Echos of Impact

What do you do when life doesn't unfold on the timeline you imagined? In this episode of Echos of Impact, Cherise is joined by Katherine Catlett — social media manager, strategist, writer, content creator, and soon-to-be author of her first devotional for young women. Katherine began journaling when she was just 12 years old as a way to process big emotions with God. More than 40 journals later, t...

What happens when God opens the door you've been praying for… but walking through it is still harder than you expected? In this episode of Echos of Impact, Cherise and Briana sit down for one of their monthly conversations — just the two of them — talking honestly about transition, closed doors, and the surprising weight that can come with answered prayers. Cherise shares what this season has real...

Content Note: This episode includes discussion of a medical crisis, surgery, and a life-threatening health emergency, as well as a brief mention of youth suicide. Listener discretion is advised. What do you do when God brings you through something you never expected to survive? In this episode of Echos of Impact, Briana sits down with Brenda Neal to hear her powerful testimony of healing, obedienc...

Some conversations stay with you long after they're over. This is one of them. In this episode, I sit down with my friend Kami Van Slyke — someone I've known for years, watched from afar, and deeply admire — for one of the most honest, tender conversations we've ever had on this show. Kami shares her story of walking through the aftermath of infidelity in her own marriage, and what it looked like...

What if the season that feels like tumbling is actually part of God making something beautiful? Courtney Brackin spent years in full-time ministry — single, faithful, and sometimes wrestling with envy — and what she found on the other side of that long wait is a story that will make a lot of women feel a little less behind. Courtney is a speaker, author, and Bible teacher who has spent 27 years se...

We have more access to information than any generation before us… so why does it feel like we're more anxious, overwhelmed, and desperate for answers than ever? In this episode of Echos of Impact, Briana and Cherise sit down for a honest conversation about our pursuit of knowledge, control, and certainty. From Googling symptoms in the middle of the night, to asking friends for reassurance, to sear...

What if faith doesn't mean you're never anxious — it means you don't have to carry it alone? In this honest and deeply encouraging episode of Echos of Impact, Briana and Cherise sit down with Nichole J. Suvar, author, speaker, and intentional living strategist who comes alongside overwhelmed women to introduce them to God's design for mental wellness. Nichole shares her story of growing up loving...

Some conversations stay with you long after the recording ends. This is one of them. Janet McMahon joins us to talk about what it actually looks like to love your neighbor — not from a distance, not just with a program, but up close, with your hands dirty and your heart wide open. Janet is the Kansas City Metro Area Director for CarePortal. Prior to her work with CarePortal, she served as one of t...

"Sometimes forgiveness starts with, "God, help me want to." In this deeply honest episode of Echos of Impact, Briana and Cherise sit down with Chrissy Taylor, a dear friend, pastor's wife, former school counselor, and adoptive mama to twins, to talk about forgiveness, grief, father wounds, miscarriage, and what it looks like to bring our whole heart before God. Chrissy shares how her relationship...

What if your success as a mom was never measured by how your kids turn out? In this Mother's Day week episode of Echos of Impact, Briana and Cherise sit down with Rhonda Stoppe, Christian humorist, popular speaker, bestselling author of seven books, and host of the award-winning podcast Old Ladies Know Stuff. With 40 years of experience helping women build no-regret lives, Rhonda brings wisdom, hu...

What happens when the weight you're carrying was never meant to be yours in the first place? In this honest and deeply relatable episode of Echos of Impact, Briana Gray and Cherise Thompson sit down for one of their monthly catch-up conversations to talk about the invisible weight so many women carry every single day. From moving, grief, parenting, overthinking, and major life transitions, Briana...

No one really prepares you for the moment your kids don't need you the same way anymore. In this inspiring episode of Echos of Impact, Briana sits down with Kate Battistelli, bestselling author, speaker, and mentor to women in every season, to talk about identity, purpose, and what it looks like to follow God when life changes in ways we didn't expect. Kate shares her incredible journey—from Broad...

Ep. 29: When You Feel Forgotten by God and Everyone Else: The Power of a Simple Invitation with Sue Donaldson "I have a lot of people in my life… so why do I still feel lonely?" In this encouraging episode of Echos of Impact, Briana sits down with Sue Donaldson—author, speaker, and host of the Welcome Heart: Living a Legacy Life podcast—to talk about something so many of us feel but don't always s...

Have you ever woken up already feeling behind… before your feet even hit the floor? In this encouraging episode of Echos of Impact, Briana sits down with Carol Feil—Christian speaker, author, and biblical lay counselor—to talk about something so many of us quietly struggle with: the inner critic. Carol is refreshingly honest about her own journey as a recovering people pleaser and the internal voi...

What do you do when you say yes to Jesus… and nothing changes? In this inspiring episode of Echos of Impact, Cherise sits down with Laura Crosby, speaker, writer, and longtime ministry leader, to talk about what it really looks like to follow Jesus when it doesn't feel the way we expected. Laura has spent over 40 years in ministry, encouraging others to pursue a deeper, more personal relationship...

What do you do when God doesn't answer your prayers the way you hoped? In this heartfelt episode of Echoes of Impact, Briana sits down with Lacey Morefield—photographer, wife, mama, and storyteller—for a deeply moving conversation about infertility, adoption, grief, trust, and the goodness of God in the middle of unanswered prayers. Lacey shares her family's long and painful road through infertili...

What do you do when you still love Jesus… but church no longer feels safe? In this heartfelt episode of Echos of Impact, Cherise sits down with co-host Briana Gray for a deeply personal conversation about church hurt, healing, and what it looks like to find your way back when church no longer feels safe. Cherise shares her faith journey—from growing up as a pastor's kid to navigating painful seaso...

In fourth grade, a single sentence on a playground changed the way Adrienne saw the world—and herself. In this inspiring episode of Echos of Impact, Cherise and Briana sit down with Adrienne (one of our most-loved returning guests) for an honest, faith-centered conversation about what it means to be different, to feel marginalized, and to keep showing up with courage and grace. Adrienne shares the...

In today's episode of Echos of Impact, Cherise and Briana lean into a question many of us are quietly wrestling with: How do we follow Jesus without becoming hardened in a culture marked by anger, polarization, and constant noise? It feels like outrage is everywhere — online, in conversations, even within our own hearts. So what does it actually look like to hold convictions while still leading wi...

What if the place that should have ended your life is the very place God used to save it? In this powerful episode of Echos of Impact, Briana and Cherise sit down with Pauline Boyce, a Kansas City mama and grandma whose story is living proof that Jesus is not intimidated by your past. Pauline shares how a childhood marked by deep trauma led to years of meth addiction, relapse, and ultimately priso...

If you've ever felt like you're crushing it on the outside but spiritually running on empty, this conversation will meet you right where you are. In this inspiring episode of Echos of Impact, Briana Gray sits down with Carole Evans, host of the Faith + Work podcast and Director of IT Support for a cell phone retailer overseeing 800 locations and 7,000 employees, to talk about identity, purpose, an...

What if the pain you wish away is the very place God is doing His deepest work? In this powerful episode of Echos of Impact, Cherise and Briana sit down with Lindsey Lavender, founder of Live On Mission Ministry, to talk about suffering, faith, and trusting God when life does not make sense. Lindsey shares her story of a life-altering accident that resulted in a traumatic brain injury, chronic ill...

What if God isn't asking you to give something up because it's bad, but because He's offering something better? In this reflective and honest episode of Echoes of Impact, Briana and Cherise sit down for a heart-to-heart conversation to welcome a new year and explore what it looks like to listen closely when God invites us into something deeper. Together, they talk about words for the year, identit...

Trigger Warning: This episode includes discussion of loss (death of a spouse), alcohol use, and eating disorders (anorexia + bulimia). Please use discretion as you listen. In this inspiring episode of Echos of Impact, Briana Gray and Cherise Thompson sit down with Heather Palmer—Kansas City local, yoga teacher, and author of Gold-In Cracks—for an honest conversation about resilience, surrender, an...

In this powerful and deeply moving episode of Echos of Impact, Briana sits down with Amber Keller—follower of Jesus, wife, mom of three girls, writer, and coordinator of a women's prison ministry—to talk about purpose, obedience, and what it really means to follow Jesus into hard and holy places. Amber shares her story of growing up as a missionary kid in Peru during years of terrorism, navigating...