Welcome to the Together We Rise podcast! This is a place where every woman has a seat at the table – and where we affirm, equip, and amplify women's voices globally.

This week, our hosts Cheryl Nembhard and Aubrey Sampson talk with Christine Caine about what it takes to be resilient in ministry and to approach calling with the fear of the Lord. She passionately shares decades of ministry experience with fierce encouragement and exhortation for the next generation of women ministry leaders and speakers – calling us all up to the standard of ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Christine Caine is an Australian-born, Greek-heritage activist, evangelist, author, and international speaker who has served the global church for over 30 years. She holds a M.A. in Evangelism and Leadership from Wheaton College. Christine and her husband, Nick, founded A21, a global anti–human trafficking organization, as well as Propel Women and Equip & Empower. A bestselling author of more than a dozen books and studies—including A Life Unleashed, Run to Win, and Resilient Hope—she also hosts a weekly podcast and TV program. Christine lives in Southern California with Nick and their daughters, Catie and Sophia.

Welcome to the Together We Rise podcast! This is a place where every woman has a seat at the table – and where we affirm, equip, and amplify women's voices globally.

This week, we are having a special conversation with our hosts Cheryl Nembhard and Aubrey Sampson digging into something many women speakers and leaders face: imposter syndrome. They share personal examples and unpack the underlying causes for feeling fraudulent in the places and spaces that God has called them to – reminding listeners to remember who they are in God and who God is in their lives.

Cheryl Nembhard

Cheryl Nembhard is a dynamic speaker, podcaster, TV host, and justice advocate. She has spent years serving at-risk youth, former gang members, sexual assault victims, and teen mothers. She’s been named one of Canada’s Top 100 Women to Watch, recognized by CBC as one of 150 women improving the country, and is a Harry Jerome Award winner for social advocacy.

Cheryl is a 10-season co-host of See, Hear, Love and host of On The Path with Cheryl Nembhard, airing on YES TV, audio platforms, and now streaming across the U.S. She serves as Executive Director of the Women Speakers Collective, empowering women’s voices worldwide.

Aubrey Sampson

Aubrey (M.A. Evangelism and Leadership) co-planted and co-pastors Renewal Church in Chicagoland. She speaks nationally, hosts the Together We Rise and What We Find in the Dark podcasts, and coaches women in ministry through Propel Women Cohorts.

Passionate about helping hurting people encounter God in their pain, Aubrey lives in Chicagoland with her husband, Kevin, and their three hilarious sons.

She is the author of multiple books, including What We Find in the Dark (NavPress, 2025), Big Feelings Days (NavPress, 2023), Known, The Louder Song (NavPress, 2019), and Overcomer (Zondervan, 2015).

WSC Woman to Watch: Laura Busse

Laura Bussee is a keynote speaker and author of six original Women’s Bible studies on topics like resilience, confidence, and post-traumatic growth. Her teaching has impacted thousands, and her first book, The Unimaginable: God, Grief, and the Questions that Won’t Go Away, releases in summer 2026.

She’s a Grief Educator and founder of GriefandHope.org, where she counsels women through profound loss and partners with leading experts on grief and trauma. Laura also co-hosts the Soul Enchilada podcast, blending faith and therapy in honest, real-world conversations.

Laura has been married to her high school sweetheart, Dan, for 31 years. They’re empty nesters living in Boulder, CO, where they love to hike, bike, and paddleboard under wide-open skies.

Welcome to the Together We Rise podcast! This is a place where every woman has a seat at the table – and where we affirm, equip, and amplify women's voices globally.

This week, we're excited for this powerful conversation with April Stallworth. She joins Cheryl Nembhard and Aubrey Sampson to discuss authenticity, the significance of knowing one's identity in Christ, the importance of preparing for God-given opportunities, and empowering the next generation to embrace their true selves without apology.

April Stallworth is a respected leader, speaker, certified Christian life coach, and Chief of Staff at T.D. Jakes Enterprises, where she drives operational excellence and strategic collaboration across the organization. Beyond her role, she offers coaching, training, and speaking engagements focused on transformation, purpose, leadership, and holistic self-care.As a LinkedIn Learning Instructor with over half a million viewers, April equips professionals worldwide with practical tools for growth. She also serves as a Propel Women Cohort Coach and holds degrees in Management and Leadership. Originally from New Jersey, April now lives in Dallas, TX, and is the proud mom of her daughter, Imani, a creative storyteller in Los Angeles.

Connect with April

April’s Website

April’s Instagram

April’s LinkedIn

TD Jakes Enterprises

WSC Woman to Watch: Karissa Sovdi

Braun Book Award winner Karissa Sovdi is a writer, speaker, and clinical counselor. As a never-married Christian single who grew up in church, she speaks from her sometimes heartbreaking, often humorous, and frequently bumbling journey to a thirtysomething’s radical self-acceptance and revelation of God’s love. Karissa lives, plays, and works on Canada’s west coast, where she specializes in coaching organizational leaders to build healthy workplaces.

Karissa’s Website

Book: Surviving Christianity Unmarried

Karissa’s Instagram

(Trigger Warning: Loss by suicide is mentioned in this episode)

Welcome to the Together We Rise podcast! This is a place where every woman has a seat at the table – and where we affirm, equip, and amplify women's voices globally.

This week, we're excited for this powerful conversation with Karrie Scott Garcia. She joins Cheryl Nembhard and Aubrey Sampson to encourage women to live integrated lives. Karrie offers hard fought insight in this conversation, and shares a bit of her own journey toward integration and God’s transformative power in our lives, when we allow Him to lead us in this journey.

As a pastor, life coach, author, and CEO, Karrie Scott Garcia inspires change by boldly sharing her journey to freedom. She believes true redemption doesn’t begin after pain, it’s born from it. Through her nonprofit, Freedom Movement, Karrie helps people process and heal through tours, workshops, coaching, and community. Since 2014, she’s been redefining what it means to live free and fully alive. Currently pursuing a master’s in Neuroscience and Trauma, Karrie continues to equip others to find healing and purpose in their stories.

Connect with Karrie and Freedom Movement

Karrie’s Website

Karrie’s Instagram

Karrie’s Facebook

Freedom Movement Website

Freedom Movement Instagram

Book: Free and Fully Alive: Reclaiming the Story of Who You Were Created to Be

WSC Woman to Watch: Jennifer Edwards

With over 20 years of experience in ministry and advocacy, Jen has dedicated her life to serving children and women through leadership, systems building, and coaching. Passionate about the connection between Kids Ministry and Women in Ministry, she equips women to advocate for themselves and the communities they lead. When she’s not speaking, writing, or coaching, Jen enjoys coffee, walks by the water, and time with her husband and three sons.

Jennifer’s Website

Jennifer’s Instagram 

Welcome to the Together We Rise podcast! This is a place where every woman has a seat at the table – and where we affirm, equip, and amplify women's voices globally.

This week, we're excited for this powerful conversation with Latasha Morrison. She joins Cheryl Nembhard and Aubrey Sampson to encourage our listeners about what it looks like to follow the way of Jesus in lifting up our marginalized brothers and sisters in Christ, and the collective act of lament and roles that each of us have to take up in order to be a part of racial reconciliation.

Latasha Morrison is a distinguished author renowned for her transformative work in fostering racial reconciliation and unity. She is a New York Times bestselling author and founder of the nonprofit Be the Bridge, which encourages racial reconciliation among all ethnicities, to promote racial unity in America, and to equip others to do the same.

Her insights and expertise have been featured in outlets such as Oprah Daily and USA Today, where she inspires readers to engage in meaningful conversations about race, justice, and equality.

Connect with Latasha and Be The Bridge

Be The Bridge’s Website and Latasha’s Website

Be The Bridge’s Instagram and Latasha’s Instagram

Be the Bridge Podcast

Books: Be the Bridge and Brown Faces, White Spaces

Made with

Welcome to the Together We Rise podcast! This is a place where every woman has a seat at the table – and where we affirm, equip, and amplify women's voices globally.

This week, we're excited to speak with Tammy Melchien. She joins Cheryl Nembhard and Aubrey Sampson to unpack what it truly means to be a counter-cultural participant in the Kingdom of God, based on Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.

Tammy Melchien is a teaching pastor and writer. With over 30 years of experience in ministry, she currently leads the teaching team at a large, multi-site church in the Chicago area. She is passionate about the study of Scripture and has earned an M.A. from Lincoln Christian Seminary. 

Connect with Tammy

Website

Book: Choosing the Opposite

WSC Woman to Watch: Jeannette Cochran

Jeannette Cochran is a leadership coach, pastor, and veteran ministry leader with 30 years’ experience. She equips women in ministry and faith-based nonprofits to lead with clarity, confidence, and conviction, uniting theological depth with practical wisdom. 

Connect with Jeanette

Website 

Instagram 

Podcast: Empowered to Lead

Made with

Welcome to the Together We Rise podcast! This is a place where every woman has a seat at the table – and where we affirm, equip, and amplify women's voices globally.

This week, we're excited to speak with Olivia Munn-Shirsath. She joins Cheryl Nembhard and Aubrey Sampson to discuss the nuances of leading pastorally as a woman in the church, encouraging listeners to step into their humble, God-given authority.

Olivia unpacks Jesus’ example of humble authority through His being the Alpha and Omega and offers practical advice on how the Church – and its leaders – can continue moving forward in the purposes Jesus set for them.

Olivia Munn-Shirsath is a passionate communicator of the Word, currently serving as Teaching Pastor at Wellspring Church in Queens, NY. With over a decade of frontline urban pastoral experience through the Salvation Army amidst the homelessness and recovery communities, she is well equipped to address a wide range of issues, and is convinced the Bride of Christ is the solution. Olivia is a mentor, a worship leader, and a co-author. She resides in NYC with her husband Pratik, and her two sons, Romey and Shalom.

Connect with Olivia

Website | https://www.oliviamunnshirsath.com

Instagram | @oliviamunnshirsath

Book | The Uprising: A Holy Revolution? https://satradecentral.org/The-Uprising-A-Holy-Revolution 

WSC Woman to Watch: Christine Saffold

Christine is an award-winning entrepreneur, business advisor, and community economic development professional. She holds a BA in Psychology from Yale University and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, where she received concentrations in Finance, Entrepreneurship, and Strategic Management, interned in venture capital as an Investment Fellow at VestedWorld, and was a Toigo Fellow and Forté Fellow.

Christine has advised businesses and investors on three continents. After graduating from Chicago Booth, she founded Chama Capital, a financial technology company on a mission to increase access to capital for women-owned businesses. 

A native Chicagoan, Christine started her career as an Investment Banking Analyst at Barclays in New York. She is a 2021 Herman Family Fellow and has been honored as a Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Featured Member, an Immerse Founder in Residence, and a Toigo Foundation Top 35 Rising Leader and Vision Award Winner.

Connect with Christine

LinkedIN | https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinesaffold/

Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/christinesaffold

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinesaffold/

Welcome to Together We Rise Podcast! This is a place where every woman has a seat at the table, and where we can affirm, equip and amplify women's voices globally. This week, we're excited to speak with Vaneetha Rendall Risner. She shares with Cheryl Nembhard and Aubrey Sampson (the new co-host of this podcast) about her testimony that involves a lot of suffering and a lot of God showing up in the midst of her pain – giving her gifts of learnings and wisdom for herself and other leaders who are also in the midst of trials.

Vaneetha is the author of several books and Bible studies, some of which you can find below and the rest can be found on her website below. She and her husband, Joel, live in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she writes about Christ’s unwavering presence in suffering.

Connect with Vaneetha Rendall Risner

Website | vaneetha.com

Devotional | Watching for Morning https://amzn.to/4amEhey 

Memoir | Walking Through Fire https://amzn.to/41qDRgZ 

Instagram | @vaneetharisner

Facebook | @vaneetharisner

WSC Woman to Watch: Tammy Thurman
Tammy Thurman, a Milwaukee resident, has served in ministry across the United States. Starting as a musician, teacher, and worship leader, she expanded her reach through speaking engagements that connect with diverse audiences. Her sensitivity to the Holy Spirit and deep care for people shine through her Bible studies and messages on forgiveness, managing overthinking, and cultivating faith today. Tammy engages listeners with storytelling and humor while staying rooted in Scripture.

She authored A Faith that Stands, a daily devotional with monthly themes. Skilled in piano, violin, viola, and voice, she often incorporates a unique worship ensemble into her events. Tammy also helps with church refreshes and launches alongside her husband, Mark. They have two adult sons and a daughter-in-law.

Connect with Tammy Thurman

Devotional | A Faith that Stands https://www.amazon.com/Faith-that-Stands-Small-Group-Multigenerational/dp/1664265821 

Instagram | @tammythurman_keystofaith

Welcome to Together We Rise Podcast! This is a place where every woman has a seat at the table, and where we can affirm, equip and amplify women's voices globally. This week, we're excited to speak with special guest Dr. Sarita Lyons!

Dr. Sarita Lyons is a wife, mother, speaker, bible teacher, and psychotherapist. She is the Director of Discipleship and Women’s Ministry at Epiphany Fellowship Church in Philadelphia. Before full-time ministry, Dr. Lyons was in private practice for eight years, also specializing in counseling and consultation for church leadership and their families. She advocates about the intersections of faith, mental health, and justice; as well as women’s issues in and outside of the church. She recently published her first book Church Girl.  And most importantly, Dr. Lyons is called to unashamedly preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Connect with Dr. Sarita Lyons
Website | https://www.saritalyons.com/
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/drsaritalyons/?hl=en
Order Church Girl | https://www.saritalyons.com/churchgirlbook

WSC Woman to Watch: Pastor Judge
Aneysa "Judge" Matthews is a licensed and ordained church planting Pastor. Her assignment is to Engage, Build, and Equip others through relational discipleship for spiritual maturity. My motto is 1 Cor. 9:22: "That I become all things to all men that I might, by all means, save some."

Website | https://aneysamatthews.com/

Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/AneysaNeicyMatthews

Welcome to Together We Rise Podcast! This is a place where every woman has a seat at the table, and where we can affirm, equip and amplify women's voices globally. This week, we're excited to speak with special guest Jeannette Cochran!

Jeannette has been a leader in ministry for over 30 years, including nearly two decades as an Executive Pastor of a thriving multicultural church. Now, as a certified leadership coach with a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership and a Master of Arts in Practical Theology, she equips Christian women leaders to break through barriers, strengthen their confidence, and elevate their leadership to expand their ministry impact. She understands the unique challenges women face in ministry and is passionate about helping them lead with boldness, authenticity, and resilience. Jeannette believes the church needs passionate, gifted, and called women serving at every level of leadership. Her vision is to see traditional, hierarchical leadership models give way to service and collaboration—where every voice is valued regardless of gender, race, or economic status. Through her coaching, speaking, and training, she is empowering women to step fully into their calling and shape a future where ministry leadership reflects the inclusive and transformative nature of the gospel.

Connect with Jeannette
Website | https://www.jeannettecochran.com/
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/jeannette.cochran/
5 minute Reset Resource | www.jeannettecochran.com/reset

WSC Woman to Watch: Hannah Rowen Fry
Hannah Rowen Fry is a writer and speaker passionate about helping people live into their God-purpose. Her thoughtful reflections on Scripture invite those who feel overwhelmed to slow down, choose simplicity, and experience greater joy in the present moment.

Website | https://hannahrowenfry.com/

Instagram | http://instagram.com/hannahrowenfry