Soul Care Conversations

Writing for the Soul w/ Shawn Smucker

37 min · 2. Apr. 2026
Episode Writing for the Soul w/ Shawn Smucker Cover

Beschreibung

In this episode of SoulCare Conversations, Mindy Caliguire is joined by author, bookstore owner, and longtime friend of SoulCare, Shawn Smucker. They discuss Shawn’s diverse career as a writer and entrepreneur, and explore how he maintains the well-being of his soul amidst the challenges of life and business.Topics Covered:The Power of Books: Shawn shares his lifelong love for reading and his belief in the unique, intimate impact a well-written book can have on a person's life compared to other forms of media.Facing "Soul Crashes": Shawn opens up about a particularly suffocating season in 2014 when the pressures of managing a new business, raising six children, and experiencing family loss led him to a breaking point.Practices for Resilience: To navigate difficult times, Shawn relies on the strength of his local community and a consistent daily habit of physical handwriting in a journal to process his concerns.The Journey to Becoming a Writer: Shawn discusses his transition to full-time writing in 2009, his experience with co-writing and ghostwriting, and the inspiration behind his first novel, The Day the Angels Fell.Creativity and Soul Care: The conversation touches on the importance of creating without being fixated on outcomes, treating the first draft like a personal journal entry to serve one's own soul rather than just commercial success.Building Community Through Independent Bookstores: Shawn shares the story of purchasing "Nooks" and the vital role physical bookstores play in fostering cross-cultural conversations and "co-regulating" in a disembodied digital age.Shawn's Substack: https://substack.com/@shawnsmuckerBookstore: Nooks Gallery (Instagram: @noooooks)Support Local Bookstores: bookshop.org/shop/nooks

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Episode Flourishing at The Intersection of Faith and Work w/ Steve French Cover

Flourishing at The Intersection of Faith and Work w/ Steve French

In this episode of Soul Care Conversations, Mindy Caliguire is joined by Steve French to explore the profound connection between spiritual formation and leadership in the marketplace. From high-stakes leadership in New York City to his work with the Harvard Human Flourishing Program, Steve shares insights on why the marketplace is a high calling and how practices like journaling, community, and humility are essential for a leader’s soul. In this episode, we discuss: The research behind human flourishing and why work is a vital pathway for it. A fresh perspective on Luke 5 and what it means to turn "ownership" over to God. The transformative power of forgiveness in professional environments. Practical rhythms for maintaining spiritual health in high-pressure roles. Chapters:0:00 — Introduction & Steve's Background 3:05 — Harvard Human Flourishing Program 7:26 — LifeWork Leadership Origin Story 11:31 — Faith, Work & the Purpose of Profit 14:14 — Jesus, Peter & the Theology of Business (Luke 5) 17:25 — Surrendering Ownership — What 'Leaving Everything' Really Means 28:38 — Soul Care in High-Stakes Leadership 29:31 — Spiritual Practices: Journaling, Community & Daily Surrender 36:08 — Leading The King's College Through Crisis 49:21 — Leadership Trauma & the Resistance to Receiving Care 1:08:39 — The Forgiveness Research — Its Impact on Flourishing 1:15:04 — Barna's Kinnaman: Work as the Last Institution People Haven't Given Up On 1:17:08 — Final Challenge: The Practice of Humility Resources Mentioned: LX Partners: https://lxpartners.org Harvard Human Flourishing Program: https://hfh.fas.harvard.edu Barna Group: https://barna.com Soul Care: https://soulcare.com Prayer of Surrender: Jesus,  i am a humble, lowly servant Take me; take all of me. Add anything, take anything away With any cost, with any price. Make me Yours completely, wholly. May i not be remembered for the shape of my face, or the way i wear my hair, or the people i know,  or the crowds i’ve addressed.  May i be known for loving You.  For carrying a dream.  For building bridges to the lost, and broken and hurting in this world.  May i live this day as if Jesus were in my place.  May everything accomplished in my simple life bring honor and glory to You.  Take my human faults and failures, and use them to remind those who know me  that only You are God, and i will always just be  (your name here). Connect with Steve French: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-french-0272b35/Facebook (LX Partners): https://www.facebook.com/LXPartners/ #SoulCare #Leadership #FaithAndWork #HumanFlourishing #SpiritualFormation #MarketplaceMinistry

25. Juni 20261 h 20 min
Episode The Performance Treadmill: Why High-Achievers Struggle with Stillness w/ Geneviève Kroeker Cover

The Performance Treadmill: Why High-Achievers Struggle with Stillness w/ Geneviève Kroeker

In this episode, Mindy Caliguire sits down with Geneviève Kroeker, a leader at the CEO Forum, to discuss the often-isolated world of high-level executives and the transformative power of spiritual formation.   Geneviève Kroeker Geneviève shares her personal journey from a "conversational relationship" with God into a profound season of silence and physical suffering, revealing how God meets us in the "mud" of life to build a foundation deeper than surface-level success or "A + B = C" formulas. Chapters: 01:30 - Introductions and the "Unicorn" Reality of Marketplace Leaders 10:12 - Spiritual Formation in the Boardroom 12:12 - A Conversational Relationship with God 19:10 - When the Bottom Falls Out: Suffering and Disruption 29:58 - The Disorienting Silence of God 35:09 - Breaking the Spiritual Formula: Moving Beyond A + B = C 39:58 - The Solid Rock and Secondary Visions 43:03 - Practicing Stillness and Facilitating Encounters 50:21 - The Power of Vulnerability and Self-Disclosure 58:04 - The Ministry of Presence and the Unanxious Leader 01:05:27 - Looking Ahead and Closing Prayer Resources Mentioned: The CEO Forum: An organization serving CEOs and senior executives of companies with $100M+ in annual revenue. Books:   - This Too Shall Last by K.J. Ramsey.   - A Grace Disguised: How the Soul Grows Through Loss by Jerry Sitzer.   - Pain: The Gift Nobody Wants by Dr. Paul Brand and Philip Yancey.   - A Failure of Nerve: Leadership in the Age of the Quick Fix by Edwin Friedman.     Music/Hymns:   - On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand.   - Be Thou My Vision.

18. Juni 20261 h 12 min
Episode The Cost of "Yes" w/ Grant + Cheyanne Skeldon Cover

The Cost of "Yes" w/ Grant + Cheyanne Skeldon

In this episode of the Soul Care Conversations Podcast, host Mindy Caliguire sits down with Grant and Cheyanne Skeldon to discuss the unique challenges facing high-capacity leaders in the modern age. They explore the intersection of spiritual formation and mission-driven leadership, specifically addressing how young leaders can navigate the pressures of the digital world without sacrificing their inner health. Grant shares his personal journey through burnout and a pivotal "second salvation" in his leadership health, while Cheyenne provides insights into using life planning and frameworks to find an activated, sustainable rhythm for ministry. Chapters: 0:00 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9zm-zgPdfY] - Opening prayer and the "occupational risk" of ministry 2:51 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9zm-zgPdfY&t=171s] - Introducing Grant and Cheyenne Skeldon 4:18 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9zm-zgPdfY&t=258s] - Cheyanne's journey into spiritual formation and soul care 5:51 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9zm-zgPdfY&t=351s] - Grant's start in leadership and the "pity invite" that changed everything 11:03 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9zm-zgPdfY&t=663s] - The myth that leadership must be lonely 13:54 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9zm-zgPdfY&t=834s] - How soul care impacts personal relationships and shared ministry 1 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9zm-zgPdfY&t=1062s]7:42 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9zm-zgPdfY&t=1062s] - Biblical perspective: Was the Apostle Paul a healthy leader? 20:56 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9zm-zgPdfY&t=1256s] - The Mustang vs. the Turtle: Finding your natural pace 23:05 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9zm-zgPdfY&t=1385s] - What is Life Planning? Using a lattice for personal growth 28:56 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9zm-zgPdfY&t=1736s] - The power of noticing and the Culture Index assessment 32:18 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9zm-zgPdfY&t=1938s] - Reaching Gen Z: Big brother/sister seasons and new workshops 40:35 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9zm-zgPdfY&t=2435s] - Diagnosing burnout across four life domains 46:31 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9zm-zgPdfY&t=2791s] - Why processing the modern world in four-second clips leads to exhaustion 53:38 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9zm-zgPdfY&t=3218s] - The Brazil Story: When high-capacity leadership hits a breaking point 1:01:42 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9zm-zgPdfY&t=3702s] - Final thoughts on maintaining a healthy interior life Resources Mentioned: - The Patterson Center (Life Planning process) https://patersoncenter.com/ - Culture Index (Personality and work wiring assessment) https://www.cultureindex.com/ - The Emotionally Healthy Leader by Pete Scazzero https://www.amazon.com/Emotionally-Healthy-Leader-Transforming-Transform/dp/0310494575 - THINQ (Gabe Lyons) https://thinqmedia.com/ - Barna Group (David Kinnaman) https://www.barna.com/ - Way Church Nashville https://www.waychurch.com/ - Five-Fold Survey (APEST assessment) https://fivefoldministry.com/ - Jason Jackson (Gen Z Christian content creator) https://www.instagram.com/thejasonjacksonjr/?hl=en

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Episode Choosing Hope - Navigating the AI Frontier w/ Daniel Norris Cover

Choosing Hope - Navigating the AI Frontier w/ Daniel Norris

In this episode, we sit down with Daniel Norris, a missionary, technophile, and HubSpot solutions partner who has been a vital part of the Soul Care team for over five years. Daniel shares his unique journey - from growing up in a missionary family in New Zealand and Hawaii to pioneering youth ministries in Australia.We dive deep into the intersection of technology and faith, discussing Daniel’s recent experiments with "vibe coding" AI-driven apps and his philosophy of "human-finished" work. We also explore the critical importance of healthy rhythms, the courage it takes to advocate for a sabbatical, and the power of consistency in a high-stakes, digital world.Chapters:00:00 - Welcome and Introduction to Daniel Norris00:56 - The LinkedIn Layover: How the Partnership Started02:51 - A Kiwi Upbringing: Growing up in Global Missions06:59 - Finding Faith and Surfing in Australia10:14 - Early Technophile: Building Websites and Editing Video in 200213:50 - Influencing Youth Culture: Pioneering Youth Street17:42 - The "Plentiful Harvest": The Need for Multiplying Ministry21:32 - Communication vs. Noise: Learning to Value Feedback26:38 - Marriage and the Gift of Slowing Down31:24 - The Sabbatical Decision: Choosing Obedience over Policy41:34 - Soul Care’s Evolution: From Vision to Impact44:33 - Navigating the AI Frontier: Choosing Hope over Doom55:25 - The Framework: Human-Inspired, AI-Assisted, Human-Finished57:57 - Vibe Coding: Building Apps at the Speed of Thought01:09:10 - The Master Craftsman: Precision, Logic, and Innovation01:16:38 - Saying "No" to Good for Great: Leadership Principles01:23:23 - Consistency as a 40th Year Milestone01:26:06 - How to Connect with DanielResources Mentioned:Soul Care Journal App: A digital companion to the physical 90-day journal.https://apps.apple.com/us/app/soul-care-journal/id6760571093Dialed Shots App: Daniel's custom-built espresso logging app for coffee enthusiasts. https://apps.apple.com/kz/app/dialed-shots/id6760679055Culture Index: The personality assessment identifying Daniel as a "Master Craftsman".https://www.cultureindex.com/HubSpot: The platform where Daniel serves as a Solutions Partner.Claude (Anthropic): The AI tool Daniel recommends for its advanced coding and reasoning capabilities.https://app.hubspot.com/Connect with Daniel: Visit danielnorris.com or find him on LinkedIn.https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielrnorris/

4. Juni 20261 h 28 min
Episode The Ezra Year : Hardwiring Soul Care into Your Org w/ David Zimmerman Cover

The Ezra Year : Hardwiring Soul Care into Your Org w/ David Zimmerman

In this episode of Soul Care Conversations, host Mindy Caliguire sits down with David Zimmerman, publisher at NavPress, to discuss the intersection of leadership, organizational identity, and personal soul care. David shares the journey of leading NavPress through an "Ezra Year" of restoration and explains how "The Message" paraphrase of the Bible continues to shape their mission today.* Episode Chapters 00:00 – Behind the scenes and setup 01:41 – Welcome David Zimmerman, Publisher at NavPress 03:41 – The history and mission of NavPress 06:49 – Connecting with The Message Bible 14:23 – Finding yourself: Insights from The Message 18:48 – The dangers of comparison in leadership 23:02 – Announcement: *Ignite Your Soul* now in Spanish 26:52 – Navigating identity: The "Ezra Year" at NavPress 32:27 – Bold, Loving, and Sensible: A new tagline 37:46 – Leading through crisis: Global supply chains and contracts 42:32 – Overcoming isolation: Therapy, coaching, and spiritual direction 48:42 – Standing fearless on the "Cliff Edge of Doom" 52:27 – The power of play: From sitcom readings to the ukulele 56:45 – Closing thoughts and book giveaway Resources Mentioned Book: Ignite Your Soul by Mindy Caliguire. https://www.soulcare.com/ignite-your-soul Spanish Edition: Enciende tu Alma.https://www.amazon.com/-/es/Mindy-Caliguire/dp/B0FD7R14KB Bible Translation: The Message by Eugene Peterson.https://messagebible.com/ NavPress: The publishing ministry of The Navigators.https://www.navpress.com/ Church Connect: Resource for churches to purchase books in bulk.https://www.church-connect.com/ Connect with the Guest David Zimmerman: Find him on LinkedIn for his weekly "Monday in The Message" posts. https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-zimmerman-6410a03/ NavPress: Visit (http://NavPress.com) or follow them on social media.

28. Mai 202659 min