This episode wraps up my very first season as a podcaster, and the first 18 episodes of Permission Slips! After four months of producing an episode every week, I've learned a lot about the process—and about myself. Listen in for my reflections on 7 things I've learned on this podcasting journey, which I hope will also encourage you in whatever new thing you're beginning, too!

Thanks for listening to Permission Slips, friends. I'm taking the summer to rest and dream, but I'm already looking forward to being back with you here again in the fall! Until then, may we all give ourselves permission to rest, so that we might be restored, refueled, and re-energized for what's ahead!

“Leadership by its definition requires influence. Influence requires trust. You’re not going to lead anybody if they don’t trust you.” — Dr. James B. Avey

This was more than a conversation about the mechanics of leadership—it was about how to be the kind of human that lives intentionally, loves others well, and as a result, impacts the world for good. 

Join me as I talk with my good friend, who also happens to be a highly respected researcher, distinguished professor, and sought after leadership expert, Dr. James Avey! Grab a pen, because this conversation is chock-full of wisdom for anyone who has influence on others—which is all of us. 

We cover a lot in this episode, including:

• Counting the cost of leadership and prioritizing the things that matter most—especially those closest to you

James B. Avey holds a Ph.D. in Leadership, Human Resource Management and Organizational Behavior from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He is currently a Distinguished Professor of Research and Professor of Management in the College of Business at Central Washington University and previously in engineering human resource management at The Boeing Company. He is one of the most prolifically cited scientists in his field. His work has appeared in top scientific outlets including Journal of Management, Journal of Business Ethics and Personnel Psychology as well as popular news outlets such as the Wall Street Journal and The Huffington Post. You can connect with him on LinkedIn.

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Stay connected:

• Connect with Jillian on Instagram or Facebook or sign up for the monthly Permission Slips email newsletter!

“We have to be the resilient ones. We are the ones who have to be resilient in order to fight through the obstacles on behalf of our next generation.” -Dr. Tanita Maddox

Gen Z is navigating a landscape that is vastly different than the one most of us grew up in. These "digital natives" live in an online world with cultural norms and language they speak fluently—one that many older folks often struggle to learn.

Whether you’re a parent, teacher, employer, or anyone else interacting with young people born between the years 1997 to 2012, this episode is for you! My good friend, Dr. Tanita Maddox, lets us into her research on the questions Gen Z is asking about life and faith. What she shared brought us both to tears at different points—because Gen Z needs us to show up for them, no matter how uncomfortable we feel.

As Tanita shared in this episode, “If it’s hard, it doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong. It’s just hard, period.” I hope this episode equips and inspires you to fight for connection with a generation that needs us, just as much as we need them. Listen in as we talk about things like:

• What sets Gen Z apart from previous generations, especially in their relationship with technology

Born and raised in Arizona, Tanita now serves with Young Life as the Interim Spokane director and as the national director for generational impact. Since 1998, she has worked directly with adolescents and young adults, still serving as a volunteer Young Life leader. She completed a Masters of Christian Leadership from Fuller Theological Seminary and Doctorate of Ministry at Phoenix Seminary, where her doctoral thesis was in sharing the gospel with Generation Z.  She has been married to W. Ashley since 2005, and they have two sons. Their family enjoys watching major league baseball, and their favorite team is the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Pre-order What Gen Z Really Wants to Know About God: Seven Questions About Life and Faith

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Stay connected:

• Connect with Jillian on Instagram or Facebook or sign up for the monthly Permission Slips email newsletter!

Nothing triggers a battle with body shame like swimsuit season. (Ask me how I know.) As we enter into summer, I hope this conversation with my dear friend, Brandi Hyatt, will give you permission to treat your body with more kindness and compassion—and to reject any lies that tell you your size is your measure of worth. 

This episode felt more vulnerable than usual, as Brandi turned the tables on me at one point and asked me questions about my current struggle in my relationship with my body—then helps me work through this raw, in-process part of my journey in real time!

Brandi is a certified yoga instructor who has played an instrumental role in helping me see myself and my body with greater gentleness. She guides people through what she calls “sacred yoga,” which integrates faith-centered meditation and traditional yoga movements for an embodied worship experience that strengthens the body, mind, and soul.

Listen in to our conversation as we share about:

• How learning to listen to the voice of God has strengthened us both in our fight against body shame

If you find this episode helpful, you might also appreciate the episode on "Rejecting Diet Culture and Body Shame" with Rachel Kulcsar

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Stay connected:

• Connect with Jillian on Instagram or Facebook or sign up for the monthly Permission Slips email newsletter!

What if God is kinder, gentler, and more present than you can imagine? Join me for this conversation with spiritual director, Kari Mirro, as we explore the gift of spiritual companionship on our journeys of discerning the presence and activity of God in our actual lives.

Listen in as we talk about our spiritual journeys, including:

• The role of a spiritual director and how they hold a non-judgmental space to help you notice the movement of God in your life

You can connect with Kari via email, learn more about spiritual direction on her website, or on Instagram @direction_with_kari.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• The Art of Christian Listening - by Thomas

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Stay connected:

• Connect with Jillian on Instagram or Facebook or sign up for the monthly Permission Slips email newsletter!

"I can actively create hope in myself through this practice...where there was nothing before, I can create something." What if creativity is about more than the art we make, food we cook, or music we produce? What if creativity could be a tool—a weapon, even—that allows us to fight for hope in even the darkest places of our lives?

Listen in to this conversation with my friend, artist, writer, and coach, Kristin Vanderlip, as she shares about the power wielding imagination as an act of resistance to despair. Because if you have the ability to create something new, you have the power to fight for hope in your own life, and in the lives of others.

Join us for this conversation as we talk about:

• The power of putting our experiences—especially hard ones—into words

Kristin Vanderlip is a writer, artist, and certified writing coach who is passionate about spreading the love of writing and creativity as paths to healing and hope. After experiencing deep personal grief, Kristin returned to writing and art as ways to process pain, connect with God, and find resilience. Kristin believes creativity is a sacred invitation—to meet ourselves, to meet God, and to find healing and hope.

Kristin is the founder of the Pen & Mend Collective, a writing community where women receive monthly journal prompts, attend virtual Writing Rooms, and engage in meaningful reflection and conversation—all designed to help them write their way through sorrow and into healing. She is the author of the faith-based journals Rest: A Journal for Lament and Rise: A Journal for Perseverance.

Connect with Kristin on her website to find info on her journals, art, workshops, and more at www.kristinvanderlip.com or follow Kristin on Substack or on Instagram.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Rachel Marie Kahn - Let There Be Art

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Stay connected:

• Connect with Jillian on Instagram or Facebook or sign up for the monthly Permission Slips email newsletter!

What might happen if you made space to look at your life from a different perspective? What if you carved out time to reflect on your values, priorities, and dreams? Join my friend and International Coaching Federation certified coach, Jesse Aguero, and I as we explore how coaching allows us to live with greater purpose, clarity, confidence, and joy!

Listen to this conversation as we talk about:

• How coaching is like working with a travel agent, Uber driver, and mining for treasure

Jesse Aguero is a professional certified coach who has worked with clients from all around the world, helping them navigate life and leadership challenges. He received his Advanced Certification in Transitional Coaching through Western Seminary and his Associate Certified Coach (ACC) Credential through the International Coaching Federation (ICF). With 30 years in executive leadership, 25 years of marriage, and 18 years of parenting, he’s been equipped with a wide variety of tools to help leaders grow and move forward with a clear vision.

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Stay connected:

• Learn more about coaching with Jesse on his website.

“We can be a lot kinder to the child in front of us when we take time to be kind to the child inside of us.” If you're a parent, you've had to wrestle with your own expectations about what it means to be a "good" mom or dad. You've faced the limits of your own patience, wisdom, and compassion. And if you have a Spicy OneTM, you've been challenged in ways you never saw coming!

What if those moments of exasperation became invitations into a journey toward greater self-compassion? What if you were able to care for yourself with kindness as you also care for the kiddos you're raising? And what if parenting became an opportunity to rewrite the narrative you've told yourself about who you are?

I can't wait for you to listen to this conversation with Mary Van Geffen, the international parenting coach for moms of Spicy OnesTM️! Mary helps people who are highly competent in life but overwhelmed by motherhood to lean into the spiritual discipline of staying calm and cultivating warmth and tenderness all while trying to wrangle fiery future CEOs. Often this requires serious skill-building and the balm of self-compassion.

Join us for this episode where we talk about:

• Defining what it means to "do the work" required to become the parents we want to be

Mary has a ministry on Instagram where she posts an inspiring parenting tip every single day. Just reading her social media will help you delight in your child and remember that you are enough. Mary believes that when a mom realizes how hard she is on herself and cracks the door open for some self-compassion, her entire family is bathed in light!

She offers on-line parenting classes and her signature 8 week group program: Moms of Spicy Ones to help moms gain the confidence to choose gentle, respectful parenting especially if they weren’t raised that way.

Mary is a certified Simplicity Parenting Counselor® and Professional Co-Active Coach, but her greatest achievement is cultivating a calm, kind and firm relationship with her Spicy go-getter daughter (now 18), mild child son (16) and un-Enneagramable hubby.

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Links from this episode:

Check our Mary’s daily parenting inspiration here or take one of these one-hour classes to sharpen your skills:

• CALM: Self regulation 101 for parents and other leaders. Use your body to ground yourself in the midst of chaos, defiance and uncontrollable emotions.

Join the next Moms of Spicy Ones cohort opening Fall 2025! Keep your cool and cultivate a warm connection with your big-feeling human. It's easier to love your loud, persistent, intense child when you have support and community.

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Stay connected:

• Connect with Jillian on Instagram or Facebook or sign up for the monthly Permission Slips email newsletter!

“[Rejection] happens to all of us if we try.” Anyone who has ever dreamed about writing knows how difficult putting words to the page can actually be. From the internal obstacles of self-doubt and discouragement to the external gatekeepers within the publishing world, persevering as a writer is no small feat! Which is why we all need support—whether from writing coaches (like Ann!) or from other writers, we aren't meant to craft our message in isolation. If we're going to do this brave, vulnerable work over the long haul, we need support.

Ann Kroeker is a writing coach, published author, professional speaker, and host of the top 1% ranked "Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach" podcast. She's supported hundreds of writers as they achieve their writing goals through her signature programs, membership, and one-on-one coaching. Ann designs her offerings for writers to improve their craft, pursue publishing, establish their online presence, and expand their reach so their message achieves maximum impact.

Join our conversation in this episode as we talk about our experience in the writing world, including:

• The vulnerability of sharing your heart with the world through words

Here are some links we mentioned during the show:

• Explore all of Ann's offerings at her Everything page: https://annkroeker.com/everything

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Stay connected:

• Connect with Jillian on Instagram or Facebook or sign up for the monthly Permission Slips email newsletter!

“Hospitality is knowing you are seen, valued, and heard. Not because of what you do, not because of what you have, but because you are you.” What if hospitality isn't about anything we do, but about the posture from which we help people feel welcome and loved, just as they are? This conversation with my friend, Nathan Woods, transformed how I think about hospitality—and I'm sure it will for you, too!

Nathan Woods is the founder of Beloved Hospitality and a Certified Unreasonable Hospitality Coach. He believes hospitality is more than service—it’s a posture and a practice that brings out the best in people, places, and teams. Through coaching, storytelling, and experience audits, Nathan helps leaders and brands create moments that feel thoughtful, human, and unforgettable.

In this inspiring episode, we talk about things like:

• The power of making people feel seen, valued and heard—and how hospitality is a posture, not just a practice

Links from this episode:

• Connect with Nathan Woods at Beloved Hospitality or on Instagram

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Stay connected:

• Connect with Jillian on Instagram or Facebook or sign up for the monthly Permission Slips email newsletter!