Six Good Questions

This week, Camille speaks with Sue Donaldson, a hospitality specialist, about her journey in writing, speaking, and the importance of connection.  Sue emphasized that it's not about serving others but more about creating a welcoming place to engage with those around us.  Sue also highlights her new book, 'Never Alone: Stories of Invitation and Connection'. You can find Sue on Facebook @SueMooreDonaldson or visit her website at https://welcomeheart.com/speaking Sue is also the host of Welcome Heart: Living a Legacy Life Podcast

In this episode, Camille Lancaster talks with Ashli Eaves, author of 'Special Needs, Special Plans', a guide for families raising children with special needs.  Ashli shares of journey of going from education to finance, the inspiration behind her book, and the challenges and lessons learned in navigating the special needs landscape.  They discuss the importance of community support, the financial implications of raising a child with special needs, and the role of social media in increasing awareness. Ashli's story is heart-felt and unique.  You are sure to be inspired!

In this conversation, Camille Lancaster speaks with Allison Mitchell, author of "It's Hard for Me to Talk", about her experiences as a mother of children with speech delays and autism.  They discuss the importance of early intervention, the challenges and triumphs of parenting through special needs, and the impact of inclusive education.  Allison shares her journey of writing a children's book on the topic and the feedback she has recieved from other children.  The conversation also touches on Allison's new documentary project on disability inclusion and her political aspirations to advocate for improved education policies in Texas.   You can follow more of Allison's story on Instagram @allisonmitchellofficial

In this engaging conversation, Camille Lancaster speaks with the Bryant Family, who share their inspiring journey of writing a children's book titled, "Trusting Timothy".  The family discusses their close-knit dynamics, the inspiration behind the book, and what it took to complete this project as a family working together. I enjoyed hearing their story of how they hope to write additional books that help share nuggets of Scripture with children.  Their joy was contagious and you could tell this was a project near and dear to their hearts.  You can find out more about The Bryant Family at www.trustingtimothy.com or on Instagram @TrustingTimothy_official

This week, I had so much fun talking to the brilliant Christine Devane.  She tells us about her journey classroom teacher to Children's author.  Her first book - Elephant Beach - is so good.  Please go grab a copy!  Her desire to help children see themselves in the main character is so refreshing and needed in today's world.  She also share about her upcoming book that is sure to be just as awesome!  Christine talks about how she reaches her audience through school visits, libray story times, craft fairs, and more.  You will learn so much from her as an Author and Marketing expert on her IG @Stine13 or follow along on her website at www.Christine-Devane.com

This week, the amazing Monique Randle shares her story of being an author and mom raising a son with unique needs.  She talks about her motivation for writing her book series, her writing process, and how she leans on community support.  Monique also tells us about the importance of advocating for children with special needs and helping them advocate for themselves.  We had a beautiful conversation that is sure in inspire.  Listen in and follow along with Monique at www.MoniqueRandle.com FB: MoniqueRandleAuthor IG: @TheMoniqueRandle

This week, I have a great conversation with Cortney Cino of Whimspire Books. Cortney is the magic behind her publishing company and the author of several great children's books.  Her recent book, Sincerely, Antonia, is one of my favorites.  I was excited to have Cortney on to share her take on marketing, community involvment, and networking when putting a book into the world.  She gives some great ideas for school visits and library engagement.  She is truly a cheerleader for helping writers get their their words into the world.   You can find Cortney and an array of helpful resources at Whimspirebooks.com.  Her titles are availalbe on Amazon and through your local book store.    

This week, Kristi Mumm shares her journey of becoming the author of her Sign with Friends series.  Starting as a teacher, Kristi saw the need for inclusive education and wanted to open the doors for sign language in her classroom.  The had the idea for writing books to help students learn ASL and saw it through.  Now the author of several amazing books - Kristi share about her writing process, the joy of receiving feedback from young readers, and her creative marketing ideas.  We also chat about being a mom and finding balance in family and writitng as a Creative.  You will be inspired by Kristi's excitement and dedication to her craft.  Listen in for a great conversation! 

In this engaging conversation, Camille talks with Stefanie Chase.  Stefanie is the founder of Needlepoint Palooza and The Joy of Needlepoint.  Stefanie shares her wealth of information on all things needlepoint and Camille declares 2025 "The Year of Needlepoint".  If you have been obsessed with crafting this year or have noticed the resurgence of needlepoint around the country - you will truly enjoy this conversation.   Stefanie talks about the importance of building community around your craft, the joy that needlepoint brings, and the role that social media plays in the world of needelpoint.

In this heartfelt conversation, Theo Boyd shares her story of losing her mother in a tragic accident, her husband to divorce, and her father to suicide.  She discusses the impact of these losses on her life and how that inspired her book "My Grief Is Not Like Yours".  Theo emphasizes the importance of understanding individual grief experiences, the power of presence in supporting those who are grieving, and the challenges of marketing her books as an Indie Author.  We also talk about the possibility of another book which is a collection of bedtime stories inspired by her late father. We share in a candid conversation about how our culture leaves little time and space for grief and how quickly we are "expected" to be back to normal after loss.  If you have walked through grief - Theo's words are like balm on the page.  You will find comfort in the way she writes and shares her thoughts.  It was such a good conversation centered on a hard topic.  Theo is truly a person who understands loss and has found a way to help others through their emotions.

This week, I'm sharing my conversation with Heather Mincer of Yes Honey.  Heather and her son were diagnosed with alpha-gal syndrome and needed to find foods and drinks that fit their needs.  This quest led her to creating the soda brand - Yes Honey - sweeted with....you guessed it!  Honey!  Heather's story was so inspiring and hit home with me in a multitude of ways.  You will love hearing about her journey, what it takes to start a soda brand, and a sneak peek into what's coming next.  Listen in and be inspired!

This week, Alison Sloan shares her story of working with Outschool as a teacher and creating her series of children's books - Dilly Dally Allie and Never Late Nate.  We also chat about the importance of social-emotional learning and community engagement.  Alison had so many great thoughts about how to develop writing and her role as an online teacher.  You will definately want to follow along and check out her 2 books at www.AlisonSloanWriting.com

This week, the authors of two children's books join me to share about their message and inspiration behind writing books about Manufacturing.  Amanda and Joe share about the need to introduce children to the world of manufacturing at an early age and help them develop interests in various aspects as both hobbies and careers.  As I read their books, the use of vocabulary, character development, and fun activitoes made the stories come alive around a topic we don't normally read about.  If you have a child interested in STEM - these would be great resources.  We also talk about how a scripture verse they tagged in their book spoke to me about how even God cares about the crafts and handiwork.   Amanda and Joe were a fun team to talk to and I hope you follow along with their journey at www.MAKEpublishing.com Be sure to sign up for their newsletter to see all the great things going on in their world!

This week, the brilliant Stefanie Kessen shares her story of Deaf Education and The Online Itinerant. Stefanie is the founder of The Online Itinerant which supports educators, families, and children who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing.  She talks about how she got started, how she is constantly adding valuable resouces for The Online Itinerant community, and the importance of "Filling the Field" to promote Deaf Education as a career choice.  Stefanie cued us in on some really great things coming soon  - including a Cruise Event in 2027.  Sign us up! You can learn more about Stefanie and the amazing resources at The Online Itinerant by going to www.TheOnlineItinerant.com  

This week, Author Lauren Emerson shares the story of her new book, Smudges.  Lauren was so easy to talk to and she dives in chatting about where her idea came from, her time in the classroom, the feedback she has received, and why good books are so important.   Lauren also gives some great insight into marketing ideas for Authors.  If you have books to sell and audiences to reach - you will truly enjoy this episode.   Plus - I'm a sucker for good websites - and Lauren's website is amazing.  You can learn more about Lauren and her book, Smudges, at LaurenEmersonBooks.com

This week, the amazing Anna McKenzie joins us to share about becoming a full-time needlepoint designer. She unapologetically uses her craft to point to Jesus and for that I'm grateful.  She talks about transitioning from a corporate job to a full time artist and the leap of faith she took to make the switch.  She also shares about where she finds inspiration for her designs and the process of taking an idea to a finished project.   I have proclaimed 2025 as the Year of Needlepoint and It was pure fun to talk to Anna about her journey into this world and how she seeks to use her talent to point us to the one from which our hope comes from - Jesus! To learn more about Anna - you can find her @AnnaMcKenzieStudio or visit Atlantic Blue Canvas to see her portfolio.  I just bought her "Yes and Amen" canvas and can't wait to get started. Happy Stitching!    

This week, Kim Pepper joins us to share about starting a faith-based art business, overcoming personal challenges through creativity, and seeing how big God's "pie" is.   She talks about hosting FaithFest and how taking time to be creative is actually so very good for us. Kim's words are evidence of her passion for her creative community and how much she loves to collaborate and encourage other artists.  We also talk about how much we both love paper! Talking to Kim was so inspiring and made me want to try my hand at a few art projects.   You can learn more about all the amazing things Kim offers through her website at KimPepper.com Blog: KimPepperBlog.com Facebook: KimPepperCreative Instagram: @KimPepperCreative

In this week's episode, we hear from the amazing Tina Neely as she shares about her book, Bacon Loves Everyone!  Inspired by the real-life Bacon the Pig, Tina's book is loved by children and sends a great message centered around love and family.   The story of a flea-market Piglet searching for his "Forever Family", Tina talks about the process of writing the book about Bacon, the fun feedback she gets from young fans, and her creative marketing ideas for this book.   She also shares some inspiring tips for new Authors on merch, activity kits, and ways to improve your craft.   Tina was a joy to talk to and she has some exciting things coming very soon.  Be sure to follow along at TinaNeely.com or on  Facebook:   TinaNeelyAuthor Instagram:   TinaNeelyAuthor

The amazing Lindsay Dain shares her journey of becoming a Teacher of the Deaf, Author, Illustrator, and founder of His LIttle Hands of Mind and His Little Light of Mine.  She is driven by her passion for Deaf education and her personal experience of losing her voice.   Lindsay discusses the challenges and joys of self-publishing, the importance of feedback from the deaf community, and her desire to be an inspiration to others.   Lindsay emphasizes the significance of perserverance in the creative process and the value of community support.   Lindsay is doing some amazing things out there so be sure to follow her adventures at: Hislittlehandsofmine.com Hislittlelightofmine.com youtube.com/@hislittlelightofmine LinkedIn: Lindsay Dain FB: lindsay.dain IG: @hislittlelightofmine        

Elizabeth Smith share her story of becoming an SLP, transitioning to Higher Ed, and her life as the Ginger Speechie.  I was excited to sit with Elizabeth and dive into her story.  She first caught my attention several years ago as the Ginger Speechie and her thriving Instagram account is full of delightful material for SLPs.   I know not all of our listeners are in the Therapy World - but you will enjoy her take on work-life balance, the boldness of the next generation, and what Elizabeth does for fun (you might be surprised!) Check out Elizabeth on her amazing IG channel @GingerSpeechie to learn more    

Ashley Belt joins the Podcast to share the story of her book Millie's Magical Ears.  Ashley is mom to the amazing Millie and was inspired to share her story to encourage and educate other children, parents, and educators.  Millie is navigating the world with a hearing loss and uses hearing aids.  As she entered school, Ashley realized other children had a lot of questions.  So she wrote Millie's Magical Ears to help children understand how Millie's ears and her aids work to help her hear.   Ashley also talks about how she is training for a marathon (go Ashley!), learning to play Mahjong, and diving into some great books.   Our conversation was so fun and I encourage you to dive deeper into Ashley's story by reading more at www.milliesmagicalears.com  

Laura Sinclair joins the podcast to share her story as founder of This Mother Means Business.  A strategic business mentor and Podcast host, Laura is focused on empoweing entrepreneurial moms to build their businesses without sacrificing their personal lives.  She provides marketing strageties, leadership, and customer experience.  She helps women gain confidence, clairty, and joy while achieving the growth they desire.  Through This Mother Means Business and it's community - Laura offers mentorship, retreats, and connection to help women and moms find success.   You can find Laura at: IG: @itslaurasinclair - Business and Marketing Mentor @thismothermeansbusiness - Podcast   TIKTOK: @itslaurasinclair   www.laura-sinclair.com Get free business help at www.thismothermeansbusiness.comcommunity-connection   Learn more about the This Mother Means Business retreats at www.thismothermeansbusiness.com/retreat   Listen to Laura's Podcast at  https://thismothermeansbusiness.buzzsprout.com/  

In this week's engaging episode, Camille Lancaster speaks with Christina Hergenrader - a Christian writer, growth coach, and speaker.  Christina shares her journey from a young girl in Galveston Texas to a successful author of 14 books.  They discuss the importance of storytelling, the challenges of connecting with teens, and the significance of community and accountability in personal growth and faith.   Christina also highlights her passion for speaking at retreats and conferences, her upcoming book release, and the joys of finding personal connection in a digital age.

Brittany Musholt of Little Moose Speech Therapy shares her story of becoming a successful SLP and writing her newest book "A Tail of Empathy: Rocky Gains a Brother".   Brittany joins the Podcast to talk about becoming an SLP, starting her business, and taking a leap of faith to write a book and put her story into the world.   Listen in as she talks about pediatric speech therapy, teletherapy, becoming an author, the importance of empathy, working through ADHD, and all things kids! In her spare time (laugh!!), Brittany enjoys reading and watching a good movie. You can learn more about Brittany and Little Moose Speech Therapy at: IG: @littlemoosespeechtherapy www.littlemoosespeechtherapyllc.com Buy her book "A Tail of Empathy: Rocks Gains a Brother" at www.littlemoosespeechtherapyllc.com/store/p/a-tail-of-empathy-rocky-gains-a-brother  

In this episode, we celebrate a little Christmas in July!   The lovely Emilie Buelow talks about her story with Annie Em's At Home.  She operates a home decor and lifestyle business passed down from her mom which is situated in a historic downtown district of a quaint Mississippi River town. Emilie shares about collaborating with other business owners, being intetional, discovering community connections as a small business, balancing mom guilt as a working mother, holding yourself accountable, finding freedome in Christmas decorating, and that PINK is the color trend for 2025. She also shares some practical tips of how to do a "pillow refresh", a front porch update, and the simple practice of restyling a bookshelf. Emilie talks about how she loves to read cookbooks before bed. She is also enjohing Etoile (Amazon Prime), reruns of Gilmore Girls, and The Marvelous Ms. Maisel. You can connect with Emilie and her beautiful designs: Facebook: Annie-Em's at Home Instagram: @annemhome annieemsathome.com  

The Soda Family shares the story of their ultimate family road trip. Last summer, in the course of 39 days, they explored all lower 48 states with their 3 children (plus a few in-laws). With the amazing help of ET Family Travel, the Soderberg Family set out to explore National Parks, NBA Stadiums, cities, beaches, and iconic restaurants across the nation.  When they stopped at a famous restaurant in Missouri - Lambert's Cafe (Home of the Throwed Rolls) - that's where our paths crossed.   The spent their time doing family hotel reviews (visit their YouTube channel to find out where their favorite Hotel was) and Erik let the kids rate the pools for a fun addition to their vlog.  They even experienced a driverless taxi in San Francisco. One of their favorite places was Orange Beach Alabama where Erik says the sand is like "powdered sugar".  He is definitely correct about that - it's beautiful. Another great idea they shared is how they listened to classic books in the car - such as the Harry Potter series and Chronicles of Narnia - then watched the movies when they arrived at the hotels. Be sure to check out their YouTube channel and learn about their journey at youtube.com/@theSodaFamily.    You can also find them Sodas on the Road

The amazing Amanda Knoner takes time out of her busy Photography schedule to share her story of: how she began her love of photography where she finds inspiration our shared love of magazines her creative Senior Portraits why she enjoys capturing elopements on film what happens after the shoot her love of all things vintage and finding the freedom to say she doesn't know if she's doing it all well.  Listening to Amanda share her story and her creative journey with us was so much fun and inspiring. She's a beautiful soul that would have thrived in the 70's!  Be sure to follow her on Instagram @amandaknonerphoto

In this episode, Camile speaks with Tiffany Seth about their journey from childhood friends to creative professionals. Tiffany shares her experiences in art, family life, and the importance of community engagement in fitness and homeschooling.  They dive into Tiffany's unique window painting business and That's Nice Art! - where Tiffany helps everyone find their inner Artist.  This episode highlights the joy of creativity and the impact of always teaching and learning.   Connect with Tiffany Seth and That's Nice Art! at: Facebook: That's Nice Art - Paint with Tiffany IG: @thatsnicearts Follow along to see Tiffany's amazing window art and get information on her upcoming classes.  

Isabelle and Taylor share their story of finding friendship in college and keeping those connections strong as life transitions to young adulthood.  They talk about making friends in college, keeping friends as young adults, ways to stay in touch, and the importance of knowing where your worth comes from.  It was a fun time with these two - you will be encouraged to reach out to friends old and new as we all take their advice to be more intentional. Books Isabelle and Taylor are reading: Yellowface by R. F. Kuang Anything by Emily Henry   Shows they are watching: Love on the Spectrum  American Idol  

Clare Short shares her story of writing her new book, Bo the Boat.  Her adorable lift-the-flap book was developed to help children gain confidence is communicating with the world around them.  She talks about reaching her 21-day Kickstarter goal in only 6 hours! Clare also shares about: living in Atlanta her idea for Bo the Boat deciding to self-publish running a Kickstarter campaign finding the perfect illustrator using At-Home Author https://www.athomeauthor.com/ and, building her social media platform Clare also tells us about the things she has been enjoyed reading and listening to lately: Ina Garten's book -Be Ready When the Luck Happens: A Memoir Arlene Soto - Intricate Designs https://intricate-designs.com/ Good Hang with Amy Poehler podcast Reading the Classics with her kids: Nancy Drew, Peter Pan, and Winnie the Pooh Thank you Clare for sharing your amazing story with us. Find and Follow Clare at: IG: @byclareshortspeech FB: Clare Short Speech https://www.clareshort.com/    

This week, Jennifer Hodgkiss joins me to talk about her journey to health.  As her body began to take a turn in her 40's, she knew she need to make some changes.  (I think many of us have been there too!).  This led her to The FASTer Way program and then to becoming a Health Coach.  Listen is as Jennifer shares her story.   Jennifer talks about: The FASTer Way Program Her personal journey with perimenopause Her commitment to becoming a Health Coach Her passion for helping other women start their health journey And advice for families sending kids off after high school You can connect with Jennifer at Instagram: @jenhodgkiss email: [email protected] FASTer Way link:  https://www.fasterwaycoach.com/?aid=JenniferLHodgkiss

Sarah Schmidt joins us this week to talk about her role as a Pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist who is also a Children's Book Author.  She uses books to help teach children language through simple songs.   We also talk about the process of launching a book into the world, helping parents learn how to read to their child, how to reach out to your local community when promoting a new book, and the beauty of supporting others who are doing the same things.  There is room at the table for all of us.  We also dream about having a Book Retreat someday (Yes Please!) You can find Sarah at Author Saturday on June 7 at Main Street Books in St Charles Mo.  Stop in and get her autograph. She would love to say Hello IG: @foundations_speechtx_llc Facebook: Foundations Speech & Language Services LLC LinkedIn: Sarah Schmidt M.S., CCC-SLP TikTok: @sarahspeech www.foundationsslp.com   I'm a Giant Fire Truck is available at Main Street Books (St Charles MO), The Novel Neighbor (Webster Groves MO), and on Sarah's website. Other links to things we mention: I Paint with Knives - Antoinette Elgin Publishing Concepts LLC It Takes Two to Talk (The Hanen Centre)   Books: The Small and The Mighte (Sharon McMahon) The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper (Phaedra Patrick)   Shows (on Streaming): The Pitt Grey's Anatomy      

In this episode, Host Camille Lancaster is joined by Maggie Jamerson as she shares her story.  Maggie is from Tennesse and is the Founder of Remarkable Readers.  Maggie is passionate about leading her team of educators making a huge difference in the lives of children struggling in reading and math.  She is also the amazing author of her children's book - Only Oliver. Listen in as Maggie talks about: Turning her idea into a full-blown business The details of the Remarkable Readers program and the stories of success  Her reason behind writing Only Oliver How she worked with her Illustrator across Zoom and email and what may be coming next from Maggie! You can find out more about Maggie Jamerson and Remarkable Readers at Facebook:  Remarkable Readers Private Parent Community Group: facebook.com/groups/2550382685271416 Instagram: @remarkablereaders6 Email:  [email protected] www.remarkablereaders.co In this episode, we also talk about The Barn (a book by Wright Thompson) Love on the Spectrum (Netflix)