Girls Night with Stephanie May Wilson

Hey friends! Welcome to Girls’ Night!At the moment we’re in between seasons here on the show. But while we’re waiting for our next official season to begin, we thought this would be a great time to pull some of our favorite episodes out of the Girls Night archive. This is the perfect time to catch up on episodes you might have missed, or listen again to old favorites. Our guests for today’s episode are three of my closest friends, Emily Tuttle, Suzy Hachey, and Heather Reed. Y’all, these women are amazing, they’re my people — some of my my best friends, my most trusted advisers, women who have been in my corner for years, and I’m so excited for you to get to meet them. This conversation was so much fun because it happened while we were all together having a big weekend-long girls night at my house in Nashville, something that rarely gets to happen.The four of us live in all different corners of the country and don’t get to see each other very often. (It’s the worst right? I hate being away from my people.) Yet, the amazing thing is that even though we’ve lived apart for so much of our 6-year friendship, we’re closer than ever, and that’s exactly what we’re talking about today! We’re talking about how to find and form friendships with people who are really your people — and how to maintain and even deepen those friendships no matter how far away you live from each other. I cannot wait to share this episode with you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey friends! Welcome to Girls’ Night!At the moment we’re in between seasons here on the show. But while we’re waiting for our next official season to begin, we thought this would be a great time to pull some of our favorite episodes out of the Girls Night archive. This is the perfect time to catch up on episodes you might have missed, or listen again to old favorites. Today we’re talking about how to travel solo. I love this topic because traveling is absolutely one of my favorite things to do and has played an irreplaceable role in my story! I’ve had the privilege of visiting places all around the world and every time I come back feeling more inspired and more full of life and just more like myself.But while I love traveling, I know firsthand how hard it can be to actually make a trip happen. Sometimes it’s finances that get in the way, sometimes it’s work, and a lot of times, we find that we don’t have anyone to go with! That’s why I’m so excited to have my dear friend Gennean Woodall back on Girls Night to talk us through this. Gennean is a travel planner and content creator, and she has traveled to places all around the world… all by herself.Like most of us, she had some major reservations about traveling solo. (Is it safe? Will I be lonely? Can I actually do this?!) But she’s figured out a formula that really works and now, traveling solo is her favorite way to go.She also has grown so much as a person through these solo trips. I honestly can’t wait to take one myself! Friend, if you’ve been dreaming of taking a trip and are ready to actually make it happen — this episode is for you.Gennean equips and empowers us to do the things we’ve been dreaming about for so long, and I’m so excited to share this conversation with you.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At the moment we’re in between seasons here on the show. But while we’re waiting for our next official season to begin, we thought this would be a great time to pull some of our favorite episodes out of the Girls Night archive. This is the perfect time to catch up on episodes you might have missed, or listen again to old favorites. Our guest for today’s episode is my friend, Brianna Glenn. We’ve had Bri on the show before, but I knew I needed to have her back because she’s been one of y’alls favorites. I love that. She’s one of my favorites too. For those of you who don’t know her already, Bri is the mastermind behind Milk and Honey Travels, a boutique travel agency helping you go on the trip of your dreams. She helps people figure out what kinds of travel experiences they want to have, and then she actually makes them happen!I love this because that’s exactly what Bri is going to do for us today. So many of us want to go traveling with friends — whether that’s an epic adventure overseas or a quick cabin weekend, but if you’ve ever tried to plan a girls trip, you’ve probably discovered that they’re not all that easy. Everyone has different schedules, budgets, travel preferences, and that’s just the beginning. Not only are the logistics tricky, but it’s a vulnerable thing to ask friends to travel with you. What if they say no? And because of all of this, it’s really tempting to put girls trips in the “Would be nice” column in our lives, and never actually make them a reality.But they can be a reality, and today Bri is going to teach us how.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey friends! Welcome to Girls’ Night!I’m so excited about today’s episode. Backing up a little bit…Before Carl and I had kids, one of the most common things people would say to us is, “Travel now before you have kids, because once you have them, you won’t be able to!” The first time I heard that, I sort of brushed it off. Travel was (and IS!) such a huge, important part of my life, surely that wasn’t true. Right? But eventually, I’d heard that same phrase enough times from enough different people that I started to get scared.Did I have to turn in my Passport the day I became a mom? It felt like the answer was yes! And what would becoming a mom mean for the other dreams I had for my life? Would I have to give those up too?Friends — I wrestled with this question for YEARS. No joke, YEARS. In so many ways, I felt like I had to choose between being myself and being a mom. It was NOT an easy decision to make.Finally, I learned that this isn’t actually true — you CAN still be yourself and pursue your dreams and YES, even travel, after you have kids. And the way I found this out was through the example of other women who were going before me. That’s why I’m so excited to share this episode with you.Our guest for today’s episode is my new friend, Lindsey Roman. Lindsey is an educator, speaker, photographer, wife and a mom of two, with one more on the way! And she actually had a LOT of the same fears about motherhood that I did.We talk about all of that in this episode. And we also talk about how we both got through those fears. As we recorded this episode, Lindsey was actually in Spain with her family, and we spend a ton of time talking about how to travel with your family and what that’s looked like for her. This was such a fun conversation, but it’s also one that would have brought me SO MUCH peace and encouragement if I’d been able to hear it a few years ago, and so if any of y’all are wrestling with the same things I was, I hope it does exactly that for you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey friends! Welcome to Girls’ Night!I’m so excited about today’s episode. Today we’re talking about how to create your own family culture — what that means, why it’s so important, and then how to practically do it!To be honest, this is something I’ve thought about a lot since becoming a mom, but it’s also something I thought about even before having kids! If you’re anything like me, you’ve had this idea that your family needs to do things a certain way — this could be in any category: The way you eat, spend money, spend time, what you value, what you prioritize, how you do holidays, and more. These ideas might come from the way you were raised — the way your parents did things — or from how your friends are doing things or from social media. But over the years I’ve been learning something that’s been incredibly freeing for me: Your family culture should be a reflection of YOU. There’s not one right way to do this. You get to decide what this looks like. And that’s what we’re talking about today!Our guest for this episode is our new friend, Jodi Mockabee. Jodi is a photographer, writer, blogger, speaker, social media influencer, and mother of five. She has a new book called, The Whole and Healthy Family and I can’t wait to talk more about it!Here are just a few of the questions I’ll be asking Jodi in the episode:Where do we begin with creating a healthy family culture and what does that look like?How do we sort through the things we experienced as a child and determine what we want to be a part of our family life and what we want to do differently?Is it okay if the way we do things is different from what others in our inner circles are doing?How do we form a family culture that aligns with our values?And so much more!One of my favorite parts of the episode is when Jodi shares a story about a choice her family made when attending church and how that one decision positively impacted their whole congregation! It’s super cool. I can’t wait for you to hear from her! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey friends! Welcome to Girls’ Night!So friends, since the holiday season is officially here, I wanted to revisit one of my all time favorite Girls Night episodes. It’s a conversation I had a few years back with Carl’s mom, and my amazing mother-in-law, the one and only Kathy Wilson. As we speak, I’m just now getting back from a beautiful family Thanksgiving celebration that Kathy put together for 22 people and so I knew I needed to reshare this conversation because truly she is the hostess with the mostess!Now, here’s what you need to know about Kathy before we dive in: She basically invented pinterest. That’s not true, but it feels like it. She has incredible style, impeccable taste, and almost everything I know about style, design, home decor, hosting, and more, I learned from her. In today’s episode, she’s going to be sharing with us…   How to make our house feel like home (with a nurturing, inviting ambiance)  How to decorate our homes without breaking our budgets How to make our homes feel warm and inviting for guests Actually doable tricks to being a great hostess How to make friends today that we’ll still be friends with in 30 years.  I’m so excited for you to get to hear from her. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey friends! Welcome to Girls’ Night!Today, we’re welcoming back my dear friend Ainsley Britain to Girls Night. Ainsley is an Author, Podcast Host, and Enneagram Coach, helping young adults embrace their confidence, date healthy and discover their identity in Christ. She has a new book called, Don't Date a BooBoo Dude: Raise Your Standards, Realize Your Worth, and Remove Shame from the Dating Game. And that’s what we’re talking about today – how we deserve to be treated in a relationship. Here are just a few of the things we’re talking about in this episode: What you deserve (and don’t deserve!) in a relationshipWhat an unhealthy relationship looks like and how to know if you’re in one What to do if you’re in a relationship that’s less than you deserve (how to ask for the things you want, and how to know if you should give this person another shot or if it’s time to end it).And moreFriends, if you’ve ever settled for less than you want in a relationship because you’re worried you won’t be able to get more (been there!) this episode is especially for you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey friends! Welcome to Girls’ Night!I’m so excited about today’s episode. Today we’re talking about super busy seasons of life, and how we can bring some order to the chaos!Our guest for this episode is Emily Ley. Emily has been on the show once before, but she’s someone I’m endlessly inspired by, so I’m so thrilled to have her back!Emily is the founder of Simplified, a brand of planners and organizational tools for busy women. Her newest book, Sure as the Sunrise is 100 daily meditations on God’s mercy and delight to greet each morning with hope and joy. Along with being an author and entrepreneur, she’s also a wife, a mama of three kids, a friend, a woman of faith and so much more. She truly does it all and in this episode I pick her brain on how she makes it all happen! (And the quick answer to that question is, “She doesn’t do it alone!)Here are just a few of the things she’s going to share about in the episode:How to structure our days to make everything run more smoothly What tools and resources have been most helpful for keeping her schedule organized  How to figure out what to say no toHow to prioritize what’s most important in your life, your family's life, and in your business’s lifeAnd how to stay consistent in your faith when life feels really busyIf you’re feeling stressed out with a busy schedule, or just want to make your everyday life a little easier and more efficient, Emily’s tried-and-true systems are going to be a game-changer for you!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey friends! Welcome to Girls’ Night!I’m so excited about today’s episode. Today we’re talking about friendship. I learned SO MUCH from our guest, and I can’t wait for you to hear from her. Our guest for today’s episode is Dr. Marisa G. Franco.Marisa has a book called Platonic: How the Science of Attachment Can Help You Make--and Keep--Friends. Marisa is a brilliant psychologist, international speaker, and New York Times bestselling author. She is known for digesting and communicating the science of human connection in ways that resonate deeply enough with people to change their lives.Here are just a few of the things she’s going to teach us in the episode:Why friendship is essential no matter what stage of life you’re inHow to not only make new friendships but also keep our friendshipsWhat an attachment style is and how we can figure out what ours isHow to make new friends as an adult and improve the quality of our friendshipsAnd so much more!If you’ve been desiring deeper connections in your friendships, you’re in the right place. Marisa seriously has an abundance of knowledge to share with us on this topic – I can’t wait for you to hear from her!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our guest for today’s episode is my new friend, Toni Collier. Toni is a Hope Coach, author of Brave Enough to Be Broken and the founder of Broken Crayons Still Color, an international women’s ministry that helps women process their brokenness and reclaim hope. After a lifetime of childhood trauma, navigating a toxic marriage and divorce, an unhealthy church, becoming a single parent and feeling betrayed, Toni has learned how to find hope and healing in the midst of her pain. And that’s what she’s sharing with us today! Here are just a few of the things she’s going to teach us in this episode: How to rebuild your life after experiencing brokenness and painHow to release ourselves from the pressure of perfectionismHow God can restore our hope and use our past experiences for goodWhy therapy has played a vital role in her healing journey And how the practice of gratitude can change your lifeFriend, if you’re in a hard season right now, or you’re looking back at your past and wondering how any good can come from it, this episode is for you.I’m praying you walk away feeling so encouraged. Your story is NOT over! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices