THANKS for doing that

In this special season finale, the tables are turned as Heather Winchell—the host and Chief Enthusiast behind Thanks for Doing That—takes the guest seat. Interviewed by her friend Robin Elgard, Heather reflects on her 5+ years of podcasting, the joy of celebrating ordinary faithfulness, the people and ideas that have shaped her, and the surprising friendships formed along the way. She shares about...

In this very special tribute episode, Heather honors the life and legacy of Cherie Johnson: devoted wife and mother, intentional friend, gifted host, lover of Scripture, radiant encourager, and bright light to all who knew her. Released near the one-year anniversary of Cherie’s passing, this episode weaves together an interview Cherie gave during her cancer journey with reflections and stories fro...

In this episode, Heather sits down with author, spoken word poet, recording artist, and founder of Write Speak Inspire, Sharlene Provilus. Sharlene shares how writing became a place of honesty and healing, how spoken word helped bring her back to faith, and why she believes our stories can create space for others to find freedom. Together, they talk about foster care, restoration, creative calling...

“Be encouraged and be brave. Don’t be afraid of the learning curve.” Kind and wise words from a kind a wise woman. In this imagery-rich conversation, Heather sits down with master gardener and writer Sarah Nadvornik to explore prairie restoration, gardening, grief, limitation, motherhood, and the surprising ways God cultivates growth in our lives. Sarah shares how a season of exhaustion, loss, and...

What if what you already have… is enough? In this episode, Heather sits down with Christina Gerstner, the collector and curator behind @whitepeppervintage , to explore a radically refreshing perspective on home, consumption, and contentment. Christina shares her journey from teacher to vintage seller, her love of thrifting and collecting, and how years immersed in secondhand culture—and social med...

What does it look like to examine your life without becoming consumed by it? In this episode, Heather sits down with Scott Hubbard—Managing Editor at Desiring God and lay pastor at All Peoples Church—to explore the tension between self-reflection and self-forgetfulness. Drawing from his upcoming book Examine Yourself, Forget Yourself , Scott shares his personal journey through a season of intense...

What if the very thing you’ve walked through—the pain, the loss, the questions—is the lifeline to someone else’s hope? In this deeply meaningful conversation, Heather sits down with Kelly Olson , founder and executive director of The Baton Pass, a community helping women move from quiet desperation to connection, healing, and hope. Kelly shares her personal story of trauma, healing, and the moment...

In this episode, Heather sits down with author, podcaster, Master Naturalist, and homeschooling mom Eryn Lynum for a rich conversation about wonder, rest, intentional family life, and the ways God reveals himself through creation. Eryn reflects on how her work has evolved from writing about intentional parenting to exploring the deep connections between Scripture and the natural world. Together, H...

In this episode of Thanks for Doing That , host Heather Winchell sits down with John Murray , pediatric occupational therapist and founder of Murray Therapy in Northern Colorado. From his newly remodeled, play-filled clinic space, John shares how his four decades in OT have shaped a deeply relational, strengths-based approach to helping kids and families. John explains what pediatric occupational...

In a loud and restless age, author and practical theology professor Ryan Tinetti offers a surprising invitation: make it your ambition to live quietly. In this conversation, Heather and Ryan explore themes from Ryan’s book The Quiet Ambition , built around the often-overlooked wisdom of 1 Thessalonians 4 —a way of life marked by quiet hope, faithful attention, and ordinary, embodied work. Together...

In this episode, Heather sits down with her friend and coach Stephanie Leigh Gutierrez to unpack the Working Genius  framework—six distinct “gifts” that show up in every project and every team: Wonder, Invention, Discernment, Galvanizing, Enablement, and Tenacity . Together they explore: why some kinds of work leave you energized (and others leave you depleted), how the same genius can be celebrat...

Grief doesn’t just hurt — it rearranges a person. In this episode, host Heather Winchell is joined by writer and counselor Kirsten Black , who invites listeners into honest conversation about grief, suffering, and the faithful wrestle of believing God is good when life doesn’t feel kind. Kirsten shares how writing became both a lifeline and a way of shepherding others through sorrow after the loss...

Northern Colorado artist Jessica Kuddes (JMK) creates one-of-a-kind paintings that feel like windows into redemption—visual “spiritual landscapes” that hold out hope when life is hard. In this conversation, we talk about protected margin, art born from grief, and why imagery can carry us when words can’t.  She challenges my conviction that play doh should never be mixed (but really, how many shade...

What makes a story actually move people—without resorting to hype or manipulation? In this episode, Heather Winchell sits down with HR Sweat ( Lampstand Story Company , Oklahoma City) to talk about the craft of storytelling, why “the first draft is garbage” can be a gift, and how critique becomes a creative superpower. They explore Lampstand’s approach to bespoke work—listening long enough to find...

Since launching her cottage bakery earlier this year, Tori Aaker has been delighting Northern Colorado with sourdough loaves, cinnamon rolls, baking mixes, and what many now call the best chocolate chip cookie they’ve ever had - aka "The Number One". Around here, most people don’t even say “Tori” anymore—they just say Baker Aaker . In this cozy conversation, Heather and Tori talk about w...

In this heartfelt episode of Thanks for Doing That , Heather chats with the inspiring husband-and-wife team, Marissa and Chris , the founders of the Nashville Blanket Project . From their cozy Airbnb hosting experience to the mission-driven journey of creating beautiful blankets that give back, their story is one of compassion and community. Learn how they turned a simple idea into a thriving soci...

Sewing as a superpower? Yes. Creative director Laura Moore (Sew Your Adventure) shows how simple, “quick-win” projects—beanbags, bookmarks, potholders—can spark curiosity, courage, and connection at home. We talk intergenerational skills, her 100-year-old sewing journal from Great-Grandma Minnie, and the story-led Stitch & Story Journal that helps families create, reflect, and celebrate—one st...

In this craft-rich conversation, writer and lyricist Douglas McKelvey shares the winding path that led to Every Moment Holy , why Volume Two (grief, death, and hope) was formed in community, and how he thinks about vocation through a Kingdom economy—serving real people first. He previews his next book: a young-adult-focused collection (late HS through mid-20s) with longtime illustrator Ned Bustard...

In this episode of Thanks for Doing That , Heather sits down with master carpenter Jay Ballard , whose decades of experience in carpentry and remodeling are matched only by his kindness and optimism. Jay shares how growing up around woodworking shaped his love for the craft—from the smell of freshly cut lumber in his father’s shop to the satisfaction of finishing his first clock case. He also refl...

“The art of living in season is about learning to see the extraordinary in our ordinary moments.” “God has a great canvas, and each of us has a little dab of paint to put on it.” What if the most ordinary parts of your life—gardening, teaching, caregiving, baking, writing—were actually sacred gifts? In this episode of Thanks for Doing That , Heather sits down with Sylvie Vanhoozer , writer, botani...

What makes ordinary objects so unforgettable? For Northern Colorado artist Mandy West , the answer is found in color, memory, and perspective. Her paintings capture the beauty of everyday things—a chair, a Vespa, even a laundry truck—inviting us to pause and see what’s often overlooked. In this conversation, Mandy shares her journey from doodling bubble letters in exchange for Jolly Ranchers to em...

Some thoughts from the Chief Enthusiast as we close out summer and head into Season 2 of the pod! Catch more of the story  @thanks.for.doing.that.podcast ! 

“We want people to golf more. Golf better. And golf in community.” – Steven Wright "Just because you love something doesn’t mean it fits the life you want. Choose your work with your values in mind.” – Alli Wright What happens when a love for golf, a heart for people, and a dream of flexibility come together? Skylark Golf. In this episode, Heather sits down with Ally and Steven Wright, founde...

This new recurring segment invites you behind the mic into the rhythms, reflections, and small delights shaping Heather’s month. In this first edition, Heather shares: A moment that mattered deeply — and the power of showing up in grief What she’s reading and why The Nature of Rest by Eryn Lynum is resonating A reflection on seasonal living (and embracing a bedside stack of half-read books) Two sm...

“Be clear about your mission and show up for it every day.” "95% of what we remember is subconscious...the emotional subconscious connections you make with your client are what build trust" In this episode of Thanks for Doing That , Heather sits down with Ashley Pintaric, founder and chief strategist of Clarion Blue, a Colorado-based marketing company committed to “brilliantly clear mark...