What if the biggest things holding you back from counseling…aren’t even true?

In this honest and hope-filled episode of the Collide Podcast, we sit down with counselor Carrie Cochran MA, LMHC, NCC to talk about the biggest myths that keep women from seeking counseling. From believing therapy is only for “serious problems” to fearing it means you’re weak or lacking faith, Carrie compassionately unpacks the lies that keep so many women stuck.

We talk about what actually happens when we ignore stress and trauma, how the nervous system holds unprocessed pain, and why your body may be signaling that it’s time for support. Carrie explains that therapy isn’t about changing who you are—it’s about uncovering your authentic self, the woman God created you to be before life layered on wounds and stress.

Whether you’re navigating anxiety, burnout, chronic stress, old trauma, or simply feeling “off,” this episode will remind you that you are worthy of healing—and that saying yes to help is an act of courage, not failure.

https://wecollide.net/books/collide/

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🎧 Listen and Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Amazon Music

🛍️ Shop for Good at the Collide Store

🎁Partner with Collide to impact lives with your financial gift.

💑Check out Collide’s website for info on upcoming conferences, events, and resources.

📲Follow Collide on Facebook and Instagram for encouragement, inspo and a fun peek into our ministry.

📰Plus, subscribe to our newsletter to stay up-to-date on all things Collide!

Mentioned in this episode:

New Book Release! Collide: Running into Healing When Life Hands You Hurt

Grab your copy today wherever books are sold.

Collide Book

What does it really look like to live out the love of Jesus in everyday life?

In this inspiring and often hilarious conversation, Willow sits down with bestselling author, attorney, and founder of Love Does, Bob Goff. Known for his joyful spirit and unconventional approach to faith, Bob shares stories and wisdom about living a life that moves from the sidelines to the field—where love becomes something we do, not just something we talk about.

Bob reflects on the power of availability, why influence matters, and how taking a genuine interest in people can transform relationships. Through stories about answering phone calls from strangers, building friendships across the world, and helping others pursue their dreams, he challenges us to live courageously and intentionally.

He also shares a powerful spiritual practice of looking into both the “eye of forgiveness” and the “eye of responsibility” in Jesus—reminding us that faith invites both grace and growth.

This episode will leave you encouraged to live boldly, love deeply, and take your faith off the bleachers and onto the field.

In This Episode, You’ll Hear About

1. Why Bob spends nights at Disneyland giving strangers a shortcut to the front of the line
2. Moving from watching life to actively participating in it
3. The difference between controlling outcomes and influencing people
4. Why being available might be one of the most powerful ways to love others
5. The importance of taking a genuine interest in people’s stories

About Bob Goff

Bob Goff is a New York Times bestselling author, attorney, and founder of the nonprofit Love Does. Known for his contagious joy and practical approach to faith, Bob has inspired millions through books like Love Does and his global work advocating for justice, education, and opportunity. His life message is simple but powerful: love isn’t just something we say—it’s something we do.

https://wecollide.net/books/collide/

https://wecollide.net/conferences/

Follow Willow: Website | Instagram | Facebook

🎧 Listen and Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Amazon Music

🛍️ Shop for Good at the Collide Store

🎁Partner with Collide to impact lives with your financial gift.

💑Check out Collide’s website for info on upcoming conferences, events, and resources.

📲Follow Collide on Facebook and Instagram for encouragement, inspo and a fun peek into our ministry.

📰Plus, subscribe to our newsletter to stay up-to-date on all things Collide!

Mentioned in this episode:

New Book Release! Collide: Running into Healing When Life Hands You Hurt

Grab your copy today wherever books are sold.

Collide Book

What if the pain you’ve tried to hide is the very place where Jesus wants to bring healing?

In this special takeover episode of the Collide Podcast, the mic flips as Collide team members Kenna, Kristen, and Michelle step in as hosts to interview founder Willow Weston about her new book, Collide: Running into Healing When Life Hands You Hurt.

Instead of asking the questions, Willow becomes the guest—sharing the deeply personal story behind the message she’s been living and teaching for years. From childhood wounds and the fear of telling her story, to the moment she realized unhealed pain can shape the way we love others, Willow opens up about the journey that led to writing this book.

Through years of ministry walking alongside women, she has witnessed how Jesus meets us in the hardest places of our stories—and how healing begins when we finally stop hiding our pain.

Whether you’re carrying wounds from long ago or navigating something painful right now, this conversation is a powerful reminder that you don’t have to walk through it alone.

Meet Willow Weston

Willow Weston is the founder of Collide, a ministry devoted to helping women experience healing through honest conversations about pain and faith. She is the author of Collide: Running into Healing When Life Hands You Hurt. For years, Willow has walked alongside women through classes, conferences, and mentoring—inviting them to bring their real stories to Jesus and experience His healing presence.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn

1. The powerful story behind Willow’s new book Collide
2. Why facing our wounds is the first step toward real healing
3. How sharing our stories can bring freedom and healing to others
4. What Willow has witnessed God do in the lives of women through the Collide ministry

How This Episode Will Encourage You

If you’ve ever wondered whether your pain is too messy, too old, or too small for God to care about, this episode will remind you that healing is possible. As Willow shares both her story and the stories of women she’s walked alongside, you’ll be encouraged to bring your own wounds to Jesus—and discover how He can transform pain into purpose.

https://wecollide.net/books/collide/

http://store.wecollide.net

Follow Willow: Website | Instagram | Facebook

🎧 Listen and Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Amazon Music

🛍️ Shop for Good at the Collide Store

🎁Partner with Collide to impact lives with your financial gift.

💑Check out Collide’s website for info on upcoming conferences, events, and resources.

📲Follow Collide on Facebook and Instagram for encouragement, inspo and a fun peek into our ministry.

📰Plus, subscribe to our newsletter to stay up-to-date on all things Collide!

Mentioned in this episode:

New Book Release! Collide: Running into Healing When Life Hands You Hurt

Grab your copy today wherever books are sold.

Collide Book

Have you slowly disappeared inside motherhood and wondering how to find yourself again?

In this honest and empowering episode of the Collide Podcast, we sit down with Alli Worthington to talk about what happens when moms lose themselves while raising their children. Alli shares about the silent resentment that can build when women never advocate for their own needs, the fear of being “selfish,” and why so many good moms secretly feel like they’re failing.

From the “Aunt Shirley” syndrome of over-giving to the emotional crash of the empty nest season, Alli offers practical wisdom on how to remain who God created you to be — even in the thick of carpool lines, laundry piles, and late-night worry.

Whether you’re exhausted with little ones, overwhelmed in the teenage years, or staring down a new season of transition, this episode will remind you that you are still called, still valuable, and still becoming.

Meet Alli Worthington

Alli Worthington is a bestselling author, speaker, business coach, and host of The Alli Worthington Show. She has written multiple books, including Remaining You While Raising Them, and has spent years coaching women in life and business. A mom of five boys and a passionate advocate for women’s emotional and spiritual health, Alli is dedicated to helping women break free from burnout, guilt, and limiting beliefs so they can step fully into their God-given calling.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

1. How to recognize the signs that you’ve lost yourself in motherhood
2. Why the fear of being selfish keeps so many moms stuck
3. The “magic question” every woman should ask herself daily
4. How to navigate transitions (like kids going to kindergarten or college) without losing your grounding
5. What to do when mom guilt feels overwhelming
6. How to discern between God’s conviction and the enemy’s shame
7. Why modeling self-worth teaches your kids their worth

How This Episode Will Encourage You

This conversation will help you release unrealistic expectations, quiet the voice of shame, and embrace a healthier, more joyful version of motherhood. You’ll be reminded that you don’t have to be perfect to be a great mom — and that taking care of yourself is not selfish, it’s essential.

If you’ve been gritting your teeth and telling everyone you’re “fine,” this episode is your permission to breathe, reset, and remember who you are.

https://wecollide.net/books/collide/

Follow Willow: Website | Instagram | Facebook

🎧 Listen and Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Amazon Music

🛍️ Shop for Good at the Collide Store

🎁Partner with Collide to impact lives with your financial gift.

💑Check out Collide’s website for info on upcoming conferences, events, and resources.

📲Follow Collide on Facebook and Instagram for encouragement, inspo and a fun peek into our ministry.

📰Plus, subscribe to our newsletter to stay up-to-date on all things Collide!

Mentioned in this episode:

New Book Release! Collide: Running into Healing When Life Hands You Hurt

Grab your copy today wherever books are sold.

Collide Book

What do you do when the miracle you’ve prayed for never comes?

In this honest and powerful episode of the Collide Podcast, we sit down with Rachel Wojo to talk about praying through heartbreak, anger, and unimaginable loss. After walking through 22 years of caring for her daughter Taylor, who suffered from a rare metabolic disorder known as Sanfilippo syndrome, Rachel faced every parent’s worst fear—and found that God was still present in the pain.

She shares about the years of pleading with God for healing, and the raw anger she brought to Him in prayer. Whether you’re navigating grief, wrestling with unanswered prayers, or wondering if God is still good in the middle of your circumstances, this episode will remind you that your prayers are not in vain—and that sometimes the miracle is a transformed heart.

Meet Rachel Wojo

Rachel Wojo is a bestselling author, speaker, and host of Untangling Prayer Podcast. After caring for her daughter Taylor for 22 years through a rare degenerative disorder, Rachel became passionate about helping others experience God’s presence in suffering. Through her new book Desperate Prayers, she encourages women to bring every emotion—anger, confusion, heartbreak—honestly before the Lord. Her story is a powerful testimony of faith refined through grief.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

1. Why it’s okay to bring your anger and “why” questions to God
2. How God often changes our hearts even when He doesn’t change our circumstances
3. What it looks like to experience a miracle that doesn’t match your expectations
4. How helping others in their pain can actually accelerate your own healing

How This Episode Will Encourage You

If you’ve ever felt disappointed by God… if grief catches you off guard in the middle of Target… if you’re afraid you’ll forget how much you need Him when life feels “good” again, this conversation will gently call you back to truth.

You’ll be reminded that suffering can tether you to Jesus, that desperate prayers are an invitation into deeper intimacy, and that nothing—not height, depth, grief, or unanswered prayers—can separate you from the love of God.

https://wecollide.net/books/collide/

Connect with Rachel - Website

Follow Willow: Website | Instagram | Facebook

🎧 Listen and Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Amazon Music

🛍️ Shop for Good at the Collide Store

🎁Partner with Collide to impact lives with your financial gift.

💑Check out Collide’s website for info on upcoming conferences, events, and resources.

📲Follow Collide on Facebook and Instagram for encouragement, inspo and a fun peek into our ministry.

📰Plus, subscribe to our newsletter to stay up-to-date on all things Collide!

Mentioned in this episode:

New Book Release! Collide: Running into Healing When Life Hands You Hurt

Grab your copy today wherever books are sold.

Collide Book

What if the walls in front of you aren’t proof that God has abandoned you, but evidence that He’s inviting you to trust Him deeper?

In this powerful and hope-filled episode of the Collide Podcast, we sit down with Heidi Lee Anderson to talk about what it looks like to follow God when life feels anything but easy. From a cancer diagnosis at 23 to lingering fears, unanswered questions, and the ongoing battle for peace, Heidi shares how God met her in the waiting—and how He still meets us when the “Promised Land” feels hard-won. She opens up about fear, faith, and learning to trade the lie that life should be effortless for the truth that Jesus has already overcome. Whether you’re facing uncertainty, exhaustion, or a season that feels like constant battle, this episode will remind you that God is still writing your story—and He is faithful to finish it.

Meet Heidi Lee Anderson

Heidi is a Bible teacher, speaker, author, and the founder of Heidi Lee Anderson Ministries. She’s the author of the devotional All In, All Yours, a 100-day chronological journey through the Promised Land that helps readers see how to seize, live, and rest in God’s best—even when life is hard. Heidi is passionate about helping women trade lies for truth and walk in the freedom and peace Jesus promises.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn

1. The difference between feeling fear and becoming fearful, and how to stop anxiety from defining you
2. How to navigate fear, anxiety, and uncertainty without letting them define or control you
3. What it looks like to trade the lie “life should be easier by now” for the truth that Jesus has already overcome
4. How God uses the hardest seasons of our lives to grow our faith and expand our spiritual territory
5. Why you can feel afraid without becoming afraid, and how that shift changes everything
6. Remembering what God has done in the past can give you the courage to keep going today

If you’re tired of feeling stuck in survival mode, waiting for the other shoe to drop, or wondering if you’ll ever experience the abundant life God promises—this conversation is for you.

Collide Conference for Women

https://wecollide.net/books/collide/

Connect with Heidi Lee - Website

Follow Willow: Website | Instagram | Facebook

🎧 Listen and Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Amazon Music

🛍️ Shop for Good at the Collide Store

🎁Partner with Collide to impact lives with your financial gift.

💑Check out Collide’s website for info on upcoming conferences, events, and resources.

📲Follow Collide on Facebook and Instagram for encouragement, inspo and a fun peek into our ministry.

📰Plus, subscribe to our newsletter to stay up-to-date on all things Collide!

Mentioned in this episode:

New Book Release! Collide: Running into Healing When Life Hands You Hurt

Grab your copy today wherever books are sold.

Collide Book

This episode originally aired in April 2023 and is being re-shared due to its continued impact.

What if letting go of control could actually set you free?

In this powerful episode of the Collide Podcast, we sit down with Tara Sun, author, podcaster and speaker, to talk about the challenges of control, independence, and self-sufficiency. Tara invites us to examine the ways we try to manage life on our own and offers practical insights for surrendering our story to God. Whether you struggle with perfectionism, fear of uncertainty, or the desire to do it all yourself, this episode will inspire you to cultivate a deeper dependence on God that leads to freedom and peace.

Meet Tara

Tara Sun is the author of Surrender Your Story and the host of the Truth Talks with Tara podcast. She is passionate about helping others experience freedom through trusting God, letting go of control, and embracing His guidance. Tara’s story and teaching are a powerful reminder that true strength is found not in independence, but in reliance on God’s wisdom and timing.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn

1. How the need for control can limit your freedom and growth
2. Why surrendering your story is a path to peace and trust in God
3. Practical ways to let go of self-sufficiency and lean into God’s guidance
4. How dependence on God transforms your perspective, priorities, and daily life

How This Episode Will Encourage You

If you’ve ever felt burdened by the pressure to manage everything yourself, this episode will challenge and inspire you to release control and trust God fully. You’ll be reminded that letting go isn’t weakness—it’s the gateway to freedom, peace, and a life anchored in His grace.

Personal and Powerful Bible Study - Explores how God shows up in our lives in ways that are both deeply personal and undeniably powerful.

Connect with Tara - Website | Instagram

Connect with Willow - Website | Instagram | Facebook

Follow and Support Collide

🌐 Visit our website for upcoming conferences, helpful resources, and encouragement for women pursuing healing, purpose, and deeper faith.

📲 Follow along on Facebook and Instagram

🛍️ Shop for good at the Collide Store

💛 Give today online or Venmo to impact lives

📬 Subscribe to our Newsletter and be the first to hear about new episodes, blog posts, events, and resources and more!

Mentioned in this episode:

New Book Release! Collide: Running into Healing When Life Hands You Hurt

Grab your copy today wherever books are sold.

Collide Book

Join us in Portland!

Join us for our upcomming Collide Conference for Women in Portland! Get your tickets today!

Collide Conference for Women

What do you do when life changes in an instant—and you’re left holding grief while still caring for others?

In this deeply compassionate episode of the Collide Podcast, we sit down with Clarissa Moll, grief advocate, author, and widow, to talk honestly about loss, parenting through grief, and finding hope when the future feels unrecognizable. After the sudden death of her husband while raising four young children, Clarissa learned firsthand how isolating grief can be—and how essential community, faith, and honesty are in the healing process.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

1. Why grief is not something we “get over,” but something we learn to carry
2. How children experience and re-experience grief at different stages of life
3. The difference between healthy and unhealthy compartmentalization in parenting
4. Why fixing grief doesn’t help—but presence does
5. How to support grieving children without overwhelming them
6. What it looks like to ask for help when you’re exhausted and hurting
7. How faith can survive honest questions, anger, and lament
8. Why hope isn’t found in pretending pain doesn’t exist—but in trusting God within it

Clarissa also shares powerful insights on memory sharing, community support, and how grief and joy can coexist—reminding us that suffering does not get the final word.

If you’re navigating loss, walking alongside a grieving child, or wrestling with faith after heartbreak, this episode will remind you that you are not alone—and that healing doesn’t mean forgetting, but learning how to live again.

About Our Guest:

Clarissa Moll is a grief advocate, speaker, and author who specializes in helping individuals and families find hope after loss. She is the author of four books on grief and faith and has created bereavement resources for parents and children navigating loss together. Clarissa is passionate about helping people move from survival to flourishing—without minimizing their pain.

How This Episode Will Encourage You

This episode offers compassionate grief support, practical tools for parenting through grief, and faith-filled hope for anyone navigating the loss of a loved one. You’ll walk away feeling seen, equipped, and reminded that even in deep sorrow, God meets us with tenderness, truth, and healing.

Connect with Clarissa - Website | Instagram | Substack

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Order Willow’s New Book!

Collide: Running into Healing When Life Hands You Hurt

Follow and Support Collide

🌐 Visit our website for upcoming conferences, helpful resources, and encouragement for women pursuing healing, purpose, and deeper faith.

📲 Follow along on Facebook and Instagram

🛍️ Shop for good at the Collide Store

💛 Give today online or Venmo to impact lives

📬 Subscribe to our Newsletter and be the first to hear about new episodes, blog posts, events, and resources and more!

Mentioned in this episode:

New Book Release! Collide: Running into Healing When Life Hands You Hurt

Grab your copy today wherever books are sold.

Collide Book

Join us in Portland!

Join us for our upcomming Collide Conference for Women in Portland! Get your tickets today!

Collide Conference for Women

What if your darkest chapter wasn’t the end of your story—but the beginning of something new?

In this honest and hope-filled episode of The Collide Podcast, we sit down with Leeana Tankersley to talk about what it looks like to hope in the middle of devastation, rebuild when life falls apart, and welcome new possibilities after loss, disappointment, or unraveling. Leeana shares wisdom from her own journey as a writer and woman of faith, inviting us to release our grip on hoping for specific outcomes and instead learn how to hope in God—especially when the future feels uncertain.

Whether you’re walking through your darkest chapter, piecing your life back together, or standing on the edge of something unknown, this conversation offers a gentle reminder: beginning again is holy work, and you’re not behind.

Meet Leeana

Leeana Tankersley is a writer, editor, university writing professor, and the author of six books including Brazen, Breathing Room, Begin Again, and Hope Anyway. With two English degrees and over two decades of experience in faith-centered storytelling, Leeana helps women step out of hiding, reclaim their voice, and live fully. Her work has been featured in CNN, Huffington Post, and Publishers Weekly. She lives in Central Virginia with her three teenagers and her mischievous Labradoodle, Rosie.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn

1. How to hold hope in the face of your darkest chapter
2. What rebuilding your life can look like after everything falls apart
3. Why letting go of hoping for can open the door to hoping in
4. How to welcome new possibilities when the future feels fragile
5. Why beginning again is not failure—but faith

How This Episode Will Encourage You

If your life feels like it’s in pieces—or you’re wondering how to keep going when hope feels thin—this episode will meet you with compassion and clarity. You’ll be reminded that God is still at work, even here, and that no matter how many times your story has been rewritten, always, we begin again.

Connect with Leeana - Website | Instagram | Facebook

Connect with Willow - Website | Instagram | Facebook

Pre-Order Willow’s New Book!

Collide: Running into Healing When Life Hands You Hurt

Follow and Support Collide

🌐 Visit our website for upcoming conferences, helpful resources, and encouragement for women pursuing healing, purpose, and deeper faith.

📲 Follow along on Facebook and Instagram

🛍️ Shop for good at the Collide Store

💛 Give today online or Venmo to impact lives

📬 Subscribe to our Newsletter and be the first to hear about new episodes, blog posts, events, and resources and more!

How can you build a happy, healthy life while navigating complicated family relationships—and still set boundaries that honor your well-being?

In this thought-provoking episode of the Collide Podcast, we sit down with therapist Greg Fischer, PhD to talk about navigating complex family dynamics and setting healthy boundaries. Greg helps us unpack the unspoken roles, patterns, and scripts many of us inherit within our families—and how those dynamics impact our relationships as adults. Whether you’re navigating ongoing conflict, wrestling with forgiveness, or discerning when boundaries are necessary, this episode will remind you that healing is possible and clarity brings freedom.

Meet Greg Fischer, PhD

Greg is a licensed therapist, assistant professor of clinical psychology at George Fox University, and former pastor with a deep understanding of family systems and relational healing. He holds a PhD in Marriage and Family Therapy and brings both clinical expertise and pastoral wisdom into conversations around conflict, repair, and reconciliation. Greg is passionate about helping individuals and families move toward health, honesty, and sustainable connection.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn

1. How to take inventory of your family dynamics and relational patterns
2. How to recognize inherited roles and scripts that shape your behavior
3. Whether repair is possible after relational harm—and what it can look like
4. The difference between forgiveness and reconciliation
5. When boundaries are necessary and how to implement them well
6. The best ways to address conflict with a family member in a healthy, grounded way

How This Episode Will Encourage You

If you’ve ever felt stuck in painful family patterns or unsure how to move forward without causing more harm, this episode will offer clarity, language, and practical tools. You’ll be reminded that setting boundaries is not unloving, repair takes wisdom, and you are allowed to pursue peace without abandoning yourself.

Partner with Us

Love what Collide is doing? Help us bring hope and healing to women through counseling, content, and connection.

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Learn more about Greg and his work - Website

Connect with Willow - Website | Instagram | Facebook

Pre-Order Willow’s New Book!

Collide: Running into Healing When Life Hands You Hurt

Follow and Support Collide

🌐 Visit our website for upcoming conferences, helpful resources, and encouragement for women pursuing healing, purpose, and deeper faith.

📲 Follow along on Facebook and Instagram

🛍️ Shop for good at the Collide Store

📬 Subscribe to our Newsletter and be the first to hear about new episodes, blog posts, events, and resources and more!

What if faith was never meant to be complicated?

In this honest episode of the Collide Podcast, we sit down with Kelsey Jenney, a longtime Young Life staff member, speaker, and certified Spiritual Director, to talk about what it looks like to keep our relationship with God simple - especially in seasons when prayers feel unanswered and hope feels hard to hold. Through meaningful conversation (and a little talk about guacamole, hummus, and peanut butter), we explore what it looks like to welcome God into the ache, practice the ministry of presence, and rest in a faith rooted in relationship rather than striving. Whether you’re weary, questioning, or longing for deeper connection, this episode will remind you that God is near—and simplicity can be sacred.

Meet Kelsey Jenney

Kelsey is a longtime Young Life staff member with over 20 years of ministry experience, currently serving in disability ministry through Young Life Capernaum while also traveling, speaking, and hosting retreats. She is a certified Spiritual Director and is pursuing a Master’s in Spiritual Formation at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Kelsey is passionate about prayer, spiritual formation, and creating space for authentic encounters with God rooted in presence rather than performance.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn

1. Why keeping the gospel simple matters in real life
2. A mantra to hold onto when prayers feel unanswered
3. How to hold hope in the ache without rushing past pain
4. What the ministry of presence looks like in everyday faith
5. How imaginative prayer and spiritual consent invite deeper connection with God

All the Best – Connect with Jesus and find peace through guided reflections on Mary and Martha’s story, helping you overcome distraction, worry, and comparison.

Personal and Powerful Bible Study - Explores how God shows up in our lives in ways that are both deeply personal and undeniably powerful.

Connect with Jenny - Website | Instagram

Connect with Willow - Website | Instagram | Facebook

Pre-Order Willow’s New Book!

Collide: Running into Healing When Life Hands You Hurt

Follow and Support Collide

🌐 Visit our website for upcoming conferences, helpful resources, and encouragement for women pursuing healing, purpose, and deeper faith.

📲 Follow along on Facebook and Instagram

🛍️ Shop for good at the Collide Store

💛 Give today online or Venmo to impact lives

📬 Subscribe to our Newsletter and be the first to hear about new episodes, blog posts, events, and resources and more!