Female by Design

Francie Winslow

An honest space for female flourishing. Together we'll explore sexuality and spirituality by God's design, healing our relationship with pleasure, our bodies, and our identity as image-bearers. Let's take a deep breath and step into God's invitation to live fully alive—mind, body, and spirit.

  1. MAY 11

    263. Great Sex Grows – Tune Into Your Body

    Great sex doesn't just happen in the bedroom — it starts with how connected you are to your body all day long. In this episode, Francie dives into why so many women show up for intimacy physically present but emotionally and sensorially checked out — and why that's not your fault. The church has a long history of separating body from spirit, and a lot of us are still carrying that disconnection without even realizing it. The big idea: great sex grows when you tune into your body. And that's an all-day practice, not just a bedroom one. Francie shares three practical ways to get there: Care for your body. Rest, water, movement, slow walks, a bath with a poetry book — it's not the self-care trend. It's honoring the body God gave you so you have something to actually bring to your marriage. Enjoy your body. At every age, every stage, every season. Confidence is one of the most attractive things a wife can bring into the bedroom — and your husband's brain is literally wired to bond with you as you are right now. Understand your body. Your cycle, your erogenous zones, your breath, your nervous system — knowledge is power here. The more you understand how your body works, the more you can show up fully and receive freely. Francie also gets personal about a season where anxiety quietly shut her body down — and what happened when she finally stopped ignoring it. Your body is telling you something. This episode will help you start listening.   Ready to go deeper right now? Back to the Garden is the guide I wrote for exactly where you are — a married woman's guide to pleasure by design. It's the most honest thing I've put together, and at $18 it's the easiest yes you'll make this week. → here Questions? Find me on Instagram or at franciewinslow.com

    32 min
  2. MAY 4

    262. Great Sex Grows – Shift Your Thinking

    Welcome to the Great Sex Grows series!   We're starting where it all begins: your mindset. Because here's the thing — it's not about what you wear, what time it happens, or what you do. When it comes to growing a beautiful sex life in marriage, your mindset matters most.   In this episode, Francie dives into three big ideas around shifting your thinking:   Growth mindset vs. fixed mindset. Do you come to this area of your marriage with openness and curiosity — or is there a quiet voice that says this is just how it is? A fixed mindset keeps you stuck. A growth mindset says not yet — and that little word changes everything.   Integrating your sexuality and your spirituality. For a lot of us, God was in one corner and sex was in another. But God made you as a whole person — mind, body, and spirit — and he's not ashamed of any of it. Inviting him into this area of your marriage? That's where real transformation begins.   Great sex requires practice. Take the pressure off. You're not supposed to have it all figured out. Great lovers are made, not born — and showing up as a learner, season after season, is exactly what growth looks like.   This episode is personal, practical, and full of the kind of honesty that will make you feel less alone and more hopeful about what's possible in your marriage.   Your mindset is the starting point. Let's shift it together.   Ready to go deeper right now? Back to the Garden is the guide I wrote for exactly where you are — a married woman's guide to pleasure by design. It's the most honest thing I've put together, and at $18 it's the easiest yes you'll make this week. → here Questions? Find me on Instagram or at franciewinslow.com

    23 min
  3. APR 27

    261. Great Sex Grows

    Hey friend — welcome back to the Female By Design Podcast! Today marks the relaunch of one of my favorite teaching series: Great Sex Grows. It originally aired back in 2022, and honestly? I still stand by every word of it. It's practical, it's real, and I think it can meet you right where you are. I'm jumping in with a fresh intro episode — sharing where life has taken me over the last four years, what I've learned, and why this message feels even more true to me today than when I first recorded it.  Life has been full. Our family has walked through some significant health challenges, and through it all, I've watched this message get tested and proven. Sexual intimacy as a place of connection, comfort, and covenant isn't just theory — it's been an anchor for us.  Over the next five episodes, we're getting into the mindset shifts, body awareness, communication habits, and God-given superpowers that actually move the needle in your marriage. It's practical, it's a little bit of a fire hose, and there is so much good stuff coming.  One thing I want you to hear before we dive in: pick one or two ideas that feel like a get-to and let yourself be curious. No heaviness, no should — just an invitation to grow. Great sex doesn't grow by accident. Let's grow together. Ready to go deeper right now? Back to the Garden is the guide I wrote for exactly where you are — a married woman's guide to pleasure by design. It's the most honest thing I've put together, and at $18 it's the easiest yes you'll make this week. → here Questions? Find me on Instagram or at franciewinslow.com

    20 min
  4. APR 13

    260. Is This Marriage Healthy? Recognizing Destructive Patterns with Leslie Vernick

    What's the difference between a difficult marriage and a destructive one—and how do you know when it's time to speak up?   In this powerful conversation, Francie sits down with counselor and author Leslie Vernick to unpack destructive patterns in marriage, reclaiming your voice, and what it truly means to be a strong, biblical woman.   Together, they address harmful teachings around submission, the loss of a woman's voice, and how to discern between normal marital struggles and unhealthy or abusive dynamics.  This episode offers both clarity and practical wisdom for women who feel confused, shut down, or unsure of what is healthy in their marriage.   What You'll Learn The difference between a disappointing marriage and a destructive one Why "submission" has often been misunderstood and misapplied What it means to be an ezer—a strong, helping partner, not a silent one How to begin using your voice in a healthy, grounded way Signs of emotional, spiritual, or relational harm How to discern your next steps with wisdom and support   A healthy marriage allows for honesty, growth, and mutual care. If your voice is consistently dismissed, ignored, or punished, something deeper may be wrong.   About Leslie Vernick Leslie Vernick is a licensed counselor, author, and speaker dedicated to helping individuals and couples navigate difficult and destructive relationships. With over 40 years of counseling experience, she specializes in emotional abuse, relationship health, and biblical wisdom for real-life challenges. She is the author of The Emotionally Destructive Marriage and founder of Leslie Vernick Ministries, where she equips women to move from confusion and fear into clarity, strength, and truth.   Resources + Next Steps   Book: The Emotionally Destructive Marriage by Leslie Vernick Website: leslievernick.com (find the Free Quiz: Is your marriage difficult, disappointing, or destructive? And, Free Training: If He Doesn't Hit You, Is It Still Abuse?)   If you are in a situation that feels unsafe or confusing, seeking wise, informed support is an important next step.   Note from Francie This conversation may feel tender or activating if you've experienced harm in your marriage. You are not alone, and there is help available.   Connect with Francie 🎓 Back to the Garden: A Married Woman's Guide to Pleasure by Design — get a see a fresh vision of what a fully alive, God-honoring intimacy (and pleasure) could actually look like for your marriage. → here 🌿 The Circle — group mentorship community where women have conversations with likeminded women on a journey together towards more→ here 📩 Submit your listener question → Instagram DMs or franciewinslow.com

    52 min
  5. APR 6

    259. Overcoming Body Insecurity: Healing Shame & Reclaiming Confidence in Your God-Given Body

    How do you overcome body insecurity and actually feel at home in your body? In this episode, Francie addresses the shame, disconnection, and cultural lies that shape how women view their bodies—and invites you back to God's truth: your body is not a problem to fix, but a gift to receive. You'll learn how body image struggles are often rooted in disconnection, why separating from your body isn't spiritual, and how to begin rebuilding a relationship with your body through truth, gratitude, and awareness.  This is an invitation to move from criticism to compassion—and from insecurity to confidence in your God-given design. What You'll Learn: Why body insecurity runs deeper than appearance How shame and culture shape body image God's design for your body as good Why disconnection from your body leads to insecurity Simple ways to reconnect with your body and build confidence Your body is not your enemy. Confidence begins when you reconnect with your body through truth, not striving. Connect with Francie 🎓 Back to the Garden: A Married Woman's Guide to Pleasure by Design — get a see a fresh vision of what a fully alive, God-honoring intimacy (and pleasure) could actually look like for your marriage. → here 🌿 The Circle — group mentorship community where women have conversations with likeminded women on a journey together towards more→ here 📩 Submit your listener question → Instagram DMs or franciewinslow.com

    27 min
  6. MAR 23

    257. The Healing Power of Oxytocin with Carly Bayless

    What if one of the most powerful tools for healing your nervous system isn't a supplement or a protocol — it's a hug? In this episode, Francie sits down with functional medicine nurse practitioner Carly Bayless to take a deep dive into oxytocin: what it actually is, why it matters far beyond labor and breastfeeding, and how finding "oxytocin opportunities" throughout your day could be the missing piece in your healing journey. Whether you're navigating chronic illness, new motherhood, a demanding season of life, or simply a cortisol-soaked Tuesday — this conversation will change the way you see connection. Key Takeaways Oxytocin is your body's primary buffer against chronic cortisol — it's not a nice-to-have, it's a need-to-have. You don't need a long list of oxytocin activities. Look for the one opportunity right in front of you and be fully present in it. Screens replace eye contact (and oxytocin) with cortisol. That trade is more costly than we realize. Vulnerability in community builds oxytocin. Reaching out when you most want to isolate is often exactly what your nervous system needs. God wired us for connection — with each other and with Him. The desire to feel safe, near, and known is not weakness. It's design.   Meet Carly Bayless Carly is a functional medicine family nurse practitioner, founder of Nurture Functional Medicine, and host of The Carly Bayless Podcast. Her path into functional medicine began at age 16 when she experienced a major crash of chronic fatigue and was eventually diagnosed with POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome). After being told by conventional medicine that there was little to be done, she found real healing through a functional approach — and never looked back. Today she serves women across multiple states and is especially passionate about hormonal health, nervous system regulation, and helping women understand God's design for their bodies. She's also a relatively newlywed (married January 2024) and a new mom to 11-month-old twins — so she's living this content in real time. Connect with Carly Bayless Podcast: The Carly Bayless Podcast Instagram: @carlybaylesswellness | @nurturefunctionalmedicine   Resources Mentioned 📖 Anchored by Deb Dana — a therapist's accessible guide to polyvagal theory 🎙️ The Carly Bayless Podcast — follow up on all things functional medicine and nervous system health 📱 Instagram: @carlybaylesswellness | @nurturefunctionalmedicine 🏥 Nurture Functional Medicine — Carly's practice, serving women in multiple states   Connect with Francie 🎓 Pleasure & Orgasm Course — one of Francie's most popular offerings, going deep on female pleasure and anatomy → franciewinslow.com 🌿 The Circle — group mentorship community where women have these conversations together → franciewinslow.com 📩 Submit your listener question → Instagram DMs or franciewinslow.com

    46 min
4.9
out of 5
679 Ratings

About

An honest space for female flourishing. Together we'll explore sexuality and spirituality by God's design, healing our relationship with pleasure, our bodies, and our identity as image-bearers. Let's take a deep breath and step into God's invitation to live fully alive—mind, body, and spirit.

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