Heat Up Your Retreats with Amanda Hietter

In this episode of Heat Up Your Retreats, host Amanda Hietter sits down with Paul Ybarra, founder of Kingdom Linked, to talk about how Christian retreats can become sacred spaces for hearing God’s voice, finding clarity, and stepping into your God-given purpose. Paul shares why Sabbath, solitude, and stepping away from everyday distractions are essential for leaders, coaches, ministry leaders, and...

Episode Title: Money, Mindset, and Retreats with Dave Jacobson Guest: Dave Jacobson, Founder of Coach Connections and Accountable Network Episode Description: Money stress can quietly hold back your calling, your business, and your next retreat. In this episode of Heat Up Your Retreats , Amanda Heater sits down with Dave Jacobson, a nationally recognized personal finance expert and founder of Coac...

A powerful idea is only the beginning. Turning that idea into something real requires courage, validation, focus, and the willingness to move before everything feels perfect. In this episode of Heat Up Your Retreats , Amanda Hietter sits down with startup advisor and entrepreneur Mary Scott to explore what separates the people who bring their ideas to life from those who remain stuck in the planni...

What if the biggest shift in your life didn’t come from changing your circumstances… but from changing your perspective? In this episode of Heat Up Your Retreats, I sit down with Sam Liebowitz to explore resilience, awareness, and how the way we see our experiences shapes everything. This conversation goes beyond surface-level mindset talk. It’s about learning how to navigate life’s challenges wit...

Have you ever felt stuck… not because you don’t know what to do, but because you can’t stop overthinking? In this episode of Heat Up Your Retreats, I sit down with Nikki Cruise to talk about self-doubt, overthinking, and the patterns that keep high-achieving people from moving forward. This conversation goes deeper than surface-level mindset advice. We unpack what’s really happening beneath the he...

What if the biggest thing holding you back… is happening inside your own mind? In this episode of Heat Up Your Retreats, I sit down with Nikki Gangemi, a Master Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Practitioner, Hypnotherapist, Life & Success Coach, speaker, and author who helps high-achieving professionals break free from self-doubt and overthinking. Nikki shares her own journey of transformati...

What happens when life changes in a single moment? In this deeply moving episode of Heat Up Your Retreats , I sit down with Jennifer Newberg , founder of It's Lifey , to talk about grief, connection, and the unexpected calling that can emerge from life's most painful moments. In May 2024, while on a dream trip to Greece, Jen’s husband unexpectedly passed away from a heart attack. In an instant, sh...

What if the moment you thought would define your shame… was actually the seed of your calling? In this powerful and deeply faith-centered episode of Heat Up Your Retreats , I sit down with Donna Tashjian to talk about trauma, identity, spiritual intelligence, and what it really means to rise into holy confidence. Donna shares her story of standing in front of a mirror at 15 years old — pregnant, a...

What happens when the life you carefully built no longer feels aligned? In this powerful episode of Heat Up Your Retreats, I sit down with Martha Kartaoui to talk about identity shifts, faith-led pivots, and the courage it takes to surrender control and step into a new season. Martha shares her journey of navigating change — personally and professionally — and what it really looks like to move fro...

You just hosted an incredible retreat. Everyone loved it. The transformation was real. The feedback was amazing… So why do so many retreat leaders feel completely exhausted — or even emotionally drained — after the event is over? In this solo episode of Heat Up Your Retreats , I’m pulling back the curtain on something almost no one talks about: post-retreat burnout . Because the truth is… success...

What if success didn’t have to come at the cost of your peace, your health, or your relationships? In this heartfelt and honest episode, I sit down with Kayla Masteller to talk about entrepreneurship, burnout, boundaries, and what it really looks like to build a business that supports your life instead of consuming it. Kayla shares her personal journey from hustling and doing “all the things” to r...

If the thought of pitching yourself makes you nervous, unsure, or overwhelmed—this episode is about to change everything. In this high-energy, no-holds-barred conversation, I sit down with Precious Williams , 13-time national elevator pitch champion, Shark Tank alum, and founder of Perfect Pitch Group, to talk about how to package, position, and pitch yourself with confidence and clarity. Precious...

If your business feels harder than it should… this conversation will hit home. In this episode, I sit down with John Balauat , founder of Help Agency, to talk about why so many entrepreneurs are overwhelmed, overworked, and stuck doing everything themselves — and how to simplify your business with the right systems, structure, and strategy. John works with business owners who are tired of duct-tap...

What if you don’t need the whole plan… just the next step ? In this faith-filled and deeply encouraging episode of Heat Up Your Retreats , I sit down with Lori McDowell to talk about obedience, trust, calling, and what it really looks like to build something with God — even when you don’t feel ready, qualified, or clear on the outcome. Lori shares her journey of saying yes to God step-by-step, lea...

What happens when everything you built your identity on… disappears? In this powerful episode of Heat Up Your Retreats, I sit down with Marques Ogden — former NFL athlete, keynote speaker, business coach, and host of the top 1% podcast Get Authentic with Marques Ogden — to talk about success, failure, identity, and what it really takes to rebuild your life and career. Marques shares his incredible...

In this deeply honest and powerful episode of Heat Up Your Retreats , I sit down with Jim Burgoon , founder of Lead with Jim , to talk about leadership, identity, healing from trauma, and what it really means to lead from a place of authenticity. Jim shares his personal story of growing up in constant struggle, walking through trauma, and being diagnosed with complex PTSD — and how, for much of hi...

What if the challenges we’re facing—personally and collectively—aren’t signs of failure, but invitations into death, rebirth, and deeper remembrance? In this powerful episode of Heat Up Your Retreats, I sit down with Emily Atlantis Wolf, also known as The Dragon Medicine Woman, for a conversation that weaves together healing, sisterhood, ancient wisdom, and the role women are playing in midwifing...

In this episode of Heat Up Your Retreats , I’m joined by Tina BE , an intuitive communication coach who helps heart-centered leaders move beyond performance and into presence. This conversation is a powerful reminder that confident communication doesn’t come from forcing your voice, memorizing scripts, or performing for approval — it comes from learning how to listen to your body, regulate your ne...

In this episode of Heat Up Your Retreats, I’m welcoming my very first guest to the show — the incredible Jayna Swan. Jayna is a speaker, facilitator, and creator who helps high-performing creative millennial women scale their lives and businesses from safety instead of stress. Jayna shares powerful stories from her own retreats — including moments when things went completely off plan — and how tho...

Welcome back to Heat Up Your Retreats! In today’s episode, I’m diving into one of the most important parts of planning a retreat — choosing the right venue. This single decision can make or break the entire experience for you AND your attendees. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by options, frustrated by confusing travel logistics, or stuck because everything “looks cute” online but doesn’t actually...

In this episode of Heat Up Your Retreats, I’m sharing what happened after God healed and rescued me. If you heard my testimony in the last episode, you know how Jesus redeemed me from a past filled with trauma, abuse, addiction, and heartbreak. But today’s conversation answers a powerful question: “What happens after the breakthrough? After the healing? Then what?” In this episode, I talk about ho...

In today’s episode of Heat Up Your Retreats, I open up more vulnerably than I ever have publicly. This is my raw, unfiltered testimony — a journey through childhood trauma, toxic relationships, addiction, abuse, loss, and hitting rock bottom… and how Jesus met me in the middle of my mess and rewrote my story with redemption, grace, and purpose. If you’ve ever wondered whether God could still use y...