The Alli Worthington Show

Are you called to write a book? A special smart girl conversation with Lisa Whittle

Hey Friend!  I’ve got a special bonus Smart Girl Summer episode for you! You’re going to love it, especially if you’ve ever felt called to write, speak or maybe even start your own podcast!  My good friend and Called Creatives Co-Founder, Lisa Whittle, joins me on the mic today to give you an inside peek at what goes on at Called Creatives, our coaching community with hands-on training for women who want impact and influence. Lisa and I talk about following your dreams and how to push past the things that are holding you back. We discuss being called to write and speak and how to overcome fear of rejection, perfectionism, or thinking what you want to do is not what God has called you to do. Listen in to hear all about: The most common thing that holds women back who feel called to write How overthinking and compartmentalizing impacts God’s plan for us and how He really wishes for us to partner with Him to fulfill His purposes on this Earth.   What happens when you let go of the excuses that are holding you back from your full potential. We know that in order to achieve your dreams, you need someone to walk alongside you telling you exactly what you need to know. Don’t worry if you’re not quite there yet, we’re going to give you the pieces to get there!  In Called Creatives, we help you reach your dreams with trainings, monthly LIVE coaching calls, as well as our special mastermind collectives where you will be connected with 3-5  women who know what you’re going through and can guide you down the right path.  As a Called Creative member, every month you’ll receive… LIVE, 90-minute interactive group coaching call with Alli and Lisa Writing training sessions that will equip you to become a better writer, establish your voice and get traction  Speaking training session designed to help you develop your unique message, sharpen your speaking skills and leverage speaking opportunities  Guest training session with an industry leader (publishers, agents, writers, speakers) Plus, you will also… The opportunity to join a FREE mastermind to provide deeper accountability, resources, input, and relationship within the community. Get on-demand access to the online library of resources and training Expand your network of like-minded women who are pursuing their calling and cheering each other on. Join specialized communities of fellow entrepreneurs, women in ministry, and podcasters inside the bigger Called Creatives community Connect directly with Lisa, Alli, and the Called Creatives team through the private online community platform Listing in the 2021 directory of members to help expand your network Head on over to Called Creatives to sign up today! www.alliworthington.com/lisawhittle4/

Meshali Mitchell Joins Us for Smart Girl Summer

Smart Girl Summer continues with the fabulous and incomparable Meshali Mitchell, and, y’all, it’s a good one! Meshali is a photographer, public speaker and soon-to-be author, and I absolutely loved chatting with her. She is so relatable when it comes to starting and building her photography business, following God’s calling for her life as well as her passion for storytelling through her art.  In this episode, Meshali and I take a deep dive into the hardest part of building her business, battling comparison and imposter syndrome (even today!) and how we need to rebrand our failures and flops into tests and lessons learned. Plus, she *almost* convinces me that I need to get some fancy chickens. Listen in to learn more about: How Meshali decided to pivot into photography after earning her social work degree  How you can leverage your relationship with God when you feel imposter syndrome creeping in Practical tips for those days when you want to throw the towel in on the projects you feel called to complete. Favorite quotes: 1. I believe everyone's called to pioneer something.2. Through prayer and honestly just growth and maturity, I came to a point where I got a strong conviction that there is only one me. And I'm called to create in such a specific way. It was that conviction. Knowing there's only one me. This is a calling. Only I can fulfill what God's called me to do as an artist. 3. It's impossible to compare my work or myself with any other photographer. And all of us see uniquely, especially in the photography world. You kind of have to aggressively get a hold of that. 4. One of the keys to success is surrounding yourself as much as possible with key people that spur you on and cheerleaders around you that see beyond what you see in yourself. Great things we discussed:  1. Meshali's Website2. Meshali on Instagram  3. Charcoal mask4. Benefit mascara5. Tomorrow War6. Caviar Volumizing Mascara 7. Standing Strong. Hope you loved this episode! Be sure to subscribe in iTunes and slap some stars on a review! :) xo, Alli  www.alliworthington.com/meshalimitchell/

Smart Girl Summer with Jo Saxton

Smart Girl Summer continues again this week, and I’m so excited to be joined again by my closest friend, author, speaker, and leadership coach, Jo Saxton. When Jo is on the show, you know it will be excellent and full of genuine honesty and fun!  Jo has dedicated her career to growing leadership teams worldwide and empowering women to find their purpose in their personal lives and in leadership. She is continuing this mission by making sure they have access to training and opportunities that women need.  In this episode, we talk about what to do when you feel called by God to do one thing while you are doing something else, finding the threads that God shows us, as well as the idea of who you want to be on the other side of the crisis.  Jo and I also discuss the kryptonite for women who are following their calling, trying to find abundance in a scarce place, and Jo’s upcoming event this fall. (She even shares a discount code!)  Listen in as we also discuss:  How Jo got started, where she is now, and where she is headed The way to ensure experiments are successful (and it’s not by whether they actually succeed or not!) The mindset needed during transitions so that we can become more creative and more self-aware What God expects from us as we face a challenge (and what He does for us every day)   Favorite quotes: 1. I think these threads are like cross-stitch or a tapestry, the front that others may see seem logical. The back, the actual journey, is a hot mess of threads that are entangled and weaving in and out. 2. Just because it's uncertain doesn't necessarily mean it's bad. It doesn't mean it's all falling apart. And even if it is all falling apart, it doesn't mean it's over. It means I've got to be curious about it, rather than give up and walk away.3. Transition isn't just an aberration and an evil thing. It can be hard for sure, but transition is an opportunity to be creative. This is an opportunity to become more self aware and aware of what God is saying to me. This is an opportunity to dust off some things.  4. Arriving at the end of transition isn't the point, it's how you transition that matters. 5. I think we forget what it is to learn. And we forget that learning is integral to our gifting, and our calling.   Great things we discussed: 1. Jo Saxton  2. Ezer Collective   3. Elemis 4. Black Widow  5. Sweet Ever After 6. Dashing Diva 7. Standing Strong Hope you loved this episode! Be sure to subscribe to iTunes and slap some stars on a review! :) xo, Alli 

Smart Girl Summer with Jen Fulwiler

Hey friends! Smart Girl Summer Series continues with the fantastic Jen Fulwiler! And she is dropping all sorts of knowledge and insight.  Jen is a standup comic, bestselling author, former Sirius XM Radio host, and mom of six. And as if that isn’t impressive enough, she self-produced her first standup comedy tour, booking theaters across the country with nothing more than a Google search and her personal credit card. And she sold out almost every show! We talk about her famous Tik Tok videos, how she pivoted through a pandemic as a stand-up comic, and the lessons she’s learned when dealing with self-sabotage and resistance moments. We also dive into how she faces a setback, gets out of her own way, and some of her “bomb” moments. Listen in to hear all about: How courage is like playing a sport. Some have a natural talent for it and others have to practice.  The importance of getting help where you need it if you want to accomplish your goals and dreams. (And how to embrace the grace needed to accept that help! )  And for those using social media in their every day business pursuits, she shares the differences between Tik Tok and Instagram and the importance of knowing the demographics for each platform.   Favorite quotes: 1. Courage is like playing a sport, in the sense that some people might be just born with more natural skill in that area than others but anyone can learn to be good at it if they practice.   2. You learn about the game of life by taking little risks and letting them turn into bigger risks. You start to feel more comfortable with the bigger risks because you just have more experience with risk.   3. Going for it is the most humble thing you can do. In fact when people stop themselves, it is actually their ego driving. It is your ego saying, “That would be embarrassing to me.”   4. When I face a setback, I speak in terms of action, not emotion, and that has really helped me move forward and stay strong. Even when I know I'm feeling frustrated or embarrassed or whatever it is.   5. I think it takes humility to say, “I can't do it all. I can't. I need some help in this department.” Great things we discussed:  1. Jen Fulwiler at her website, Instagram & Tic Tok 2. Hair Tutorial on Jen’s Insta 3. Phone Stand4.  Philosophy  5. Billions6. F9: The Fast Saga 7. Constellations 8. Bye Bye Pores 9. Standing Strong Hope you loved this episode! Be sure to subscribe in iTunes and slap some stars on a review! :) xo, Alli 

Smart Girl Summer with Kelli Masters

We’re continuing our Smart Girl Summer Series this week with another fantastic guest that will inspire you (and maybe even help you out at the next sports trivia night!). Now, as a reminder, Smart Girl Summer is an eight-week series featuring some of my most brilliant friends sharing behind-the-scenes stories that you won’t hear anywhere else.  And today, we have the brilliant and business-savvy Kelli Masters on the show today! Kelli is an attorney, a certified sports agent, and the founder of KMM Sports, a full-service sports management company based in Oklahoma City. AND, fun fact: she was one of the first women to represent a Top 5 pick in the NFL draft!  She has represented more professional athletes than any other woman in the sports business history and was named one of the 25 most influential women in sports worldwide by Bleacher Report. Needless to say, Kelli knows a thing or two about business, sports, and remaining true to yourself against all odds. We sit down to chat about Kelli’s experience working in a male-dominated field, what her faith in God means to her, and some of the lessons she has learned along the way. Plus, she shares some good advice for the next generation of trailblazing women.  Listen in to learn more about -  How Kelli got to be where she is and how she found her calling to be a sports agent.  How to be fierce without being aggressive or unkind.  The inside scoop of being a sports agent and what Kelli has on her radar next. Favorite quotes: 1. It’s funny how those of us who try to map out what we think our life is going to look like and we fly and make all these plans. But truly, when you trust God with that and put it in his hands, it doesn't look linear at all.2. Being fierce doesn't come from me being egotistical or or overly confident. It comes from knowing God has called me to do this. He has given me the skills to do this. And he's given me the passion and the ability to fight for my clients, to fight for the people that I've been given to fight for and there's nothing more powerful. 3. Isn't it so easy to beat yourself up for where you're not?  4. What we've created is so different and so special. And it's 100% because I just said, “God, I want to do it your way and I don't want to do it my way.” I don't want to just look successful. I want to make an impact and create successful opportunities and lives for the players that I get the chance to work with. 5. It's interesting how you can spend so much time working on the details of something when God's like- no trust me over here. Just keep being good to people. Keep listening to me. Keep being kind to people. And I'll come through for you. Great things we discussed:  1. Kelli Masters 2. KMM Sports  3. High Impact Life 4. Rose Toronto Skincare 5. Quiet Place 2 6. 96,000 7. Bare Republic Sunscreen 8. Standing Strong Hope you loved this episode! Be sure to subscribe in iTunes and slap some stars on a review! :) xo, Alli  www.alliworthington.com/kellimasters/

Hannah Brencher joins us for Smart Girl Summer

Hey hey friends! I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “Hot Girl Summer,” but around here, we’re having Smart Girl Summer. Smart Girl Summer is an eight week series featuring some of my most brilliant friends sharing behind-the-scenes stories that you won’t hear anywhere else. And we’re kicking it off with Hannah Brencher! Hannah is a best-selling author, speaker, and entrepreneur, and y’all have loved her episodes in the past. She is such a breath of fresh air when it comes to running a business, staying creative, and embracing God’s plan for her life.  We dive into how she got her start, the lessons she learned from passion projects that didn’t go as planned, how she manages imposter syndrome, and what she does when she feels herself beginning to play the comparison game. Listen in as we discuss:  The freedom that comes with giving yourself permission to try new things (and not be great at them!).  How we handle the reactions of church friends when they find out our husbands are both full-time Dads while each of us are the breadwinners for our families. What a good workflow looks like, and how they can help you reach the goals you set for yourself.   Favorite quotes: 1. I don’t want people to be spectators in the lives of other people. I want them to be fully in their lives. 2. I spent so many years being so scared that I wasn’t in the calling of God. And then I realized that's not how it works. Go out there, experiment, have fun with things. I would have never known that I could be an entrepreneur if I didn’t give myself that permission.3. Just because it’s been done this one way 1000 times before, doesn’t mean that it’s what you have to do.  4. Make sure you finish things as well as you start them. Don’t let the momentum keep you from doing a good job from all angles.  5. Do the thing that scares you. 6. Invest in the craft instead of the applause.    Great things we discussed:  1. Hannah Brencher Creative .com2. Monday Club  3. Cocokind 4. In The Heights  5. Dashing Diva 6. Standing Strong Hope you loved this episode! Be sure to subscribe in iTunes and slap some stars on a review! :) xo, Alli 

Breaking Free with Jess Connolly

What would your life look like if you dared to reclaim what God has named good? My friend Jess Connolly is challenging us to consider that we’re made for more than having a love/hate relationship with our bodies. According to a study at Glamour magazine, 97% of women struggle with body image issues. It is an effective and intentional tool that convinces us that taking care of our bodies is not a spiritual issue.  Jess returns to the show today for a super fun, honest and essential conversation  about her new book Breaking Free from Body Shame: Dare to Reclaim What God Has Named Good. We also talk about the role social media plays and how to break free from the beliefs that hold us back from living our fullest lives. She is an author, entrepreneur, and is the founder of Go + Tell Gals and helped start She Reads Truth. She and her husband planted Bright City Church in Charleston, South Carolina, where they live with their four children. Listen in to hear Jess tell us: Her story of body image struggles and how she unfolded the truth that these struggles were a spiritual issue.  How she learned to be grateful when experiencing weakness because it is just a canvas for God’s goodness and compassion to shine.  Practical tips on how we can learn to love our bodies more. Favorite quotes: 1. It seems like such an intentional and effective tool of the enemy to convince women that this is not a spiritual thing. 2. I think one of the best ways we can fight this is genuinely just showing up in our actual bodies and letting people say, “this is what it is, this is reality, and I'm okay with that.” 3. Whatever it is, if it's Botox, if it's doing a 40 day fitness challenge, if it's being a person who does CrossFit, if it's running, if it's walking, if it's doing Pilates, if it's getting your hair done, if it's getting facials, if it's drinking green smoothie... the goal is simply that you do it because it's worshipful for you. Not because you feel pressured or shamed into doing it. 4. This is my body to steward. Nobody gets to speak about it. Nobody gets to be harmful toward it. Nobody gets to try to speak untruth, or negative things over it. Great things we discussed:  1. Jess Connolly2. Breaking Free From Body Shame 3. Exile 4. Gilmore Girls 5. When We Stand6. Gallon Sized Water Bottle 7. Cruella 8. Standing Strong Hope you loved this episode! Be sure to subscribe in iTunes and slap some stars on a review! :) xo, Alli 

Praying Daily with J.D. Greear

Whether praying is a part of your daily routine or just something you do when your back is against the wall, I bet you’ve wondered, at least once, “Does prayer actually work?” I’m not talking about doubting faith here, but often prayer can feel more like a duty than a delight. It can be tempting to think it doesn’t make a difference or we’re too busy to do it properly. Well, friends, J.D. Greear is joining me today to help us make sense of our relationship with prayer.  J.D. is the pastor of The Summit Church, with locations in Raleigh and Durham, North Carolina, and the Southern Baptist Convention president. And he’s got a new book coming out later this summer called Just Ask where he shares practical tips for including prayer in everyday life. And not just prayer, but confident, bold, patient, relentless, shameless, dependent, grateful, powerful, expectant prayer.  Together, JD and I discuss the idea of how God works through our prayers to accomplish His will and what’s at risk when we don’t pray.  JD also shares practical advice on praying so that it’s a natural part of our relationship with our Heavenly Father, not an obligation.  Listen in to learn: Why JD wrote Just Ask and how God spoke to his heart throughout the process What happens when we pray and how it impacts the work God is doing  Practical advice on praying so that it becomes a natural part of our relationship with God instead of an obligation. Favorite quotes: 1. One of the encouragements that I gathered from my reading and study of prayer in the bible is how much the bible is written to deal with the problem of unanswered prayer or that feeling that God is not hearing me. 2. Some things only come out in persistent prayer because God uses that to give us a hunger and thirst for him.3. Prayerlessness is a fruit of a heart that has not been trained properly by the gospel. 4. Prayer warriors are not born overnight. They’re developed by discipline and consistent gospel input that reshapes your heart to call out to your heavenly father.  In this episode I answer this question: 1. For a busy mom with a sporadic schedule, how do I fit in time with the Lord? (30:23) Great things we discussed:  1. JD Greear  2. Just Ask  3. William Augusto4. Seinfeld 5. The Last Kingdom6. Gentle and Lowly 7. Luluemon 8. Dream Horse  9. Tremble 10. Standing Strong Hope you loved this episode! Be sure to subscribe in iTunes and slap some stars on a review! :) xo, Alli

How to Have Tough Conversations with Nicole Unice

For over a year, we’ve been doing what we can to take care of ourselves and our families during a historic pandemic. And for some of us, shutting off our emotions was (and continues to be) one of the only ways to get things done.  But what happens when hard seasons end (or need to end)? Is it possible to feel like ourselves again without the overwhelming flight or fight mode we’re used to? In today's episode, we’re exploring exactly that!  My brilliant friend and fan-favorite Nicole Unice joins me on the show to talk about navigating difficult seasons and relationships and how being a mother affects us as opposed to the way it affects our children. Nicole also turns to the tables on me as I honestly share about the health struggles with two of my sons. Make sure to grab some tissues!  We also talk about Nicole’s new book The Miracle Moment, in which she shares practical advice for having difficult conversations and how to anticipate and overcome roadblocks on the way to healthy, "miracle moment" relationships. Listen in to learn more about:  What makes people pull away when they experience strong emotions like fear. How to become more self-aware by being open to learning from complicated relationships (and what that can teach us about ourselves and, ultimately, God) The person who needs to grow the most when challenging situations arise in our relationships. Favorite quotes: 1. It’s okay to be healing from pain and be hopeful about your future at the same time. It’s okay to grieve and also laugh. 2. The miracle moment is actually the moment after you feel misunderstood, or you missed each other, or frustrated, or can’t communicate, or it’s not going the way you want. It’s the next moment where a miracle could happen because it’s the intentional choice that we make to move towards one another or away.3. Small is big. Very very small consistent changes over time will transform your life.  4. The first place to start in a difficult relationship is you. Allow this a time for you to grow. And when you grow, you’ll see what happens to the other party.  Great things we discussed:  1. Nicole Unice2. The Miracle Moment3. Poldark 4. Prayers In The Dark5. NYX Micro Brow Pencil  6. The Chosen 7. Jeremiah’s Playlist  8. Standing Strong  Hope you loved this episode! Be sure to subscribe in iTunes and slap some stars on a review! :) xo, Alli

Succeeding at Life with Megan Hyatt Miller

Are you having a hard time describing how you’re feeling these days? Depressed is too strong a word, but unmotivated isn’t strong enough. That general blah feeling or phase has a name–languishing. And my friend and fellow mom of 5, Megan Hyatt Miller is here to tell us what we can do about it! Languishing is like the neglected middle child of mental health, but a lot of people experience it. Especially now that we’re coming out of a pandemic and coping with stress in ways we’ve never had to before. That’s why I’m delighted Megan wanted to tackle this topic with me, which isn’t surprising because her work is all about helping us be our best selves.  Megan Hyatt Miller is the President and Chief Executive Officer at Michael Hyatt & Company and the co-host of the popular business podcast, Lead to Win. And she just co-authored Win at Work and Succeed at Life with her dad Michael Hyatt. This book is all about freeing yourself from the cult of overwork, so you can bet she shares some great advice and techniques about how to get back to ourselves.  Tune in and hear all about: Where to start when exercise and nutrition isn’t helping you feel like yourself anymore. Creating a culture of double win -- instead of choosing either “I’ve got to hustle” or “I need a break!” Megan-approved practical tools to allow us to feel better and get our groove back. Favorite quotes: 1. If you're coming out of 2020 like most people that I've talked to, with your tires on fire, you know you just sort of feel like we're running on fumes and self care is all out of whack. Probably the place to start is not exercise and nutrition. As important as those things are and we talked about that some in the book, but the place to start really is with rest. 2. We've been going and going and going and using all of our reserves and just regular life has taken so much more energy that we are chronically exhausted and chronically depleted and we don't even know it right now. 3. The temporary has a way of becoming permanent, and then it starts to take a toll on our health, our mental well being, you know, and health, and our most important relationships, and if we don't catch it in time, then we end up in a situation where we have regret. 4.Work and life don't actually have to be in opposition to each other, they actually can be mutually reinforcing and supportive of one another and there's not magic to it, there is a process. 5. There isn't enough time to do everything but there is enough time to do the most important things. In this episode I answer this question: What does business coaching entail and how do I know if it’s right for me? (20:21) Great things we discussed:  1. Megan Hyatt-Miller 2. Win at Work and Succeed at Life 3. Every Little Kiss4.  Miss Scarlet and the Duke 5. Reparations: A Christian Call for Repentance and Repair6. KF49 Face Mask 7. Newsies 8.Standing Strong Hope you loved this episode! Be sure to subscribe in iTunes and slap some stars on a review! :) xo, Alli