This episode wraps up my very first season as a podcaster, and the first 18 episodes of Permission Slips! After four months of producing an episode every week, I've learned a lot about the process—and about myself. Listen in for my reflections on 7 things I've learned on this podcasting journey, which I hope will also encourage you in whatever new thing you're beginning, too!

Thanks for listening to Permission Slips, friends. I'm taking the summer to rest and dream, but I'm already looking forward to being back with you here again in the fall! Until then, may we all give ourselves permission to rest, so that we might be restored, refueled, and re-energized for what's ahead!

“Leadership by its definition requires influence. Influence requires trust. You’re not going to lead anybody if they don’t trust you.” — Dr. James B. Avey

This was more than a conversation about the mechanics of leadership—it was about how to be the kind of human that lives intentionally, loves others well, and as a result, impacts the world for good.

Join me as I talk with my good friend, who also happens to be a highly respected researcher, distinguished professor, and sought after leadership expert, Dr. James Avey! Grab a pen, because this conversation is chock-full of wisdom for anyone who has influence on others—which is all of us.

We cover a lot in this episode, including:

• Counting the cost of leadership and prioritizing the things that matter most—especially those closest to you
• Clearly defining what it means to “win” by identifying your unique values
• Defining what leadership is and the difference between positional power and personal power
• Why trust is the foundation of leadership and the 3 components that lead to trust
• The connection between trust and vulnerability and how they influence each other
• How we’ve each experienced the generosity of benevolent leaders—and how it changed us
• The importance of clear vision, especially for leaders without positional power
• The power of calling people up and helping them see that they matter in order for a vision to become reality
• How feedback and recognition make people feel seen, valued, and heard—at very little cost to you.

James B. Avey holds a Ph.D. in Leadership, Human Resource Management and Organizational Behavior from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He is currently a Distinguished Professor of Research and Professor of Management in the College of Business at Central Washington University and previously in engineering human resource management at The Boeing Company. He is one of the most prolifically cited scientists in his field. His work has appeared in top scientific outlets including Journal of Management, Journal of Business Ethics and Personnel Psychology as well as popular news outlets such as the Wall Street Journal and The Huffington Post. You can connect with him on LinkedIn.

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Stay connected:

• Connect with Jillian on Instagram or Facebook or sign up for the monthly Permission Slips email newsletter!
• Want to book Jillian to speak or work with her as your coach? Learn more on her website.
• Subscribe to Permission Slips so you never miss an episode, and please share or review this podcast to help others find it!

“We have to be the resilient ones. We are the ones who have to be resilient in order to fight through the obstacles on behalf of our next generation.” -Dr. Tanita Maddox

Gen Z is navigating a landscape that is vastly different than the one most of us grew up in. These "digital natives" live in an online world with cultural norms and language they speak fluently—one that many older folks often struggle to learn.

Whether you’re a parent, teacher, employer, or anyone else interacting with young people born between the years 1997 to 2012, this episode is for you! My good friend, Dr. Tanita Maddox, lets us into her research on the questions Gen Z is asking about life and faith. What she shared brought us both to tears at different points—because Gen Z needs us to show up for them, no matter how uncomfortable we feel.

As Tanita shared in this episode, “If it’s hard, it doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong. It’s just hard, period.” I hope this episode equips and inspires you to fight for connection with a generation that needs us, just as much as we need them. Listen in as we talk about things like:

• What sets Gen Z apart from previous generations, especially in their relationship with technology
• The 7 big questions this generation is asking, and what's underneath each one
• What Gen Z wants to know about life and faith—and why it's important to admit we don't have all the answers
• Why mental health isn’t about feeling good and happy all the time
• How our listening needs to change if we want to communicate with digital natives effectively
• Questions we can ask to connect with our kids in a way that makes them feel heard
• Why we need to be the resilient ones to fight on behalf of our next generation

Born and raised in Arizona, Tanita now serves with Young Life as the Interim Spokane director and as the national director for generational impact. Since 1998, she has worked directly with adolescents and young adults, still serving as a volunteer Young Life leader. She completed a Masters of Christian Leadership from Fuller Theological Seminary and Doctorate of Ministry at Phoenix Seminary, where her doctoral thesis was in sharing the gospel with Generation Z. She has been married to W. Ashley since 2005, and they have two sons. Their family enjoys watching major league baseball, and their favorite team is the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Pre-order What Gen Z Really Wants to Know About God: Seven Questions About Life and Faith
• Connect with Dr. Tanita Maddox at tanitamaddox.com or on Instagram @drtanitamaddox
• The Coddling of the American Mind by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathon Haidt
• The Emotional Lives of Teenagers by Lisa Demour, Ph.D.

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Stay connected:

• Connect with Jillian on Instagram or Facebook or sign up for the monthly Permission Slips email newsletter!
• Want to book Jillian to speak or work with her as your coach? Learn more on her website.
• Subscribe to Permission Slips so you never miss an episode, and please share or review this podcast to help others find it!

Nothing triggers a battle with body shame like swimsuit season. (Ask me how I know.) As we enter into summer, I hope this conversation with my dear friend, Brandi Hyatt, will give you permission to treat your body with more kindness and compassion—and to reject any lies that tell you your size is your measure of worth.

This episode felt more vulnerable than usual, as Brandi turned the tables on me at one point and asked me questions about my current struggle in my relationship with my body—then helps me work through this raw, in-process part of my journey in real time!

Brandi is a certified yoga instructor who has played an instrumental role in helping me see myself and my body with greater gentleness. She guides people through what she calls “sacred yoga,” which integrates faith-centered meditation and traditional yoga movements for an embodied worship experience that strengthens the body, mind, and soul.

Listen in to our conversation as we share about:

• How learning to listen to the voice of God has strengthened us both in our fight against body shame
• The connection between our physical, embodied experience and our spiritual sense of connection with God
• Why we might need to go back into our stories to identify the narrative we’ve learned to believe about our bodies
• The grit required to actively resist the voices that tell us lies about who we are
• Ideas for when we need to borrow the words of others until we believe God's words for ourselves
• How yoga can be a tool to integrate your heart, mind, body, and soul for an embodied faith in Jesus
• Permission to disagree with lies and tune into the One who knows you and loves you as you are

If you find this episode helpful, you might also appreciate the episode on "Rejecting Diet Culture and Body Shame" with Rachel Kulcsar

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Stay connected:

• Connect with Jillian on Instagram or Facebook or sign up for the monthly Permission Slips email newsletter!
• Want to book Jillian to speak or work with her as your coach? Learn more on her website.
• Subscribe to Permission Slips so you never miss an episode, and please share or review this podcast to help others find it!

What if God is kinder, gentler, and more present than you can imagine? Join me for this conversation with spiritual director, Kari Mirro, as we explore the gift of spiritual companionship on our journeys of discerning the presence and activity of God in our actual lives.

Listen in as we talk about our spiritual journeys, including:

• The role of a spiritual director and how they hold a non-judgmental space to help you notice the movement of God in your life
• Opening ourselves up to people we trust to help us navigate the gap between our head and our heart—or our heart and our head
• Why we need other people to walk with us on the journey of spiritual formation
• How everyone’s perception and experience of God is different, but why we can still relax with those whose journeys look different than ours
• How paying attention to our longing might allow us to get curious about God’s invitations
• The role our imagination might play in allowing us to experience the kindness, gentleness, and compassion of God

You can connect with Kari via email, learn more about spiritual direction on her website, or on Instagram @direction_with_kari.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• The Art of Christian Listening - by Thomas
• "Practicing a Posture of Unreasonable Hospitality" podcast episode

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Stay connected:

• Connect with Jillian on Instagram or Facebook or sign up for the monthly Permission Slips email newsletter!
• Want to book Jillian to speak or work with her as your coach? Learn more on her website.
• Subscribe to Permission Slips so you never miss an episode, and please share or review this podcast to help others find it!

What might happen if you made space to look at your life from a different perspective? What if you carved out time to reflect on your values, priorities, and dreams? Join my friend and International Coaching Federation certified coach, Jesse Aguero, and I as we explore how coaching allows us to live with greater purpose, clarity, confidence, and joy!

Listen to this conversation as we talk about:

• How coaching is like working with a travel agent, Uber driver, and mining for treasure
• Why creating space to find clarity is one of the best gifts you can give yourself
• How our self-leadership affects our leadership of others—and why healthy people make healthy leaders
• Choosing to be intentional about how we want to spend our lives when we have so much coming at us
• The power of asking questions that allow us to prioritize what matters most
• The difference between coaching and counseling (or consulting or mentoring)
• Ideas to integrate a “coaching approach” into your leadership or parenting

Jesse Aguero is a professional certified coach who has worked with clients from all around the world, helping them navigate life and leadership challenges. He received his Advanced Certification in Transitional Coaching through Western Seminary and his Associate Certified Coach (ACC) Credential through the International Coaching Federation (ICF). With 30 years in executive leadership, 25 years of marriage, and 18 years of parenting, he’s been equipped with a wide variety of tools to help leaders grow and move forward with a clear vision.

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Stay connected:

• Learn more about coaching with Jesse on his website.
• Connect with Jillian on Instagram or Facebook or sign up for the monthly Permission Slips email newsletter!
• Want to book Jillian to speak or work with her as your coach? Learn more on her website.
• Subscribe to Permission Slips so you never miss an episode, and please share or review this podcast to help others find it!