Meet Melanie Karssenberg | Speaker, Writer, Podcaster

We had the good fortune of connecting with Melanie Karssenberg and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Melanie, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
About two years ago, I felt God give me a personal challenge: to start a podcast where I would interview 90 women in 90 weeks. The vision was to create a space for these 90 women to share their stories about experiencing God’s faithfulness in the midst of disappointment. You see, we all go through challenging seasons and disappointing circumstances. It’s part of our human experience, and I have yet to meet someone who has never walked through this kind of pain. But what happens when we go through the tough times in life is that we can begin to question where God is in the middle of it all. It’s only natural to find ourselves wondering if He’s still good and if He’s still trustworthy. So this personal challenge that God gave me was to find 90 women in my circle who would be willing to share how God walked with them through disappointment. I just recorded episode 81 this week, so I’m almost at my goal! yay! (lol) It has been more challenging than I anticipated, as every good endeavor usually is, but the feedback I have gotten along the way has been so encouraging and has helped me to keep going. These personal stories from 90 of my friends have really impacted the world around me, reminding other women that they are not alone, that God will be faithful to meet them in their suffering too, and that there is always hope in Jesus.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’ve never been intimidated by a crowd, and I have always felt at home with a microphone in my hand, so as the years went by I discovered that I absolutely love preaching and teaching and public speaking. Whether it’s teaching classes at my local church, or speaking to hundreds at womens conferences, my greatest passion is to let people know about the hope that is found in Jesus Christ. I also do this through my Instagram page, @MelanieKarssenberg. I share our marriage story – how I went from utterly hopeless as a young bride to full of hope for every broken marriage, letting people know that we have been through hell yet we have come out on the other side, only by the grace of God. I also share about our fertility struggles, how after years of infertility and miscarriages, we were finally able to have not one but three beautiful children. Jesus walked me through my darkest days; He healed my shattered heart and made me whole again, and I honestly cannot help but share about who He is and what He has done for me.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
When I say I love Texas, I mean I LOVE TEXAS! There is no where else I’d rather live, raise my children, and enjoy building a community. We highly value the friends God has placed around us, and my favorite activity is to go out to eat together and let someone else do the cooking for our crew! (can I get an amen from all the other mother’s out there?!) One place our family goes regularly is Chip’s on the Boardwalk at Granite Park in Plano. It’s so family friendly and has such a fun outdoor space. Not too far from Chip’s in the Shops at Legacy is a fudge and ice-cream shop called Kilwins. Everything there is absolutely divine, and we love to get our treats then walk across the street to the small lake and enjoy the view.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
When I think about the people who have helped me, supported me and cheered me on the most, the two that are top of the list are my husband and my mom. My husband is my champion through and through; he believes in me and practically supports me more than I ever thought a husband could. And not only has my mom prayed for me for my entire life, but now that I’m a mom, she helps me out all the time with my three small children. There’s no way I would be where I am without these two amazing individuals! I’m so grateful for you both!

Website: www.MelanieKarssenberg.com

Instagram: @MelanieKarssenberg

Image Credits
My beautiful friend, Anna Christian (@Call.it.Christian), took these gorgeous pictures of our family.