Calling all book nerds! Are you looking for a place where your book-loving heart can flourish? Join us at jenhatmakerbookclub.com, and become one of our sisters in nerdiness. For October 2021, Jen and the club read Lucy Foley’s The Guest List. Lucy Foley is a former fiction editor who used her passion for literature to become a master of who-dunnit mystery books. Her first book, The Book of Lost and Found, cemented her place as a modern mystery writer and since then there has been no turning back. The Invitation and The Hunting Party brewed up enough chatter for us to read The Guest List as this month’s book club choice. The classic elements and mysterious island create the perfect setting for readers to crack the case, but let’s be honest, most of us didn’t see the ending coming. So join us as Jen and Lucy chat about what it’s like to create complex characters, how world events morph into plot points, and why the classic mystery will always hold a special place in reader’s hearts.    * * *   Thank you to our sponsors!   Dream Powder | Get 40% off your first 3-month subscription plus a free mug and frother, or 20% off a 1-time purchase at beamorganics.com/forthelove.    Jen Hatmaker Book Club | Join the sisterhood in nerdiness today at jenhatmakerbookclub.com!  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The For the Love of You series, is offering us so much when it comes to embracing self-care routines and finding new ways to love and appreciate all our bodies do for us on a daily basis. And guess what wonderful element of self-care we are tackling this week? FOOD. Not only does it nourish us and keep us functioning, but it can create community, connection, and love in our world. Our relationship with food is key in enabling us to find joy in caring for our bodies, and in turn allow us to love those around us better. We couldn’t have a better guide to walk us through all the ways food impacts our self-care and care of others than Queer Eye’s Antoni Porowski! Antoni is the food expert of this generation’s Queer Eye and has just authored a new book Antoni: Let’s Do Dinner as he teaches people around the country how to love food and use it as a tool to improve their lives, not just as a way to stay alive. Jen and Antoni also take a look back at his journey into the Fab Five, while discussing his personal relationship and understanding of food, and how food can be used as a point of better living, bonding and caring for others. * * * Thank you to our sponsors!   Best Fiends | Download Best Fiends for free today in the App Store or on Google Play.    Stamps.com | Never go to the post office again. Head to stamps.com with code FORTHELOVE to start your trial today.  Jesus Listens | Reconnect with prayer and get your copy of Jesus Listens today. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way to the 2021 gift guide! This is the EARLIEST we have ever had the gift guide ready for you and that’s a good thing because... shipping in 2021. Am I right? We’re helping you get all your favorite people the most amazing gifts this holiday season.    A personal note from Jen: This is the 5th year I've curated my favorite things as a wonderful shopping list for you! (Psst... We’ve taken notes so you don’t have to! Head over to jenhatmaker.com for a one-stop-shop of all the companies, products, and offers mentioned on the show.) There are two non-negotiables that I have when creating this guide. First, I really love these products. Second, I feature brands I love that also give back, so we can do the most good with the dollars we're already going to spend (and PS: so many of these companies are women-owned!). My super-cool daughter, Sydney, joined me as co-host this year. Cozy up with some tea (or wine) to watch us gush over incredible companies and amazing products. You’ll see gifts for sisters, brothers, moms, dads, uncles, and of course, yourself. As always, each brand has a special offer just for you — your code is always FORTHELOVE for savings — so you can stock up on great gifts and also keep your wallet. Now, get ready for Christmas shopping!  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We’re keeping the good vibes about body positivity going this week, drafting off our amazing episode with Dr. Hillary McBride last week about embodiment and moving into a conversation that asks us to go deeper with questions like: How do you feel about your body? How are you describing your body? The answers tell us whether we’re looking at our bodies as an outsider, or if we’ve been hiding our bodies because of long held body shame and self-objectification. And that’s what this For the Love You series is all about--to show each of us the power that lives within us, and in this particular episode, we’re encouraging all women to unwind themselves from the cultural and self made prison we’ve made of our bodies, so that we can take the steps to, as our guests so poignantly put it: “treat our bodies as an instrument for our use, for our experience, for our pleasure and joy--and not as an ornament for everybody else.” This conversation with authors Lexie and Lindsay Kite brings some new wrinkles (yes, we’re embracing that word!) to the way we think about body shame, how deeply ingrained it is from sources we might not even imagine (mothers, grandmothers, friends) and how money is the bottom line as to why we’re errantly taught to objectify ourselves so that we’ll buy into the solutions, ideas, and products that will fix our many flaws. These sisters are the authors of the book, More than a Body, and are changing the game when it comes to self-love for women who have been inundated with harmful messages about what beauty is all about.    * * * Thank you to our sponsors   KiwiCo. | Get 50% off your first month plus free shipping using code FORTHELOVE at kiwico.com.    Betterhelp | Get 10% off your first month by visiting betterhelp.com/forthelove.  Jesus Listens | Get Jesus Listens anywhere books are sold and create time to reconnect with your faith. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Continuing in our For the Love of You series we are taking a look at all the ways that we care for ourselves. And this isn’t just about spa days, pedicures, and me-time (although, we are fans of those things too). We’re doing a deep dive into some soul-care, in addition to more conventional looks at mind care and body care. And this week’s episode addresses a really specific season of self-care for women as they journey into motherhood. Whether it’s your first or 5th time going through pregnancy, you know (or will find out) it is quite the time for our brains and our bodies. A swirl of hormones, and a resetting of priorities, in addition to the physical and spiritual aspects of pregnancy and birth. Whether you’ve experienced pregnancy or not, we’ll all benefit from leaning into this beautiful well of wisdom that we have through Latham Thomas, as she guides us through to finding the power we have within to heal and thrive. Latham is the the founder of Mama Glow, a birth doula, and entrepreneur focused on bridging the gap between optimal wellness and spiritual growth. Her message to future moms and women is this: your power already lives inside of you, and it’s your job to unleash it into the world.   * * *   Thank you to our sponsors!   ThirdLove | Get 20% off your first order at thirdlove.com/forthelove.    Blueland | Get 15% off your first order at blueland.com/forthelove.  Olive & June | Use the code FORTHELOVE to get 20% off your first mani system at oliveandjune.com/forthelove. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Calling all book nerds! Are you looking for a place where your book-loving heart can flourish? Join us at jenhatmakerbookclub.com, and become one of our sisters in nerdiness. For September 2021, Jen and the club read Brene’ Brown’s Daring Greatly. Most of us know and love Brene and all her work, but just in case you’re new to her, here’s the rundown. Brene is a research professor at the University of Houston where she holds the Huffington Foundation Endowed Chair. She is also a visiting professor in management at The University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business. She has spent years and years and years studying courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy. So much of our community has been informed by Brene’s work, and we’re taking this month’s book club spot to dissect Daring Greatly with an actual therapist to discuss key points and concepts of the book that we can all apply to our lives. We are thrilled to welcome a friend to Jen and our podcast community, therapist Kristen Howerton to discuss vulnerability and Brene’s book, Daring Greatly. Kristen and Jen chat about what it’s like to be vulnerable, how to identify toxic relationships, and why it’s so important to care for ourselves first. Because we all know that it’s impossible to pour from an empty cup, but in the busyness of life, we often forget that our hearts and minds need care too.  * * *   Thank you to our sponsors!   Betterhelp | Get 10% off your first month at betterhelp.com/forthelove to join more than 1 million people that have taken charge of their mental health.  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This series, For the Love of You, is allowing us to open a door to ourselves, encouraging us to show ourselves kindness and truly embrace how we can care for ourselves In a world that has told us, specifically women, that we should put ourselves last. And when it comes to our bodies, we’ve had a host of misinformation that tells us that our bodies are to be restricted and that we should disconnect from what our bodies need, because our needs will be at cross purposes with what our culture wants. Dr. Hillary McBride is here to debunk all that mess and wants us to lovingly reunite with our bodies because our bodies are not just a hindrance that gets in the way of us being loved. She emphasizes the integral connection between our bodies and who we are--and that we should show our total person respect, because at the end of the day--our bodies are keeping us alive. Our bodies are where pleasure, joy, connection, experiences of fulfillment, and desire happens. The truth is, the body is always working for our good--and she tells us all the ways it is--even the ways we might *feel*our body is betraying us. Hillary is one of our best people--she’s been on the podcast multiple times and has spoken into so many moments for us over the last few years--dipping in right when we needed her. A psychologist and researcher, her work lands at the intersection of spirituality and mental health, trauma, body image and eating disorders, embodiment, and feminist psychology. And to top it off, Hillary is also inspiring generations of women to look at their bodies as She, not just the “thing” that carries their brain around each day. Hillary uncovers the truth that we haven’t been supported to have a dialogue with ourselves that is compassionate and that so often our bodies are seen as “a problem” or a root for our distrust. She gently reminds us: our various physiological responses to life are NOT proof that our bodies are bad and can't be trusted--it’s really our bodies just saying, "Please let me care for you. Please trust me.”   Content warning: This episode talks about hard topics including eating disorders and sex. Listener discretion is advised, content may not be suitable for young audiences.  * * *   Thank you to our sponsors!   Noom | Sign up for your trial at noom.com/forthelove today!    Betterhelp | Get 10% off your first month at betterhelp.com/forthelove.  Rothy’s | Get $20 off your first purchase at rothys.com/forthelove. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey listener—we’re glad you’re here. Because you listen to this show, we’re gonna take a guess that this podcast might be a little respite for you from the busy-ness of life. A place to find community and shared experiences. Some much needed YOU time. So, because we care about you, we at For the Love want to promote that time and take it to the next level with some ideas and thoughts about how to take better care of YOU (and not just with the time you steal away while driving or cleaning while listening to this show). So to get you started on some much needed ways to take care of you, we’re proud to be kicking off a brand new series, For the Love of YOU. And the first thing we’re looking at is how food factors into how we take care of ourselves. Not diets, not regimens, not meal planning--but simply a call to take a closer look at what we put into our bodies and how it impacts each of us uniquely. Danielle Walker, the wonderful author and self trained chef who has graced the ears of our listeners in our first FTL of Food series, has first hand experience with living in a body that can be vulnerable to certain kinds of foods and the ingredients in them. After being diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis, Danielle faced confusion and wildly varying advice about how to treat the problem, but by eventually removing foods and adding others to see where the issues were, she was able to see her body begin to heal. Her example (though unique to her—every body is different) has impacted thousands of people who’ve struggled with their own conditions to take the time to find out how certain foods impact their wellness. And in case you think that this is a lesson in deprivation or sad, flavorless diets, Danielle has done the good work of experimenting with recipes that remove some of the problem ingredients for many people while retaining the flavors and satisfaction we get from eating the things we like.    * * *   Thank you to our sponsors!   Best Fiends | Download Best Fiends today in Google Play or in the App Store.    Stamps.com | Never go to the Post Office again! Visit stamps.com to start your trial today with promo code FORTHELOVE.    Jesus Listens | Head to jesuscalling.com/books/jesus-listens/ to get your copy today.  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When it comes to talking about the future and the bright stars we see ahead, that’s something we are always going to approve of here at For the Love. And we knew that in order to wrap-up our For the Love of Broadway series, we needed to talk to one of the up and coming stars of the stage. So as we get ready to close the curtains on this series, you’ll love hearing from the delightful Vince Ermita. Vince is just 11 years old and made his Broadway debut as Young Simba in The Lion King. I mean, can you imagine the thrill of reaching such a pinnacle role at just 11 years old?. Vince gives us an inside look as he balances being a nearly teenager, school and a demanding theater job, the joys and pains of theater costumes, and what he hopes his future looks like.    * * *   Thank you to our sponsors!   KiwiCo | Get 50% off your first month with promo code FORTHELOVE at kiwico.com    Blueland | Get 15% off your first order at blueland.com/forthelove.  Olive & June | Visit oliveandjune.com/forthelove to get 20% off your first mani system with promo code FORTHELOVE. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Description When it comes to living out life-long dreams, that’s always a goal we support here at For the Love. And do you know what we love just as much as seeing someone succeed? Broadway! We’re back with another week of the For the Love of Broadway series just as the whole country is celebrating the return of Broadway’s best. This week we take another peek behind the curtain to find out what it’s like to go through audition after audition, wondering if you’ll ever “make it there,” and then have it all end up with nabbing the role you’d always dreamed of as a child. That scenario happened to Brandon McCall, aka, Simba in The Lion King, and his story just makes our hearts full as to what is possible if we run toward a dream. Brandon takes Jen behind the scenes and shows us what it’s like to audition for Disney, what it looks like to be “show ready” for audition after audition, and finally the thrill of playing a role he’s dreamed of since watching his first Broadway show as a kid. Brandon shows us that dreams really can come true--right under the neon lights of Broadway.    * * * Thank you to our sponsors!   Butcher Box | Sign up at butcherbox.com/forthelove and get 2 pounds of ground beef free in every order for the life of your membership.   ABLE | Get 20% off sitewide with promo code 20Jen at livefashionable.com.  Jen Hatmaker Book Club | Join the sisterhood in nerdiness today at jenhatmakerbookclub.com. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pull your tickets out and silence your cell phones as we dive into another episode in our For the Love of Broadway series! As live theater comes back into all of our lives, we’re going straight to the heart and soul behind it. The actors, the writers, the composers—all work together to put these fantastic and magical shows out day in and day out, and we want to know what inspires them to do it. Maybe it’s always been their dream to hit the big stage, maybe it’s something they stumbled upon. Or perhaps, like our guest today, singing became a passion when he was charged with singing at the family business. As a young boy, Christopher Jackson began performing at services for his family’s funeral home business. And while that’s not the most jolly kick-off to his career, it gave him the confidence and courage to head to New York at 17 and star on Broadway by 22. Oh and also—no big deal—he’s been in some small productions like The Lion King, In The Heights and Hamilton. This week, Jen and Christopher talk about that dream that starts as a tiny seed and carries you to a destination you could have never imagined, those magical and life changing moments (like being a black man playing President George Washington performing in The White House for the first black president, Barack Obama) and what it means to widen your world to other mediums, all while trying to stay grounded outside of the roles being played to fully embrace your identity apart from the lights of Broadway.    * * *   Thank you to our sponsors!   Noom | Start building better habits today. Start your trial today at Noom.com/FORTHELOVE.    Third Love | Head to thirdlove.com/FORTHELOVE for 20% off your first order.    Rothy’s | Head to Rothys.com/FORTHELOVE to find your new favorites today.  Betterhelp | Join over 1 million people taking charge of their mental health at BetterHelp.com/forthelove. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Calling all book nerds! Are you looking for a place where your book-loving heart can flourish? Join us at jenhatmakerbookclub.com, and become one of our sisters in nerdiness. For August 2021, Jen and the club read Elizabeth Acevedo’s Clap When You Land. Elizabeth Acevedo is an internationally known New York Times bestselling author. Her writing is inspired by her Afro-Dominican roots, along with her upbringing in New York City as the daughter of Dominican immigrants. She is formally trained in performing arts, but later received her MFA in creative writing. And here's the thing, she writes novels in prose. Her book Clap When You Land shows readers that relationships are anything but easy. Familial relationships, relationships to the landscape, the relationship you have with yourself. This book dives deep into what it means to know and be known, and how our circumstances directly impact that. Jen and Elizabeth chat about what it’s like to write a book in prose, how young people teach adults, and why it’s so important to develop strong connections with the women in your life.  * * *   Thank you to our sponsors!   Jen Hatmaker Book Club | Join us at jenhatmakerbookclub.com and become one of our sisters in nerdiness.    ABLE | Get 20% off sitewide with 20JEN at livefashionable.com.    To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week we are rolling back the curtains and kicking off a brand new series, For the Love of Broadway...so dim the lights and get ready for the absolute blast we are going to have here! To kick off this series we are welcoming two of Broadway’s best—Mary Kate Morrissey and Ginna Claire Mason, aka, Elphaba and Glinda. You know, the witches from Wicked? Yeah, those ones. Mary Kate and Ginna Claire, affectionately referred to as MK and GC, are going to take us through their journeys to the big stage and bright lights. We also get to learn all about the business, Double Name Witches, they started last year teaching the next generation of performers and how that work has enhanced their own abilities on stage and off. But more than that, we get to learn about the connection these real-life besties share and how that has saved them both many times. Jen, MK, and GC chat about the anxiety of live performance, why live theater is more important now than ever before, and how we can all get ready to experience our first show again after the Great Pause.  * * *   Thank you to our sponsors!   Best Fiends | Download the 5 star-rated puzzle game, Best Fiends free today on the App Store or Google Play.   Stamps.com | Stop wasting time at the Post Office. Visit stamps.com with promo code FORTHELOVE to start your trial today. ABLE | Get 20% off your order with promo code, 20JEN, at livefashionable.com.  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Happy unscheduled podcast goodness day to you all—we’ve got a super fun bonus episode for you! This week we are welcoming the one and only Antoni Porowski to the show. You know and love him from the delightfully heartwarming Netflix show, Queer Eye, where he works as the food and wine expert, teaching people the power of caring for all bodies—inside and out. Not one to just have a day job, Antoni is also in the throes of releasing his most recent cookbook, Antoni: Let’s Do Dinner. This book features easy peasy recipes that will leave you feeling satisfied and ready to take on each day. Jen and Antoni chat about their favorite kitchen tools, the time it takes to put recipes together, and why sharing food is a form of self love for yourself and others.  * * * Thank you to our sponsors!   ABLE | Get 20% off with code 20Jen at livefashionable.com.    Jen Hatmaker Book Club | Join the sisterhood in nerdiness at jenhatmakerbookclub.com.  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s so hard but so true: growth often comes from the most painful parts of life. An untreatable diagnosis, a painful divorce, the loss of savings that took a lifetime to build—when the script we write for ourselves is ripped apart by the unthinkable, we’re forced to rethink everything, like who we are, what we value, and where we spend our time. Moving the boulders of our identity requires us to push ourselves in ways we never asked for. And as frustrating as it can be, the pushing brings us closer to the person we’re meant to be—that’s what our guest, poet Maggie Smith, reminds us. Jen reveals how she unexpectedly found and fell in love with Maggie’s work (spoiler alert: it’s Shauna Niequist’s fault!). Maggie and Jen talk about what it was like for each of them to weather the loss that comes from divorce, and the fresh hope weaving its way through their rebuilding. Maggie reveals that more than ever, she feels more confident than ever to take on whatever life throws at her, even when her script is flipped.   * * * Thank you to our sponsors!   Chime | Get started today at chime.com/forthelove.    Betterhelp| Get 10% off your first month at betterhelp.com/forthelove.  Chime is a financial technology company. Banking services provided by The Bancorp Bank or Stride Bank, N.A.; Members FDIC. Eligibility requirements and overdraft limits apply. Overdraft only applies to debit card purchases. Limits start at $20 and may be increased up to $200 by Chime. Early Direct Deposit depends on the payer. Out-of-Network cash withdrawal fees apply. Third-party and cash deposit fees may apply. Go to Chime.com/FORTHELOVE for details. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Taking a leap in the face of uncertainty is scary. It’s hard to envision a life in which you are living your dream, especially if your current reality is not living up to your expectations. But, what if it all works out? What if everything you are dreaming of comes to fruition and you get the life you want? Wouldn’t that be worth the leap? That’s just another facet of flipping the script of our lives and we are so inspired by women across the world that take that leap into the unknown with the hope that things are better on the other side. This week, we are talking to one of those “leapers” who started a cosmetics company in her living room, who kept getting told “no” by the big beauty brands of the world, and persevered despite personal and professional rejection to build a multi-billion dollar cosmetics company with a heart. Jamie Kern Lima is the founder of the internationally known beauty brand, IT Cosmetics. As Jamie struggled to believe in herself enough to keep her dream alive--even after she was told she didn’t have the “look” to be selling cosmetics--she decided to trust her gut enough to let it guide her through the sea of rejections she received while trying to grow her business. And through this journey, she also realized that the beauty industry needed to change--and that no one should be showing women an unrealistic, unattainable “look” and making them feel less than if they didn’t fit the mold. Jamie would come out winning by standing her ground to show “real women” (including herself) of all shapes, sizes, skin types and colors as part of her brand, and her determination to make every woman feel beautiful and to trust themselves to know what is best for their lives is her mission and message to this very day.  * * * Thank you to our sponsors!   Noom | Start building better habits today. Start your trial today at Noom.com/FORTHELOVE.    ABLE | Get 20% off with code 20Jen at livefashionable.com.  Jen Hatmaker Book Club | Join the sisterhood in nerdiness at jenhatmakerbookclub.com. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Calling all book nerds! Are you looking for a place where your book-loving heart can flourish? Join us at jenhatmakerbookclub.com, and become one of our sisters in nerdiness. For July 2021, Jen and the club read Gabrielle Hamilton’s Blood, Bones & Butter. Gabrielle Hamilton is a chef, author, and restaurant owner based in New York. Her roots in food and cooking were heavily influenced by her mother’s French origins, and created a unique relationship between Gabrielle and food. She was used to foraging and using everything from their garden, never letting anything go to waste. This understanding of food translated into a career as Gabrielle made her way into professional kitchens. She is a James Beard award winner, the winner of the 2018 Outstanding Chef award, and whipped her way right into the literary space. Jen and Gabrielle dive into the impact food has in relationships, the troubles found during parenting, and what comes next for her restaurant after a forced shut down.  * * * Thank you to our sponsors!   Butcher Box | Sign up at butcherbox.com/forthelove to get your first box today!    Jen Hatmaker Book Club | Join us at jenhatmakerbookclub.com and become one of our sisters in nerdiness.    ABLE | Get 20% off sitewide with 20JEN at livefashionable.com.    To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fresh starts, new beginnings, and renovations. As we continue to dive into all the ways we can “flip the script” in our lives, we’re taking on one that is pretty literal—refreshing and renovating homes. Whether it’s something small like shuffling the furniture around in our living room to give a new perspective, or adding a new color of paint to our walls, we can all attest to how good it feels to freshen a space. Taking it to the next level—renovating a space—by maybe taking a room or a whole house to the studs and building something new can be daunting, but the rewards can be more than just the joy of something different, and can translate to practical things like more functional space, modernization, and even adding more value to your home. Our guest this week knows a thing or two about building something beautiful and new to refresh and restore a living space—we have none other than HGTV’s Mina Hawk from the show Good Bones. Mina decided to flip the script in her own life, and with no construction experience, taught herself the craft and embarked on the task of flipping homes that were once considered lost causes and turning them into places for their owners to live and grow for years to come. Mina continues to forge into new areas in —writing her very children’s book Built Together. This story gives kids a fresh look at what family actually means—showing readers that families are just as different as homes. Jen and Mina are diving into all of this and more and they talk about what home and community actually mean, and why creating close familial and neighborly bonds is so important.  * * * Thank you to our sponsors!   ThirdLove | Head to thirdlove.com/FORTHELOVE for 20% off your first order.    Betterhelp | Join over 1 million people taking charge of their mental health today at betterhelp.com/forthelove.  Rothy’s | Head to Rothys.com/FORTHELOVE to find your new favorites today. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Continuing on in our Flip the Script series, we look at not only the things that happen “to us,” but the things that happen “by us.” Our guest this week epitomizes a life that includes those things we weren’t expecting that alter our course (for her, it was a heart defect diagnosis) and those things that are very intentional, like new efforts to find balance and taking responsibility for steering our own lives. Singer/songwriter Amy Grant is no stranger to our show, or to our community. She’s that friend so many of us have walked with via her music, through her writing, through just the way she negotiates the world in a way that is present, centered and grateful. Amy has walked through her share of flipped scripts—including the end of her first marriage (she and Jen share their common experiences there), the aging of her parents and the final lessons they taught her, and most recently, the heart surgery she would have never expected to happen—in 2020 no less—right in the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic. Amy and Jen talk about what happens during seasons of loss and upheaval and how they listen to their bodies, their hearts and trusted friends’ voices to empower themselves to steer out of the storm. In it all, Amy believes that “the next opportunity, the next enlightenment, the next ‘everything’ for all of us is within reach.”    * * *   Thank you to our sponsors!   Best Fiends | Download the 5 star-rated puzzle game, Best Fiends free today on the App Store or Google Play.    Stamps.com |Stop wasting time at the Post Office. Visit stamps.com with promo code FORTHELOVE to start your trial today.    Chime | Join the millions on Chime. Apply now at chime.com/FORTHELOVE.  Chime is a financial technology company. Banking services provided by The Bancorp Bank or Stride Bank, N.A.; Members FDIC. Eligibility requirements and overdraft limits apply. Overdraft only applies to debit card purchases. Limits start at $20 and may be increased up to $200 by Chime. Early Direct Deposit depends on the payer. Out-of-Network cash withdrawal fees apply. Third-party and cash deposit fees may apply. Go to Chime.com/FORTHELOVE for details. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When it comes to learning to dream again after a big change, it can be hard to think outside the bounds of where we have always lived. It’s hard to imagine a world that looks different from the one we are so accustomed to. So, when it comes the time to start thinking big and looking outside the box we place ourselves in, where do we start? Oftentimes, flipping the script happens internally, and then branches out from there. This week we will be looking at the ways in which faith guides us through life, and how in many cases, growing in your own faith is the pathway to connecting with others. Malynda Hale is an author, singer, and podcast host that lives at the intersection of faith, justice, and inclusion. She believes that everything starts with a conversation—whether that’s diving into what defunding the police actually means, or looking at the ways we are called to include all people, not just those that look like us. She focuses on dismantling the negative perceptions toward black people held by many in America, and how her work is dedicated towards creating a more welcoming and safe world for everyone. Jen and Malynda will dive into Malynda’s faith journey, her calling to teach and encourage others, and why it’s so important to stand up for what and who you believe in.  * * *   Thank you to our sponsors!   Noom | Start building better habits today. Start your trial today at Noom.com/FORTHELOVE.    Jen Hatmaker Book Club | Join the sisterhood in nerdiness at jenhatmakerbookclub.com.    Betterhelp | Join over 1 million people taking charge of their mental health at BetterHelp.com/forthelove.  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kicking off our Flipping the Script series is none other than our venerable host, Jen herself. In this solo episode, Jen transparently talks about the changes in her life in the last year--the days she thought she wouldn’t survive, and the days where she could finally see hope dancing around the corner. Jen walks us through key times throughout all of her life when she flipped the script of her existence in several areas; spiritually, as a woman, and in her view of her body. She shares how we all are inclined to resist change and how easy it is to adhere to the script that is handed to us, and how we’ll even create our own script of lies to ourselves to stay and be accepted within certain structures. In the end, Jen acknowledges that flipping the script can create a disturbance around us--within our families, within our friend groups--but that listening to yourself and believing that your instincts and hearts are good are worth the upheaval, and becoming unstuck will lead to the most rewarding days ahead.    * * * Thank you to our sponsors!   Chime | Join millions on Chime. Apply now at chime.com/forthelove.    Jen Hatmaker Book Club | Join the sisterhood of nerdiness at jenhatmakerbookclub.com  ABLE | Get 20% off with code 20Jen at livefashionable.com. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We’re back with more of the For the Love of Transitions series which is showing us the many ways we can move through life after a huge shift has occurred—whether it was chosen or thrust upon us. We have learned what it’s like to live through tragedy, we have seen what steps we must take to create a system of equity, and this week, we are talking through what it’s like to choose a transition from the world of acting to the world of activism. Jennifer Garner--you know her, you love her--she’s here telling us how she navigates life as a mom, an entrepreneur, and an actress--and the deliberate transitions she’s made to help make her world and others’ a better place. So many of us have followed Jen's career through TV & film, but she takes us back to the early days when she fell in love with theater, doing auditions in New York while she slept on the floor of a friend’s home who offered a place to lay her head. We also find out that her first job was working with Melissa Gilbert (Laura Ingalls of Little House on the Prairie fame) and how that eventually led to working with J.J. Abrams in Felicity, who then cast her in her breakout role as the star of Alias. The two Jens discuss everything from what it’s like to raise kids as they transition from littles to bigs and what eventually drove Jen’s pursuits outside of Hollywood to co-found Once Upon a Farm and become involved with Save the Children.    Thank you to our sponsors!   Best Fiends | Download Best Fiends free today on the Apple App Store or Google Play.   Betterhelp | Start living a happier life today. Visit betterhelp.com/forthelove to start today.    Butcher Box | Head to butcherbox.com/forthelove to sign up for your membership today.  Rothy’s | Head to rothy’s.com/forthelove to find your new favorites today. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Calling all book nerds! Are you looking for a place where your book-loving heart can flourish? Join us at jenhatmakerbookclub.com, and become one of our sisters in nerdiness. For June 2021, Jen and the club read Emma Straub's All Adults Here. Emma is a New York Times bestselling author of three additional novels, including The Vacationers, Modern Lovers, and Laura Lamont’s Life in Pictures. Her books have been published in 20 countries, with All Adults Here recently being picked up by Apple for TV development. While she writes and creates worlds and characters for readers, she and her husband also run an independent bookstore in Brooklyn, NY, called Books Are Magic. As her literary star continues to rise, Emma is creating thoughtful and insightful conversations with her characters. All Adults Here addresses big topics like sexuality, gender, parenting, and family dynamics through the years. Jen and Emma dive into all things All Adults Here and discuss why this character led novel creates space to be open, honest, and vulnerable no matter what stage in life you are in.  * * * Thank you to our sponsors!   Betterhelp | Start living a happier life today. Visit betterhelp.com/forthelove to start today.    Jen Hatmaker Book Club | Join our sisterhood in nerdiness, visit jenhatmakerbookclub.com today!  Jen Hatmaker Merchandise | Visit jenhatmaker.com/shop to pick up your new favorite t-shirt or hat today. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As we continue in our For the Love of Transitions series, we’re tackling one of the most stressful transitions to face in life--a change to our financial situation. Perhaps a job change/loss reduced your income unexpectedly, or maybe a medical situation came out of the blue and drained your bank account, or maybe you went through a divorce and are down one income, and/or never had to be in charge of your own finances as an adult. Tiffany Aliche, aka, The Budgetnista has some thoughts for you, the most important one being; you can Get Good with Money (also the name of her New York Times bestselling book). Even though Tiffany grew up with a dad who was a CFO/accountant who educated her about finances, she experienced her own financial struggles and found herself moving back home at the age of 30. Having gone from owning her own home and making good money to having literally nothing took its toll on Tiffany’s psyche, but she was determined to not let shame win, and building her way back from the bottom is what has informed her life’s work--primarily to empower women to know and own their own financial well being. She and Jen candidly talk about their rock bottom financial moments and share their experiences of feeling powerless dealing with finances to getting help, getting educated and taking ownership of their financial lives and futures.     * * * Thank you to our sponsors!   Noom | Start building healthier habits today at noom.com/forthelove.    Function of Beauty | Get 20% off your order at functionofbeauty.com/forthelove.    Stamps.com | Sign up for your trial today at stamps.com and enter promo code–forthelove.  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When it comes to making a big transition in life, we are often held back by fear. Fear of judgment, fear of backlash, fear of losing those close to us. But, oftentimes, it takes a big transition to lead us toward a more fully authentic life. For some of us, on the surface, it’s easier to “be who we are” authentically—especially if we identify as straight cis-gender individuals. But for our friends in the trans community, taking the step to become who they really are has traditionally been fraught with roadblocks. For those who haven’t experienced this wall between us and our true selves, there can be a limited understanding of what a transgender person experiences and what defines them—and surprise—it’s different for each and every one. So this week, we’ve got one person’s story that might give us some insight into others we may know who are running into that wall that keeps them from truly knowing the joy of stepping fully into themselves. Stephanie Byers grew up in a time where there weren’t even words in our vernacular that she could cling to that could give her some sort of path to figure out her true identity. As the world evolved and other brave souls like Stephanie began to emerge, the community finally had a name—transgender. Stephanie walks us through the stages of her discovery of herself and how she finally decided to fully enter into her true self at the age of 51 and the response from her family and community. She also leads us through the journey that led her to become a force for change for equal rights for all different kinds of people by becoming Kansas’ first openly-trans state representative. Jen and Stephanie concur that it can be difficult to see from the perspective of a person whose very make-up is so different from our own, and that we may struggle to understand them fully, but it should never be a struggle to be kind in that process.    * * * Thank you to our sponsors!   ABLE | Check out all that ABLE has to offer today at livefashionable.com and get 20% off sitewide, with my code, 20JEN.    Betterhelp | Start living a happier life today. Visit betterhelp.com/forthelove to start today.  Jen Hatmaker Book Club | Visit jenhatmakerbookclub.com to join our sisterhood in nerdiness today. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In our For the Love of Transitions series, we’ve been looking at and evaluating the chosen and unchosen changes so many of us experience in the various seasons of our lives. In the category of chosen changes, we have found that so many women would welcome one in their lives, and it’s to develop a positive view of our bodies. Think back to the first time you had negative perceptions of your body. Were you 13 and getting ready for the homecoming dance? Maybe you were younger—9 years old at a pool party and realizing that your body looked different from your friends—and different then didn’t seem good or unique—different always equaled bad. Pile on top of those early perceptions the barrage of images presented to us by the beauty industry who constantly hammers home the quest for perfection—and reminding us that our bodies aren’t it. We’ve become so entrenched in the values of a world that seems to celebrate the way a person looks over who the person is. With a whopping 98% of women saying they wish they could “fix” something about their body, we can’t have enough positive body conversations to turn the tide on the lies we’ve been fed and that we tell ourselves. And to bring that conversation to our podcast community this week is Jess Connolly, who is a life coach, a Bible teacher and author whose new book is called Breaking Free from Body Shame. Jess and Jen dig into the origins of our body negativity, talk about ways we can each be nicer to our own bodies, and why it’s important to resist the “perfection persona.”    * * * Thank you to our sponsors!   ABLE | Check out all that ABLE has to offer today at livefashionable.com and get 20% off sitewide, with my code, 20JEN.    Jen Hatmaker Book Club| Head to jenhatmakerbookclub.com to join in on the fun today!  Jen Hatmaker Merchandise | Visit jenhatmaker.com/shop to pick up your new favorite t-shirt or hat today. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When it comes to changing unhealthy dialogues and digging up errant roots that have been allowed to grow deep—many of us tend to ignore the discomfort and carry on with our days. However, when we live in denial, inequity and ignorance cannot be challenged, and greatness will not be achieved. During our For the Love of Transitions series, we’re learning how to embrace change. We’re sharing the stories of people who have lived through or implemented drastic changes in their lives and came out on the other side stronger and better than before. Some transitions are extremely broad in their scope and may seem nearly impossible—and one issue that’s come to the top of our agendas over the last year is; how do our communities and our country get to a place where we are moving toward an attitude of racial sensitivity? Is it possible that we agree more on what needs to happen around racial justice in this country than what we’re seeing portrayed as a great divide? Former NFL football player/now author and host of “Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man” Emmanuel Acho believes that many of us truly do want the same things when it comes to racial justice, but by living in long-held attitudes and perpetuating insensitive commentary around race, we’ve been unable to make the big strides needed to make lasting change. Emmanuel believes that everything great comes by being uncomfortable first, and by pushing us toward those uncomfortable moments, he’s hoping to topple the attitudes we might not even be aware we’ve been caught up in, toward a better and more understanding way of being. He also recognizes that getting people to embrace discomfort toward change is tough, but it’s worth it. Emmanuel puts the thought out there that racial insensitivity is a bigger problem than racism itself in our country, and points out that living in D-E-N-I-A-L (don’t even know I am lying) keeps that insensitivity intact. Emmanuel and Jen walk through the difference between outright racism (which universally, most of us are against) and racial insensitivity (which many of us are guilty of without even knowing it). Come get uncomfortable with us and let’s all move toward making something great.    * * * Thank you to our sponsors!   Noom | Start building better habits for healthier, long-term results. Sign up for your trial at noom.com/forthelove.    Best Fiends | Download Best Fiends free today on the Apple App Store or Google Play.    Rothy’s | Keep it clean with washable shoes and bags from Rothy’s. Head to rothy’s.com/forthelove to find your new favorites today.  Betterhelp | Start living a happier life today. Visit betterhelp.com/forthelove to start today. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We continue with the “For the Love of Transitions” series and it’s giving us so many new perspectives on pushing back against what we’ve always known and finding new ways to grow and evolve into the person we have always wanted to be. This week’s episode really hits us where we live as we pursue to live a life that is “free”; free from pain, free from hurt, and free from bending to the will and opinion of others. Do you think you are living freely? In your soul, choices, and relationships? Do your actions embody the hopes and dreams you have for yourself? Or, are you acting under an assumed role? One that has always told us we need to be “the good girl;” one that is passive, servile and in the receiving position? It's hard to see through the systems we’ve become so toxically comfortable with. We have families and friends and jobs to worry about and care for and oftentimes it’s easier to fall into the assumed role than to build our own. However, when we wake up to being sovereign in our own authority, there is a liberation like no other. To walk us through this Radical Awakening (also the title of her brand new book) is Dr. Shefali Tsabary. Dr. Shefali is a New York Times bestselling author, a renowned clinical psychologist, and teacher to women as they transcend their fears and illusions to break free from the mold society has forced them into. Dr. Shefali and Jen have a vulnerable conversation about coming into a new and powerful sense of ourselves--and realizing that as women, “We have not been taught to back ourselves up. We've not been taught to put all our eggs inside our basket. And we don't know what it means to have our own back.” Dr. Shefali gently shows us that inner voice that every woman knows she has speaking to her, but is often avoiding by eating too much, being distracted too much, relentlessly serving family or work. Ultimately, freedom comes by not treating your inner knowing as a liar, but allowing it to speak and show you the truth about what’s really wrong and right in your world. * * * Thank you to our sponsors!   ABLE | Check out all that ABLE has to offer today at livefashionable.com and get 20% off sitewide, with my code, 20JEN.    Stamps.com | Never go to the Post Office again. Head over to stamps.com and enter promo code, forthelove, to start your trial today.  Noom | Start building better habits for healthier, long-term results. Sign up for your trial at noom.com/forthelove. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Continuing in our “For the Love of Transitions” series, we look at crossroads many of us are facing in regards to our view of faith and religion. More than ever before, people in our country are choosing not to identify with a specific religion, including a large segment of Millennials who say they’ve “never attended church.” But amidst these shifts, there are many who hold tight to their faith, but haven’t found the stability of years past in the institutions they used to invest in for themselves and their families. What are the reasons for this shift? It’s a complex topic and sometimes charged to discuss, and we’ve got independent scholar and author, Diana Butler Bass to help us walk through it. Diana’s newest book, Freeing Jesus, invites readers to rediscover Jesus beyond the narrow confines society has built around Him. While discussing the mass exodus that’s happening in today’s churches, Jen and Diana look at how faith can and does thrive outside the pews of the church, and they ask the question: if we are church-goers, how can we work toward making our churches alive and welcoming for everyone?    * * * Thank you to our sponsors!   KiwiCo. | Get 30% off your first month plus free shipping on any crate line with code FORTHELOVE at kiwico.com.    Rothy’s | Keep it clean with washable shoes and bags from Rothy’s. Head to rothys.com/forthelove to find your new favorites today.    Betterhelp | Start living a happier life today. Visit betterhelp.com/forthelove to start today.  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Calling all book nerds! Are you looking for a place where your book-loving heart can flourish? Join us at jenhatmakerbookclub.com, and become one of our sisters in nerdiness. For May 2021, Jen and the club read Sue Monk Kidd’s The Book of Longings. Sue’s writing skyrocketed into notoriety after the publication of her book, The Secret Life of Bees. This novel spent nearly two years on the New York Times bestsellers list, has been translated into 36 languages, and has sold nearly 8 million copies. In addition to that smash hit, she has been nominated for and won numerous literary awards and has once again published a book that is impacting readers worldwide. The Book of Longings takes readers centuries back and immerses them in the world of Anna and her husband, Jesus. We get an intimate look at all the ways women can love, support, and encourage each other, while ensuring the stories of their lives are heard and told. This book reminds us that the power of a person does not come from who they are with and what their social status says, but instead, the way any individual impacts the world comes directly from their heart, dreams, and bravery.  * * * Thank you to our sponsors!   Betterhelp | I want you to start living a happier life today. Visit BetterHelp.com/forthelove to learn more.    ABLE | Check out all that ABLE has to offer today at livefashionable.com and get 20% off sitewide, with my code, 20JEN.  Jen Hatmaker Book Club | Join our sisterhood in nerdiness, visit jenhatmakerbookclub.com today! To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week we are kicking off a brand new series here on the For the Love Podcast. There are so many times in each of our lives where a curveball just knocks us on our backs. The unexpected transition from what you thought was going to happen to your new reality is often hard to grapple with. But sometimes, we choose to make a major life change. So we’ll talk through all the ways we can embrace a transition. We’ll seek guidance from people who have made those transitions, learned from the struggle, and benefited from going through the process. Amy Downs epitomizes what it means to be thrown unwittingly into a situation that could have had a profoundly negative affect on her life, only to come out leading the charge for some amazing changes in her life. Amy is a survivor of the Oklahoma City Bombing--the last living person to be found under the rubble that claimed 168 souls that day. Amy’s outlook changed dramatically, and the 350 lb overweight college dropout with an attitude that she’d never amount to much used this experience to reclaim each area of her life by turning it around for the better. She and Jen talk about the horror of that day and how sometimes it’s possible to literally emerge from the rubble of our lives to take small steps toward healing and change.   * * * Thank you to our sponsors!   Noom | There's a science to getting healthier. It's called Noom. Sign up for your trial today at noom.com/forthelove.    Ancestry | Discovering your family history can bring your family together. Go to Ancestry.com/FORTHELOVE to learn—and share—stories of your past.    Bloomscape | Get 15% off plant orders of $100 with promo code FORTHELOVE at bloomscape.com.    Betterhelp | I want you to start living a happier life today. As a listener, you’ll get 10% off your first month by visiting BetterHelp.com/forthelove.  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s the last episode of our Spring Back series--and we’re wrapping it up with a conversation that was the most listened to (and commented on) episode in our entire For the Love podcast history--and it’s with none other than Jen’s daughter, Sydney Hatmaker! Sydney first appeared on our show last summer, where she shared with the world that she was gay; walking us through her journey, beginning at 12 years old, and how hard she worked to reckon this with her faith and the beliefs of her family. This conversation between daughter and mother is so real, so brave, and if you haven’t heard it, you’re going to want to listen in as Jen and Sydney discuss some hard situations where religion and sexuality intersect and ultimately, how what they knew to be true about God and His love and mercy, was true for LGBTQ people of faith as well. And what better time to revisit our time with Sydney than during Pride month--plus we’ve got all new commentary from Jen and some updates about where Sydney is now in her life that you won’t want to miss!    * * * Thank you to our sponsors!   Best Fiends | Download the 5 star-rated puzzle game, Best Fiends FREE today on the App Store or Google Play. That’s FRIENDS without the R – Best Fiends!   Ancestry | Ancestry can help you connect branches of your tree, whether it’s family you’ve always known or family you’ve never met. Go to Ancestry.com/FORTHELOVE to start a free trial.  Queer RelationTips Podcast | Recommended by Sydney Hatmaker--Listen and subscribe today, wherever you get your podcasts. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Are you ready to find your truth? We are currently in the tail-end of our spring back series where we are re-visiting some of our favorite episodes from For The Love past, and Jen’s bringing some all new insight and commentary to the conversation, as it is relevant to where we all are right now. This week we bring you the blockbuster combo of Glennon Doyle and Abby Wambach! We love them here, but just in case you’re new, Glennon is a speaker, encourager, and a New York Times bestselling author with her most recent book, Untamed, passing 2 million copies sold--and she’s just started a brand new podcast called We Can Do Hard Things. Abby is an international soccer icon, bestselling author of the book WOLFPACK, and an activist for women and equal rights. This powerhouse couple and their unwavering belief in women inspires millions, and their work to create a more beautiful world for everyone is aspirational. So, this week, we are springing back to their first time here, and stick around all the way to the end as Jen has some new takeaways about lessons learned and how we can take those and dive straight into the life we have always been meant to live.  * * * Thank you to our sponsors!   Third Love | Treat yourself with something that fits like it was made just for you. Go to thirdlove.com/forthelove now to get 20% off your first purchase.    Ancestry | Ancestry can help you connect branches of your tree, whether it’s family you’ve always known or family you’ve never met. Go to Ancestry.com/FORTHELOVE to start a free trial.    Rothy’s |Keep it clean with washable shoes and bags from Rothy’s. Head to rothys.com/forthelove to find your new favorites today.  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There are so many lessons in life that are evergreen; they stay with us through each season, and that’s why we’re revisiting some episodes that bring those truths home in ways that are so applicable to where we are in life. Right. Now. For this episode of our Spring Back Series, we are bringing back one of our favorites - Marcie Alvis-Walker. Marcie is the creator of Black Coffee with White Friends and is an incredible teacher, leader, and woman. The first time she was here, Marcie and Jen talked through what racism actually looks like in America, the ways our history is steeped in minority erasure, and how each of us plays a role in the way stories are told. And this is a topic that is not going away, in fact, it may be more prominent now than ever before. Plus, Jen weighs in with some all new commentary regarding some key events of the past year that relate to this timeless conversation and how we can continue to uphold the idea of putting aside opinions for just a minute so we can better listen and know our neighbor.    * * * Thank you to our sponsors!   Noom | There’s a science to getting healthier. It’s called Noom. Sign up for your trial today at noom.com/FORTHELOVE.    KiwiCo | With KiwiCo, there’s something for every kid. Get 30% off your first month, plus free shipping on any crate line, with code FORTHELOVE at kiwico.com.  BetterHelp | Start living a happier life today. Join over 1 million people taking charge of their mental health at Betterhlep.com/forthelove. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Each day as we inch closer to summer, we are reminded of all the possibilities that surround us daily. The leaves on the trees are becoming greener by the minute, the grass is finally dense and fluffy, flowers are pushing their way through the dirt. And just as the earth evolves, so do we. That’s why we wanted to bring you the Spring Back Series. After a particularly hard year or winter, it’s hard to remember all that we learned the year before. It’s even harder to put those lessons into practice and find ways to evolve into the people we were meant to be. So today we are springing back to an episode we love featuring the one and only Luvvie Ajayi Jones. You may know her as the New York Times bestselling author of I’m Judging You or as a speaker and podcast host. She exists beautifully at the intersection of comedy, media, and justice. She encourages all women to embrace their authentic selves and continually strive to be the best versions of themselves. So let’s spring back to Luvvie’s first time here with all new commentary from Jen about the impact of social media, the three steps we can take to be true to ourselves, and Luvvie’s new book, Professional Troublemaker.  * * * Thank you to our sponsors!   PolicyGenius | When it comes to insurance, it’s nice to get it right. Head to policygenius.com to get started now.    Public | You can start investing today with as little as $1. You’ll even get a free slice of stock when you join. Head to public.com/JEN to get started today.  Betterhelp | Start living a happier life today. Join over 1 million people who have taken charge of their mental health at Betterhelp.com/forthelove. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Calling all book nerds! Are you looking for a place where your book-loving heart can flourish? Join us at jenhatmakerbookclub.com, and become one of our sisters in nerdiness. For April 2021, Jen chose her own book, Simple and Free, because what’s the point in having a book club if you can’t pick your own book every now and again? Jen invited two of her very best friends, Jenny and Shonna, to jump in on the discussion. They reminisce about the group decision to dive into living the experience of writing the book, why eating beans and rice for a whole month isn’t the most fun, and how not to train for a half marathon. This book reminds us that in a world filled with choices, sometimes you need to boil it down and bring it back to truly understand what you have, and recognize what means most to you.  * * * Thank you to our sponsors!   BetterHelp | Join over 1 million people taking charge of their mental health. As a listener, you’ll get 10% off your first month by visiting https://BetterHelp.com/forthelove.  Jen Hatmaker Book Club | Join the bookclub sisterhood for reading plans, summaries, and exclusive perks. Visit https://jenhatmakerbookclub.com to learn more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Just as we rely on spring each year to bring light and warmth back into our lives, we also depend on the lessons of life that show up during each season. That’s why on this series of For the Love we are bringing back some of our all-time favorite guests. Not only to remind ourselves of what life was like way back when it was normal, but also to give ourselves the chance to look back on some life lessons that we should always carry with us. And this week, we are bringing you the one and only, Emily Ley. You know the superstar mom that built the Simplified empire from the ground up? Yes, that one. Not only does she guide women to live their lives based in simplicity, she also encourages them to evaluate what truly matters, and ditch what doesn’t. Jen revisits why it’s so important to not only clear clutter from your home, but to also clear the clutter mentally. Because once we take the time to remove the unnecessary parts of life, we are then able to live a life filled with joy and passion for what we actually care about. AND Jen has all new commentary about how decluttering gives you space to live simple and free and grow boldly--also the topics of Jen’s and Emily’s new books.    * * *   Thank you to our sponsors!   Best Fiends | Download the 5 star-rated puzzle game, Best Fiends FREE today on the App Store or Google Play. That’s FRIENDS without the R – Best Fiends!    Ancestry | There’s strength in every family story. Learn more about yours at Ancestry. Head to my URL at https://Ancestry.com/ForTheLove to start your free trial. Rothy’s | Style and sustainability meet to create your new favorites! Check out all the amazing shoes, bags and masks available right now at https://Rothys.com/FORTHELOVE. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Spring is here, and you know what that means! Blossoming, regrowth, cleaning out, all the goodness that comes with a new season. But that doesn’t mean we should leave behind the lessons learned last season. We can be watering what we planted, watching it grow, and trying to become the better humans we’ve always strived to be. There are truths and lessons that come back year after year, reminding us of who we want to be and who we should be. To that end, we’ve gathered some wisdom from a few of our favorite For The Love Podcast guests that speak into what’s happening in our world right now, plus some brand new commentary from Jen as to how we can apply these ideas to where we are in our lives today. Spring back with as we revisit these time-tested truths while we keep on finding our footing in the present.    Episode Description It’s new series time--and we’re “springing back” to some For the Love favorites, while bringing you some new thoughts from Jen’s heart in this season! As they say, what’s old becomes new again, and we can rely on spring every year to bring us that new growth; from the plants to the trees, and oftentimes within our own souls. This week we are bringing back one of Jen’s longtime inspirations and mentors, Beth Moore. Beth’s recent split from her roots in the Southern Baptist community after calling out the misogyny, inequality, and disregard for many minority communities has a lot of people talking. It was a big, huge deal, and Jen explains what this means to the Christian zeitgeist. Jen also revisits her favorite moments with Beth and dives back into how we can learn to live a life filled with faith even if that means pushing back against long held, and perhaps antiquated beliefs. So, let’s Spring back to our interview with Beth, and reflect on the biblical concept of the vineyard and how vines can grow in rocky places, opening space for God to prune and prepare us for change that comes with seasons of growth.     * * * Thank you to our sponsors!   Noom |There’s a science to getting healthier. It’s called Noom. Sign up for your trial today at noom.com/forthlove.  Chime | Join the millions on Chime. Signup takes two minutes, and doesn’t affect your credit score! Apply now at chime.com/FORTHELOVE.  Public | You can start investing today with as little as $1. You’ll even get a free slice of stock when you join. Just go to public.com/JEN to download.    *Disclaimer:    Chime is a financial technology company. Banking services provided by The Bancorp Bank or Stride Bank, N.A.; Members FDIC. Eligibility requirements and overdraft limits apply. Overdraft only applies to debit card purchases. Limits start at $20 and may be increased up to $100 by Chime. Early Direct Deposit depends on the payer. Out-of-Network cash withdrawal fees apply. Third-party and cash deposit fees may apply. Go to Chime.com/FORTHELOVE for details. Public is valid for U.S. residents 18+. Subject to account approval. See Public.com/disclosures. Not investment advice.     To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Calling all book nerds! Are you looking for a place where your book-loving heart can flourish? Join us at jenhatmakerbookclub.com, and become one of our sisters in nerdiness. For March 2021, Jen and the club read Laura Zigman’s Separation Anxiety. Laura shot into superstardom with the publication of her first novel, Animal Husbandry, which was later adapted into the film Someone Like You starring Hugh Jackman and Ashley Judd. So, no big deal for your first book, right? Laura’s latest book, Separation Anxiety, helps readers face the complexities of everyday life in the 21st century. From self-help culture, anxiety, depression, and longing for what once was, Zigman knits and weaves the lives of her characters in a way that makes them relatable, complex, and at times absurd. The book reminds us that not everything is straightforward with one path ahead. Oftentimes we need to evaluate where we are and how we can grow in order to be who we’re meant to be.    * * * Join the sisterhood today! jenhatmakerbookclub.com   * * * NEW JEN BOOK! Get Simple and Free, a call toward simplicity and generosity for a radically better life (a revised and updated version of Jen’s book 7) https://jenhatmaker.com/books/simple-and-free     * * * Thank you to our sponsor! KiwiCo | Get 30% off your first month at kiwico.com, promo code: FORTHELOVE To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s the grand finale of our For the Love of Food series—and lucky for us, we’ve got someone on today who holds the very high honor of “Most Requested For the Love Podcast Guest of All Time”—Joanna Gaines! Jen and Jo are real-life buddies, and this week they dive into Joanna’s rich family heritage that introduced her to so many cuisines from around the world by the time she could crawl. They dish about how to get a big family to get to the table, let alone connect at the table, how Jo finds joy in her garden, and why the kitchen is her happy place (even as she’s learning to cook on camera for her new show on the Magnolia Network called Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines). The two also get into very serious topics like the war between Ragú and Prego, and why ramen most certainly *cannot* have an egg in it. Through it all, Joanna shows that food has the power to bring life to any situation, and why getting folks around the table is far more important than how perfect the dish is that brought them there.   * * * Thank you to our sponsors!   KiwiCo | Snag 30% off your first month at https://kiwico.com, promo code: FORTHELOVE ThirdLove | Score 20% off your first purchase at https://thirdlove.com/forthelove  BetterHelp | Get 10% off your first month at https://betterhelp.com/forthelove To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“Come on over.” Talk about three words that promise fun’s on the way! We’re daydreaming of getting back to game nights with our besties, and margaritas with the neighbors, and the great Jeff Mauro is no exception. You may know him as a cohost on Food Network’s The Kitchen, or maybe as a winner of The Next Food Network Star. After getting his start working in a deli when he was 15 and later opening his own, Jeff is the larger-than-life sandwich king who’s just published a cookbook and launched a podcast—and both are called Come On Over! Jeff and Jen dive into why you *must* establish proper sandwich making protocol, and why it’s wise to become friends with your local deli guy. Jeff shows us that food has the power to bring together people of all ages, and after the past year, the “Come On Over” mentality might look different, but we can still find the same spirit of love and connection through a shared meal.   * * * Thank you to our sponsors!   Policygenius | Policygenius has saved customers up to $1,055 per year compared to their current home & auto policies. Head to Policygenius.com to get started!  Bloomscape | Get 15% off plant orders of $100 with promo code FORTHELOVE at bloomscape.com Ancestry | There’s strength in every family story—learn more about yours at Ancestry. Head to my URL at ancestry.com/forthelove to start your free trial. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When you’re a kitchen newbie, it can feel a little intimidating—and even overwhelming—to figure out how to put a good meal together, especially if you’re just asking yourself questions like, “What the heck is oregano, anyway?” But we all start somewhere, even world-renowned country music artists. Martina McBride is a 14-time GRAMMY-nominated country singer, cookbook author, and self-taught home chef. Jen and Martina talk through what it’s really like to put a cookbook together, how these two Kansas girls learned the ins and outs of the kitchen in their adult years, and how a neighborhood golf cart can bring us a new verse to our all-time favorite Martina song “For the Girls!”    * * * Thank you to our sponsors!   Noom | Start your trial today at noom.com/forthelove Best Fiends | Download for FREE today on the Apple App Store or Google Play. Rothy’s | Check out all the amazing shoes—and bags! and masks!—available right now at Rothys.com/FORTHELOVE. BetterHelp | Get 10% off your first month by visiting betterhelp.com/forthelove To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We *know* we aren’t the only ones who spend hours on the couch binging episodes of Chopped or Iron Chef. Not only is it super satisfying watching other people cook— we feel like we become friends with the contestants and judges. And this week, we get to hear from one of our favorite Food Network chefs/judges/friends, Maneet Chauhan! Maneet and Jen take a walk through Maneet’s culinary history from her beginnings in India to the leap she took into the NYC culinary scene, and why she decided to begin her own restaurant empire in Nashville. Maneet has become known as the fun, kind, and bubbly judge on Chopped and now tells the full story of her path to culinary star in her latest book, Chaat. We’re so pleased to have Maneet’s perspective during our For the Love of Food series as she lifts up fellow female professional chefs and helps us understand the legacy of culturally driven foods.     * * * Thank you to our sponsors!   Public | Go to public.com/JEN to follow me on Public.com and see what I’m investing in. You can start investing today with as little as $1.  Chime | Join the millions on Chime. Signup takes two minutes, and doesn’t affect your credit score! Apply now at chime.com/FORTHELOVE.    American Giant | Get your Classic Full Zip Hoodie at american-giant.com today and use promo code FORTHELOVE for 15% off your first order. **DISCLAIMERS**PUBLIC: Valid for U.S. residents 18+. Subject to account approval. See Public.com/disclosures. Not investment advice. CHIME: Chime is a financial technology company. Banking services provided by The Bancorp Bank or Stride Bank, N.A.; Members FDIC. Eligibility requirements and overdraft limits apply. Overdraft only applies to debit card purchases. Limits start at $20 and may be increased up to $100 by Chime. Early Direct Deposit depends on the payer. Out-of-Network cash withdrawal fees apply. Third-party and cash deposit fees may apply. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the past year, many of us have looked at our kitchens and had to flip the Open sign to Closed. We put big holidays dinners on hold. We canceled game nights with our friends. We traded cutting boards for takeout containers because we just. couldn’t. cook. another. meal. But we still need to eat and nourish our bodies and souls, and for that, we turn to Alex Snodgrass of The Defined Dish. Alex shares her unlikely journey to creating a popular food brand and a New York Times bestselling cookbook (also called The Defined Dish), how to your get over your anchovy aversion (it’s worth it, we promise), and why healthy eating doesn’t mean a carrot stick on a bed of lettuce. Jen and Alex talk about how food can bond groups of people who may not come together otherwise, and why forming a community is super rewarding—even if you’re separated by a screen.   * * * Get Jen’s latest book, SIMPLE & FREE! jenhatmaker.com/simpleandfree   * * * Thank you to our sponsors!   KiwiCo | Get 30% off your first month plus FREE shipping on ANY crate line at kiwico.com, promo code FORTHELOVE Third Love | Go to thirdlove.com/FORTHELOVE to find your perfect-fitting bra and get 20% off your first purchase! Ancestry | There’s strength in every family story. Learn more about yours at Ancestry. Head to my URL at Ancestry.com/ForTheLove to start your free trial. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Break out the confetti cannons because today’s guest is someone we’ve wanted on the show since Day 1: the one and only Jennifer Garner! Who didn’t love Alias? Who doesn’t watch 13 Going on 30 at least once a year? Jen Garner is one of our favorite actors ever, and today, the two Jens talk about all things Yes Day, Jen Garner’s brand-new movie on Netflix that’s the *perfect* feel-good watch for your family this spring break. The Jens talk about the phenomenon of Yes Days they’ve shared with their own kids (i.e. magical days where kids can do basically anything they want within reason) and how these days have brought their families closer together. From sitting in the front seat to getting eyebrows threaded to sharing s’mores around a campfire in the backyard, there’s so much joy to be found when we say yes a little more to our kids—and even to ourselves.   * * * Thank you to our sponsor! BetterHelp | Join over 1 million people taking charge of their mental health at https://BetterHelp.com/forthelove To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We hope all you foodies out there have been enjoying the Food 2.0 series. But we know some of you saw what this series was about and thought, I can’t cook, I’ve never cooked, I will never cook, and you can’t make me! Listen, we get it—cooking isn’t everyone’s bag. It wasn’t Bri McKoy’s either. Bri’s an accidental home cook turned cookbook author, and her foray into the culinary space started when her husband refused to build a home out of their collection of Thai takeout containers. Bri reluctantly learned what a pinch of salt was, how to literally toast bread, and that onion casseroles perhaps aren’t the best idea to serve, well, ever. Bri watched a lot of Food Network and honed her craft, and since then she’s found a love for traveling with knives, and as a military wife, she’s learned food can be an easy way to bring people to the table and build community. Jen and Bri share some of their most epic kitchen failures, divulge the biggest lessons we can learn from standing over a stove, and reveal their can’t-live-without-it kitchen gadgets. Bri shows that food fills our days with simple joy and helps us forge new relationships with people in ways we never thought possible—even over a Zoom cocktail.    * * * Thank you to our sponsors!   Noom | Ready to learn how to live healthier? Sign up for your trial today at noom.com/forthelove American Giant | Get 15% your first order when you use promo code FORTHELOVE at american-giant.com Ancestry | Start exploring your family story today! Head to ancestry.com/FORTHELOVE to get your AncestryDNA kit and start your free trial. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Calling all book nerds! Are you looking for a place where your book-loving heart can flourish? Join us at jenhatmakerbookclub.com, and become one of our sisters in nerdiness. For February 2021, the Jen Hatmaker Book Club read the novel Red at the Bone by four-time National Book Award winner Jacqueline Woodson, and whew, what a story. Jacqueline is a master storyteller who explores all kinds of topics—sexual desire and identity, ambition, gentrification, education, class and status, and the life-altering facts of parenthood—with the grace and nuance that each deserves. Red at the Bone is a fascinating novel that looks at the ways young people often make long-lasting decisions about their lives—even before they’ve begun to figure out who they are and what they want to be.    * * * Join the sisterhood today! jenhatmakerbookclub.com   * * * Thank you to our sponsors! American Giant | Get 15% off your first order at american-giant.com, promo code FORTHELOVE PolicyGenius | Reshop your home & auto insurance rates, and you could save up to $1,055. Head to policygenius.com today!   To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We’ve got a crush on this series and everyone in it—because FOOD! For the Love of Food, Part 2 is cooking up something new this week as we move into BAKING with a member of the royal family of baking itself—The Great British Bake Off’s Nadiya Hussain! Nadiya is not only the Mary Poppins of baking, she’s also hosting a brand-new show on Netflix that’ll be your brand-new happy place, and it’s called—what else?—Nadiya Bakes. Nadiya reveals why she never turned on an oven or baked anything until her 20s, why her husband sent in an application to Bake Off without her knowing (!), and how she learned to be confident in the kitchen and how to keep saying yes to new opportunities. Nadiya shows us that baking doesn’t have to be Bake Off-level perfect to bring people together, and promises our mashed potatoes would be better if we just added a bit of mayo to the mix (we’ll take her word for it!).   * * * Thank you to our sponsors!   Best Fiends | Download FREE today on the Apple App Store or Google Play. Betterhelp | Get 10% off your first month by visiting betterhelp.com/forthelove.  Rothy’s | Check out all the amazing shoes—and bags! and masks!—available right now at Rothys.com/FORTHELOVE To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices