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Okay—be honest. Have you ever said yes… and then immediately regretted it?
Now you’re stuck, overwhelmed, and replaying the whole thing in your head: What are they going to think if I back out? What if I don’t show up and do it well?

In this episode, I’m joined by Samantha Stefaniak, a licensed Catholic therapist, coach, and convert (and the founder of Rooted Soul, Grounded Mind). We talk about what’s actually underneath people-pleasing—why “being nice” can quietly turn into losing yourself—and how to start practicing the kind of pause that leads to real discernment.

We also unpack emotions (without making them the boss of you): what they’re trying to tell you, how to name what you’re actually feeling, and how to stop the rumination when you’re convinced everyone is judging you.

You’ll walk away with:

• a simple way to pause before you auto-yes (and what to say instead)
• why the fear under people-pleasing is often fear of rejection (and what to do with that)
• how to use emotions as information—without letting them run your decisions
• a practical tool to stop the “they think I’m annoying / irresponsible / not enough” replay

Samantha also shares details about the Holy “No” Summit (Jan 30–Feb 1, 2026), a free virtual event to help Catholic women stop people-pleasing and start saying yes to God and their real responsibilities.

GET YOUR FREE TICKET

GET THE ALL ACCESS PASS

Rooted Soul, Grounded Mind - website is rootedsoulgroundedmind.com. Socials are @RootedSoulGroundedMind on Instagram and Facebook 

Connect with Samantha Stefaniak

• rootedsoulgroundedmind.com
• On IG @RootedSoulGroundedMind
• On FB @RootedSoulGroundedMind

Connect with Kylie

• Book a free Confidence and Clarity Call HERE or email [email protected] 
• https://www.kyliemhein.com
• On IG @kyliemhein

Support the show

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Have you ever been in a season where everything looks fine on the outside—but inside you’re exhausted, unraveling, and quietly wondering how much longer you can hold it together?

In this episode of Persistence in Prayer, I’m joined by Steven M. Bell, a Catholic convert, husband, and father, who shares his story of hidden addiction, control, and the slow unraveling that happens when we rely on performance instead of honesty. What makes this conversation so powerful isn’t shock value—it’s how familiar it feels.

Steven’s story opens a larger conversation about what happens when we cope instead of heal, when we function instead of surrender, and when we assume God must be tired of hearing the same struggle again.

This episode is for anyone who has ever:

• kept going because you can, even though something inside you knows it isn’t sustainable
• tried to manage pain quietly so no one else has to deal with it
• believed that if you were stronger, holier, or more disciplined, things wouldn’t be this hard
• wondered if God’s mercy really applies here—again

You’ll walk away with:

• language for struggles that stay hidden because you’re still functioning
• clarity on why trying harder doesn’t bring the freedom we’re actually longing for
• insight into how control and coping can slowly replace trust
• reassurance that God’s mercy does not shame you or grow impatient
• encouragement to pray honestly—even when your words are messy or unfinished

If you’ve ever wondered whether you’ve gone too far, prayed about the same thing too many times, or should be “past this by now,” this conversation is for you.

Connect with Stephen

• http://www.stevenmbellmusic.com/
• Uncomfortable Truth: Faith, Failure, Redemption, One Hard Truth at a Time - Purchase HERE

Connect with Kylie

• Book a free Confidence and Clarity Call HERE or email [email protected] 
• https://www.kyliemhein.com
• On IG @kyliemhein

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Many faithful Catholic women know the right answers when it comes to identity—we can say “I’m a beloved daughter of God”—but living from that truth is another story.

In this episode of Persistence in Prayer, Kylie sits down with therapeutic counselor and trauma specialist Sarah McKenzie for a rich, grounded conversation about identity, healing, and purpose. Together, they explore why so many women feel disconnected from who they are beneath their roles, how early wounds and lived experiences shape the way we receive love, and why healing is often less about “doing more” and more about learning how to receive.

This conversation gently weaves together Catholic theology, psychology, prayer, and real-life experience to help you:

• See why knowing the right answers about identity doesn’t always translate into living with peace
• Notice how past wounds and unspoken beliefs quietly shape your reactions, choices, and relationships
• Understand why healing unfolds over time—and why that doesn’t mean you’re stuck or doing it wrong
• Shift out of constant “doing mode” and into a steadier way of relating to God
• Begin asking “What am I here for?” without turning it into another problem to solve

This conversation explores how identity, healing, and daily choices are connected — especially for women who carry a lot and don’t have the luxury of checking out.

Connect with Sarah McKenzie

• https://www.mountainviewtherapy.ca/ 

Upcoming Free Workshop

Why Am I Like This? Making Sense of My Emotions
📅 January 12th at 6:00 PM Central (FREE) - REGISTER HERE

Connect with Kylie

• Book a free Confidence and Clarity Call HERE or email [email protected] 
• https://www.kyliemhein.com
• On IG @kyliemhein

Support the show

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What if the way we move through our days—the pace we keep, the expectations we absorb, the way we fill our time—is quietly shaping our spiritual lives more than we realize?

In this episode, I am joined by Thomistic philosopher and  Editor in Chief of The Better Part Journal, Heidi Bollich-Erne for a thoughtful, honest conversation about truth, emotions, freedom, and the way modern life affects our ability to hear God. We talk about why time is not money—time is life, and how that shift changes the way we approach prayer, relationships, parenting, grief, and discernment.

Together, we explore:

• Why truth exists apart from our emotions—and why emotions still matter
• How grief, suffering, and even rage can challenge faith without destroying it
• The pressure to measure life by productivity, achievement, and appearances
• Simple ways we can prepare for better prayer throughout our day
• The unseen mental and emotional load many women carry
• Why forming good humans matters more than building impressive resumes
• How quiet, limits, and intention prepare the soul to listen

Resources Mentioned 

• Be sure to check out The Better Part: An Intellectual Catholic Women's Journal  www.thebetterpartjournal.com  

Upcoming Free Workshop

Why Am I Like This? Making Sense of My Emotions
📅 January 12th at 6:00 PM Central (FREE) - REGISTER HERE

Coaching Gift Cards (Limited Time) - For those needing support during the holidays: 

• $150 Coaching Gift Cards can be purchased HERE
  • Includes 3 private 1-hour sessions
  • Available through December 31st
  • Sessions can be used through June of 2026

Connect with Kylie

• Book a free Confidence and Clarity Call HERE or email [email protected] 
• https://www.kyliemhein.com
• On IG @kyliemhein

Support the show

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Confession can feel overwhelming—especially if you tend to overthink, carry everything internally, or feel like you’re saying the same things every time you go.

In today’s episode, Kylie walks through confession in a practical, real-life way—not theory for theory’s sake, but concrete practices that have helped her prepare with clarity, reduce anxiety, and actually grow in virtue over time.

This episode is for Catholic women who:

• Feel scattered, stretched thin, or mentally overloaded
• Avoid or delay confession because of anxiety or uncertainty
• Go regularly but don’t feel like they’re making progress
• Want to approach the sacrament with more peace and honesty

Kylie breaks confession down into three simple parts:

• How to prepare well (before you ever get to church)
• What to expect when you go—including the spiritual resistance that often shows up
• What to do between confessions so you’re not stuck in the same cycle

You’ll also hear:

• Why varying your examination of conscience matters
• How journaling and the daily Examen bring clarity to patterns
• Why frequent confession brings order to an overwhelmed interior life
• How confession helps quiet the “I should be doing better by now” voice
• Why the Church teaches that the sacraments give us real, strengthening grace

Whether you’re preparing for confession before Christmas—or looking to build a healthier rhythm in the new year—this episode will help you approach the sacrament with greater trust, honesty, and peace.

Resources Mentioned 

• Examinations of Conscience referenced in the episode:
  • Fr. Robert Altier – Mortal sin, venial sin, and imperfections
  • SpiritualDirection.com – Examination by the Seven Deadly Sins
  • Apostolate for Family Consecration – Interior life focus
  • Tessera App – Various (find it in your app store)
• Free Resource: Daily Examen for Every Temperament
  (linked in the show notes)

Upcoming Free Workshop

Why Am I Like This? Making Sense of My Emotions
📅 January 12th at 6:00 PM Central (FREE) - REGISTER HERE

Coaching Gift Cards (Limited Time) - For those needing support during the holidays: 

• $150 Coaching Gift Cards can be purchased HERE
• Includes 3 private 1-hour sessions
• Available through December 31st
• Sessions can be used through April

Connect with Kylie

• Book a free Confidence and Clarity Call HERE or email [email protected] 
• FREE Download - Daily Examen for Every Temperament
• FREE Download - Decluttering By Temperament
• https://www.kyliemhein.com
• On IG

Support the show

Send us a text

Are you heading into the holidays with more tension than excitement? Maybe your in-laws don’t just make little comments about the mashed potatoes. Maybe there’s a long history of control, manipulation, or flat-out disrespect that leaves you walking on eggshells and nursing a migraine afterward.

And then there’s the commandment to “honor your father and mother.” If you’ve ever wondered, “Am I being uncharitable if I set a boundary… or even step back altogether?” this conversation is for you.

In today’s episode, I’m joined by Miriam Susan—Catholic wife, mom of six, convert, and host of the Catholic Wives with Toxic In-Laws podcast. 

If you’ve ever felt unseen, exhausted, or unsure what holiness looks like in the middle of messy family dynamics, I want you to know: you are not alone, and God has not abandoned you here.

In this episode, we talk about:

• What “honor your father and mother” really means (and what it doesn’t)
• How toxic in-law relationships can impact your body, mind, and soul
• The difference between setting a boundary and holding a boundary
• Why distance or no-contact can sometimes be the most God-honoring choice
• How to pray, discern, and communicate with your husband in the middle of family dysfunction

Links mentioned:

• Connect with Miriam Susan and grab her free email course: www.desiringpeace.com/free-course 
• Listen to Catholic Wives with Toxic In-Laws podcast
• Miriam Susan on Facebook

A gentle invitation:

If this episode brings up a lot in your heart and you find yourself thinking, “Why am I like this? Why do I react so strongly and then beat myself up for it?” I’d love to personally invite you to my free workshop next month:

👉 “Why Am I Like This? Making Sense of Your Emotions” will be held on January 12th at 6pm CST. Join us via zoom!

We’ll talk about what emotions actually are, why God gave them to us, and how to build the kind of emotional resilience that helps you respond with peace instead of spiraling. You’ll begin to:

• Understand what your emotions are and why they’re here
• Develop an emotional vocabulary so you’re not just “fine” or “a mess”
• Stop feeling powerless to your emotions or ruled by them

✨ Save your free seat HERE

Connect with Kylie

• Book a free Confidence and Clarity Call HERE or email [email protected] 
• FREE Download - Daily Examen for Every Temperament
• FREE Download - Decluttering By Temperament
• https://www.kyliemhein.com
• On IG @kyliemhein

Support the show

Send us a text

Have you ever felt like God is nudging you toward something that makes absolutely no sense on paper—when you’re already maxed out, overwhelmed, and barely holding everything together?

In this episode of the Persistence in Prayer Podcast, I talk with author, podcaster, and autism mom Heather Gaffneyabout that holy place where obedience and overwhelm collide. Heather shares her story as a domestic violence survivor, breast cancer survivor, and autism advocate, and how God led her to start the Warrior Words podcast and begin a Catholic nonprofit to build a home for semi-independent young adults on the autism spectrum—even when the call felt impossible.

We chat about:

• How to tell if it’s really God’s will or just your own idea
• What discernment looks like for overwhelmed Catholic women
• The fear of failing “in public” and who we’re really afraid will see
• Why a simple prayer routine (morning, midday, evening) can anchor your whole day
• Scriptures that steady us when the next step feels too big (Joshua 1:9, 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18)

If you’ve ever prayed, “Lord, I can’t do one more thing,” this conversation will encourage you to keep saying a small, honest yes—right in the middle of your real-life limits.

Connect with Heather

• Donate to Star of The Sea Guild and help build a home and learning center for semi-independent young adults on the autism spectrum
• Warrior Words Podcas
• @mywarriorwords on IG
• @warriorwords on Youtube
• Heather on LinkedIn 

Connect with Kylie

• Book a free Confidence and Clarity Call HERE or email [email protected] 
• FREE Download - Daily Examen for Every Temperament
• FREE Download - Decluttering By Temperament
• https://www.kyliemhein.com
• On IG @kyliemhein

Support the show

Support the show

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Ever feel like you’re carrying everything in your marriage—the emotional load, the spiritual load, the schedules, the growth—and your husband is living on a totally different wavelength? 

In this conversation with Catholic men’s coach Matthew Jandernoa, we break down why you and your spouse are wired so differently and why that might actually be the path God wants to use to grow virtue in both of you.

Matthew explains the Four Tendencies, what’s really happening inside your husband’s mind, how ADHD-style wiring affects virtue, and why nothing is “wrong” with you if consistency or temperance feels harder. 

We cover:

• Practical communication strategies, 
• How to avoid resentment, 
• How men actually experience expectations, and 
• Why prayer is meant to be enjoyable. 

If you’ve ever thought “something must be wrong with me … or us,” this episode will give you a hopeful, freeing framework for understanding yourself, your husband, and your marriage.

Connect with Matthew: 

• Website: https://www.steadfastlife.net/
• Email: [email protected]

Connect with Kylie:

• Book a free Confidence and Clarity Call HERE or email [email protected] 
• FREE Download - Daily Examen for Every Temperament
• FREE Download - Decluttering By Temperament
• https://www.kyliemhein.com
• On IG @kyliemhein

Support the show

Send us a text

Do you ever feel like you’re going through the motions—praying, working, and trying to love well—but still wondering if any of it really matters? 

So many of us long to feel close to God in the ordinary, to see holiness in our hidden work, and to believe that our small acts of love are part of something eternal.  

In this episode of Persistence in Prayer, Ava Frecker, Catholic writer and editor of Caeli Catholic, invites us to step back, lift our eyes beyond the noise, and remember what it means to live in the light of eternity.  

Ava and I talk about how to find God’s presence in the middle of motherhood, work, and all the in-between moments.

You’ll hear us discuss:

• How to keep heaven in mind in your everyday life.
• Practical ways to create visual and spiritual reminders of eternity.
• Understanding your God-given temperament and how it shapes your growth in virtue.
• How to embrace your unique gifts, whether you’re in the spotlight or behind the scenes.
• Finding purpose in motherhood, creativity, and the unseen work that no one claps for.

If you’ve been longing for peace, meaning, and a renewed perspective on your daily life, this episode will encourage you to see your ordinary moments as part of God’s eternal story.

Connect with Ava: 

• Substack: Caeli Catholic
• Instagram: @caeli.catholic and @avalalor

Connect with Kylie:

• Book a free Confidence and Clarity Call HERE or email [email protected] 
• FREE Download - Daily Examen for Every Temperament
• FREE Download - Decluttering By Temperament
• https://www.kyliemhein.com
• On IG @kyliemhein

Support the show

Send us a text

What if the stories we read could shape the way we live out our faith every day? 

Do you crave good stories that not only entertain but also point your heart back to God? 

In this episode of Persistence in Prayer, award-winning Catholic author and speaker Amy Schisler joins us to talk about the power of story—how fiction and Scripture together can deepen our walk with God and help us find holiness in the midst of ordinary life.  

You’ll hear:

• How stories can reveal God’s presence and help us live our faith more intentionally.
• The surprising connection between fiction, Scripture, and holiness.
• Why Amy believes that reading—and writing—with faith can transform both heart and mind.
• The inspiration behind her Bible study, Clothed with Strength and Dignity, and how biblical women can teach us courage, humility, and trust.
• Amy’s honest reflections on overcoming self-doubt, listening to the Holy Spirit, and writing as a form of prayer.

If you’ve ever wrestled with how to integrate faith into your creativity, this episode will leave you encouraged and inspired to keep saying yes to God’s call in your life.  

Connect with Amy Schisler: 

• Website: https://www.amyschislerauthor.com

Connect with Kylie:

• Book a free Confidence and Clarity Call HERE or email [email protected] 
• FREE Download - Daily Examen for Every Temperament
• FREE Download - Decluttering By Temperament
• https://www.kyliemhein.com
• On IG @kyliemhein

Support the show