Christian Woman Leadership Podcast with Esther Littlefield & Holly Cain

Are there obstacles that are holding you back from pursuing your purpose or the calling or dream you have sensed God has placed on your heart? The good news is that these obstacles do not have to stop you.   As Christian women, it's easy for obstacles to get in the way of the purpose or calling God has for our lives. These obstacles can seem very REAL, but oftentimes they are mostly fake… in other...

How can you share about your faith boldly with prospective clients, co-workers, and even strangers? And what is the key to making decisions in business and life?  In the final Business Series episode, Holly and I talk with Shar Biggers about her business journey and her passion for evangelism. She shares some of her key lessons she's learned in the process of starting and running her businesses, i...

Every Christian business owner and leader makes mistakes--it's inevitable and part of the learning process. But there are some mistakes that you can and should avoid if at all possible.   In this episode of our Business Series, Holly and I are discussing 6 different mistakes that Christian Business owners and leaders should avoid. Some of these mistakes are things that we've learned the hard way,...

What does it look like to do things differently as a Christian business owner? And how can you make decisions in your business and life that are both purposeful and prayerful? In this episode of our Business Series, I'm chatting with Valerie Woerner of Val Marie Paper about how she's chosen to operate her business differently and go against some of the traditional business advice and practices.  W...

Are you a business owner or content creator who wants to expand your audience online? Don't believe the lie that there is a magical formula or a secret key that will explode your business. What is important, though, is to build a strong foundation.   In this first episode of our Business Series, I'm sharing with you the 3 essential elements to growing your business or audience online. These elemen...

Maybe you've considered simplifying your life, but you're just not sure where to start. It might be as easy as asking one key question. But the journey isn't always a straight path.  In this episode of our Simplify Series , Holly and I are chatting with my friend Kelsy Schmidt. Kelsy is a wife, mom, and former corporate employee turned business owner. A few years ago, she and her husband asked one...

Is it okay for Christians to focus on self-care? And if so, how can Christian leaders simplify their self-care to make it practical and doable?   Self-care often gets a bad rap in Christian circles, but I believe it's not only okay but also wise for Christian leaders to invest in their self-care. Because when we do not, we are more prone to the risks of burnout, compassion fatigue, and becoming ov...

Sometimes simplifying your life happens by choice; other times, life circumstances force you to find a new way of living. And it's when you let go of the illusion of control that you can truly understand what it means to trust God completely.   In this episode of the Simplify Series I chat with my friend Elissa Joy Watts about her leadership journey and her experience with learning to simplify. Bu...

Often as ministry leaders, business owners, or in our regular work or home life, we have big goals. We can see the vision of where we want to go. But we sometimes get sidetracked and end up spending a lot of time on things that aren't actually moving us closer to that goal. In this first episode of our Simplify Series, Holly and I are discussing the idea of simplifying with strategy. Specifically,...

How can you multiply your impact far beyond what you could imagine? And how do you overcome fear when what God is asking you to do seems impossible? In this episode, Holly and I conclude our conversation with Tembi Secrist about her incredible 14-month journey through Southeast Asia and Africa. She shares with us about the additional lessons she learned on her trip, including how God showed her th...

Tembi Secrist always thought she would be a missionary in an impoverished country. But instead, God took her into a career in government where she continued to advance into leadership roles. Until one day when everything shifted, and she sensed God calling her to leave it all behind. In this episode, Holly and I talk with Tembi Secrist about her incredible 14-month journey through Southeast Asia a...

Sometimes the smallest shift can make a world of difference. And as a leader, there are times when you need to make a shift in your life or leadership so that you can become more effective and fulfill your purpose.   In this episode, I'm sharing with you the 3 shifts you may need to make in order to become a better Christian leader this year. Shift is my word for this year, but even if shift is no...

How does mental health relate to Christian leadership? How can we recognize the signs of burnout or compassion fatigue, and what can we do to avoid these issues? In this episode, Holly and I talk with Laura Howe, social worker and founder of Hope Made Strong , an organization that brings mental health resources to the church. You'll learn how compassion fatigue is different from burnout and how yo...

Being the "nice Christian girl" has benefits, and it can lead to positive outcomes many times. But what if being nice is the wrong goal for us as Christians? In the final episode of our communication series, Holly and I chat with Sharon Hodde Miller about the issue of niceness. She shares why it's a problem when we make it our goal to be nice, the difference between niceness and kindness, and what...

As this year and this decade comes to a close, Holly and I are sharing our reflections on 2019… lessons learned, what worked, what didn't work, and looking forward into the new year as well. We hope this honest and transparent discussion will inspire you to do the same for yourself. Last year on the podcast, we did a whole series on goal setting, and we did several episodes related to goals, refle...

In an age where we often label and stigmatize, how can we communicate with empathy? What are the benefits of knowing people who don't think, feel, and believe as you do? And how can curiosity help you when you disagree with someone? In this episode, I talk with author, podcaster, wife, and mom Kathleen Peters about how we can communicate with empathy. We dive into the factors that cause division a...

Is there a conversation you're avoiding because you're not sure what to say?   Or maybe there are times when you're not really sure if the hard conversation needs to take place... maybe it's better to just move on and forget about it.   Perhaps you know exactly what you want to say but you're not sure how to approach the other person in a way that won't make them feel attacked.   And as a Christia...

Social media is one of the most popular ways we communicate in our society today. We use it to communicate with friends and family. Churches use it to share what's going on. Businesses use it to talk about their products and services. But how should we, as Christian leaders, go about using social media? In this episode of our Communication Series , Holly and I talk about some of the risks of using...

You've heard it said that leaders need to be able to have hard conversations. But maybe you've wondered 'why'? Why is this an essential skill for a leader to develop?  In this episode of the Communication Series , I'm answering a question that came up when I asked for feedback about a resource I'm developing. One of you asked "How can you psyche yourself up to initiate a hard conversation that wou...

Saying hard things is an essential part of leadership, but we don't always do so with grace. How can we learn to season what we say in person and online? And how can we develop an attitude of hospitality and welcoming into our everyday lives? In this episode, Holly and I talk with Angela Sackett about saying hard things, asking tough questions, and showing hospitality. You'll learn how to practica...

There are a lot of hard situations we face as leaders. How we respond and communicate in these situations plays a significant role in the outcome, both for us and for others. We cannot control how the other person or people respond, but the way we approach and lead the conversation can make a huge difference.   In this episode of the Communication Series , we're talking about the idea of dealing w...

As you lead your team, how can you communicate positively? What are the keys to healthy communication? And how can you win others over in a genuine way so that they want to follow you?    In this episode, Holly and I talk with wife, mom, and entrepreneur Natalie Gingrich about how we can win others over and communicate positively as we lead.  Natalie breaks down the common mistakes leaders make in...

Communication is one of the most important aspects of leadership. We get it wrong a lot. But we can get better; it's possible to learn to communicate more effectively.    In today's conversation, we're going to talk about the importance of effective communication in leadership, and we'll share some principles for healthy communication. This is the first in our new series on communication.   For th...

How do you get clarity on your purpose? What if you feel stuck? How do you handle the fear that comes with stepping out of your comfort zone? What do you do when everything you've built your identity around starts to crumble?  In this episode, I talk with Stefanie Gass, podcaster, entrepreneur, wife and mom, about her journey through identity lost and found, what advice she has for other leaders,...

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you are suddenly being placed in a leadership role that you didn't expect? Or maybe you've recognized your leadership later in life and you feel unprepared for it. Has God asked you to step into a position that you feel unqualified for?   In episode 68, I went through the 5 stages of confident leadership . But for some of you, you might not struggl...