ENGAGED

Cynthia Stewart
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Conversations for women seeking to fully engage with God in their faith, life, and work.

  1. 2d ago

    Ep. 28: What Makes Teams Excellent?

    Episode Description What makes the difference between a group of talented individuals and a truly excellent team? Excellent teams don't happen by accident. They develop when people trust one another, share responsibility, communicate openly, and recognize the value of each person's contribution. In this episode of ENGAGED, Cynthia Stewart and Christel Horton explore how leaders build teams that work together with unity and purpose. Cynthia shares two experiences from her leadership career: how involving employees throughout a utility company transformed its preparations for Y2K, and how CliftonStrengths helped a leadership team better understand and appreciate one another. Discover why trust, shared ownership, and strengths-based collaboration are essential to building excellent teams. What We Talk About Why trust is the foundation of strong teams How shared ownership changes people's commitment to a mission Lessons from a company-wide approach to Y2K readiness How CliftonStrengths helps teams appreciate different perspectives and contributions Why clear purpose, thoughtful organization, and communication matter What leaders can do to strengthen the teams they serve A Simple Invitation Think about a team you're part of or have responsibility for leading. Ask yourself: Do people feel trusted, informed, and valued? Are they encouraged to contribute their ideas and take ownership? Do team members recognize and appreciate one another's strengths? Choose one way you can strengthen trust, communication, or shared ownership this week. Scripture Reference Philippians 2:2–4 (NIV) 1 Corinthians 12 (NIV) Luke 9 (NIV) About the Podcast ENGAGED is hosted by Cynthia Stewart and Christel Horton, featuring conversations about faith, work, and the life God invites us to live with confidence and purpose. Through personal stories, biblical wisdom, and practical insights, Cynthia and Christel encourage listeners to live authentically, lead courageously, and walk in God's calling. Next Steps Explore Cynthia's book Serving As Leader: Lead with Courage, Humility, and Grace—in Life, Work, and Faith, Volume 3 of the C+Suite Signature Series for Women. Discover the books and companion resources at CSuiteForWomen.com. Enjoying the Podcast? Subscribe to ENGAGED so you won't miss our next conversation. Share this episode with someone who is working to strengthen trust and teamwork in their organization, ministry, or community.

  2. Oct 6

    Ep. 27: How Do Strong Relatiionships Shape Great Leadership?

    Episode Description Can we lead people well without first learning how to value them well? Leadership happens through relationships. We may have authority, expertise, or responsibility—but our ability to influence others is deeply affected by how people experience us. In this episode of our Serving As Leader series, we explore the relational side of leadership: treating people with respect, listening with empathy, communicating honestly, and offering the encouragement that helps others grow. Cynthia shares stories from her own leadership experience—including making tough calls with employees and learning how to work well with people when relationships were difficult. Strong relationships don't always mean easy relationships. Relational leadership isn't about making everyone like us. It's about choosing to value and treat people well—even when the relationship is challenging. What We Talk About Why relationships are central to leadership and influence How respect, empathy, communication, and encouragement strengthen relationships Why valuing people does not mean avoiding difficult conversations How leaders can help someone recognize when a fresh start may be the best path forward What it means to remain respectful when that respect isn't returned Why reconciliation requires both grace and intentionality How trust and understanding can grow through consistent actions over time A Simple Invitation Consider: How do people experience me in relationship? Do they experience respect, empathy, honest communication, and encouragement? And is there a difficult relationship where I may not be able to control the other person's response—but I can choose how faithfully I respond? Strong relationships aren't built by avoiding difficulty. They're strengthened when we learn to value people even as we work through it. Scripture Reference Philippians 2:3–4 Romans 12:18 About the Podcast Engaged is a podcast about faith, work, and the life God invites us to live with confidence and purpose. Next Steps Follow Engaged, share this episode with someone who is navigating the relational side of leadership, and continue your journey at C+Suite For Women (csuiteforwomen.com). If you'd like to explore how respect, empathy, communication, and encouragement strengthen your relationships and your leadership, you'll find Serving As Leader—and the rest of the C+Suite Signature Series—at csuiteforwomen.com. Enjoying the Podcast? If Engaged is encouraging you, we'd be grateful for a review—it helps more women discover these conversations.

  3. Sep 29

    Ep. 26: Would You Follow Your Lead?

    Episode Description Would you follow your own leadership? It’s a challenging question—because leadership depends on more than competence, experience, or good intentions. Before people will willingly follow us, they need reason to trust us. In this episode of our Serving As Leader series, we explore trust as one of the foundations of leadership—and why becoming trustworthy begins with learning to trust ourselves. When we consistently honor our commitments, act with integrity, tell the truth, and follow through on what we say we will do, we build credibility with ourselves and with others. And when trust has been damaged, rebuilding it takes time, consistency, and a willingness to let our actions speak. Cynthia and Christel share experiences that reveal both sides of trust: what happens when trust is present, and what happens when it is missing—even when we have done nothing to deserve another person's distrust. Because we cannot control whether someone chooses to trust us. But we can choose to live and lead in a way that is worthy of trust. What We Talk About Why trust is foundational to leadership What makes a person trustworthy Why trusting yourself matters before asking others to trust your leadership How broken commitments to ourselves can weaken self-trust Why integrity and consistency build credibility over time What to do when someone doesn't trust you—even when you have acted honorably How remaining trustworthy can gradually reshape relationships and influence A Simple Invitation Consider: Would I follow my own lead? Do my words, choices, and actions give others reason to trust me? And where might I need to rebuild trust—not only with someone else, but perhaps with myself? Trust is rarely established through one grand gesture. It grows as we consistently demonstrate that our words and actions can be relied upon. Scripture Reference Proverbs 11:3 Luke 16:10 About the Podcast Engaged is a podcast about faith, work, and the life God invites us to live with confidence and purpose. Next Steps Follow Engaged, share this episode with someone who is thinking about trust, integrity, or the kind of leader she wants to become, and continue your journey at C+Suite For Women (csuiteforwomen.com). If you'd like to explore how trust shapes leadership, relationships, and influence, you'll find Serving As Leader—and the rest of the C+Suite Signature Series—at csuiteforwomen.com. Enjoying the Podcast? If Engaged is encouraging you, we'd be grateful for a review—it helps more women discover these conversations.

  4. Sep 22

    Ep. 25: Are You Stepping Into Your Calling to Lead?

    Episode Description What if leadership has less to do with having a title—and more to do with recognizing where God has called you to serve? Many of us hesitate to think of ourselves as leaders. We may associate leadership with authority, position, or personality. But leadership often begins much more simply: someone needs to step forward, take responsibility, influence what happens next, or help another person move forward. In this opening episode of our Serving As Leader series, we explore what it means to recognize and step into your calling to lead. Through Scripture, personal stories, and conversation, Cynthia and Christel consider how leadership begins with who we are, how we serve, and our willingness to respond when God places an opportunity to lead before us. Because Christlike leadership isn't about becoming important. It's about faithfully stewarding the influence we've been given for the good of others. What We Talk About Why leadership is not limited to titles or positions How calling can invite us into leadership What Jesus teaches us about leadership through service Why character matters more than status How our strengths and experiences prepare us to influence others What it means to accept the mantle of leadership Why stepping into leadership requires both courage and humility A Simple Invitation Consider: Where has God already given me influence? And where might He be inviting me to stop waiting to feel like a leader—and begin faithfully serving as one? You may already be leading in more places than you realize. Scripture Reference Mark 10:42–45 1 Peter 5:2–3 About the Podcast Engaged is a podcast about faith, work, and the life God invites us to live with confidence and purpose. Next Steps Follow Engaged, share this episode with someone who may be discovering her own calling to lead, and continue your journey at C+Suite For Women (csuiteforwomen.com). This episode begins a new series drawn from Serving As Leader, Book Three of the C+Suite Signature Series—exploring how to serve and lead others with courage, humility, and grace. If you'd like to explore how calling, character, and Christlike service shape the way we lead, you'll find Serving As Leader and the complete C+Suite Signature Series at csuiteforwomen.com. Enjoying the Podcast? If Engaged is encouraging you, we'd be grateful for a review—it helps more women discover these conversations.

  5. Sep 15

    Ep. 24: Trusting God With What's Next

    Episode Description What does it really mean to trust God with what comes next? “Trust God” can sound simple—until we're facing an outcome we cannot predict or control. And for someone new to faith, an even more fundamental question may come first: Why should I trust Him? In this final episode of the It's Over series, we explore why God is worthy of our trust and how that trust grows as we come to know Him through His Word and experience His faithfulness in our lives. Cynthia shares a deeply personal story of learning to depend on God during one of the most harrowing seasons of her life—and how that experience gave her more reason to trust Him when later seasons brought new loss and uncertainty. Ultimately, trust leads us to surrender—not giving up, but giving over our plans, expectations, outcomes, and will to the God we've learned we can trust. What We Talk About Why trusting God isn't blind faith How Scripture gives us a foundation for knowing God's character Why our history with God strengthens our trust What Jesus' prayer in Gethsemane teaches us about surrendered trust The difference between giving up and giving over Why surrender can free us to move forward The six steps that emerged from this journey: Accept, Wait, Recognize, Receive, Release, Trust A Simple Invitation Consider: What makes God worthy of my trust? And where might He be inviting me to move from: “This is what I want” to “Not my will, but Yours be done”? Trust doesn't mean we know what comes next. It means we know the One to whom we're entrusting it. Scripture Reference Luke 22:42 Ecclesiastes 3:1–8 About the Podcast Engaged is a podcast about faith, work, and the life God invites us to live with confidence and purpose. Next Steps Follow Engaged, share this episode with someone facing an uncertain next chapter, and continue your journey at C+Suite For Women (csuiteforwomen.com). This episode concludes our six-part It's Over series: Accept. Wait. Recognize. Receive. Release. Trust. Next time, we begin a new series drawn from Serving As Leader, Book Three of the C+Suite Signature Series, exploring what it means to serve and lead others with courage, humility, and grace. Enjoying the Podcast? If Engaged is encouraging you, we’d be grateful for a review—it helps more women discover these conversations.

  6. Sep 8

    Ep. 23: Learning to Release What God Has Entrusted to Us

    Episode Description What might you need to release in order to move faithfully into what God has for you next? Letting go isn't always about leaving something bad behind. Sometimes we're releasing something that was very, very good—a home, a role, a job, a responsibility, a plan, or a season of life we deeply treasured. In this episode, Cynthia shares what it meant to release Angelscape, her family home of thirty years: entrusting the transition to people God provided, letting go of treasured possessions, and ultimately placing the home itself—and its future—in God's hands. Along the way, we explore an important truth: release doesn't diminish the value of what we're leaving. We can honor what was, carry forward what matters, and still open our hands to what God has next. What We Talk About Why knowing it's time to let go doesn't make releasing easy The difference between releasing responsibility and releasing control How receiving help can itself require surrender Why memories don't disappear when possessions are released How gratitude can change the way we experience letting go Why a role, job, plan, or responsibility may have a season The connection between open hands, trust, and moving forward A Simple Invitation Consider: Am I thriving where I am in a way that serves me and those around me? And if something may need to be released: What am I afraid will happen if I let it go? Release isn't about walking away simply because something is difficult. It's about discerning when a season has truly ended—and trusting God enough to follow Him faithfully into the new season He has for us and thrive there. Scripture Reference Ecclesiastes 3:1–8 About the Podcast Engaged is a podcast about faith, work, and the life God invites us to live with confidence and purpose. Next Steps Follow Engaged, share this episode with someone navigating a season of letting go, and continue your journey at C+Suite For Women (csuiteforwomen.com). Next time, in Trusting God with What's Next, we conclude the It's Over series by exploring why God is worthy of our trust—and what it means to surrender our will to the One we've learned we can trust. Enjoying the Podcast? If Engaged is encouraging you, we’d be grateful for a review—it helps more women discover these conversations.

  7. Sep 1

    Ep. 22: Learning to Receive: Trusting God's Timing When He Says "Not Yet"

    Episode Description What if the answer you’re waiting for has less to do with God being ready—and more to do with God preparing you to receive it? In this episode, we explore learning to receive—and how seasons of waiting can prepare us practically, emotionally, and spiritually for what God wants to provide. Cynthia shares the story of losing two homes she thought were right for her, recognizing that she wasn’t as ready as she believed, and finally reaching the point where she could say, “Okay...I’m ready now.” Along the way, we look at Hannah’s story and the role surrender played in receiving what she had prayed for so long. Sometimes a closed door isn’t a denial. Sometimes God is preparing the circumstances—and sometimes He is preparing us. What We Talk About Why waiting can be a season of preparation What Hannah teaches us about surrender and receiving How disappointment can reveal where we may not yet be ready Why practical preparation matters How releasing our preferred outcome opens us to God’s provision What it means to finally say, “I’m ready now” A Simple Invitation Consider: What might God be preparing in me during this waiting period? And is there a step I can take today to become more ready to receive what comes next? Scripture Reference 1 Samuel 1:10–11, 27–28 Psalm 37:5 About the Podcast Engaged is a podcast about faith, work, and the life God invites us to live with confidence and purpose. Next Steps Follow Engaged, share this episode with someone who may need it, and continue your journey at C+Suite For Women (csuiteforwomen.com). Next time, in Learning to Release, we explore the other side of receiving—why moving into a new season may require us to open our hands and release what belonged to the season before. Enjoying the Podcast? If Engaged is encouraging you, we’d be grateful for a review—it helps more women discover these conversations.

  8. Aug 25

    Ep. 21: God's Fingerprints

    Episode Description How do you recognize God’s presence when you’re still waiting for answers? When we’re in the space between, it can be easy to focus on what we don’t know. We look for the big answer, the clear direction, or the unmistakable sign that tells us what comes next. But often, God’s presence is revealed in quieter ways. A conversation at just the right time. An unexpected provision. A door that closes—or one that opens. A person who comes alongside us. A moment of peace when circumstances have not changed. In this episode, we talk about God’s fingerprints—the ways we can begin to recognize His presence and activity in our lives, especially during seasons of waiting and uncertainty. Together, we consider what happens when we stop looking only for the destination and begin paying attention to the evidence of God’s faithfulness along the way. Because even when we cannot yet see what God is doing, we can often look back and recognize where He has already been. What We Talk About In this conversation, we explore: What we mean when we talk about “God’s fingerprints” Why God’s presence can be easier to recognize in hindsight How ordinary moments can become evidence of His care and provision Why closed doors can sometimes be as meaningful as open ones The role other people can play in revealing God’s provision How paying attention changes the way we experience seasons of waiting Why remembering God’s past faithfulness helps us trust Him in the present How recognizing His fingerprints can give us hope before we know what comes next A Simple Invitation As you listen, take a few moments to reflect: Where have I seen God’s fingerprints in my life recently? Is there something I once viewed as a disappointment that I now recognize differently? What might I notice if I began looking for evidence of God’s presence rather than only looking for answers? Sometimes we recognize God’s fingerprints immediately. Other times, we see them only when we look back. Either way, remembering where God has been faithful helps us trust that He is still at work—even when the next chapter has not yet been revealed. Scripture Reference Psalm 77:11–12 Romans 8:28 About the Podcast Engaged is a podcast about faith, work, and the life God invites us to live with confidence and purpose. Through honest, grounded conversations, we explore how to: Strengthen your faith Navigate everyday life with greater alignment and awareness Discern and live out your calling Lead and live with intention Next Steps If this conversation resonated with you: Follow the podcast so you don’t miss what’s ahead Share this episode with someone who may need encouragement to recognize God’s presence in a season of uncertainty Continue your journey at C+Suite For Women (csuiteforwomen.com) This conversation is part of our It’s Over series, exploring endings, waiting, and learning to recognize God’s presence as He leads us toward what comes next. In our next conversation, Preparing for What’s Next, we’ll explore how the waiting season may be doing more than holding us in place—it may be preparing us to receive what God wants to provide. Enjoying the Podcast? If Engaged is encouraging you, we’d be grateful for a review—it helps more women discover these conversations. You are invited to live fully engaged—right where you are.

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About

Conversations for women seeking to fully engage with God in their faith, life, and work.

Information

  • Creator
    Cynthia Stewart
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    28
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    ENGAGED