Big Ideas Podcast with Ashlee Ilg

ashlee ilg
  • 5.0 (5)
  • Entrepreneurship

Tune in for honest conversations as we pursue bold dreams, redefine what IS possible, and empower the next generation to live BIG. You’ll hear stories that prove over & over again, that just because something wasn’t part of “our plan” doesn’t mean it won’t be used for our good. Whether you are already an entrepreneur, you dream of becoming one, or you are raising the next generation of entrepreneurs, this podcast is for you! There’s no time to waste on YOUR big ideas so let’s get started.

  1. 12h ago

    Midnight Hallelujah: Why Hope in Jesus Is Worth the Risk with Ebie Hepworth

    This week on the Big Ideas Podcast, I’m talking with well-known podcast host, adoption & disability advocate, and author Ebie Hepworth about her new book, Midnight Hallelujah. Ebie shares her deeply personal experience of walking through her son’s terminal diagnosis of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and how it has shaped her understanding of hope, prayer, and God’s faithfulness. Together, we wrestle with difficult questions: How do we keep hoping when the outcome is uncertain? What happens when our prayers aren’t answered as we hoped? And how do we worship God wholeheartedly when some of our hardest days may still be ahead? In this episode, we talk about: Trusting Jesus through suffering, disappointment, unanswered prayers, and stagnant dreams.How access to the Creator of the universe is itself a gift, regardless of the answers we receive.Why false positivity, misplaced hope, and shallow theology can leave us devastated when life doesn’t go according to plan.Why trusting God doesn’t require us to be capable, qualified, or strong enough to carry everything on our own.In this deeply profound conversation, Ebie invites us to place our hope fully in Jesus, even when we don’t know what tomorrow holds. She reminds us that prayer gives us access to the Creator of the universe, who welcomes every fear, question, longing, and heartbreak. If you’ve wrestled with disappointment, questioned God’s goodness in suffering, or wondered whether it’s safe to hope again, this conversation will give language to the questions you’ve been carrying. I hope you’ll walk away encouraged to keep trusting God, even in the midnight hours.  CONNECT WITH EBIE Instagram: @ebiehepworth Order Midnight Hallelujah  If this conversation encourages you, share it with a friend who needs to be reminded that her hope in Jesus is never wasted.

    Midnight Hallelujah: Why Hope in Jesus Is Worth the Risk with Ebie Hepworth

  2. 6d ago

    Where Wilted Flowers Bloom: Finding Purpose in Unexpected Seasons, with Johanna Vann

    What if God is growing something beautiful in the very season you wish you could skip? This week on the Big Ideas Podcast, I'm chatting with author Johanna Vann to talk about her latest inspirational fiction novel, Where Wilted Flowers Bloom, and the incredible story of faithfulness behind the writing of it. Our conversation was especially relatable for any mom who's ever felt God calling her to something big while wondering how in the world she'd find the time to do it. Johanna shares how she wrote this book in the pockets of time between caring for babies and toddlers, and the incredible ways God showed up to help her see it through. We also explore the beautiful message woven into her novel about finding purpose through grief, building unexpected friendships, and how serving others can bring encouragement and healing in our own difficult seasons. In this episode, we talk about: Finding purpose in painful seasons: How grief can open our eyes to opportunities to encourage and serve others. The gift of unexpected friendships: Why relationships across cultures, generations, and life experiences can bring healing and meaningful community. Pursuing God's calling in motherhood: How Johanna wrote her novel with babies and toddlers at home and the incredible ways God provided along the way. Trusting God's faithfulness: Why we don't have to wait for the perfect season to pursue what God has placed on our hearts. If you have an idea tucked away, a dream you've been putting off, or something you feel God nudging you toward but the timing just doesn't seem to make sense...  I hope Johanna's story encourages you to keep seeking Him, take the next faithful step, and trust that He knows exactly what season you're in. You're gonna want to press Play now to remember that even in our hardest seasons, God can still use it to grow something beautiful. CONNECT WITH JOHANNA Website: johannavann.com Instagram: @johannarvann Order Where Wilted Flowers Bloom  If this conversation encourages you, share it with a friend who could use a reminder of God's faithfulness in her current season.

    Where Wilted Flowers Bloom: Finding Purpose in Unexpected Seasons, with Johanna Vann

  3. Oct 21

    Why Life is Too Short to Wear Black, with Katie Kortman

    What if adding a little more color to your wardrobe could change the way you feel about getting dressed every day? This week on the Big Ideas Podcast, I'm sitting down with fashion designer, dopamine dressing guru, and now author Katie Kortman to talk about her new book, Life Is Too Short to Wear Black. And goodness, this conversation is well, a colorful one! Whether you've had your colors analyzed and know exactly what season you are, or you've spent years reaching for the same safe neutrals (hello, black leggings!), there's something in this conversation for you. Katie has such a fun and refreshing perspective on fashion, and we dig into why the colors we choose to wear can have a bigger impact on our confidence, creativity, and everyday joy than we might realize. In this episode, we talk about: The power of color: Why adding more color to your wardrobe can boost your mood, spark creativity, and make getting dressed a whole lot more fun. Finding your colors (and breaking the rules!): How knowing your seasonal color palette can help you dress with confidence, plus Katie's proven tricks for wearing colors outside your season.  Rethinking neutrals: Why those supposedly timeless, trendy neutral wardrobes might not be everything we've been led to believe. Practical ways to wear more color: Simple, everyday tips to help you experiment with color, use what you already own, and feel more confident in what you wear. Katie and I also share some of our own experiences with discovering our color palettes, including why the process ended up meaning more to us than simply figuring out which shades look best.  I hope this episode gives you permission to have a little more fun getting dressed, experiment with something new, and enjoy the creativity God has given you. Because life really is too short to wear black. LET'S HAVE SOME COLORFUL FUN! We're taking this conversation over to Instagram, and we want YOU to join us! Put some of Katie's tips into practice, have a little fun getting dressed, and share a photo or Story of yourself experimenting with color—whether you're dressing in your season or confidently breaking a few color rules! Tag both @ashleeilg and @katiekortmanart so we can see what you're wearing and cheer you on! We can't wait to see all that color showing up in our feeds! CONNECT WITH KATIE Website: katiekortman.com Instagram: @katiekortmanart Order her book: Life Is Too Short to Wear Black If this conversation encourages you, share it with a friend who's ready to bring a little more color into her life!

    Why Life is Too Short to Wear Black, with Katie Kortman

  4. Oct 14

    Surrender Is Not Defeat: Learning that God is Ever With You, with Monika Kirkland

    What if surrender is one of the most courageous ways we can keep going? This week on the Big Ideas Podcast, I'm sitting down with my friend Monika Kirkland, author of the newly released book Ever With You: Becoming Fully Awake to the God Who Is Near. And goodness, this conversation is one I think so many of us need. If you're the woman who's used to figuring things out, finding a way, and pushing through whatever life throws at you (even when you're completely exhausted), I think you'll recognize yourself in this conversation. In this episode, we talk about: Surrender as perseverance: Why releasing control and trusting God takes courage, especially when you're used to holding everything together. The lie of self-reliance: What we're missing when we depend on our own strength instead of God's. Prayer as our first response: Practical ways to invite God into everyday moments rather than waiting until we've exhausted every other option. Revival begins within us: How drawing closer to God transforms our hearts and reminds us of His constant presence. One thing I kept coming back to during our conversation is how easily we can confuse perseverance with pushing harder. Sometimes the most faithful thing we can do is open our hands, invite God into what we're carrying, and trust Him enough to take the next step with us. And what a beautiful reminder from Monika's book: God is ever with us. He has never left us, and we don't have to navigate a single moment without Him. I hope this conversation encourages you to draw near to the One who has been with you all along. Connect with Monika:Website: https://www.monikakirkland.comInstagram: @monikakirklandOrder Ever With You: Find the book on Amazon If this episode encourages you, share it with a friend who could use a reminder that she doesn't have to do it all in her own strength.

    Surrender Is Not Defeat: Learning that God is Ever With You, with Monika Kirkland

  5. Oct 7

    You Don't Have To Hold It All Together, with Nichole Suvar

    Welcome to Season 6 of the Big Ideas Podcast! This season, I’m sitting down with some amazing friends who are following God’s call to put their own big ideas into the world — launching books, creating resources, and sharing what God has taught them to help the rest of us follow Him more closely and clearly. And we’re kicking things off with my friend Nichole Suvar, speaker and author of the newly released book, I Don’t Have to Hold It All Together: Cultivating the Peace of Eden When Feeling Overwhelmed. If you’ve ever felt like it’s your job to keep all the plates spinning, manage all the people, anticipate all the problems, and somehow keep yourself together in the process… this conversation is for you. (And yes, I am very aware of how personally targeted I feel by that sentence.) In this episode,  Nichole and I talk about: What God’s original design reveals about our mental and emotional wellness The difference between stewardship and control — and why that distinction matters How creation and our physical environment can point us back to God Why community is part of God’s design for us, and the very real danger of isolation and what happens when we try to carry hard things alone Practical ways to cultivate more peace when your life and mind both feel a little too full This conversation feels especially fitting as we begin a brand-new season, because so much of following God’s call isn’t about figuring out how to carry more... but it’s often learning what was never ours to carry in the first place. CONNECT WITH NICHOLE Order I Don’t Have to Hold It All Together: Cultivating the Peace of Eden When Feeling Overwhelmed: Order Nichole’s Book Learn more about Nichole and her work: livewithintent.org Take Nichole’s "Eden Attribute Quiz" to discover which attribute of Eden your heart is craving in this season of overwhelm: Take the Eden Attribute Quiz Connect with Nichole on Instagram: @nicholejsuvar And if this conversation encourages you, send it to a friend who might need the reminder too: you were never meant to hold it all together alone.

    You Don't Have To Hold It All Together, with Nichole Suvar

  6. May 27

    Beth Green: Trusting God’s Flight Plan When Life Takes an Unexpected Turn

    What if the very thing that doesn’t make sense on paper… is exactly where God is leading you next? In this final episode of Season 5, Ashlee chats with Beth Green — pastor, speaker, and founder of Adored and Breakthrough Conferences — in a powerful conversation about faith, obedience, legacy, and trusting God even when the path ahead feels unexpected. Beth shares the story of building a successful aviation company with her husband, only to feel God asking them to surrender it all and step into full-time ministry. Together, they unpack the confidence and peace that comes from knowing God is leading — even when others don’t understand it, and even when you don’t have every answer yet. This conversation is a beautiful reminder that God equips us for every season He calls us into… and that our obedience may become one of the greatest legacies our children ever witness. Beth also shares her heart for encouraging women and younger girls to use their voice for good, know where their true worth comes from, and courageously follow God in every season of life. In this inspiring season finale, you’ll hear: • How to trust God’s direction even when it doesn’t make sense to everyone around you• Why your obedience and faith may shape the next generation more than you realize• How God gives grace and provision for every season — without requiring you to have it all figured out first If you’ve ever felt God nudging you toward something unexpected… or wondered if you’re really equipped for what He’s asking of you… you’ll want to press Play and listen right away. And as we close out Season 5 — a season full of courageous women sharing honest stories and hard-earned wisdom — this conversation is the perfect reminder that God is always working for our good, even when we can’t fully see it yet.  Find more from Beth Green on Instagram @bethgreenwv and learn more about her church and upcoming Adored and Breakthrough Conferences at airborne.church.  Follow Ashlee on Instagram at @ashleeilg and find more resources at ashleeilg.com.Take the Dreamer Quiz at DreamerQuiz.com.

    Beth Green: Trusting God’s Flight Plan When Life Takes an Unexpected Turn

  7. May 20

    Lauren Mitchell: How Being a “Needy Woman” Can Draw You Closer to Jesus

    What if the deepest, richest relationship you could have with Jesus… starts with finally being honest with Him? In this episode, Ashlee chats with Lauren Mitchell — author, speaker, and Bible teacher — about her book Steadfast Through the Psalms and why an authentic prayer life may be the very thing missing from so many women’s relationship with God. Together, they unpack the freedom of bringing every emotion, fear, frustration, and need directly to Jesus — not just the polished Sunday-morning version of ourselves. Lauren shares why being a “needy woman” is not weakness when that need drives us toward dependence on God instead of away from Him. Lauren also opens up about one of the greatest fears of her life — tornadoes — and how walking through that fear unexpectedly deepened her intimacy with God in ways she never imagined. This conversation is honest, Scripture-filled, deeply encouraging, and an invitation to stop striving for perfect prayers and start building a real relationship with Jesus. In this heartfelt conversation, you’ll hear: • Why honest, everyday conversations with God lead to a deeper and more fulfilling prayer life• How dependency on Jesus is actually a strength — not a spiritual failure• What the Psalms teach us about bringing our raw emotions, fears, and struggles directly to God If you’ve ever felt like your prayer life is shallow, inconsistent, or only shows God the “put together” parts of you… you’ll want to press Play and listen right away. Find more from Lauren Mitchell and her book, Steadfast Through the Psalms at laurenmitchellwrites.com and on Instagram @laurenmitchellwrites Follow Ashlee on Instagram at @ashleeilg and find more resources at ashleeilg.com.Take the Dreamer Quiz at DreamerQuiz.com.

    Lauren Mitchell: How Being a “Needy Woman” Can Draw You Closer to Jesus

  8. May 14

    Chelsea Kuhn: Finding Faith and Purpose While Raising a Medically Complex Child

    What do you do when life doesn’t go the way you planned… and you’re left carrying something you never expected? In this episode, Ashlee chats with Chelsea Kuhn — entrepreneur, artist, and co-founder of Making Lemoncake — in a raw and deeply moving conversation about her journey as a mom raising a medically complex child. Chelsea shares the story of her daughter’s rare and challenging diagnosis, the exhaustion and uncertainty that followed, and how she wrestled through it all — clinging to her faith and slowly finding peace in the middle of it. Today, she uses her voice to advocate for families walking similar paths and to help others understand how to show up with compassion, care, and community. This conversation is both vulnerable and incredibly encouraging — an honest look at what it means to keep going when life feels heavy, and how we can better support one another along the way. In this heartfelt conversation, you’ll hear: • What it looks like to hold onto faith when you’re overwhelmed, exhausted, and unsure• How to support and serve families with medically complex or disabled children in meaningful ways• Why building community — especially in hard seasons — matters more than we realize If you’ve ever walked through a season that felt heavier than you expected… or wondered how to better show up for someone who is… you’ll want to press Play and listen right away. Find more from Chelsea Kuhn at makinglemoncake.com and follow her at @chelseakuhn Follow Ashlee on Instagram at @ashleeilg and find more resources at ashleeilg.com.Find out what type of dreamer you are at DreamerQuiz.com.

    Chelsea Kuhn: Finding Faith and Purpose While Raising a Medically Complex Child
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Tune in for honest conversations as we pursue bold dreams, redefine what IS possible, and empower the next generation to live BIG. You’ll hear stories that prove over & over again, that just because something wasn’t part of “our plan” doesn’t mean it won’t be used for our good. Whether you are already an entrepreneur, you dream of becoming one, or you are raising the next generation of entrepreneurs, this podcast is for you! There’s no time to waste on YOUR big ideas so let’s get started.

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