Unrefined Joy

my best version of an episode recap I can give for something I hold so close to my heart and is quite emotional

• it's been a tough year..
• how I have been hearing God's voice
• what I feel like He has told me.. that doesn't make sense
• we are limited beings and thats a wonderful thing..
• 3 things that have grown "like mold" in my life because of social media usage over the last 10 years
• "social media really clouded my idea of what's important"
• getting curious about the things that you long for under the surface
• embracing the challenge of life
• having the capacity for life being...life
• feeling like an open nerve
• removing my numbing agent(s)

📚 Books Referenced:

Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niquest

Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer

I don't know what the future will bring, but I sure do hope to connect with you again on here someday in the future

💬 stay in touch: [email protected]

Tessa Romero is deeply passionate about helping mothers become the moms they truly want to be—grounded in a strong, resilient mindset. With personal experience in trauma and healing, she has walked the difficult path of self-discovery and transformation.

After years of therapy, she developed her own healing process, built on powerful shifts in perspective and a deep understanding of motherhood's unique challenges.Through her journey, Tessa has learned to embrace life's challenges as opportunities for growth. Her ability to see perspectives others may miss is what makes her coaching so impactful.

She knows firsthand the struggles mothers face—anger, exhaustion, and the feeling of being stuck—and she is committed to helping women break free from limiting beliefs. Tessa's heart for this work stems from her own transformation.

During her first pregnancy, she realized that traditional therapy wasn't giving her the tools she needed to truly heal. She discovered that the way she thought directly shaped her reality—and that by shifting her mindset, she could step into the calm, patient, and present mother she aspired to be. Now, through MOMSET, Tessa is building a community that empowers moms with the tools and support they need to create lasting change. She is excited to grow the MOMSET team, expand its reach, and help even more women step into motherhood with confidence, joy, and clarity.

this episode is for the mom who's at times angry, short tempered ..and maybe even feels "too far gone"

Today's episode we dive into:

✔️ how childhood trauma shaped her intense anger and guarded demeanor

✔️ how pregnancy with her first son opened her eyes "I came to this realization where I knew if I didn't learn how to do something different with adults I would never do something different with my children"

✔️ hard work = being vulnerable, the one to go first

✔️ why protecting who you are is one of the greatest things you'll ever do

✔️ our emotions don't get it wrong, our mind does

✔️ letting your presence be enough

✔️ being a reader as a mom with young children

✔️ the difference between "can't" vs "don't want to"

✔️ victimhood inside of marriage

📝 Journal Prompt: how do I want my kids to feel around me?

📖 Book Referenced: Habits of the Household by Justin Whitmel Earley

☕️ Tessa's contact: instagram || podcast || website

💬 Annie's contact info: email || join email blast || instagram

previous episodes referenced:

• S2E10 deep dive into parasites - interview with Kim
• S2E3 my experience with parasite cleansing + heavy metal detoxing

discount code for RogersHood [code ANNIE]

Kim Rogers "Worm Queen" Kim went viral on Tiktok in July 2021 over a parasite cleanse and turned her health around after being very ill! She has started a company RogersHood creating a parasite cleanse called ParaFy! And helping millions self-heal! She is is leading the way in this Medical Awakening

✔️ "parasites control you, mold brainwashes you"

✔️ being stuck in fight or flight

✔️ 60-70% of us live in mold

✔️ GOT MOLD? test kit

✔️ MEDICAL AWAKENING: being proactive vs reactive

✔️ coming from western medicine - as a professor, she loves to give her knowledge away

✔️ chronically ill epidemic

✔️ being your own patient advocate

💬 get in touch with Annie: [email protected]

📧 join Annie's email blast list

meet Hannah: the founder of The World Needs More Love Letters, author of 4 books, a TED Speaker, and an online educator teaching others how to establish important disciplines within their lives. Words are her everything and nothing fires her up more than getting to teach people about the power of discipline. Establishing better discipline was an essential piece in dealing with depression and she loves seeing the freedom it unlocks in others as they establish better habits and rhythms in their own life.

Hannah is a proud New Englander living in city of Atlanta with her husband Lane and little girl Novalee.

Feeling called into the world of the internet - Hannah brings a bright light to the dark doom scrolls.

What to expect in today's episode:

✔️ "you can't manage what you don't measure"

✔️ doing work online AND being in her own life

✔️ the best discipline added to her life

✔️ peace making with your past version of yourself

✔️ the impact of implementing a "morning meeting"

✔️ God is NOT in the business of efficiency

✔️ being someone who "goes to the door"

✔️ what you may be missing if you're seeking true transformation in your life

"The reason I still track my unplugged hours - it's the only currency I can handle.. I can't handle tomorrow.. next month… I'm just going hour by hour with God"

☕️ Hannah Brencher || website || instagram || join her "Monday Club" email list

grab your copy of The Unplugged Hours here

Unplugged Hour FREE tracker

💬 get in touch with Annie: [email protected]

📧 join Annie's email blast list

pull up your seat to Fallon's Table!

if you don't already know Fallon from her viral bone broth hot chocolate recipe, prepare to fall in love with her charm, encouragement and incredible story!

Helping women know how to nourish themselves on a deep level without succumbing to fad diets, without feeling restricted without feeling confused or like they're in the kitchen for hours with quick recipes that are simple and mainly things you have on hand in your kitchen / pantry already.

brief overview covered in today's chat:

✔️ while to the outside world, Fallon, former pageant girl was seemingly healthy - she wound up on a "not so merry merry-go-round" of doctors appointments - medication, no answers - only to ultimately cut out so many foods by elimination that she was widdled down to 7-10 foods

✔️ "Weight loss doesn't always equal happiness

✔️ how the Lord used her family's journey on a longterm scale (spoiler: miraculous healing.. wait till you hear about her son with lifelong anaphylactic allergies)

✔️ challenging the notion of the American Dream - how moving into a gorgeous home and then having one of the hardest years of their lives ultimately lead to their family renting an 1800sq ft home "and we have never been more content"

✔️ online vs. real life friends

✔️ how people REALLY want to feel when they come into your home

🍽️ Fallon Lee || website || instagram || cookbooks

📚 books referenced:

Made for People

Digital Fast

💬 get in touch with Annie: [email protected]

📧 join Annie's email blast list

Kaila Nickel is a Certified Gentle Sleep Coach and the founder of Rest Easy Mama. Her work focuses on helping parents and little ones get the sleep they all need, using gentle strategies rooted in attachment, child development, and sleep science.

What works for one family and child may not apply to all..and.. that's .. OK!

This is not a pro-sleep training or not conversation - this is a "meet you where you're at" conversation - no agenda, no judgement but most importantly - a light and gentle dose of permission given for whatever YOU need

in todya's episode we chat about:

✔️ what a gentle approach to sleep trainning looks like

✔️ Kaila's involvement with foster care families

✔️ why rest is SO important outside of the obvious

✔️ 3 tips for kids not sleeping thru the night

book referenced: In Praise of Slowness

☕️ contact Kaila Nickel || website || instagram

book a free 15min consultation

💬 get in touch with Annie: [email protected]

📧 join Annie's email blast list

"we cannot experience God the way we were made to until we experience Him alongside others...because, afterall, you were made for people"

words matter and this is made so beautifully evident by today's guest

the one thing that tends to change everything..? friendship

we hope you enjoy todays coffee shop conversation that felt organized by God Himself

Justin Whitmel Earley, husband to Lauren, father to 4 boys [Whit, Asher, Coulter and Shep] lawyer, author and speaker from Richmond, VA.

Justin graduated from the University of Virginia with a degree in English Literature before spending four years in Shanghai, China, as a missionary. Justin got his law degree from the Georgetown University Law Center and he now runs his own business law practice in Richmond.

Over the last 5 years Justin has written books on habit formation and friendship in the wake of his own mental collapse. On a personal note from Annie: they're her most gifted and recommended books to date.

• The Common Rule: Habits of Purpose for an Age of Distraction
• Habits of the Household: Practicing the Story of God in Everyday Family Rhythms
• Made For People: Why We Drift into Lonliness and How to Fight for a Life of Friendship
• The Big Mess: a Deliciously Funny Story of Siblings Learning to Get Along [childrens book]
• The Body Teaches the Soul: Ten Essential Habits to Form a Healthy and Holy Life [fall 2025]​

addt'l books referenced:

The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt - How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness

🤝🏻 Learn more about the Hang 10 Movement

☕️ Justin Whitmel Earley || Made for People Apple Podcast || Spotify || website || instagram

💬 get in touch with Annie: [email protected]

📧 join Annie's email blast list

in today's episode, Dianna gives us an inspiring take on how a near tragedy can be used for good - how we choose to react when life throws us a curveball and the true power of prayer and community

a recap from Dianna herself: "In the midst of life's storms, I found myself grappling with a serious health challenge that tested my strength and resilience. As a wife and mother to two young children, facing the daunting possibility of the worst outcomes weighed heavily on me, often leaving me feeling isolated and burdened by fear. It was during these darkest moments that I began to reflect on my life, particularly my relationship with God, which had faded over the years. This period of uncertainty acted as a catalyst, compelling me to seek solace through prayer and reflection. As I opened my heart to the Lord, I discovered a profound peace that I had long been missing. Each day became an opportunity to build a deeper connection with Him, allowing His presence to guide me through my struggles. My newfound faith has transformed my outlook on life, filling me with hope and purpose. No longer feeling alone in my journey, I now share a close relationship with God, who has become my source of strength and comfort. As I continue to heal and grow as a wife, mother, and individual, I'm grateful for this spiritual awakening that has reshaped my life for the better."

get in touch with Dianna Lewis || instagram

join my email list "friends made family"

get in touch: [email protected]

Well.. we're back! And I'm SO glad you are here..

This has been a beautifully challenging season of changing, shifting, refining.. I'm excited to let you in on what's been going on these last few months being off social media, in my world that felt trapped with anxiety and quite the opposite of peace - what I've been able to extract from these months and not being "on the otherwise" YET but humbly and graciously in the middle of it

If you're new here, wow, thank you! I'm so excited and honored to be in your ears / car and along "with you" in your life.

If you're a returning listener, I can't tell you how grateful I am that you continue to tune in.

Would you consider taking a moment to send this to a friend? Or leaving a review?

From the bottom of my (un)refined heart, I thank you and send you a warm hug while reading this.

Your friend,

Annie

book referenced: Ignite Your Soul: When Exhaustion, Isolation, and Burnout Light a Path to Flourishing

More on Freedom Academy here [follow them on IG here]

join my email list "friends made family"

get in touch: [email protected]

Season 3 Finale!!!

It's just you and me today, friends, as we wrap up this incredible season together.

I'm catching you up on my most recent event, The Prepare for Peace Workshop, and sharing why peace doesn't just happen—it takes intentional effort. I also take a moment to reflect on this year, the lessons learned, and the heart behind "less is more" as we've explored together this season.

And of course, I'm dropping a big announcement about my big goal for 2025—you won't want to miss it!

As we close out this season, I want to encourage you to soak up the holiday moments, whatever they may look like for you and your family. Let's lean into the joy that comes not from doing more but from truly being.

See you back here in 2025, friends. Until then, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!