Courtney: Beyond the Cake – Details, episodes & analysis

Best friends and business partners, Mare and Jess are two of the most genuine women you’ll cross paths with. I wish you could have been in this interview in person to see the admiration these two have for each other, but I think you’ll get a good glimpse of it as we talk. You’ll also get a great sense of their passion and commitment to what they do.

As founders of the company, Gathre, Mare and Jess created a brand that doesn’t just sell a product. Nope - these girls are on a mission to remind us all to live with intention and purpose and to clear out the clutter that distracts us from being our best selves.

And yes, we’ll talk all things leather mats and home, but what you’re also going to hear is a truly wonderful example of what it means to find strength in other women AND how impactful it is to look for and lean into one another’s strengths.

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She grew up on the basketball court, following her dad’s career as a college men’s basketball coach. She knew the game like the back of her hand. Still does. Learning from her dad as they watched his players, went on recruiting trips and just spent time together at the dinner table, were some of Lee Anne Pope’s fondest memories with her dad, Lynn Archibald.

It was years of moving from state to state, years of wins, and years of losses that taught Lee Anne and her family what it really means to be part of a team, on and off the court. What she didn’t know in her youth, however, was that her experiences as the coach’s daughter would be preparing her for a future as a coach’s wife.

But it was certainly not planned or expected. Lee Anne actually graduated with a Broadcast Journalism degree from Brigham Young University and landed a job at ESPN in Bristol, Connecticut right out of college. The job of her dreams, or so she thought.

It wasn’t long after she started at ESPN that a friend encouraged her to move down to Manhattan and take a job with her as David Letterman’s assistant - a job that would change her life forever and actually help get her back on the basketball court.

Lee Anne Pope is the wife of BYU Men’s Basketball Head Coach, Mark Pope, she’s a mother of four girls, and she’s helping to build the best locker room in America! (I’m only a little biased - wink wink).

Today, Lee Anne shares with us the lessons she learned from her parents during the ups and downs of her dad’s career, as well as how her childhood experience shaped her and prepared her for her career, for marriage and for motherhood.

You may have heard: Facebook recently released an internal research study about the harmful effects of Instagram (one of its properties) on teenage girls. The report shares how 1 in 3 teenage girls who use Instagram are likely to develop an eating disorder and/or depression. What is Facebook doing about? Well, nothing, really.

So what can WE do as parents to keep social media a safe and healthy place for our kids? Today, I’ve invited back Andrea Davis, founder of Better Screen Time to talk about the research findings and to share with us ways we can fight the harmful effects of social media, while also teaching our kids healthy usage habits.

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Happy Wednesday, friends! It’s just me today. We haven’t done one of these one on ones in a while… so I hope you don’t mind. I’ll be back with a new guest next week. I recently had the opportunity to speak at a women’s religious conference here in Utah. The topic: a brightness of hope.

I didn’t write my talk for that evening intending to share it with more than that group of women, but have since felt prompted to record that same talk to share with you today. I touch on my relationship with Christ, my history of depression and anxiety, my cake journey, and why hope has been such a big part of my life.

And my hope for this episode is that you feel more capable and more willing to take on today with the hope that tomorrow will feel brighter.

Thank you for sharing this space with me!

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From lawyer to baker, today’s guest has proven that when you put your mind to something, anything is possible.

Vallery Lomas was in the middle of law school when the recession hit and her dream of a job offer before leaving school was no more. Without a job lined up, she ended up traveling to France before moving to New York City where she started a macaron company. She was baking constantly, and loving it, but it wasn’t quite paying the bills. When she finally lined up a job in the legal field, and was still working weekends and late hours to run her macaron business, she knew something had to give.

But surprisingly, it wasn’t her law career… at least not yet.

It wasn’t till years later that the foodie bug hit Vallery again and she started blogging about her recipes and posting to Instagram. She quickly got noticed by casting agents and was chosen for the first season of The Great American Baking Show, a franchise of The Great British Bake Off. Five weeks of long hours and lots of baking…. something Vallery hoped would mean great things for her path in baking.

Unfortunately, before Vallery could be announced the winner, the show was pulled off the air after the premiere. Vallery’s heart was broken and she questioned what to do next.

Today on Courtney, Beyond the Cake, Vallery shares with us what happened next, and how she decided she’d rather take a risk on something she loved than play it safe with something she didn’t.

Vallery’s first cookbook, Life is What You Bake It, was just published, and you’ll also see her over on Food Network’s website and app, as the host of Vallery Bakes Your Questions. She’s also appeared on CNN, the Today Show, Live with Kelly and Ryan, the History Channel and the Hallmark Channel.

Originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Vallery attended college and law school in Los Angeles, practiced law in Washington D.C., and spent a gap year in Paris—where she perfected both her French and pastry skills—before settling in Harlem. She is also a frequent columnist and recipe contributor to the New York Times.

FoodInNewYork.com

Life is What You Bake It
https://www.amazon.com/Life-What-You-Bake-Inspiration/dp/059313768X/ref=asc_df_059313768X/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=475689871831&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12607484068756956995&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9029671&hvtargid=pla-1176112874575&psc=1

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Tiffany Rosenhan started writing shortly after her first daughter was born, but not with the goal to get published or share her work. She simply found solace at the end of a long day when her fingertips hit the letters on her keyboard and the stories and characters she created in her mind found their way to the screen in front of her.

Her characters and stories gave her something to look forward to after her girls were tucked in bed and while her husband worked long hours at the hospital. Sitting down to write was Tiffany’s time to escape, be creative, and fill her cup - something she says also helped her be a better mother to her three girls.

During these years of writing “just for fun,” Tiffany started to create a character she felt more invested in than any other character she had written about. Sophia was someone special. Someone fierce. Someone strong. Someone who deserved her own book! After a few years of flushing out Sophia’s character and storyline, Tiffany was picked up by Bloomsbury Publishing and in 2020, Girl From Nowhere was released.

It was a thrilling time for Tiffany, but just at the peak of all the final details of her launch, her 41-year-old husband suffered a stroke, followed by brain surgery, and a year of seizures. Life was unexpectedly and immediately turned upside down.

Today on Courtney, Beyond the Cake, Tiffany shares with us her journey of storytelling, how writing has strengthened her as a mother, why creating a strong female lead was so important to her, and how her trust in God has helped carry her in uncertain times.

Tiffany is a mother to four young daughters, has a degree in Political Science from the University of Utah, and loves to travel with her children and husband.



Girl From Nowhere

https://www.amazon.com/Girl-Nowhere-Tiffany-Rosenhan/dp/1547603038/ref=asc_df_1547603038/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=459709609434&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=991380933249972525&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9029671&hvtargid=pla-975638132367&psc=1

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When Christopher Carlston lived in Paraguay over 20 years ago, he had no idea how the people he met and the experiences he had would change the course of his life. He was inspired by their generosity, their kindness, their respect.

After graduating with a degree in Communications, Chris found a career in television advertising to lack personal fulfillment and wanted to do something that would change people’s lives for the better. So, he left the newsroom for the courtroom.

It was those years in Paraguay, along with a few of his early cases during law school, that really helped Chris hone in on his desire and passion to help others. He’s now been an immigration attorney in Dallas, Texas for over 8 years, focusing on immigration related litigation, as well as employment based and family based visas. He was recently admitted in the US District Court of Northern Texas and the Fifth Circuit, and has law-changing courtroom wins, including MDF v. Jimmy Johnson and the Matter of Viera Garcia (don’t worry - he’ll explain more about those in today’s episode).

Chris also shares with us recent cases he’s been working on in Afghanistan, why this work is so important to him, and the one thing he says we can do to help immigration reform.

Sponsor:

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Her name graces the aisles of high-end department stores, the pages of magazines, and even on many of your favorite celebrities in the form of clothing and accessories. You’ll likely recognize the name Rebecca Minkoff from her line of modern, sophisticated purses and bags, or maybe from her classic, feminine dresses and clothing she successfully puts together season after season.

Rebecca Minkoff is a globally known brand in the fashion world, and Rebecca, designer and founder, is the powerhouse woman who took the success of a single t-shirt she designed many years ago and turned it into a hugely successful business.

Today on Courtney, Beyond the Cake, Rebecca shares with us the risks she took to start her brand, why getting fired from her first job was one of the best things that ever happened to her, how facing our fears gives us strength, and her rules for unlocking creativity, courage and success.

Robyn Warner is known by many as @aflyonmywall on Instagram, where she shares the humor of everyday life as a mom, a wife, and a business owner. She dances, she does karaoke, and laughs her heart out with her family and followers. She’s also known for her self-defense tips and creating the program S.A.F.E. by Robyn to help empower women and families with self defense tools to prepare them for what we hope never happens.

Robyn’s passion for teaching self-defense stems from her own attack. She was just 18 years old when she was violently attacked and sexually assaulted in broad daylight during an afternoon run. She credits her survival to a few basic self-defense tools she learned when she was 12 years old. It was those tools that saved her life, and now, Robyn is determined to help others and arm them with not only the knowledge to know what to do in an attack, but also the confidence to use those tools to fight back.


https://www.safebyrobyn.com/SAFECourse?r_done=1

Use code CAKE for $25 off Robyn’s S.A.F.E course

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Brooke Romney is a writer, speaker, educator and connector. Her work has been published in The Washington Post, The Desert News, Scary Mommy, and many more publications read by millions. Brooke is also well-known for her blog and Instagram accounts, BrookeRomneyWrites.com, where she hosts Teen Talk Tuesday and writes avidly about motherhood, among many other topics.

Brooke recently published her first book, “I Like Me Anyway: Embracing Imperfection, Connection, and Christ.”

Having read this book myself, I can tell you it’s a must read for any woman, particularly if you’ve ever questioned your self worth, your path or your importance. Through her personal stories, life lessons, and her inspiring words, Brooke motivates you and gives you the tools you need to become the woman you were always meant to be.

When Brooke isn’t writing or mothering to her four boys, Brooke loves to read, volunteer in the schools, and go on walks with her friends. Meaningful connection with family, friends, strangers, and God is central to Brooke’s life and where she says she finds purpose and joy.

Links:
BrookeRomney.com

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