s guest!

Our guest for today’s episode is my new friend, Sarah Gristwood. Sarah is a former film journalist and now writes books about women’s history. Her most recent is called, Secret Voices: A Year of Women’s Diaries. In it, she analyzes a collection of excerpts from women’s diaries, looking back over four centuries to discover how women’s experience—of men and children, sex and shopping, work and the natural world—has changed down the years. And, of course, how it hasn’t.

I LOVED this conversation, and I can’t wait for you to hear it.

Before we dive in, I wanted to read you just a little snippet of my new book, Create A Life You Love — because in it, I explain why learning about women’s history has meant so much to me.

“Recognizing the pressures women have been under throughout history helps me feel like I’m not alone. I’m part of a large sisterhood, and I’m honored to be.

This truth is especially helpful to me during times when I start to wonder if the pressure I’m feeling is imagined—if the expectations I’m sensing are really as heavy and forceful as they feel.

As I look back at the centuries of pressure and expectations and opinions about women’s lives and how they should spend them, I see that yes, this actually is as big as it feels. And that’s so validating. It helps me be kinder to myself as I navigate all of this. I hope it helps you too.”

“Not only is it helpful for me to know that this pressure isn’t new—that women have always had people breathing down their necks telling them what they should do and how they should live—but also, the more I find out about the expectations placed on women throughout history, the more I understand why some of the decisions I’m trying to make in my own life today feel so heavy.”

You guys, Sarah is the best. I can’t wait for you to meet her. You ready? Let’s dive in.