Unconventional Leaders

Building an online community isn’t about platforms or posting more…it’s about intention. In this episode, I’m joined by entrepreneur and Community Market Fit author Lucas Bean to break down what actually turns an audience into a real community, including the three essentials every strong community needs.

We unpack what people get wrong about online communities, what modern creators can learn from ancient societies, and why “community market fit” often matters more than product-market fit. We also explore the difference between influencers and creators, building with your audience instead of for them, and how belonging and identity shape the future of work in an AI-driven world.

WATCH EPISODES ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/heatherparady

TOPICS FROM THIS EPISODE:

1. Find community demand before building products
2. Use artifacts, rules, and rituals to scale
3. When going wide beats niching down

CONNECT WITH LUCAS BEAN:

1. Website: https://www.lucasbean.com/
2. IG: https://www.instagram.com/luke360/

CONNECT WITH HEATHER:

1. Follow Heather on IG: https://www.instagram.com/heatherparady/
2. Access Full Show Notes Here: https://www.heatherparady.com/blog/152

Pastor Kimberly Bulgin is the author of The Sisters Stay Dropping Gems and the founder of The House of Women. She helps faith-filled women unlearn harmful theology so they can reclaim their bodies, desires, and agency…without shame.

In this episode, we talk about sensuality as a God-given gift and how to rebuild a spiritual life rooted in freedom instead of fear. From modesty culture, to pleasure and holiness, Pastor Kim offers a deeply honest and liberating reframe for women who love God (and as a result) are done hating their bodies.

WATCH EPISODES ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/heatherparady

TOPICS FROM THIS EPISODE:

1. How bad theology around modesty and “good girl” behavior keeps women small
2. Reclaiming sensuality as a holy, embodied way of living a life that “turns you on”
3. Healing shame in the body and nervous system while still holding onto your faith

CONNECT WITH KIMBERLY BULGIN:

1. Website: https://www.kimberlybulgin.com/
2. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_kimberlybulgin/
3. Buy ‘The Sisters Stay Dropping Gems’ here (use the code ‘UNCONVENTIONAL’ for a 15% discount off physical copies): https://www.kimberlybulgin.com/product-page/the-sisters-stay-dropping-gems

CONNECT WITH HEATHER:

1. Follow Heather on IG: https://www.instagram.com/heatherparady/
2. Access Full Show Notes Here: https://www.heatherparady.com/blog/151

Jeremy Steele helps people healing from religious trauma find spiritual beliefs and practices that actually work for them. A deep skeptic and ordained pastor, he leads an online community offering spiritual care to people who may never walk back into a church building, yet still crave meaning, purpose, and transcendence.

In this episode, Jeremy unpacks what it means to be a “practitioner of Christianity,” how to deconstruct without burning your soul to the ground, and why the very parts of you that were once labeled “wrong” might be your clearest doorway to impact.

WATCH EPISODES ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/heatherparady

TOPICS FROM THIS EPISODE:

1. Healing religious trauma & dismantling fear-based faith
2. Turning “the thing that’s wrong with you” into your superpower
3. Choosing what stories to tell and protecting your heart while creating

CONNECT WITH JEREMY STEELE:

1. Website: https://jeremy-steele.com/
2. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skeptic.pastor/
3. Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@skeptic.pastor

CONNECT WITH HEATHER:

1. Follow Heather on IG: https://www.instagram.com/heatherparady/
2. Access Full Show Notes Here: https://www.heatherparady.com/blog/150

If you’ve set the same goals over and over and still feel stuck, this is for you. In this episode, we explore why your results start with your identity, not your systems, and how creating an alter ego can help you access a bolder, more capable version of yourself. Because sometimes the person you need to become is already inside you, you just need a doorway to step into them.

WATCH EPISODES ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/heatherparady

EPISODES MENTIONED:

1. How to Be Braver Sharing Your Story | Terry Rice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5KaP3y927g
2. Alter Ego, High Performance, and the Trap of Authenticity | Todd Herman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRiKFGs7pck
3. Lucas Bean: Coming Soon!

CONNECT WITH HEATHER:

1. Follow Heather on IG: https://www.instagram.com/heatherparady/
2. Access Full Show Notes Here: https://www.heatherparady.com/blog/149

Ron Chapman is a professional storyteller, novelist, and longtime guide for deep inner work. With nearly 40 years of sobriety, Ron has spent his life helping people navigate hard truths…through story, spirituality, and presence rather than performance.

In this conversation, we talk about what it actually means to tell authentic stories—not polished or performative, but honest stories that respect the audience and the weight of the material. From wrestling with God, to trauma and recovery, to knowing when not to perform, this episode is a grounded look at storytelling as a responsibility…not just a craft.

WATCH EPISODES ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/heatherparady

TOPICS FROM THIS EPISODE:

1. Authentic storytelling vs performative storytelling
2. How to tell heavy stories with integrity
3. What makes a story valuable to an audience
4. Ego, humility, and responsibility in storytelling

CONNECT WITH RON CHAPMAN:

1. Website: https://www.ronaldchapman.com/
2. The Saga of Grace Series: https://www.ronaldchapman.com/the-saga-of-grace

CONNECT WITH HEATHER:

1. Follow Heather on IG: https://www.instagram.com/heatherparady/
2. Access Full Show Notes Here: https://www.heatherparady.com/blog/148

If you’ve ever caught yourself shrinking your gifts or holding back because it feels “humble,” this is for you. In this episode, we talk about why undermining your work isn’t holiness — it’s disconnection from the very gift you were meant to bring into the world — and what it really looks like to let yourself be seen and valued.

TOPICS FROM THIS EPISODE:

1. The hidden ways we weaken our own power through false humility
2. Why being willing to be seen is part of your calling
3. Reclaiming the worth of your work and allowing value to be exchanged

WATCH EPISODES ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/heatherparady

Episodes Mentioned:

1. Cultivating the CALLING of a Communicator | Reward Sibanda: https://youtu.be/YhB1oT_MGag?si=WSnr1b3RorXn0fw-
2. Unconventional Marketing for Your Art | Alejo Porras: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCqq3DC7_ow
3. How to Overcome Performance Anxiety | Will Reynolds: https://youtu.be/Ph5B1Cc_Jow?si=D1lud91WGV4SJesV
4. Make More MONEY with Art | Amie McNee: https://youtu.be/J4IliQ-x5Q0?si=upYtTN5RRVInW8ID

CONNECT WITH HEATHER:

1. Follow Heather on IG: https://www.instagram.com/heatherparady/
2. Access Full Show Notes Here: https://www.heatherparady.com/blog/147

Keith Giles and Matthew J. Distefano are authors, publishers, and co-owners of Quoir, a media company dedicated to publishing bold, thoughtful work from people navigating faith, doubt, and deconstruction.

Keith is a former pastor turned full-time writer. Matthew describes himself as a “working-class theologian.” Together, they write (and publish) at the intersection of spirituality, culture, justice, and storytelling, helping creatives give language to ideas that don’t fit neatly into inherited belief systems.

In this conversation, we talk about what it actually means to share your work when you’re still evolving…when certainty is gone, relationships are at stake, and false humility can quietly keep your work hidden.

WATCH EPISODES ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/heatherparady 

TOPICS FROM THIS EPISODE:

• Creating when your beliefs and opinions are evolving
• Why promoting your work isn’t ego (and how false humility keeps good ideas buried)
• Leading without hierarchy, rejecting guru culture, and embracing mystery

CONNECT WITH KEITH & MATTHEW:

• Quoir’s Website: https://quoir.com/
• Keith’s Website: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/keithgiles/ 
• Matthew’s Website: https://www.allsetfree.com/
• Heretic Happy Hour: https://open.spotify.com/show/7v6veXaOTdcfQOfA9H39tO?si=1bcdd0e76d62480b 

CONNECT WITH HEATHER:

• Follow Heather on IG: https://www.instagram.com/heatherparady/ 
• Access Full Show Notes Here: https://www.heatherparady.com/blog/146

George Sidiropoulos helps creators show up on video in a way that's simple, sustainable, and fun. A former musician, he discovered video's power when Instagram guitar clips led to real opportunities…long before he had a big audience. Now he teaches people how to use video to grow their business without turning their life into a production studio.

In this episode, George shares how video reshaped his life, why we overcomplicate content, and how to treat consistency as a systems problem, not a willpower problem. From his "one-click setup" to his philosophy on imperfect reps and detaching from metrics, George offers a grounded approach to showing up on camera.

WATCH EPISODES ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/heatherparady 

TOPICS FROM THIS EPISODE:

• How simple videos (with tiny audiences) can unlock real-world opportunities
• Building a one-click video setup and B-roll system so consistency is easier
• Detaching from views and virality, questioning your beliefs, and trusting your path

CONNECT WITH GEORGE SIDIROPOULOS: 

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/disisjorj/ 
• One Click Setup: https://disisjorjemail.kit.com/8bccab13de 

CONNECT WITH HEATHER:

• Follow Heather on IG: https://www.instagram.com/heatherparady/ 
• Access Full Show Notes Here: https://www.heatherparady.com/blog/145

Here are three practical storytelling exercises pulled from three brilliant creators: one to help you dig deeper, one to get more specific, and one to capture story-worthy moments from everyday life. 

Quick tips, super usable, and honestly… they might change how you tell your next story.

WATCH EPISODES ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/heatherparady 

EPISODES MENTIONED:

• The Storytelling Blueprint for Viral Videos | Jenny Hoyos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkLL7xDjLF0 
• Storytelling Tips for Personal Brands | Sun Yi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oh8MCLNvE4M 
• How to be a Better Storyteller | Matthew Dicks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lohwMR56bvA 

CONNECT WITH HEATHER:

• Follow Heather on IG: https://www.instagram.com/heatherparady/ 
• Access Full Show Notes Here: https://www.heatherparady.com/blog/144

I sat down with four master storytellers and uncovered a simple truth: if the edit is difficult, the input needs to be a bigger priority.

TOPICS FROM THIS EPISODE:

• Write before you record
• Script with intention but edit with instinct
• Make each piece of content about one clear point
• Edit till it hurts

EPISODES MENTIONED HERE:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5i_3gjJQGk&t=1453s
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dg6vcRrutw&t=2685s
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lohwMR56bvA&t=1369s
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SolAEaSl7M&t=33s

CONNECT WITH HEATHER:

• Follow Heather on IG: https://www.instagram.com/heatherparady/
• Access Full Show Notes Here: https://www.heatherparady.com/blog/143