Surviving Sarah

I am so happy to welcome David Thomas and Sissy Goff back to the show. This felt like a reunion since we haven't been able to sit down together like this since 2019. They are no stranger to the show. They have been on a few past episodes of Surviving Sarah. But in case you are new here, David and Sissy are counselors at Daystar in Nashville, TN. They have written some my favorite books on parenting and I had the privilege of hosting the first two seasons of their podcast, Raising Boys and Girls. Today's conversation feels like a nod to our days on their podcast. We dive into a topic and tension that we feel in parenting and then they walk us through it with some really practical advice. Today, we talk about power struggles. They break down by developmental stage for girls and boys—what it looks like, why its happening and what to do about it. And lastly, how to disengage when the power struggle happens. Order Sarah's book, A Mother's Guide to Raising Herself: What Parenting Taught Me About Life, Faith and Myself Sign up for Sarah's monthly Survival Kit Newsletter Connect with Sarah: Website | Instagram

I am so happy to welcome Tara Bremer BACK to the podcast. I had so much fun the last time we chatted that I wanted to have her back. Tara is the founder of House Peace which helps us find order in our homes and lives. She has a team of people who work with her and in fact, one of her team members, Kendra, came to my house back in Atlanta and helped me create systems for the lack of storage we had. Tara joins me today to talk about managing our digital clutter. We talk about all things digital: texting, photos, apps, desktops, and emails. This episode feels like you are getting to sit at the table with two friends. It is so easy to chat with Tara. We recorded via video so we literally walk through our phones together and share tips to declutter our digital lives. I'll be sure to link everything we talk about in today's show notes over at SarahBragg.com in case you are in motion while listening and can't take notes. Order Sarah's book, A Mother's Guide to Raising Herself: What Parenting Taught Me About Life, Faith and Myself Check out bonus content from today's episode over on Patreon. Sign up for Sarah's monthly Survival Kit Newsletter Connect with Sarah: Website | Instagram

We are just under 4 months until my book, A Mother's Guide to Raising Herself, launches out into the world and with that, I wanted to take a few minutes and unpack what it means to raise yourself. Order Sarah's book, A Mother's Guide to Raising Herself: What Parenting Taught Me About Life, Faith and Myself Check out bonus content from today's episode over on Patreon. Sign up for Sarah's monthly Survival Kit Newsletter Connect with Sarah: Website | Instagram

I am happy to welcome to the table Cindy Wang Brandt. She is an author, podcaster and host of the Parenting Forward conferences. A friend told me about her years ago and since then I've read her book, Parenting Forward, and always enjoy her podcast by the same name. We recorded conversation while I was hunkered down in the safest room in the house during a tornado. You guys, if that isn't commitment to you then I don't know what it is. In this conversation, we talk about how to create a space for kids to cultivate their own spirituality, advice on how to raise kids without unnecessary shame in regards to their sexuality and how to raise citizens of the world—that is, how to help shape conscious kids. Check out bonus content from today's episode over on Patreon. Sign up for Sarah's monthly Survival Kit Newsletter Connect with Sarah: Website | Instagram

I am so very happy to welcome my friend, Monica DiCristina, to the show today. Monica is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Atlanta where she lives with her husband and three kids. Monica has such a desire to help guide others in their process of becoming who they were meant to be. She is the host of one of my new favorite podcasts called Still Becoming. You definitely want to hit subscribe to that show along with following her on Instagram—she always shares such helpful content there. Today, we dive into the topic of boundaries. This is one of those episodes where I pretend to be asking all these questions for a friend but it's really because I need all the help in setting boundaries. We talk about what they are and what they might look like in everyday life. We also dive into setting boundaries with two important relationships: our children and our in-laws. So much helpful content is shared in this episode so go ahead, pull up a chair and join the conversation. Order Sarah's book, A Mother's Guide to Raising Herself: What Parenting Taught Me About Life, Faith and Myself Check out bonus content from today's episode over on Patreon. Sign up for Sarah's monthly Survival Kit Newsletter Connect with Sarah: Website | Instagram

I am so happy to welcome Emily Lex to the table. She is a watercolor artist, longtime blogger, and the author of Freely and Lightly. She has been featured on HGTV and in Better Homes and Gardens and The Magnolia Journal. She resides outside the Seattle, Washington area with her husband and four children. I have been reading Emily's blog and following her online for years so it was such a pleasure to get to chat with her. And let me just say that Emily is so genuine. I have interviewed a lot of people over the last 6 years and her essence is pure gold. This conversation felt exactly like that—a conversation. I feel like Emily was as interested in me as I was in her. This conversation centered around her new book, Freely and Lightly. We talk about what her journey looked like to go from striving to be fulfilled and seen as enough to living freely and lightly knowing that she is valuable and lovable. She shares how a 4 month road trip with her family helped them take a deep breath and figure out who they were as a family. We talk about how sometimes growing requires us to let go of good things—not just bad things—in order to become—and how that has looked even in our friendships. And lastly, she turned the table on me and asked me what was in my survival kit. I think you are going to love Emily if you don't already. Order Sarah's book, A Mother's Guide to Raising Herself: What Parenting Taught Me About Life, Faith and Myself Check out bonus content from today's episode over on Patreon. Sign up for Sarah's monthly Survival Kit Newsletter Connect with Sarah: Website | Instagram

I am so excited to be doing quarterly episodes with my friend and your friend, Merica Stum. Now that we live in the same city, we want to sit down every quarter and unpack what happened. In this episode, we talk about what we learned, what changed, what we've loved, what we've read. We dive into what we what more of and less of for this next quarter and of course we shares what's helping us survive. You will feel like you are sitting right there with us in my house and you'll even get to hear an appearance by my dog, Murray, so brace yourself. Order Sarah's book, A Mother's Guide to Raising Herself: What Parenting Taught Me About Life, Faith and Myself Check out bonus content from today's episode over on Patreon. Sign up for Sarah's monthly Survival Kit Newsletter Connect with Sarah: Website | Instagram

I am so happy to welcome Jeff and André Shinabarger back to the show. Jeff is the Executive Director of Plywood People and André is a physician's assistant at Grady Hospital here in Atlanta. Together they host the podcast Love or Work. They recently completed the largest research study on working married couples in the U.S. and spent the last few years interviewing couples who want to stay in love, change the world and raise a healthy family. They share the results of that study along with stories from their own lives in their book Love or Work. I asked them to come back on the show to talk about a topic that no one really wants to talk about yet everyone wants to actually talk about it. I bet you know what it is—sex. We talk about why we want to talk about it but can't talk about it, why its so important that we talk about it, and how our upbringing often informs how we view sex. We also talk about how important mutual pleasure is in the relationship and what to do when you want to amp up your sex life. I think this is such a good and helpful conversation.

I am happy to welcome Dr. Kelly Flanagan back to the show. He is a clinical psychologist and author to the books The Marriage Manifesto, Loveable and True Companions. If you've been listening to the show awhile, then you heard him on Episode 94 where we talked about shame and learning to accept yourself. This conversation is built upon that. We talk about the paradox for companionship: the ability to be lonely. With that, we look at embracing our loneliness and how we can find companionship through it. I always enjoy chatting with Kelly so pull up a chair and join the conversation. Check out bonus content from today's episode over on Patreon. Sign up for Sarah's monthly Survival Kit Newsletter Connect with Sarah: Website | Instagram

I am happy to welcome Retha Nichole back to the podcast. She first joined me in the early days on episode 74. Retha is life and business coach who loves helping people uncover their purpose. Retha is one of those people that I am always drawn to because they are truly authentic and care deeply about helping you live your best life. In this conversation, we talk about something that Retha has been doing for years to help her week run more smoothly. She unpacks something she created Sunday Planning which helps you create a plan to grow in your life and business consistently. You will walk away from this conversation not only inspired but also with an action plan. Check out bonus content from today's episode over on Patreon. Sign up for Sarah's monthly Survival Kit Newsletter Connect with Sarah: Website | Instagram

I am happy to welcome Ashtin Cope to the table. She is a meal planner and is all about helping families save time and money when it comes to meal planning. She wants to take the guilt and stress out of it. Today, we talk about the tensions we feel behind preparing meals that often look like guilt. Then we chat about the benefits of meal planning and lastly she shares some actionable steps that you can start doing today. Check out bonus content from today's episode over on Patreon. Sign up for Sarah's monthly Survival Kit Newsletter Connect with Sarah: Website | Instagram

I am so happy to welcome Sarah Bessey to the table. I've wanted to chat with her for a very long time because she embodies a sense of generosity about her. Her presence welcomes you wherever you are on your faith journey. Sarah is the author of the popular and critically acclaimed books Jesus Feminist, Out of Sorts: Making Peace with an Evolving Faith, and Miracles and Other Reasonable Things. Her recent book A Rhythm of Prayer is a New York Times best seller. Sarah joins me today to talk about faith and prayer. She shares a little bit of her faith journey and how her view of prayer was affected through it. As we open the episode, you get to sample what my Patreon supporters get to hear every week for just $3 a month. If you like what you hear and want that every week, go to Patreon.com/SurvivingSarah Sign up for Sarah's monthly Survival Kit Newsletter Connect with Sarah: Website | Instagram

I am happy to welcome Tiffany Bluhm back to the show. She is the author of the books Prey Tell, She Dreams, and Never Alone. She is cohost of the podcast Why Tho and speaks at conferences and events around the world. As a minority, immigrant woman with an interracial family, Bluhm is passionate about inviting all to the table of faith, equality, justice, and dignity. We talk about why we silence women who speak up and how to speak up for others. Tiffany shares some great advice on how to raise our girls to not be silenced and to not stand for silence around them. She also shares what we can do to be women who stand up for other women. Check out bonus content from today's episode over on Patreon. Sign up for Sarah's monthly Survival Kit Newsletter Connect with Sarah: Website | Instagram

I'm very happy to welcome Robyn Downs to the table. Robyn uses simple, science-backed strategies to help people cut through life's clutter to uncover small shifts that create huge change. She holds a Master's degree in education with an emphasis in behavior change, and 4 years of public policy & health change at the doctoral level. Her work taps into cutting edge science around psychology, neuroscience, mindfulness, and habits. Recently named one of the Most Influential Women in Wellness and she recently published a book titled: The Feel Good Effect: Reclaim Your Wellness By Creating Small Shifts That Create Big Change. Let me just say that I loved this book. It is practical and helpful while making sense of why I sometimes find myself in ruts when it comes to my wellness. In this episode, we talk about why we struggle to think that we have to do it all. We talk about the unrealistic expectations we put on ourselves, and the guilt that follows. Robyn shares some tips on how to break that guilt cycle, what to do with an all or nothing mentality and how to move from a should to good mentality. We cover so much helpful content in a short period of time. If you feel like your own health and happiness is not even on the "pay attention to" list then you will really be understood by Robyn. Sign up for Sarah's monthly Survival Kit Newsletter Pre-order Sarah's book: A Mother's Guide to Raising Herself Connect with Sarah: Website | Instagram Check out bonus content from today's episode over on Patreon.

I welcome Kelsey Chapman back to the show. Kelsey and I met years ago when she was a guest and we've have kept a friendship going ever since. Kelsey is an author, community builder, online educator and host of The Radiant Podcast. But to me, she is one of the greatest resources and cheerleaders I know. Her first book, What They Taught Me: Recognizing The Mentors Who Will Take You From Dream To Done captures her perfectly. Mentorship is truly at the heart of who she is and what she does. In this episode, we talk about several different mentors in her life, how to go about finding a mentor whether its in your career or in your personal life and then lastly, she shares some advice on how to be a mentor to someone else. Sign up for Sarah's monthly Survival Kit Newsletter Pre-order Sarah's book: A Mother's Guide to Raising Herself Connect with Sarah: Website | Instagram Check out bonus content from today's episode over on Patreon.

I look back on this month and while I'm surprised that we are at the end, I also feel like we've lived a lot. But that doesn't mean that I'm not excited for what this new year could hold. I've been on record saying that I love the start of the new year. There is something hopeful and fresh about it. I tend to find myself ending a year completely ready for a reboot. And this year is no different. Can I let you in on a secret? While I love the start of a new year, I'm not great at goals and resolutions. Maybe I just like the theoretical reset button that gets pushed in January. But I'm actually not one to really set goals and resolutions. In this episode, I share what's been helping me create the life I want to live in a way that doesn't result in feeling judgmental towards myself. Sign up for Sarah's monthly Survival Kit Newsletter Pre-order Sarah's book: A Mother's Guide to Raising Herself Connect with Sarah: Website | Instagram Check out bonus content from today's episode over on Patreon.

I am so happy to welcome Laura Tremaine to the table today. Laura lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Jeff, and their two children. She is is a writer and podcaster. On her weekly podcast 10 Things To Tell You, she encourages listeners to take the episode prompts to a friend or to their journal, because meaningful connections come from good conversations. Her first book Share Your Stuff. I'll Go First. will release in February. Today's conversation is all about connection. And as her book suggests, Laura goes first —she steps into vulnerability first. We talk about friendships, why it sometimes feels so lonely in this season of adulthood, what helps her find all different levels of connection and she shares such a great tip for all of us who are longing to build more connection in our lives. I always enjoy chatting with people who are authentic and show up as themselves. I enjoyed this conversation and I think you will too. I want to make sure you know about my monthly survival kit newsletter. I send it out at the end of every month which as of today is nearing. Each month, I share a short essay from me along with what helped me survive: think books, shows, movies, podcasts and things I'm just simply loving. This is a great way for us to connect outside of iTunes. To sign up, go to SarahBragg.com. And as a gift for signing up, you'll receive my free downloadable planner pages that will help you be more efficient and productive with your time. Sign up for Sarah's monthly Survival Kit Newsletter Pre-order Sarah's book: A Mother's Guide to Raising Herself Connect with Sarah: Website | Instagram Check out bonus content from today's episode over on Patreon.

Today, I am so happy to welcome Hannah Brencher back to the show. Hannah is an author, blogger, TED speaker and entrepreneur. She has authored three books and today we discuss her most recent one, Fighting Forward. We talk about how to go about making change in your life—how to find your way forward when you want to fight for more, when you want to find a better life or better version of yourself. With that, we talk about what gets in the way of moving forward and changing our lives and what helps you maintain that change you created. This is such a good episode and it was so timely for me again as I edited it. I felt so pumped up after listening. I think you will, too. Sign up for Sarah's monthly Survival Kit Newsletter Pre-order Sarah's book: A Mother's Guide to Raising Herself Connect with Sarah: Website | Instagram Check out bonus content from today's episode over on Patreon.

Today, is my annual year in review episode with my good friend Merica Stum. This is my absolute favorite episode of the year. You know how you get together with a friend you haven't seen in a long time and you have one million things to talk about? That was this episode. In this episode, we look back and compare what we thought 2020 would hold and what actually happened. We talk about some of the overarching themes of the year, what we learned, good habits we developed, thoughts and feelings on planners, our favorite books and shows and then we look at 2021 and what we hope for. This episode is full of laughter and goodness so pull up a chair and join the conversation. Check out bonus content from today's episode over on Patreon. Sign up for Sarah's monthly Survival Kit Newsletter Connect with Sarah: Website | Instagram

Sarah shares what this season of change and transition has been like for her and what has helped her when she feels sad and scared because of it. Sign up for Sarah's monthly Survival Kit Newsletter Connect with Sarah: Website | Instagram

I am so happy to welcome my good friend, Melanie Dale, back to the show. If you have been listening to the show for awhile, then you know that back in 2017-2018, Melanie and I did an episode together every month. It is always fun to have friends on the show. In case you don't know Melanie, she is an author, speaker and podcaster who lives outside of Atlanta. She and her husband are raising 3 kids from 3 continents. And today, she joins me to talk about her new book Calm the Heck Down: How to Let Go and Lighten Up About Parenting. In this episode, we talk about a few things in regards to parenting that we need to calm down about. I go first and share something that I need to calm down about. We could have easily talked about every single topic in Melanie's book but instead we narrowed it down to a few things we need to calm down about: school, sex, work. Check out bonus content from today's episode over on Patreon. Sign up for Sarah's monthly Survival Kit Newsletter Connect with Sarah: Website | Instagram

I am so happy to welcome Jeff and André Shinabarger to the show today. Jeff is the Executive Director of Plywood People and André is a physician's assistant at Grady Hospital here in Atlanta. Together they host the podcast Love or Work. They recently completed the largest research study on working married couples in the U.S. and spent the last few years interviewing couples who want to stay in love, change the world and raise a healthy family. (They even started this journey traveling in an Airstream!) They asked this question of 100 working couples across a multitude of industries, including professional athletes and artists, entrepreneurs and CEOs, fashion icons and church leaders, while simultaneously surveying 1600 working professionals in partnership with Barna Research: Is It Possible To Change The World, Stay In Love And Raise A Healthy Family? They share not only the results of the survey but also stories from their own lives in their new book Love or Work. I have to say that I don't tend to like marriage books but this one is a must read. I wish I had read it years ago earlier in our marriage. They are vulnerable, candid and address real tensions in honest ways. In this episode, we talk about what helps them stay in love when you grow and evolve over time, how to navigate the tension between work and raising kids and how that affects your relationship. They also share what helps them communicate with other each. Check out bonus content from David Thomas & Sissy Goff from Raising Boys & Girls along with deleted content from today's episode over on Patreon. Sign up for Sarah's monthly Survival Kit Newsletter Connect with Sarah: Website | Instagram

Today, I welcome Wendy Speake back to the table. This is her third time on the show. She is the co-author of the popular parenting book Triggers: Exchanging Parents Angry Reactions for Gentle Biblical Responses, and host of the annual 40 Day Sugar Fast. Her new book, The 40 Day Social Media Fast just came out earlier this month. We sit down to have a conversation about social media. Now more than ever, we are required to be online more. And if you are anything like me, it is shocking if I step back and see how much I turn to social media as a way to cope with the state of my world. And even though there are many times where I would like to break up with social media, so much of life is online now. Which leaves me to sit in the tension of how do I handle social media when so much of my life is online? In this conversation, we talk about how to tell if you need a break from social media, how to fast when you have to be online for everything right now, what surprised her after fasting from social media, and how to reenter social media after taking a fast. Check out bonus content from David Thomas & Sissy Goff from Raising Boys & Girls along with deleted content from today's episode over on Patreon. Sign up for Sarah's monthly Survival Kit Newsletter Connect with Sarah: Website | Instagram

I feel like 2020 keeps delivering. I imagine that you are feeling the weight of the world on your shoulders like I do which is why I'm so happy to welcome Dr. Chinwé Williams to the table today. She is a clinical mental health therapist who helps kids, teens, and adults navigate difficult life seasons and transitions. She specializes in anxiety management and relational trauma recovery. We tend to be aware of the anxiety in our kids but we don't notice it in ourselves. And at this point in 2020 after facing so many stress and anxiety inducing things within our country, I think its important for us to stop and do some self evaluation. Chinwé walks us through what it looks like when anxiety is no longer operating in the normal realm and has moved more into a disorder and needs to be addressed. She also shares what we can do to care for ourselves during these kinds of season. Check out bonus content from David Thomas & Sissy Goff from Raising Boys & Girls along with deleted content from today's episode over on Patreon. Sign up for Sarah's monthly Survival Kit Newsletter Connect with Sarah: Website | Instagram

I am so excited to welcome Kelsey Murphy to the table. Kelsey is a Business & Life Coach who has worked with Fortune 500 companies, like Facebook & Twitter, industry thought leaders like Marie Forleo. Her coaching work has been featured in Forbes, Business Insider, and Huffington Post to name a few. She also hosts a fabulous podcast called Whiskey & Work where she shares advice on navigating the waters of business, life, and relationships. I had so much fun chatting with Kelsey. I didn't want the conversation to end. She has so much wisdom to offer. In this episode, Kelsey helps us figure out how to visualize the life we want to live whether that is in our work, in our relationships or with ourselves. This is one of those episodes full of practical advice that you can start implementing today. Check out bonus content from David Thomas & Sissy Goff from Raising Boys & Girls along with deleted content from today's episode over on Patreon. Sign up for Sarah's monthly Survival Kit Newsletter Connect with Sarah: Website | Instagram

In today's episode, Sarah shares two big life updates and then talks honestly about how she has been feeling lately--overhwhelmed is an understatement. She shares a few things that are helping her in this season where she feels burnt out. Check out bonus content from David Thomas & Sissy Goff from Raising Boys & Girls along with deleted content from today's episode over on Patreon. Sign up for Sarah's monthly Survival Kit Newsletter Connect with Sarah: Website | Instagram

I am happy to welcome Ruth and Patrick Schwenk to the show. You may remember Ruth, who is known online as The Better Mom, from when she joined me back on episode 176. Ruth and her husband, Patrick, are no strangers to the blogging and publishing world. They are the founders of ForTheFamily.org and TheBetterMom.com. They also started a brand new podcast in 2020 called Rootlike Faith. Today, they join me to talk about their latest book, In a Boat in the Middle of a Lake: Trusting the God Who Meets Us in Our Storm. After surviving 5 miscarriages and Patrick's cancer diagnosis at the age of 43, they share about what it looked like to feel like you are in the middle of a lake. They talk about walking through the cancer diagnosis with their kids, what the suffering felt like, the difference between discipline and correction, what helped them wait when they didn't see an end and how this shaped their view of life now. No matter what kind of hardship you've walked through, it likely felt uncertain and chaotic. I hope that this episode will encourage you in you feel like you are stuck on a boat in the middle of a lake. Check out bonus content from David Thomas & Sissy Goff from Raising Boys & Girls along with deleted content from today's episode over on Patreon. Sign up for Sarah's monthly Survival Kit Newsletter Connect with Sarah: Website | Instagram

I am so happy to welcome Kari Kampakis to the show. She is an author, speaker, podcaster, and blogger from Birmingham, Alabama. Her new book for moms, Love Her Well: 10 Ways to Find Joy and Connection with Your Teenage Daughter empowers mothers to help and guide their daughters through adolescence. I have read the book and it is so helpful. As you will hear in this episode, I put into practice some of her advice the moment after reading it. In this episode, we talk about raising teenage girls. Kari has 4 daughters so she shares something that we need to know about teenage girls. She also talks about how to connect with your teenage daughter, how to elevate relationship over rules, how to love your daughter as she is, and how to choose your words and timing carefully. I'm telling you—so much good stuff in this episode. I want to make sure that you know about my monthly survival kit newsletter. Each month, I send out an email that contains a short essay from me along with all the things that have helped me survive—things like what I'm watching, listening to, reading and just loving. Go to SarahBragg.com to sign up today. Check out bonus content from David Thomas & Sissy Goff from Raising Boys & Girls along with deleted content from today's episode over on Patreon. Sign up for Sarah's monthly Survival Kit Newsletter Connect with Sarah: Website | Instagram

Today, I am so happy to welcome Amy and Jeffrey Olrick to the show. Jeffrey is a clinical psychologist who has worked with children and families for over twenty years. Amy is an author whose work and writing has been featured in the Guardian and USA Today. Together, the Olricks are the authors of The 6 Needs of Every Child: Empowering Parents & Kids through the Science of Connection. I can't tell you how much I wish I had this book when I started parenting. Most of the books I read in those early years focused on behavior and getting to the motivation behind their behavior. But this book focuses on building connection. This book really gives you handlebars on how to pay attention to their behavior and yours and then how to see what you and they really need. So that's what we talk about in this converation—how to build connection with our kids by paying attention to the 6 needs that they are wired to have. Let me say that recording the podcast has been just like everything else in 2020. I have experienced so many technical issues this year. And so this episode, will sound a little different from a technical standpoint than usual. Sorry about that. And towards the end, a rainstorm happens which sounds like we are chatting under a waterfall. 2020 is wreaking havoc. Thank you for always being so supportive as you listen! Check out bonus content from David Thomas & Sissy Goff from Raising Boys & Girls along with deleted content from today's episode over on Patreon. Sign up for Sarah's monthly Survival Kit Newsletter Connect with Sarah: Website | Instagram

Have you ever struggled to admit an unpopular opinion? Or have you ever struggled with appearing to be uncool? Today, Sarah unpacks some of her own unpopular opinions and fears around being perceived as uncool, how that's related to vulnerability and why it's important to show up as yourself. Check out bonus content from David Thomas & Sissy Goff from Raising Boys & Girls along with deleted content from today's episode over on Patreon. Sign up for Sarah's monthly Survival Kit Newsletter Connect with Sarah: Website | Instagram

I want to welcome Brooklyn-based educator, podcaster, + soon-to-be author, Kat Harris, to the show. She is Co-Founder of the online publication The Refined Woman, and host of The Refined Collective Podcast. She has also been a full-time photographer for the last decade with her work featured in: Vanity Fair, GQ, Forbes, People, Who What Wear, US Weekly, Glamour UK, and more. Kat has been working from home, for herself, for the last 10 years and when I came across her, I knew she would be a great person to gain some advice from about working from home. For so many of us, our work environments have changed. Some of us used to work in offices but are now working from home. Some of us have been working from home but now our kids are doing digital learning from home. There are a lot of tensions around how to work well from home right now. Kat brings her experience and expertise to the table. She gives us some really practical tips that will help us work well from home. Check out bonus content from David Thomas & Sissy Goff from Raising Boys & Girls along with deleted content from today's episode over on Patreon. Sign up for Sarah's monthly Survival Kit Newsletter Connect with Sarah: Website | Instagram

Today, I am happy to introduce you to my new friend, Mary Marantz. You are going to love Mary as much as I do. She is an author, speaker, and podcast host of the Mary Marantz show who has a fascinating story of growing up in a single-wide trailer in West VA and ultimately went on to attend Yale Law School. She captures her story in her book, Dirt: Growing Strong Roots in What Makes the Broken Beautiful. We talk about what it was like growing up in a trailer in west VA, how what she experienced growing up shaped her worth and the idea of success, and how we can shift our idea and expectation of success. There is so much goodness packed into this episode. I know you are going to really enjoy her story. Check out bonus content from David Thomas & Sissy Goff from Raising Boys & Girls along with deleted content from today's episode over on Patreon. Connect with Sarah: Website | Instagram

Before we jump into the conversation, I want to give you a heads up about the audio quality. When COVID happened, I no longer could record out of my home studio and moved to a studio that did not have my children lurking around the corner. And with that, I tried some new audio equipment. And I didn't do it well. I don't know about you but I don't handle mistakes or goof up's really well. I hate messing up but messing up is just part of life. I say this because you might notice a difference in the audio quality in this episode. Sorry about that! And thank you for sticking with me. I have had to put into practice the phrase "Be kind to yourself, we all make mistakes." That phrase is on repeat in my head. This episode is such a good conversation. My good friend, Sarah Anderson, came back on the show. If you've been listening to the show for a while, then you will know her name. She's been on the show two other times over the past couple of years. Today, I am excited to talk about her new book The Space Between Us: How Jesus Teaches Us to Live Together When Politics and Religion Pull Us Apart. She has a unique connection to politics and religion. Her dad ran for President in the 2000 election season and everyone in her family has had a career in politics and her career has been spent in the religious world. She knows firsthand what it's like to navigate the waters of politics and religion which can be so divisive. In this episode, we talk about why she was compelled to write a book about such hard topics like politics and religion, how to navigate fear when it comes to voting, and how to remain connected to people you love when positions change or are different. This conversation comes at the perfect time. Check out bonus content from David Thomas & Sissy Goff from Raising Boys & Girls along with deleted content from today's episode over on Patreon. Connect with Sarah: Website | Instagram

I am so happy to welcome my new friend, Christen Shefchunas to the table. She is a former Division I Coach that saw too many women missing out on their dreams because of a lack of confidence. So she now works 1 on 1 with females as a confidence coach, speaks to women about confidence, and makes Confidence Nuggets bracelets (which you'll hear more about in the episode). We talk about why we as women tend to lack confidence and how we can build it. We also talk about how to build confidence in the girls that we are raising. If you have felt stuck, afraid to step out, afraid to try, afraid to fail, afraid to let others see who you are and what you really want then this episode is going to really help. I feel like I could listen to this one over and over. Be the first to hear updates about Sarah's upcoming book by signing up for her monthly newsletter! Check out bonus content from David Thomas & Sissy Goff from Raising Boys & Girls along with deleted content from today's episode over on Patreon. Connect with Sarah: Website | Instagram

For many people, school is back in session. School looks different for everyone right now. Some are back in person, some are homeschooling and some are experiencing school in a virtual format. For us, we have wrapped up week 3 of digital learning. I thought for this episode, I'd share 5 things that are helping me and the kids survive virtual school. LINKS: Download Sarah's FREE planner pages mentioned in the episode. Check out bonus content from David Thomas & Sissy Goff from Raising Boys & Girls along with deleted content from today's episode over on Patreon. Connect with Sarah: Website | Instagram

I am so happy to welcome Elizabeth Petters to the table. I met her through her father, Pete Enns, who you may remember from being on the show. After recording, he told me that Elizabeth would be great for the show and he was absolutely right. Elizabeth is a mom to two and is passionate about breaking the stigma of mental illness in the church. She shares her struggle with anxiety which started all the way back when she was in the 3rd grade. She talked about what anxiety looked like for her, what helped her move forward, how it affected her faith, advice for parents who are raising anxious kids, and what she does on a daily basis that helps her take care of herself. I'm thankful that Elizabeth shares her story and for normalizing her experience for others. Whether you are raising an anxious child or you are an anxious grown up child, I think you will resonate with her. Download Sarah's FREE planner pages to help you or your kids be more efficient and productive with their time. Check out bonus content from David Thomas & Sissy Goff from Raising Boys & Girls along with deleted content from today's episode over on Patreon. Connect with Sarah: Website | Instagram

I am so very happy to welcome my friend, Dr. Deborah Tillman, back to the podcast. You may know her best as America's Supernanny. She is a Consultant, speaker, author and founder of Happy Home Christian Leadership Academy for Early Learners, Inc. The Washington Post labeled her "A force for good" which I completely agree with. She joined me back on episode 163 where we talked about raising strong willed kids. Today, we talk about something that I know Dr. Deborah is passionate about and so am I. We talk about harsh parenting. What that looks like, misconceptions about why people feel like they should discipline harshly, what the goal of discipline really is and alternative ways for all ages. This is such a helpful conversation and a much needed dialog that we as parents need to partake in. Sign up for Sarah's monthly Survival Kit newsletter and receive downloadable planner pages for FREE. Check out bonus content from David Thomas & Sissy Goff from Raising Boys & Girls along with deleted content from today's episode over on Patreon. Connect with Sarah: Website | Instagram

I am so happy to welcome my good friend, Morgan Tyree, to the show. Morgan is a professional organizer, writer, and fitness instructor. She runs her own personal organization and time-management business and lives with her husband, David, and their three children in Colorado. She has such a helpful podcast, too, called Morganize With Me. Today, we have an interesting conversation around her latest book called Your Hospitality Personality. We talk about how we are all wired for hospitality and how that looks for different personalities. This episode is as if the enneagram met the hostess. Check out bonus content from David Thomas & Sissy Goff from Raising Boys & Girls along with deleted content from today's episode over on Patreon. Connect with Sarah: Website | Instagram

I am releasing some older episodes as re-runs this summer. These are some conversations that I enjoyed. Running re-runs allows me to take a few weeks to finish my manuscript. For more updates about my upcoming book sign up for my newsletter at Sarahbragg.com and you can follow me on Instagram @sarahwbragg Thank you for your continued support. Click here for the original show notes to this episode. We talk about how we as parents have a limited number of time to influence the faith of our kids. So with that, we unpack the phase guides by looking at what it means to number the days so that we may gain a heart of wisdom, what sort of things we can do over time in order to discover what really matters and what conversations we need to have with our kids when it comes to health, sexuality, technology and faith.

I am releasing some older episodes as re-runs this summer. These are some conversations that I enjoyed. Running re-runs allows me to take a few weeks to finish my manuscript. For more updates about my upcoming book sign up for my newsletter at Sarahbragg.com and you can follow me on Instagram @sarahwbragg Thank you for your continued support. Click here for the original show notes to this episode. Joni is married to Chip and is a mom of 4 girls. I loved hearing her advice about how to create a joy-filled home. We talk about design, working while being a mom, and challenges in motherhood. We have a special guest with us on the show--her daughter, Ellie. You will hear her coo throughout the show. So be warned of her cuteness. Your heart will flutter. (Since recording this episode, Joni added a 4th girl to their family)

I am releasing some older episodes as re-runs this summer. These are some conversations that I enjoyed. Running re-runs allows me to take a few weeks to finish my manuscript. For more updates about my upcoming book sign up for my newsletter at Sarahbragg.com and you can follow me on Instagram @sarahwbragg Thank you for your continued support. Click here for the original show notes to this episode. Annie is a full-time speaker and writer who also happens to have some killer hidden talents that we talk about in the show. We talk about how she went from an elementary school teacher to a published author and communicator along with what it's like to be in your thirties and single.

I am releasing some older episodes as re-runs this summer. These are some conversations that I enjoyed. Running re-runs allows me to take a few weeks to finish my manuscript. For more updates about my upcoming book sign up for my newsletter at Sarahbragg.com and you can follow me on Instagram @sarahwbragg Thank you for your continued support. Shannan has experienced over the last few years what it's like to get the life you always dreamed of only to realize through losing it that it wasn't what she truly wanted. Click here for the original show notes to this episode.

I am releasing some older episodes as re-runs this summer. These are some conversations that I enjoyed. Running re-runs allows me to take a few weeks to finish my manuscript. For more updates about my upcoming book sign up for my newsletter at Sarahbragg.com and you can follow me on Instagram @sarahwbragg Thank you for your continued support. We start by talking about the personalities of our kids. And I've been thinking so much how important it is that we understand our kids' wiring so that we can figure out how to communicate with them—especially if they are teenagers. We talk about doing the hard work of parenting, why kids need a caring adult in their lives, and how to better understand teenagers. If you have teenagers or work with teenagers or have kids who will eventually be teenagers, then you will certainly enjoy this conversation. We talk about moving from an air traffic controller in the early years to a coach in the adolescent years. Click here for the original show notes to this episode.

I am releasing some older episodes as re-runs this summer. These are some conversations that I enjoyed. Running re-runs allows me to take a few weeks to finish my manuscript. For more updates about my upcoming book sign up for my newsletter at Sarahbragg.com and you can follow me on Instagram @sarahwbragg Thank you for your continued support. Click here for the original show notes to this episode.

As you know, I am knee-deep in finishing my manuscript which is due to my publisher by August 2. And because of that, I am taking the summer off of releasing new content here on the show so that I can focus creative effort on the manuscript. I will however be releasing re-runs of past episodes each week. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to pour creative energy into the book! Be sure to sign up for my monthly newsletter so that you can be the first to hear about upcoming news with the book. Come follow me on Instagram, too, where I post ordinary ways of surviving life.

I'm happy to welcome Heather Brown to the table. Heather is the creator and editor of the online community, My Life Well Loved. She has a passion to empower women, inspire confidence, and elevate living a life well loved. Her website is a destination for fitness, fashion, mom hacks, and wellness tips. And in this episode, not only do we talk about finding normal in the middle of quarantine but we spend some time focusing on tips for health during this season. Heather shares some tips to stay physically and mentally healthy during this time. Check out bonus content from David Thomas & Sissy Goff from Raising Boys & Girls along with deleted content from today's episode over on Patreon. Connect with Sarah: Website | Instagram

I am so happy to welcome Knox McCoy back to the table. You may already know him as one of the hosts of the popular podcasts The Popcast with Knox and Jamie and The Bible Binge. He is the author of the books The Wondering Years and All Things Reconsidered. Knox and his wife Ashley are dear friends of ours. And they are people that we trust to walk alongside life and faith with. Knox and I talk about the idea of reconsideration. So talk about what gave him permission to begin to reconsider different aspects of his life, himself and his faith; what it looks like to reconsider things alongside a partner and as a parent; and one thing that he reconsidered about himself. Check out bonus content from David Thomas & Sissy Goff from Raising Boys & Girls along with deleted content from today's episode over on Patreon. Connect with Sarah: Website | Instagram

Today's conversation is going to be so helpful because I bet I'm not the only one who has completely lost their mind and exploded in anger at their kids especially during this season of self-isolation. A few weeks ago, certified professional life coach Natalie Hixson joined me to talk about anger and motherhood. Natalie is a mother to three daughters and knows firsthand what it is like to experience destructive anger and burnout. In this conversation, we talk about how anger played a role in her motherhood, how to overcome the pattern of destructive anger, and how to rebuild broken relationships because of anger. Her story hits so close to home for me. I never knew how to handle negative emotions which made it hard to teach my kids how to handle negative emotions. You'll hear Natalie coach me through how to handle my emotions when my kids are fighting. And before we jump into the conversation I need to let you know that we experienced some weird technical difficulties about midway through the conversation. Skype actually dropped the call and then we had to try to pick back up where we left off. Download Natalie's Trigger Tracker here Check out bonus content from David Thomas & Sissy Goff from Raising Boys & Girls along with deleted content from today's episode over on Patreon. Connect with Sarah: Website | Instagram

Today, I am so happy to welcome Kelly Minter to the table. She is an author, speaker, and singer/songwriter who lives in Nashville, TN. Our mutual friend, Sissy Goff, had highly recommended her for the podcast. And since she recently published a beautiful cookbook called A Place At The Table, I decided that this would be the perfect time to have her on the show.…and let me just say that this cookbook is so very pretty and full of easy, delicious recipes. Kelly was booked to be on the show way back before the pandemic because I wanted to have a conversation about community and the power of inviting people around the table to see how food brings us together. Well, then COVID happened and we recorded this episode just a few weeks ago in the middle of quarantine. So life and community look a little different now for all of us. I really enjoyed this conversation as we navigated what community looks like now and how to lean into where we are. We also talk about how even though you may not be able to gather people around your table you can still use food to cultivate creativity, joy, and meaning. Check out bonus content from David Thomas & Sissy Goff from Raising Boys & Girls along with deleted content from today's episode over on Patreon. Connect with Sarah: Website | Instagram

I am excited to welcome Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers to the table. You may know them as the hosts of the popular Pantsuit Politics podcast. They are also the authors of the book I Think You're Wrong But I'm Listening: A Guide to Grace-Filled Political Conversations. And I want you to know that this conversation was recorded the week before everything started to shut down so again, you won't hear a lot of conversation about COVID19. I invited these ladies to be on the show because since 2020 is a big election year, I wanted someone to help me know how to have conversations with my kids about politics. Talking about politics, in general, can feel uncertain and scary but then trying to navigate those waters with your kids adds a whole other layer of vulnerability to it. I think you will find that this conversation is very helpful not just in how to talk to your kids about politics but also how to help yourself feel more confident and curious about politics. Check out bonus content from David Thomas & Sissy Goff from Raising Boys & Girls along with deleted content from today's episode over on Patreon. Connect with Sarah: Website | Instagram