In Episode 20, we sit down with Laura Lentz. This episode is a sequel to another conversation that we just aired recently with Laura’s husband, Carl. Together, they were part of the leadership team at Hillsong from 2010 to 2020, a faith-based community in New York City. Due to its success, Hillsong became a fixture in the mainstream media, and nearly 10,000 people were attending their Sunday gatherings on WEEKLY basis, which is unprecedented in a city like New York. But in the fall of 2020, everything came crashing down as it was revealed that Laura’s husband, Carl had been unfaithful. The affairs were a surprise to Laura, and as a public figure, she had to endure the humiliation of all of this unfolding in the public eye. Four years later, Laura has been through hell and back, and lives to tell about her experience. This is the FIRST solo interview Laura has done since the affair happened, and is a sequel to our conversation last week with Carl. In this episode, we unpack the topic of infidelity, and all the complexity that comes along with it. We leave no stone unturned, discussing the trauma that comes about when you have been betrayed, navigating the decision to leave or go, and all the little moments that often lead up to an affair taking place. As a media company that talks about the mind, body and spirit frequently, sex is a big topic for us. It’s estimated that cheating occurs in roughly 50% of relationships, and we found Laura’s insights on the topic to be eye-opening. Maybe you are currently immersed in a situation that involves cheating and you’re trying to navigate all the emotions while trying to decide what to do next. Or maybe you are looking to educate yourself more about the topic, or simply avoid a situation like this happening to you in the future. On those fronts, we believe this conversation will make a big difference in your life, and contribute to healing and growth in your relationships. Click the link in our bio to watch (or listen ) on Youtube, Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
I’m SOOOOOO ready for Christmas!!!
To live a life ruled and dictated by the condition of your circumstances is a roller coaster nobody should ever ride. Yet we buy tickets on it daily! What if it was possible to find contentment and joy that isn’t based on what is happening TO YOU but rather according to what’s happening IN YOU? It’s a goal worth considering. If you accept YOU, it lessens the power others might have on your life and decisions… hope you have enjoyed this episode! Watch now on YouTube & BSide app Listen on all platforms !
Episode out! If one of your goals is to treat others well, with true kindness and grace, it has to start with you towards you! Really grateful for @cthagod willingness to be real about his journey of growth and healing and I hope this conversation is encouraging to you! Charlamagne and I got real about finding freedom, battling anxiety, and what it means to keep pushing forward. These conversations are what it’s all about—getting beneath the surface and talking about what really matters. Appreciate you, bro. Tune in now! Out on @bside_app NOW audio, & YouTube at 12pm CT.
@fatjoe is an NYC icon and has been a culture shifting force in hip hop for a long time. He was gracious and honest about his story, his life and his lessons learned along the way and his journey is fascinating. We can sometimes forget that everybody has a story that has played into who they are and who they are becoming, that we may not know a lot about. That reality should make us quick to give grace and slow to give judgment.. Joe, it was a real blessing spending time with you and I appreciate you! new episode of “LIGHTS ON” available on all platforms.. Check out Joe’s new album THE WORLD CHANGED ON ME – out now!
More peace! 🕊️ We all want it. The question is will we do what we need to do, to get it. We talk about that in this episode and share some of our own lessons. Including building boundaries so some areas of our lives are not infected by the voices, news and commentary about others! Typically our habits are the biggest enemies to our peace and that is important news because it means you can change them, immediately. If you have effective peace building ideas that work for you, share them in the comments, could be the thing somebody needs to hear! Lights on new episode available everywhere…🔦
@chandlerdmoore has a special place in my heart. As a friend, as a brother, as a songwriter.. we had a conversation about pain, purpose, passion and peace while you may not understand all thats going on.. we also ate Popeyes chicken and biscuits mid podcast and that could become a regular thing! We talked about how he writes songs, what it’s like to win 5 Grammies, his process as a creator, how to keep a love for God in the middle of a culture that does not subscribe to that.. and of course I asked him to sing! His song “refiner” landed at the hardest time in my life. I could not foresee a future for myself, that made sense. My choices put me in a position where there was no way out. I had asked God to either rescue me somehow, or I was going to take matters into my own hands. Anybody who has walked through a valley so dark that you contemplate that option, you understand how hopeless it all feels. For whatever reason, that song connected with me and I had it on repeat and ended up saying so be it, God! Refine me, help me. Well, refine me He did. Not the way I would have chosen! Yet, it was the way it needed to happen… To think that Chandler somewhere at some point had the courage to write a song not knowing who or where it might help somebody, is fascinating to me. And thats why we need people to continue to dream, and write and create and step out of comfort zones because you simply do not know what God can do with what you have to offer.. its so much bigger than you! Or the fear that his holding you back from creating and trying something “risky..” I pray this episode inspires people to dream bigger, work passionately and impact the world with what God gave you… Episode available on all platforms!
When someone has cheated on you, the decision to stay or go is one of the biggest decisions you will make in your life. It certainly was for Laura Lentz. You are placing hope that the future will not be a repetition of the past. And in some cases, couples can heal from the experience together. But it must start from a place of honesty, and disclosing the details of your affair — or affairs — is one of the foundational building blocks. This will be incredibly painful for everyone involved, and it will lead to many tears. But on the other side, you will rest knowing that all your questions are answered, and the person that you are staying with is actually who you think they are, not the image that they were presenting previously. Click the link in our bio for the full episode with Laura, now available on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Repentance and remorse are not the same thing. Feeling remorseful about things done wrong is exactly that. Its a feeling. A real and powerful one at times, but that on its own does not fuel transformation. Repentance is a mindset that puts you in a position to not just be “sorry” but prove it by changing in such a way you dont continue doing what you were doing. When that happens, it clears up a lot of space for new life, new peace, new habits and new love in your life. Being honest can be difficult, sure. But so is living with and building on things that are not true.. at some point something has to give! This episode covers this and so much more, hope its a blessing to you! Subscribe to @bside_app & listen everywhere now
“Stay at home mom?” The question “what do you do” typically leads us to point to a label or definition that we have been given or is common in our society. That leads to us immediately talking about what we do, which is often does not describe who we truly are! It’s helpful to take a look at what labels you have been given and possibly have accepted that are limiting even how you see yourself. What matters most, is what you say about you! This episode with @amandakloots was practically helpful in so many ways, grateful for her wisdom and passion for life! Special thanks to all the moms out there that do more in one day than most humans can handle in a week.. you are appreciated!
Best Christmas ever!!!
Respect over resentment: When you realize what you bring to the picture and what your spouse brings to the picture can be and should be two very different things, it strengthens the whole dynamic. Laura is good at things I am not and I have my own strengths as well. There can be resentment temptation if we look at this incorrectly and our goal remains to see our differences as the very thing that makes us who we are..we have even learned to love those differences and LIFE gets better when you start to get intentional about respecting other people for who they are. This episode has a lot of practical takeaways in a few areas, I have loved hearing the feedback of whats been helpful so thank you for sharing! #LIGHTSon @bside_app
@amandakloots has helped a lot of people walk through hard things and come out thriving… I’m grateful she shared about her journey so freely and I know you will enjoy this! From how to handle grief, to starting multiple business’s, being a widower and choosing to be open to love again, it’s a powerful story that we can all learn from… episode out today! #lightson #bside
GRATITUDE.. I havnt found words yet to articulate how much gratitude has changed and is changing my journey. I can say it’s what I lean into first every day and it frames all I do. Starting daily with the simple acknowledgment that I’m grateful God saved me and loves me is perhaps the healthiest mental health tool I own! When it comes to building our families, so so much is out of our control. Dinner time though, is a small moment that both Brant and I have tried to use as a gratitude focus and producer and over the years it’s really shaped our families! For all the other busy parents out there, I love the idea of “reclaiming dinner.” What takes 5 min, asking people what they are grateful for, can impact your family culture in such a powerful way.. if you have ideas on how you have practically and successfully used gratitude in your life, share them in the comments, might be what somebody else needs to spark this in their own life! Thanks for leaning into this episode with Brant, I’m grateful for you engaging with Lights on! I don’t take it for granted.. @bside_app
Im convinced that God has put something unique and powerful into all of us, to bring to our world. @cthagod spoke about the shift he made in his life, which was to use what he had/has for the ultimate purpose of helping other people heal and the impact has been incredible. I wonder what your world might look like, if you committed to that shift as well or perhaps even took some inventory to see if a fresh, new commitment towards that goal is in order…Its worth thinking about today because you matter and your story matters! Thank you for engaging with this episode, #lightson
Im convinced that God has put something unique and powerful into all of us, to bring to our world. @cthagod spoke about the shift he made in his life, which was to use what he had/has for the ultimate purpose of helping other people heal and the impact has been incredible. I wonder what your world might look like, if you committed to that shift as well or perhaps even took some inventory to see if a fresh, new commitment towards that goal is in order…Its worth thinking about today because you matter and your story matters! Thank you for engaging with this episode, #lightson
When it comes to the infidelity conversation, a good rule of thumb for evaluating if you might have a problem is if you can’t share something with your spouse. This doesn’t explicitly have to relate to physical sex with another person, but also pushing boundaries emotionally with another person, or perhaps even a secret porn habit. The longer the secrets go on, the more disharmony you are actively sowing into your relationship. Quite literally, you are crafting a secret life that the person closest to you has no idea about. Not to mention that when things are in secret, the more likely we are to keep compromising and pushing boundaries we never thought we would. The thing is, all secrets are eventually exposed at some point in time. You can take an active role in disclosing the secrets, and in the process, mitigate the damage through honesty and vulnerability. The alternative is to let them come out *without* your choosing, and the amount of shock and devastation will be that much greater. Click the link in our bio for the full podcast episode with Laura Lentz, as we break down her journey through infidelity and navigating the decision to stay or go. now available on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
LESS is more.. I’m fully convinced of that and this conversation was powerful.. Joshua Fields Millburn made a huge impact on culture when he released the Netflix documentary “the minimalists” years ago. Over a decade later, that mindset is still transforming how people view life, what matters and how we relate to possessions and people. If you have ever experienced that feeling of “clutter” in your mind and in your life, lack of fulfillment when you get what you thought you wanted and sense there might be a better way? This whole episode is for you…. Out now on all audio platforms! Watch now on B-Side app 📲 Live on YouTube at 12PM CT
It’s not the fall that defines a person, but how they rise In one of our recent episodes, Carl and Laura Lentz open up about the healing, restoration, and resilience it took to rebuild their lives after facing one of their most challenging seasons. Their story is a powerful reminder that redemption is possible when we choose to do the hard work. #family #men #menfashion #menphysique #menswear #husband #dad #dadlife #marriage #relationships
I think we have all experienced that feeling of being generally unhappy with ourselves at times… If we don’t reckon with that, it leads to a life of noise and clutter and avoidant behavior that does nothing but make this internal problem worse.. At some point, YOU have to deal with YOU! I appreciated Joshua’s honest perspective on this topic and I hope it helps you continue in a direction that leads to peace for your soul.. send this to somebody you know that is on that journey! 📺Watch on B-Side & YouTube! 🎧Listen now on All Audio platforms
It’s was his birthday this week… snow makes him so happy! 😍
“Nothing is the Same”… link in my bio… you can find me on @substack (@laurajlentz)
New episode out next week! Took this week off to plan, film and create for the next chapter of this podcast.. thank you for leaning in to LIGHTS ON! It’s been incredible to hear some of your stories and experiences, wins and lessons and I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue to share ours… Have some really special podcasts coming up I’m excited about. See you next Wednesday!
It’s encouraging to see people in all spaces, begin to embrace a different type of thinking around what it means to be healthy.. from Kendrick and Jayz, to family life and honesty, we cover a lot of ground in this episode, hope it’s a blessing! Get it now @bside_app & on YouTube #lightson #charlamagnethagod
