The Heather Petero Show

Aubrey Logan can sing, swing, play trombone, write a killer song—and apparently do it all while Running in Heels.

In Episode 30, Aubrey joins Heather for a funny, honest conversation about life as a woman in the music business, finding your voice in a male-dominated industry, the stories behind the songs, and what it looks like to hold onto faith while building a career that doesn’t exactly come with a road map.

They talk jazz, confidence, creativity, the hard stuff nobody sees from the audience—and Aubrey’s new single, “Running in Heels.”

Big talent. Big laughs. A little vulnerability. And probably more trombone than your average podcast.

Follow Aubrey: @aubrey_logan on Instagram, TikTok & X | Aubrey Logan Music on Facebook & YouTube | AubreyLogan.com 

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What happens when decades of children’s ministry experience, a deep love for Jesus, a whole lot of hard-earned wisdom, and just enough Louisiana personality all land in the same room?

Meet DeDe Reilly.

DeDe has spent years helping churches understand something that sounds simple but is anything but: children’s ministry matters. The way we love, teach, encourage, and disciple children can shape a life for decades.

But DeDe’s story isn’t just about successful ministry. We talk about the hard seasons too — the disappointments, the unexpected turns, the moments when life does not cooperate with the plan, and what it looks like to keep trusting God when you’re not quite sure what He’s doing.

We talk calling, resilience, children who desperately need adults willing to show up, what the church sometimes gets wrong about kids’ ministry, and why the Gospel still belongs everywhere we can faithfully carry it.

And naturally, we also find out about what is required for proper gumbo, and the sacred importance of purple and gold. 

This episode is funny, heartfelt, challenging, and a beautiful reminder that God doesn’t waste a single season.

Come for the stories. Stay for the wisdom. And somebody please bring the gumbo.

🎙️ The Heather Petero Show — Where Conversation Meets Calling.

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Mike Courtney was a successful pastor and an addict at the same time.

Twenty-three years after a life-changing encounter with God in a recovery clinic, Mike joins Heather for a conversation about the secrets that nearly destroyed him—and the truth that helped set him free.

Mike is the founder of Branches, a faith-based counseling organization serving Middle Tennessee, host of the Extending Branches podcast, and author of the brilliantly titled Failure and How I Achieved It. He opens up about rebuilding a marriage after betrayal, living the 12 Steps one day at a time, healing the father wound, and handing the leadership of Branches to his son.

It’s honest, hopeful, deeply human—and somehow also involves tennis, emotionally supportive cottage cheese, and the one subject this Tennessee man specifically asked Heather not to mention: Georgia football.

Mike’s story is a powerful reminder that failure does not have to become the name we answer to, secrets lose their power when brought into the light, and every time we tell our story in a safe place, shame gets cut in half.

Learn more about Mike and Branches at Branches.org.

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Seth Panitch does not believe in staying in one creative lane—and thank goodness.

He is an award-winning playwright, actor, director, filmmaker, University of Alabama professor, and now the author of Antique, a magical debut novel.

But before the publishing deal came 106 agent rejections, a first novel Seth cheerfully describes as a “monstrosity,” years of learning, and one stubborn decision after another to keep going.

Heather and Seth talk about the wonderfully unpredictable life of an artist, directing Shakespeare in Havana, creating characters who feel fully alive, surviving rejection, starting over, and why the shortcut is almost always the long cut. It’s a funny, thoughtful, and refreshingly honest conversation about failure, reinvention, creative endurance, and finding the courage to keep chasing the magic.

Because rejection may be part of the story—but it doesn’t get to write the ending.

Instagram: @sethpanitchauthor

Threads: @sethpanitchauthor

TikTok: @seth.panitch

YouTube: @sethpanitchauthor

Facebook: Seth Panitch – Author

Website: sethpanitch.com

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What happens when being right starts costing you peace, relationships, and influence?

This week on The Heather Petero Show, Heather sits down with author, entrepreneur, and former journalist Jeramy Gordon to talk about his book Opinionated, Not Judgmental and the challenge of holding strong convictions without letting those convictions turn into contempt.

From his early years in journalism to his own experience with online outrage, Jeramy shares what he’s learned about communication, faith, self-examination, and the very real difference between defending your beliefs and reflecting your values.

Heather and Jeramy talk about social media addiction, public discourse, Christian witness, asking better questions, speaking truth in love, and why being right is not the same thing as being effective.

This conversation is thoughtful, honest, timely, and for anybody who has ever wondered how to stay grounded in a loud, reactive world.

 opinionated-book.com 

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Mark is the award-winning author of The Return, The Gendarme, and Boy With Wings, founder and president of Tallahassee’s Word of South Festival of Literature and Music, a practicing attorney, former elected official, husband, father of three—and a man whose passport may need counseling.

Heather and Mark talk about the years of hidden work behind a published novel, why perseverance matters more than inspiration, what makes writing genuinely good, and why American readers seem determined to make everybody live happily ever after.

They also dig into the heart of Boy With Wings—difference, belonging, fear, acceptance, and what happens when the world decides to define you by the thing that makes you unusual.

Plus: 96 countries, books written by women, the strange magic of pairing writers with musicians, walking, Stairway to Heaven, and a spirited defense of gloriously stupid movies.

Smart, funny, thoughtful, and wonderfully all over the map—in the best possible way.

Website: markmustian.com

Facebook: facebook.com/markmustianauthor 

Substack: MustWrite.substack.com 

Bluesky: @markmustian.bsky.social

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Billy Ballenger’s story is one of redemption, restoration, and the unmistakable goodness of God.

A Christian recording artist, speaker, Winter Jam Tour alum, and co-founder of Break the Grey, Billy has shared his music and testimony with audiences across North America and beyond. But before the stages and songs, Billy walked through bullying, addiction, crime, prison, and the heartbreak of losing custody of his infant daughter.

In this powerful conversation, Billy shares how grace met him in the middle of the mess, restored his family, and turned his testimony into a ministry of hope. We talk about childhood dreams, the long road in music, Winter Jam, why faith requires action, songwriting, family, fashion opinions, sherbet, and yes — his very firm stance against bread.

This episode is for anyone who needs to remember that your story is not over, your past does not get the final word, and the dream in your heart may be more God-given than you realize.

Follow Billy:
Website: billyballenger.com
Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok: Billy Ballenger Music

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Steve Camp’s music was part of the soundtrack of my growing-up years, so this conversation felt a little surreal—in the very best way.

In this episode of The Heather Petero Show, Steve joins me for a wide-ranging conversation about the life behind the music: the early years, the hard work nobody sees, the musicians and mentors who shaped him, the convictions that have carried him, and the lessons that only come from staying at something for decades.

We talk about his 107 Theses, his years in pastoral ministry, and the long creative road that has shaped both his music and his life. We also make room for the fun stuff: The Beatles, great coffee, great cologne, dessert-first philosophy, and what still makes a song truly great. And yes—Steve drops some great industry wisdom along the way.

You’ll also hear Steve’s song, “Ain’t All About ’Cha.”

This is a conversation about music, faith, longevity, courage, craft, and what remains when the applause gets quiet.

Instagram: @therealstevecamp

Facebook: DrSjCamp

X / Twitter: @PastorSJCamp

YouTube: @realstevecamp

Website: realstevecamp.com

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This week on The Heather Petero Show, Heather welcomes the dazzling, wildly talented, and joyfully unforgettable Gunhild Carling — Sweden’s Queen of Swing and one of the most exciting jazz entertainers in the world.

Gunhild is a singer, dancer, bandleader, composer, and multi-instrumentalist known for bringing vintage jazz, swing, and vaudeville roaring into the present. She plays trumpet, trombone, bagpipes, banjo, piano, harmonica, harp, recorder, ukulele, theremin, and more — and yes, she is also famous for playing three trumpets at once.

In this conversation, Heather and Gunhild talk about growing up in a musical family, learning without formal lessons, carrying forward the legacy of her father Hans Carling, making jazz feel alive for modern audiences, moving from Sweden to California, livestreaming backyard concerts during the pandemic, performing with family, her unforgettable stage style, and why jazz is not just music for her — it is a lifestyle.

This episode is full of music, laughter, legacy, glamour, grit, and the kind of joy that reminds you art is very much alive.

https://www.gunhildcarling.net/

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History is more than dates, battles, and famous names. It is made up of ordinary people facing extraordinary moments—and the stories we tell determine what we remember.

In this episode of The Heather Petero Show, Heather sits down with author, screenwriter, and storyteller David Jones III to talk about his historical novel, The Unlikely Life of Oliver Atkinson, and the lifetime of experience, research, setbacks, and creative persistence behind it.

David shares how he brings America’s founding era to life through the eyes of a young orphan, why historical fiction can sometimes reveal truths that textbooks cannot, and what it takes to balance imagination with historical accuracy. He and Heather also explore his complicated years in Hollywood, the difference between creating for approval and creating from conviction, and why not every meaningful story has to become a bestseller to matter.

Of course, no conversation with David would be complete without stand-up comedy, pizza, sports loyalties, his unapologetic love for the Backstreet Boys, and his backup plan to form a boy band made entirely of older gentlemen.

This is a thoughtful, funny, and deeply human conversation about history, storytelling, creativity, purpose, and the things that last long after the applause fades.

Learn more about David and The Unlikely Life of Oliver Atkinson at davidjones3.com.

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