With My Whole Heart

Sometimes the bravest thing we can do isn’t push harder—it’s slow down and admit we need help. And sometimes healing looks like letting life have a little more of us than our productivity does. Before we even get into today’s conversation, I want to share something from the heart: after this episode, there’s going to be a little pause on the podcast. My oldest daughter is walking through some heal...

What happens when your business grows faster than you do? When everything on the outside looks successful, expanding, and moving forward—but internally, you feel like you’re trying to catch your breath and catch up? This episode came from a place I don’t hear talked about very often, especially in leadership and entrepreneurial spaces. We talk a lot about strategy, scaling, and success—but not nea...

I used to think quiet automatically meant healing. That if I pulled back far enough, stayed silent long enough, I’d eventually feel better. But what I learned—slowly, painfully—is that not all quiet is the same. For a long time, I told myself I was choosing solitude. I was overwhelmed, anxious, grieving, and exhausted, and retreating felt like survival. Canceling plans. Staying home. Not explainin...

What if the thing that almost broke you is the same thing that ends up clarifying your purpose? In today’s episode, Bree’s story reminded me that healing rarely arrives like a light switch—it comes like a slow return to yourself, one brave choice at a time. Today I’m sitting down with Bree , and this conversation felt close to the heart . Bree’s a hairstylist turned founder, but her story goes so...

I didn’t realize how tightly my worth had wrapped itself around my productivity until slowing down felt unbearable. Somewhere along the way, doing became who I was—and resting started to feel like failure. This episode grew out of a quiet tension I’ve been feeling for years: the pressure to always be useful, always productive, always needed. Not because ambition is bad or work doesn’t matter—but b...

What if Christmas wasn’t something you had to earn with a spotless house, a perfect menu, and a tree drowning in gifts? What if this year, it got to be simpler, gentler, and still deeply, beautifully holy? Last Christmas, I was not okay. On the outside, I was hosting, smiling, doing all the “right” Christmas things. But on the inside, my anxiety was at an all-time high. I remember lying in bed bef...

What if the turning of a new year isn’t about reinventing yourself, but finally noticing who you’ve quietly been becoming? That’s the space I’m walking into—slowly, tenderly, and with God right beside me. Stepping into 2026 feels different. Not shiny. Not resolution-heavy. Not “new year, new me.” It feels like settling into a version of myself that God has been shaping for a long time—almost like...

Obedience before understanding sounds beautiful on paper—until you’re the one living it. I used to think obedience meant saying yes when God’s direction made sense, when the numbers added up, when the doors swung open perfectly and the timeline felt clean. But what happens when obedience looks like walking away from a dream you want … before you understand why ? What happens when the answer is “no...

Have you ever said something that felt small in the moment… and then immediately felt the ripple of it deep in your spirit? The kind of ripple you wish you could pull back the second it left your lips? This episode came straight from the kind of heart work I’m actively walking through in real time. Gossip isn’t a cute topic. It’s not a light one. And it’s definitely not something I’m proud to say...

Have you ever met someone who carries both peace and power in the same breath? The kind of person who can light up a room without saying a word—because her energy simply is ? That’s Lex Bass. And this conversation reminded me what quiet strength really looks like when life asks you to keep showing up, even when your heart is heavy. I first met Lex the way I’ve met so many incredible women—right in...

Do you ever get to the end of your day and realize you haven’t stopped once to just breathe ? I used to live that way—racing from one thing to the next, pouring out in every direction, until I realized that skipping the pause was quietly costing me my peace. I learned something a few years ago that completely shifted the way I lead, parent, and live. It’s called debriefing , and on the surface it...

What if balance isn’t real? For years, I chased it like a finish line that didn’t exist—thinking if I could just find balance , I’d finally feel peace. But peace doesn’t come from balance. It comes from something softer, more human. Something I call the pivot. There was a season in my life where every day felt like a race. Running a salon, leading my team, raising three girls, and trying to show u...

There was a time when the words I spoke sounded a lot like the world. “Follow your heart.” “Do what makes you happy.” “You’ve got this.” But somewhere along the way, I realized those phrases, as beautiful as they sound, were built on shifting sand. For so long, I believed my job as a hairstylist was to make people feel good. Behind the chair, I poured out encouragement like confetti—positive affir...

Have you ever asked yourself, “Who am I if I’m not performing, not achieving, not making everyone else happy?” That question has haunted me at different points in my own journey—and it’s the question my friend Alissa had to face head-on when everything she thought defined her was stripped away. Alissa Boyhtari—now leading and creating beauty through her work at Superior Blooms—has lived through wh...

There are some conversations that feel less like an interview and more like sitting on a friend’s couch, coffee in hand, hearts cracked open. This is one of them. Today, I’m sitting with my dear friend Anna McParlan—who also happens to share my birthday (God knew we’d be linked from the start). Anna’s story is a tapestry of heartbreak and healing: the chaos of motherhood, the calling of adoption,...

Some doors close gently. Others slam and echo. Either way, God wastes nothing—and today’s story is proof. I met Lacey Gebo back in 2019, and from day one there was this instant sister–energy—faith, ambition, and a shared love for building something bigger than ourselves. I’ve watched her lead boldly through co-owning a salon at 23, walking away from toxicity, almost stepping into a “dream” role, a...

Some days the weight of the world feels unbearable. The headlines, the tragedies, the endless scroll—it all piles on until my heart feels like it might crack open. Maybe you’ve felt that too. I wasn’t even sure I should record this episode. It feels heavy, and honestly, part of me wanted to stay quiet. Because it seems like no matter what you say these days, someone is ready to criticize. Stay sil...

Do you ever catch yourself thinking, of course, what’s next? That quiet whisper that life is good…just not for you? That’s cynicism. And if I’m honest, it’s crept into my life more than I like to admit. For me, cynicism wasn’t loud or obvious. It was subtle—a slow fade from dreaming big to protecting my heart so I wouldn’t get hurt again. Some of the hardest seasons I’ve walked through were the ye...

Have you ever carried shame so heavy it felt like it defined you? The kind of shame that silences your voice, clouds your worth, and convinces you that healing isn’t possible? This episode reminded me just how far God will go to break through even the deepest chains. Today I’m sitting down with Leah Monson , the powerful lead singer of Presence Music . Leah’s story is raw and layered with heartbre...

Can we just be honest for a minute? Leadership isn’t always what it looks like from the outside. People see the title—salon owner, entrepreneur, leader—and assume it’s freedom and flexibility. But what they don’t always see is the weight. The invisible pressure. The lonely moments no one posts about on Instagram. I know this because I’ve lived it. Before I ever opened Hustle & Heart Salon, bef...

Have you ever wondered if what you do really matters? If you’ve ever felt like you’re carrying weight quietly, showing up with consistency, and setting the tone for a space you don’t “run,” then friend, this one’s for you. Because leadership isn’t just for CEOs, owners, or people with corner offices and fancy titles. It’s not just about calling the shots—it’s about the energy you bring, the way yo...

I used to think 40 was the top of the hill—like life had peaked and the rest was just a slow coast down. But standing here now, at the edge of this new decade, I’ve never felt more grounded, more whole, or more at peace with who I am. This birthday felt different. Not just because it’s “the big 4-0,” but because I entered it with a clarity I didn’t expect. For so long, I looked at 40 as a mileston...

What if your business culture isn’t slipping because people don’t care—but because you never actually taught it? When I first opened Hustle & Heart, I had passion, purpose, and even a set of values written down in our handbook. But as we grew, something felt off. People were making decisions that didn’t align. The energy didn’t always feel like “us.” And that’s when I realized—I had never actu...

What if your next chapter looked nothing like your last… and still felt exactly right? After over a decade as a stay-at-home mom, Katie Nelson didn’t set out to start a business—she just wanted something of her own again. What began as a few mobile spray tans quickly turned into a thriving studio and a whole new season of purpose.  In this honest, encouraging conversation, Jessica and Katie talk a...

What if the thing that almost broke you was actually what built you? In this episode, I’m sharing the untold story of how I nearly walked away from the beauty industry—before my career even began. Long before Hustle & Heart Salon ever existed, I was a young stylist filled with ambition, walking into what I thought was a dream opportunity. But behind the charm of my first salon job was a painfu...