Esther Littlefield
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Episode 81: Dealing with Burnout, Compassion Fatigue, and Mental Health as a Christian Leader with Laura Howe

Episode 81: Dealing with Burnout, Compassion Fatigue, and Mental Health as a Christian Leader with Laura Howe

by Esther Littlefield | Leadership Podcast, Ministry, Wellness

How does mental health relate to Christian leadership? How can we recognize the signs of burnout or compassion fatigue, and what can we do to avoid these issues? Subscribe to the podcast here This post contains affiliate links, which means if you choose to make a...
Freedom Journey: Free from the Fear of Crying

Freedom Journey: Free from the Fear of Crying

by Esther Littlefield | Article, Identity & Purpose, Wellness

I felt it all day. The lump in my throat just sat there. Every time I thought about meeting with my mentor, my eyes started to water. I pushed the tears back, saving them for later. When I sat down in her chair that afternoon, the tears flowed like a river. I let go...
How to Create Time for the Things You Love (Even if You’re a Busy Mom!)

How to Create Time for the Things You Love (Even if You’re a Busy Mom!)

by Esther Littlefield | Article, Identity & Purpose, Relationships, Wellness

Today I’m welcoming another friend of mine, Dr. Jen Riday, to share her story on the blog. I know you’re going to be moved and inspired by Jen’s story. I have learned so much from her over the past year, especially about how to create time for the...
Taking Time to Rest as a Mom

Taking Time to Rest as a Mom

by Esther Littlefield | Article, Leadership, Wellness

As moms, we often have our schedules filled to the brim with activities and responsibilities. We care for everyone else around us, but we often neglect ourselves. How do we get out of this cycle? In this guest post from Danielle Roberts, we learn the importance of...
Summer Survival Guide for Moms: 10 Self-Care Tips

Summer Survival Guide for Moms: 10 Self-Care Tips

by Esther Littlefield | Article, Relationships, Wellness

School’s out. Summer is here. The kids are going to be home with you. all. summer. long. Some moms can’t wait for these summer months, and others dread it. Either way, you’ve got to find a way to prioritize self-care during the summer months. If your kids are school...
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hey, I’m Esther!

Esther Littlefield holding sign

I’m so glad you’re here. I’m a pastor’s wife, mom of a spirited child, business owner and active leader in my church. I love leading women’s Bible studies, missions trips, marriage retreats (alongside my husband), and my business team. My hope is that this site will help you embrace your God-given gifts and lead with confidence.

The Christian Woman Business Podcast
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estherdlittlefield

🙋‍♀️Helping Christian women lead with confidence, communicate effectively, & grow a business online
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Esther Littlefield
Good leaders are good communicators. But how can y Good leaders are good communicators. But how can you become a better communicator, and is there one aspect of communication that is vitally important?

As leaders, we can always be learning and growing, and while there may be some innate leadership qualities in some of us, much of leadership is about developing skills. 

So in episode 134 of the Christian Woman Leadership Podcast, we focus on one skill that is essential for leaders: communication. Specifically, we’re diving into how to have more clarity in your communication as a leader.

Clarity is important for leadership as it helps people to understand you, your message, and your vision. It helps to attract or repel people, earn trust, avoid confusion, convey love, and more. 

Have you ever been confused by someone's message due to lack of clarity?
Over the past few years, I've had various "faces" Over the past few years, I've had various "faces" of me and my business ventures. I kept them separate as I felt like the content and offerings were quite different, and I didn't want to confuse those who were following me.

But over the past year, as God has been leading me, I've been starting to bring everything under one umbrella. And as I walk into 2021, I'm going all in on simplifying what I'm doing and streamlining my efforts.

What does that mean? Well, it means I'll be sharing ALL of what I do here... it won't be purely about Christian leadership or personal stuff. It will be a mix of what that plus my business-related content. (And it means less accounts for me to manage - woohoo!)

In case you're wondering about the business side of my journey, over the past 4 years I've had a service-based business that has given me the flexibility to work from home using my gifts and skills. I've done everything from social media management to building websites to podcasts management. Now, I work with just a few clients managing their podcasts, and as the Director of Marketing for one. 

While we no longer take on clients for implementation on the podcasting or marketing side of things, I love providing coaching and consulting for fellow Christian women in business who want to grow a business online without compromising their faith or values. 

My areas of expertise are digital marketing, growing an audience, and podcasting. And it lights me up when I see fellow Christian women be able to grow and thrive in their business dreams and goals.

To be honest, I've hesitated sharing this because I don't want to turn off those of you who might be here just for the leadership content. But ultimately, God has made it clear that this is the direction He's taking me and I hope you'll stay along for the ride. Thanks for being here, friend!

Now tell me: is there a shift happening in your life or business this year? I'd love to hear about it!
HOW TO PRESS PAUSE IN YOUR BUSINESS - sharing from HOW TO PRESS PAUSE IN YOUR BUSINESS - sharing from my biz account: The 5 things I do to take a break in my business.⁠
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1. Turn on "vacation replies" in gmail. I manage all of my email through my gmail accounts, so a few days ago, I turned on my "out of office" reply. This is very freeing, and I highly recommend it anytime you are going to step away from your biz.⁠
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2. Take email off my phone. Yes, I know! This is actually very hard for me, but if I truly want to take a break, I need to remove it from my phone entirely. ⁠
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3. Turn on post approval in my FB group(s). This is something new I decided to do after I saw another group admin do it, and I thought it was genius. Here's the truth: if you run a free FB group, there will be spammers and people who don't follow the rules, no matter how hard you try to keep them out.⁠
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4. Take a social media break. This one is tough, too, especially as a business owner! I feel the need to be present on an ongoing basis. Yet, I know that it truly will not hurt my business long-term to take a break. ⁠
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5. Spend time reflecting, praying, and seeking God for the next steps in my business. Again, this is something that i'd like to make a quarterly ritual, but I haven't been as strict about it in the past. However it's definitely something I do at the end of the year, and it's so valuable.⁠
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I find that the steps above are a vital part of this, because without clearing the clutter and noise out of my head, it's tough to make space and think clearly about my business! If I'm still scrolling social media, I tend to start comparing what I'm thinking about doing with what others are doing, and it's just not helpful.⁠
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So, those are some of the things I'll be doing over the next week or so. It doesn't mean my business stops entirely... it just slows down a lot. If you are in a place where you feel like you can't even take any break at all. ⁠
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If that's the case: please take a listen to episode 7 of the Christian Woman Business Podcast and consider how to build the life (and business) you want (a good exercise for this time of year).⁠
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Tell me in the comments: which of these 5 things can you commit to!
Wanna win this book bundle?? I would love to send Wanna win this book bundle??

I would love to send these amazing books to one of you!

You can enter to win by completing my end of year survey. The survey will help me serve you better and help Holly and I as we continue the podcast. 

https://estherlittlefield.com/survey

If you provide your email address at the end of the survey, you will be entered to win an amazing bundle of books from me (sorry, applies U.S. Residents only as I will be shipping these out):

• 6 Month Prompted Prayer Journal from  @valmariepaper 
• Parenting Beyond the Rules by @conniealbers 
• Nice: Why We Love to Be Liked and How God Calls us to More by @sharonhmiller 
• Getting to Know God's Voice: A 31-Day Interactive Journey by @jenny.randle 

Can’t wait to get your feedback and to send this bundle to one of you!
Friendly reminder: Experiencing the peace of God d Friendly reminder: Experiencing the peace of God does not mean the that we won’t feel other emotion like fear, grief, or anger.

As Holly reminds us in episode 129, the peace of God is not about the absence of other emotions but instead a supernatural power that guards our hearts and minds.

Such a powerful reminder that God is more powerful than our emotions!

Have you experienced God’s supernatural peace even when life’s circumstances were not peaceful?
A cozy and lazy Saturday. I’ve spent the day: cl A cozy and lazy Saturday. I’ve spent the day: cleaning up the house a bit, watching some training videos, watching Netflix, taking a nap (so wonderful!!) and doing some biz brainstorming and thinking.

That last thing is something I really need to do on a regular basis but it often gets overlooked. But there’s so much value in letting your mind have the space to just think and wander.

Now we’re wrapping up our day watching A Christmas Story and potentially losing power because of a snowstorm.

So tell me: how do you spend a day off?
One of the things I'm passionate about is helping One of the things I'm passionate about is helping YOU share your message with the world. As leaders, we have the opportunity to impact culture and change lives by sharing the message God has given us.

Sometimes God calls us to share this in our homes, our churches, or our local communities. Other times, He may call you to share with a wider audience, through writing or speaking.

Or, perhaps starting a podcast!

That's why I've put together Podcast in a Weekend... I wanted to take what can seem overwhelming and provide a resource to walk you through it step-by-step, using the systems and strategies I've used for the past 3 years, working on podcasts with dozens of clients and students (as well as my own 2 podcasts).

And guess what? Today is the very last day to get the special Black Friday weekend bonuses!

And that includes being entered to win the Audio-Technica ATR2100X-USB USB/XLR Microphone Bundle with Knox Gear Boom Arm, Shock Mount, and Pop Filter (Value $129+).

Yes, I'll be sending this bundle to one person who grabs the mini-course this weekend. So even if you're not planning to launch a podcast right away, right now is the best time to grab the mini-course!

Now, maybe you still have questions about whether starting a podcast is right for you. Drop a note below if you have questions about starting a podcast or about the new mini-course!
Could a podcast benefit you, your leadership, your Could a podcast benefit you, your leadership, your business or ministry?

Podcasting can be a powerful way to share a message with the world, but it can also feel overwhelming and scary. However, it has been one of the best decisions I’ve made in my business and leadership.

In episode 127 of the Christian Woman Leadership Podcast, I’m sharing with you the 9 benefits I’ve experienced since starting my podcast. And I know from conversations with many other podcasters that these benefits are not uncommon!

In case you haven't had a chance to listen or if you just want the bullet points, here's the benefits I've found from podcasting:

• Improved speaking skills
• Increased confidence
• New opportunities
• Business growth
• Refined message
• Audience growth
• Connections with industry leaders
• Relationship growth with my co-host @hollyacain 
• Ability to make a bigger impact

If you're a podcaster, have you experienced any of these benefits?

If you're thinking about starting a podcast, which one of these would be the most helpful to you?

Oh, and if a podcast has been on your heart and mind, I want to invite you to check out my new mini-course, Podcast in a Weekend, going on sale on Friday! You can get on the waitlist at podcastinaweekend.com.

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The truth about figuring out what you want to say. The truth about figuring out what you want to say.

One of the biggest concerns I'm hearing from some of my friends and members in my FB group about sharing a message or starting a podcast is knowing what they would want to say.

They are concerned they might run out of content ideas OR that their content won't actually interest anyone else.

And that's a legit concern. I've tuned into a few podcasts that made me wonder what they were thinking when they started it...

But the truth is, sometimes you won't really know what you want to say (or write) until you start.

When I first started writing on my blog (after the initial 'just update my friends and family about my life' phase), I was writing about wellness and fitness. Then I updated it to balancing marriage, motherhood, and ministry. Finally I shifted into what I'm doing now around leadership for Christian women.

But if I had never started, I don't believe I would have gotten to this point.

We get stuck - least I do - in this mode of feeling like we have to have it completely 100% figured out before we start.

And yes, if you're gonna start a podcast, it's helpful to have some clarity. 

But if you're unsure about what your message is... what you want to say or share with the world.... just start writing. Maybe that stuff at first doesn't get shared, and that's okay. But maybe it does, and that's okay too!

Maybe you start a podcast with one theme and you shift later on... that's fine! 

There is no law that says you have to know exactly what you want to say with 100% clarity and only ever say that.

So consider this your permission (or your kick in the pants) to just start. Because you won't know where that start will lead if you never take the first step.
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