The Tried and Truth Podcast: Rethinking Success and Cultivating a Well-Led Life

If you are the person in your house, your friend group, your family who holds everything together — this one's for you.
Today I'm sitting down with Nichole J. Suvar — author of I Don't Have to Hold It All Together (one of those titles that's stands alone as a phrase you can carry with you) to talk about anxiety, faith, releasing control, and what it looks like to finally experience real peace instead of just chasing it.
Nicole has lived with anxiety since childhood with decades of hiding it behind her faith, and eventually hitting a wall she couldn't push through anymore. What came out of that is a message rooted in the idea of cultivating the peace of Eden — not manufacturing a perfect life, but learning to tend your part and trust God with the rest.
This conversation will encourage you, challenge you, and maybe give you permission to put some things down.
In this episode, we cover:
Nicole's story: growing up with undiagnosed anxiety
The "Building Eden" trap: why comfort and control feel like peace — but aren't
Raising anxious kids without becoming an anxious parent (and what Nicole wishes she'd done differently)
The power of moving slower 
Why releasing control is actually an act of trust, not a loss of it
What it looks like to tend your part and let God handle the rest 
Adult friendships
What to say (and NOT say) to someone with anxiety
How to hold your to-do list with open hands instead of a tight grip
Resources & Links:
📖 I Don't Have to Hold It All Together by Nichole J. Suvar — livewithintent.org
Instagram: @NicholeJSuvar
Follow Annica @annicafischer
If you enjoy conversations like this, you can subscribe to the newsletter for honest reflections on faith, relationships, identity, and intentional living, plus behind-the-scenes insights and new episodes.

If you've ever felt misunderstood by the people closest to you — your spouse, your coworkers, your best friend — this episode is for you.
We're sitting down with Jason VanRuler, herapist, speaker, and author of Discovering Your Communication Type, to talk about why most of us feel lonely and why we're stuck in the same communication patterns (or lack thereof), having the same arguments, and wondering why nothing changes — even when we're trying.
The answer isn't more empathy or better boundaries. It starts with understanding yourself.
In this episode, you'll learn:
Why the people we love most are often the hardest to communicate with — and what that reveals about the relationship
The 5 communication types (PATHS framework) and how to identify your own default style
Why understanding someone else’s communication type changes everything
How defensiveness is often identity protection — and how to navigate it with more clarity
Why generous, giving people often experience the deepest loneliness
The hidden patterns that create disconnection in everyday conversations
How to stop expecting people to “just know” what you need and start communicating it clearly
A simple framework for navigating hard conversations without escalation
About the guest: Jason VanRuler is a licensed therapist, nationally recognized speaker, and author of Discovering Your Communication Type: The 5 Paths to Deeper Connections and Stronger Relationships. His work helps individuals, couples, and teams break out of default communication patterns so they can build more honest, connected, and peaceful relationships — one conversation at a time.
If you enjoy conversations like this, you can subscribe to the newsletter for honest reflections on faith, relationships, identity, and intentional living, plus behind-the-scenes insights and new episodes.
Take Jason's free communication assessment: JasonVR.com
Follow Jason on social: @Jason.VanRuler
Follow Annica @annicafischer

Would you agree that we're living in the most self-focused era in human history — and yet also one of the loneliest? Today's guest, Made to Magnify author Morgan Krueger, joins us to talk about the connection. Morgan is sharing why focusing more on ourselves is actually making us more anxious, more dissatisfied, and more stuck and what it looks like practically, to step out of that cycle.
In this episode, you'll discover:
Why the "more" you've been chasing isn't the more you were actually made for
The three-part cycle of self — pride, fear, and doubt — and how it quietly keeps women stuck in comparison, striving, and burnout
What it actually means to magnify Jesus in your everyday life (hint: it's smaller and closer than you think)
The Tim Keller quote that reframes everything: "Self-forgetfulness is not thinking less of yourself — it's thinking of yourself less"
How to approach self-care, your home, and your ambitions without guilt — and with God in the conversation
This episode is for you if:
You're an ambitious, faith-driven woman who feels like there has to be more — but you're not sure what that more actually is
You've been running on empty and can't figure out why
You want to live differently than the culture around you but need practical language for how
You're ready to stop managing your pride, fear, and doubt on your own and bring them somewhere better
TIMESTAMPS
1:00 — Why the self-focus culture is making us more anxious, not less
3:00 — The "in here" problem: our natural bent toward self
7:00 — What does it take to drift? (Christine Caine)
9:00 — Come before you go: the posture of Mary in Luke 10
15:00 — The cycle of self: pride, fear, and doubt
22:00 — Self-care, discernment, and inviting God into the small decisions
33:00 — The first honest step for the woman who recognizes herself in this conversation
37:00 — How Morgan defines success
RESOURCES + LINKS MENTIONED
📖 Made to Magnify by Morgan Krueger 
📖 The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness by Tim Keller
Follow Morgan on Instagram: @morgankrueger 
Morgan's website + ministry: morgankrueger.com 
Let’s stay connected 
Subscribe to the Tried and Truth podcast 
Join “Right Here, Lately” —the newsletter 
Share this episode with a friend who needs it

If you’ve decluttered your home but it still feels overwhelming, this episode is for you.
Katy Joy Wells, decluttering expert has helped over 250,000 families transform their homes into "happy places" by addressing the real clutter problem: the beliefs, habits, and emotional attachments underneath all the stuff.
Katy unpacks why most decluttering attempts fail, what clutter actually means, and how we can create a home that supports their mental health — without needing a free Saturday or a Pinterest-perfect pantry.
In this episode, you'll learn: 
The 4 types of clutter (most of us only ever address one of these!)
The one question to ask before keeping anything
Introducing decluttering to your kids without the power struggle
Why a happy home has nothing to do with how it looks — and everything to do with how it feels
Why adding visible, permanent donation stations in high-traffic areas (like your laundry room or closest) can be a game-changing next step. 
Powerful mindset shifts around clutter and your environment
What does a room "reset" look like?
Mentioned in this episode: 
The Maximized Minimalist
www.katyjoywells.com
Katy's Latest Book: Making Home Your Happy Place: A Real Life Guide to Decluttering Without the Overwhelm 
HAVE YOU SUBSCRIBED TO THE NEWSLETTER? It's that little spark to your inbox you didn't know you needed. Never miss a conversation, good read, or takeaway again :) 
 

What do you do when life feels uncertain, unsteady, or like you’re living in an in-between season?
In this episode, Annica sits down with writer and speaker Adriel Booker from Australia to talk about navigating life transitions, grief, identity shifts, and what it looks like to stay grounded when nothing feels clearly resolved.
Together, they explore the emotional and spiritual reality of "liminal space"—those spaces between what was and what’s next—and how God meets us in the middle of uncertainty, change, and becoming.
This conversation is for anyone who feels stuck in a transition, overwhelmed by change, or quietly asking how to trust God when life feels unclear.
IN THIS EPISODE, WE TALK ABOUT:
In-between seasons of life and identity transitions
Feeling lost, uncertain, or emotionally disoriented
Navigating grief, change, and midlife shifts
What faith looks like in seasons of uncertainty
The quiet kindness of God in everyday life
Why being human is not a weakness, but a gift
How faithfulness matters more than clarity or control
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Hope is already holding onto you—you don’t have to grip it tightly.
In-between seasons are not wasted time; they are places of transformation.
We are shaped more by who we love and how we stay open to being loved than by having all the answers.
Faithfulness is not perfection or clarity—it’s showing up fully in the place you actually are.
Resources mentioned: 
Follow Adriel on IG@adrielbooker or her website.Adriel's new book: Tethered to Hope: The Quiet Kindness of God in Crisis, Change, and the Spaces in Between
If this resonated with you…
HAVE YOU SUBSCRIBED TO THE NEWSLETTER? It's that little spark to your inbox you didn't know you needed. Never miss a conversation, good read, or takeaway again :) 
If you’re in a season of transition, uncertainty, or change, share this episode with someone who might need it. And if you’re enjoying these conversations, follow and subscribe to The Tried and Truth Podcast so you don’t miss what’s coming next.
Follow Annica on Instagram @annicafischer

You've built the life. You've checked the boxes. You've chased happiness and searched for meaning — and yet something still feels... off.
In this episode, philosopher and professor Dr. Lorraine Besser joins us to talk about the missing third dimension of the good life: psychological richness. Drawing from her research and groundbreaking book The Art of the Interesting, Dr. Besser reveals why happiness and meaning alone aren't enough — and what it actually takes to live a fuller, more captivating life.
We talk about why our plans might actually be limiting us, how to turn wasted moments into rich experiences, and the surprisingly simple mindset shift that can change everything — no new job, no sabbatical required.
In this episode:
What psychological richness is and why it matters
How over-planning shrinks our capacity for interesting experiences
The three things most correlated with a psychologically rich life: novelty, complexity, and challenge
Why we should stop "seizing the day" and start engaging with it
Practical ways to find interestingness in carpool lines, commutes, and everyday moments
Connect with Dr. Lorraine Besser:
Website: lorrainebesser.com
Instagram: @lorbesser
Book:The Art of the Interesting: What We Miss in Our Pursuit of the Good Life and How to Cultivate It 
If you enjoyed this conversation, share it with a friend or take a quick second to leave a review where you’re listening. For real reflections, some of the most loved takeaways and a little spark to your inbox, subscribe to the newsletter. 

You've hit the milestones. You've checked the boxes. So why does it still feel like it's not enough?
In this episode, we're unpacking one of the most exhausting traps we fall into — the endless chase for a "greater" life — and why it's designed to leave you restless no matter how much you achieve. More importantly, you'll walk away with a simple shift that helps you finally feel good about the life you already have.
In this episode, you'll learn:
Why greatness, as the world defines it, is built on measuring — and why that keeps you stuck
The difference between chasing great and practicing gratitude (it's not what you think)
3 practical takeaways you can apply today to stop the cycle and start seeing your life differently
This episode is for you if:
You're the woman who looks like she has it all together from the outside — great kids, a career you've worked hard for, a full life — and yet there's still a quiet voice that whispers still not enough
You've achieved things you once dreamed of, but somehow the finish line just keeps moving
You find yourself scrolling Instagram and suddenly what felt like a good day now feels like you're behind
You're tired of measuring your worth against everyone else's highlight reel and you're ready to actually feel good about the life you already have
The Tried and Truth Podcast is for the woman who wants real talk, honest perspective, and practical tools for living a life that actually feels good.
*If you want more conversations like this, you can:
Follow me on Instagram @annicafischer for podcast clips + reflections
"Right Here, Lately..." is a little spark of inspiration, notes from the middle of real life, and what I’m returning to in your inbox—join the newsletter for more.
I’d love to have you there!
 

You don’t need another podcast episode about the Bible.
You don’t need another checklist, another quiet time routine, or another voice explaining it to you.
But if you’re honest…
You might feel disconnected.Like you want a deeper relationship with God—but most of what you’re experiencing feels secondhand.
Through podcasts. Devotionals. Other people’s insights.
And somewhere along the way, you started believing:“Maybe I just don’t know how to do this.”
This conversation is for you.
Jimmy and Kelly Needham join me to talk about what it actually looks like to read the Bible for yourself—not perfectly, not with hours of uninterrupted time, but in the real, full life you’re already living.
We talk about why more information isn’t leading to transformation…What it means to actually see God in Scripture…And how to build a faith that’s personal, not just inherited.
In this episode:
Why so many people are living off secondhand faith
The difference between reading the Bible for answers vs. reading it to know God
Why more knowledge doesn’t always lead to spiritual growth
A simple framework to make your time in Scripture more meaningful
How to build a consistent faith practice in busy seasons of life
Why your purpose isn’t something you find—it’s someone you walk with
A grounded definition of success that isn’t tied to achievement
A TRUTH TO SIT WITH:
You’re not transformed by more information.
You’re transformed by what you behold.
PRACTICAL TAKEAWAYS:
Your purpose is not a what—it’s a who. You don’t have to wait for a future calling to live meaningfully.
“I don’t have time” often means “I’m not making time.” The invitation is there—it just may not look how you expected.
Read the Bible to see God—not just to get answers. Information informs, but beholding transforms.
TIMESTAMPS:
6:26 — Family life & values
11:24 — The problem with secondhand faith
14:53 — Information vs. transformation
18:49 — Making time with God in busy seasons
28:54 — Information → Meditation → Conversation
30:52 — Friendship & real connection
36:25 — Purpose is not a what—it’s a who
41:30 — What success actually looks like
About Jimmy & Kelly Needham
Jimmy and Kelly Needham are authors, speakers, and hosts of the Clearly Podcast, where they help make the Bible accessible, practical, and transformational.
With over 20 years in ministry, they are passionate about helping people move from secondhand faith to personally engaging with Scripture.
RESOURCES MENTIONED
See for Yourself Bible Study — Jimmy & Kelly Needham
🎙️ The Clearly Podcast — Jimmy & Kelly's podcast making Scripture accessible
📚 Friendish and Purposefooled — Kelly Needham's books on friendship and purpose
📄 One Pagers — Free printable Bible reading companions for every book of the Bible (available on their patreon website)
*If you want more conversations like this, you can:
Follow me on Instagram @annicafischer for podcast clips + reflections
"Right Here, Lately..." is a little spark of inspiration, notes from the middle of real life, and what I’m returning to in your inbox—join the newsletter for more.
I’d love to have you there!
 

Turn podcast inspiration into daily action and add a little quick-read spark to the middle of real life —subscribe to the newsletter! 
What if worrying about your kid's anxiety is actually making it worse?
In this episode, I sit down with psychiatrist Dr. Tracy Foose — who has spent over 15 years studying fear and anxiety — to completely reframe how we think about these emotions as parents and as women.
We talk about why fear of fear is more damaging than anxiety itself, how we've all gotten caught in a hurricane of worry, the crucial difference between good stress and bad stress, and why raising kids who aren't afraid to fail might be the most important thing we can do.
This one is packed with insight, honesty, and practical tools you can use today.
In This Episode:
The Hurricane of Worry
Why worrying about our kids' anxiety feeds the very thing we're trying to fix — and how to break the cycle.
Fear of Fear
The surprising reason anxiety becomes an anxiety disorder — and it's not how anxious you are.
What We've Gotten Wrong About Anxiety
The cultural misconceptions that are making us and our kids more avoidant, not less.
The Avoidance Trap: What's Really Holding Your Kids Back (and You Too)
Why avoidance — not anxiety — is the real culprit, and the questions to ask your kid before you pull them from an activity.
Good Stress vs. Bad Stress
Not all stress is created equal. Here's how to tell the difference and why good stress actually grows your kids' brains.
Not Afraid to Fail
The most powerful thing you can do as a parent isn't a lecture — it's letting your kids watch you show up scared and do it anyway.
Highly Anxious People–  and their  incredible protective impact that they have on the world.
Connect with Dr. Tracy Foose:
Instagram: @TracyFoose.M.D

Need a little spark in your week? Subscribe to the "Right Here, Lately" newsletter and never miss out! What if the thing you’ve been avoiding… is exactly what you need right now?
When was the last time you sat in real silence— no phone, no background noise, nothing to distract you—AND didn’t feel the urge to escape it?
Most of us don’t avoid stillness because we’re busy…we avoid it because of the unease we might find there.
In this short episode, I share a moment when everything around me literally stopped—and what it revealed about our constant need to do, fix, and fill the space.
Inside this episode:
Why stillness can feel so uncomfortable
What happens when control is taken off the table
The surprising connection between silence and clarity
A simple shift to help you notice what you’ve been missing
If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, distracted, or constantly in “to-do” mode, this is your invitation to pause—and simply be in stillness, even for a few minutes. Because stillness isn’t nothingness—it’s where you start to see what’s already there.
Resources Mentioned: 
Invitation to Solitude and Silence by Ruth BartonIf this episode encouraged you, please share it with a friend who needs to hear it. Leave a review and help these encouraging conversations reach more people. Lastly, come follow along on Instagram @annicafischer