Can Women Be Leaders?
She Leads Podcast Episode 2: Behind the Scenes
The She Leads journey began for me with the realization I wasn’t getting what I needed. As an avid podcast listener, consuming hundreds of hours of ministry leadership conversations, tips, tricks and stories from mostly male voices, I found myself longing to hear someone who sounded a bit more like me. Sure, the men shared great stories of inspiration, clarity and how to build a church truly focused on serving the community, and I needed to hear a woman’s perspective, insight and encouragement. While the best ministry podcasts had women on as guests, every once in a while, I found myself noticing a huge gap when it came to women sharing their experience in leadership, faith and relationships, especially in the podcast space.
So, I decided to fill it and launched She Leads, a place for honest conversations about leadership, faith and relationships from a woman’s perspective. With the Pearland Podcast Studio team on board (read about their incredible support here) and our first season’s contract in place, She Leads was born and my first guest booked: Nikki Gage!
Nikki and I were partners in ministry at Redeemer Church, both on staff and both devoted to building firm family foundations of faith. We also both answered calls into ministry, despite being women, trusting God could lead even through imperfect people like us with real history. Sharing leadership with Nikki was always exciting, encouraging and a good time. I always felt blessed to have someone so much like me on my team, especially when the going got rough. More so, watching Nikki step into bigger and bigger roles, as woman and fabulous leader, was inspiring to see. I knew right away I had to have her on the podcast to share her story.
In our conversation, Nikki shared her journey into leadership, what it was like to learn to lead beyond family ministry, including preach, as well as why she believed God chose women to lead. While I knew most of Nikki’s faith and leadership story, I didn’t know how much my life would be enriched by hearing it again and being trusted to share such a powerful testimony with my friend. We discussed great leadership failures and wins which usually came from sitting across from others sharing the journey and making new friends. Our conversation spilled into what we both hoped for future female leaders: our peers, teens and young girls discovering and stepping into leadership in new ways.
Nikki shared one of her greatest hopes is that young girls today don’t have to learn how to take off their masks and step into something new, but instead, never put on the masks to begin with or doubt what they are able to do. Oh, how I also pray that is true.
Sharing my new passion project with my dear friend was a special treat and safe way for me to learn how to invite others into the She Leads space (like be sure they know there will be audio and video recording.) What it really began to help me see was the power in women sharing their stories, telling their truth and inspiring others to never stop believing in what they can do, even when other’s don’t.
I am grateful to my dear friend Nikki, willing to take a risk and try something new with me, yet again. I am also blessed to share this conversation and others through the She Leads podcast, again and again.
Listen in to be encouraged and discover more powerful stories of what happens when incredible women dare to lead.
Check out Nikki’s episode, “Can Women Be Leaders?” and share with a friend who needs reminding they too can do incredible things!