Denise J. Hughes is a teacher at heart. She loves to connect with women through inspiring stories and biblically-based messages. With an M.A. in English, Denise has taught college composition and literature, and she’s the author of several books. You can find her most current writing on Substack.

She spends her days investing in her local community, serving women through a community Bible study. From her quiet nest in North Carolina, Denise enjoys long walks with her husband, where they savor the changing colors of the trees.

It was a mandatory highschool public speaking class that convinced Michele Cushatt to find a career that didn’t involve delivering presentations. She never wanted to do that again, if she could help it. With a heart for hurting people and a deep faith, she pursued a career in service rather than speaking, and graduated Cum Laude from Eastern Kentucky University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing.

But life seldom goes according to plan. In the years that followed, Michele experienced several unexpected personal losses that led her to leave hospital rooms for board rooms. A young, rising talent on a national telecom sales team, she discovered a new love for business strategy, growth, and team culture and development. Eventually, this business-savvy would lead her to start several businesses of her own, including a thriving executive and presentation coaching business that continues to this day.

And, much to Michele’s surprise, these experiences—both the gains and the losses—led her back to the world of public speaking.

For more than 15 years, Michele Cushatt has inspired and challenged both corporate and faith-based audiences with her story of trauma, faith, and resilience. She has spoken internationally to a wide variety of audiences including Ramsey Solutions, Women of Faith, Compassion International, Michael Hyatt & Co (now Full Focus), Cru, LifeToday TV, Belay, Colorado Christian University, Family Life, John O’Leary Inspires, Dynamic Communicators International, as well as numerous other business, church, and ministry events. In addition, she has appeared on hundreds of podcasts, radio, video, and audio recording mediums. With this wealth of experience, Michele coaches hundreds of speakers on how to design and deliver powerful and memorable presentations (oh, the irony).

From 2014 to 2016, Michele partnered with Michael Hyatt as the weekly co-host of his popular podcast, This is Your Life With Michael Hyatt. In addition, she and Michael produced Get Published, a 21-session audio program for aspiring writers. Then, from 2017 to 2020, Michele co-hosted the hilarious and practical Communicator Academy podcast with her good friend Kathi Lipp, “helping writers and speakers become the communicators God made them to be.” And from 2019 to 2022, Michele worked as a consultant and then executive at Full Focus, a performance coaching, achievement and productivity company known for their Full Focus Planners.

Pulling from her uncommon story, Michele has authored four books with Zondervan Publishing (a division of HarperCollins Christian) including Undone, I Am, and Relentless. Her fourth book, A Faith That Will Not Fail, is due to release March 2023.

Michele lives with her family, including her six children, on eight acres outside of Denver, Colorado. She enjoys historical fiction, a long hike in the Rocky Mountains with her black lab, and a kitchen table filled with people.

(in)courage welcomes you to a place where authentic, brave women connect deeply with God and others. Founded in 2009 by DaySpring, the Christian products subsidiary of Hallmark Cards, Inc., (in)courage is a vibrant community that reaches thousands of women every day. Through the power of shared stories and meaningful resources, (in)courage champions women and celebrates the strength Jesus gives to live out our calling as God’s daughters. In the middle of your unfine moments and ordinary days, you are invited to become a woman of courage.

The Christian Standard Bible presents the truth of God’s Word with accuracy and clarity for today’s readers, equipping them for lifelong discipleship. It’s a Bible you can teach from with confidence and a Bible you can share with your neighbor hearing God’s Word for the very first time.

The CSB translation is an optimal blend of accuracy and readability translated straight from the Biblical languages. Developed by 100 scholars from 17 denominations, the Christian Standard Bible faithfully and accurately captures the Bible’s original meaning without compromising readability.