



Laura Johnson: Choosing Prayer in Uncertain Seasons
Prayer doesn’t always feel powerful. Sometimes it feels quiet, awkward, or like you’re talking into the air. In this conversation, Megan Deal sits down with Laura Johnson to talk honestly about what it looks like to keep praying in the middle of waiting, uncertainty, and unanswered questions. Laura…

Melanie Blair: Finding Her Way Through Child Loss and into Helping Others Heal
Melanie Blair, the Assistant Executive Director of Lost & Found Grief Center, opens up about the loss of her 9-month-old son, Charlie, and the long, complicated journey of learning how to breathe again after your world falls apart. She shares with Megan the guilt she carried, the way grief reshaped…

Dr. Sue Head, Part 2: The Power of Vulnerability in Leadership
Dr. Sue Head is back for part two, and this conversation goes even deeper. Megan and Sue talk honestly about the tension women feel between confidence and insecurity, leadership and family, capacity and calling. Sue shares more of her personal stories, the moments that shaped how she leads today, a…

Whitney Guison & Grace Gooley: The Working Mom Conversation
Being a mom is hard. Being a working mom? That’s a whole different level of juggling. In this episode of The Real Deal Conversations, host Megan Deal sits down with Whitney Guison and new guest Grace Gooley to talk about the real, unfiltered side of balancing careers, kids, and everything in betwee…

Dr. Sue Head, Part 1: Why Being Real Beats Being Perfect
Dr. Sue Head, VP for Cultural Activities & Institutional Advancement and Dean of Character Education at College of the Ozarks, joins The Real Deal Conversations with host Megan Deal for a candid talk on what it really means to lead as a woman. In this first part of their conversation, Sue and Me…

Dr. Kristen Killen & Matt Day: The Truth About Hospice
Talking about hospice isn’t easy, but it’s something we all need to understand. In this powerful episode of The Real Deal Conversations, host Megan Deal sits down with Matt Day, Assistant Director of the Hospice Foundation for Outreach, and Dr. Kristen Killen, family physician and board member for …

Whitney Guison: Handling Disrespect, Hard Calls, and Healthy Boundaries
Leadership isn’t always about titles, sometimes it’s about navigating the messy middle between friendship, authority, and respect. In this episode of The Real Deal Conversations, host Megan Deal and returning guest Whitney Guison tackle what it really looks like to lead well when things get uncomfo…

John Perry: Never Stop Getting Better
Coach John Perry has faced setbacks that would have stopped many people. Everything from quitting college, to getting fired, to walking through his daughter’s health crisis, each challenge shaped him into the coach and leader he is today. In this conversation with Megan Deal on The Real Deal Conver…

Whitney Guison: Tackling Networking, Impostor Syndrome, and Success Guilt
Networking nerves, impostor syndrome, and that awkward thing called success guilt... we’ve all been there. Megan Deal and new monthly co-host Whitney Guison get real (and laugh a lot) about walking into rooms full of strangers, wrestling with self-doubt, and figuring out how to celebrate wins witho…

Lyle & Alesia: Marriage, Recovery, and Real Boundaries
Lyle and Alesia know what it’s like to rebuild life after addiction. In part two of their conversation with Megan Deal on The Real Deal Conversations, they open up about the hard lessons they’ve learned like setting firm boundaries with family, staying consistent in parenting kids who’ve lived thro…