The Alli Worthington Show

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

Share Your Stuff with Laura Tremaine

Laura Tremaine has built a thriving Internet community around the idea that we all have valuable (and worthy) information to share, especially in our relationships. That’s why I’m thrilled she’s here with me today to talk about loneliness, reconnection, and why it’s so important that we share our own stuff. In the early days of the Internet, she started sharing her life online through the popular blog Hollywood Housewife and eventually moved onto podcasting via the Sorta Awesome Show and Smartest Person in the Room. Now, she hosts 10 Things to Tell You, a weekly podcast that provides a jumping off point for journaling or to start a meaningful conversation with people who matter to you. And I love that she models what she wants her listeners to do by never being afraid to go first.  In her debut book, Share Your Stuff. I’ll Go First, Laura shares both personal stories and reflection questions to help us cultivate authentic connections with others that really only come from sharing parts of ourselves.  Y’all, I’m so happy to have Laura on the show today to talk about the tools we need to not only start important conversations with our people but continue to be vulnerable and reconnect even when it feels hard. Tune in for the whole conversation to hear: All about our most notable and hilarious fashion moments The behind-the-scenes of mommy bloggers, brand deals and today’s influencer culture How to safely and confidently share on social media without compromising your values What practical tools you need to invest in your relationships. Favorite quotes: 1. Sometimes there’s real reasons why we can’t share, because of our job, or our community, or lots of reasons it's legitimately hard to share online. But these women were mostly saying they can’t share online or off, because of the shame they felt. 2. You can share and let yourself be seen without vomiting out every bad thing that’s happened to you. 3. When I hear someone else's magical moment, it is so invigorating to me. I don't care if I 100% buy into it, it’s still an amazing story. 4. When you go first, you’re opening the door for other people to also share themselves. In this episode I answer this question: Is the Message Bible a safe bible to read? (42:47) Great things we discussed:  1. Laura Tremaine2. Share Your Stuff. I’ll Go First 3. WandaVision 4.  Dirt5. Charlotte’s Magic Cream6. He’s Always Been Faithful 7. Standing Strong  Hope you loved this episode! Be sure to subscribe in iTunes and slap some stars on a review! :) xo, Alli

The Essential Work of the Holy Spirit with Jeannie Cunnion

One thing I love about this space is your willingness to dive in deep with me on topics that affect us every day but don’t get much air time anywhere else. That’s why I invited today’s guest Jeannie Cunnion to join me. Jeannie is on a mission to help women embrace the freedom found only in Christ.  With the release of her latest book Don’t Miss Out, Jeannie shows us the impact the Holy Spirit can have on our lives, how we can welcome it into our daily routines, and the ways it can enrich our personal relationship with Jesus.  Jeannie is my friend, a best-selling author of four books, and a fellow mom of five boys. But more than that, she’s made it her life’s work to help women and parents connect with the Lord on a deeper level so they can live in the power of the Holy Spirit.  I know you’ll get so much out of our conversation. Hang around until the end to hear all about:  The job of the Holy Spirit, including how it sanctifies, strengthens and sustains us in our walk of faith..  Our influence on the ways we hear the Spirit and what we can do to hear it more often.  Identifying your spiritual gifts and why it’s critical that you name it and put it into practice.  Favorite quotes:1. Jesus relied on the Holy Spirit and the disciples needed the Holy Spirit. So why do we today think that we can or should do anything without the power of the Holy Spirit? 2. I think people put their trust in Jesus. Then they think they have to follow Jesus in their own strength and it's their job to make their lives grow more and more in the likeness of Jesus when it's the Holy Spirit who sanctifies us. 3. It's so true that we are all filled with the Holy Spirit in the sense that we are given a spirit at salvation but so few of us are walking in the fullness of it. 4. Because He dwells in us and will never leave us, we can grieve Him. We can question. But we can never force him to abandon us. He is our seal of salvation and he is the most loyal companion. 5. When we recognize that the Holy Spirit is fully God. That He is also a divine person. The person of the Holy Spirit is with you. He has a mind, he has a will, he has emotions, he has this beautiful personality and he really desires to give you this deep sense of awareness of his presence to be a comfort to you. In this episode I answer this question: What books do you recommend for newlyweds? (36:54) Great things we discussed:  1. Jennie Cunnion 2. Don’t Miss Out 3. Fresh Wind4. Rest On Us5. Surviving Savanah6. Believe For It7. Latisse 8. Standing Strong Hope you loved this episode! Be sure to subscribe in iTunes and slap some stars on a review! :) xo, Alli 

Un-Hurry Your Heart with Jennifer Dukes Lee

Friends, I’m thrilled to welcome back my dear friend Jennifer Dukes Lee to the show today! Jennifer is a calm, encouraging voice in our fast-paced world that is obsessed with hustle and haste. And I hope our conversation is a safe place for you to land when you’re reaching for ways to live a quiet, easy, and successful life.  In our conversation, we talk about Jennifer’s new book “Growing Slow” and she shares practical tips on how we can stop treating life as an emergency and start living life the way it was meant to be lived - slowly. She also reminds us that true peace comes from embracing the life that God crafted for each and every one of us.  Listen in as Jennifer and I  talk about:  The trap of comparing ourselves to the accomplishments of others The connection God created between our lives and the Earth’s seasons How to view time as a both a friend and tool that God uses in our daily lives Her craziest farm story about a rogue pig   Favorite quotes: 1. When I put into place some pauses in my life, really changed things and adopted what I call a slow growth mindset, that has been transformational for me. 2. Slow progress is still progress.  3. There's always something sitting out there as if it’s a milestone. I don't know who created these, but there really are no set milestones. I think when we strip all of that away. And  if we go our own way and grow our own way. We will experience a lot of freedom. That chips away at the hurry that's hanging around our hearts. 4. In our hurry, we're really not setting down the roots that we need to hold us firm when the storms inevitably come. 5. Without sustainable living as human beings we're gonna ruin the fields that are our lives and our hearts in these places where God's planting seeds in us. In this episode I answer these questions: 1. What’s your process for knowing what to say yes and what to say no to? (35:20) Great things we discussed:  1. Jennifer Dukes Lee website2. Growing Slow 3. Catch Me Singing 4. The Great British Baking Show5. Dirt 6. Breville Espresso Machine  7. The Sill 8. Standing Strong Hope you loved this episode! Be sure to subscribe in iTunes and slap some stars on a review! :) xo, Alli 

Navigating Hard Seasons with Nicki Koziarz

Have you ever caught yourself pleading with God for good news? For an easier season? For just one day with a silver lining instead of difficulties and disappointment?  If we’re honest with ourselves, we’ve all been there and we’re afraid to admit it to others. That’s why I wanted to have my friend Nicki Koziarz on the show today. Nicki is a best-selling author and Proverbs 31 ministry speaker, so when she spoke up about her own tough seasons and devastating losses in her new book Flooded, I knew her message could help so many.  Nicki and I dive into what we do when we’ve been in a tough season of life and what to do when doubt creeps in, especially doubt about our faith. Nicki shares her journey of managing the flood of difficult situations and wondering if they will ever stop.   Listen in to hear about:  The impact that going to God in a tough season can have on our lives even if it’s the last thing we feel like doing. What happens when we stop looking at our faith journey as if God is controlling us like puppets. How to manage the opinion of others and the impact and unintended consequences those opinions can have on our belief in God’s plan for our lives. Favorite quotes: 1. Unfortunately sometimes we make decisions that lead us on a path that's not part of God’s plan.2. Doubt can turn into sin really easily.3.  Every hard thing that you and I will go through, there's already someone in the scriptures who's overcome it.  4. Sometimes when we’re walking through really things we feel like we’re the ones carrying it but God actually is doing the hardest part in these assignments of grief but it's up to us to see it that way. 5. God is in charge of the plan, I’m in control of my obedience. In this episode I answer these questions:  1. How do you determine a curfew for teenagers these days?  (41:58 ) Links to great things we discussed:  1. Nikki Koziarz2. Flooded 3. Champion4.  Buried by the Bernards5. Draw The Circle6. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality 7. Flo Vitamins 8. Goli Gummies 9. Tula  10. Rest On Us 11. Rinse Off Foaming Cleanser 12. Standing Strong  Hope you loved this episode! Be sure to subscribe in iTunes and slap some stars on a review! :) xo, Alli 

Getting Unstuck with Chip Ingram

As we begin to come out of the pandemic fog we've been in, we can feel stuck. After a year of limbo, we’ve been unable to move forward. Wondering what the next day, week, or month would hold. Many of us leaned in and got closer with God. But we don't know how to move forward.   On Today's episode, I have my friend and fan-favorite, Chip Ingram, on the show. We dive into what it looks like to get spiritually unstuck and how to move forward with power in this new season. Every time I have Chip on the show, I always walk away with fantastic nuggets of wisdom that I know are just for me! This time is no different, and I hope it’s the same for you. Chip Ingram is a Christian pastor, author, and teacher. He is the founder, teaching pastor, and CEO of Living on the Edge, an international teaching and discipleship ministry.   In this episode, we discuss: How to live from God's approval and not for God's approval. Gratitude as the heart of thanksgiving and how important it is in our process of transformation.  Chip breaks down transformation and God's intent to make us like Jesus. Favorite quotes: 1. The marriage of the gospel and the American dream have gotten so intertwined. I think there are times where we have very unbiblical expectations. That if I really do trust God and I really love him, and I lean in, there's going to be deliverance, joy, or effervescence. A sense that I'm going to be more than a conqueror, but I probably won't suffer. 2. There is a practice of thanksgiving that is so important on this journey. It allows us to stay in line and keep in step with the Spirit. 3. At the heart of life change is understanding that change begins with your thinking.  4. Keeping the big picture is critical. Then recognizing that the only thing you or I can control is today. 5. We've got to begin to filter and look for the subtle messages in what we read and watch and listen to that may not be ‘bad, evil, or violent’ but they keep sending me messages that I don't measure up or that life could be easier. Those are the subtle things that the enemy wants to embed in our psyche. These messages keep us discontent or  thinking that we're not doing well, when we might be making great progress. Great things we discussed: 1. Chip Ingram at  livingontheedge.org and the Chip Ingram App 2. Yes! You Really CAN Change 3. Waymaker4. Victoria 5. Godzilla vs Kong6. The Blessing 7. Standing Strong Hope you loved this episode! Be sure to subscribe in iTunes and slap some stars on a review! :) xo, Alli 

The State of Our Kids with Sissy Goff

After a year of living through a pandemic, we are all uncertain, anxious and even a little bit cranky about things going back to normal. As adults, we have a lifetime of practice building coping strategies that work for our individual personalities and lifestyles. But what about our kids?  A year of distance learning, isolation from friends, disruption of routines and continued uncertainty only adds to anxiety they may already feel and not know how to manage. That’s why I invited Sissy Goff on the show today to talk about the state of our kids in a post-pandemic world and how we can better support them. Since 1993, Sissy has helped girls and their parents find confidence in who they are and hope in who God is making them be, both as individuals and families. She is a sought-after speaker for parenting events and the author of twelve books, including her latest release for teenage girls, Brave. Join us as she shares her insights and knowledge on:  How anxiety and depression manifest differently in boys and girls. Practical ways parents can support their children who struggle with anxiety. The number one thing parents can do to help support the mental health of their kids.   Favorite quotes: 1. Culturally we’re just doing too much and moving too fast. And kids are often getting the brunt of that unintentionally from us as adults. 2. For adolescents, so much life for them comes from peers. The loneliness really immediately started impacting them in a very different way. 3. Anxiety is an overestimation of the problem and an underestimation of ourselves. 4. Anxiety is the most prevalent condition among kids but it's also the most treatable.  5. When we can come up with a name for anxiety, it loses its power.   In this episode I answer this question: I want to host Bible study but I didn’t go to seminary, is it okay that I host one? (45:13) Great things we discussed: 1. Find Sissy at her website & on Instagram 2. Brave 3. Goodness Of God4. Parenthood5. Late Migrations6. K. McCarthy 7. Hold On To Me 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/SissyGoff/

Make Overthinking Your Superpower with Jon Acuff

There’s an old bumper sticker quote that goes, “Don’t believe everything you think.” But we’ve all done it. It starts as a tiny idea or worry that we push to the back burner. Then slowly over time, it grows and grows until we eventually act on it or let it dictate our decisions. Changing our mindset is a choice, but it’s easy to forget that we are in the driver’s seat when it comes to our thoughts. That’s why I asked my good friend Jon Acuff to join me on the show today. Jon is whip-smart, funny and a New York Times bestselling author, but more than that, he’s on a mission to help others flip the script on overthinking and turn it into a superpower.  Throughout our conversation, he shares what he’s learned throughout his research on overthinking and talks about the tools we need to master our thoughts. I loved this conversation, and I just know you’ll love his unique blend of humor, honesty and hope. Stick around to the end to hear all about: 1. What Dolly Parton has in common with telegrams and bald eagles  2. The four simple words you can use to make any goal easier 3. How words can easily control of our thoughts, feelings and emotions 4. The most surprising discovery Jon learned from his research for his new book Soundtracks   Favorite quotes: I think everyone tends to undervalue the things they're good at and overvalue the things other people are good at.2. At some point, everybody has to live out the thing they are good at and enjoy being good at that.3. The soundtracks we listen to have a lot more power than we think. They’re playing constantly and what if we can do something about that? What if we can choose the soundtrack we listen to? 4. Repeating things that are positive about yourself puts them at the top of your playlist. So when you’re in a situation where something happens, it’s like your brain grabs the most recent song.   In this episode I answer this question: 1. How do you decide when to invest in your business?  (52:28)   Links to great things we discussed:  1. Jon Acuff Website 2. Soundtracks: The Surprising Solution to Overthinking 3. Immunity 4. Married At First Sight5. Alone6. I Hate Running And You Can Too7. Vulnerability Is My Superpower 8. Leap Over A Wall 9. Leuchtturm Notebook 10. The Falcon and the Winter Solider 11. LUMIFY Redness Reliever Eye Drops 12. 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/jonacuff/

Building a Life You Love with Emily Ley

Have you ever noticed how we tend to enjoy the things we are intentional about a little bit more than our routine, day-to-day lives? What if I told you that it’s possible to build a life you love and rediscover your most authentic self without winning the lottery or upending your entire world?  Well, you’re in for a treat, friends! My dear friend Emily Ley is joining me on today’s show to talk all about how to create a life you love (and not just one that people will envy on the Internet!). You may know Emily from The Simplified Planner® or her bestselling books A Simplified Life, Grace Not Perfection, or her newest release Growing Boldly. She’s built a life she loves, and she’s on a mission to help others do the same.  In today’s episode, we talk all about life, business, and what happens when you imagine the life you dream of then create a plan to make it happen. She also shares practical ways for women to rediscover themselves, especially after spending so much time in the role of a parent or caregiver.  Tune in to hear more about:  The big risk Emily took that failed spectacularly and what she learned from it. Identifying when you’re operating overcapacity and how to implement changes to save your sanity. Emily’s “Build” philosophy and her personal challenge to every listener out there. Favorite quotes: 1. There is a time and a place for that kind of work, for the sacrifice. If you're not balancing that work with a season of rest, of nourishment, of taking care of yourself you are absolutely going to fail. 2. I think that we have this responsibility to live our lives in a bold way, but what if we lived our lives that brought others up with us. 3. I really believe that nothing about you is to be wasted. And when you know these things about yourself, you are suddenly looking at a pile of bricks that you can use to build the life you love.4. Look at life and make a choice. What matters right now? Is it the deadline? Or is it the fact that my kids need me? Is it simply getting dinner on the table? What is it? Which ball is in the air that I cannot drop? Let me give myself permission and grace to tell everything else: not right now.   In this episode I answer this question: 1. Do you have tips and suggestions when it comes to networking? (31:54) Great things we discussed:  1. Find Emily Ley on Instagram 2. Growing Boldly: Dare to Build a Life You Love  3. Simplified Sisterhood 4. Handclap 5. Call The Midwife 6. Essentialism 7. Vinter’s Daughter 8. Interstellar  9. 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/emilyley/