Embrace Your Strengths

Tatiana's Top 5 CliftonStrengths are: Consistency, Harmony, Analytical, Responsibility & Relator   Tatiana lives in Costa Rica with her husband and 2 teenage kids.  She enjoys hiking in nature and exploring Costa Rica and the world.  Tatiana works with Campus Crusade for Christ, leading Operations for the Cru ministries in Latin America and the Caribbean countries. She loves Jesus and using he...

Brandon's Top 5 CliftonStrengths are: Woo, Positivity, Communication, Belief & Developer Brandon Boyd has spent nearly three decades on the front lines of collegiate ministry with Cru , walking alongside students and families through life's most defining moments. A husband, father, and speaker, Brandon brings warmth and candor to the callings that matter most: faith, family, and fatherhood. Yo...

Corey's Top 5 CliftonStrengths are:  Belief, Woo, Restorative, Harmony, Connectednes  Corey Schmitt lives in San Marcos, Texas, where he leads Venture Ministries, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people find and follow Jesus. Passionate about strengthening the Church, Corey enjoys identifying challenges facing ministries and working to build practical, Gospel-centered solutions. Beyon...

Jill's top 5 CliftonStrengths were: Harmony, Belief, Restorative, Empathy, Consistency  Aryn's Top 5 CliftonStrengths are:  Futuristic, Activator, Communication, Arranger and Woo Jill Amend passed away  at 73 years old September 28, 2025 in Lufkin, Texas.  She grew up alongside her beloved older sister and younger brother. As the middle child, she shared a special bond with both, always protective...

Ken's Top 5 CliftonStrengths are: Strategic, Maximizer, Command, Relator and Arranger  Ann's Top 5 CliftonStrengths are:  Responsibility, Belief, Developer, Restorative & Empathy Ken and Ann met as students at the University of Texas  and upon graduation they  marred joined staff with Cru staff and served in various countries  including living on the gospel frontier in East Asia  for 13 years....

Sara's Top 5 CliftonStrengths are:  Developer, Individualization, Belief, Postivity and Learner  Dr. Worley has experience teaching from coast to coast. She became convinced that every student carries distinct strengths. Using research on multiple intelligences and learning preferences, she found a way to identify those strengths quickly and allow students to respond to academic content through th...

Tracy's Top % CliftonStrengths are:  Positivity, Responsibility, Maximizer, Achiever and Discipline  Tracy Curtis is a devoted wife and mother of five who lives in Omaha, Nebraska. As an event planner and active member of Coram Deo Church, she brings a heart for service into every area of her life. Tracy faithfully supports her family through hospitality and thoughtful organization, creating a war...

Shelby's Top 5 CliftonStrengths are: Empahty, Harmony, Relator, Developer and Positivity  Shelby and her husband Erik live in Boston with their two year old Mila and precious golden retriever, Lou. Shelby is a pediatric physical therapist, but right now she stays at home with Mila as she continues to recover from her stem cell transplant and embrace her new life while navigating cancer remission....

Michelle's Top 5 CliftonStrengths are:  Restorative, Empathy, Belief, Developer and Responsibility    Michelle lives in Natick (heavy a sound) Ma, a suburb of Boston where she currently serves on the People & Culture team with Cru. Caring for the ~50 campus and capacity staff in the New England states is her main focus, while also providing support in various ways to staff throughout the North...

Erica's Top 5 CliftonStrengths are:  Belief, Communication, Context, Responsibility and Restorative  Erica brings a unique blend of life experience, faith, and heart to every stage of life. Transitioning from actuarial analyst to missionary wife, then 16 years homeschooling, and now a mom of amazing UT Austin College kiddos, she has learned to navigate life’s changes with confidence and grace. Gui...

Karina's Top 5 CliftonStrengths are:  Relator, Harmony, Empathy, Belief and Responsibility  Karina Venable lives in Austin, Texas with her husband David and their three beautiful children, who are each gifts, given from the Father through adoption. Karina has been a teacher in various capacities throughout the years, including homeschooling her children for seven years. She loves to study scriptur...

Texas A&M's Bridge's Staff Team Top 5 CliftonStrengths are: Learner, Connectedness, Includer, Communication & Woo Barbara shares insights about a recent workshop for the Bridges Staff Team at Texas A&M.   Each person brings their unique strengths.  She talks about some of the insights she observed with the group of five .   Link to take the CliftonStrengths Assessment Coaching and Work...

James" Top 5 CliftonStrengths are:  Learner, Intellection, Developer, Context, & Input Julie's Top 5 Cliftonstrengths are: Strategic, Input, Relator, Belief & Arranger  James and Julie are both native Texans and have been married 35 years. They have been on staff with ReachGlobal (mission agency of the Evangelical Free Church of America) for 31 years. They lived and served in Kyiv, Ukraine...

Barbara's Top 5 CliftonStrengths are HARMONY, ADAPTABILITY, EMPATHY, CONNECTEDNESS & MAXIMIZER In this episode Barbara tells about a creative group that she is a part of and how fueling her creativity overflows in to her  love for hospitality.  Knowing and using her strengths are integral in what happens at home around her table with friends and family.   Link to take the CliftonStrengths Asse...

Dawn's Top 5 CliftonStrengths are: Activator, Woo, Empathy, Connecetness and Restorative  Dawn lives in Dallas. TX. She recently made the move to East-West ministries from Cru where she helps mobilize the next generation to go to the spiritual darkest places of the world. She enjoys all things outdoors, a good cup of coffee with good conversation.  Prayer in the Night: For those who Work, or Watch...

Barbara's Top 5 CliftonStrengths are:  Harmony, Adaptabilty, Empathy, Connectedness and Maximizer  Maximizer is one of Barbara's top strengths and as she thinks about 2026 it gives her some intentionality in areas of her life that she wants to maximize!  Find out your strengths by taking the CliftonStrengths Top 5 Assessment  Workshops and Coaching with Barbara Culwell Subscribe & Leave a Revi...

Barbara and Gerry celebrate 200 episodes of Embrace Your Strengths!   Gerry is EYS's biggest fan!  She shares a bit about how knowing her strengths "saved her marriage" and also living out her strengths daily gives her joy and passion as she meets with folks  and loves to share the life giving hope of knowing Jesus!    You can hear more about her story on Episode 61. Barbara talks about the histor...

Josue's Top 5 CliftonStrengths are: Restoraive Connectedness, Woo, Communication and Context Nicole's Top 5 Clfitonstrengths are:  Maximizer, Empathy, Harmony, Futuristic  and Developer Nicole and Daniel (Mambo) make their home in Denver, Colorado, though they originally from Wisconsin and Mexico City. Nicole is a dedicated career coach who thrives on helping people discover their purpose and prof...

Heather McDowell Macleod's Top 5 CliftonStrengths are:  Positivity, Empathy, Developer, Communication & Includer  Heather lives in Southern California with her husband, David, and their kids. Having grown up on CRU staff as the daughter of the McDowells, ministry has always been close to her heart. After six years of working directly with young adults, she recently stepped into the role of Dir...

Tawny's Top 5 CliftonStrengths are:  Belief, Activator, Responsibiility, Achiever and Connectedness  Tawny has been with Cru almost 30 years having served  in Baton Rouge, Costa Rica, Mexico, Colorado, and Orlando. She currently has the privilege of working with the Cru Coaching Center team as a launching specialist.  Being able to help students start ministries across the U.S. and world where the...

Michelle's Top 5 CliftonStrengths are: Harmony, Activator, Relator, individualization and Responsbility   Michelle lives in Austin Texas with  her  husband Austin and two girls Katherine and Margo. She  attended the University of Oklahoma and worked in campus ministry post college at SMU in Dallas. Most recently she has been  a part of the team at Generous Giving doing follow up for their retreats...

Lana's Top 5 CliftonStrengths are:   Woo, Communication, Activator, Includer & Connectedness  Lana  is currently living in Aix-en-Provence, a town in the South of France! She and her  husband  just moved there in July 2025  for an opportunity with his work, as well as a desire to be a part of God’s plan for the nations. Currently she spends her  days going to French school and enjoying all of...

Kelsey's Top 5 CliftonStrengths are: Positivity, Strategic, Maximizer, Ideation and Adaptability  Kelsey Linnartz is the artist and founder of LinnArtzy (yes, the name comes from her last name and a constant compliment, "you're so artsy"). She uses her top 5 strengths of Positivity, Strategic, Maximizer, Ideation, and Adaptability every day as an entrepreneur and creative. She's a live fashion ill...

Matt's Top 5 Strengths are:  Adaptability, Context, Positivity, Woo & Belief Elizabeth's Top 5 Strengths are: Harmony, Relator, Discipline, Empathy & Focus  Matt and Elizabeth live in Orlando, FL with their two sons, Caleb (2.5) and Shepherd (11 months). They met while serving in Italy with Cru, and recently moved back to the States. They now work at Cru's global headquarters, Matt in Risk...

Kathy's Top 5 Clifonstrengths are:   Woo, Belief, Competition, Learner and Focus  Kathy lives in Cedar Park, Texas, mom of four and grandmother to one.  As Owner and Licensed Professional Counselor Associate, Kathy is using her strengths to help others on their emotional transformational journey.  Kathy uses a new form of therapy that integrates eye stimulation to transform emotions, bringing rapi...