Ashton Stevens is an Atlanta-based alternative hip-hop artist, originally from the Florida Panhandle. His music is deeply introspective, rooted in faith and real-life experience, and shaped by themes of emotional regulation, purpose, and personal growth.

He uses music as a way to process what’s real… not just what sounds good.

His single Edge - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hb-IrWD_RYo

 Chip Scholz, an executive coach, author, and leadership strategist who believes the small decisions we make every day shape the lives we eventually live. After nearly 30 years coaching leaders and organizations, he’s learned that meaningful change rarely happens all at once. He’s the author of Small Decisions, Big Shifts, Every Dog Has Its Day, and Handoffs .

Dorsey was born with Apert syndrome and faced significant challenges from the beginning. Doctors offered his parents a limited prognosis and even recommended institutionalization, but his family’s faith led them to believe God had more for his life.

Dorsey endured bullying, multiple surgeries, and educators who doubted his academic potential. Refusing to let those expectations define him, he attended Queensborough Community College before transferring to the University of Valley Forge, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Youth Ministry.

His philosophy, “Can’t is not in my vocabulary,” reflects a lifetime of perseverance and faith. Dorsey believes that through Christ, he has the strength to face challenges, overcome obstacles, and encourage others not to allow limitations to determine what is possible.

Doug Earl Johnston is a former corporate executive, testifying expert, and world champion sailor. Over a multi-decade career spanning banking, private equity, and litigation consulting, he developed a sustained interest in language, motivation, and emotional definition. “Choosing Emotions” represents nine years of research across disciplines and traditions.  

You can find Doug's book, Choosing Emotions Thinking with Your Head and Acting with Your Heart, on Amazon: https://amzn.to/430dPEM 

Heidi Blackie, MOT/L, is a speaker, coach, and creator of UnshakableMe®: science-meets-soul programs helping women silence their inner critic, quiet the overwhelm, and trust themselves again. After chronic illness and loss brought her to a complete standstill, she rebuilt herself from the inside out - and discovered that the stories we tell ourselves are often what keep us most stuck. With 28 years as an Occupational Therapist and hard-won lived experience, she now guides women to stop running on autopilot, reclaim their voice, and create lives that actually feel like theirs. 

Heidi has created a space where you can continue exploring that gently and at your own pace. Here website is https://www.unshakableme.com or on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UnshakableMe

Jay Setchell knows what it means to keep going when life doesn't go as planned. A Marine veteran, Jay has survived multiple near-death experiences, 73 surgeries, paralysis, and countless setbacks, yet his faith has never wavered.

Through every challenge, he's discovered that inner strength isn't something we're born with or without. It's something we uncover through faith, perseverance, community, and the choices we make each day.

Jay believes that while others can encourage and support us, each of us must choose to take the next step forward. His guiding philosophy is simple: "If it is to be, it is up to me."

Today, Jay encourages others to embrace resilience, lean on God, and remember his favorite reminder:

It's always too soon to quit.

Jobert E. Abueva is an author, global marketing and philanthropy executive, and creator of The Janus Plan, his forthcoming book and framework for navigating transitions with greater intention.

Born in the Philippines and raised across Nepal, Thailand, and Japan, Jobert has spent much of his life navigating change. After experiencing profound burnout while leading Clairol Herbal Essences, he turned that reckoning into a way of looking back before moving forward and discerning what to carry into the next season.

Jobert is also the author of Boy Wander: A Coming of Age Memoir and recipient of the Lambda Literary J. Michael Samuel Prize. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Fortune, and Entrepreneur. In April 2026, he delivered the TEDx Talk “Beyond Resolutions: The Art of Beginning with Intention,” featuring The Janus Plan framework.

Jody Hudson is an author, speaker, philanthropist, and founder of the Alex Hudson Lyme Foundation. Her memoir, My Promise to Alex, chronicles her daughter’s battle with Lyme disease and the unwavering love and advocacy that shaped their journey.

Today, Jody continues honoring Alex’s legacy through education, awareness, and support for others navigating Lyme disease and chronic illness.

Connect with Jody

Foundation: https://www.alexhudsonlymefoundation.org/
Book: My Promise to Alex on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4u8BqyS 

John Salzwedel is a coach, speaker, and author of STOP Leaving Life on the Table. His work focuses on helping people think clearly when something important is on the line. After nearly thirty years in the insurance industry, John began asking deeper questions about purpose, responsibility, and what it means to build a life that truly fits. Over time, he realized that many people aren’t stuck because they lack ability—but because they’re trying to carry too much in their own head. Today, he works with people who are trying to sort something out—often an important decision they don’t want to get wrong—helping them slow things down, cut through the noise, and move forward with clarity and confidence. His conversations center on how people lose clarity in the middle of busy, demanding lives—and how a few honest questions can turn confusion into a clear, grounded next step. 

 JULIE BARTH is a writer, mother of six, trauma survivor, and founder of the Colin James Barth Outreach, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting women-led households in times of crisis. Julie’s memoir, NOTES FROM A BLACKBERRY, is a deeply moving account of love, loss, and resilience, chronicling her journey as a special needs parent while navigating the heartbreaking realities of her first husband’s battle with cancer. 

After navigating the complexities of her daughter's rare genetic condition, she found herself a window in her late 30s with four small children. Perhaps her greatest struggle is enduring years of emotional abuse at the hands of her second relationship and unpacking all that came with going from surviving to thriving. 

Karen Davidson is a deaconess and co-creator of Suds n Buds, a ministry that offers laundry support and care for those experiencing homelessness in her community. Her work is rooted in simple, meaningful acts of compassion—meeting people in everyday needs while offering presence, dignity, and care.

As a deaconess, Karen walks alongside congregations and communities, helping them find practical ways to care for others in real, tangible ways. She lives in Huntsville, Alabama with her husband and enjoys time outdoors, especially biking and walking with her dog—preferably when it’s a little warmer than freezing.

Connect with ShowerUp:

• Learn more about the Huntsville ministry: https://showerup.org/huntsville/ 
• View locations and upcoming opportunities: https://showerup.org/huntsville-calendar/ 

Katherine Parnell is a licensed therapist, author, and founder of Stone and Sky Retreats. For more than 20 years, she has worked in mental health, helping people navigate burnout, identity shifts, life transitions, and the exhaustion that can hide behind competence and success.

She is the author of Keeping It Real: Discovering Your Authentic Self and creates retreat experiences designed to help people slow down, reconnect with their values, and rediscover who they are beneath expectations, roles, and responsibilities.

Kristan Swan, M.Ed., is a business coach turned life and spiritual guide devoted to helping people come home to themselves. After years of helping entrepreneurs and leaders build successful businesses, she now helps people build lives that feel aligned with who they truly are.

Through journals, workshops, and guided classes, Kristan encourages people to explore their stories, question inherited beliefs, reconnect with their inner wisdom, and make decisions that reflect their deepest values. Her work is rooted in curiosity, compassion, and the belief that our pasts do not define us—they inform us.

Kristan's mission is to help people embrace the beautifully imperfect journey of becoming and discover the courage, clarity, and creativity to write the next chapter of their story on purpose.

Kurt Bush is a certified Internal Family Systems Practitioner, trauma-informed coach, and co-founder of Brimstone Coaching Group. With a background spanning corporate leadership, pastoral ministry, and coaching, Kurt helps leaders break free from self-doubt, embrace authenticity, and lead with confidence. Having overcome his own struggles with imposter syndrome, Kurt is passionate about guiding others through transformational growth and into authentic leadership. Through Brimstone’s unique E + R = T approach (Encounter + Reflection = Transformation), Kurt equips individuals and teams to move from exhaustion and frustration to clarity and wholeness. He is also the co-host of The Brimstone Coaching Podcast, where he and his coaching partner explore leadership, personal growth, and breaking through barriers. 

 Dr. Larry Brant is a Navy Chaplain with 16 years' experience and 25 years' experience as a local minister before the military. He is a board-certified chaplain with a proven track record dealing with PTSD and moral injury. 

https://restoring-the-broken.com

People with PTSD and moral injury can be helped if they are listened to and restored to a life they feel is worth living.

At the age of nine, Laura was diagnosed with an eye disease and faced the difficult reality that she would become blind. Over the next ten years she experienced the traumatic transition of adjusting to life without sight. She is the author of the book, Harnessing Courage. Laura founded Ubi Global, which is an organization that provides speaking and coaching to empower all people to overcome challenges and obstacles with grit and gratitude. 

Check out Laura's book 📖 Harnessing Courage - https://link.amazon/B06OUpqPg

Melissa Alyse is the author of grace-soaked cozy Christian fiction and cozy non-murder mysteries featuring the characters from her Willow Creek series. All her books are based in Willow Creek, Texas—a fictional small town where faith, love, and second chances bloom.

Melissa stories offer hope, encouragement, and the reminder that God made you just as you are on purpose. Want a reminder? Visit melissaalyse. com

She lives in Alaska with her sweet husband and their rescue pup. Melissa loves quiet mornings journaling with Jesus and a cup of coffee, FaceTime with the grands, making a mess while she creates, and finding beauty in life’s simple, everyday moments.

Melissa Prusinski is the founder of Our Healing Farm, a faith-based equine-assisted ministry, and the author of Say Howdy to Healing and Hope. Her journey has been shaped by childhood, medical, emotional, spiritual, and sexual trauma, as well as a life-changing battle with late-stage Lyme disease.

Rather than writing from a place of having all the answers, Melissa shares honestly from the ongoing process of healing. Through her ministry, book, and Christ-centered support herds, she encourages others to move beyond survival mode, listen for the Holy Spirit, and discover that healing often happens quietly, one faithful step at a time.

Today, Melissa walks alongside others, creating spaces where hope, restoration, and deeper faith can grow, even when healing feels slow or unfinished.

Nathan Graham is a speaker, author, and advocate for helping parents better understand the world of gaming and what may be happening beneath the screen. Drawing from his own experience of finding belonging, significance, accomplishment, and connection through video games, Nathan helps families move beyond battles over screen time and toward curiosity, communication, and stronger relationships.

Rather than simply asking how to get a child to stop gaming, Nathan encourages parents to explore what needs gaming may be meeting and how they can enter their child’s world without judgment. His approach combines healthy boundaries with genuine connection, helping parents become curious about the person behind the screen and create conversations that invite them back into their child’s world.

Rev. Rebecca Foster, an ordained minister with a background in chaplaincy and death care. Rebecca has walked closely with people through some of life's most tender moments, where questions don't always have answers and what people need most isn't someone to fix the situation, but someone willing to stay present.

You can learn more about and connect with Rebecca on Threads at @rev.rctfoster

Imagine waking up one day and not remembering the life you built — the faces you love, the dreams you had. For Shannon Michelle, that became her reality after a horrific motorcycle accident left her in a coma, fighting to survive. And as she struggled to heal, life threw her yet another battle: a breast cancer diagnosis. But through unimaginable pain came something extraordinary — a rebirth of spirit, purpose, and an unshakable understanding of the human mind’s power to heal. 

Her book, Step Into Your Miracle: Transforming Trauma into Triumph: https://amzn.to/4wnhwRR

Tammy Nobble is a marriage mentor, ministry leader, and business strategist passionate about helping couples move from survival mode into true, covenant-centered partnership. With a bold yet honest approach, she speaks into the real struggles marriages face—calling people out of performance, pressure, and disconnection, and back into intimacy with God and one another.

Her message is shaped by her own journey through striving, fear of man, and misplaced identity—experiences that deeply impacted both purpose and relationships. Through surrender and spiritual alignment, Tammy encountered the kind of restoration that comes from putting God first, and now carries that perspective into every space she leads.

Blending biblical truth with practical tools, she equips couples to rebuild trust, strengthen communication, and rediscover who they are—individually and together.