So Worth Loving – Details, episodes & analysis

Today’s guest is my friend Ed Jewell, entrepreneur and owner of Danger Press. In this conversation, we talk about forgiveness, leadership, building businesses through difficult seasons, navigating relationships, hiring and letting people go, and how the ups and downs of life often become the building blocks of who we’re becoming. We also talk about the origin story of So Worth Loving and the reality that building something meaningful often comes with uncertainty, sacrifice, heartbreak, and growth. Also, a friendly heads up before you press play: Ed’s vocabulary is a little colorful in this episode 😂 so maybe save this one for the car ride without little ears around. This episode is an honest conversation about: - forgiveness and maintaining relationships - entrepreneurship and leadership - the emotional weight of being your own boss - building structure inside a growing business - learning how to lead people well - the hardship of difficult business decisions - resilience through changing seasons of life - why painful seasons often shape us the most Sometimes the hardest seasons are not destroying us. Sometimes they’re building us. If you’re walking through a difficult season, leading something heavy, rebuilding after disappointment, or trying to find purpose in the middle of uncertainty, this conversation is for you. As always, know your worth and remind others of theirs. About Ed: Ed Jewell is the founder of Danger Press, a screen printing company based in Atlanta that has worked with major brands like CNN, Cartoon Network, TBS, and Adult Swim. For 29 years, Ed has built a business rooted in relationships, quality, and integrity. Before screen printing, he spent a decade in the music industry as a signed artist and bass player. He's a husband, father, mentor, and believer in second chances. Follow us at https://www.instagram.com/soworthloving Follow Danger Press at https://www.instagram.com/dangerpress Learn more about Ed Jewell at https://www.dangerpress.com/danger-crew/

Your worth isn't tied to your work, but it can feel impossible to separate the two. In this bonus room session, Eryn Eddy Adkins sits down with high performance coach, former NBA athletic trainer, and author Scottie Parker to talk about what happens when your identity becomes wrapped up in what you do instead of who you are. Scottie opens up about spending 12 years in professional sports, working with the Seattle Seahawks during their Super Bowl win, and eventually landing with the Atlanta Hawks. But behind the success was a man struggling with chronic pain, anxiety, depression, and a complete unraveling of faith. He shares the moment everything caught up with him, the lie he believed about his meaning being tied to the NBA, and the soul surgery it took to break free. They talk about the difference between emotional health and spiritual health, why you can have one without the other, and how lying to yourself keeps you stuck. Scottie gets real about isolation after injury, the pressure players face when their bodies fail them, and what it looks like to stand with someone in their darkest moment without trying to fix them. He also shares a wild God moment involving a license plate at 2:30 in the morning that gave him just enough hope to keep going. If you've ever felt lost to yourself, tied your value to your performance, or wondered if God still sees you in the mess, this conversation will remind you that you're not too far gone. Your worth was never meant to be earned. About Scottie Parker: Scottie Parker is a high performance coach, injury rehab specialist, and health consultant. He spent 12 years working in professional sports, including time with the Portland Trail Blazers, Seattle Seahawks, and Atlanta Hawks. He's also a husband, father of three, and author working on his first book about running, death, and the return home. His work focuses on helping people integrate physical, emotional, social, and spiritual health. Stay connected to Scottie: www.instagram.com/scottiegoodness Follow So Worth Loving: www.instagram.com/soworthloving

Welcome to the So Worth Loving podcast. In this deeply personal inaugural episode, host Eryn Eddy Adkins opens up about the painful journey that brought this podcast to life—nine years after she first announced it. Eryn shares the raw, unfiltered story of how constantly saying "it's okay" and "it's fine" led to a complete implosion of her life. She candidly discusses the ending of her marriage, the loss of her business partner, community, and reputation, and finding herself at 30 years old back in her parents' guest bedroom with $10 in her bank account and $150,000 in debt. This episode explores: • The dangerous pattern of people-pleasing and seeking validation from others • How numbing yourself to your own needs creates a slow-building crisis • The isolation of losing everything—community, marriage, career, and self-respect • Seeking love in all the wrong places after divorce • The moment she realized she had no self-respect left • A stranger's act of kindness at a coffee shop that became a turning point • The difference between "living your truth" and actually living in truth • Why a few people who stayed made all the difference in rebuilding Eryn doesn't claim to be an expert on knowing your worth—she's an expert on struggling with worth. And that's exactly what makes this conversation so powerful. If you've ever felt like you've lost yourself in the pursuit of being loved, valued, or seen—this episode is for you. You'll hear honest talk about mistakes, betrayal (both chosen and received), the painful process of forgiveness, and what it actually takes to rebuild your life from the ground up. Because it's common to feel unworthy of love, but uncommon to talk about it. So let's talk about it.

Control feels safe until you realize it's keeping you small. In this episode, Eryn Eddy Adkins sits down with entrepreneur, boutique owner, designer, and Good Grit Magazine co-founder Shelly Brown to unpack the hidden ways we search for control when life feels chaotic. From tarot cards to crystals, Shelly opens up about her journey through spiritual searching, divorce, and the dangerous comfort of believing you're in control of your own story. They talk about what it really means to rebuild after loss, the lies we believe about being "too much" or "not enough," and why isolation keeps us stuck in unworthiness. Shelly shares how hospitality became her art form, why teenagers are underrated, and the freedom she found in letting go of perfection. She also gets real about dating after divorce, the pressure to look a certain way as you age, and why surrounding yourself with spiritually mature women changes everything. If you've ever felt like you had to have it all together or believed your brokenness made you less qualified for love, this conversation will remind you that your mess doesn't disqualify you. It actually makes you human. About Shelly Brown: Shelly is the co-founder of Good Grit Magazine, a publication celebrating Southern culture, small towns, and the artisans who make them beautiful. She's also the owner of Curator, a thoughtfully curated shop in Trilith, Georgia. A mother of five, Shelly is passionate about hospitality, community, and creating spaces where people feel at home. Her work reflects her belief that beauty, brokenness, and belonging can coexist. Stay connected to Shelly and her work: www.curator.shop Follow So Worth Loving: www.instagram.com/soworthloving

Dating after divorce is complicated, especially when everyone seems to have an opinion. In this episode, Eryn Eddy Adkins sits down with her husband, Matt Adkins, to talk about the realities of navigating love again after very public heartbreaks. From unhealthy choices masked as “living my truth” to the raw process of acknowledging the past, dating after divorce comes with its challenges. The history you carry doesn’t disappear, it follows you into the present. They share their honest experiences, lessons learned, and what they wish they had known. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s really like to start over, this conversation will remind you that love and healing are possible. Follow www.instagram.com/soworthloving

Grief has a way of shaking everything. Our identity, our confidence, and even our sense of worth. In this episode, Eryn Eddy Adkins sits down with storyteller, public scholar, speaker, community activist, and author Dr. Terence Lester to unpack the complex relationship between loss and self-worth. They discuss how grief doesn’t diminish your dignity, the lies we often believe in our lowest moments, and the healing power of being seen and known. If you’ve ever felt like pain has rewritten your story, this conversation is a reminder that your worth remains unshaken. As Founder and Director of Love Beyond Walls and Director of Public Policy and Social Change at Simmons College of Kentucky (HBCU), Dr. Terence Lester passionately aims to raise awareness about poverty and homelessness. His campaigns on behalf of the unhoused and those facing poverty, have been featured in USA Today, CNN, Black Enterprise, Essence, and Reader's Digest and have been viewed by millions of people globally on The Today Show, Good Morning America, CBS News, NBC, Upworthy, and "The Bright Side" with Katie Couric. Terence has authored several books, including “I See You,” “When We Stand,” and “All God's Children,” along with a recent children's book “Zion Learns to See: Opening Our Eyes to Homelessness.” His fifth book is set to release Fall of 2025, entitled, “From Dropout to Doctorate: Breaking The Chains of Educational Injustice.”  Stay connected to Terence and his work: @imterencelester - Instagram, Facebook, Threads, X @lovebeyondwalls - Instagram, Facebook, Threads, X

Betrayal cuts deep—it shakes your reality, shatters trust, and leaves wounds that don’t heal overnight. In this special episode, Eryn sits down with her own therapist, licensed professional counselor Lori Rader-Jacobs, to dig into the brutal realities of betrayal trauma, how it hijacks your mind and body, and why betrayal whether through infidelity, addiction, financial deception, or other gut-wrenching breaches of trust can leave you questioning everything. She unpacks the instinctive reactions to betrayal, how it wrecks both self-worth and self-trust, and what it takes to rebuild. Lori also shares eye-opening metaphors that expose the hidden layers of trauma, challenges common misconceptions about boundaries, and tackles the hard question: How do you know if a betrayer is truly changing? Plus, she reveals what really happens in your brain when you’re blindsided by betrayal, including the lesser-known ‘flop’ response and practical ways to regain a sense of safety. Eryn also opens up about her own experience with betrayal trauma, making this an intimate, insightful, and deeply validating conversation you won’t want to miss. About Lori Rader-Jacobs: Lori has extensive training and experience working with couples and partners who are dealing with betrayal trauma and relational distress resulting from problematic sexual behaviors. She facilitates therapeutic disclosures and lead betrayal trauma groups. She is also passionate about working with people who encounter stress and unwanted patterns of behavior that interfere with their individual, relational and career aspirations. She is a fully trained EMDR therapist, certified Gottman Level 1 couples counselor and also works with those who consider faith to be an important part of their worldview. Stay connected to Lori and her work: https://hopefortomorrowtherapy.net/ - Website Follow So Worth Loving: https://www.instagram.com/soworthloving/ - Instagram https://soworthloving.com/ - Website

Why is it so hard to find real, honest friendships? In this clip, we talk about community, trust, and what it takes to find friends who don’t hold your past against you. When you’ve moved a lot, built walls, or learned to protect yourself, vulnerability doesn’t come easy. But redemption in friendship is possible. If you’ve struggled with trust, community, or building deep relationships, this conversation is for you. Watch the full conversation on the So Worth Loving Podcast — Episode 3 with Tega. Link in description.

You may never get the apology. But you can still get your freedom. Forgiveness doesn’t set them free — it releases the bitterness in you.

What are you willing to do to feel chosen? In this deeply honest conversation, speaker and wordsmith Tega Taylor opens up about the hidden battles many of us fight in the pursuit of love, approval, and belonging. Growing up, Tega learned to perform for validation—through grades, appearance, and behavior—while privately struggling with pornography from a young age into early adulthood. She unpacks how easy it is to slip into toxic cycles of numbing pain and chasing worth in all the wrong places. But Tega didn’t stay stuck. Through faith, counseling, and brave, honest community, she began to confront her wounds, rewire unhealthy patterns, and step into real healing. This episode is a conversation about struggle, redemption, and the freedom that comes when we stop hiding and start telling the truth. Guest Bio Tega Taylor is a dynamic speaker, host, spoken word artist, and creative force known for blending honest storytelling with thoughtful leadership. She is the co-founder and Director of Creative Strategy & Storytelling for Untitled, a creative agency that designs intentional experiences helping brands, organizations, and businesses move from being seen and heard to truly remembered. With a background in neuroscience and seminary training, Tega brings depth, energy, and empathy to every space—whether on stage, behind a mic, or through her writing. She has partnered with churches, camps, and organizations across the Southeast, always pointing people to Jesus while making room for authenticity, curiosity, and honest questions. Above all, Tega is passionate about creating moments that move people. She loves her husband, a great thrift find, an oat-milk vanilla latte, investing in the next generation, and crafting stories that lead to real transformation. Stay connected with Tega: • Website: https://www.tegafaafa.com/ • Instagram: https://instagram.com/totallytega • Untitled Creative: https://www.untitledcrtv.com/