Linch with a Leader

Mike sits down with Reed Livesay, CEO of Pine Cove, a Gospel-centered Christian camp with 12 locations in Texas, South Carolina, and Georgia. Reed shares his unique journey, from being a college athlete to helping startup a business in his 20’s, to finding his way to Pine Cove and expanding the reach of the organization in the state of Texas, to now sitting in the CEO chair. Throughout his life, Reed has found one foundational truth has consistently surfaced wherever he has been: the Lord can be trusted to provide.About Pine Cove:Founded in 1967, today Pine Cove serves more than 45,000 campers each summer and strives to be Christ-centered, others-focused, and seriously fun! To date, more than one million people have experienced the ministry of Pine Cove.

Is there a change you’ve been wanting to make, but you don’t know how? Have you tried it all and still can’t figure out how to move forward? Mike welcomes author and life coach BJ Thompson to the Linch with a Leader podcast to dive into what prevents so many of us from not only making the changes we want to make, but making them stick.BJ is a life coach, speaker, and author who helped launch one of the largest faith movements in recent history – the “116 Movement” with Grammy award winning artist Lecrae. He also served alongside Bryan Loritts to expand groundbreaking racial reconciliation work in Memphis, TN. BJ has worked with tens of thousands of individuals and couples all over the world helping them experience personal and relational growth. Currently BJ serves as the executive director for Build a Better Us. He has a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of North Texas and a master’s degree in Christian studies from Union University. He has been featured in Relevant Magazine, Propel, Christianity Today, Barna, & other publications. He has also worked with History Chanel, RZIM, ERLC, Desiring God, Universities & other corporations. He and his wife Vanja have been married 16 years and live in Atlanta with their three children.

Ever wondered what holds you back from pursuing your dreams? Or, perhaps you’re trying to figure out what your God-given purpose is in life. In this episode of the Linch with a Leader podcast, Mike sits down with Stephen Chandler, senior pastor of Union Church, to talk about the heart behind his recent book, Stop Waiting for Permission: Harness Your Gifts, Find Your Purpose, and Unleash Your Personal Genius. Stephen believes we each have a specific, life-giving purpose in the world – but that many never discover the unique genius embedded within them by the Creator of the universe. Stop Waiting for Permission offers a four-step process to unlocking your unique calling and activating your innate, God-given strengths.About Stephen Chandler:Stephen Chandler is the senior pastor of Union Church based in Maryland. Since 2011, Union has grown from a group of fifty to thousands of people in weekly attendance, with tens of thousands joining live online every week. Stephen’s obsession with people, systems, and culture resulted in Union Church being named the fastest-growing church in America by Outreach magazine. A sought-after international speaker, he is unapologetic about helping leaders maximize their God-given passion.Stephen’s true legacy is his wife, Zai, and their three beautiful children, Zoe, Roman, and Jade.

If you have been to a mall or shopping center in the past 35 years, you are likely familiar with Auntie Anne’s Pretzels. While you may have enjoyed some of these warm, tasty treats, you likely don’t know the story of the woman whose name has become synonymous with this franchise, which now spans 49 states across America. Mike Linch sits down with “Auntie” Anne Beiler, who has a remarkable story of loss, pain, and despair that was transformed into one of hope, freedom, and healing.Like many “American Dream” stories, Anne Beiler’s had humble beginnings – albeit personally challenging ones. She and her husband went through some difficult times, losing a 19-month daughter in a tragic farming accident, then growing distant as they endured the pain separately, in silence. Anne sought the counsel of a pastor, who took advantage of her vulnerability, to manipulate and abuse her for years. She later shared this with her husband, and the two sought counseling together. God restored their marriage, and her husband, Jonas, felt compelled to help others who were suffering from the same despair they had experienced. He had a vision to help provide free counseling services to their community. To help support and fund this endeavor, Anne bought a stand at a farmer's market in Downington, Pennsylvania in 1988, where she made and sold soft pretzels. Auntie Anne’s was born.Even as her business grew into the world’s largest pretzel franchise, Anne continued to deal with depression, with secrets keeping her in darkness. Desperate to find healing, she began to share her story publicly – and she began to feel lighter! Anne discovered a new passion to help other women experience this freedom, and in 2005 she sold her business to give her the time to speak to others on leadership, purpose, and the power of confession.

Why is prayer such an enigma for most Christians? How has prayer become more of a last resort than a first response? In this episode of Linch with a Leader, Mike sits down with Pastor Chris Hodges and dives into the heart behind his most recent book, Pray First: The Transformative Power of a Life Built on Prayer. Chris has spent years studying the prayers of the Bible and the models of prayer that the scriptures provide for Christians. Now, he shares with readers the teachings and methods he's used to successfully help hundreds of thousands of people understand how to spend time in conversation with God--and enjoy every minute.Chris Hodges is the founding and senior pastor of Church of the Highlands. Since it began in 2001, Highlands has grown to have campuses across the state of Alabama, and we’re known for our life-giving culture and focus on leading people to an intimate relationship with God.Pastor Chris has a deep passion for developing leaders and planting life-giving churches. He co-founded ARC (Association of Related Churches) in 2001, which has launched hundreds of churches across the United States. He also founded Grow, specializing in training and resourcing pastors and churches to help them break barriers and reach their growth potential. Chris is also the founder and Chancellor of Highlands College, a ministry training school that trains and launches students into full-time ministry careers.Chris and his wife Tammy have five children and live in Birmingham, Alabama, where Church of the Highlands began. He speaks at conferences worldwide and is the author of Coming Out of the Cave, Fresh Air, Four Cups, The Daniel Dilemma, and What’s Next?.

Am I getting parenting right? Most parents, at any and every stage, find themselves asking this question. Mike Linch sits down with Andy and Sandra Stanley, co-authors of Parenting: Getting it Right, to dive into a subject all moms and dads encounter challenges in.No matter our family makeup or our children's personalities, many of us experience anxiety over our children's futures and often fear making a mistake. Andy and Sandra Stanley are no strangers to this feeling. As parents of three grown children and cofounders of North Point Ministries, they are seasoned experts on faith and parenting. Together they have spent decades counseling countless families, mentoring others, and learning from mentors of their own, all while leading one of the largest churches in the country.In Parenting: Getting It Right, Andy and Sandra combine their experience and wisdom into a guide that helps readers understand and live by essential parenting principles. In an inviting, conversational approach that is both informative and accessible, the Stanleys help readers understand the most important goal in parenting and learn the steps to pursue it by:- Learning the four distinct stages of parenting- Clarifying the primary goal of parenting and developing a parenting orientation around that goal- Identifying and adapting their approach--not their rules--to their children's distinct personalities- Deciding on their shortlist of non-negotiables and learning to stick to it

Did you know that God wants to bless His children? Mike Linch welcomes back Pastor Terry Smith to the Linch with a Leader Podcast, as they dive into Terry’s latest book, The Lord Bless You. In this encouraging devotional, Terry will help you recapture God’s heart for His people and discover His extraordinary goodness in your life right now. You will learn how much God wants to bless you, but also how to receive blessing, how to bring blessing to the world around you, and how blessing leads to the discovery of your true purpose.About Terry Smith:Terry A. Smith has served as Lead Pastor of The Life Christian Church (TLCC) for thirty-one years. TLCC, a non-denominational faith community with campuses in West Orange, New Jersey and Online, is known for its vibrant diversity and robust leadership culture. A gifted communicator, Terry speaks in a variety of venues nationally and internationally and is the author of Live Ten: Jump-Start the Best Version of Your Life, The Hospitable Leader: Create Environments Where People and Dreams Flourish, andThe Lord Bless You: A 28-Day Journey to Experience God’s Extravagant Blessings.

Mike Linch welcomes back author and podcaster Jordan Raynor to the Linch with a Leader Podcast, as they discuss Jordan’s latest book, The Word Before Work, a Monday-Friday devotional to help you find eternal purpose in your daily work.Through his bestselling books, the Mere Christians podcast, and his weekly devotionals, Jordan has helped millions of Christians in every country on earth connect the gospel to their work.In addition to his writing, Jordan serves as the Executive Chairman of Threshold 360, a venture-backed tech startup which Jordan previously ran as CEO following a string of successful ventures of his own.Jordan has twice been selected as a Google Fellow and served in The White House under President George W. Bush. A sixth-generation Floridian, Jordan lives in Tampa with his wife and their three young daughters. The Raynors are proud members of The Church at Odessa.

Do you realize what special gifts and talents you bring to the table in your occupation each and every day? Conversely, can you articulate what frustrates you most in your job? Mike Linch digs in with Patrick Lencioni, one of the greatest modern day authors on organizational health to talk about his latest release, The Six Types of Working Genius. Lencioni shares candidly how God has been the true Author of his story and journey to become one of the foremost voices in the business world, and the author of 13 books that have transformed organizations and peoples’ approach to work and relationships.Pat is one of the founders of The Table Group and is the pioneer of the organizational health movement. His books have sold over 6 million copies and been translated into more than 30 languages. As President of the Table Group, Pat spends his time speaking and writing about leadership, teamwork, and organizational health and consulting with executives and their teams.Prior to founding the firm in 1997, Pat worked at Bain & Company, Oracle Corporation and Sybase. Pat lives in the Bay Area with his wife and four boys.

This week, we are excited to re-release an episode from the archives of Linch with a Leader to honor a legend in the State of Georgia and in the college football world. In his second episode ever published in Season 1 of the podcast, Mike Linch interviewed the late former University of Georgia Head Football Coach and Athletic Director Vince Dooley, who recently passed at the age of 90 at his home in Athens.Coach Dooley established his coaching legacy with the Georgia Bulldogs, compiling a record of 201-77-10, and winning a national title in the 1980 football season. During his 25 seasons as the head coach in Athens, he led the Bulldogs to 20 bowl games, coached 12 consensus All-Americans, and was named SEC Coach of the Year four times. In 1979, he was appointed as the Athletic Director, and saw the Bulldogs win 18 national championships and 75 SEC championships during that period.Coach Dooley was also instrumental in bringing collegiate football to Kennesaw State University, where he served as Chair of the Exploratory Committee which researched the feasibility of bringing the sport to the school. Additionally, he also partnered with Mascot Books to publish two children's books about the UGA mascot, How 'Bout Them Dawgs! and Hairy Dawg's Journey Through the Peach State. Dooley was also the chairman of the board of curators for the Georgia Historical Society from 2016 to 2018.In this episode, Mike Linch talks with Coach Dooley about, not only his coaching journey, but also some of the leadership lessons he learned on the football field. Coach Dooley also talks about the things he learned in his 50+ years of marriage to his wife, Barbara, and the role his faith has played in his journey through life.