The RISE Leadership Podcast

You're praying for clarity. You're waiting for God to tell you what to do. But what if that's not actually what He's after? 
Dr. Jeremy Dixon and Izzy Hoffarth sit down with Dr. Nick Floyd — Senior Pastor of Cross Church and author of When You Don't Know What to Do — for an honest conversation about the seasons where you feel stuck and God seems silent. 
Nick opens up about why desperation can be the healthiest place you've ever been, the difference between health and perfection, and why the measure of spiritual maturity might not be what you think. 
The answer might not be what you're looking for. But what you find might be better. 
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You're not trying to build a platform. You're trying to steward one. In this episode, Dr. Jeremy Dixon and Phil McMichael sit down with Hollywood producer and media consultant Phil Cooke and executive producer Dan Wathen — two men who've spent decades helping the world's largest churches and ministries communicate the gospel more effectively. In this conversation, they get honest about what a media-driven world actually demands from the church, why your story is your most powerful tool, where AI fits and where it doesn't, and why the goal was never performance — it was always stewardship. Whether you lead a media team, run your church's Instagram, or just have a phone with social media on it — this one's for you. 
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The next generation doesn't need a better show, they need a real home. In this episode, Dr. Jeremy Dixon is joined by co-hosts Ben Stoken and Mark Hutchinson to sit down with Noah Herrin, lead pastor of Way Church in Nashville and author of “Holy Habits” and “Welcome to Manhood.” Noah planted Way Church in September 2023, and in under two years has seen over 1,500 people give their life to Jesus, including 53 salvations on launch day alone. In this conversation, Noah gets honest about what the local church is getting wrong with young adults, why community has to come before mission, what Gen Z actually wants from Scripture, and how older leaders can become the champions that young leaders desperately need. This one's practical, honest, and powerful.
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What does it actually cost to say yes to God's call? In this episode, Dr. Jeremy Dixon and Izzy Hoffarth sit down with Cross Church Missions Pastor Julio Arriola — a man whose story spans Mexico, Argentina, Nashville, Texas, and Northwest Arkansas. Julio planted a church in Guadalajara that grew to become the largest Baptist church in a city of 1.5 million people, and has since coached and deployed church planters across the country. In this conversation, Julio gets real about the hardest decision of his life, the moment his son's tears confirmed their calling, the biggest mistake church planters make, and why prayer and fasting changed everything. Whether you're called to plant or called to stay — this episode is for you.
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Shelley Simpson is the President & CEO of J.B. Hunt Transport Services — one of the largest logistics companies in North America, with over 33,000 employees. She started as an hourly customer service rep. She climbed every rung. And she did it without letting go of her faith, her family, or her character. 
In this conversation recorded at Cross Church’s Summit Business Luncheon, Senior Pastor Nick Floyd goes deep with Shelley on what it actually looks like to lead at the highest level — while navigating a freight recession, a personal health crisis, and the pressure of Wall Street all at the same time. 
This isn’t just a leadership conversation. It’s a witness. You’ll hear how Shelley keeps her non-negotiables locked in, why she wrote a personal mission statement the day her dad landed in the ICU, and what she means when she says: “Let’s go, God.” 
For every leader carrying more than they let on — this one’s for you. 
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