May is basically summer's December — and yet I decided to start 75 Hard right in the thick of it. In this episode, I'm getting real about why I'm voluntarily choosing hard things during an already hard season, and what God's been teaching me about mental toughness, perseverance, and preparation. You'll hear about our Maycember chaos (four kids, baseball tournaments, a husband working nights, and a booming wine e-commerce season), what 75 Hard actually is and why I jumped in with zero prep, and a story from a baseball tournament that wrecked me in the best way and reminded me what it looks like to show up with integrity even when you lose. Because if you don't choose hard, hard will still find you. And I want to be ready. Key topics covered: What is 75 Hard and why now? How mental toughness connects to faith and scripture The baseball moment that made me cry on the sidelines Why making my kid go to school when he didn't want to could be the biggest W of my Friday Anchoring into purpose when the hard is unplanned Work hard, mom harder, and keep striking the ground until God tells you to stop

I'm kicking off today's episode with Psalms 119:100 — "I have more understanding than my elders, for I obey your precepts" — and unpacking why the flex isn't age or experience, it's alignment with divine instruction. With a little help from ChatGPT (and the Holy Spirit), I dig into the Hebrew roots of the word precepts and explore what it truly means to close the gap between knowing better and actually doing better. I'm getting personal about my 20-year quiet season with God, the audacious prayer I prayed on my birthday, and the small but bold act of inviting fellow baseball parents to pray over our kids before a tournament — and what happened when I did. I'm also sharing a new commitment: tracking answered prayers, observed miracles, and moments of alignment as a living record of God moving in everyday life. And I'm launching a new recurring segment where I share these moments — and I want to hear yours too. In this episode: Psalms 119:100 and the Hebrew meaning of precepts Closing the gap between inspiration and action 20 years of keeping faith private — and why that's changing Praying over the baseball team (and inviting others to join) A birthday prayer for the year: growing closer to God than ever before How to track and notice God moving in your life Work hard, mom harder, love hardest — and shine God's love out into the world.

After a long break, I'm back behind the mic... but this episode isn't business as usual. In this riff sesh, I share what's been happening behind the scenes: returning to church after 20 years, feeling called to make changes in my life and business, and learning what it actually means to surrender instead of control. From a mysteriously canceled dentist appointment to skipping a major industry conference, this episode is about choosing to listen (even when it doesn't make sense). This podcast is evolving. And yeesh! So am I. If you're navigating your own shift, questioning old patterns, or just curious about what this looks like in real time… you're in the right place.

The diaper fairy has come to the Walter household and absconded with all of our youngest's daytime diapers. The past few weeks have been dedicated to cleaning up messes and making slow progress towards potty independence. Naturally, the business analogy wheels are still turning and today's episode showcases the surprising parallels between potty training a toddler and building a successful business.  If nothing else, we hope this episode helps you feel seen! 

This week, I created a new position in my company and hired a candidate for the role. They're on a 90 day probation, and if they don't perform, I'll have to fire myself.   The position is the Chief Hype Officer at Email Mavens. The candidate is me.   Learn how I'm basically creating an alter ego in order to become a better leader not only for the people on my team but for myself, as well. I'm calendaring time and literally making it a job to integrate my wins, a concept learned from Brendon Burchard. 

This week's episode is the audio portion of the Email Mavens YouTube episode celebrating the sixth anniversary of starting my own business. Listen to the end for best and perhaps most surprising lesson. 

This episode is a pep talk, a series of journaling prompts, and a rallying cry for love. We won't give it away in the description, we'll let you listen and get into it.

Palm trees = Money Apparently because I got palm trees for my birthday, our five year old thinks we are wealthy. It has me thinking what kind of money thought seeds I'm planting in my kids' heads and what money thoughts I want to believe. Enjoy the hilarity and then, take some time to consider your own money thoughts. 

A quick update post on how my boundary-enforcement is going: Discoveries from enforcing my own rules about time spent in my business How I'm spending all this extra time What you can do to turn any of this inspiration into action  It's a quick one so you can take that extra time and do a little reflection yourself as you pursue your own impossible goals! 

It has been far too long since you got an Erica Riff's episode, so here's the first of Season 2 and the first of 2024. These are uncut, unedited, no holds barred and no outline created. They're usually inspired by something that has me fired up, so you get a ton of motivation and the occasional f-bomb. This one is all about the importance of the words we use to talk to others AND to ourselves. Words matter. Choose powerful ones!