In this episode of 12-Minute Convos with Jesus Believers, Engel Jones connects with author, speaker, and podcaster Andrea Fortenberry, joining the show from Phoenix, Arizona. Andrea shares a deeply raw and essential conversation about a quiet struggle nearly every mother faces: the exhausting trap of perfectionism. Having dreamed of being a mother her entire life, Andrea was blessed with two children.
However, she soon found herself overwhelmed by unexpected parenting frustrations and anger. Realizing she did not want her children to remember her as a frustrated, yelling mother, she made a defining decision to see a Christian counselor. While she initially hoped for a quick "10 easy steps" fix, she instead embarked on a lifelong, beautiful journey of heart-work, healing, and deep self-reflection. Now, with her daughter at 18 and her son at 15, Andrea actively models healthy self-care for her family.
She shares how she still checks in with her counselor once a month, stays active in a book club, exercises regularly, and hosts her popular podcast, The Perfectionist's Guide to Mothering. By prioritizing her own spiritual, mental, and physical health, she has successfully traded the "mommy martyr" mindset to become a better wife, mother, and overall version of herself.
If you are a mother struggling with the pressure to be perfect, feeling empty from constant giving, or looking for permission to take care of yourself without guilt, Andrea’s refreshing wisdom and her message of daily grace will deeply restore your soul!
Guest's Bio
Andrea (AWN-DRAY-UH) Fortenberry is a writer, speaker, and host of The Perfectionist's Guide to Mothering, a podcast that equips moms to find freedom from perfectionism and show up for the life God has for them. She is the author of _Two-Minute Timeouts: 100 Devotions for Weary and Wonderful Days (_Our Daily Bread Publishers).
She is on staff with MomCo as the Leadership Development Manager and cohosts The MomCo Leadership Podcast.
She loves chai lattes, reading books and all things Golden and Gilmore girls.
Links:
- My website: https://andreafortenberry.com
- My podcast: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/andreafortenberry/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andreafortenberry