Rooted Life Podcast
Photo by: Chesley McCarty
A few months ago a friend told me about Morgan and Dorian from The Rooted Life. I followed them on Instagram, listened to a few of their podcasts, and straight away I could tell that these girls were the real deal! Morgan and Dorian are powerful, eloquent, beautiful women of God, and trust me y’all they preach the gospel with so much faith and authority. I am consistently inspired and called higher by their teachings.
I’ve been lucky enough to partner with them on a project I did earlier this year, as well as watch as they have expanded their platform and offerings over the past few months. It is so obvious that they are walking in their calling and that God is using them in amazing ways. What started as a podcast has grown to include live teachings, devotionals, and even merchandise. It is seriously incredible to see the influence that they are having in the world. That’s why I am SO excited that they agreed to share part of their story with us here at Stand Unshaken! I hope you find some encouragement and inspiration in their words.
Also, make sure to follow them on Instagram @rootedlifepodcast and check in for their weekly “20 Minutes in the Text” Instagram live teaching every Tuesday at 6:30pm EST. Now, without further ado, check out what Morgan and Dorian from the Rooted Life had to say about their story!
Tell us about yourself and your friendship!
Doe:
Hi! I’m Dorian, also known as, Doe. I’m from Atlanta, Georgia and have been in D.C. for a little over two years. I’m a full-time event planner for a charter school system and also coach a high school cheerleading squad.
Morgan and I have been friends for 10+ years now! Members of our families went to high school together and reconnected at a 20-year reunion in the early 2000’s. She and I became friends a few years later and had always remained close friends even through multiple city relocations. It wasn’t until I moved to D.C. that our friendship really blossomed. Now, through church and our passion project The Rooted Life, that’s my sister! She knows me better and deeper than anyone on the planet and I am truly grateful God paired us up to walk through life together.
Photo by: Chesley McCarty
Morgan:
I’m Morgan. I’m originally from Atlanta, Georgia. I’ve been living in D.C for about 7+ years now. I used to be an elementary school teacher, now I’m a social worker and I teach yoga. Like Doe said, our families have been friends for years, so I like to say that God planned for our friendship and this podcast was years in the making before we were even born. It's been really beautiful to be able to grow our brand with my closest/best friend. It has definitely stretched our faith and our friendship, but we’re better believers and women because of it.
Photo by: Chesley McCarty
What inspired you to start the Rooted Life podcast?
Doe:
This is my favorite question to answer because it’s a true testament to Ephesians 3:20, “[God can] do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.” I started a bible study community called Grace Group in the summer of 2018. As it started to grow, I realized that there were probably more people who’d enjoy learning and growing with other believers who couldn’t physically make it to the bible study. Soon after, the idea of a podcast started floating around in my mind and I would journal about it in my quiet time with God. Initially, I pushed the thought aside thinking that I wasn’t qualified, interesting, or “Christian” enough to lead a faith-based project.
Fast forward to January 2019 and I couldn’t shake the idea, though I was still reluctant. By this point, I even had a name “The Rooted Life”. One day, a friend casually says, “You’d be so great on a podcast” and I knew then that was confirmation to pursue the dream. I asked Morgan if she would join me as a co-host and after she accepted, we hit the ground running. Now, here we are one year later with almost 12,000 plays, merchandise and a devotional. So yeah, immeasurably more.
What does it mean to you to be “rooted” in the Lord?
Doe:
To be “rooted” in the Lord is to be established firmly and deeply in His promises and love. As believers, it is our desire to have strong roots which we fortify by growing closer to God each day. The benefit of strong roots is that when storms of great force hit our lives - be that relationship issues, grief, loss of a job, or everyday disappointments - we weather them with even greater faith.
Morgan:
For me, as someone who has plants all over their house - ask Doe - I love tending to my plants, watering them, trimming them, and helping them thrive. I love that our Father wants us to be rooted (established/grounded) in him, so that he can do all the tending necessary for us to grow and flourish. So it's about digging deep into his Word, Promises, and love and holding on for dear life, because it will be a bumpy ride. Lol. But as we hold on to him, he will tend, water, prune us so we can thrive.
How has the podcast evolved since you originally felt called to the idea?
Morgan:
Girl! It has changed so much. Originally it was just going to be a podcast, then it evolved into merchandise, then a weekly bible study, then a devotional, and now partnerships just before our upcoming fourth season. It's been so dope to watch how God has allowed us to use the gifts of people in our own network to expand our platform/brand. Our friends have contributed their talents in musical production, photography, videography, and connections to help us grow to where we are today.
Is there a story that comes to mind that really shows God’s faithfulness or how he is using The Rooted Life to impact others?
Doe:
We receive a DM or comment almost daily from someone saying they heard, read or saw something on our page that resonated with them. To me, it’s a reminder that God is using us to minister to His people and that’s so encouraging. As far as God’s faithfulness, last winter we led a giving campaign to raise money for the organization Amirah, Inc. that provides safety and restoration for sex trafficking survivors. We sought to raise $1,000 with our followers and raised over $2,000 in just 10 days. It was incredible to see the community love in action through giving and I was so honored The Rooted Life was a part of that cause.
Morgan:
The response has been so overwhelming that it's hard to pinpoint a specific story. For me, anytime someone takes the time to contact us to let us know how our platform has blessed them has been really moving. And when people trust us enough to ask for our spiritual input on an issue they’re struggling with, that always means the world to me too.
How have you grown as an individual throughout this experience?
Doe:
When we first started the project, I noticed I was much more selfish than I realized. Well in a partnership, where everything has to work for both parties and not just one, I’ve had to develop a spirit of humility, compassion and selflessness. Whether it is aligning on our social content strategy or the vision for the next photoshoot or how much to spend on new equipment, we are forced to work through conflict instead of glaze over it.
Embracing conflict is not either of our favorite things but it is necessary for the health of our platform, and more importantly our friendship. At the end of the day, Morgan is my friend before she is my co-host and it’s important to me to honor the former title first through transparency and truth, even if it means a difficult conversation. This experience has prepared me to embrace conflict at work, with my family and friends which has made for stronger, deeper relationships in my life.
Morgan:
Girl, how much time do you have? Lol. The biggest lesson I’ve learned is Submission = everything is sub to the mission (Pastor Charles at Transformation Church said this). It's so easy to say, so hard to practice. It's so hard to put aside my pride, feelings, preferences, convenience for our mission which is to know Christ and make him know. I’ve learned humility, how to communicate more clearly, how to receive/give feedback more effectively, the list goes on & on.
What has been the most challenging part of managing the Rooted Life brand?
Morgan:
The Rooted Life, though our passion project, requires a ton of sacrifice because we are invested in its success. We spend much of our time in meetings, reviewing agendas, creating to-do lists and putting in WORK to make things happen.
When we launched in the summer of 2019, we spent all day every Saturday working on the podcast and then would go serve at church in some capacity on Sunday. That was an exhausting summer. So in full transparency, it’s not easy to dedicate several hours a week to a project, when you want to go out, watch tv, take a nap, etc. Keeping the podcast a priority with all of our other competing priorities has definitely been difficult and a process we continue to navigate as we grow in other parts of our lives.
What would be your biggest advice for someone who is looking to become more deeply rooted in their faith and life?
Doe:
You don’t have to do it alone. One of my greatest discoveries has been the numerous resources dedicated to helping people deepen their roots. There’s Logos, the Blue Letter Bible App, church YouTube channels and more. I personally use the YouVersion Bible App as a primary resource. Not only does it contain the bible in multiple translations, it houses devotions, graphics, and other tools to make it easier to connect with God.
Morgan:
Take it one day at a time. Take it one goal at a time. If your goal is to read the Bible 5/7 days, then own that goal and be proud of it. And be gentle; no one gets it right 100% of the time. The Bible, particularly the NLT version is a great place to start.
Who is someone in your industry who inspires you?
Doe:
When I think of other millennial, Christian, content creators, I think of Pastor Mike Todd who leads Transformation Church in Tulsa, OK. He’s been such an inspiration to us and honestly was the way Morgan and I re-connected to our faith in January 2018 - wow, full circle moment. I admire his drive, his creativity, his authenticity and most of all, His devotion to God. We are always so encouraged when we check out his content and it often sparks new ideas for things we can do at The Rooted Life. Super grateful for his life and leadership!
What’s next for you? Any big plans on the horizon?
Doe:
Just a few ;) We just dropped a devotional (link in our IG bio), we’re hosting a virtual one-year anniversary party on IG live on Friday, July 10, we’re launching our fourth season on Wednesday, July 15 and we’re releasing a summer merchandise line in early-August.
How can we keep up with you and all the amazing things you’re doing?
Morgan:
Yep, you can follow us on instagram at @rootedlifepodcast. In our insta bio, there is a link that hosts access to all of our many projects like the devotional, playlists, resources and more (linktr.ee/rootedlifepodcast). And finally, you can check out the past 3 seasons of our podcast on Apple, Spotify, and SoundCloud.
All photos are by Chesley McCarty. See more of her work at www.chesleymccarty.com or on Instagram @thetangledtomato