Melissa Whitaker: I don’t know, “How do you hear from God?” And I [say], “Well, first of all, are you in the Word? Because when you’re in the Word, he speaks to us in many different ways.” . . . The Lord wants to have this personal relationship with you like a guest in your home. It’s not just going to church on Sunday and then living a different life during the week or not talking to him during the week. . . . Sometimes your job and your calling—your purpose—is just to be present and hear him and then be obedient in whatever he’s asking you to do. And that can be your ministry!
Eden: Today on the podcast, I’m going to introduce you to Melissa Whitaker. Melissa is a sales and leadership expert. She’s a business consultant. She is an international keynote speaker and a wellness coach. She has co-authored two books and has consulted more than a thousand companies [and] given talks for 5 million people throughout the US, Canada, and 55 other countries. And she is the founder and CEO of Melissa Whitaker International, where she helps executives and their teams achieve alignment and drive profitable sales in an authentic way. But, most importantly, Melissa is a follower of Jesus who loves him and loves to share his Word with others. I was introduced to Melissa by our podcast editor—shout out to Jenny. And this was such a blessed acquaintance. And so, I’m so excited for you to get to meet Melissa today and hear some of her story.
Melissa, it’s delightful to have you today on the podcast, and it’s fun to get to meet you; and I’m excited to learn from you. I took a little time to hear one of the talks that you’ve given at a larger conference, and it just really blessed me. So, I look forward to getting to hear more from you today. We always start with getting to know you a little bit. So, what are some things that bring you joy?
Melissa Whitaker: Yeah, great question. Thanks for having me on. I’m super excited to be here. And it’s interesting, because lately that topic has come up multiple times for podcasts, interviews, conversations. So, this must be such a God thing, really. Joy for me—many things come to mind: One, I love to be with people. Being with people brings me joy. Being able to share God’s goodness brings me a lot of joy. I also love to dance, so dancing brings me a lot of joy. Ironically, on another podcast, we talked about that as well. [They asked], “What gives you a natural escape from taking a break from work and from the world for a little bit?” And I said, “Honestly, just dancing.” I just love to dance. I go into another zone. It’s a natural way to invigorate energy and excitement, like nothing else matters. I get to dance for a little while, and then I come back to life.
Eden: So fun—I love that!
Melissa Whitaker: Yeah. So it’s a little fun fact a lot of people don’t know about me is I love to dance. Back in my 20s (I’m much older than that now), I did competitive dancing: East Coast swing, West Coast swing, Cha-Cha, waltz, fun stuff like that. [There’s] not much time to do that after you get married and have children per se, at that level, [but] I still love to dance.
And I would say at this stage of my life as well, there’s just the little things that really, really bring me significant joy, [like] honestly my quiet time in the morning. Whether it’s cold outside, and I can put the fireplace on and cuddle up in a blanket and read my daily devotion—have my quiet time with God. Or if it’s summertime, [it’s the] same thing but without the fireplace. I cherish that time each morning where I just have silence. We’re not jumping into the hustle and bustle of the day but to really have that time where I can just sit with the Lord, have time to journal, have time to read a devotion or the Bible, and also to have quiet time.
One thing the Lord has really taught me (and I would love to hear your perspective on that as well) is that there are times in my life where the Lord has taken me through some valleys—through my business, or in my marriage, or in life in general—and consistently, when those times happen, the Lord says, I need you to be still and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10). And he knows that’s very hard for me. So, I think that’s part of the challenge: He knows I have a hard time sitting still, and he wants to give me rest. And even though I say, “Oh, I’m tired,” or “I would love rest,” I’m not great at it. So, he really reminds me to be still.
And when there are challenges—when business gets slow, or we have tension in our home here and there between children or marriage or life—the Lord centers me and says, “Be still, Melissa. Know that I am God.” And he reminds me to not always be in the action mode of getting to know him in that personal relationship of reading, journaling, [though] that’s a vital part of it, but he challenges me to sit still and be quiet, because that’s where I think a lot of us miss when the Lord is speaking to us—when he wants to share things with us. And sometimes we have to be silent to hear him speaking to us. And we don’t always think about that. So that brings me joy.
Eden: Yeah. Wow, thank you for sharing that. As you were talking, I thought about how those times of stillness are so necessary. And a lot of times I think about how [because of] the noise in my mind, I can’t even hear my honest thoughts without taking a good deal of time to just be quiet and let all of the rumblings in your mind and heart slow down. So, I totally agree with that. And I know that we need that time alone with the Lord to listen and to wait and to rest. And he’s constantly welcoming us into that. When Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28), that’s a constant promise that we can take hold of at any moment, of any day. And I love how you live in light of that.
So you talked about your quiet time and time in either devotions or God’s Word. Is there part of God’s Word that’s especially precious to you? And if so, why? Or how did it become especially precious to you?
Melissa Whitaker: Such a great question. Yes, I would say yes. Let’s face it, let’s be honest: When times can be difficult throughout our whole life, (it could be for all different reasons when we’re younger and then different reasons when we’re older), that’s where the Lord pulls us really close to him. And so, I think a lot of us, and me especially, I feel a lot of comfort when times are tough. I really gravitate towards Proverbs and Psalms, and you probably have heard that many times before. I love reading those two books of the Bible when there’s times like that. Now sometimes when it’s not a tough time, but I just know I love those books of the Bible, I’ll still go there to look at what I’ve highlighted.
I’m a highlighter, so I like to have the actual Bible too. (I mean, I look online, don’t get me wrong, I do.) But I’m kind of old-school: I like to have the Bible; and I like to highlight; I like to underline; I like to put little notes on paper and stick them into spots of my Bible. And what’s fascinating to me is later in life, I’ll come back and read those, and I remember exactly where I was when I wrote them and what was going on at that time in my life. And God helps me to reflect on how far I’ve come.
But Psalms and Proverbs are especially sweet to my soul, as well as Acts and Matthew. I just finished doing a year-long Bible study with a group of women. (I mean, we’re still going to continue on after the summer; we’re getting started again tomorrow night.) For a year, we took the time to break down every chapter of the book of Acts. And we rotated around with the group of us ladies on preparing and facilitating a chapter. We prepared questions, and we would submit them to the group ahead of time, so they could have some time to process and really dive in[to] what all of our perspectives were on it. That’s so precious when you can be around other Christ-followers who read some of the same areas, and they go, “You know what? I didn’t see that,” because of where they’re at in their life. Or [they can] give you a different perspective of some verses or [a] chapter or how they understood how the storyline connects. So, the book of Acts to me is just so, so wonderful, because I feel like it’s one of those books that talks a lot about where we’re all called to be a living testimony and to be obedient and not to question but just obey. And, when the Lord calls us to do certain things in our life, [we are] to do that trusting him, even if it doesn’t make sense. That’s what the book of Acts really spoke to me in this last year.
Even though it’s a long answer, Matthew is my last one. I will be honest; Matthew 28:19 I feel like was given to me as my life verse, which is, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit” [sic] (KJV). And I said [to the Lord], “What does that mean?” I didn’t feel like I was called to be a pastor. I didn’t feel like I was called to leave, drop everything, and move to another country and be a missionary, per se. And every year since 2004, I say, “Okay, what does that mean? Go ye therefore, and teach all nations,” and the Lord keeps coming back to me and saying, Your ministry, Melissa, right now is in the marketplace.
And so, for my adult career, he’s always told me that my mission work and the things that he’s called me to is in the marketplace. And I think that’s wonderful. I think that’s great. He has used me in so many different ways where I’ve just been a vessel for him. And as long as I’m just willing to obey the whispers, the nudges, the callings he gives me, it’s amazing what the Lord knows that we don’t know. Let’s put it that way.
Eden: Yeah, and you beat me to some of my questions. One was how your relationship with Jesus impacts your role as a businesswoman. We like to frame the word “ministry” as whatever God has called each of us individually, as Christ-followers, to do. So, there are people who are pastors, like you said, who are involved in sharing Jesus for their job. But there are many more people who just have ordinary jobs that aren’t really tied to their faith in Jesus. But we know that Jesus wants us to witness for him wherever we go and whatever we are doing. And so, what is your ministry? What does Jesus have you doing day-to-day? What is your job? What do you do on your free time? What does life look like for Melissa?
Melissa Whitaker: Yeah, great. Well, as I mentioned before, which I’ll elaborate on, I started my own company about 15.5 years ago. I’m the CEO and founder of Melissa Whitaker International. And I continue to seek his will and ask him where he wants to lead me in the marketplace.
Back around 2012 to 2014 timeframe, I kept journaling: “My heart is ready”; “I’m ready”; “My family’s ready”; “You have to have more for me as a calling than just sales and sales leadership, training, coaching and consulting,” which is what I do as a flagship of my company. I go into organizations. I help them increase their revenue and their profits. I do that through training, coaching, and consulting, [and] for the longest time, it was around just sales and sales leadership. Now we’ve expanded that in the last, I would say, five years, into additional culture and also wellness. But the staple flagship area was sales and sales leadership. So during that time, I kept saying, “Lord, you have to have more for me. If my ministry is in the marketplace, what exactly does that mean? How are you using me beyond the training and the coaching?” And all of a sudden in 2014, he said, Okay. He’s like, If you’re ready, are you sure? They always say, “Be careful what you ask for,” because the Lord will come through, even if you don’t know how he’s going to come through.
From that moment on, every training I would go to, I felt like the Lord was saying to me, Melissa, your calling is much bigger. Your ministry in the marketplace is [this]: As you’re being hired for sales and sales leadership, which is what people will sign contracts for, pay for, I want you to be that living testimony. I want you to share your personal story that has faith involved and subtly weave it in so that I can open up the door, so people feel safe to speak with you, to come out of the woodwork and share with you what’s going on in their lives. I’ve never been a big believer of just being in someone’s face, because I feel like that turns a lot of people off. But I feel like the Lord calls us to just live it out, have that light that he brings to us, and he will open the doors, which is what he did.
I went to do a training in Seattle, and that kind of started this shift. I’m in a sales training class, and there were like five young guys and this one woman who was probably in her mid-40s: single, three children. She looked like she probably did not have an easy life, but she had a strong backbone and probably did really great in sales. And so I thought, okay, this is awesome. She was very quiet during the training, but [as I was] observing [her], [she was] a little more tenured than the other folks.
So we went through three days of training, and the last day, I go to hug her, and I hear the Lord say, You need to forward the devotion you received this morning to her. And I’m like, “Hm?” as I’m hugging her. I heard it so clearly that I’m looking around like, did anyone else hear that, or is that just me? I’m like, okay. So I’m hugging her. And then I said, “You know, Cassie, listen, I really feel like I connected with you in this training.” I’m like, “Do you mind if I stay in touch with you?” And she’s like, “Absolutely. I feel the same way.” And I’m like, awesome.
So to make this long story as short as possible, I was working around the clock—I had a crazy schedule for my company. I left Seattle, and I flew on a red eye home to Chicago, and I changed my clothes at the airport, girl. And I went straight to my next client in Arlington Heights, Illinois.
Come lunchtime, I take a break for lunch. (I had a dedicated office there just because of the days that I would be there—I was on a 12 month contract.) And literally, I hear the Lord say, You haven’t sent it yet. And I’m like, what? Now, I don’t know about you. I like to negotiate with God. And you know how that always goes. So I looked up, and I said, “Okay, okay. I hear you. Can I just have a quick lunch? Like a quick break?” He’s like, no. And so, I closed the blinds in the office, so no one’s walking by thinking I’m talking to myself like a crazy person. And I said, “Lord, okay, listen, I don’t know if this woman is a woman of faith. I don’t want to send something that could offend her. I want to bring in the relationship.” And he’s like, Melissa, do you trust me? You said you were ready to be used as a vessel for reasons that are unknown to you. I know what’s going on in her life. You do not. And I said, “Okay, okay. What about this? I told everyone in the class I would type up notes, and I would send them to them. What if I do that? And then, when I send her the notes, I’ll also send that devotion.” And he goes, No, that will take too long. And I’m like, “Okay.”
So then honestly, I’m thinking to myself, what is this devotion he’s talking about? So I go back the day before, I’m looking up in my emails where the devotion is. I open it up, and I’m like, “God, I can’t send this to her: It’s about addiction. It’s a devotion about addiction.” And I go, “She doesn’t look like she has an addiction issue. She should be totally offended.” And God just said, Melissa, your job is not to question. Your job is just to obey. And I was like, “Okay, all right, I’m listening.” I said, “Well then you need to give me the words of what to say to her, so this is not offensive.” So he did. It flowed to me.
I sent her an email real quick. I just forwarded it right on. And I was like, “Cassie, look, I don’t know if you’re a woman of faith, but I had this nudge to forward this devotion to you that I received the other day. And if it blesses you, awesome. And if it doesn’t, just disregard it. It’s no problem.” Within one minute, she emailed me back and said, “I’m at work. I am bawling my eyes out, because Melissa, what you don’t realize is, I’ve just come to realize I’m an alcoholic. I just got into some serious trouble. I have to go to court, and I may lose my children.” And I was like, what?! I’m thinking, is this the same woman I just saw yesterday? She looked like she had it all together! I just started weeping. I just started weeping. And the Lord said, See Melissa, you don’t know what I know. You just don’t. And I’m like, “Okay.” And that woke me up and I was like, “Okay, Lord. Okay.”
And from that moment forward, I didn’t question. That was in 2014. And I can tell you, I haven’t questioned since, even if the request I hear from the Lord is crazy or so obscure or weird—I don’t even know the person sometimes. But the Lord speaks to me on a regular basis, and I have learned not to question, just to do.
I’ve always been myself, and I’ve always been a light, and I’ve always shared my faith everywhere I go. Since I can remember, by the way, since I was young, I’ve never been shy about my faith. I’ve never been concerned about sharing my faith. I have lived boldly for the Lord my entire life, definitely even [in] times when it’s not popular, and people can be not so nice throughout your life. It didn’t even bother me. It didn’t even faze me, because I knew that’s who I am, that’s who the Lord asked me to be. He created me on purpose, for a purpose. And that’s what I was just going to do regardless. And so that’s always been there. But this took it to a whole other level of trust.
That’s how I feel like he has used me through the years is that continually, it shifts, it modifies. But he speaks to me on a regular basis. He asks me to say things or do things, reach out to people, share things—whatever it may be. And I have learned again not to question, just to do. And through that obedience, the Lord creates amazing things in people’s lives. That’s not me. It’s not me. I’m just the vessel. It’s the Lord that’s using me as that vessel to create amazing, beautiful things in people’s lives.
And he says, Melissa, so many people are so broken. Especially in the sales world, they’re getting divorced, because they work too much, or they’re having affairs on their spouses, or they’re doing drugs, or there [are] addictions everywhere. He said, I want you to be that place that they see a sign of Jesus. They see a sign of the Lord that I have not forgotten them. And help them to heal in a way, where they can come and show up every day to their workplace or their job or their life responsibilities as a whole person, who produces at their highest level, and that that the Lord’s love and faith shines through in that on how that happened. And I really feel like that’s been my bigger calling. Yes, it’s business, and I get contracts for the business, and doing business activities. But the Lord has asked me to weave that faith I have into everything I do, so that the Lord gets all the glory and that he shines through what he wants to do in people’s lives, to heal that brokenness.
Eden: Yes, I love that, Melissa. I love that. I think what your story highlights and that explanation highlights is that Jesus is all about people. And he has tasks for us to do, but our tasks are just a means to reaching people. And Jesus came, and he suffered and died on a cross for our sins, so that we might be restored to a right relationship with him if we put our faith in him (1 Peter 3:18). And so he’s pursuing people all the time, and he employs us in all different places, so that we can meet people and share with them his good news and his hope and his life. And so I love your explanation of that.
I also love how, as you’re talking about the leading of the Holy Spirit in your life, that God promises in his Word that those that are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God (Romans 8:14). If we’ve put our faith in Jesus, we’ve been given his Holy Spirit, and we’ve been given a promise that his Spirit will lead us. And that’s practical. That’s not just an idea or a metaphor—it’s real! And I thought also of, as you mentioned the book of Acts earlier: There’s a pastor named J.D. Greear, and I remember in a message he gave once, he said that the Holy Spirit speaks in the book of Acts 32 times, but we’re never told how he speaks. So, we hear that the Spirit told Philip to go and talk to the Ethiopian who was on his way in the chariot, but we don’t know what that sounded like. We just know that he was drawn to go talk to this man. So I love hearing about your sensitivity to the Spirit.
And you talked a bit about how your calling is to minister to people through your job. Can you share with us more of your thoughts about how your work is an extension of God’s kingdom work in your understanding of calling? And maybe for someone that is in a job similar to you, how could they leverage the occupation that they have to share Jesus with others?
Melissa Whitaker: I think it’s so important that people understand [our relationship to the Holy Spirit]. People are like, “I don’t hear from God. I don’t know, how do you hear from God?” And I say, “Well, first of all, are you in the Word? Because when you’re in the Word, he speaks to us many different ways. Are you journaling?” Because when you’re journaling, sometimes we have to process things that we’re thinking. And for me, it’s not for everyone, but for me, I journal in a way where I’m writing letters to God, where I say, “Lord, here’s what’s going on in my life.” I don’t think people realize what the Lord wants to have [is] this personal relationship with you like a guest in your home. It’s not just going to church on Sunday and then living a different life during the week, or not talking to him during the week. I tell people all the time, “I want you to think about the Lord as literally a guest in your home. You’re in the kitchen, and the Lord is right in the living room. Are you going to ignore your guest? Are you going to walk around the house like they don’t exist or they’re not there?” And people look at me like, what? I’m like, “That’s how the Lord is. He wants to live life with you. He wants to talk with you.” You’re in the car? Have a conversation with the Lord. Who cares if people driving by you think you’re a crazy person because you maybe your mouth is moving. No one cares! The Lord wants us to have a personal relationship with him, and people miss that, right?
And so in everyday life, [your job is a means to share the Lord with others.] No matter what job people have, no matter what they do for a living—it doesn’t mean that you’re called to be a missionary going into another country—and maybe it is (and that’s okay too; of course it’s wonderful). Some people think that that’s what it has to be—this burning bush: I’m being sent to Africa; or I’m being sent to different parts of Asia; or I’m being called to be a pastor. Well, it’s not always just that. [Our job regardless of our occupation] is also [to have] that in tuneness—that relationship with the Lord—where you are silent [to] hear and see the ways the Holy Spirit is reaching out to you. And sometimes your job and your calling—your purpose—is to be present and hear him, and then be obedient in whatever he’s asking you to do. And that can be your ministry!
[Your ministry] could be reaching out to a friend that you feel like you don’t know what’s going on with them. You [may] feel this nudge, or the Holy Spirit says, Reach out to that person. Check in on them, and you’re like, Okay. And you’re just obedient. That is a ministry. Because when you reach out to that person, they say, “That’s crazy that you called me today, because I’m really struggling with XYZ.” And you being there and just listening and loving on them and praying with them or over them, that is a ministry. And I think that that’s where people don’t understand that it could be [something that could] to us seem so insignificant. But into the big scheme of things, the Lord says, no, just be attentive and allow me to use you as that vessel. And every time we’re obedient in whatever we’re called to do, that is our ministry in any kind of job, in any kind of atmosphere, [that’s our] ministry. And people don’t think about that; they’re looking for the burning bush.
Eden: Right. Yes, I love that. And it reminds me of several Bible passages. One is where Jesus says, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12). But then later on he says, “You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). And my friend Jody, from church—she’s an older woman—and we meet regularly. And as I was struggling with a decision, something she reminded me of was that Christ lives in you. The Bible says that the mystery that’s been revealed to us is Christ in you, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:26–27). And so, this wonderful reality that’s come to us through Jesus is that he actually comes and lives inside everyone that puts their faith in him by the Holy Spirit (John 14:16–17). And so, wherever we go, we bring Jesus with us, because he’s promised to live in us.
And I think, as you were talking about how the Lord could speak to you through the words of a friend or as you’re driving in your car just thinking, I think of the promise that says that we have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). And so, as Christ lives in us, he says, I’ve shared with you my Spirit. I’ve given you my mind. And so, when we live, we’re not on our own. If we’ve put our faith in him, he’s promised that we have this really close union with him. And so, I love the analogy that you gave of him being a guest in our home. And he’s told us in the Bible that the home is actually our own bodies—that we are temples of the Lord, and he comes to live in us and with us (1 Corinthians 6:19–20), and so wherever we are, he goes. But the way that you explained that was so beautiful and edifying to me, too, as I listen. So thank you.
I know that you said that faith has been part of your whole life. You’ve been in church for many, many years. When did you first really come to faith in Jesus?
Melissa Whitaker: Oh, yeah. Such a great question. I know for a lot of people there’s a pivotal time. Right? And sometimes I struggle with that, because I’m thinking, okay, I don’t have the same story where some people say: I lived this different life, and the Lord saved me. And there was this date where I completely changed my life. I gave my life to the Lord! I’ll be honest with you, in my earlier years, I’d be like, “Well, I don’t have a story like that,” you know? But mine’s a little different.
Yes, ever since I was born, I was going to church. But there’s many people that went to church growing up in their life, and they still didn’t believe. They didn’t have a relationship with the Lord. They still found themselves making different decisions and going in different directions. So, I look at that and say since I was little, I’ve always just had this burning faith and desire to know the Lord—to be close to the Lord. Now, does that mean everything was perfect? No way. I would say that through my life, my relationship with the Lord, like relationships with people, you navigate it—ups and downs and whatnot. So my whole life, for the most part, I lived my faith out, I stayed close to the Lord, and I just felt like it was a choice.
I chose to get baptized at the age of six, which is very young. Some people baptize babies, but for the churches that I’ve always belonged to, it’s a decision. It’s a choice to give your life to the Lord, to proclaim it in public, in front of other people, and be baptized by choice like the Bible talks about. And so, I remember doing that very young, like at six. I remember going back to my parents and saying, “Wasn’t I really young, like nine?” And my mom was like, “You were six.” I’m like, “Wait, what?” But it was just something inside of me that I do feel like the Lord created me in a way to have this fire for him, because of how I was made—on purpose for a purpose—that was part of who I was and will always be.
Now, there are times in my life where I didn’t make great choices. I mean, I feel like for the most part, I always went to church, and I always felt like my relationship was there. I did go through a time in my 20s where I was single, and I was going out to some clubs with friends, and I had fun. I didn’t do anything crazy. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t fall into addiction or any of these stories that some people have. But I did have fun, and I look back and say, okay, maybe sometimes the fun was a little bit too much. Maybe I drank a little bit too much, if I chose to have social drinks, and maybe I took it too far. And the Lord says, Your body is your temple, Melissa. I talk in the Bible about not getting drunk and not drinking too much (Ephesians 5:18). And I look back at times where maybe I took it too far.
I never went through a period of my life where I didn’t have a relationship with the Lord. But sometimes the Lord says, Hey, I gave you free will, and with that free will, sometimes you don’t make the best choices, especially when you’re in your 20s or whatever it may be. Yeah, but the Lord always brings us close back to him. And we look at that. We ask for forgiveness. In some cases, we repent. And then there’s other times in our life where we’re just living our life for him solely and completely and beautifully and wonderfully the way that he desired us to be. So that’s my answer in that. There wasn’t a pivotal date. But I would say my whole life I can see the road the Lord has taken me through and how he he’s walked next to me and many times carried me through my life. Yes. He was never not there.
Eden: Yeah. That reminds me of—in the New Testament—how Paul, the apostle Paul, he is totally against Jesus, and he’s on a road and there’s literally a flash of light, and he changes directions, because Jesus saves him.
Melissa Whitaker: Right.
Eden: But then the guy that Paul mentors—Timothy—Timothy knew the Bible or knew the Scriptures, and he was taught it by his grandma since he was a little tiny boy (2 Timothy 1:5). And so, we have both conversion stories, even in our Bibles. And the point is that both people are still saved by Jesus and still belong to him.
Melissa Whitaker: That’s right! That’s right. Praise God on that.
Eden: Both are still miracle stories of God’s work in someone’s life. So, thank you for sharing.
Melissa Whitaker: Yeah. And I will say this. I’ll add this too for the listeners. Sometimes when people do ask me, “Well, what happens when you don’t hear from God? Like it’s too silent or it’s too quiet?” And I just remind people, “Just remember that when the student is taking the test, the teacher is silent.” And so sometimes if people feel that they’re distant from the Lord, just remember that you might just be going through a test. The Lord hasn’t left you. He will never forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). But you may be going through a tough test. And just remember that saying that when the student is taking a test, the teacher is silent.
Eden: Wow. That is so powerful. That makes me think of, I think it’s Isaiah, there’s a prophecy that says, and you will hear the voice of your teacher behind you saying, this is the way. Walk in it (Isaiah 30:20–21).
At the end of our podcast, we like to ask for a couple of books that we could put on our bookshelf. So are there any books or resources that you have found that were really transformational in your walk with Jesus?
Melissa Whitaker: Oh my goodness. Okay, there’s so many. Narrow it down, Melissa. I love [certain] authors. And I think [every book] I have loved from these certain Christian authors, especially for me in the business world and faith-based business leaders, has been such a blessing to me. [So] I recommend their books to everyone I talk to. And they’re probably people that you love and adore. I have always followed John Maxwell’s books on leadership and influence and how he weaves his faith in everything that he does. I recommend [him] in general, and that’s not specific, but in general; he has so many books. I think I have almost all of them, except for maybe his newest one—I think he just came out with something.
And also Patrick Lencioni—I don’t know if you’ve heard of him—but Patrick Lencioni is also one of my favorite authors and speakers. And he writes his books in the form of a fable. So it’s like storytelling. He’s teaching you the lessons through the story, and the story is real. The story is [that] he owns a consulting company as well; outside of also being a best-selling author and a speaker and having strong faith, he has a consulting agency. And so he talks about these business practices. [He tells the story] of a real life client he has with changing of the names for confidentiality, and he gives the [circumstance] in the form of a story. And at the end, he then summarizes the points he wanted you to learn, and he weaves faith and the Lord and Scripture in all that he does. And so a lot of his books are really, really amazing too, from a business perspective and a faith perspective.
Eden: Awesome. Thank you for sharing your heart and your life and some of what the Lord has taught you with us. And we’re just thrilled to have gotten to talk to you today. So thank.
Melissa Whitaker: Thank you for having me on.
Eden: Thank you so much for listening to our podcast today. If you enjoyed our conversation, I would encourage you to like or subscribe to our podcast so that you can hear the next conversation. And if something that you heard today spoke to your heart or got you thinking, I would encourage you to not let the day go by without talking to God about what’s on your mind. We believe that he loves you and that he’s pursuing you today out of that love.