What does it really mean to be present — not just busy, polished, productive, or professionally “fine”?

In this episode of The Heather Petero Show, Heather sits down with Reverend James Williams, Senior Pastor of Grace Resurrection Methodist Church and author of The Present Pastor: Step Off the Stage and Learn to Lead Like Jesus.

They talk about presence over performance, servant leadership, church culture, burnout, and why people need more than polished programs — they need relationship. They also get into koi ponds, 70s TV commercials, Captain and Tennille, and James’s bold claim that no good music happened after 1989. Heather has questions.

This episode is for pastors, leaders, teachers, parents, creatives, and anyone who needs the reminder that the people in front of us are not interruptions to the mission.

Very often, they are the mission.

Connect with James Williams:
Facebook & Instagram: @rev.jamesiv
Book: The Present Pastor
Church: Grace Resurrection Methodist Church

We would love to hear from you!

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What happens when a seriously stressed-out high school English teacher burns out and ends up building an extraordinary life teaching guitar?

In this episode, Heather talks with Rob Hampton — teacher, entrepreneur, and all-around delight — about how he went from burnout to building something truly special in music education. Rob has taught everyone from four-year-olds to Fortune 500 CEOs, helped over 29 million guitarists, and built a career rooted in joy, grit, and real intention.

They talk about building something amazing, helping everyday people have extraordinary experiences making music, student breakthroughs, AI, chronic pain, creativity, and one very specific grammatical hill Rob is fully prepared to die on.

It’s smart, funny, thoughtful, and full of heart.

We would love to hear from you!

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What do you do when life changes in a second? In this episode, Heather sits down with Carter Viss — marine biologist, founder of the Carter Viss Foundation, co-author of Found in the Wake, and one-handed pianist — for a conversation about survival, recovery, advocacy, music, and meaning. They talk about the accident that changed his life, the people who helped save him, the work he’s doing to make waters safer, and the creativity and purpose that kept unfolding after everything changed.

We would love to hear from you!

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Facebook: @theheatherpeteroshow

What happens when people choose to show up in places most of the world would rather avoid?

In this episode, Heather talks with Walter Straham and Rosa Fossett-Gilbert of Kairos Prison Ministry about prison ministry, Kairos Outside, and the quiet weight carried by families and loved ones on the outside. This conversation goes beyond labels and assumptions into something much more human: dignity, compassion, second chances, and the power of simply being there.

Walter shares how one phrase — adding value — shaped his path into ministry with incarcerated men and youth. Rosa opens up about attending a Kairos Outside weekend as a guest before returning to serve women whose lives have been impacted by incarceration.

This is a conversation about grace in hard places, hope for people who feel forgotten, and why no one should have to carry pain alone.

We would love to hear from you!

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In this rich and personal conversation, Heather sits down with award-winning artist, songwriter, author, speaker, and mentor Babbie Mason to talk about calling, staying power, and the songs that live far beyond the moment they were written.

From her early years as a preacher’s kid and teacher, to writing songs the church still sings, Babbie shares what it means to stay rooted while the world keeps changing the packaging. Heather and Babbie talk about legacy, songwriting, grief, hospitality, mentoring, public ministry, private faith, and the kind of life that is built over time—with truth, faithfulness, and an open door.

Heather also shares a deeply personal connection: how a songwriting class with Babbie became part of her own grieving journey after the loss of her mother.

This is a conversation about more than music.
It’s about healing.
It’s about calling.
It’s about creating from a place that reaches people.
And it’s about what happens when a life of faith becomes a life of fruit.

We would love to hear from you!

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Born into one of America’s most recognizable legacy families, Lisa Popeil went on to build an extraordinary career all her own — as a singer, performer, researcher, author, and highly respected celebrity vocal coach.

This week on The Heather Petero Show, Heather welcomes Lisa Popeil, creator of the Voiceworks Method, for a rich conversation about voice, artistry, legacy, and impact. They explore Lisa’s unique family background, her years working at a high level in the music world, including time with Frank Zappa and “Weird Al” Yankovic, and the teaching philosophy that has shaped singers for decades.

It’s a thoughtful and engaging episode about excellence, expression, personal growth, and the ripple effect of a life poured into helping others find their voice.

Don’t miss this conversation with a woman whose influence reaches far beyond the spotlight.

We would love to hear from you!

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What happens when people stop skimming, stop reacting, and actually listen?

My guest is Bunni Pounds, and we’re talking about America Reads the Bible—a major public event in Washington, D.C. happening April 18–25, 2026, with an opening celebration on April 18 and a full week of public Bible reading at the Museum of the Bible from April 19 through 25. The event’s official materials describe nearly 500 readers and more than 475 leaders, with the reading livestreamed nationally on Great American Pure Flix.

But this conversation is about more than one event.

We talk about why reading great books still matters, why ancient texts still shape modern lives, and what happens to a culture when people lose the habit of reading deeply. We talk about the Bible not only as sacred Scripture for millions, but also as one of the most historically influential texts in the world—one that has shaped language, literature, art, ethics, and public imagination for generations.

We also talk about the importance of honoring the Hebrew Scriptures—not as a mere prelude, but as ancient, sacred writings treasured in Jewish tradition for millennia, carrying memory, poetry, lament, covenant, wisdom, and hope. This is a conversation about history, heritage, reverence, and why reading foundational texts out loud still matters in a distracted age.

And yes, this is a big event. Public materials for the opening celebration name Patricia Heaton, Candace Cameron Bure, and Cameron and BJ Arnett, while broader event coverage also names readers and participants such as Danny Gokey, Meredith Andrews, Chonda Pierce, Kathy Ireland, Jen Lilley, Kevin Sorbo, Colton Dixon, John Cooper, Kim Walker-Smith, Leeland Mooring, Jennie Lee Riddle, Dallas Jenkins, and Andy Erwin.

It’s thoughtful, rich, historically grounded, and deeply timely.

We would love to hear from you!

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This week on The Heather Petero Show, Heather sits down with her dear friend Cathy Semeria for a conversation that is honest, strong, and deeply encouraging—especially for parents who have lost a child.

Cathy shares the story of her daughter, Christina “Tini” Semeria, who died in a tragic auto accident in 2016—an event that became national news at the time. But this episode isn’t about headlines. It’s about a daughter’s life, a family’s lived experience, and the kind of faith that can hold both grief and joy.

We talk about:

• Who Tini was (the real her—full of personality, faith, and creativity)
• How a parent survives the unthinkable
• Why joy isn’t the same as happiness—and how joy can still exist in sorrow
• Tini’s original song “Be Still” and why her voice is still speaking
• Warrior Moms: community for grieving mothers, plus the book Grieve Like a Mother, Survive Like a Warrior
• What’s next: Tini’s 7th Annual Spark in the Dark 5K and how you can show up, donate, go virtual, or volunteer

If you’ve ever loved someone through grief and felt helpless… this episode is your “do-something” moment.

Get involved / learn more:
Tini’s music + blog + legacy: https://christinasemeria.org/

Warrior Moms: https://warriormoms.me/

Spark in the Dark 5K registration: https://runsignup.com/Race/GA/Athens/TiniSemeriaSparkintheDark5kWalkRun

Instagram: @cathysemeria | @tinisparkinthedark

Until next time—stay creative and live on purpose.

We would love to hear from you!

Support the show

www.heatherpetero.com

Facebook: @theheatherpeteroshow