Big Girl Thoughts | Real Women | Real Talk | Real Faith

About Big Girl Thoughts | Real Women | Real Talk | Real Faith

Big Girl Thoughts is where real women bring real talk—full of laughs, tears, and faith that keeps us going. Hosted by Ashleigh, this podcast shares the messy, beautiful, and hilarious parts of life through honest conversations and stories that remind you you’re not alone and that God’s got a bigger plan in it all.

Publisher

biggirlthoughtspodcast

Category

education · religion & spirituality

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

26 May 2026

Latest episode

2 Nov 2026

Latest episodes

15 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   2 Nov 2026

   I expect a miracle right now. | Our Full Story, Pt 2 | BGT #14

   Hey babe. Shawn's back, and we're finishing the story. Part 1 ended with the phone call I had to pull over to take. Shawn's business partner had emptied the account, shut it down, and cut off his email, his debit card, and his expense accounts. We were in Austin with two babies and no income. Start-over number five, if you're counting. Shawn started knocking on doors with a little marketing company. We sat our kids down and prayed for the people who had hurt us, and little Brooklyn folded her hands and prayed for the guy. That's the season I started seeing the Lord as my provider instead of my husband, and it changed everything for me as a woman. Then we got down to 75 cents in the console of his old beater car. Shawn pitched a massage company on a $100,000 plan and the owner told him no. He sat in that parking lot for 20 minutes, weeping, and told the Lord, "I expect a miracle right now." I was 200 yards away with our babies. His phone rang. The owner had never felt anything like it and needed Shawn to come back. Shawn walked out with a check for $8,000, and we made it to the bank before 4:30. The next test came dressed as success. Our medical business took off, then an employee copied the model and took the clients, and we went from 78 employees to two. Shawn was set to win a million-dollar lawsuit when the Holy Spirit stopped him on a restroom break: vengeance is mine. He dropped it. We close with what all of it taught us. Pray first, listen, and come into alignment with God. God's not sprinkles on top of your business plan. And the big girl thought I want you to keep: God isn't breaking you. He's building you for the calling He has on your life. MISSED PART 1?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GC1ymlhIjTw WHAT WE GET INTO0:00 Cold open: "I expect a miracle right now"0:14 Welcome to Big Girl Thoughts0:47 Our full story, part two1:21 He stole all the money1:36 Chasing money without the Lord2:34 Knowing it and doing it3:26 Start-over #5: knocking on doors4:36 Praying for the people who hurt us4:54 Little Brooklyn prays6:20 To the wives: pray for the business7:18 "The Lord is my provider, not you"7:57 Done for you, not to you8:37 A trade for massages9:55 Crack the code10:31 Credit at the print shop11:42 75 cents in the console12:44 The $100,000 pitch13:34 Weeping in the parking lot15:10 "I expect a miracle"15:28 The phone rings16:40 "You're the guy"17:38 $8,000 up front19:53 From 75 cents to eight grand20:06 God saw our hearts21:08 Doing life with Daddy21:36 Harder as a lone wolf21:50 Too embarrassed to ask22:43 The potter and the clay24:05 Finding the niche: doctors25:04 Two guys at a Super Bowl party26:15 Zero to hero26:25 Success is a test28:08 78 employees to two28:41 "Maybe there's a me problem"29:06 God as a gumball machine30:02 Dropping the million-dollar lawsuit31:47 The Lord was moving us out32:27 Overnight success is a myth33:03 COVID and buying the clinic34:03 Cut to today35:30 Your corner of the puzzle37:25 "At 56, I see better now"38:11 The Lord is the main story38:49 Pray first39:59 God's not sprinkles40:14 You need an army41:03 The big girl thought41:55 Two young entrepreneurs watching42:49 It gets simpler43:42 Faith of a little child44:12 Thank you, babe ABOUT SHAWNShawn Leege is Ashleigh's husband, a dad of two, and the rebel from Episode 03, where he shared his sobriety story. He grew up in poverty on an Iowa farm and started over five times on the road to Austin, where he runs a family medicine business and meets with young entrepreneurs. He's 56, and he'll tell you the whole thing got simpler once he started praying first. LISTEN + WATCHYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BiggirlthoughtspodcastSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033ntRmennSoOEIObPs1gcApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/big-girl-thoughts-real-women-real-talk-real-faith/id1896816739 FOLLOWWeb: https://biggirlthoughts.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashleighleege/ xo, Ash #BigGirlThoughts #OurFullStory #Fait

2. 

   19 Oct 2026

   Lord, what have I done? | Our Full Story, Pt 1 | BGT #13

   Hey babe. My favorite guy is back, and we're telling our money story from the very beginning. Shawn grew up poor on an Iowa farm, mowing lawns at 12 and riding a paper route at 3:30 in the morning. I grew up middle class spending every penny of my $20 Fridays. Neither of us had a money mentor when we started a personal training business in Los Angeles. You'll hear about the laminated price sheet, the $500 tithe Shawn wrote with $600 in the bank, and the 18-year-old who paid $10,000 up front a week later. Then the hard years: a crooked real estate group in Arizona, a Minnesota winter while pregnant, a boss who threatened Shawn's life over a commission, and a drive to Austin with a 10-month-old right before I lost my mom. The lesson we keep coming back to: pray first, wait for direction, and remember your ceiling is your faith. Part 1 ends with a phone call that changed everything. Part 2 picks it up from there. Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BiggirlthoughtspodcastMore at https://biggirlthoughts.comInstagram: @ashleighleege xo, Ash

3. 

   5 Oct 2026

   Sometimes rejections is just redirection. | Brooklynn | BGT #12

   Hey babe. Welcome back to Big Girl Thoughts. This one is special: my daughter Brooklynn is home visiting from her first month of college, and we recorded in our pajamas because it felt right. She's a freshman at Highlands College in Birmingham, and watching her step into her calling at 18 has wrecked me in the best way. We go back to the beginning: the lawyer dream she picked up from watching Suits, the mission trip to Africa with her dad that changed everything, and the gap-year YWAM plan she held onto until one campus visit undid it. She cried through chapel on Discovery Day. A year before that, I stepped onto the same campus on a work trip, called her from the sidewalk, and said this needs to go on your list. Neither of us knew. Then we get honest about friendship. Brooklynn spent high school as the girl who knew everyone and had almost no one, and she talks about what changed when her friendships became equally yoked: loyalty reads different, love reads different, and two days into college she found herself praying for a kid in the middle of a Chipotle. She tells the story of the pedicure, the prompting to bring her wallet inside, and the $100 bill she didn't know she had: "It's not for me. The Holy Spirit told me to give it to you." And she hands us the line I'm still chewing on. She learned it through closed doors, lost friends, and one missed highway exit that turned into her favorite place in Birmingham: sometimes God gives you clarity through rejection instead of acceptance. Rejection is just redirection. If you have a daughter, send her this one. Then watch it yourself. WHAT WE GET INTO0:00 Cold open: the acceptance-letter song.0:22 Show intro.0:48 Brooklynn's home, and we're in our pajamas.1:52 One month into Birmingham.2:49 The lawyer plan (thanks, Suits).4:08 The mission trip that changed everything.5:13 The YWAM gap-year plan.6:46 "I don't want to party my butt off."8:31 Discovery Day: crying in chapel.9:58 Mom found the campus a year early.11:11 Dorm life, food, and roommate Sydney.13:41 A lot of friends, and no friends.14:54 Equally yoked friendships.17:40 The gift-giver's question.21:30 Day two: praying for a kid in Chipotle.23:38 Boldness, and a Starbucks regret.24:52 The pedicure: "bring your wallet."26:57 "Give her the biggest bill you have."28:22 Jessica, and praying out loud.30:49 The photography business.32:15 Dream shoot: a willow-tree proposal.33:50 Faith of her own: "I'll do it by myself."35:03 The kid who brought us back to church.36:44 "We're going to Africa whether you like it or not."38:58 Rejection, acceptance, and redirection.41:46 The missed exit that became a favorite place.44:45 The big girl thought.45:36 Rapid fire: the college edition.47:38 "Now we're friends."48:14 Until next time. ABOUT BROOKLYNNBrooklynn is Ashleigh and Shawn's daughter, a freshman at Highlands College in Birmingham, Alabama, and a portrait and film photographer who started her business in high school in Austin. She goes to Africa with her dad every year, prays for strangers at nail salons, and once told her parents the family was going back to church. She was right. FIND BROOKLYNNPhotography: https://www.instagram.com/brook_lens.photog/ LISTEN + WATCHYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BiggirlthoughtspodcastSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033ntRmennSoOEIObPs1gcApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/big-girl-thoughts-real-women-real-talk-real-faith/id1896816739 FOLLOW ASHLEIGHInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashleighleege/ xo, Ash #BigGirlThoughts #RejectionIsRedirection #ClarityThroughRejection #MomsAndDaughters #CollegeFreshman #ChristianWomen #FaithJourney #WomenOfFaith #ChristianPodcast

4. 

   17 Aug 2026

   Surrendering your dream isn't losing it. | Andrea, BGT #11

   Hey babe. Welcome back to Big Girl Thoughts. Episode #11 is for the woman who has, or had, a dream that God changed a little bit. I sat down with my friend Andrea: mom of four, wife, prayer warrior, and the girl next door everyone should get to have. And here's the thing we only recently discovered about each other — we both carried the same dream of being an actress. Andrea's version starts in a salon chair. She became a hairdresser out of school, did her future husband's hair for three years, and kept telling her agent "I'm not available" while the calls kept coming. When she finally told Jason she had to go to LA, he said no — and years later she can see the Lord was using that no to protect her. Then came the sign she asked for: an audition for Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life with Brad Pitt. She told Jason, "If I get this, I'm quitting hair and pursuing acting." She got it. The bigger story is what happened two years into her marriage: a towel in the backyard, an open Bible, and the day the Holy Spirit washed over her. The trees looked alive. She was, in her words, high on Jesus — and she'll tell you He can take you higher than any drug. We follow that thread all the way to an ordinary Tuesday when she asked, "Lord, what do you want to do today?", heard "go to the kids' school, someone needs prayer," and ended the afternoon watching a seventh grader named Gavin put down his crutches in the pickup line. Her dream isn't dead. It's surrendered — and as I say at the end, surrendering your dream isn't losing it. It's putting it in the hands of the One who really has it for you. WHAT WE GET INTO0:00 Cold open: "Sit still and ask God."0:13 Show intro.0:39 Meet Andrea.1:58 Life right now: mom of four.3:53 "Is this it for me?"4:01 Ashleigh's LA years and Colin Hanks.5:42 Hair school, and the client she married.6:00 The agent kept calling.7:09 "We're not going to LA."8:07 The Tree of Life sign.9:53 Wanting it less, and holding it loosely.11:05 The auditions that felt wrong.12:06 "It felt like grieving."16:45 A towel, a Bible, and born again.17:35 "Higher than any drug."19:08 2018: the Bible comes alive.24:27 The Saturday Night Live dream.25:06 A vision of being interviewed.31:41 For the woman grieving a dream.33:39 "Lord, what do you want to do today?"37:48 Gavin: the parking-lot miracle.39:29 The big girl thought: surrender isn't losing.40:46 Rapid fire with Andrea.46:48 Until next time. ABOUT ANDREAAndrea is a wife and mom of four (15, 13, 9, and 5) in the Austin area. A hairdresser who met her husband Jason in her salon chair, she chased an acting dream through Houston auditions and a role in The Tree of Life, then surrendered it to God without letting it die. She's a prayer warrior who asks the Lord "what do you want to do today?" — and goes where He says. LISTEN + WATCHYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BiggirlthoughtspodcastSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033ntRmennSoOEIObPs1gcApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/big-girl-thoughts-real-women-real-talk-real-faith/id1896816739 FOLLOW BIG GIRL THOUGHTSWeb: https://biggirlthoughts.com FOLLOW ASHLEIGHInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashleighleege/ xo, Ash #BigGirlThoughts #SurrenderYourDream #HigherThanAnyDrug

5. 

   10 Aug 2026

   You have to be a little crazy to follow God. | Natalie, BGT #10

   Hey babe. Welcome back to Big Girl Thoughts. For episode #10, I sat down with my dear friend Natalie, the sister I never had. Our families do monthly dinners where we are the loudest table in the restaurant, and she mentors my daughter, so this one is personal. At 14, Natalie closed her eyes at a youth conference and saw herself on the streets of Africa next to a lady with short blonde hair. She spent the next four years telling God he had a blank check. At 17 she walked into a travel clinic and asked for shots to "wherever, just get me ready." Then she heard Heidi Baker speak, recognized the woman from her vision, and three weeks later she was on a plane to Mozambique, a country she couldn't yet find on a map. She went on to build micro-lending and savings groups in Ugandan villages, sit with people the world forgot in the bush and the Amazon, and walk into an MS-13 prison yard because God said go. Then there's the love story. At 25 she told a girlfriend she had the strangest feeling she was about to meet her husband. That weekend Scotty saw her at church. One five-and-a-half-hour coffee date later he told her, "I live in Sweden and you're here, but I know you're worth it." Six weeks in, she flew to Stockholm. Date five was a day trip to Paris. Today they're raising three littles and running Waymaker Mortgage together in Texas. We also get honest about the spirit of fear, the scripture that breaks it, and mothering from surrender instead of control. Natalie's big girl thought says it all: you have to be a little crazy to follow God, but you're really crazy not to. WHAT WE GET INTO0:00 Cold open: "Get ready to go to Africa."0:32 Meet Natalie.1:25 Flat or sparkly: our monthly dinners.3:37 The Netflix-binge part of her story.4:59 A vision at 14.7:01 Shots first, destination later.7:30 The lady with the short blonde hair.8:25 A ticket to Mozambique at 17.9:47 The upside-down kingdom.11:51 Not a mud hut: empowering, not rescuing.12:50 Called to Africa, and to Whole Foods.14:02 Sweeping floors or raising the dead.15:06 The world's hidden gems.19:06 How she met Scotty.19:43 "I'm about to meet my husband."21:24 Praying for a green light.23:04 The five-and-a-half-hour first date.24:40 "I know you're worth it."26:02 Six weeks later: Sweden.29:20 Date five: a day trip to Paris.30:51 "I can be led by this man."32:32 Three littles and a business.34:06 Surrender, moment by moment.37:51 Raising kids who know their worth.41:27 The things we worry about most.42:03 Wrestling the spirit of fear.46:43 Perfect love casts out fear.50:12 A little crazy to follow God.50:44 Waymaker Mortgage.53:46 Rapid fire with Natalie.54:30 Until next time. ABOUT NATALIENatalie is a wife, mom of three, and missionary at heart from Youngstown, Ohio. Called to Africa in a vision at 14, she boarded a plane to Mozambique at 17 and has since carried the gospel to more than 23 countries, building micro-lending and savings groups that help parents in Ugandan villages start businesses and provide for their kids. She met her husband Scotty on a five-and-a-half-hour first date, said yes to Sweden six weeks later, and today they run Waymaker Mortgage and raise their three children in Texas. FOLLOW NATALIEInstagram: instagram.com/mrsnatcampbellWaymaker Mortgage: https://waymaker.us/home LISTEN + WATCHYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BiggirlthoughtspodcastSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033ntRmennSoOEIObPs1gcApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/big-girl-thoughts-real-women-real-talk-real-faith/id1896816739 BIG GIRL THOUGHTSWeb: https://biggirlthoughts.com FOLLOW ASHLEIGHInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashleighleege/ xo, Ash

6. 

   3 Aug 2026

   Peace amidst the waves. | Melissa, BGT #09

   CONTENT NOTE: This conversation includes a high-risk twin pregnancy, a diagnosis that came with a recommendation to end the pregnancy, fetal surgery, and time in the NICU. It's a story with a joyful outcome, but it may be tender if you've walked a hard pregnancy. Take care as you listen. Hey babe. Welcome back to Big Girl Thoughts. For episode #09, I sat down with my friend Melissa, the girlfriend you call when you're panicked and need someone to pray. She is a prayer warrior, and she has a story I had never fully heard until we hit record. Melissa and her husband John had life mapped out. Careers, a first son, a dream house, every box checked. Then a routine ultrasound showed twins, and minutes later, a rare and dangerous diagnosis: twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome. At Cincinnati Children's, doctors laid out two options, an experimental laser surgery or ending the pregnancy. Melissa and John, who had walked away from church years before, chose their girls. What happened next is the whole story. A younger couple next door who quietly showed them Jesus. A church that brought dinner every other night for five months while John lost his income. A first, fumbling prayer in a hospital room the night before surgery. Months of bed rest that taught a lifelong planner to surrender. And two baby girls, Sydney and Alexis, who just turned 18. Melissa's big girl thought: doctors can hand you a diagnosis, but God has the final say. Grab your water (Melissa is the one person we know who drinks only water) and settle in. WHAT WE GET INTO0:00 Meet Melissa.2:36 The plan, and then twins.4:06 A rare diagnosis: twin-to-twin transfusion.5:44 The neighbors who changed everything.8:01 Two options: surgery, or ending it.8:32 An unspeakable peace.10:45 John's first prayer.11:41 Months of bed rest.12:51 Delivery, the NICU, and God's timing.19:56 Financial ruin, and meals for five months.22:48 The twins today.30:59 Trust, and Proverbs 3:5-6.34:24 Pray the promise, not the problem.35:46 Live to Give Ministries.38:29 Rapid fire.45:56 The final say. ABOUT MELISSAMelissa Fanning lives in the Austin, TX area with her husband John. She is a mom of three, a real estate agent, and the founder of Live to Give Ministries, a nonprofit that connects people in hard seasons with the resources and community they need, with a heart for single moms and transitional housing. She and John walked through a high-risk twin pregnancy that brought them back to faith, and they have spent the years since being the hands and feet of Jesus for everyone in their path. FIND MELISSALive to Give Ministries: L2Gministries.com LISTEN ONSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033ntRmennSoOEIObPs1gcApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/big-girl-thoughts-real-women-real-talk-real-faith/id1896816739 WATCH ONYouTube: https://youtu.be/Tv2oF5WW2_8 FOLLOW ASHLEIGHInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashleighleege/ xo, Ash #BigGirlThoughts #PeaceAmidstTheWaves #GodHasTheFinalSay #Testimony #TTTS #MiracleBabies #FaithOverFear #ChristianWomen #Twins #WomenOfFaith

7. 

   27 Jul 2026

   Shiny on the outside, shattered within. | Kat, BGT #08

   CONTENT NOTE: This conversation includes discussion of childhood verbal, physical, and sexual abuse, and the loss of a loved one. Please listen with care. Support is available any time through RAINN at 1-800-656-4673 or online.rainn.org. Hey babe. Welcome back to Big Girl Thoughts. For episode #08, I sat down with my friend Kat, and I need to brag on her for a minute. She is the friend who calls you right back, the one you can tell anything. She is also one of the bravest women I know. Kat grew up in a house on a hill in Colorado that looked shiny and perfect from the outside. Inside was a different story: abuse that was verbal, physical, and sexual, a mom who couldn't be present, and a childhood she assumed was normal because it was all she knew. Her sisters were taken by the courts when she was in fifth grade. Years later she lost her brother, her best friend and her steadiest constant, far too soon. She married young and poured everything into building the perfect family she never had. The turning point came in a shower, home from spreading her brother's ashes, when she heard God say what she already knew: he is never going to change. She left. She had her fourth baby with worship music playing and more peace than that moment should have held. Then she started over. Today Kat will tell you the enemy is a liar, that your worth is not up for debate, and that you can do hard things, but only through Him. Grab your coffee. This one is tender, and it is worth every minute. WHAT WE GET INTO0:00 Meet Kat.2:55 The house on the hill.3:44 Behind closed doors.5:53 When her sisters were taken.6:18 Her brother, and two very different childhoods.8:44 Counting down to freedom.14:55 Free, but still trying to fill the holes.17:00 Meeting her ex, and becoming a mom.20:24 Motherhood at 21.24:07 Losing her brother.26:08 "He's never gonna change."28:38 Ryan, worship music, and peace in the chaos.30:52 Starting over, and proving she's worthy of love.35:19 Shame, and raising four kids.37:45 "The enemy is a liar."40:36 You can do hard things, but only through Him.41:49 Rapid fire with Kat.43:30 Until next time. ABOUT KAT:Kat is a single mom in the Austin area, the youngest of a big blended family from Colorado Springs. She survived childhood abuse and the loss of her brother and best friend, then built a life on her own with two and three jobs at a time and an associate's degree earned while raising her kids. She is a recovering people pleaser, a mom determined to raise her children knowing their worth, and living proof that you can do hard things through God. LISTEN ONSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033ntRmennSoOEIObPs1gcApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/big-girl-thoughts-real-women-real-talk-real-faith/id1896816739 WATCH ON YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvITHgYmaRdBonSO4hDVxfw FOLLOW BIG GIRL THOUGHTSWeb: https://biggirlthoughts.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashleighleege/ xo, Ash #BigGirlThoughts

8. 

   20 Jul 2026

   "I don't identify as disabled. I identify as a child of God." | Kristen, BGT #07

   Hey babe. Welcome back to Big Girl Thoughts. For episode #07, I sat down with Kristen, and I left our very first coffee thinking she was the most resilient woman I had ever met. Kristen was born without part of her right arm, and she will be the first to tell you it is just normal. She grew up playing varsity tennis (and winning the "most inspirational" award every single year), surfing the California coast, and figuring out how to tie her shoes before her big sister did. Today she is an executive pastry chef who builds jaw-dropping wedding cakes, up to fifteen in a single week, single-handedly. Her words, not mine. Then came the line that stopped me cold: "I don't identify as disabled. I identify as a child of God." Kristen carries deep faith and the best sense of humor you will hear all week (wait for the Bethany Hamilton story). If you have ever felt stuck or overwhelmed, her mantra is for you. Just start. The momentum will build. WHAT WE GET INTO0:00 Meet Kristen.2:04 Born without a right arm, and why it's "just normal."2:19 Varsity tennis and the "most inspirational" award.6:46 She tied her shoes before her big sister.10:10 "I don't identify as disabled. I identify as a child of God."12:37 Meeting Joe (married one week after she turned 20).16:14 The time a stranger thought she was Bethany Hamilton.17:31 One hand, half price: the nail salon math.18:09 How Frosting Fanatic started.21:24 From stay-at-home mom to wedding cakes.27:45 "When you're overwhelmed, just start."28:52 The big girl thought.30:23 Worship while she bakes (and the Phil Wickham connection).31:55 Rapid fire with Kristen.34:27 One word: resilient.36:56 Where to find her. ABOUT KRISTENKristen is an executive pastry chef in the Austin area and the baker behind Frosting Fanatic. Born without part of her right arm, she is a former varsity tennis player and lifelong surfer, now a wife to Joe and a mom of three. She does it all with one hand and a whole lot of grit, and she would rather make you laugh about it than have you feel sorry for her. FIND KRISTENInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/frosting_fanatic/Website: https://frostingfanatic.com LISTEN ONSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033ntRmennSoOEIObPs1gcApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/big-girl-thoughts-real-women-real-talk-real-faith/id1896816739 WATCH ON YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Biggirlthoughtspodcast FOLLOW BIG GIRL THOUGHTSWeb: https://biggirlthoughts.com FOLLOW ASHLEIGHInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashleighleege/ xo, Ash #BigGirlThoughts #ChildOfGod #JustStart #Resilience #ChristianWomen #FaithOverFear #LimbDifference #WeddingCakes #WomenInBusiness #Testimony

9. 

   13 Jul 2026

   God said, "Sis, get up." | Victoria, BGT #06

   Hey babe. Welcome back to Big Girl Thoughts.A gentle heads-up before you press play: Victoria and I talk about the loss of her mom and about a night in 2020 when she came close to ending her life. If you're in a hard place right now, you are not alone. You can call or text 988 (the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) any time, day or night. For episode #06, I sat down with my friend Victoria. Her name means conqueror, and she has lived up to it. She was adopted twice, first at birth by her mom Bonnie Jo, a single mama and nurse, then again at 13 by her dad. She grew up biracial on a small farm in Indiana and learned early that the world doesn't always see your heart the way God does. Then her mom died of cancer, her dad walked away, and 2020 left her isolated in a tiny apartment with a plan to give up. In her darkest hour she heard God's voice, in her mom's voice, say, "Sis, get up." She got up. She moved to Austin, she bought her first house, and she's still leaning into the process. This one will wreck you and rebuild you. WHAT WE GET INTO 0:00 "Men were decoration." 1:03 Meet Victoria. 2:40 How we met at church. 4:37 Where the story gets juicy (2017-2019). 5:37 Adopted at birth: "a love child." 8:02 Adopted again at 13. 8:16 The farm, and what school was really like. 9:45 Losing her mom, Bonnie Jo. 11:00 Two moms who did not play (the pistol and the bat). 16:51 Content, single, and full. 18:34 "Be a wife first." 23:22 The darkest time: 2020. 28:20 "Sis, get up." Hearing God. 30:51 Peace is my GPS. 32:01 The house on the hill. 33:02 How she actually healed. 39:23 Leaning into the process (an Esther story). 43:44 Rapid fire with Victoria. ABOUT VICTORIA Victoria is a coach, a fierce prayer warrior, and one of Ashleigh's dearest friends. Indiana farm girl turned Austin homeowner, she works in learning and development and pours into women wherever she goes. Adopted twice, healed on purpose, and standing on 1 Samuel 16:7: people see the outside, but God sees the heart.LISTEN ON Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/033ntRmennSoOEIObPs1gc Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/big-girl-thoughts-real-women-real-talk-real-faith/id1896816739 WATCH ON YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvITHgYmaRdBonSO4hDVxfw FOLLOW BIG GIRL THOUGHTS Web: https://biggirlthoughts.com FOLLOW ASHLEIGH Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashleighleege/ xo, Ash #BigGirlThoughts #SisGetUp #LeanIntoTheProcess #FaithOverFear #ChristianWomen #TestimonyPodcast #GriefAndFaith #HealingJourney #AdoptionStory #988

10. 

    6 Jul 2026

    Our pain is not permanent, but His promises are. | Raven, BGT #05

    Hey babe. Welcome back to Big Girl Thoughts. For episode #05, I sat down with my sweet friend Raven. Twelve days before her wedding, with the dress altered and the flights booked, she sat across a brunch table and said "I can't marry you." God had been sending her the same message through stranger after stranger, and she finally listened. Three months after the breakup, she met Enrique over a pan of dirty rice at a church potluck. They married in February 2024 and found out they were pregnant soon after. A gentle heads-up: we talk about pregnancy loss in this one. In her second trimester, Raven went into labor and they lost their baby boy, Judah. Raven tells the whole story with more hope than I could have imagined. If you have walked through loss of any kind, she wants you to know two things. You are allowed to grieve. And your pain is not permanent. WHAT WE GET INTO0:00 Meet Raven.2:37 "My story would be a limited series."5:47 Engaged in five months.7:10 "That man is not your husband."11:27 The brunch, 12 days out.15:08 Three months later: Enrique.21:47 "Raven, will you let me heal you?"27:35 The dinner, the dessert, the news.29:42 The cramps she thought were normal.33:59 The ultrasound.39:42 Judah: worship goes first.42:25 Permission to grieve.46:26 The big girl thought.53:33 Rapid fire with Raven. ABOUT RAVENRaven is a wife to Enrique and a mama to Judah, who is with Jesus. She spent years being the strong one for everybody else and is learning to let people show up for her. She and Ashleigh met at church, and one puppy named Bentley sealed the friendship. RAVEN'S INSTAGRAM: @ravennichelle_ LISTEN ONSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033ntRmennSoOEIObPs1gc Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/big-girl-thoughts-real-women-real-talk-real-faith/id1896816739 WATCH ON YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Biggirlthoughtspodcast FOLLOW BIG GIRL THOUGHTSWeb: https://biggirlthoughts.com FOLLOW ASHLEIGHInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashleighleege/ xo, Ash #BigGirlThoughts #PainIsNotPermanent #HisPromisesAre #FaithOverFear #ChristianWomen #TestimonyPodcast #GriefAndFaith #PregnancyLossAwareness #SendWorshipFirst

11. 

    29 Jun 2026

    The setback was the setup. | Jenessa Wait, BGT #04

    Hey babe. Welcome back to Big Girl Thoughts. For episode #04, I sat down with Jenessa Wait. You probably know her shop — the posters, the trucker hats, the "He still does miracles" line. What you may not know is that the whole thing started with a Canadian girl waiting on a green card, a friend's iPhone, and a still small voice that said "You could do this too." She picked up a ballpoint pen. Eleven years later, there's a seven-figure company, a warehouse, seven employees, and a book she wrote for postpartum mamas called A Heart So Full. If you have ever felt the nudge and let fear talk you out of it, this one is for you. Jenessa came on to tell you not to bow to it. WHAT WE GET INTO 0:00 Meet Jenessa. 4:35 The coffee, the DM, and the still small voice. 10:55 Fear is exhausting. Faith is fear in reverse. 21:45 Loaves, fishes, and finger-painting in the office. 25:12 Wood signs to Austin. The parking-lot flop. 30:09 The setback was the setup. 32:06 Two words from God: do prints. 37:18 What I would tell the woman who is scared. 47:44 Rapid fire with Jenessa. ABOUT JENESSA Jenessa Wait is the founder of shop.jenessawait.com, the Christian home-goods and apparel company behind the "He still does miracles" hat and a whole lot of posters that end up in nurseries. Canadian by birth, Austin by call, wife to Sean, mama to two with one on the way, and a former young-adult pastor who still pastors anyone who buys a hat.Instagram: @jenessawait Shop: https://shop.jenessawait.com LISTEN ON Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/big-girl-thoughts-real-women-real-talk-real-faith/id1896816739 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033ntRmennSoOEIObPs1gc WATCH ON YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Biggirlthoughtspodcast FOLLOW BIG GIRL THOUGHTS Web: https://biggirlthoughts.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashleighleege/xo, Ash #BigGirlThoughts #KickFearInTheFace #ButGod #JenessaWait #FaithOverFear #ChristianWomen #FaithAndHumor #TestimonyPodcast #ChristianEntrepreneur

12. 

    22 Jun 2026

    "The decision that changed everything." | Shawn Leege, BGT #03

    Hey babe. Welcome back to Big Girl Thoughts.For episode #03, I sat down with my husband Shawn. You probably know him a little, the rebel in my posts. What you may not know is that he started drinking at 15 and went 13 years full tilt. By 28, working LA actor, one hand on a fifth of Jack Daniels and a Bible in the other, asking God to take it. Then he met me. Then he made one vow, "I won't lose you to liquid," and white-knuckled the first year of sobriety in Santa Monica AA rooms alongside Matt Perry and Anthony Hopkins. His sponsor was a diamond dealer who made my wedding ring. He's coming up on 24 years sober. If you have ever loved an addict, or are praying for one, this one is for you. Shawn came on to tell you it's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when. And to burn your boats. WHAT WE GET INTO0:00 Meet Shawn.3:20 From Iowa to Hollywood.4:20 "I love acting more than you."12:37 Jack Daniels in one hand, Bible in the other.16:35 Then he met me.21:40 "I won't lose you to liquid."29:01 His AA sponsor made my wedding ring.36:00 Done to you, or done for you?37:28 Burn your boats. ABOUT SHAWN:Shawn is my husband. Going on 24 years sober, he runs three companies and leads a men's freedom group at our church. Iowa kid who grew up without a dad in the home, chased the actor dream to LA, and found his way out of the bottle a few years later. If you know him, you know him. If you don't, you'd love him. LISTEN ON YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Biggirlthoughtspodcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033ntRmennSoOEIObPs1gc Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/big-girl-thoughts-real-women-real-talk-real-faith/id1896816739 FOLLOW BIG GIRL THOUGHTSWeb: https://biggirlthoughts.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashleighleege/ xo, Ash #BigGirlThoughts #ButGod #MyRebel #SobrietyStory #ChristianMarriage #FaithJourney #ChristianMen #TestimonyPodcast #FaithAndHumor

13. 

    15 Jun 2026

    The Lord said to her, “Are you done?” | Leah Carr, BGT #02

    Hey babe. Welcome back to Big Girl Thoughts. For episode 02, I sat down with my friend Leah. She is a mighty prayer warrior, she serves at City Reach Church, and she has one of the biggest laughs you will ever hear. Don't let her tiny frame fool you. By 12 she had lost her innocence. By 14 she was on ecstasy every weekend. By her twenties she was on Vicodin, then meth, then homeless for two years. And then a door opened in a crack house in Oregon, and the man who answered it is now her husband. This one goes deep. If you have ever felt like you've gone too far, this episode is for you. WHAT WE GET INTO 0:00 Meet Leah. 3:45 A family that loved Jesus, then asked to leave. 11:29 Twelve, looking for love. 27:25 When Vicodin came on the scene. 30:42 The conjoined twins. 35:43 The door Shane opened. 48:39 Sober in 2011. 55:14 "Are you done?" 58:04 Rapid fire with Leah. ABOUT LEAH: Leah is a mighty prayer warrior on staff at City Reach Church. Wife to Shane (the man who answered the door), mom to two boys, Braxton and Kingston. Sober since 2011. WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/Ovl_F86PvOA FOLLOW BIG GIRL THOUGHTS Web: https://biggirlthoughts.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashleighleege/ #BigGirlThoughts #BGTPodcast #AshleighLeege #FaithJourney #TestimonyPodcast #ChristianWomenPodcast

14. 

    8 Jun 2026

    Drug addict to Prayer Warrior｜ Leah, BGT #02

    Hey babe. Welcome back to Big Girl Thoughts. For episode 02, I sat down with my friend Leah. She is a mighty prayer warrior, she serves at City Reach Church, and she has one of the biggest laughs you will ever hear. Don't let her tiny frame fool you. By 12 she had lost her innocence. By 14 she was on ecstasy every weekend. By her twenties she was on Vicodin, then meth, then homeless for two years. And then a door opened in a crack house in Oregon, and the man who answered it is now her husband. This one goes deep. If you have ever felt like you've gone too far, this episode is for you. Leah came on to tell the truth. WHAT WE GET INTO 0:00 Hi, hi, hi. Meet Leah. 3:45 A family that loved Jesus, then asked to leave. 11:29 Twelve, looking for love. 27:25 When Vicodin came on the scene. 30:42 The conjoined twins. 35:43 The door Shane opened. 48:39 Sober in 2011. 55:14 "Are you done?" 58:04 Rapid fire with Leah. ABOUT LEAH:Leah is a mighty prayer warrior on staff at City Reach Church. Wife to Shane (the man who answered the door), mom to two boys, Braxton and Kingston. Sober since 2011 and not counting strikes. LISTEN ONSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033ntRmennSoOEIObPs1gc Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/big-girl-thoughts-real-women-real-talk-real-faith/id1896816739WATCH ONYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3e_85ykHW34 FOLLOW BIG GIRL THOUGHTS Web: https://biggirlthoughts.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashleighleege/ #BigGirlThoughts #BGTPodcast #AshleighLeege #FaithJourney #MamaT #BrokennessToBelonging #TestimonyPodcast #ChristianWomenPodcast

15. 

    26 May 2026

    She lost everything at 17 | Treasa McGinnis | BGT #01

    At 17, two weeks before high school graduation, Treasa lost the woman who raised her and became the guardian of six siblings overnight. Today she leads ministry. This is the first episode of Big Girl Thoughts, and Mama T pulls back the curtain on everything in between. In this episode, Ashleigh sits down with her best friend Treasa, AKA Mama T, for a conversation about brokenness and what it takes to turn a mess into a message. If you have ever felt unworthy, or like your story is too much, this one is for you. WHAT WE COVER0:00 Intro: meet Mama T 2:14 "Baby, I'm back": why she said yes 5:13 From brokenness to belonging 10:01 The prom night that changed everything 18:57 The stranger in Greens Point Mall25:58 Did it happen to you, or for you?30:04 The friend who broke in38:38 Go to the throne before the phone46:01 The vineyard dream ABOUT TREASATreasa, known to the BGT family as Mama T, leads the Dream Team at her local church and has spent the last four years in vocational ministry. She's a grandmother to Ty, a champion of every woman she meets, and the kind of friend who calls you out and calls you up in the same breath. Treasa's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mcginnistreasa/LISTEN ONSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033ntRmennSoOEIObPs1gc Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/big-girl-thoughts-real-women-real-talk-real-faith/id1896816739WATCH ONYouTube: https://youtu.be/c847GE4lm3Q FOLLOW BIG GIRL THOUGHTS Web: https://biggirlthoughts.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashleighleege/ #BigGirlThoughts #BGTPodcast #AshleighLeege #FaithJourney #MamaT #BrokennessToBelonging #TestimonyPodcast #ChristianWomenPodcast

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

9 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Contact Big Girl Thoughts | Real Women | Real Talk | Real Faith

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.