Episode #5: You Have a Choice... Will You Rise or Will You Run?

In this conversation, Lindsay Oehmen interviews Sophie Burr, a young Christian entrepreneur, speaker, and podcaster. Sophie shares her journey of starting a business at 14 and how it eventually led her to start a podcast. She talks about her mission to share her story and show God's goodness despite her circumstances. Sophie also discusses her struggles with doubt and the importance of being bold in sharing her faith. The conversation highlights the transformative power of tragedy and the impact of sharing one's story to encourage others.

• Find Sophie on the web @ www.honeyintherock.info
• and on Instagram @ instagram.com/honeyinthe.rock
• and @ Sophie._Burr
• Listen to Honey in the Rock on Spotify 

Connect with Lindsay on Instagram @MindfulMomHolistics
Email Lindsay@MinfulMomHolistics to submit your story to be on Doubt to FULL OUT

Transcript

Lindsay Oehmen (00:00.63)
Hello, hello and welcome to today's episode. I am so excited to chat with my very sweet friend and special guest, Sophie Burr. You guys are in for such a treat today to hear from Sophie. She is a very young female Christian entrepreneur and I really don't wanna introduce her too much because I really want you to hear her story from her. But she is someone who...

is amazing. I admire her. She is a, like I said, a young Christian woman of faith. And I'm excited to really ask her questions about her journey of where she, of how she has come to where she has come to. So Sophie, thank you for being with us here today. Thanks for having me. I'm so excited. Yay. All right. So Sophie, I would love for you to tell...

me a little bit about you and your journey. First of all, how old are you? I'll be 18 next week. I didn't realize that. Happy early birthday. Thank you. That's awesome. 18 next week. Okay. So my, so Sophie is a dear friend of a daughter of a dear friend of mine. And my first introduction to Sophie being an entrepreneur was when she was actually making jewelry.

Several years ago, she decided to start making jewelry and sell it at a very young age. How old were you? Um, well, I was going into seventh grade when Yeah, I was like 13 ish and I was making Christmas presents for my aunt and then I had extra beats I made one for my mom and then my mom worked to work and a lady was like I'll buy that And my mom was like, oh my daughter made it and mom was like, okay sure. Yep. Tell me what you want And then she came home. She's like well, I got your first order

and I went and made that one. And then from then I was like, people actually wanna buy it. So I started making little necklaces. That's amazing. Yep. I love that. Okay, so it kind of fell in your lap. It wasn't something where you started out to say, okay, I'm gonna start selling necklaces, but the opportunity presented itself and you stepped up to the plate. Yes. So how long were you making jewelry? I made jewelry from then really up until this year. And now I'll like fill some orders, but the Lord has kind of given me different opportunities. And so.

Lindsay Oehmen (02:17.954)
It kind of went on the back burner, but really for I guess six years seven years I wouldn't make jewelry no not seven years six years. I would make jewelry and sell it So tell me about this different direction so Sophie is at 17 years old She is a speaker and a podcaster and has been a speaker to podcaster for quite some time again at 17 years old this just it really truly amazes me at what such an

an incredible young Christian woman that she is and just wants to, well, you know what? I want you to tell your mission. So I would love for you to share, you know, you mentioned God has given you some different opportunities. And I would love for you to kind of start from the very beginning. Like, what did that look like? Did he lay a podcast on your heart? What is your mission for this podcast? Okay, well, it kind of goes into my testimony a little bit. But.

grew up in a Christian home and learned like, okay, this is what we do. We go to church, we read our Bibles. So that was actually going to be one of my questions, not to interrupt you, but was, have you always walked with Jesus? Have you always been a Christian, someone who wanted to help others, you know, have that relationship? Okay, well, I'll try to answer both of them at the same time then. So grew up knowing Jesus, grew up watching my parents know Jesus. But then when

It was like, okay, you gotta wake up or you gotta run away. And that's when I was like, okay, I'm gonna have to put my full trust in Jesus and I'm gonna have to trust that he's good even when our circumstances aren't good. And so just kind of dove into who Jesus was then and learned to have a personal relationship with him then because I had no hope other than that. Like if I didn't have Jesus, then there was no hope of waking up every day and struggling with the grief that I was struggling with.

And so, kind of from then on, it was, I felt very alone. Like, I am the only Christian girl that struggles with depression. I am the only Christian girl that is anxious. I'm the only Christian girl at my age. Lies that we tell ourselves. Yes. The enemy tells us. Yes, and so it was like, I'm the only girl my age that struggles with this. Everyone else is happy, everyone else is perfect. I'm the only one who understands this. And the enemy just like allowed me to believe that. And kind of when I got out of the hole, I was like, okay, I need to.

Lindsay Oehmen (04:39.402)
share my story somehow and not to make my story known, but to show Jesus' story through mine. And so, trying to figure out how to share a story is like, okay, do I write a book right now? Do I write, you know, Instagram posts or whatever? But it was like, oh, no, look, you can make a podcast and just talk. So it started out being able to open up about certain things that I was going through sharing my testimony. And now I'm on episode 77. And so now I've had a lot of different guests come on.

and I always ask them their testimony and then kind of go from there. So it's like they share their testimony and then somehow the conversation goes from their story that the Lord has given them. And so that's kind of the new opportunity the Lord has given me now. But yeah. That is amazing. You are such a remarkable woman. So in 2020, so tell me a little bit more about your friend who passed away in a car accident. You were how old? 14? I would have been...

I was in ninth grade. So what is ninth grade, 14? 14-ish. So when that's something like that happens at such a young age, I'm sure you probably struggled with why did God allow this to happen? Tell me a little bit about those struggles. Yeah, the biggest question, so once I kind of got out of my hole of depression, anxiety, when I got into that hole of struggling with that hardcore, I didn't really understand anything at all, and I didn't have the mental capacity to even question anything. I was just like, yep, that happened. Oh well.

that sucks, I hate everything kind of thing. I can't get out of it. But then when I kind of got out of my hole is when I started really grieving and being able to work through things. And that's when I started asking God, my biggest question was like, if you're a good God, why do you let bad things happen? And thankfully I was quickly wrapped around with really good mentors that loved me, but also loved the Lord. And they were able to kind of show that to me, but then also be like, you can lament this and you can.

say this is hard and sucks. But kind of just ask that question and ask that question and someone was like, you're never gonna know. You're never gonna understand why. But I kind of do at this point in my life. It's been three years now and I'm like, I don't, maybe I don't fully understand why this happened. But now I've seen other things happen because of it. And I'm like, if he never died, I would have never started a podcast.

Lindsay Oehmen (07:02.522)
If I would have never started a podcast, I would have never got to meet people that have encouraged me in different ways, but encouraged a lot of other people in different ways. So really, in those questions in this time of being like, why would this happen? Or why would you let this happen? Instead, being like, actually he's in control and his plan is better, and you just have to trust that and be content in not understanding everything. Well, that question that you asked that you struggle with, I mean, that's something that

Adults struggle with let alone, you know a 14 year old rating child. I mean our brains can't sometimes cannot comprehend or understand You know why bad things happen, but we know that you know God allows bad things to happen for our good Yeah, you know and there will always be good that will come out of it Yeah, the bad things are not good, but there will be good that comes out of it And you're exactly right. He allowed

you to grow. He's using your story through that to reach so many young women. And that's what I think is so remarkable. Sophie lives here in Greenville with me and I know many, many young high school women who listen to her Christian based podcast. So what is the mission of your podcast? Okay, I read it down. I'm just going to read it because it's easy to get discouraged. I think.

Sometimes maybe just being a woman, but I think in everything, like starting something new, sometimes you're only gonna get 10 people to listen, and sometimes you get 200, and then it's just like, okay, I'm doing this for you, nothing's happening. So I had to like sit down and come with my thing, and it says, I feel like the, oh my goodness, I feel like the calling that the Lord has paced on my life, that I need to talk about what I'm going through as I'm experiencing it to show God's goodness despite my circumstances. And then that looks like a different thing. So right now.

talking about what I'm going through as I'm going through it to show God's goodness despite your circumstances is in a podcast. But I recently started attempting to write a book. So hopefully in like 12 years that'll come out. But like whatever that looks like. So then like if a speaking opportunity comes up, then that's what it is. So it's not really, my goal isn't just a podcast, it's whatever the Lord puts in front of me. And that's what it is right now. Absolutely, that's so beautiful. I mean, as a Christian, our ultimate mission is to further the kingdom.

Lindsay Oehmen (09:23.038)
Right? I mean, that's our ultimate mission. And, you know, I think that through sharing your podcast, what you're doing is one, you are sharing your belief, which encourages others to share their belief, to be bold in their belief. And that is something that is very rare for a high school student. I mean, what you are doing is absolutely remarkable in that you are so bold in sharing your faith and that you are also so bold in encouraging others to share with them like, yes, I...

you're sharing in real time struggles that you're going through and growth that you are attempting to navigate through with God's help, through you. And I think that that's so beautiful because every teenager could use more encouragement. Every teenager could use more of God in their life. And for you to be so bold to step out in that faith. And that leads me to boldness.

Lindsay Oehmen (10:22.836)
is it's remarkable that you have the boldness that you have, but I'm sure that you've struggled with doubts and disbelief in yourself with the doubts. The enemy is gonna put those lies in you to say, who are you to start a podcast? What do you have to say? So I'd love for you to share maybe some of those kind of doubts that you probably had before starting the podcast, but that you probably still struggle with every single day. For sure. So I think the boldness comes in with knowing death.

When you meet death, you understand that we're not promised tomorrow. And so I think I had a lot of it. I probably had an easier time being bold in school and not being embarrassed of like, okay, you can make fun of me. But like also maybe in 10 years, you're like, Oh, remember that weird girl in high school who went and shed about Jesus? That's what she, this is what she's saying. Um, and so I think a lot of boldness for me comes from understanding death. Um, but the doubt part comes in all the time, both, I still struggle not.

super often, but sometimes even doubt in Jesus like, okay, where are you God kind of show up? Um, but when I have doubts about that, I have to voice them and say them out loud whether that's my mom or my youth pastor Um to somebody because if they stay in my head they get bigger and that's just kind of how i'm wired in it bigger bigger, but once I say out loud i'm like, oh wait, that's not true. I know that's not true. Um, but then like the doubts of myself Um kind of comes with what I said earlier. It's like oh why only have 10 listeners? So like who cares or like you'll go on instagram and see

Thousands of other girls who have Christian podcast. It's like well, why am I doing this? Like what's the point of me also doing this if other people are doing it too? Maybe I'll never make a living out of this. Well, then that's not the goal. And so and When those doubts come up for myself, it's I have to look back and see why did I start this in the first place? What was the point of it? And and then I pray like Lord break my heart for the one and so As they pray that every day It's like if he breaks my heart for the one if my podcast has 10,000 listeners

or one listener, it's fine because personally, selfishly, I'm gaining something from the conversations I'm having. Like I'm learning something from people much, much wider than me every time. And, but then even if it's like just helping one person, it's worth it. And so when those doubts come up, I just have to be like, I'm doing this for the one and that's worth it.

Lindsay Oehmen (12:38.062)
I love that. And especially too for someone who is so strong in her faith to share that you struggle with doubts of not doubting just yourself but doubting Jesus sometimes. That's powerful too because there are so many other women out there who might look at you and think I'm not as good of a Christian as her. I'm not as strong as a Christian as her. So that when you share your doubt that makes them feel more comfortable in their own skin to know that like okay I'm not a bad person.

Christian for having my doubts too. Right, right. And I love that you shared, you know, your pot, the reason that you're doing it, there could be thousands of other young girls sharing Christian podcasts, but no one has your vantage point. No one has your experiences. No one is sharing God's faith, encouragement through your lens. So you are unique. And even though there are other women doing the same thing, what you have to share is going to speak to people differently than what they have to share. Even if you're sharing the same thing, people are gonna hear it different ways, they're gonna connect with you in different ways.

So, you know, I love that I believe that as female Christian entrepreneurs, well, as anyone, we have these self doubts that are all rooted in fear, but they're all rooted in lies that we believe about ourselves that we believe the world thinks or sees us. And it's so important to acknowledge those lies and say, these are lies from the enemy, because the truth, the word says this. And

I would love to know how this has transformed your life, how this experience of your podcast has, how old now? A year and a half. It's amazing. So how has that transformed your life and even your belief? Yeah, well, honestly.

my whole life is now going to be different because of it. Because in starting the podcast, the Lord opened my eyes to go into ministry. I wanted to be a kindergarten teacher my entire life. I'm like, I'm going to be a kindergarten teacher. Like whatever, I'm going to this school. I'm going to get my master's in this in a year. I'm going to start teaching this year. I'm going to get married. Like I had my whole life planned out. And about two years ago, maybe a year and a half ago.

Lindsay Oehmen (14:44.126)
About the same time I started the podcast, well, I guess it would have just been a year ago, but it doesn't really matter. So probably a year ago, the Lord opened my eyes to just like another, he's like, no, this is what you're going to do. And he just opened my eyes to like full-time ministry, which has made this senior year very difficult because.

Now my whole plan got messed up. I'm like, I don't know what school I'm going to go to anymore. I don't know what I'm supposed to study. I don't have a job lined up at the end of four years. Like I would have as a teacher. Um, but just having to learn to trust God in that. And if you're going to call me something, he's not going to leave me stranded, he's going to provide. Um, and also, so a little bit of that. So it's like that changed my life. And now my whole career is going to be based off of this. Um, hopefully if the Lord wills that, but it's just like changed everyday life.

because I have to be aware. People will start, oh, talk about podcasts. So I have to be kind to everybody, even if I'm on a bad day, or still be like, I'm sinful and I mess up and watch this, like the Lord redeems and restores our stories and showing that I'm not perfect. But just like making sure I show up as a Christian example every day, because that's going to be how I'm known for. And if I'm not kind now, then if I get more followers in 10 years, they're like, oh, she was a jerk in high school.

So I have to be aware of that type of thing. But it really changed my whole life because now the plan that I thought I had.

is all certain. Isn't that amazing the way God works? It is. It's so sweet. So through a tragedy that you experienced at such a young age, the boldness that you have prevailed to share, I mean it has literally shifted your entire life. Yeah. And I just think that it's amazing the way that God works and it just goes to show exactly what we said a few minutes ago that even though bad things happen, that good...

Lindsay Oehmen (16:35.866)
always comes out of it and really to glorify Him and for the good of others because you are truly glorifying God through this tragedy that happened, you're processing this grief and coming to not only glorify Him but reach so many other lost young people. I mean your voice, think about women who today, tomorrow, next year, in 10 years will hear something that you have to share and it may bring them

out of desperation. I mean, it may bring them to, you know, come to know the Lord or to feel encouraged that, you know,

that they're struggling and it's okay too. They're struggling with belief, they're struggling with God because their life might not be perfect. As you think, we have this idea in our brain that we're supposed to, because we're Christians, we're supposed to live this happy life, but that's not true. I mean, we are supposed to suffer on this side of heaven. And it goes back to saying what, we may never know on this side of heaven God's full reasons for things. But when you can see

the goodness that comes out of it. I know. It's amazing. And it's like an honor. It's like an honor that the Lord chose me to have this story and use different things. And it's like, yeah, it sucks, but he purposely chose me to carry this story. And I think that's an honor. But then also like exactly what you were saying, the idea of like as believers, our entire goal is to glorify God and grow the kingdom. And so that looked like from our life to have somebody die to wake us up.

But that can look so different for everybody and it also takes pressure off Like if my whole goal is just that my friend is in nursing school right now And she's like what if this is not what I'm supposed to do and I'm like, yeah But you're in these classes right now for a reason Maybe you're supposed to be in nursing school for two years But as a believer now, she's like a new believer and she's like but I'm like as a believer now Your whole goal is to glorify God and go to his kingdom so maybe he has these you in these classes for two years just to share and Be like look Jesus is in science. Jesus is in doctors like

Lindsay Oehmen (18:43.402)
how cool is that? And so it's just like sweet to have that perspective as well. That's so powerful. As I sit here listening to you, I mean, I have told your mom over and over, what did you do? How did you raise this daughter? Please give me your secrets. Truly you are, you have to know that what you are doing is extremely powerful and what you are doing do not ever.

stop sharing because the Lord has got you in the palm of his hands and he has great things not only for you but for the amount of lives that you are going to touch and that you are going to change through him allowing you know through you allowing him to do that and to work through you. I mean you are truly like it brings tears to my eyes to just see someone like you about to change this world you know I mean you already have and you know to one and a half short years. Right. I believe even more than that.

and more than you'll ever know. I know. I wanna give everyone, obviously, the opportunity to listen to your podcast. I think all of my listeners should be listening to your podcast. I will be linking contact to Sophie in the show notes and sharing her podcast and her Instagram. But is there anything that you would love to share right now as we wrap up? I don't think so. It's just all God, like it's not me.

allowing God to work through you. And it's just like been learning like what does humility look like? And he's been humbling me over and over again to remind me that it's not what I can do. It's not what I can say. It's not, it literally is nothing I can do. I can't control it. Because if I was in control, my friend wouldn't have died in the first place. If I was in control, I would be going to be a teacher. You know, a lot of other things. And so it's just, it's just been sweet to.

have people pour into me to be like, wait, no, just let the Lord use you. And then just like praying like Lord hide me behind the cross because it's not to make my name great, it's to make his name great. Absolutely. That's what I'm working on. Absolutely. The Lord's plan is so much greater than anything that we can plan for ourselves. Yes, it is. But you do, I want you to remember to be proud of yourself. Thank you. You need to be proud of yourself too, because you know, your courage is amazing. And your boldness is amazing.

Lindsay Oehmen (21:02.472)
God but you have free will and you are allowed and you are really truly allowing the Holy Spirit to work for you in a remarkable way I appreciate that So I will be linking Contact to miss Sophie burr. Yes her podcast her Instagram and Her book when that comes out. Yeah one day one day One day well, thank you so much for being here. I really enjoyed talking with you. You are so fun. Truly amazing I want you to just rub off on my children

You don't see me at home. I'm just kidding. I try my best. Well again, thank you so much for being here. It was such an honor to talk with you. Thank you. Come back again soon.