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 guest for today’s episode is my new friend, Kristen Newton, who goes by KB. KB was a former DJ for the Indiana Pacers (so cool, right?), but she recently started a new venture to help millennial women find, cultivate, and keep amazing friendships. Now, you guys hear me say it at the beginning of every episode because I think it is 1000% true — life is so much better when we walk though it together as girlfriends! But maintaining healthy friendships isn’t always easy. And that’s why I wanted to have KB on the show. She’s here to talk about how we can deepen friendships (and heal some of our unhealthy ones) by having honest, authentic heart conversations. She’s going to give us some super practical tips and steps to help us find and form friendships that go way beyond the surface. True friendships, deep friendships. I just love that. 

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.In today’s episode, I’m chatting with my sweet friend, Robin Long, who actually joined us all the way back in the second episode of Girls Night. Robin is a pilates instructor and the creator of an online community called Lindywell (previously called The Balanced Life) where she provides quick and efficient online workouts for busy women. Robin is passionate about empowering women to feel good in their own skin, and that’s exactly what she does! Today, we’re talking about how to be consistent in your health journey. I think a lot of us have big ambitions when it comes to our health and fitness goals, especially at the beginning of the new year, but then lose momentum a few months or even a few weeks in! Robin’s going to share practical, and actually doable, tips that have helped her stay committed to her health for years now, and she’s going to teach us how we can do the same. If you’re feeling a bit lost or frustrated in your health journey, whether it’s with food or fitness or both, please know you’re not alone! I’ve actually been feeling the exact same way lately. And that’s why I was so excited to talk to Robin. I left this conversation feeling so refreshed, motivated, and like I can ACTUALLY do this, and I know you’ll feel the same.

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’s guest is my friend, Carrie Grace. Carrie is a motivational speaker who travels all around the country speaking to businesses and teams, and one of the things she teaches them how to do is to take more risks!I met up with Carrie awhile back, and, y’all, she’s amazing. She has this quality about her where she seriously is not scared of rejection. She’s the kind of person who knows that if you don’t ask the question, the answer is always no. She loves taking risks and the things that have happened in her life because of those risks are amazing.My heart was pounding the whole time she and I were at lunch, and as we talked, I found myself dreaming in a whole new way, wondering what crazy leaps I could take, and actually not being afraid of the rejection I might face in the process.And that’s why I just knew we had to have her over for a Girls Night.Friend, if you’re feeling stuck or lonely or like your dreams are just too far off, this episode is for you! My hope is that the stories Carrie shares from her own life will inspire you to be bold, take risks, and see what amazing things come of it!

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 negative thought patterns and how God’s word can help us break free from fear and take back our joy.Our guest for today’s episode is Margaret Feinberg. She’s a writer, speaker, and podcaster and has a brand new book called, More Power to You: Declarations to Break Free from Fear and Take Back Your Life. You guys, I’m SO EXCITED about this episode, because the practice that Margaret talks about in this book, the one she’s going to teach you today, has absolutely transformed my faith and my life over the last 10 years or so.It was so cool talking to her about it, because I’ve never known how to describe or explain or teach this concept, but (as you’ll hear!) it’s been a mainstay of my faith practice for years, and I can’t even tell you how much of a difference it’s made in my life.Seriously — this is the practice that helped me go from truly being my own worst critic, to actually feeling beautiful, and loved, and good enough in my own skin. (I’ll explain more in the episode!) 

Hey friends! Welcome to Girls’ Night!I’m so excited about today’s episode. Today we’re talking about why confidence in ourselves is the key to great friendships!Our guest for today’s episode is my friend, Amy Weatherly. Amy is a wife, mom, an author, and co-creator of Sister I am With You. She is passionate about helping women embrace courage, confidence, and purpose for their life.I recently read the book she co-authored with her friend, Jess Johnston, who we’ve also had on the podcast, and it’s called, I’ll be There But I’ll be Wearing Sweatpants. I absolutely loved the book, but there was one chapter in particular that Amy wrote and it totally blew my mind, so I had to have her back on the show to talk with us about it!Here are a few of the questions I’ll be asking Amy in the episode! How do our personal insecurities affect our friendships? Why does how we feel about ourselves matter for friendship? How do we build confidence in ourselves and truly love ourselves? Once we find confidence in ourselves, how do we bring that confidence into our friendships?And so much more! Amy has amazing wisdom when it comes to friendships, and she is just so much fun! You’re going to love her!

We’ve had conversations on the podcast before about wrestling with doubts or what to do when your faith is not feeling like it used to. But this time we’re taking it a step further.Today’s episode is for the woman who feels totally lost in her faith. It’s for the woman who feels angry with the Church or with God and honestly isn’t sure what to do or if there’s a place for her anymore. It’s also for the woman who needs to be reminded that she’s not alone in feeling this way.Our guest for today’s episode is my dear friend, Caroline Schandel. Caroline is an Associate Pastor at an incredible church in Atlanta. And, she’s one of my favorite mentors and friends in my life. She’s so kind and wise and wonderful and I’m so grateful for the voice she’s been in my life over the years.Here are just a few of the questions I’ll be asking Caroline during the episode: Is there still a place for us in the Church if we’re messy and unsure about basically everything?If we’re feeling distant from God is that our fault? Like, is it because we haven’t been trying hard enough?Do we need to agree with our pastors about everything in order to go to a particular church? And what do we do if there are things happening within our churches or church leadership that we don’t agree with? If we’re feeling totally lost in our faith and angry at God or angry at the church, what do we do? Is it okay for us to feel these things?How do we heal from church hurt and how do we talk to God about those things?And so much more!Friends, these are really tricky questions that we don’t have all of the answers to, but Caroline truly handles them like a champ and has some amazing wisdom to share with us. I hope you leave this conversation knowing that you’re not alone and feeling a little more peace and comfort where you are today.

Hey friends! Welcome to Girls’ Night!I’m so excited about today’s episode. Today we’re talking about how to create your dream home and why it’s not as out of reach as you might think!I’m excited about this episode because, for most of us, home is a really important part of who we are. It’s where our lives happen and so many sweet memories are made. If you’re anything like me, you really want it to be a place that feels comfortable and beautiful and inspiring and feels like YOU. And you also want a space that really functions for you and your family, and almost takes care of you in a way!But is it possible to create our dream home even if we don’t have a HUGE budget or tons of experience with home renovations?That’s what we’re diving into today!Our guest for today’s episode is my new friend, Noell Jett. Noell is the creative force behind the popular Jett Set Farmhouse, where she and her husband Daniel, along with their five children, share their lives, DIY tips, cleaning and organization hacks, and their home building journey with their millions of followers. She recently released a new book called, Create Your Dream Home on a Budget: Practical Advice, Inspiration, and Projects and I can’t wait for you to hear her heart behind it!

Hey friends! Welcome to Girls’ Night!I’m so excited about today’s episode because this conversation is so important and also so overdue. I can’t believe we haven’t talked about this here on Girls Night yet. Today’s episode is self-defense 101: The simple strategies that every woman needs to know!Our guest for today’s episode is my new friend, Kailee Billerbeck. Kailee is the CEO and Founder of Everyday Armor. She’s combined an incredible background in martial arts with a passion to keep women safe, and in the last few years she has traveled to over 40 states by herself teaching self defense classes at colleges and universities. Her goal is to redefine self defense and help young women navigate life feeling more safe, confident and independent. Here are just a few of the things Kailee will be teaching us: How to keep ourselves out of dangerous situations How to be more aware of our surroundings  What to do if we do end up in a vulnerable or dangerous situation — and what we can do to physically defend ourselves. How to keep ourselves safe but also not live in a constant state of fear And so much more!  You guys, these are practical things that so many of us can do. I can’t wait for you to hear from her!

Hey friends! Welcome to Girls’ Night!I’m so excited about today’s episode. Today we’re talking about how to build your dream career and create work-life harmony.I’m excited about this episode because a lot of us have big dreams, but we don’t know how to begin. Or, if we have started, we want to know how we can continue to grow and push our creativity without feeling totally burnt out!And while this might seem like an overwhelming feat, our guest is here to show you why this is possible, because she’s done it herself!Our guest for today’s episode is my new friend, Tina Wells. Tina is a speaker, brand builder, author of over 20 books, and introspective entrepreneur recognized by Fast Company as one of the 100 Most Creative People in Business. For over two decades she led Buzz Marketing Group, an agency she founded at age 16 with clients like Dell, The Oprah Winfrey Network, Kroger, Apple, P+G, Johnson & Johnson, and American Eagle. She also has a whole collection of office supplies at Target called Elevation, and a new book called The Elevation Approach. In it, she shares about how to meet your goals without sacrificing joy for productivity and progress.During our conversation, you’ll hear about the journey that led to Tina’s success as an entrepreneur and the practices she’s implemented to create work-life harmony and stay creative in her work! You guys are going to love her!

Hey friends! Welcome to Girls’ Night!I’m so excited about today’s episode. Today we’re talking about how to date with confidence and STOP settling for less than you deserve. Our guest for today’s episode is my new friend, Faitth Brooks. I had the privilege of hearing Faitth speak at a conference in Atlanta a few weeks ago and immediately knew we needed to have her on Girls Night! Faitth is an incredibly talented writer, speaker, social worker, activist, and podcaster. She is also the author of a book called, REMEMBER ME NOW: A Journey Back to Myself and a Love Letter to Black Women, which you’re going to hear all about in this episode. Faitth has amazing wisdom when it comes to dating and relationships. She’s going to teach us how to be confident in who we are as women and how to bring that confidence into our dating lives. Toward the end of our conversation she reads a letter from her book and it’s truly SO beautiful and such a good reminder about who we are and who God created us to be.I can’t wait for you to hear from her!