Episodes
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In this latest episode, we sat down with licensed psychotherapist Dr. Novia Reid to talk about the common challenges we face in marriage and relationships. Novia is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in marriage and family therapy, specializing in couple therapy. Novia has counseled adults, couples, and families on a wide range of diagnoses and challenges including, but not limited to depression, relationship issues, conflict, trauma, and self-worth. Novia has a niche for helping women who have lost themselves from relationships regain their identities and helping couples heal from infidelity. Her work with women led her to develop the 90-day coaching program, Regain Your Core.
In this episode, Novia discusses what to look for in a serious relationship, and her answer may surprise you! She also shares tips on how to approach communication, boundaries, and conflict in marriage. With grace and wisdom, Novia unpacks the heartbreak of infidelity and how to pursue healing and moving forward. Plus, she opens up about her personal practices for prioritizing her health in relationships and life.
*Please note that content provided in this episode is for educational and informational purposes only. This interview is not a substitute for therapy, diagnosis, assessment, medical or mental
health treatment. Please seek the advice and professional consultation of your doctor, mental health professional, or other qualified health provider regarding your health or condition.
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In this bonus episode, we sit down with special guest and dear friend Kaylee Morgan to discuss what honoring Black History means to her. Kaylee is a writer, speaker, youth pastor, and racial justice educator who is passionate about Jesus, the next generation, and Biblical justice.
In this interview, she not only educates us on tangible ways to pursue racial justice in our daily lives but also how to leverage our influence to best serve and love those around us. She gets real about the pitfalls of performance activism, especially on social media, and how to set healthy boundaries while working in the justice sector. Kaylee also provides helpful insight on how to have honest and authentic conversations about race and racism with children and youth.
We absolutely loved this conversation! We know it will give you the tools you need to grow in your love for others and ideas on how to make an impact in your community.
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Missing episodes?
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In our first episode of the new year, we had the great joy of sitting down with returning guest and friend Chanel Dokun. Chanel is a certified Life Planner, Relationship Expert, and author of the newly released Life Starts Now: How to Create the Life You’ve Been Waiting For. As the founder of Women of Consequence, she helps women get clarity on their life purpose so they can unlock their full potential and build a life they love. Prior to running her own business and launching a therapy practice in Manhattan, she worked in publishing at Hearst Magazines.
In this interview, Chanel gets real about what it takes to find the courage to be like no one else, as well how to identify and transform the common hidden beliefs that hold women back. She gives insight into how to start your day off right, and how to discover your own unique genius. Plus, she speaks candidly about failure and why it’s an essential part of discovering and living the life we want.
We absolutely loved this interview! We know it will give you the tools you need to take some big steps forward in your hopes and dreams for this new year and beyond.
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In this last episode of 2022, we sat down with Licensed Professional Counselor-Associate Rebecca Werts to talk about investing in our mental health during the holidays and beyond. Rebecca is a dear friend and trusted professional. Her insights on the intersection of mental health and faith are powerful, and throughout this interview she gives us practical tools to navigate everything from grief to depression to anxiety. This is a must-listen to tend to your own health and wellness and also to be better equipped to support your friends and family in their mental health challenges.
BONUS! WE HAVE A FREE GIFT FOR YOU THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
We have partnered with Rebecca to offer a special bonus resource for our listeners. This month only, we are offering a free download of Rebecca's workbook Tending to Your Mental Health to help you identify your own mental health needs and to provide you with tools to invest in your mental health. Simply subscribe to IridescentWomen.com to receive this free and incredibly helpful resource. The holiday season can get very busy, and it can be hard to find the time to tend to your mental health needs.This resource is YOUR way to do that. Don’t miss out on this! Subscribe to our site now.
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In this bonus episode, our co-hosts and co-founders Nicole Smithee and Alex Brown sit down for an up-close and unfiltered look at motherhood. Nicole opens up about the challenges, surprises and joys of becoming a mother. Alex shares how the latest milestones in her daughters’ lives are impacting and shaping her as a mom. From postpartum recovery to potty-training and everything in-between, Nicole and Alex share some laughs and insights around faith, motherhood, career, body-image and marriage. The conversation is honest, helpful and jam-packed with wisdom and encouragement for mothers, women who plan on motherhood in the future, and women who don’t plan on motherhood but have some mama friends they love.
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In this latest episode, we had the honor of chatting with Jingyun Fan, the CEO & Co-founder of Shuni. In early 2020, Jingyun started Shuni to help people suffering from insomnia develop the skills for better sleep through cognitive behavioral therapy. Before Shuni, she was an AI research scientist at Accenture and a data scientist at Hello, the company behind the bedside sleep tracker Sense. She graduated from MIT with a degree in Biology.
In this interview, Jingyun provides us with eye-opening sleep education! Jingyun explains what thoughts and behaviors lead to insomnia and how to gain healthy sleep naturally and without medication. She also helps us understand how our ability to rest and relax when we are awake influences the quality of sleep we have at night.
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We know that as a woman, a leader, and/or a mother, the juggle is real! In this bonus episode, your co-hosts Nicole Smithee and Alex Brown provide practical tips and resources to make your limited time work for you and not against you!
Topics in this bonus episode include:
Practicing the art of keeping the main the main thing Working smarter and not harder with time you have Ditching the guilt of saying “no” and living with healthy boundaries Prioritizing your own wellness while leading and caring for othersThe Iridescent Podcast is available on iTunes, Spotify, and Google Play.
Want to join us in helping to end extreme poverty for the village of Khassim through World Concern’s One Village Transformed Program? Click here to learn more.
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In this new episode, we had a blast sitting down with Small Business Strategist Melissa Koehler. Melissa is passionate about helping women build a business they can be proud of! What started as a career as a professional photographer has blossomed into the creation of several brands and businesses and a passion to teach others how to get started without feeling alone and overwhelmed. She has found the "easy button" for building a business with the creation of The Blush Pages, where entrepreneurs can join in community, find joy in running their business, and access the help they need to build an unstoppable brand.
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In this special interview, we were able to sit down with Katie Toop, the Senior Director of Transformational Development for World Concern.
In this interview, Katie unpacks how she discovered her calling, what working overseas has taught her, and how working in the non-profit sector has personally changed her life. We’ll also discuss the truly transformational work of World Concern, and how we can each help end the cycle of poverty for those living in some of the most rural and remote places in the world today.
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In this first interview of our new season, we had the great honor of chatting with our dear friend and returning guest Nicole Zasowski. Nicole is a licensed marriage and family therapist, writer, and speaker. She lives in a small town just outside New York City with her husband, Jimmy and their children. In 2020, Nicole authored From Lost to Found: Giving Up What You Think You Want for What Will Set You Free. And this year, she has just recently released her highly anticipated book: What If It’s Wonderful? Release Your Fears, Choose Joy, & Find the Courage to Celebrate.
With the vulnerability of your closest friend and the wisdom of your most trusted resource, Nicole chats with us about how to move past our fears, embrace hope in the face of disappointments, and cultivate the art of celebration in our everyday life.
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Welcome to Season 5 of the Iridescent Podcast! In this bonus episode, your co-hosts Nicole Smithee and Alex Brown sit down to discuss all the exciting things to expect in season five. From interviews with powerhouse women to bonus episodes designed to call out your greatness to opportunities to help those in need… get ready for a season like no other!
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As we record this bonus episode, I (Nicole) am 9 months pregnant with my first child. I am very ready to not be pregnant anymore, and can’t wait to hold and kiss my baby girl, but there are a lot of other emotions, too. For expecting parents and new moms there’s a lot to learn, a lot to process, and a lot of change.
So today, we wanted to have a discussion about stepping into motherhood.
In this latest bonus episode, co-hosts Nicole Smithee and Alexandra Brown explore: The common fears women have when becoming moms How life changes when stepping into motherhood Ways to adapt to new seasons of child development and growth How to prioritize your marriage How to support your friend moms when you aren’t a parent yourself -
For most people, the last two years and counting, have brought a lot of change. New jobs, new neighborhoods, new seasons of life, new work and social rhythms. New isn’t always bad, but even good change can leave us a bit disoriented. It can leave us struggling to find a clear path forward towards our hopes and dreams and unsure what habits and disciplines to develop to gain a sense of momentum.
Whether you want to progress in your career, broaden and deepen your friendship circle, reach some health health goals, or strengthen certain areas of personal development, we’ve dedicated today’s episode and conversation to taking a closer look at what choices and habits do in fact cause us to gain momentum and how to implement them in your life.
In this latest bonus episode, co-hosts Nicole Smithee and Alexandra Brown explore:
How to identify the areas of your life where you feel stuck How to regain vision and hope How to create an action plan for success What key relationships to develop How celebration fuels confidence What to do when significant loss disrupts your momentum -
In this episode of The Iridescent Podcast, we have special guest Juli Boit, whose work and story is heartbreaking, inspiring and empowering. Juli Boit is the Founder and International Director of Living Room International, a non-profit providing hospice care services to adults and children in Kenya. She is a nurse practitioner who is challenged daily to learn more, listen better, and love deeper. She is also the author of From Beyond the Skies, which tells the true story of healing, hope and becoming a family. Juli lives in Kenya with her husband, Titus, and their children: Sharon, Alice, Ella, Geoffrey, and Ryan.
Juli’s wisdom and grace throughout this interview are extraordinary, and will leave you with a sense of comfort and hope for whatever dark night of the soul you or someone you love may be facing. In this interview Juli shares why she moved to Kenya when she was 25 years old, what inspired her to start Living Room International, her children’s unexpected health diagnosis, and the power of faith and community when facing life’s difficulties.
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Get ready because this is hands-down one of our favorite interviews on The Iridescent Podcast. We had the great honor of chatting with the legendary Jo Saxton. Jo Saxton is an author, speaker, podcaster, and entrepreneurial coach. Born to Nigerian parents and raised in London, Jo brings a multicultural and international perspective to her leadership training for women. A sought-after speaker, Jo has a diverse calendar addressing universities, churches, national conferences, nonprofits, and corporations, including Q, Catalyst, Evereve, NoonDay Collection, LakeShore Media, and internationally in the U.K. and Australia.
She is also co-host of the podcast Lead Stories and also equips women in leadership through her Leadership Coaching. Jo is the author of four books, including her most recent, Ready To Rise.
This conversation is so rich with wisdom, encouragement, and practical application for each of us! In this interview, Jo addresses the barriers we as women face to truly thriving in leadership, how to identify and cultivate environments where women can flourish in their calling, and how to take care of ourselves when managing the stresses of leadership and life.
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In honor of Black History Month, we are celebrating with a special series called Black-Her-Story: Blackness from the Female Perspective. All month long, we will feature spoken word pieces, articles, interviews and poems from Black women in our online community. Make sure to subscribe to IridescentWomen.com so you don’t miss out on this phenomenal series. And the genius behind Black-Her-Story, as well as our bi-monthly Advocacy in Action resources is Kaylee Morgan. Kaylee is a dear friend of ours, teammate and the director of our Advocacy in Action. In this episode, we wanted to give you the opportunity to hear more from Kaylee. In this interview, Kaylee shares how her passion for advocacy started, what advocacy in action means, and how she has navigated the last couple of years with faith and hope.
Kaylee Morgan is a small-town gal from Missouri that now calls the city of Atlanta her home. She is a writer who loves to laugh, listen to music, and has a heart that burns for the next generation. Kaylee is extremely passionate about championing racial justice and gospel-centered unity through education and information. She serves as the Youth and University Program Manager at Be the Bridge, an organization empowering people toward racial healing, equity, and reconciliation. Last but not least, let it be known that Kaylee is the Spice Girls #1 fan.
This episode will inform you, inspire and equip you to pursue racial reconciliation and justice in your sphere of influence!
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We are ringing in the new year with brand new episodes of Season 4 of The Iridescent Podcast! Kicking off our 2022 lineup is this honest and inspiring interview with special guest Deborah Rhodes. Deborah is an ordained minister in the Wesleyan Church and Co-Lead Pastor of Parkside Church in Greenville, South Carolina, along with her husband Matt. They have a 10 year old daughter, Annabeth, and a very spoiled miniature Schnauzer named Scout. Deborah is also the host of The Little Space Podcast. She is passionately about helping couples flourish in their marriages, and in this interview we discussed the challenges couples face today.
We also discuss how to improve communication in relationships, and practical ways to cultivate connection and intimacy. Deborah also unpacks what she has learned working and leading with her husband. Bonus: Deborah talks candidly about the grit and grace she’s developed working and leading in an often male-dominated space.
Whatever your relationship status, this episode will encourage you, while providing you with insights to strengthen your relationships!
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We are so thrilled to bring you this in-person interview with author, speaker, and brilliant mind Andi Andrew. With the release of her latest book, Friendship: It’s Complicated, we dive into a conversation about all the ups and downs of friendship. Andi is also the author of She Is Free and Fake or Follower and is the founding pastor, with her husband, Paul, of the multisite Liberty Church, established in 2010. In 2015, she launched She Is Free, a movement that exists to equip and activate women to walk in freedom, spirit, soul, and body and see others set free in their sphere of influence. Currently Andi’s life is focused on raising her four kids in Brooklyn, writing, podcasting, building Liberty Church, and traveling to invest in churches and lives all around the world.
During this interview we discuss how to address the “woman wounds” we experience, and how to ditch self-preservation in our friendships with wisdom and vulnerability. Andi also unpacks the crucial role recovery plays in the health of our relationships, plus how to express healthy expectations in friendships and avoid needless drama along the way.
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We are so thrilled to bring you this in-person interview with returning guest Andrea Montalvo. Prepare yourself for a major dose of wisdom, encouragement, and laughter! Andrea is an entrepreneur, athlete, fitness expert, and mother. She’s the founder of Embrace Mvmnt, a faith-integrated online fitness program that helps you prioritize both health for your body and health for your soul daily in under an hour. Andrea resides in Astoria, Queens with her husband Pete, her baby boy James, and their big red Goldendoodle named Denver.
During this interview we discuss the realities of women’s bodies postpartum, lessons in motherhood, the connection between fitness and faith, and what it really takes to build a business from the ground up. This episode will give you tools to prioritize your wellness, navigate transitions with grace and maturity, and pursue your calling with resilience and joy.
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We are just a couple weeks away from Thanksgiving here in the U.S., and then, of course, the Christmas season and Hanukkah, and lots of festivities, traditions, family gatherings, shopping and all the things, right?
There’s something magical about this time of year, but often receiving and giving love, hope, joy, peace during the holidays is easier said than done. Quickly this time of year can feel like ‘tis the season to feel stressed out, anxious, lonely, depressed, frustrated by family, disappointed and broke or in debt.
In our latest bonus episode, co-hosts Nicole Smithee and Alexandra Brown explore:
How to address grief, loss and depression this time of year How to manage stress What to do when family dynamics are less than ideal How to draw near to God this season Ways to care for yourself during this often timeWhether you are thrilled for the holidays to come, feeling lots of mixed emotions, or already stressed out by your holiday to-do list, this episode will provide practical ways to make the most of this season while prioritizing your mental health.
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