sW4H 9 | Sabrina Donley A Strong Business Strategy Starts with Prayer

Guests: Hosts Catherine Gates, Nadya Dickson, & Martha Brangenberg

Ministry/Business: Women in the Marketplace; Masters Program for Women; sheWorks4Him

When we spend time in community, we inevitably learn from one another! Today, the co-hosts of sheWorks4Him do exactly that.  Sit with us for a spell and hear how God is stirring in our lives, which scriptures are specifically drawing us in, and some highlights from the first season of sheWorks4Him!

Catherine Gates reminded us that we are not alone, to believe what God says about us, and to invest in community (Hebrews 1-:24-25). Her focus scripture is Isaiah 26:3. Nadya talked about her word for 2022: empower. After all, empowered women empower women! Her focus scripture is Psalm 138:7-8. Finally, Martha shared how she continues to learn how to trust and obey God. Recent guest Heather Heuman said, “When God says to let something go, but your pride says to keep going, there really is only one right choice. #GodsWay.”

In that spirit, we are obeying God’s call for a season of rest and restoration! For now, that means we are taking a season break from the podcast. Please join with us as we seek when the Lord wants sheWorks4Him to return, and in the meantime, enjoy some past episodes and stay connected to be the first to know about the new season by subscribing HERE.

Show highlights from Season 1: 

Catherine: Interview with Kelley Johnson 

Nadya: Interview with Jene’ Dunn

Martha: Interview with Angela Mitchell

Resources from today’s show:

Don’t forget that the Boldly Conference is coming up this October (10/21/22). Find out more at BoldlyConference.com! Also, check out Women in the Marketplace and The Masters Program for Women for additional inspiration and community from Christian working women, just like you!

Encouraged or motivated by today’s show? Connect with us more at sheWorks4Him.com or tag @sheWorks4Him on Facebook or Instagram with your story! You can also leave a comment or submit a question to 866-713-9675 that’s 866-713-WORK. Quarterly we will answer questions from YOU, so fill up the listener line with your thoughts and questions!

Guests: Sheeba Philip

Ministry/Business: Akola

Many of us have a vision for what we want our career to look like. But God has a way of changing our hearts and messing with our plans to achieve His purpose for each of us. Sheeba started her career as a chemical engineer working on construction sites for Merck. God moved in her heart on more than one occasion, leaving her in what felt like the wilderness. Today, Sheeba Philip is CEO of Akola, a globally inspired jewelry brand built to champion women around the world and empower them to get out of poverty and provide for themselves and their families. 

Sheeba wrestled with integrating her faith and work early in her career. She attended Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City and was asked to lead the Faith and Work initiative. As she wrestled through what it looks like to live a more integrated life with other believers, she realized the importance of leading with love at work through patience, kindness, and gentleness. But God had given Sheeba a heart to do work with a purpose from the start. After getting a business degree, she left Merck to work in brand management for Kraft, International Justice Mission, and JC Penney. When JC Penney went through another restructuring, Sheeba found herself in a real wilderness experience, trying to figure out what’s next. After two years, God led Sheeba to Akola, and suddenly all of her varied experiences connected and made sense. Akola means “she works.” God didn’t waste any of her experiences but brought her through them “for such a time as this” to make a difference for women in Africa.

Our careers can be a great adventure with God, and Sheeba’s career is a great example. Sheeba has learned, and we can learn from her story, that God is faithful and He can be trusted. We can take bold steps of faith as we sense God’s guidance.

Resources from today’s show:

Hear from Sheeba at the Boldly Conference, a faith + work conference by women for women happening on Friday, October 21st, 2022, live in Dallas or by livestream anywhere!  

Be sure to pick up some beautiful jewelry with a mission from Akola.co!

Encouraged or motivated by today’s show? Connect with us more at sheWorks4Him.com or tag @sheWorks4Him on Facebook or Instagram with your story! You can also leave a comment or submit a question to 866-713-9675 that’s 866-713-WORK. Quarterly we will answer questions from YOU, so fill up the listener line with your thoughts and questions!

Guests: Erica Stidham

Ministry/Business: www.MaryandMartha.com / www.Ericastidham.com

Erica Stidham was raised in a Christian home and taught the value of being a stay-at-home mom. She had joined Mary & Martha for a discount, but when there was a financial shift in her husband’s work, she asked God if Mary & Martha could be the answer. He turned this opportunity into a ministry for her family and for others. Later, Erica no longer had to work but she had work as a blessing, and her family embraced the opportunity to be generous for the Kingdom. Often, we work to meet our own expenses, but God has called her to work to help others. 

Looking back on where it all started, Erica quotes 1 Corinthians 2:9: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him.” The opportunity with Mary & Martha has been a huge part of her testimony and an incredible demonstration of faith and blessing for her children to embrace. Erica’s life and obedience to God encourage us to trust His plan and follow His leading.

Encouraged or motivated by today’s show? Connect with us more at www.sheWorks4Him.com or tag @sheWorks4Him on Facebook or Instagram with your story! You can also leave a comment or submit a question to 866-713-9675 that’s 866-713-WORK. Quarterly we will answer questions from YOU, so fill up the listener line with your thoughts and questions!

Resources from today’s show:

Erica has offered a $50 gift certificate to shop her Mary & Martha website.  Call the listener line to win:  866-713-9675(WORK)

Guests: Shalynne Jackson

Ministry/Business: City of Oklahoma City

Over the last several years, we have seen a significant increase in senior executive positions to oversee diversity, equity, and inclusion, or DEI. These positions are not only focused on strategies to create diverse workplaces but also workplace cultures that value all employees regardless of ethnicity, skin color, gender, or diversabilities. Today’s guest, Shalynne Jackson, is the Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer for the City of Oklahoma City. Her passion is to help organizations understand how to create equitable cultures in which everyone can thrive and do their jobs to the best of their abilities.  

One of the main catalysts for Shalynne to get into this work was a condition called alopecia. As she learned to find strength in her identity, embrace her baldness, and release the need to cover it up, Shalynne came to a deeper understanding of the impact of DEI work. To Shalynne, the most significant responsibility God has given us is to love others. Her role model and example is Jesus – he was the first true DEI leader! 

We can support more inclusive cultures by educating ourselves and advocating for equity and inclusion by speaking up. We can invest in getting to know people and listening to their stories. If we all come together, there could be a day when DEI initiatives are no longer needed because it is integrated into our culture.

Encouraged or motivated by today’s show? Connect with us more at sheWorks4Him.com or tag @sheWorks4Him on Facebook or Instagram with your story! You can also leave a comment or submit a question to 866-713-9675 that’s 866-713-WORK. Quarterly we will answer questions from YOU, so fill up the listener line with your thoughts and questions!

Guests: Kim Levings

Ministry/Business: Rethink You Coaching and Consulting

Do you feel stuck? Have you settled for mediocrity? Are you unsure of what your next chapter looks like? Do you have big dreams but feel unsure of how to fulfill them? We go to Colorado Springs to talk with Coach and Consultant Kim Levings in today’s show. Kim went from a suicide attempt to a thriving, successful life living her passion! She believes that with the right mixture of thinking, belief, and action, anyone can set themselves free and live the life they were created to. 

Throughout her career, Kim has realized that she doesn’t have to stay in a Christian bubble or proselytize and evangelize from a platform in order to make a Kingdom impact. Instead, she uses scriptural principles for training and developing leaders and has found that people are attracted and curious to understand the light and hope she emanates. Kim is the author of Practically Imperfect in Every Way. This great resource guides women through a journey of discovery by exposing how the enemy tempts us to find our identity in our career or through the veneer of perfection. The book emphasizes shedding toxic thinking, the Armor of God in Ephesians 6, and aligning our plans, purposes, and identity with God’s. 

Resources from today’s show:

Want to re-discover your true identity and purpose with clarity, confidence, and conviction? Get 50% off Kim's Life Reset Program, a 40-day program for working women (Normally $997 – Pay only $499!). Go to http://www.liferesetin40days.com/ and use code: WORKS4HIM

You can also pick up Kim’s books, Practically Imperfect in Every Way – Living a God-Armored Life and What Employees Want: The 5 T’s of Effective People Management on Amazon.

Encouraged or motivated by today’s show? Connect with us more at sheWorks4Him.com or tag @sheWorks4Him on Facebook or Instagram with your story! You can also leave a comment or submit a question to 866-713-9675 that’s 866-713-WORK. Quarterly we will answer questions from YOU, so fill up the listener line with your thoughts and questions!

Guests: D. Michelle Thompson

Ministry/Business: You Belong Podcast; Courageous Love at Work

How do you create a workplace culture that is truly diverse, inclusive, and equitable? Business leaders wrestle with this question every day. Today’s guest, D. Michelle Thompson, has worked for top advertising agencies and consumer packaged goods companies, negotiating budgets of hundreds of millions and even billions of dollars. Her work facilitating sales and marketing training for Middle Eastern Executives in Dubai made her realize everyone has their own “belong” story. This led to the launch of the You Belong Podcast and Courageous Love at Work, a place where conversations on racial equity in the work world can happen.

This journey started when D. Michelle realized she was often the only woman or person of color (or both) in a meeting. The You Belong Podcast came from hearing the constant whisper from the Lord saying, “You belong.” On that podcast, D. Michelle interviews people who share their stories of shifting from thinking they belong to their company and the world to realizing they belong to God and His Kingdom. Courageous Love at Work got its start by pairing a white man and an African American man together for eight weeks, during which the white man focused on listening. It has evolved into monthly conversations where people can be challenged to go deeper in their empathy for others. Participants explore what it looks like to truly walk in each other’s shoes and share power equitably. The goal is the unity Jesus talked about in John 17:21, that we may all be one, just as Jesus and the Father are one.  D. Michelle sees her position as divinely orchestrated, allowing her to create safe places to have conversations around racial reconciliation and identity. 

Resources from today’s show:

Be sure to tune in to the You Belong Podcast and check out Courageous Love at Work hear more incredible wisdom from D. Michelle! Then, we encourage you to check out Courageous Love at Work. Watching today’s show on YouTube? Pop over to D. Michelle’s YouTube channel! Finally, D. Michelle is one of the speakers for this year’s Boldly Conference, a faith + work conference by women for women happening on Friday, October 21st, 2022, live in Dallas or by livestream anywhere! Get your tickets today!

We also encourage you to check out these other great workplace resources: At Work On Purpose and the Nehemiah Project.

Encouraged or motivated by today’s show? Connect with us more at sheWorks4Him.com or tag @sheWorks4Him on Facebook or Instagram with your story! You can also leave a comment or submit a question to 866-713-9675 that’s 866-713-WORK. Quarterly we will answer questions from YOU, so fill up the listener line with your thoughts and questions!

Guests: Tracy Mathews

Ministry/Business: Attune

We are all bound to face uncertainty in our work. The truth is, we don’t know what tomorrow holds, but we do know the one who holds tomorrow. In Matthew 6:33, Jesus admonishes us to “seek first God’s kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Jesus was not just referring to food and clothing but also the resources we need for our work. God wants us to turn to Him and inquire about our work. Tracy Mathews and her organization Attune are all about helping teams do just that. 

Tracy worked for a biotech start-up as a consultant and an engineer. She is the spark behind Attune; a ministry birthed out of the desire to help people live out their faith at work by intentionally seeking and listening for God’s guidance on practical everyday work challenges and goals. The process involves three main steps: Listen, Discern, and Go. Organizations and leaders turn to Attune to address various work circumstances, such as launching into new territory, working through tough challenges, or embarking on a significant project. Attunement sessions facilitate hearing from the Holy Spirit and provide the added benefit of leadership development to create a stronger, healthier culture. Attune seeks to help individuals and teams cultivate their ability to tune into God’s guidance through practice.

Resources from today’s show:

Tracy is offering our listeners access to Wisdom from Above, a 5-day devotional on spiritual attunement, developed in partnership with Fuller's DePree Center for Leadership, the Theology of Work Project and Attune.

Summer is here and what better way to kick it off than with other incredible women leaders! Check out the Boss Women Getaway Conference from June 23-26, 2022 in Orlando, FL or online!

Encouraged or motivated by today’s show? Connect with us more at sheWorks4Him.com or tag @sheWorks4Him on Facebook or Instagram with your story! You can also leave a comment or submit a question to 866-713-9675 that’s 866-713-WORK. Quarterly we will answer questions from YOU, so fill up the listener line with your thoughts and questions!

Guests: Angela Mitchell

Ministry/Business: Chik-Fil-A; Nothing Wasted Ministries

Do you ever wonder how everything is going to fall into place in your personal and professional life after a tragedy? In part two of two, we hear how God can take a myriad of experiences from the workplace, our education, victories and even tragedy, and turn it around for His Glory.

Angela Mitchell and her husband Rolan own and operate several Chick-Fil-A franchise locations in the Charlotte area. Together they journeyed the tragic death of their 17-year-old son, Coleman, in 2013.  A year later, a surprise request came through a friend who asked if Angela would consider offering her home as a movie set.

In 2014, the Mitchell home became the movie set for the Kendrick brothers movie The War Room, which led to an incredible journey of healing no one expected. Angela and Roland recently enrolled in ministry school and are excited to continue using their marketplace position for the Kingdom of God!

Resources from today’s show:

Looking for some inspiration? Look no further than the Boss Women Getaway Conference from June 23-26, 2022.

Encouraged or motivated by today’s show? Connect with us more at sheWorks4Him.com or tag @sheWorks4Him on Facebook or Instagram with your story! You can also leave a comment or submit a question to 866-713-9675 that’s 866-713-WORK. Quarterly we will answer questions from YOU, so fill up the listener line with your thoughts and questions!

Guests: Angela Mitchell

Ministry/Business: Chik-Fil-A

Have you ever wondered how everything will end up in your personal and work life after a tragedy? In part 1 of this two-part show, we hear about how God can take a myriad of experiences from the workplace, our education, victories, and even tragedy and turn them around for His Glory. 

Angela Mitchell and her husband Roland own and operate several Chik-Fil-A franchise locations in Charlotte. When a tragic series of events resulted in the death of their 17-year-old son, Coleman, in 2013, Angela began a journey from grief to healing. Before his passing, Coleman had introduced them to the Watoto Children’s Choir. Angela soon discovered that this ministry opportunity was meant for her and her family to embrace, and their deep involvement has led to great healing and hope! Today, Angela is serving the enemy notice that his plan to destroy through pain has only given her purpose! She shares that the best way to get revenge on hell is through our endurance and that with the Lord, nothing is wasted.

Plus, we hear about how an unexpected request to use the Mitchell home as a movie set for War Room led to an incredible journey of healing and hope. Angela and Roland recently enrolled in ministry school. They daily integrate their faith with their work and are even more excited about the eternal impact of their marketplace position.

Resources from today’s show:

Looking for some inspiration? Look no further than the Boss Women Getaway Conference from June 23-26, 2022.

Encouraged or motivated by today’s show? Connect with us more at sheWorks4Him.com or tag @sheWorks4Him on Facebook or Instagram with your story! You can also leave a comment or submit a question to 866-713-9675 that’s 866-713-WORK. Quarterly we will answer questions from YOU, so fill up the listener line with your thoughts and questions!

Guests: Dr. Joyce Avedisian-Riedinger; Cissy Watson

Ministry/Business: Avedisian Mgmt. Consultants; Mansermar Development

Leaders learning from those they lead - what a humble and vulnerable approach! Today we talk with Joyce Avedisian-Reidinger and Cissy Watson. Joyce runs an executive round table, Faith in Action, which is designed to help women apply Matthew 6:33 to their lives - seeking first the Kingdom of God. But when affordable housing developer Cissy Watson began attending and sharing the importance of aligning your values with the people you hire, Joyce listened. Tune in to hear these incredible women talk about taking authority and speaking God’s word into their work through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Cissy and Joyce are both examples of the impact we can have when we hide the word of God in our hearts and allow it to be used in our every day.

Resources from today’s show:

Joyce created a worksheet to help each of us explore the concept of Ruler and Taking Territory for the Kingdom. Plus, she would also like to offer our listeners the chance to set up a 10–15-minute guidance session to go deeper or discuss her round table. Email Martha@iWork4Him.com for a copy of the worksheet and to set up your FREE strategy session!

You can also pick up a copy of Joyce’s book, Reflecting God’s Character in Your Business.

Our (Guest’s) Current Reads:

Accessing the Riches of Heaven by Patricia King and Shawn Bolz.

Encourage or motivated by today’s show? Connect with us more at sheWorks4Him.com or tag @sheWorks4Him on Facebook or Instagram with your story! You can also leave a comment or submit a question to 866-713-9675 that’s 866-713-WORK. Quarterly we will answer questions from YOU, so fill up the listener line with your thoughts and questions!