A love story rerouted a career—and built two purpose-driven businesses along the way. Meet Rebecca Nichols, the horticulture grad who fell for antiques, church pews, and the wedding world, then teamed up with her husband Jeffrey to grow both Tea Olive Designs and a community swim school that’s changing lives. From that first trailer of rented pews to crafting floral designs across Alabama, Rebecca shares how she scaled to 32 weddings a year, learned to say no, and now curates experiences where logistics, beauty, and empathy meet.

We dig into the behind-the-scenes moments most people never see: the “wedding lull,” the text threads that spike in the final days, and why opening the door to the ceremony still brings tears after hundreds of events. Rebecca explains the hidden costs of outdoor weddings, why Southern summers can wreck flowers, and how tents demand power, flooring, and restrooms that rival venue fees. She also makes a heartfelt case for reviving floristry, teaching classes, and giving people the confidence to arrange with taste, not fear.

At the center is a marriage built on faith, premarital work, and a daily practice they call “die to live.” That mindset shapes everything: how they set goals every January 1, tithe through tight seasons, and carry each other’s loads across two seasonal businesses. We also step into Swim Prep’s mission: saving lives and healing. From infant float skills to adult low-impact classes, the water becomes a place for courage, recovery, and community—often with a therapy dachshund softening first-day nerves.

If you’re a bride, planner, creative, or entrepreneur, you’ll leave with practical takeaways on boundaries, pricing the real cost of “at-home” events, and turning wishes into work through the next right step. Subscribe, share this with a friend who loves weddings or small-business stories, and leave a quick review so more people can find the show.

Music "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

Start with a simple promise: make the software not suck. That’s Elizabeth Anderson’s north star as CEO and co-founder of Lunar Lab, where she pairs human-centered design with ethical strategy to build products that people actually use. We dig into how she and her co-founder left toxic tech during the pandemic, learned sales with a stack of library books, and created a B Corp that treats impact as a requirement, not a tagline.

Elizabeth walks us through her product playbook: invite every wild feature idea, then slice to a focused MVP using value–effort prioritization. She explains why intuitive UX, honest feedback, and transparent leadership beat shiny UI and bravado, and how turning away misfit projects builds trust and long-term results. Her case studies—from aviation apps to startup forums—show the power of launching lean, testing in the real world, and earning the right to add more later.

The conversation widens toward public service and parenting. Elizabeth ran for Congress in a deep-red Alabama district to force a neglected conversation on maternal health and rural hospital closures. She shares the data, the human costs, and what changed when she met voters across the spectrum with empathy. At home, she and her husband—both in tech—block YouTube at the network level, yet let their kids read widely and ask hard questions. Safety, context, and open dialogue beat algorithmic chaos.

We also talk about libraries as civic infrastructure: job training, lending tools, community programs, and yes, the books that powered Elizabeth from poverty to entrepreneurship. If you care about product design, inclusive leadership, or healthier communities, this story is a practical guide to building with purpose.

If this conversation sparks ideas, follow and share it with a friend. Subscribe for more candid, human-centered talks, and leave a review to help others find the show. What’s one feature you’d cut from your next big idea?

Music "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

What if richness isn’t a bigger house but a fuller table? We sit with pediatric nurse, homeschool mom, and Salted Oak founder Vanessa Mulligan to explore how faith, family, and craft weave into a life centered on connection. Vanessa opens up about choosing a homeschool hybrid that gives her girls community while preserving slow mornings at home, and why moving from bedside nursing to an inpatient education role restored her energy without losing purpose. The conversation gets real about resistant readers, social media pressure, and the loud inner critic that tells moms to master everything. Vanessa’s antidote is disarmingly practical: name your season, choose dinner together, and let the wrong plates drop.

We trace the origin of Salted Oak from a love of raw wood and old-world textures to a small business that invites people to pause around beautiful, useful pieces. Vanessa shares how she outsourced board-making to protect family time and elevate craftsmanship, and how something as simple as a brick of cheese and grapes can turn a Tuesday into a memory. We also talk about guiding kids who aren’t our copies, building a village through church and homeschool friends, and using late dinners to spark the unhurried conversations that shape character.

If you’re craving less rush and more meaning, this one is a warm nudge to slow down. Learn how to order engraved boards, get help styling a table, and create rituals that fit real life. Subscribe for more stories like this, share with a friend who needs encouragement, and leave a quick review to help others find the show.

Music "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff