#31 Ask Anything with Missie Branch & Courtney Moore

#30 Courtney Moore, Founder + President of Women & Work

Courtney Moore is the Founder and President of Women & Work, as well as co-host of the Women & Work Podcast. She holds a B.A. in Religious Studies from the University of Mobile and an M.A. in Biblical Counseling from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Courtney is passionate about seeing Jesus Christ honored by women as they steward their gifts and leverage their unique potential for His glory. She has been married to Brent for 15 years. They have 3 great kids and live in El Paso, TX wher...

#29 Missie Branch, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

Missie Branch currently serves as the Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Graduate Life at the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary . She is married to Deuce and they have 4 children. Missie is passionate about women seeing themselves as disciples and theologians. She’s a published author, chairwoman of the trustees at Lifeway Christian Resources, and of course, one of our beloved podcast hosts! In this episode, Missie discusses: ✨Her journey from owning a successful cake business to...

#28 Dr. Sarah Rainer, Children & Families Psychologist

Dr. Sarah Rainer has her Masters and Doctorate degrees in Clinical Psychology. She specializes in child and adolescent mental health and development. Sarah is also the co-host of the Parenting & Pennies podcast on the Christian Parenting podcast network. Sarah serves in leadership at her church for women’s discipleship and enjoys discipling other women. She enjoys being a guest writer, speaker, and podcaster for different organizations. In this episode, Sarah shares about her career as a Clinica...

#27 Melissa Kruger, LIVE at Cultivate Conference

On this episode of the Women & Work podcast Courtney Moore and Missie Branch interview Melissa Kruger, Director of Women's Content at The Gospel Coalition . This episode was recorded live at Cultivate Conference in March of 2022 at The Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary . Besides serving at The Gospel Coalition , Melissa is also an author and podcast co-host. Her books include The Envy of Eve: Finding Contentment in a Covetous World and Walking with God in the Season of Motherhood. She se...

#26 Jess Barefield, Interior Designer and Business Owner

Jess Barefield is an interior designer and business owner, wife and mom of 3. She has a love for beautiful and practical spaces that comes from years of executing her own interior design dreams. Jess grew up in Pittsburgh and made stops in Philadelphia, Washington D.C, and Atlanta before settling in Dallas. Living in so many different houses helped her to appreciate the impact a well-designed home can have on family life. After doing it so many times for herself, Jess wants to help other familie...

#25 Ashley Gorman, Associate Publisher at B&H Publishing

Ashley Marivittori Gorman serves as an associate publisher at B&H Publishing Group , an imprint of Lifeway Christian Resources . She holds an MDiv from Southeastern Theological Seminary and has been trained under The Charles Simeon Trust. Her passions are biblical literacy, women’s discipleship, foster care, theology, books, the local church, and teaching the Bible. Ashley and her husband, Cole, live in Nashville, Tennessee, with their daughter, Charlie. You can find her writing in various Lifew...

#24 Sheila West, Businesswoman & Entrepreneur

Sheila is a businesswoman, entrepreneur, and communicator with thirty-plus years of experience. She was President/CEO of a multi-million dollar company that twice made the INC 500 list of America’s fastest-growing companies which has brought her national recognition and various awards. Sheila served as President of the Monroe County Chamber of Commerce after serving on the executive committee for seven years. She was the first woman to serve on the Archery Merchants and Manufacturers Organizatio...

#23 Joanna Meyer, Director of Public Engagement at Devener Institute

Joanna serves as Denver Institute’s Director of Public Engagement and oversees the Women & Vocation Initiative. Prior to coming to the Institute, she worked in global telecom, nonprofit consulting, and campus ministry with Cru. She served as associate faculty at Denver Seminary and as a sewing instructor at Fancy Tiger Crafts. She has an MA in Social Entrepreneurship from Bakke Graduate University and graduated magna cum laude from the University of Colorado, Boulder.

#22 Tara Dew, Founder and Director of THRIVE at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

Tara has loved Jesus for as long as she can remember. She was saved as a child at a Billy Graham crusade, and then surrendered to the ministry as a teenager. A few years later, she married her high school sweetheart, Dr. Jamie Dew, who is now the President of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Leavell College. Together, they have 2 sets of twins: Natalie & Nathan (14 years old) and Samuel & Samantha (12 years old). Tara loves spending time with her family, trying out new restaurants in...

#21 Rachel Brock, Founder of Ministry Desk

Rachel is the Founder of Ministry Desk, a remote executive & administrative assistant agency for Christian leaders of churches, nonprofits, and businesses. Rachel has been serving in administrative roles for over ten years and currently serves as the executive assistant to the President of Reaching & Teaching International Ministries. Prior to this, she served as the assistant to Dr. Albert Mohler at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary for several years. Rachel graduated from Texas A&M Uni...

#20 Elyse Fitzpatrick & Eric Schumacher, Part 2

In part 2 of this episode, Elyse and Eric discuss: How to place our confidence in the Lord when we fall into the lies of pride and self-loathing. Responding to people who fear that discussing the value of women is a slippery slope to egalitarianism. Women in the new covenant are not to be quantified based on their relationship status but recognized for their partnership in the gospel. How fearing women leads to dehumanizing and objectifying women which leads to pornography and abuse. The meaning...

#19 Elyse Fitzpatrick & Eric Schumacher, Part 1

Elyse Fitzpatrick is a nationally sought-after speaker and author of 25 books on daily living and the Christian life including Worthy: Celebrating the Value of Women that she co-authored with Eric. Eric Schumacher is a pastor, songwriter, and author. He earned a Master of Divinity in Biblical and Theological Studies from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He and Elyse co-host the Worthy Podcast together, which we wholeheartedly recommend to our listeners. In this episode, Elyse and Eric ...

#18 Emily Jensen and Laura Wifler, Risen Motherhood

Emily Jensen and Laura Wifler are the cofounders of the Risen Motherhood ministry and cohosts of the Risen Motherhood Podcast.. They are also in the trenches of motherhood, right alongside their listeners. Together, they have authored the book: "Risen Motherhood: Gospel Hope For Everyday Moments.” Laura and Emily are sisters-in-law and live with their families in central Iowa. In this episode, Laura and Emily discuss: God’s vision for motherhood as a calling for women. How all women are called t...

#17 Macy English, Owner & Principal Consultant of English Media

Macy English is the Owner & Principal Consultant of English Media , where she helps businesses with all things sales & marketing. She is a lover of people, culture, marketing, and health, and she strives for all that matters in life. Macy and her husband, JT, live in Arvada, CO, with their two kids and love to travel. In this episode, Macy discusses: How she balances being a pastor’s wife, mom, and business owner How she discovered her natural gifts and the path that led her to start her own bus...

#16 Chelsea Sobolik, Director of Public Policy at the ERLC

Chelsea Patterson Sobolik serves as the Director of Public Policy with the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission in the Washington, D.C. office. Previously, she worked on Capitol Hill on pro-life policies, domestic and international religious freedom, adoption, and foster care issues. Chelsea has been published at the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The Gospel Coalition, Christianity Today, and others. She is the author of Longing for Motherhood – Holding onto Hope in the Midst of Childlessnes...

#15 Blair Linne, Author, Poet & Speaker

Blair Linne is an author, speaker, actress, and Christian spoken word artist. She has appeared in numerous theater productions, commercials, and television shows including Days of Our Lives, Alias, Malcolm in the Middle, Boston Public, The Parkers and American Dreams, as well as her own Saturday morning show, SK8 (Skate) on NBC. Blair has toured globally and is known as one of the originators of the Christian Spoken Word genre. At 13, she was one of the youngest contributors at The World Stage A...

#14 Trillia Newbell, Author & Speaker

Trillia Newbell is an author and speaker, and currently works as an acquisitions editor for Moody Publishers. This comes after serving for 7 years as the Director of Community Outreach for the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission for the Southern Baptist Convention. She is passionate about issues of faith, family, and diversity, and her writings on this topic have been published in the Knoxville News-Sentinel, Desiring God, True Woman, Christianity Today, The Gospel Coalition, and more. Her m...

#13 Amy Whitfield, Exec Dir. of Communications at The Summit Church

Amy Whitfield works as Executive Director of Communications at The Summit Church in Durham, NC. She came into this role after serving as the Associate Vice President for Convention Communications for the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention. Amy co-authored the book, SBC FAQs: A Ready Reference, with Keith Harper, and alongside Johnathan Howe, she hosts the SBC This Week podcast. She is on the steering team of the SBC Women’s Leadership Network and serves on the board of direct...

#12 Ruth Chou Simons, Artist, Author & Entrepreneur

Ruth Chou Simons is a bestselling and award-winning author of several books —including GraceLaced, Beholding and Becoming, and Foundations. This month, she released her newest book When Strivings Cease. She is an artist, entrepreneur, and speaker, using each of these platforms to spiritually sow the Word of God into people’s hearts. Through her online shop at GraceLaced.com and her social media community, Simons shares her journey of God’s grace intersecting daily life with word and art. Ruth an...

#11 Lauren McAfee, Ministry Investment Coordinator Hobby Lobby

In this episode, we speak to Lauren Green McAfee, a speaker, writer, Ministry Investment Coordinator for Hobby Lobby. She is the author of Not What You Think: Why the Bible Might Be Nothing We Expected Yet Everything We Need and Only One Life: How a Woman’s Every Day Shapes an Eternal Legacy. Her grandfather founded Hobby Lobby and currently she works for their corporate office. Lauren and her husband Michael live in Oklahoma City and are the proud adoptive parents of their daughter Zion and soo...

#10 Michelle Stratton, Attorney

This week’s episode features Michelle Stratton , an attorney in Houston, TX whose practice focuses on complex civil, commercial, and white-collar criminal litigation and appeals. Before entering private practice, Michelle served as law clerk to Associate Justice Clarence Thomas on the Supreme Court of the United States and to Judge Edith Jones on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Michelle is married to Brandon, has 3 kids whom she homeschools part-time, and is a member at...

#9 Jen Wilkin, Author & Bible Teacher

This week’s episode features author and Bible teacher Jen Wilkin . Jen has organized and led studies for women in the home, church, and parachurch contexts. An advocate for Bible literacy, her passion is to see others become articulate and committed followers of Christ, with a clear understanding of why they believe what they believe, grounded in the Word of God. She also serves at The Village Church in Flower Mound, TX. Here she discusses with Courtney and Missie: – How she became passionate ab...

#8 Kristin Schmucker, CEO Daily Grace Co

Episode 8 features the founder and CEO of Daily Grace Co, Kristin Schmucker. The Daily Grace Co exists to equip disciples to know and love God and His word by creating beautiful, theologically rich, and accessible resources so that God may be glorified and the Gospel made known. In this episode, Kristin discusses: -The tragedy that led her to start writing devotionals -How the Lord grew her business from a small apartment to a warehouse and over 50 team members! -Organization tips on how to mana...

#7 Jessica Hotz, Founder of Elevate

In episode 7, Courtney Moore and Missie Branch chat with Jessica Hotz, founder of Elevate, a non-profit that believes in creating sustainable job solutions globally that improve lives and transform communities. In this episode, Jessica discusses: – Life in Nebraska, her upbringing, and faith – What led her and her husband to start the non-profit Elevate – Elevate's mission and partnership with artisans around the world Check out some of Jessica’s favorite Elevate products: Dimarco bag Travelers ...

#6 Sara Beth Fentress, 127 Worldwide

This month’s episode features Sara Beth Fentress, founder of 127 Worldwide, an organization that focuses on orphan prevention and caring for vulnerable communities around the world. In this episode, Sara Beth discusses: – How she began 127 Worldwide and some of the challenges with starting a non-profit – Singleness and the joys and griefs that can accompany it – What orphan prevention is and how 127 is meeting that need by connecting people with skills and giftings to communities around the worl...

#5 Jaelene Daniels, Professional Soccer Player

In this episode, we hear from professional soccer player, Jaelene Daniels. She is a celebrated women’s soccer player who played for the North Carolina Courage and the Women’s National Team. In this episode she discusses: Discipline of your mind and body Importance of Christian friends and community Standing firm in your faith in the midst of cultural pressure to do otherwise Mentorship and why it is so vital Jaelene is a part of a mentorship program for female athletes. For more information, che...

#4 Tiffany Fykes, Realtor & Cofounder of Fykes Realty Group

In this episode, we hear from realtor Tiffany Fykes. She and her husband founded Fykes Realty Group in Nashville, TN. In this episode she discusses: Flourishing and promoting flourishing for others Work-life balance The importance of rest Why community is vital If you are interested in real estate or if you are moving to the Nashville area, check out fykesrealtygroup.com to contact Tiffany and her team. She references several books in this episode: Every Good Endeavor by Tim Keller Why Business ...

#3 Michele Coats, Founder & Principal of El Paso Christian School

In this episode, founder and principal of El Paso Christian School, Michele Coats, discusses with us what led her to start a classical private school and how God paved the way to bring it to life. She also talks about her physical and mental journey along the way. She discusses: God calling her when she least expected it- to do something that seemed unlikely and even impossible. God closing and opening doors in His timing and all of the ways He placed people in her path to help her in her weakne...

#2 Michele Rigby Assad, CIA

In this month’s episode, Michele Rigby Assad shares with Courtney Moore and Missie Branch about her journey as a CIA operative. Her full story can be found in her book: Breaking Cover: My Secret Life in the CIA and What It Taught Me about What's Worth Fighting For . In this episode, Michele discusses: – How God used her childhood interests to help lead her to work abroad with the CIA – Overcoming her own self-doubt and fear to be able to do the job God had called her to do – What her day-to-day ...