In this powerful episode of Echos of Impact, Cherise flips the script and sits down with her co-host, Briana Gray, to hear her God story. Instead of interviewing another guest, we get to lean in and listen as Briana shares how God has held her "on a short leash" through small-town beginnings, overseas mission trips, miracles on the other side of the world, and the quiet, ordinary moments of motherhood and calling.

Briana is a Christian life and mindset coach, co-host of Echos of Impact, and creator of The Woman's Success Code, where she helps women discover purpose in their everyday lives and walk in deeper relationship with God.

In this conversation, Briana shares how God met her in the middle of survival mode, lukewarm seasons, and the tension of "one foot in the world, one foot with Jesus," and how He gently led her into a life of purpose that feels like awakening and expansion.

What We Cover:

Briana's small-town Lutheran upbringing and how early traditions, memorization, and catechism gave her a strong foundation in Scripture
The moment worship became personal through a tiny contemporary service in a traditional church
How three overseas mission trips to Peru, Botswana, and Thailand shaped her faith and taught her how to have a real, daily relationship with God
The wild story of visiting a remote village, a witch doctor's compound, and seeing God move through actual miracles—including a blind man receiving his sight
What it's like to wrestle with those miracles later and still ask, "Did that really happen? Am I crazy? Could I have made that up?"
The tension of living a "double life" in high school and college—loving Jesus while still looking for love and validation in all the wrong places
The impact of Grandma Boots and the legacy of a praying grandmother who literally helped send Briana on mission and spiritually covered her life
Stepping into marriage, three kids under four, and years that felt like pure survival mode—going to church, but feeling like there had to be more
The gentle conviction of being "lukewarm" and the shift into deeper spiritual rhythms: quiet time, Bible study, journaling, and actually hearing from God
How God highlighted her lifelong desire to invest in women—and how that birthed life coaching and the Echos of Impact podcast
What it feels like when you're walking in your God-given purpose: awakening, expansion, fuel, and peace—even on hard days
The reminder that every story matters—whether you've always believed or had a radical before-and-after moment—and how to honor where God has been faithful in your story

Key Quotes:

"I do believe that God created each of us on purpose and for purpose—our stories, our personalities, our passions are all like little puzzle pieces He fits together."

"When you keep trusting God with the path He's put in front of you, it feels like an awakening and an expansion of yourself. That's when you really know you're on the right track."

"I like to say God had me on a short leash. Even when I had one foot in the world, I never veered very far from Him—and I know my grandma's prayers were a big part of that."

Connect with Briana:

Listen to The Woman's Success Code & learn more about her coaching: 👉 Interested in joining The Woman's Success Code? Learn more here: https://echosofimpact.vipmembervault.com/home

Follow Briana on Instagram: 👉 @thewomanssuccesscode – faith, purpose, mindset, and encouragement for women

Join the Conversation:

Where do you see God's "short leash" in your story? Have there been moments where you can look back and clearly see His hand—through prayers, protection, or a sense that He never let you get too far?

Share your thoughts with us on Instagram or in our Facebook group—we love hearing how God is moving in your everyday life. 💛

Follow us on Instagram: 👉 Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/echos_of_impact/ 👉 Life Coaching Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewomanssuccesscode/

Join our Facebook Group: 👉 Echos of Impact Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/echosofimpact

Take the Next Step:

Hungry to go deeper in your own journey of faith and purpose?

✨ Interested in joining The Woman's Success Code? Discover how you can grow in faith, purpose, and community with other women who are walking this out too: 👉 https://echosofimpact.vipmembervault.com/home

✨ Ready for a fresh start? Schedule your complimentary Life Audit with Briana and start untangling what's keeping you stuck so you can walk in the life God is inviting you into: 👉 https://calendly.com/echosofimpact/complimentary-life-audit?month=2024-12

Final Notes:

If you enjoyed this episode and Briana's story encouraged you, we'd be so grateful if you'd follow the podcast and leave a review. Your support helps us keep sharing stories of women living out their God-given purpose—stories just like Briana's, and maybe one day, yours. 💛

Until next week, friends!

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