My guest for The Happy Hour #133 is Kate Merrick. Kate is a writer, speaker, pastor’s wife, mama of a teen and a toddler, surfer, part-time cowgirl, and self-proclaimed chicken whisperer. She has been married to Britt for 19 years, and they live in Carpinteria, California, where they founded the Reality family of churches . In 2013, she endured the death of her daughter, Daisy Love, after suffering through cancer treatment for three and a half years. Kate is making her way back toward laughter, ...
Mar 22, 2017•58 min
My guest for The Happy Hour #132 is Heather Avis. Heather is wife to her man Josh, and mother to the adorable Macyn, Truly and August. After working as an Education Specialist she found herself as a full-time stay-at-home mom when she and her husband adopted their first daughter, Macyn, in 2008. Shortly thereafter, in 2011, they adopted their second daughter, Truly. And in 2013, their son August was born and came home to be theirs. Heather currently resides in Southern California where between o...
Mar 15, 2017•1 hr 6 min
My guest for The Happy Hour #131 is Haley Robison. Haley Robison is the CEO at Kammok , a outdoor gear company that designs technical, performance gear for the everyday adventurer. Haley believes in the power of well-designed product to enable life changing experiences, and she aspires to increase outdoor engagement by building a brand that encourages a city-to-trail lifestyle and makes the outdoor experience accessible for everyone. In today's conversation, Haley and I talk about what it's like...
Mar 08, 2017•1 hr 8 min
My guest for The Happy Half Hour #26 is my husband, the one and only, Aaron Ivey. Aaron is the only man allowed on the show, unless one of you can connect me with George W. Bush. Aaron is making his fourth appearance on The Happy Hour. You can listen to his previous interviews here: #39 , #70 and #100 . In today's show, we give you some sneak peaks into The Happy Hour LIVE! You're not going to want to miss. We have some really fun surprises and an unforgettable night planned for you. You have ju...
Mar 03, 2017•34 min
My guest for The Happy Hour #130 is Joy Eggerichs Reed. Joy is the Founder of Punchline Speakers , a new agency connecting communicators to opportunities, and vice versa. Joy has also been a speaker herself over the last decade. Between 2005 and 2015 Joy worked as Conference Director for her parents Love and Respect marriage conferences . Then she created the Love and Respect Now website and The Illumination Project small group study as resources for her generation on the topic of singleness, da...
Mar 01, 2017•1 hr 4 min
My guest for The Happy Hour #129 is Rebekah Lyons. Rebekah is the author of Freefall to Fly: A Breathtaking Journey Toward a Life of Meaning and now You are Free: Be Who You Already Are . She is a mother of three, wife of one, and dog-walker of two living in Franklin, TN. Alongside her husband, Gabe, she serves as co-founder of Q Ideas , a nonprofit organization that helps Christian leaders winsomely engage in culture. When she's not busy writing killer books, you can find her reading and sippin...
Feb 22, 2017•53 min
My guest for The Happy Half Hour #25 is my friend, Jennie Allen . Jennie is a speaker, author, teacher and the founder and visionary of IF:Gathering. IF: Gathering has since become one of the fastest growing conferences and movements in the world, empowering women across continents and denominations to live honestly and deeply. Just a few weeks ago, Jennie published her highly anticipated third book, Nothing to Prove . Jennie lives with her husband Zac and their four children in Austin, Texas. J...
Feb 17, 2017•32 min
My guest for The Happy Hour #128 is my friend, Julie Manning. Julie is a wife to her husband, John, mother of three fun-loving boys, and pediatric nurse practitioner. At the age of 25, Julie left her career in corporate America to pursue a bachelor’s degree in nursing. While in nursing school, the Lord birthed a passion within Julie to care for children born with heart disease. Little did she know seven years later, she would learn that her own heart was sick. The Lord’s pursuit of Julie’s heart...
Feb 15, 2017•1 hr 3 min
My guest for The Happy Hour #127 is Sally Clarkson . Sally is the mother of four wholehearted children, a popular conference speaker, and champion of women everywhere. She is the best-selling author of numerous books and articles on Christian motherhood and parenting, including her most recent release, Different , written with her son. Sally lives in Monument, Colorado and loves Jesus, her family, reading, music, tea, traveling, long walks, and her golden retriever, Darcy. On today's show, Sally...
Feb 08, 2017•53 min
My guest for The Happy Half Hour #24 is Debra Parker . Debra is all about freedom and wild pursuits. She follows Jesus and manages the her party of six. She's a self-described beach dweller and anywhere adventurer. She is also the Founder of Wildfire Collective : Podcast + Happenings + Justice Initiative. Debra first joined me on The Happy Hour for episode #10 , when we talked about sex trafficking, her adoption story and celebrity crushes. She's back today to catch up and fill us in on the late...
Feb 03, 2017•26 min
My guest for The Happy Hour #126 is the incredibly gorgeous Sazan Hendrix . Digital media influencer and fashion/beauty/lifestyle icon, Sazan was born to inspire others. As one of the most recognizable and leading young beauty entrepreneurs, she is transforming the professional business of social and digital media all around the world with nearly one million loyal followers across her platforms in addition to the millions of views on her blog and YouTube channel . She has also become an exclusiv...
Feb 01, 2017•1 hr 3 min
My guest for The Happy Hour #125 is Renee Swope. Renee is a Word-lover, heart-encourager, story-teller and grace-needer. She’s the best-selling author of A Confident Heart and A Confident Heart Devotional . Renee served as Executive Director and as radio co-host at Proverbs 31 Ministries for 20 years. She is a writer for (in)courage and contributor to (in)courage’s first book Craving Connection: 30 Challenges for Real-Life Engagement . Married to her favorite person on earth, Renee and J.J. live...
Jan 25, 2017•1 hr 15 min
Kat Armstrong is back as my guest for The Happy Half Hour #23. Kat is the creator of Baby Bow Tie , which she recently announced she is selling (you can find out more from the link below!) and the founder of Polished , a ministry sharing the gospel with women in the workforce. Kat is back today with a little update on what's going on with Polished and their goals for the new year. They are hoping to launch Polished North Austin and Polished Southeast Dallas and a second Polished Houston chapter,...
Jan 20, 2017•27 min
Anne Bogel is my guest for The Happy Hour #124. You might know Anne from her blog (affectionally called "a lifestyle blog for nerds"), Modern Mrs. Darcy , or her podcast, What Should I Read Next? In our conversation today, we chat about the podcasting world and starting new ideas. But, I gotta tell you, most of our conversation is surrounding our latest and most favorite books. So, if you're looking for your next good read, you've come to the right place. Anne and I have some different tastes, s...
Jan 18, 2017•1 hr 11 min
My guest for episode #123 is Lisa Bevere . Lisa believes in women and empowers them by weaving the practical with the profound truth of God's Word in award-winning curriculums and her best-selling books. Her heart breaks over social injustice. As an advocate for change, she rallies others to be an answer to desperate problems near and far. She and her husband John co-founded Messenger International , an organization established to teach, reach, and rescue. Lisa is the mother of four sons and gra...
Jan 11, 2017•1 hr 3 min
My guest for the Happy Half Hour #22 is my friend, Amanda Brown . Not only is Amanda one of my favorite friends, she's also my assistant. Which is kinda weird, but also 190% awesome because I get to work with one of my best friends. Amanda made her first appearance on The Happy Hour on episode #3 . She's back today with a review of her favorite episode from 2016, and some new happy half hour questions for 2017. You'll hear her favorite music, meal, and advice. She also shares what she would tell...
Jan 06, 2017•23 min
My guest for Happy Hour #122 is Rachel Cruze. As a #1 New York Times best-selling author and seasoned communicator, Rachel helps Americans learn the proper ways to handle money and stay out of debt. She’s authored two best-selling books: Love Your Life, Not Theirs and Smart Money Smart Kids . The daughter of Dave Ramsey, she joined Ramsey Solutions in 2010 and uses the knowledge and experiences from growing up in the Ramsey household to educate others. In today's conversation, we talk about what...
Jan 04, 2017•53 min
My guest for Happy Hour #121 is Erin Loechner. Erin is the founder of Design for Mankind , and has been speaking and blogging for more than a decade. Her heartfelt writing and design work has been showcased in The New York Times, Lucky, Parenting, Dwell, Marie Claire, Elle Decor, Huffington Post, and a two-season HGTV.com web special , garnering more than one million fans worldwide. She has spoken for and appeared in renowned international events for clients such as Walt Disney World, IKEA, Mart...
Dec 28, 2016•53 min
My guest for the Happy Half Hour #21 is Danielle Walker from Against All Grain . Danielle first joined me for episode #74 , earlier this year. She's back today after the recent release of her newest cookbook, Celebrations . On today's show, we catch up about Danielle's latest Netflix binges, the qualities she values in her best friends, how she recharges with naps, massages and quality time with her kids and the dream of being a never-realized dream of being a ballerina. I loved catching back up...
Dec 23, 2016•31 min
My guest for Happy Hour #120 is Kennesha Buycks. Kennesha is a Southern transplant from Alabama to the Pacific Northwest. She and her family now live in the Seattle area. Kennesha has a heart and passion for connecting others, gathering, and seeing those around her flourish in ways they could never imagine. She often expresses this passion through various creative mediums, including inspirational styling and design. When Kennesha is not busy being a wife or a mama to her four kids, she spends he...
Dec 21, 2016•1 hr 3 min
My guest for Happy Hour #119 is Ginger Gilbert Ravella. Ginger is a military wife, mother of five, stepmother of two, widow, writer and national speaker. At 36 years old, she faced the sudden tragic loss of her husband in Operation Iraqi Freedom and the horrors that followed. He left behind five beautiful children, all under the age of 9 years old. Her late husband, Major Troy Gilbert, an Air Force F-16 pilot, gave his life while saving twenty Special Operation soldiers, defining a true American...
Dec 14, 2016•1 hr 6 min
My guest for the Happy Half Hour #20 is my friend Jessica Honegger, founder and CEO of Noonday Collection . Jessica is old fave around here at The Happy Hour. She's been on episode #5 , #55 , and one of the guests for the very first live event . Jessica and I were able to get together and record in the actual flesh at her office here in Austin. We make our rounds through our normal half hour show questions, but I think you'll love hearing her dream of a communal life that she's having to let die...
Dec 09, 2016•38 min
My guest for Happy Hour #118 is Emily Ley. Emily is the Founder and Creative Director of Emily Ley Paper & Gifts . She is also the creator of the bestselling Simplified Planner —a daily agenda for what matters most— and author of Grace Not Perfection . Raised in Pensacola, Florida, Emily graduated from the University of West Florida with degrees in English, creative writing, and public administration. She later became the executive director of the city ballet. From there, she worked in nonpr...
Dec 07, 2016•59 min
My guest for Happy Hour #117 is Becky Kiser , founder of Sacred Holidays , a small business connecting the heart of women to the heart of God during the holidays they celebrate. She is also a MBTI Certified Personal & Executive Coach with orbitingnormal.org and loves working with women, small business owners, non-profits, and teams. Becky, her husband and three beautiful girls live in The Woodlands, TX and are a part of Church Project . She’s addicted to ice tea, loves Texas summers, and is ...
Nov 30, 2016•1 hr 4 min
My guest for the Happy Half Hour #19 is Jo Saxton. Jo is a pastor, missional leader, speaker and leadership coach. She is the co-host of Lead Stories podcast and is the board chair of 3DMovements . Jo is the author of More Than Enchanting and High Heels and Holiness . She loves Starbucks, the gym, her people, and the everyday stuff, like good music, good food, and good books. And Target. She really, really loves Target. She spends her days dreaming big dreams, and making big plans. Jo lives in t...
Nov 25, 2016•29 min
My guest for today’s episode is Ann Voskamp. Ann is the wife of a down-to-earth farmer; a book-reading mama to a posse of seven; and the author of the New York Times bestseller One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are , which has sold more than one million copies. Her latest book, The Broken Way: A Daring Path into the Abundant Life released in October 2016. Millions do life with her at her daily photographic online journal, one of the top 10 most widely read Christian websit...
Nov 23, 2016•55 min
Rachel Hollis is back! Today, she’s joining me for episode #115. It’s a very special episode and one of my favorites every year, where we get to tell you about a few companies that are doing some fantastic work, making great products and running their businesses in a way that would make all of us proud. Today, we’re highlighting 13 companies. You can read all about them here , find their sites and discounts they’re offering. Rachel and I had such a great time chatting about these companies, thei...
Nov 16, 2016•51 min
My guest for Happy Half Hour #18 is Laura Kelley . She and her husband, Josh, currently lead a tribe of 5 little ones...soon to be 6...in Nashville, TN. Laura loves Jesus, color, creativity, being a momma and foster mom and believes baked goods might possibly change the world. Laura spends her free time flexing her artistic muscle, creating and sewing. She teaches a Bible journaling class anywhere, everywhere and online. Laura was first on the Happy Hour for episode #16! If you haven't listened,...
Nov 11, 2016•36 min
Alli Worthington is my guest for Happy Hour #114. Alli is the author of Breaking Busy: Finding Peace and Purpose in a World of Crazy, speaker, and the Executive Director of Propel Women . Her goal is to help women live the life they were created to live. Alli co-founded multiple companies and has helped individuals, small business owners and Fortune 500 companies be more successful. Her no-nonsense, guilt-free take on business, family and balance has lead to appearances on The Today Show and Goo...
Nov 09, 2016•1 hr 2 min
My guest for Happy Hour #113 is Sarah Rodriguez. Sarah is an author, speaker, blogger at www.journeyofsarah.com and also the Huffington Post. She is the creator of the Choose Joy Project , a random-acts of kindness initiative to honor the life of her late husband Joel. Her life's greatest role is that of Mommy to Milo and Ellis. Sarah is a one time NYC transplant who now makes her home in Oklahoma, where the best sunsets on earth are found. For the full summary and links to the show, Click Here ...
Nov 02, 2016•1 hr 8 min
