Barbara Culwell sits downs with individuals to hear how they are on the path to living out their God given purpose as they are understanding and developing their Top 5 CliftonStrengths. You will be encouraged to hear how you are matters in your work and relationships. Join Barbara as she helps you navigate how to find more joy and purpose in your life as you hear other’s stories of embracing their strengths!
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June 16, 2026Episode 21437 min
The Heart of a Father: Delighting In Ben with Brandon Boyd
Brandon's Top 5 CliftonStrengths are: Woo, Positivity, Communication, Belief & Developer
Brandon Boyd has spent nearly three decades on the front lines of collegiate ministry with Cru, walking alongside students and families through life's most defining moments. A husband, father, and speaker, Brandon brings warmth and candor to the callings that matter most: faith, family, and fatherhood.
You can learn more about Delighting In Ben here.
You can oder Delighting in Ben book here.
Connect with Brandon: brandon.boyd@cru.org or call 1-405-269-1004
Follow him on Facebook here
Link to take the CliftonStrengths Assessment
Coaching and Workshops with Barbara Culwell
Subscribe & Leave a Review on Embrace Your Strengths
May 26, 2026Episode 21325 min
EP 214 Creating Spaces for Men to Connect With Corey Schmitt
Corey's Top 5 CliftonStrengths are: Belief, Woo, Restorative, Harmony, Connectednes
Corey Schmitt lives in San Marcos, Texas, where he leads Venture Ministries, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people find and follow Jesus. Passionate about strengthening the Church, Corey enjoys identifying challenges facing ministries and working to build practical, Gospel-centered solutions. Beyond ministry, he has a deep appreciation for the outdoors—especially hunting and fishing—and loves inviting others to experience the beauty of God’s creation alongside him.
Link to take the CliftonStrengths Assessment
Coaching and Workshops with Barbara Culwell
Subscribe & Leave a Review on Embrace Your Strengths
You can learn about Venture Ministries here.
May 14, 2026Episode 21227 min
EP 213 Remembering Jill: Faith, Family & Hospitality with Aryn Guillory
Jill's top 5 CliftonStrengths were: Harmony, Belief, Restorative, Empathy, Consistency
Aryn's Top 5 CliftonStrengths are: Futuristic, Activator, Communication, Arranger and Woo
Jill Amend passed away at 73 years old September 28, 2025 in Lufkin, Texas. She grew up alongside her beloved older sister and younger brother. As the middle child, she shared a special bond with both, always protective and tenderhearted—even crying whenever her little brother was disciplined!
Jill was a beloved elementary school teacher, Mom to Preston, Aryn and Phillip and Gigi to 7 grandchildren.
Known as the “mother of the neighborhood,” Jill had a gift for welcoming others with warmth, kindness, and plenty of home-cooked meals. Her home was always open - filled with laughter, homemade pies that rivaled those of her mother and grandmother, and the joy of family and friends gathered around the table. Summers often meant cousins and family filling the house, and Jill always delighted in making her house a place where everyone felt at home
Aryn (her daugther) talks about the many endearing qualities of her mom Jill in this episode. She Aryn is the founder and owner behind Oyster Creek Studios and Oyster Creek Collection, a vibrant lifestyle brand known for creating timeless, livable homes layered with color, character, and personality.
Aryn, her husband, and their two boys now reside in East Texas, where they love living among the piney woods and enjoying a slower pace of life outside the hustle and bustle of Houston. When she’s not designing beautiful homes or dreaming up new furniture pieces, Aryn loves hosting gatherings at her home, Creole Casa. You can usually find her treasure hunting through estate sales, antique malls, and thrift shops, always on the lookout for one of a kind finds, in between cheering her boys on from the sidelines at all their sports and activities.
Episode 89: Dreaming of And Creating Beautiful Spaces with Aryn Guillory
Link to take the CliftonStrengths Assessment
Coaching and Workshops with Barbara Culwell
Subscribe & Leave a Review on Embrace Your Strengths
May 7, 2026Episode 21139 min
EP 212 40 Years of Leading Globally and Investing Personally with Ken and Ann Cochrum
Ken's Top 5 CliftonStrengths are: Strategic, Maximizer, Command, Relator and Arranger
Ann's Top 5 CliftonStrengths are: Responsibility, Belief, Developer, Restorative & Empathy
Ken and Ann met as students at the University of Texas and upon graduation they marred joined staff with Cru staff and served in various countries including living on the gospel frontier in East Asia for 13 years. Currently Ken serves as Senior Vice President of Leadership Development at East-West, whose vision is making disciples of Jesus in the spiritually darkest nations. Ken is a co-founder of Indigitous, a ministry helping people in digital spaces reach their world. God’s calling has led Ken to 60 nations, serving and strengthening Christ’s leaders. Ann has led in a ministry called God Tools and currently enjoys her work in a local floral shop!
They recently celebrated their 40th anniversary and love hiking, camping, cycling, and spending as much time as possible with their six grandchildren. They reside in Plano, Texas.
Link to take the CliftonStrengths Assessment
Coaching and Workshops with Barbara Culwell
Subscribe & Leave a Review on Embrace Your Strengths
May 1, 2026Episode 21037 min
EP 211 Helping Students Love Learning Through Individualized Academic Art With Sara Worley
Sara's Top 5 CliftonStrengths are: Developer, Individualization, Belief, Postivity and Learner
Dr. Worley has experience teaching from coast to coast. She became convinced that every student carries distinct strengths. Using research on multiple intelligences and learning preferences, she found a way to identify those strengths quickly and allow students to respond to academic content through their strongest creative abilities:
Her twenty year study on a project she created to discover students strengths, works!
After losing everything including 15 years of research and examples in a fire she decided it was time to write about this idea to pass on to more and more students. That became a win win for her and students, too. Discover a way to uncover your strengths and the youth around you! In this conversation you will hear Dr. Worley share how using student strengths enriches lives , education and academic success.
Smartart4schools website Smart Art Courses for Teachers: Free the till the end of October 2026 on Zoom. EBOOK Free May6th - May 10th. On Amazon Smart Art Dr. Sara Worley
Link to take the CliftonStrengths Assessment
Coaching and Workshops with Barbara Culwell
Subscribe & Leave a Review on Embrace Your Strengths
April 22, 2026Episode 20929 min
EP 210 Using Her Strengths to Enjoy Work in Every Season with Tracy Curtis
Tracy's Top % CliftonStrengths are: Positivity, Responsibility, Maximizer, Achiever and Discipline
Tracy Curtis is a devoted wife and mother of five who lives in Omaha, Nebraska. As an event planner and active member of Coram Deo Church, she brings a heart for service into every area of her life. Tracy faithfully supports her family through hospitality and thoughtful organization, creating a warm and welcoming home. She loves staying active, exercising regularly, and being deeply involved in her children’s activities. Her life reflects a strong love for Jesus and a commitment to serving others well.
Link to take the CliftonStrengths Assessment
Coaching and Workshops with Barbara Culwell
Subscribe & Leave a Review on Embrace Your Strengths
March 31, 2026Episode 20830 min
EP 209 Diving into Her Positvity and Empathy in Her Cancer Journey with Shelby Shinkle
Shelby's Top 5 CliftonStrengths are: Empahty, Harmony, Relator, Developer and Positivity
Shelby and her husband Erik live in Boston with their two year old Mila and precious golden retriever, Lou. Shelby is a pediatric physical therapist, but right now she stays at home with Mila as she continues to recover from her stem cell transplant and embrace her new life while navigating cancer remission. Erik just transitioned from being a military pilot to the reserves and he currently attends Harvard Business School where he is about to finish his first year. Shelby and Erik are so grateful to almost be out of the Boston winter and ready for some spring weather so they can get back to what they enjoy doing: being outside in the sunshine
You can follow her CaringBridge about her Cancer Journey here..
You can Join the Donor Registry here.
Link to take the CliftonStrengths Assessment
Coaching and Workshops with Barbara Culwell
Subscribe & Leave a Review on Embrace Your Strengths
March 24, 2026Episode 20744 min
EP 208 From Discouragement to Flourishing: Leaning Into Her Strengths with Michelle Bost
Michelle's Top 5 CliftonStrengths are: Restorative, Empathy, Belief, Developer and Responsibility
Michelle lives in Natick (heavy a sound) Ma, a suburb of Boston where she currently serves on the People & Culture team with Cru. Caring for the ~50 campus and capacity staff in the New England states is her main focus, while also providing support in various ways to staff throughout the Northeast Geography.
She’s been on staff with Cru for almost 35 years and has ministered to college students in St. Petersburg, Russia and Tallinn Estonia, at the University of Arkansas and on campuses in the Boston area. In 2021 she made the switch full-time to staff care.
She loves visiting National Parks and other beautiful locations with her husband and four adult kids and treasures any time when they are all together since they currently occupy 3 different time zones. An avid lover and sunshine and people-anytime those two things are combined she’s happy.
ink to take the CliftonStrengths Assessment
Coaching and Workshops with Barbara Culwell
Subscribe & Leave a Review on Embrace Your Strengths
March 17, 2026Episode 20624 min
EP 207 Guided by Her Strengths Through Life, Motherhood and Career with Erica Saliceti
Erica's Top 5 CliftonStrengths are: Belief, Communication, Context, Responsibility and Restorative
Erica brings a unique blend of life experience, faith, and heart to every stage of life. Transitioning from actuarial analyst to missionary wife, then 16 years homeschooling, and now a mom of amazing UT Austin College kiddos, she has learned to navigate life’s changes with confidence and grace. Guided by Belief, Responsibility, and a Restorative mindset, her love for God, people, and cats shapes how she approaches every challenge and opportunity.
Link to take the CliftonStrengths Assessment
Coaching and Workshops with Barbara Culwell
Subscribe & Leave a Review on Embrace Your Strengths
March 10, 2026Episode 20532 min
EP 206 Loving Deeply in Foster Care and Adoption with Karina Venable
Karina's Top 5 CliftonStrengths are: Relator, Harmony, Empathy, Belief and Responsibility
Karina Venable lives in Austin, Texas with her husband David and their three beautiful children, who are each gifts, given from the Father through adoption. Karina has been a teacher in various capacities throughout the years, including homeschooling her children for seven years. She loves to study scripture and write about what the Lord is teaching her, and she recently had the honor of co-authoring a Bible study on 1 Peter for Providence Church. Karina loves to read aloud good stories with her family and friends. Even more so, she loves to listen to the stories of loved ones, especially over delicious coffee.
Link to take the CliftonStrengths Assessment
Coaching and Workshops with Barbara Culwell
Subscribe & Leave a Review on Embrace Your Strengths
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