The Pivot

Missy Wallace founded and leads the Nashville Institute for Faith and Work (NIFW). She became inspired to study faith and work in 2013 after working in Corporate America and then the nonprofit sector for over 10 years each and realizing that work can be a part of God’s unfolding story if we allow him to guide it rather than our false idols. This one makes you wish you could underline a passage of...

Eric Brown was pretty lost before he found photography, while on the road pushing cases for a couple bands. Now his images grace the cover of magazines, album covers, and this particular podcast. But Eric's story, and that of his family, forever changed six years ago when they learned their unborn daughter, Pearl, had some serious health issues and would likely not survive. What followed was a ser...

JJ Heller is a singer/songwriter, mom, and former high school basketball star who is now building a new phase of her career as a full-time lullaby-ist. Ok, that's not a real thing and a bit of an overstatement, but it's a fascinating story how she got to where she is today. Listen as JJ shares with us her struggles with anxiety and panic, how she has learned to manage them, and how they have been...

Larry Kloess, founder of Cause A Scene, one of 2015's "50 Coolest Companies" according to Business Insider, built an amazing network of secret concerts for indie artists throughout Nashville's underground. It was all going so well, at least on the surface... and then one day Larry woke up in the hospital, overwhelmed with stress and exhaustion. Two years later, he's one of Nashville's fa...

Scott Sauls is an author, a thinker, and the pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church here in Nashville. We had a great chat about being clearly cut out for pro sports, working with Tim Keller in New York City, and different types of diversity. We also got to talk about what career and calling looks like when it's not tied to income. As always, Scott is both challenging and encouraging at the same tim...

Chris Sligh, artist, worship leader, deep thinker and former American Idol guy, has quite the story to tell. I did not expect where this conversation started nor where it ended up and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  Chris has undergone maybe the most important and inspiring pivot of all: kindness over "right-ness". And he lets us in on his honest self-assessment and conscious steps towards hea...

LISTEN TO THIS ONE. Dr. Jaco Hamman is a South African apartheid draft dodger turned American academic. Aside from running a PhD program for pastoral care and psychotherapy at Vanderbilt, he's written books about how we deal with technology, how we handle change and loss, how the Millennial experience lines up with the book of Joel, and a bunch of others. I learned so much from this conversation a...

Katy Hutson is cancer-free!! This was not something we were very sure would happen for quite a while this past year. Katy is one of my oldest friends in Nashville. She's a gifted songwriter and wordsmith, as well as a wonderful friend, wife and mother. Katy and I sat down this past weekend to talk about music, writing, making plans and what happens when those plans get derailed with a very aggress...

Ryan Stevenson was driving an ambulance when his hit song first came on the radio. Everything was about to take off... but then it crashed. Hard. Years later, he was driving an ambulance AGAIN when his hit song was on the radio. Ryan has got quite a story and I was honored that he came by to share it with me. You'll love this conversation and you should check out his music, too. http://www.ryanste...

Jenny Dyer pivoted early on in her career when she learned about the AIDS crisis in Africa in the early 90's. Though she is neither, her story involves working closely with politicians and rock stars, yet that is really the least interesting part of this conversation. Bono is cool, yes, but what is really truly amazing is HOW MUCH GOOD has come of the work that she and so many others have devoted...

Jason played in the NFL for 11 years, 4 for the Indianapolis Colts and 7 for the Tennessee Titans. Not bad for a Texas kid who hoped to make his college team. Now he teaches economics at a local high school. Talk about a Pivot! This is a fantastic story and Jason has a lot of wisdom and insight that reaches beyond the bounds of sports. It was great to talk to someone whose experience and interests...

Leigh Nash, lead singer for Sixpence None the Richer, comes by to chat about life before and after a worldwide hit, records we made that we don't like now, and being a conduit for other's words, as well as dealing with worry, and that rascal Dwayne who helps out with the police horses by my house. This was such a fun conversation and it was a treat to get to know more about the Leigh in her own wo...

Joseph is running for the Tennessee State House of Representatives, which was not the plan. A former teacher who, with his wife Palmer, became lawyers employed at the same firm. Then came a day when they knew they had to move on and they left the law firm with no plans and a newborn... and it was a good thing.  I've never met a politician before and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to have this real c...

Rapper/speaker/activist Sho Baraka joins Andrew for the first episode of Season Three. Hear about Sho's winding career path, from hip hop to insurance to musical theatre to Faith & Work conversations in Atlanta. This was a fun and fascinating conversaion, particularly when Sho shares about the years where speaking his mind became a liability. The Pivot is glad to be back! https://humblebeast.c...

Rob Wheeler is a FASCINATING and thoroughly genius individual. He's running a branch of Covenant seminary, started Friends of L’Abri Nashville, tells some pretty great jokes and is a deeply wise and thoughtful friend. In the intervening months between recording our interview and posting it Rob had another Pivot, so this is a brand-new interview with a little "interviewlet" from the first...

Carl Meier left his VP position at a national bank to start his own brewery, Nashville's Black Abbey Brewery. This was a fun conversation with a super smart dude. We learn about Carl's transition from finance, to diaper champ, to running the most successful new brewery in Music City. We also learn A LOT about Martin Luther, beer-making nuns, and why making Belgian beer was at the heart of the refo...

One of Nashville's finest songwriters Sandra McCracken joins Andrew to chat about her start in the music business, old record players, and shouting for the church to "Sing it!". While her roots are still firmly planted in alt-country folk music, she has built a large catalog of songs for the Church, and invests much of her time in hymns, sacred songs, children's music, and her position a...

Singer/Songwriter, friend and neighbor of Andrew's, Christopher Williams joins us on The Pivot today, to talk about how you can make a personal change of motive and direction while never changing your specific career. Christopher is a loyal and dear friend and this was a sweet conversation full of wisdom.  Stay tuned after the episode for a song from Christopher! www. Christopherw.com www. AndrewO...

That's right, Andrew interviewed his brother. Robbie Osenga may hold the podcast record for number of actual pivots in his career. While currently the CPO of web design company Cybernautics, Robbie is also the founder of the LeRoy Preparatory School, has been featured on TedX, and speaks regularly around Central Illinois about education, calling and communication. This was a fun conversation in th...

Steve Mason is probably the only Platinum-selling, Grammy-winning artist to ever cut my hair, but that's what he's doing a lot of these days. Hear what it was like to go from Jars of Clay to his barbershop, The Handsomzier.  TheHandsomizer.com EverybodyPivots.com AndrewOsenga.com

Author/Professor/Southern Gentleman Jonathan Rogers joins Andrew for a rousing conversation about Milton, ghost writing, higher education and the nature of calling itself. Jonathan is a brilliant and honest man and his transparency allows for a lot of wisdom. You'll love this interview. For more about Jonathan: Jonathan's website: www.jonathan-rogers.com Subscribe to The Habit: http://jonathan-rog...

Author Russ Ramsey joins Andrew in front of his Netflix fireplace to talk about his work as a pastor, a writer, and the chief content officer for HeReadsTruth.com. They also talk about Renaissance Art, Mark Knopfler, Jerry Seinfeld and Russ's heart surgery and subsequent book, "Struck". Stay tuned after The Pivot for another mini-podcast featuring a new song called "Mercy", ins...

Author, Speaker, Songwriter, Priest Ian Cron sits down with Andrew for a chat about the various points in Ian's career. They also discuss how the enneagram, and knowing more fully who you are, is a valuable asset in handling change in your life. For more with Ian visit IanCron.com Also, stay tuned after The Pivot for another bonus mini-podcast with a story and song from Andrew's new album "Th...

Todd Dickson, CEO and founder of Valor Collegiate schools in Nashville tells Andrew about his journey from electrical engineering to real estate to India to founding some of the most cutting-edge, and successful, schools in the country. A fascinating story with a really interesting look at how you actually build a diverse, respectful and engaged system of education. For more about Todd and Valor s...

Today's guest is Al Andrews, founder and executive director of Porter's Call, a ministry providing free counseling services to recording artists. He and Andrew talk about Al's eleven jobs, what leads someone to go into counseling, and why Al never uses the word "calling" anymore. It's fascinating and Andrew laughs a lot. For more about Al and Porters Call visit porterscall.com Stay tuned...