Female by Design

Female flourishing doesn't start in the bedroom. It starts in the kitchen. In the shower. At a stoplight. In five minutes on your front porch listening to birds. That might sound surprising — but it's one of the most freeing things I've discovered on this journey. The capacity to feel pleasure, connection, and aliveness in intimacy is directly connected to how present you are in your body througho...

Most of us carry body shame. Yet, we don't always know where we picked it up. In this episode we go a little deeper into the roots of shame — because understanding where it came from is one of the most powerful steps toward healing it. And what we find, when we look honestly, is that this shame runs deeper than any one experience or teaching. It's woven into our language, our culture, and even our...

Hey friend — welcome to something that's been on my heart for a while. Over the next four episodes we're going to talk about what it looks like to be fully alive as a woman. Not just spiritually. Not just emotionally. But in your whole self — mind, body, and yes, sexuality too. I'm calling it Female Flourishing. That phrase might be new to you, so let me explain what I mean. Female flourishing is...

Summer Q&A Series Real talk: how do you keep the passion alive when you've been married five, ten, twenty years? When the kids are loud, the calendar is full, and you're both just... tired? That's the question on the table today — and the answer might surprise you. In this bite-sized summer Q&A episode, Francie tackles one of the most common questions she receives: how do you cultivate drive in a...

This is the finale of the Great Sex Grows series — and Francie is sending you off with a shot of something you might not have expected: a deep, settled confidence in who God made you to be. In this episode, Francie walks through 10 superpowers she never knew she had as a woman and a wife — things she only discovered as she began inviting God into the intimate places of her marriage. Some of them w...

Communication is the gateway to deeper intimacy — and for most of us, it's also where things get tricky. In this episode, Francie gets real about one of the biggest growth edges in marriage: learning to talk about sex, desire, and vulnerability in a way that actually brings you closer instead of shutting things down. She shares some of the most practical — and surprisingly tender — tools she and W...

If your sex life has started to feel a little... predictable, this episode is for you. Francie brings the fun today — and she means it. Great sex isn't meant to be heavy, dutiful, or overly serious. It's meant to be lighthearted, connecting, and genuinely enjoyable. A joyful heart really is good medicine, and that includes what happens in the bedroom. Francie shares 13 practical ideas for bringing...

Great sex doesn't just happen in the bedroom — it starts with how connected you are to your body all day long. In this episode, Francie dives into why so many women show up for intimacy physically present but emotionally and sensorially checked out — and why that's not your fault. The church has a long history of separating body from spirit, and a lot of us are still carrying that disconnection wi...

Welcome to the Great Sex Grows series!   We're starting where it all begins: your mindset. Because here's the thing — it's not about what you wear, what time it happens, or what you do. When it comes to growing a beautiful sex life in marriage, your mindset matters most.   In this episode, Francie dives into three big ideas around shifting your thinking:   Growth mindset vs. fixed mindset. Do you...

Hey friend — welcome back to the Female By Design Podcast! Today marks the relaunch of one of my favorite teaching series: Great Sex Grows. It originally aired back in 2022, and honestly? I still stand by every word of it. It's practical, it's real, and I think it can meet you right where you are. I'm jumping in with a fresh intro episode — sharing where life has taken me over the last four years,...

What's the difference between a difficult marriage and a destructive one—and how do you know when it's time to speak up?   In this powerful conversation, Francie sits down with counselor and author Leslie Vernick to unpack destructive patterns in marriage, reclaiming your voice, and what it truly means to be a strong, biblical woman.   Together, they address harmful teachings around submission, th...

How do you overcome body insecurity and actually feel at home in your body? In this episode, Francie addresses the shame, disconnection, and cultural lies that shape how women view their bodies—and invites you back to God's truth: your body is not a problem to fix, but a gift to receive. You'll learn how body image struggles are often rooted in disconnection, why separating from your body isn't sp...

It's one of those questions more women have than are willing to ask out loud. In this episode of Female by Design, Francie tackles the topic of pubic hair grooming — not from a medical or therapeutic chair, but from the spirit of let's just have the conversation. Because when we can talk about our bodies without shame, that's exactly where freedom grows. This is not a moral issue. There is no law,...

What if one of the most powerful tools for healing your nervous system isn't a supplement or a protocol — it's a hug? In this episode, Francie sits down with functional medicine nurse practitioner Carly Bayless to take a deep dive into oxytocin: what it actually is, why it matters far beyond labor and breastfeeding, and how finding "oxytocin opportunities" throughout your day could be the missing...

Francie tackles another listener question — one of the most personal and practical she receives: How can I help my husband better learn what brings me pleasure? What she loves about this question is the word the listener used: learn. Because that's exactly the right frame. Becoming a great lover isn't about natural talent or chemistry — it's about paying attention, practicing, and becoming a stude...

Francie answers one of the most-requested questions she receives from women in her live events: How do you make talking about sex with your husband less awkward? This episode grew out of a recent in-person Q&A at a local moms group — where the questions came so fast and so honestly that Francie knew she had to bring the conversation to the podcast. She's doing something different this season: spri...

Our calendars are full, demands are never-ending, and overwhelm is knocking with every new notification. In this final part of the "Unlocking the Female Heart, Mind, and Body" series, Francie leans into the impact of our busy lives on our bodies. This episode unpacks how the nervous system—designed by God—is central to our ability to feel safe, be present, and receive pleasure. It's not just about...

Overwhelm. Pressure. Tension in your body and to-do lists in your head. Not the recipe for receptivity, mutual pleasure, and oneness. So many women are living in a constant state of doing—managing families, navigating stress, and holding everything together. But when there's no space for play, our nervous systems stay locked in survival mode. And when our bodies are braced and burdened, intimacy f...

It's too common that women feel disconnected from their bodies, unsure how to enjoy pleasure and physical intimacy without shame, anxiety, or confusion.  This episode is an honest invitation to begin healing that disconnection. Francie shares the first of three powerful keys to unlocking the female heart, mind, and body—wisdom formed through years of mentoring women inside her Circle community. Th...

Whether we realize it or not, every one of us has a "sex view," a lens through which we understand and experience our sexuality. It's shaped by what we were told (or not told), by pain, silence, shame, weariness, and the culture around us. But what if that view isn't the full story? What if God has something better? In Part 2 of this series, Francie gently but powerfully unpacks five common sex vi...

Most of us never had a sex talk that honored our design, reflected God's heart, or made space for our questions. In this powerful first episode of a mini-series, Francie begins to unpack three foundational truths every woman needs to know, but likely never heard. This is not a conversation about shame, fear, or performance. It's about reclaiming God's original dream for our bodies, our pleasure, a...

What if it's not too late for your marriage to experience joy, pleasure, and renewed connection? In this powerful testimony, Francie sits down with Denise, a Circle member who vulnerably shares how God met her in the middle of decades of disconnection. After 38 years of marriage and a lifetime of silence, shame, and pain surrounding sex, Denise encountered a fresh vision of God's design, and every...

What do you do when your body starts to feel unfamiliar…when your energy dips, your stress rises, your curves change, and hormones seem to take over? In this heartfelt conversation, Francie sits down with longtime friend and mentor Alisa Keeton, founder of Revelation Wellness, to talk about what it means to be a woman walking through midlife, perimenopause, and the hormonal shifts that come with t...

What if Christmas wasn't just about a baby in a manger, but about your body too? In this replay episode, Francie explores the beauty of the incarnation: that Jesus came in a body to restore our experience of being embodied. From the garden to the cross to today, God's story has always been about intimacy, redemption, and connection…in real bodies. You'll hear about: Why your body matters to God Th...

Your husband is strong, yet has a very tender side that only you get the gift of seeing. But, how can you help his heart come alive? What is your man longing to hear? Your words have incredible power to build your husband in a way that no one else can. It's true! This episode might surprise you, but it's insight on how to speak right into the masculine strength of your husband. Let's get specific...