This week, we’ll hear from Monique Rodriguez—an author, entrepreneur, and founder of the women-led beauty brand Mielle Organics, a hair care and beauty brand. Monique shares how a devastating personal loss became the catalyst for a deepened faith and the birth of a global beauty brand built on bold belief, healing, and hope in God’s promises.

Later in the episode, we’ll hear from Adam Young, a therapist and podcaster from Fort Collins, Colorado. Adam is the voice behind The Place We Find Ourselves, where he guides listeners through the intersections of personal story, trauma, and healing. In his work, Adam highlights the power of relationships, the wisdom of the body, and the role of faith in helping us find meaning and connection.

Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:

Jesus Calling Podcast

Jesus Calling

Jesus Always

Jesus Listens

Past interview: Tabitha Brown

Upcoming interview: Drs. Michael Sherr, Angelia Mickle, and Jason Lee

Jesus Calling: Stories of Faith on UPTV

www.mielleorganics.com

The Glory in Your Story

Adam Young

The Place We Find Ourselves

Make Sense of Your Story

www.adamyoungcounseling.com

Interview Quotes:

“I just didn’t have the courage and the faith in myself to believe that I could actually achieve what was deemed impossible for someone that looked like me growing up in the household that I grew up in.” - Monique Rodriguez

“I had to lean on His Word and trust Him by faith that He was going to see me through this with an even bigger promise on the other side of this.” - Monique Rodriguez

“I decided that I wanted to follow God’s lead, and I wanted to live a purpose-filled life because you only get one shot. When you go through tragic events, it really causes you to have a different perspective.” - Monique Rodriguez

“I decided to fulfill [my dream] when I went through that loss, and I am thankful for my son’s life because he caused me to have a relationship with God. He taught me to be fearless and to have courage and to be bold in my faith.” - Monique Rodriguez

“Our mission is not only to empower, educate, and to excite women about healthy hair, but I also feel that we are empowering, exciting, and educating about the gospel.” - Monique Rodriguez

“I do feel that Mielle—because it was birthed from a place of pain that ultimately was purposeful—is anointed.” - Monique Rodriguez

“If you’re having butterflies in your stomach, if you have a lump in your throat, if you have tightness in your chest because of a certain experience that you’re having or something coming up in your life, that is your body’s way of saying, ‘There is something inside your heart that needs to be addressed that is not well.’” - Adam Young

“Part of the healing journey is getting honest, not just about what happened, but about the feelings that you have in your body, and welcoming those, making us a home for those feelings so that they can be felt, processed, and expressed.” - Adam Young

“Whenever you experience trauma, the single most effective way to experience healing of those neural networks is through healthy relationships with other people. Healing is necessarily relational, and it requires looking at the past.” - Adam Young

“We’re created for secure attachment, which means a healthy relationship with God where we have a felt sense that God is there for us, that God will respond to our cries, and that God is pursuing our hearts.” - Adam Young

“Practices in general, whether it’s prayer, mindfulness, walking and looking at beauty, whatever practices you have in your life where you bring the fullness of your presence—and that’s the key attribute for a practice to be meaningful—you have to be aware and present.” - Adam Young

“The practice of prayer, the practice of solitude, both are necessary for the development of not just your brain, but for you to come to know who you are, who God created you to be, and how you uniquely reflect God in a way that others don’t.” - Adam Young