We talk with Dr. Andy Goodwin about what it really takes to be present when leadership pressure never turns off and your calendar keeps filling itself. We explore small, practical shifts that help us choose our spouse and kids without pretending work and responsibility will magically disappear.

• why Walking Slowly is written “in the margins” of a full life
• presence as a daily choice, not a personality trait
• using your calendar to reveal real priorities
• refusing the false solution of “just do less”
• integrating rest, reading, workouts, and meals into normal rhythms
• building a culture where rest is expected and modeled
• student formation that values personhood over performance
• listening well, trusting the Spirit, seeking the kingdom first

We share Michael Perkins’ family story of walking through 11 years of breast cancer, brain metastasis, and the grief of losing his wife Denise, while choosing steady trust in Jesus the whole way. We also talk about how God uses hard seasons to shape purpose, and how faith can move into the marketplace through work, business, and mentorship.

• What “suffer well” looks like when the outcome is unknown
• Brain metastasis, long-term treatment, and learning to rely on God daily
• Hospice, final moments, and the peace their family experiences in the room
• Perspective, loneliness, and waiting on the Lord after loss
• Why Christian entrepreneurs need teams, coaches, prayer, and community
• Physical therapy as a relationship-based career and a natural space for ministry
• Seeing work as worship, excellence as witness, and purpose as obedience
• Contagious Hope podcast and how legacy grows through planted seeds

We talk with Dr. Brooke Helling about how an unexpected path led her into English, ESL, and curriculum work, and why student connection matters as much as content. We also share what makes NorthStar Academy’s online model feel personal, growth-focused, and worth remembering for the relationships.

• Brooke’s real-life snapshot as a teacher, church leader, wife, and mom of four boys
• The “accidental English teacher” story and what she learns from ESL students’ resilience
• Designing a strong learning experience through belonging, buy-in, and student choice
• Measuring growth with mastery learning, reteaching, and assignment retries
• Why online school can deepen teacher-student connection through feedback and messaging
• What traditional sit-and-get models miss in a short-attention-span world
• Boy-mom lessons on grace, consistency, listening, and saying yes wisely
• “Anything worth doing is worth doing well” and why excellence points beyond ourselves
• The hope that students remember people and community most of all