Jul 23

Beyond the Dollar

Two people can have exactly the same amount of money in the bank and live in completely different inner worlds. One is at peace. The other is bracing for disaster. If that gap sounds familiar, this conversation is for you. In this episode of The Inner Voice, Odette and Liezel ask a question worth sitting with: how often is a “money problem” actually a trust problem, a fear problem, or a worthiness problem that money simply brings to the surface? They talk about the scarcity many of us inherited before we ever earned a dollar, what it looks like to live in abundance without realising it, and why stewarding what you already have matters more than chasing what you don’t. Along the way, they name something easy to miss — that for a lot of us, the harder work isn’t giving. It’s receiving. You’ll walk away with language for the difference between scarcity and stewardship, fear and faith, and one practical starting point if you feel trapped in scarcity this week. Press play, and let the conversation do the work. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit odettedebeer.substack.com/subscribe

Jul 16

Mini Conversations | Your Unique Assignment and Gifts

Your Unique Assignment and Gifts The final part of our comparison series, exploring identity, gifts, stewardship, and returning to the grace God has placed in your hands. Comparison often turns difference into deficiency. We see someone who speaks, leads, builds, looks, mothers, creates, or expresses her faith differently, and we quietly begin to rank ourselves against her. But what if the difference is not a ranking? What if it is grace in another form? In this final episode of The Inner Voice comparison series, Odette and Liezl talk about your unique assignment and gifts. They unpack 1 Corinthians 12 and the reminder that God has arranged each part of the body as He desired. The quieter parts are not unnecessary. The less visible parts are not less valuable. The hidden parts are not disposable. This episode also explores 1 Peter 4:10 and the call to steward God’s varied grace. Your gift is not something you earned. It is something you received and are called to steward faithfully. Odette and Liezl also reflect on Psalm 139 and Ephesians 2:10, reminding us that we were formed before we were seen by people and created in Christ Jesus for good works God prepared beforehand. The conversation then moves into a practical framework: Name her. Notice her. Choose. This framework helps us recognise the version of ourselves activated by comparison, notice when she shows up, and choose what aligns with truth, peace, obedience, and our own God-given assignment. The episode closes with five practical moves: audit what your feed is forming in you, test your own work before God, bless the person you are tempted to compare with, replace your false ruler, and return to the words of Jesus: “What is that to you? You follow me.” In this episode We talk about: How comparison turns difference into deficiency 1 Corinthians 12 and the body having many parts Why God’s placement is intentional The value of quieter, hidden, and less visible parts Why your fruit is meant to nourish specific people 1 Peter 4:10 and stewarding God’s varied grace Psalm 139 and being formed in the hidden place Ephesians 2:10 and the works God prepared beforehand Why borrowed identity becomes unstable Visibility, approval, pace, productivity, and self-worth The difference between public fruit and hidden formation The framework: Name her, notice her, choose Auditing what social media is forming in you Testing your own work before God Blessing the person you are tempted to compare with Replacing false rulers with better measures Returning to Jesus’ words in John 21: “You follow me” Key scriptures 1 Corinthians 12The body has many parts, and God has arranged each member as He desired. 1 Peter 4:10Each one has received a gift and is called to steward God’s varied grace. Psalm 139God formed us in the hidden place. Ephesians 2:10We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works prepared beforehand. Proverbs 4:23Guard your heart with diligence. Galatians 6:4–5Each person is called to test their own work and carry their own load. John 21:22Jesus says, “What is that to you? You follow me.” Reflection questions Where have you turned someone else’s difference into evidence of your own deficiency? What grace has God actually placed in your hands? Who is the version of you that shows up when comparison is activated? When does comparison tend to rise in you? What would it look like to steward your own assignment with peace this week? Gentle practice for the week This week, use the framework: Name her. Notice her. Choose. Name the version of you activated by comparison. Notice when she appears and what tends to trigger her. Choose what aligns with truth, protects your peace, supports obedience, strengthens your mind, and returns you to your own assignment. Then pray a simple blessing over the person you are tempted to compare with: Lord, bless her and strengthen her. Help her carry what You have placed in her hands. Help me honour the grace on her life without despising the grace on mine. Your gift does not need to look like hers to be valuable. Your obedience does not need applause to matter. Your assignment is worthy of faithful stewardship. Because identity shapes decisions.And what you build should not cost you your own life in the process. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit odettedebeer.substack.com/subscribe

Jul 9

Mini Conversations | When Comparison Becomes Envy

When Comparison Becomes Envy Part three of our comparison series, exploring envy, emotions, judgement, humility, and the grace of your unique assignment. Comparison often begins quietly, but if it stays hidden, it can become envy. In this episode of The Inner Voice, Odette and Liezl continue their four-part series on comparison by talking about envy, emotions, judgement, and the importance of bringing what is happening inside us honestly before God. They explore James 3 and Proverbs 14:30, where scripture speaks strongly about jealousy and envy. Envy does not only affect our thoughts. It can shape the way we interpret people, celebrate them, speak about them, receive our own lives, and trust God’s goodness towards us. The conversation then moves to Cain and Abel in Genesis 4. Before Cain kills Abel, God meets him in the doorway moment and asks, “Why are you angry? Why has your face fallen?” This becomes a powerful picture of how God meets us before comparison becomes destructive behaviour. Odette and Liezl also talk about emotions as signals. Anger, insecurity, jealousy, envy, grief, and fear can reveal what is unsettled, unhealed, or not yet formed in our identity. The invitation is not to hide those feelings or be ruled by them, but to bring them into the light with God. The episode also explores the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector in Luke 18. Comparison can make us feel inferior, but it can also make us feel superior. Both keep our eyes in the wrong place. Finally, the conversation turns to 1 Corinthians 12 and 1 Peter 4:10, where Paul speaks about the body having many parts and Peter speaks about stewarding God’s varied grace. Difference is not deficiency. God’s placement is intentional, and your gift is given to be stewarded, not ranked. In this episode We talk about: The moment comparison becomes envy Why scripture treats envy seriously James 3 and the disorder connected to jealousy and selfish ambition Proverbs 14:30 and the image of envy rotting the bones Cain’s doorway moment in Genesis 4 Why God meets us before the destructive act How comparison shows up through posts, opportunities, announcements, and success Why emotions are indicators, not masters Asking God what anger, envy, or insecurity is revealing How comparison exposes unsettled identity The danger of using someone else’s life as evidence against God’s goodness Luke 18 and the Pharisee’s comparison-based righteousness Romans 14:4 and the reminder that we do not own another person’s life 1 Corinthians 12 and the value of different parts of the body 1 Peter 4:10 and God’s varied grace Why difference is not deficiency Stewarding your own gift, story, and assignment Key scriptures James 3Where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder. Proverbs 14:30A peaceful heart gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones. Genesis 4God meets Cain in the doorway moment before anger becomes violence. Luke 18:9–14The Pharisee and the tax collector reveal the danger of building righteousness by comparison. Romans 14:4“Who are you to judge another servant?” 1 Corinthians 12The body has many parts, and God has arranged them as He desired. 1 Peter 4:10Each one has received a gift and is called to steward God’s varied grace. Reflection questions What happens in you when someone else receives something you desire? Where does your peace shift into criticism, withdrawal, resentment, or self-protection? Are your emotions revealing envy, grief, insecurity, fear, or an unnamed desire? Where have you confused someone else’s difference with your own deficiency? What grace has God actually given you to steward? Gentle practice for the week When your peace shifts, pause before you judge yourself or someone else. Ask God: What is happening in me?Is this envy, grief, insecurity, fear, or desire?What part of my identity still needs to be settled in You?What have You placed in my hands to steward faithfully? Then return to your own assignment with humility and peace. You do not have to shrink another woman to feel secure in your own life. You do not have to despise your own grace because it looks different from hers. God’s grace is varied, and your assignment is worthy of faithful stewardship. Because identity shapes decisions.And what you build should not cost you your own life in the process. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit odettedebeer.substack.com/subscribe

Jul 2

Mini Conversations | What is Social Media Forming in You?

What Is Social Media Forming In You? Part two of our comparison series, exploring social media, guarding your heart, and returning to the assignment God has placed in your hands. Social media did not create comparison, but it has made comparison constant. In this episode of The Inner Voice, Odette and Liezl continue their four-part series on comparison by asking a deeper question: what is social media forming in you? Together, they talk about the subtle way scrolling can shift our attention, interpretation, and peace. You can pick up your phone feeling settled, then put it down feeling anxious, flat, jealous, restless, or discouraged, even though nothing in your actual life has changed. This episode explores Proverbs 4:23 and the practical call to guard your heart with diligence. Guarding your heart is not about suspicion. It is about stewardship. It means paying attention to what repeatedly shapes your thoughts, desires, interpretation, peace, and direction. Odette and Liezl also unpack 2 Corinthians 10:12 and Galatians 6:4–5, reflecting on the difference between measuring ourselves against others and testing our own work before God. They talk about visibility, fruitfulness, hidden obedience, and why applause is not always approval. The conversation then moves to John 21, where Peter receives restoration from Jesus and then looks sideways at John. Jesus’ response, “What is that to you? You follow me,” becomes a tender and clear invitation back to focus, obedience, and personal faithfulness. This episode is an invitation to notice what comparison is revealing in you, pay attention to what social media is forming, and come back to your own life with peace, humility, and responsibility. In this episode We talk about: Why comparison is an old wrestle of the human heart How social media has increased the frequency of comparison Why the heart and mind were not designed to carry hundreds of other people’s lives Proverbs 4:23 and the practical meaning of guarding your heart How scrolling can shift attention, interpretation, and peace The importance of asking, “What is this producing in me?” Why curated content can become a false standard 2 Corinthians 10:12 and the danger of people becoming the measure Galatians 6:4–5 and the invitation to test your own work Why visibility is not always fruitfulness Why speed is not always obedience Why applause is not always approval The hidden growth that happens beneath the surface Peter’s restoration in John 21 Jesus’ words: “What is that to you? You follow me” Returning to your own assignment, story, healing, and obedience Key scriptures Proverbs 4:23Guard your heart with diligence because out of it flow the issues of life. 2 Corinthians 10:12Paul warns against measuring ourselves by ourselves and comparing ourselves among ourselves. Galatians 6:4–5Paul calls each person to test their own work and carry their own load. John 21:15–22Jesus restores Peter and redirects him from comparison back to following Him. Reflection questions What do you usually feel after spending time on social media? Where does your peace tend to shift while scrolling? Are you being encouraged, sharpened, and grounded, or are you being pulled into restlessness, insecurity, and comparison? Where have you allowed someone else’s visibility to make your hidden obedience feel insignificant? What has God actually placed in your hands in this season? Gentle practice for the week Before or after spending time on social media, pause and ask: What is this producing in me? Am I clearer or more confused?Do I have peace or am I restless?Am I encouraged or diminished?Do I feel more connected to God and to my own life, or more pulled away from both? Then return to the words of Jesus: “What is that to you? You follow me.” You do not have to understand someone else’s path in order to be faithful in yours. You are not responsible for carrying another person’s assignment. Your life is still worthy of your presence, your stewardship, your obedience, and your peace. Because identity shapes decisions.And what you build should not cost you your own life in the process. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit odettedebeer.substack.com/subscribe

Jun 25

Mini Conversations | The Problem of Comparison

The Problem of Comparison The first conversation in our four-part series on comparison, social media, self-worth, and returning to God’s measure. Comparison can feel ordinary, especially in a world where we are constantly seeing other people’s lives, milestones, homes, businesses, bodies, families, callings, and public moments. But comparison does not always sound like jealousy. Sometimes it sounds like a quiet question inside us: “Should I be further along by now?” In this episode of The Inner Voice, Odette and Liezl begin a four-part mini series on comparison. They talk about the quiet power of comparison, why social media makes the sideways glance constant, and how someone else’s life can become the ruler we use to measure our own. This conversation reframes comparison as a measurement system. When the ruler is false, the conclusion becomes distorted. The ache may be real, the longing may be real, and the insecurity may be real, but those feelings still need to be brought before God before they begin writing the story of who we are. Together, Odette and Liezl reflect on 2 Corinthians 10:12, the danger of measuring ourselves by human standards, and the invitation of Jesus in John 21:22: “What is that to you? Follow me.” This episode is an invitation to notice where your peace shifts, where your mind starts measuring, and where God may be inviting you back to truth, stewardship, obedience, and peace. In this episode We talk about: Why comparison often feels like honesty or assessment How social media makes the sideways glance constant Why someone else’s life can become a false ruler The difference between honouring someone else’s life and measuring your worth against it How comparison affects identity, calling, motherhood, faith, body image, business, and visibility What 2 Corinthians 10:12 teaches us about unwise measurement Why her story was never meant to interpret yours How comparison can reveal wounds, longings, fears, or false conclusions Returning to Jesus’ invitation: “What is that to you? Follow me” How to bless someone else without despising what God has placed in you Key scriptures 2 Corinthians 10:12Paul warns against measuring ourselves by ourselves and comparing ourselves among ourselves. John 21:22Jesus says, “What is that to you? Follow me.” Reflection questions Where has comparison been quietly shaping the way you see your life? What tends to shift your peace when you are scrolling or observing someone else’s life? Have you been letting someone else’s story interpret yours? What would it look like to return to the life God has actually placed in your hands? Gentle practice for the week Pay attention to the moments where your peace shifts. Notice what your mind starts measuring.Notice who or what has become the ruler.Notice whether comparison is revealing a wound, a desire, a fear, or a false conclusion. Then bring it honestly before God and return to the simple invitation of Jesus: “What is that to you? Follow me.” You do not have to understand someone else’s path in order to be faithful in yours. Your life is still worthy of your presence, your stewardship, your obedience, and your peace. Because identity shapes decisions.And what you build should not cost you your own life in the process. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit odettedebeer.substack.com/subscribe

Jun 18

The Most Important Thing You Will Ever Build Is You

The Catalytic Code: Aligning Identity and Leadership Episode Summary In this episode of Inner Voice, Liezel Van Der Merwe sits down with Odette de Beer to talk about Odette’s new book, The Catalytic Code: A Framework for Women Ready to Build from Who They Actually Are. This conversation explores the quiet gap many women carry between what they have built and who they truly are. Odette unpacks why many capable women do not have a strategy problem, confidence problem or productivity problem first. Often, the deeper issue is identity. Together, Liezel and Odette discuss borrowed identity, burnout, alignment, trust, advocacy, calling, stewardship and the five dimensions of the Catalytic System: head, heart, hands, spirit and schedule. This episode is for the woman who has built something real, but knows there is more alignment, honesty and freedom available. Key Themes Why your roles are not the same as your identity How borrowed identity leads to performance and exhaustion Why alignment must begin with knowing who you are The five dimensions of the Catalytic System Why your schedule reveals your real priorities How trust begins with keeping commitments to yourself Why advocacy is built through clarity, consistency, accountability and trust How excellence can be sustainable through small, consistent improvements The relationship between calling, authority and stewardship Why the most important thing you will ever build is you Reflection Questions Where in your life are you performing a version of yourself that no longer feels true? What does your schedule reveal about what you truly value? What commitment to yourself do you need to honour again? Where have you mistaken achievement, title or responsibility for identity? What part of your calling are you being invited to steward more intentionally? The most important thing you will ever build is not your business. It is the person building the business. When you know who you are, what you value, and why you are here, you can keep building through every season. Get your copy of The Catalytic Code This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit odettedebeer.substack.com/subscribe

May 14

Building Confidence Through Action

Confidence Isn’t a Feeling: Build Self-Trust by Moving Before You’re ReadyOdette and Liezel discuss how waiting to feel ready can look like wisdom but often hides fear of visibility, exposure, and discomfort, and they argue that confidence usually grows after aligned action rather than before it. They distinguish confidence (“I think I can do this”) from self-trust (“Even if this stretches me, I’ll stay with myself, learn, adjust, and keep moving”), noting that over-preparation and delay can become an identity that erodes self-trust. Using an exercise about changing feelings toward a glasses case, they show feelings don’t determine value or purpose, and emphasize action as the source of evidence that separates imagined fear from lived reality. They present a framework to name and notice the “version of you” that delays and then choose what aligns with who you want to become, plus three practical steps: clarify the next specific step, separate discomfort from danger, and keep one small promise to build self-trust.00:00 Fear Disguised As Wisdom01:08 Confidence Follows Action03:00 Inner Voice Introduction03:22 Readiness Myth Exposed05:35 Feelings Versus Value07:05 Waiting Or Hiding10:37 Self Trust Over Confidence13:26 Action Creates Evidence16:09 Courage And Failure Reframe17:50 Name Notice Choose Framework21:05 Everyday Confidence Examples23:27 Three Practical Moves26:33 Small Promises Build Trust29:36 Weekly Reflection And Wrap This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit odettedebeer.substack.com/subscribe

Apr 28

The No You Deserve to Say

Some women can deliver hard news in a boardroom without flinching, and then lie awake at 2am writing the polite-but-not-too-polite text to cancel a coffee they never wanted to agree to. If that sounds familiar, this conversation is for you. In this episode of The Inner Voice, Odette and Liezel unpack why saying no to small things often feels heavier than saying no to big ones — and why the spiral that follows is not guilt, but identity disruption. They explore the difference between energy boundaries and identity boundaries, the cost of a yes that should have been a no, and why self-sacrifice and obedience are not the same thing. You will walk away with language for the 2am spiral, a simple framework — Name her. Notice her. Choose. — and three small, specific moves for the week ahead: the pause, the script and the spiral check. This one is for the woman who is tired of carrying yeses she never meant to give. Press play, and let the conversation do the work. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit odettedebeer.substack.com/subscribe

Apr 9

The Lie Behind Mum Guilt

Mom Guilt, Mental Load, and the Lie of Not Being EnoughOdette and Liezel unpack “mom guilt” as more than a surface emotion, linking it to mental load, identity shifts, comparison pressure, and the feeling of not holding everything together even when life looks fine externally. They discuss how guilt spikes when parents are depleted—especially after work or events—making it hard to switch into a present, comforting “mom hat,” and suggest reducing expectations (e.g., takeout nights, skipping nonessential activities) while prioritizing what helps kids regulate emotions, like running. Liezel shares her transition from full-time at-home mom to entrepreneur and the internal wrestle of feeling entitled to invest in herself. They emphasize settling, surrender, and relying on the Holy Spirit amid rapid societal change, media-driven anxiety, and financial pressure. Odette reframes guilt as condemnation and often a lie, offering a “name it, recognize it, choose differently” framework, urging parents to overcome patterns so children don’t inherit them.00:00 Why Mom Guilt Hurts00:56 Defining Mom Guilt01:51 Evening Overwhelm02:36 Empty Tank Parenting05:34 Grace and Help07:26 Simplify the Load10:18 Running and Regulation14:47 Mental Load Explained16:21 Identity Shift Season20:05 Change Is Accelerating22:14 Settling and Surrender25:20 Noise Comparison Strategy28:39 Media Pressure and Lack31:23 Faith Over Fear Economy34:06 Grace Through Crisis34:49 Raising Faith Aware Kids35:35 Living Your Faith Out Loud37:28 Mom Guilt Is A Lie40:31 Evidence Builds Confidence42:23 Stop Trying Surrender48:24 Three Step Reset Framework52:49 Break The Generational Cycle54:04 Fear Healed By God56:56 Closing Questions And Blessing This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit odettedebeer.substack.com/subscribe

Mar 19

How to Stop the “Who Do You Think You Are?” Voice (Mindset & Identity)

Interrupt the Spiral: Mindset, Identity, and the Voice That Says “Who Do You Think You Are?” Odette and Liezel introduce Inner Voice, a mostly unscripted podcast on mindset, growth, leadership, family, business, and faith, sharing personal experiences rather than professional advice. They discuss how slow, marginal changes can lead to unnoticed mental spirals, anxiety, and sleeplessness, and how “pattern interrupts” and introspection help you name what’s happening. Liezel describes shifting from fighting emotions to acknowledging fear as a feeling that isn’t dangerous, which gradually reduced hypervigilance. The conversation centers on identity, authority, and rejecting the lie of being “far from God,” emphasizing prayer, journaling, and creating daily “God spaces” to ask what you need. They reflect on biblical examples (Joshua, David, Joseph) and Odette’s tested immigration journey, concluding that the battle is in the mind and listeners should question negative self-talk. 00:00 That Inner Critic 00:13 Meet Inner Voice 01:05 The Slow Fade Spiral 02:27 Interrupt The Pattern 03:38 The Far From God Lie 04:54 Name The Fear 09:10 Victory Repent Strategy 15:51 Perfectionism And Value 22:35 Freedom To Choose Joy 24:38 Journaling And Idea Capture 28:17 Journaling as Evidence 30:13 Building Daily Awareness 33:57 Creating God Space 35:34 Ask God What You Need 37:28 Knowing vs Doing 39:56 Identity and Authority 46:39 Approval and Faith 48:54 Immigration Word Tested 54:33 Isolation and Reliance 59:16 Mind Battle Takeaways This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit odettedebeer.substack.com/subscribe

Inner Voice

Episodes

Beyond the Dollar

Mini Conversations | Your Unique Assignment and Gifts

Mini Conversations | When Comparison Becomes Envy

Mini Conversations | What is Social Media Forming in You?

Mini Conversations | The Problem of Comparison

The Most Important Thing You Will Ever Build Is You

Building Confidence Through Action

The No You Deserve to Say

The Lie Behind Mum Guilt

How to Stop the “Who Do You Think You Are?” Voice (Mindset & Identity)

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