The Big Top

If ever we needed to tackle a tough topic, this is it. We can do this, friends. We have to do this. Let’s talk. And we have THE best woman to talk to. Mika Karikari graciously discusses racial healing and reconciliation on this episode of The Big Top. She has fight, she has brains, she has grace. Also. She has thoughts. Particularly on either kangaroos or koalas. It’s all about the pockets. DO not miss this one! But truly, we share fails and wins, she shares heartbreaking realities, and we all pitch in and discuss steps forward for every one of us. Prepare your heart and tune in. Mika is a 30 something who loves Jesus, her husband, baking, hugs, writing, coffee and her beloved hometown of Cincinnati. Professionally, she works in higher education and enjoys being part of student's collegiate journey. She is also a current doctoral candidate whose research is focused on Black women and leadership. When not working you can find Mika baking, reading for fun, or watching sports with her hubby. Mika’s references and resources: The Danger of a Single Story TED Talk by Chimamanda Adichie Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack by Peggy McIntosh- This oldie but goodie is a written work that every white person should read.  Racial Microagressions in Everyday Life by Dr. Sue- Although this article is in the context of clinical practice, it does an excellent job of addressing microaggressions in an accessible way.  The Hate you Give by Angie Thomas- Great fiction book that addresses relevant race issues in America. It also was made into a movie. All American Boys by Jason Reynolds & Brendan Kiely- Great fiction book that addresses police brutality from the perspective of both a white boy and a Black boy. Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult- Her website includes questions that are great prompts to having an honest conversation about race

Happy New Year! You did it. 2018 is gone and we are facing a brand spanking new year. This quick bonus episode has some shenanigans, reflections, rainbow trout discussions, and resolutions. How do we reconcile the past resolutions we’ve broken? What does it even mean to resolve? Listen to Amy and Lori’s plans and resolutions for themselves and their family this new year!

Bananas for fingers or bananas for toes? You be the judge. AND just as importantly, let’s tackle another tough topic. What emotional risk factors do you have in light of your history, family of origin, your personality? How does this affect your daily life? And where does God come into all of that? And what do you actually do about it all? All this and more in our conversation with the lovely and lively Lorianna Joos, who gives us extremely practical advice in this area. You are going to adore her! She is a licensed counselor who has been practicing for 11 years and has experience working with relationship issues, self-esteem, anxiety, depression, anger, domestic violence, obsessions, grief and loss, trauma, sexually maladaptive behaviors, substance use, family counseling, couples counseling, premarital counseling, teenagers, and children. She has taught various workshops on emotional healing, boundaries, healthy relationships, and surviving trauma. She currently serves as a licensed counselor with A Renewed Mind in Perrysburg

Do you ever feel like an imposter? Like someone is going to figure out that you aren’t really who you are? That you can’t really do what you have set out to do? It’s a real thing, a real fear. The Imposter Syndrome is just ONE of the places we go on this amazing episode. We are tackling tough topics, y’all and we got one of THE best on the show today. You may have heard her on Jen Hatmaker’s For The Love podcast recently as her latest book was released, “Raise Your Voice: Why We Stay Silent and How to Speak Up.” She KILLS it on exploring finding your voice, failing as you go, and raising it up in confidence. You are NOT going to want to miss this.

What does an extra toe, the butter to potato ratio in mashed potatoes, and throwing shoes have in common? THIS episode! We are talking Thanksgiving AND tackling tough topics. Today: Anger, among other shenanigans. If there’s one topic we could talk for days about, it’s anger. But let’s be clear. We aren’t here to rant. We are here to recognize anger and reel it in. So what do we get angry about? What does it look like? And how do we manage this every day common emotion? Let’s talk anger. And resources. And tips and tricks. One of Amy’s favorite books on this topic (along with counseling!) is Controlling Your Anger Before It Controls You by Gregory Jantz. We are certain everyone can relate to this episode, no matter your stage of life or your season. Enjoy!

We’ve got a brand spanking new series for you and you don’t want to miss it. Just drop whatever you’re doing and go listen. It’s fine. Your boss will understand. Our series is Tackling Tough Topics and first up: Anxiety. There’s not one soul who doesn’t have it and everyone needs to manage it somehow. And today’s episode? Let’s just say we have an Egyptian goddess on our hands. You’ll learn more about Rania Haynes but what you need to know is that she is a therapist with over 20 years of experience and she loves tackling tough topics. And anxiety is one of her favorites. She believes we can live whole, integrated lives and who doesn’t want to hear about that?! You’ll love her. She’s down to earth and full of grace and truth. Get ready for some fantastic counseling.

We are wrapping this baby up with our own banter about this crazy country we call Motherhood. And what better way to do it than to answer YOUR questions! Thank you to all those who sent us questions and messages. We definitely cover our personal thoughts on mayo, so be confident we cover your important topics. We talk about what a game changer having a positive narrative is in your home and about two necessary key words for moms: accept and celebrate. So grab that load of laundry, press play, and get ready for loads of…wisdom? humor? You be the judge.

Can you imagine being an entrepreneur, author (The Magic of Motherhood), podcast host, and mother and choosing to take an entire month off of work? It sounds like a dream! This is exactly what Ashlee Gadd, owner of Coffee and Crumbs did this past August and we wanted to hear all about it! On top of that, she shares her fantastic view on her body after having two kids, the spiritual awakening of motherhood, and her favorite episode on her fantastic and famous podcast. Not to mention her take on the enneagram and pregnancy overalls! Ashlee mentions The Road Back to You as her favorite resource for all things enneagram, check it out.

We are talking about all things motherhood, but we would be remiss to not talk about the very difficult road some of us walk through to get there: infertility. On today’s show, Megan Smalley brings a feisty and faith-filled view of her well-known journey. Megan is the host of the Give Grace podcast and several amazing resources for walking through hard things. We laugh and learn together with this beautiful and tenacious soul! Megan Smalley is a pastor's kid. A coach's wife. A new mom to twins. A conquerer of infertility. A follower of Jesus. And a warrior for those that are struggling. Growing up in Texas, she is a big believer in the saying that you can take her out of Texas but you can't take the Texas out of her. She lives in Auburn, Alabama with her cute coach of a hubby now, but Texas will forever be home. She is a big city girl that has found the beauty in a slower paced, small college town life. After battling infertility for four years including two rounds of IVF, she is incredibly passionate about helping those that are walking through hard things. Let's be honest... life is hard. Her prayer is that her work will be a small little place in the world wide web full of resources that can help you navigate some of the struggles she has faced in life. As hard as the struggles have been, she never wants to suffer in vain. If just one person can be encouraged by what they have walked through, all of the pain is worth it. To God be the glory for the great things He has done. You can find Megan Smalley here! And she is on the socials here.

Yes we did. We invited a man to talk about motherhood and we went places we never thought we’d go! It was an absolute blast! You do NOT want to miss this one. Craig Flack is the teaching pastor at Celina First and a return guest–because so many of you enjoyed him the first time! He’s hilarious, a straight shooter, and has provocative thoughts for our culture.  Just fair warning, when we ask Craig our last question, if you have little ears around we want you to know we dive into sexual intimacy and very real talk. It’s the last ten minutes or so. We love being real, but we also want to be sensitive. We want you to be able to decide what conversations you want to start with your children and not have them started for you. On the show Craig talks about healthy sacrificial love toward our children and the kind of sacrifice that is very unhealthy in our culture. He demystifies date night and he also shares a few ways that he adores how his own wife lives out her motherhood! It’s the beeeest. Enjoy!

Who doesn't want to hear from a mom who kick boxes, loves baking, and is finishing her masters degree at Dallas Theological Seminary talk about motherhood? Allie Patterson has fantastic thoughts as one of the teaching pastors at Crossroads Church in Cincinatti, OH. She is practical, brilliant, and with four kids–she definitely has a thing or two to say about motherhood!

What do Justin Timberlake, lemurs, and motherhood have in common? Well you're about to find out! We adore Courtney Defeo and her wit, charm, and beautiful wisdom. Courtney is a mom of two girls, an author, a speaker, a visionary, a podcaster, and a woman who has enlightening thoughts on motherhood. She is so very practical which we all need! She gives us some golden truths on who YOU are as a mother, what season you are in, and what God is doing around you. More on Courtney on the show notes at www.amyseiffert.com under podcast. 

Who wouldn't want just a quick bonus episode where Lori and Amy talk about being moms, about how Amy wrote her book (Chin Up) on motherhood because it felt like a lopsided dress on her when it looked so beautiful on everyone else, and on some bonus encouragement for the weekend? No one, that's who. But most of all, can we talk about how amazing the line-up is for the next several episodes? Yes, let's! Courtney Defeo (author, podcaster of "Leading Girls") Ashlee Gadd (podcast: Coffee and Crumbs and author of The Magic of Motherhood) Alli Patterson (podcast: IKR? and pastor at Crossroads Church) and Meg Smalley (podcast: Give Grace, owner of Scarlet and Gold Shop)  We are beside ourselves to have these killer thought leaders and cannot wait for all the laughing and learning to come! Enjoy this Friday Bonus Episode!

This is the one where Lori and Amy suggest Cheeto's and icecream solve all your leadership problems! And on top of that stellar wisdom, they have an honest conversation and share their leadership struggles, joys, and lessons learned. If they had advice for both women and men in leadership, what would they say? Take a listen and enjoy the show!  Amy is currently the Director of Outward Movement at Brookside Church and has been in a variety of leadership positions in ministry over the last 20 years. In the last 11 years she is continually learning how to be faithful in both motherhood and ministry. Lori is currently the Connections Catalyst at CityCampusChurch and has also been in a variety of leadership positions in ministry over the 12 years and is trusting God at every new season. And they will both tell you the same thing: they NEVER thought they'd be working for a church.  

"Be careful where you’re saying God can’t and God won’t...because it’s never gone well where the church has done that…." - Ben Thompson. On this episode Ben, the Pastor of City Campus Church in Columbus, Ohio, gives us a four-chair analogy for thinking about women in leadership. He shares his honest journey on how he saw women in leadership ten years ago and where he is now. We are positive you'll enjoy his chill but brilliant nature in this episode. But let's not overlook his lightening speed skills in our opening conversation. We may need to have a best of the best when it comes to our circus games.