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Success can go to your head. Failure can go to your heart. And if you’re building something from scratch, it’s easy to let the business decide who you are.

We sit down with Brett Smith, Executive Director of the Center for LIFE at Miami University (Leading the Integration of Faith and Entrepreneurship), to dig into what founders rarely say out loud: entrepreneurship is a tough, lonely sport that can amplify stress, shame, and identity swings. Brett shares what his research reveals about the “high highs and low lows” of entrepreneurial life and why a founder’s identity often rises and falls right along with revenue, funding, and momentum.

Then we get practical. Brett explains how a relational identity with God can act as a stabilizing counterbalance to entrepreneurial identity, affirming you in the lows and humbling you in the highs. We also unpack why success can be just as destabilizing as failure, how faith can shape decision making when the information is ambiguous, and why translating academically rigorous research into everyday language actually matters for entrepreneurs, investors, and teams.

Finally, we point you to free tools through Faith Driven Entrepreneur’s Research Insights and share where to learn more about the Center for LIFE, including resources on faith-driven entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurship. If this conversation helps, subscribe, share it with a founder friend, and leave a review so more people can find it.

Brett Smith Bio:

Brett R. Smith, Ph.D. is the Cintas Endowed Chair of Entrepreneurship, Founding Director, Center for Social Entrepreneurship, and Founding Research Director, Leading the Integration of Faith & Entrepreneurship (L.I.F.E.) Research Lab at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. His research interests focus on social and faith-based entrepreneurship. His research has been featured in leading academic journals.

Learn more and contact Brett at: https://lifemiamioh.com/

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A 13-year-old says, “I want to go to Uganda,” and a whole future cracks open. That’s where our conversation with Dr. Janelle Aby goes, and it’s why it sticks. Janelle is a physician, a clinical professor of pediatrics at Stanford University, and the medical director of the newborn nursery at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, but her most surprising work might be the stories she’s been brave enough to write down. We talk about her book-in-progress (working title: A Beautiful Mess) and why storytelling can cut through the endless noise and get us back to what matters.

We dig into how she writes without formal writing training, how reading shapes voice, and why the best stories often start as moments you can’t forget but can’t fully explain. One memory about her son Jack and a homeless man becomes a lesson in generosity with no guarantees. If you’ve ever wondered how to journal, write a memoir, or simply make sense of your life, her process is a practical map: capture the scene, then stay curious until the meaning shows itself.

Then the conversation turns to Uganda, global health, and faith in action. A connection with Damali and her orphanage grows into a community effort and, eventually, a newborn hospital project in a region with limited medical options. Janelle describes it like “surfing on a wave,” where you still take steps, but you’re not the one supplying the power. We also talk about obedience close to home, the courage to loosen control, and a relationship with a friend named Donna that proves community can be both hard and holy.

If this story nudges you to take one next step, don’t ignore it. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs encouragement, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

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We talk with Jessica Patay about the moment a diagnosis changes a family’s life and what “bravery” looks like when caregiving becomes a daily reality. We share how community support can protect caregiver mental health and why her book, "Suddenly Brave Together" aims to meet moms right at the defining moment.

• founding We Are Brave Together to reduce isolation for caregiving mothers
• defining bravery as showing up, facing grief and advocating
• naming altered motherhood and the hidden roles moms take on
• using a private online group, connection circles, retreats, podcast and books for support
• explaining the “suddenly” shift after diagnosis and the learning curve that follows
• describing Prader-Willi syndrome, food security and anxiety-driven behaviors
• navigating adulthood after school services end and the shortage of supports
• shifting from "why me?" to "what now?" through validation and community
• building confidence through doing, writing, networking and fundraising
• funding retreats and scholarships through donors, grants and sponsors

Find her website at WeAreBraveTogether.org

You can order this book and previous books directly from their website.
And if anyone out there listening has any ideas about how to get this book  into the hands of NICUs and pediatricians and geneticists, reach out to Jessica at WeAreBraveTogether.org

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We sit down with Bailey T. Hurley to get honest about why adult female friendships feel so complicated and how to build the kind of connection that actually lasts. We talk practical questions, realistic expectations, and faith-driven ways to stop chasing approval and start showing up with courage.

• why time gets scarce in adulthood and how to use it well 
• the “cost” of meaningful friendship and what we have to give up 
• simple questions that move a relationship past small talk 
• replacing outdated friendship expectations with a new definition 
• handling rejection and lack of reciprocity without spiraling 
• initiating without keeping score and knowing when to redirect energy 
• having honest conversations that create clarity and closure 
• easy friend-date ideas that do not require hosting perfection 
• Bailey’s new Friendship Devotional and what it is designed to do 
If you would like a chance to win a free copy of Bailey's new book, you can send an email to me on my website, stephanienelson.com, sign up for the newsletter, and you'll be entered to win.

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We sit down with health coach Jen Trepeck to explain the gut microbiome in plain language and why it affects immunity, mood, hormones, skin, and cravings. We also share practical ways to rebuild gut balance with food, smarter supplement choices, and one small habit you can start right away.

• what the gut microbiome is and why it matters beyond digestion 
• dysbiosis explained as an imbalance of helpful and opportunistic bacteria 
• common signs of gut imbalance including bloating, fatigue, brain fog, mood shifts, skin flare-ups, frequent illness, cravings 
• how antibiotics can disrupt gut bacteria and why rebuilding can take time 
• fiber from fruits and vegetables as the most reliable prebiotic strategy 
• why plant diversity and more colors on the plate support resilience 
• when stool testing may help and why foundations come first 
• supplement quality, dosing, and why guidance matters 
• how added sugar, artificial sweeteners, and ultra-processed foods affect gut health 
• why calorie counting misses nutrient quality and real-world variables 
• a realistic starting habit: more vegetables plus more water

Connect with Jenn to get a free 15-minute discovery call at her website:

https://asaladwithasideoffries.com/

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We talk with DEI strategist and leadership coach Israel Greene about why most DEI efforts don’t stick and what it takes to build cultures of real connection. We explore how listening, emotional intelligence, and business-aligned leadership practices turn inclusion into something durable instead of divisive. 
• Israel’s path from tech to founding Mosaic Works 
• Why DEI fails when it is not tied to business imperatives 
• How to engage quiet sabotage with curiosity 
• The 101% principle and finding common ground 
• A focus group example where skeptics become implementers 
• How language choices can trigger DEI backlash 
• Why people feel less connected after COVID and remote work shifts 
• Emotional intelligence as a core leadership skill 
• Psychological safety and trust as drivers of performance 
• Practical steps to connect with coworkers and difficult people 
• The leadership question that matters most: how people feel after you leave 

Learn more, get more information and connnect with Israel Greene via his website: https://www.israelgreene.com/ or at his company website mosaicworks.com.

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We talk with sports counselor Brooke Ewert about what athlete mental health really looks like behind the highlights and why support often starts with identity, grief, and better conversations at home. We share practical tools for anxiety, injury, perfectionism, and retirement transitions that apply to elite athletes and to the rest of us too. 
• the difference between performance-focused sports psychology and sports counseling centered on mental health 
• how athletes and teammates help break stigma and normalize therapy 
• asking “Who are you away from your sport?” to build identity beyond athletics 
• using CBT to challenge negative self-talk and reduce black-and-white thinking 
• why injury can trigger anxiety and depression and how support changes recovery 
• integrating faith as a source of strength and stability during transition points 
• making room to grieve failures before rushing to lessons and silver linings 
• goal setting with micro-goals and visible reminders to prevent skipping joy 
• setting parent boundaries around postgame feedback and car-ride conflict 
• what parent motivations can be under the surface and how that impacts kids 
• how quitting or getting cut can shake identity and community, especially in college 
For more information or to contact Brooke about counseling,  reach out to Rocky Mountain Sports Counseling Center in Englewood, Colorado 

https://rockymountainsportscounselingcenter.com/

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We explore how identity, language, and harm reduction shape recovery and what friends and families can do that actually helps. Caroline Beidler shares her story, practical tools, and evidence-based resources that save time and protect dignity.

• early trauma and the search for peace
• finding faith, fellowship, and recovery purpose
• identity-first language that reduces stigma
• why labels delay help and fuel shame
• harm reduction as a life-saving on-ramp
• navigating social pressure and judgment
• how to host inclusive, alcohol-free options
• curiosity over control when offering help
• mental health support for anxiety and trauma
• fast access to treatment with Recovery.com
• preorder bonuses and community resources

Preorder “When You Love Someone in Recovery” (out April 7th) at CarolineBeidler.com for a candid video with her husband, a family recovery planning guide, and the opening of the audiobook.

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Regret feels like a weight, but we treat it as a signal that points to what we value most and what we still can change. We break down Daniel Pink’s research on regret, share a personal reconnection story, and offer a simple way to turn regret into one small next step.

• reframing regret as a useful emotion and a values signal
• findings from the American Regret Project and how common regret really is
• foundation regrets and the power of small repeated choices
• boldness regrets and why we often regret inaction
• moral regrets tied to identity plus guilt and shame
• connection regrets and why relationships drift quietly
• a real example of reaching out and restoring pivotal relationships
• self-compassion as the middle path between ego and self-criticism
• questions to extract the lesson and choose one forward action

If you'd like a free worksheet to walk you through the process of reframing and learning from specific regrets,  just go to stephanienelson.com, go to the Contact button and send me an email. Tell me that you'd like this worksheet and I'll send it to you. 

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We talk with Elizabeth Cole of SoloParent.org about how community, safe groups, and faith help single parents move from isolation to strength. She shares practical ways advocates can help, why no-fix listening heals, and how consistent support shapes healthier homes for kids.

• scale of single-parent homes and isolation
• story of finding hope in a first group
• why advocates matter and how to help
• grief as ongoing process alongside joy
• faith as a frame for healing and resilience
• Solo Parent Essentials and recovery-model groups
• no-crosstalk rule and psychological safety
• Solo Parent Nation syncing with weekly podcast
• how to start or join groups in churches, companies, and communities
• links, schedules, and how to connect at soloparent.org

You can join Elizabeth's online group Monday nights at 8 p.m. Central on Zoom via soloparent.org . Get more information about resources for starting a group of finding a group as well.

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