We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Shiree Best a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Shiree thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea

I never wanted to start a business. My husband has an entrepreneur heart and has started multiple businesses over the years. Not me. I like being in the background. But then God gave me a nudge.

Here’s what happened: I raised seven children. Like any mom, I had hopes and dreams of who and what they would become. But that’s not what happened. My children went different ways, and did way different things than what I had envisioned for them. Part of that included diverging from the religion I had raised them in. One stayed, but six chose to leave. Not all at once, thank goodness, but one at a time. Maybe all at once would have been easier if they would have all left at once, like ripping a band aid off. Regardless of the timing, this created a lot of pain and heartache – for me and my husband, and for them. Family relationships were very rocky at times. I didn’t know what to do. It felt like my family was falling apart. I read books. I got therapy. I took classes. Slowly over time I learned enough to shift my paradigm, and I figured out what my part was in causing the pain, and in helping my family heal. Luckily, my kids met me half-way. It was slow….15 years slow, but we healed. We got to the place where we liked being together, where we felt safe, where we felt bonded. I was so happy. I wanted to close the door on that painful and long chapter of my life and move on. But God had other plans.

One day I received a very clear feeling that I needed to start a podcast to help other people heal from the same type of damaged family relationships that I had. “What??! I don’t even really listen to podcasts!” I thought. “I have no idea how to do a podcast!” But the feeling was unmistakable. I came to realize that there is a big need for people going through similar experiences as me to have a place to learn, to have a place to relate and be validated, and to be given direction and ways to heal.

The year before this prompting came I had been prompted to take Life Coach training. I didn’t know why, but I did it anyway. Now it was all becoming clear. Almost immediately after deciding that I was going to do it…I was actually going to start a podcast, several people came into my space who either had a podcast, or were researching how to start one, and they helped me.

In the space of 2 1/2 months I figured out how to run a podcast, came up with a name, and launched my first episode.

The weekly “Just Love Them” podcast is now in it’s third season, with guests featured twice a month, and my own sharing, training and stories the other two episodes. It has been a very great privilege to be a resource to people coming behind me on the journey, and extremely rewarding.

I have had the opportunity to interview many wonderful people, including professionals and others like me, as well as those who have left their religion and want to share their experience. I have had the privilege of interviewing some well-knowns, like Ninja Warrior Addie Herman, former general YW presidency member for The Church of Jesus Christ – Michelle Craig, and singer-songwriter-performers Michael McLean and Jeff McLean. I have found that I love helping people work through their relationships and find a way to heal.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

In addition to hosting the Just Love Them podcast, I am a speaker, certified life coach, and facilitator of a support community for parents navigating faith and relationship challenges within their families. My work centers around healing relationships regardless of differences.

My journey into this work was not just academic—it was deeply personal. When my own children made choices that challenged my beliefs and expectations, I experienced the grief, fear, anger, and confusion that so many parents quietly carry. I searched for answers, for peace, and for a way to stay connected without compromising my values or losing myself in the process. What I discovered transformed not only my relationships, but me.

That transformation became my mission.

Over the past several years, I have given more than 140 presentations on relationships, communication, personal growth, and navigating differences with love. Through one-on-one coaching, group programs, and my podcast, I help people move from panic and powerlessness to peace and confident connection. I create safe spaces where people can tell the truth about how hard this is—without shame—and then learn practical tools to respond differently.

The problems I help solve are deeply human ones:

How do I stay close to someone who believes differently than I do?

How do I stop reacting out of fear?

How do I love without losing myself?

How do I repair a relationship that feels strained or broken?

What sets my work apart is that I don’t teach from theory alone. I teach from lived experience, emotional honesty, and years of real conversations with families on both sides of faith transitions. I don’t villainize anyone. I don’t minimize the pain. And I don’t offer quick fixes. Instead, I teach mindset shifts, emotional regulation, healthy communication skills, and a perspective that allows love to feel possible again.

I am most proud of the many messages I’ve received from listeners and clients who tell me, “I feel hope again,” or “My child is talking to me again,” or “I’m finally sleeping at night.” The reconciliations, the repaired conversations, the softened hearts—those are the real accomplishments.

If there’s one thing I want potential clients and listeners to know, it’s this: You are not failing because this is hard. Loving someone through differences is some of the most advanced emotional work we will ever do. And it is possible to feel peace—even if nothing about your loved one changes.

My brand is built on compassion, courage, and responsibility. We cannot control others. But we can learn to lead with love in a way that transforms relationships from the inside out.

And that changes everything.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

My “Just Love Them” podcast is built on my own and others personal experience, and the desire to help others learn from what we have discovered along the way.

When my husband and I started our family I had the mistaken notion that I could take my little babies and nurture and mold them to be what I wanted them to be. Wrong! Turns out my little gems came with big personalities and ideas of their own. They looked helpless and moldable lying there, but inside those little helpless bodies were distinct personalities that developed over time.

As those little gems grew into children and then turned into teenagers, the struggle became real. They tried to be and do what they wanted, while I tried to help them become what I wanted. What I had to unlearn was control. That was a fallacy. In reality, it was good to nurture, teach and instill values – yes, but to allow room for each person to become who they are, to honor their desires and beliefs, and to ultimately make room to love them regardless of the path chosen.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Starting a podcast was not easy for me. To begin with, I had almost never listened to a podcast, so I was unfamiliar with the format, platforms, etc. But I absolutely knew it was what I was supposed to do. With the help of some amazing people, from the time the idea landed forcefully upon me to the time I released the first episode was 2 1/2 months. It was a whirlwind. I was outside my comfort zone, and I was definitely not tech savvy. The learning curve was steep! But I hung in there. I got frustrated. I cried. I wanted to give up at times, but I hung in there and kept going. And to my surprise and joy, people listened and continue to listen! Today, we are in our 3rd season, the Just Love Them podcast is ranked in the top 5% globally in its category, and among the top 50 religious podcasts in the U.S.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://shireebest.com
• Instagram: livinginjoy1
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/toliveinjoy/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@shireebestjustlovethem/podcasts
• Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1U9FJny0zvxEcX8pijB8Vh