Today we’d like to introduce you to Erin Weidemann.
Erin, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
People ask Brent and me all the time, “Hey, how’d you guys come up with the idea for Bible Belles?”
We needed a birthday gift for our niece Hannah and thought it would be cool to rewrite the Bible story of the woman who shares her name. Hannah was a prayerful woman and our niece would be able to connect with a story of female strength and faith. I wrote the story, and Brent illustrated the cover.
We gave our niece the book, and we were surprised to find out that she and her sister weren’t really familiar with that story. We asked around, and it turned out that a lot of girls just aren’t familiar with that story or the stories of many other women from Scripture. However, the girls we talked to could name and tell us the details of every Disney Princess.
If they can do that, we thought, why not women of the Bible? Could we create a way for girls to connect with real heroes, powerful examples of integrity, character, and confidence?
From there, Bible Belles was born. We set out our first series of books highlighting five extraordinary women. Hannah, Esther, Abigail, Ruth, and Deborah. We chose these women because each of them can be celebrated for one special quality she possessed.
Hannah: The Belle of Prayer
The first step in developing a relationship with God is honest and open communication with Him. This happens through prayer and being truthful with Him and with our own hearts.
Esther: The Belle of Patience
Communication with God leads to listening for Him to communicate back to us. It’s important to hear Him, wait for His timing, and then act when and how He tells us to do so.
Abigail: The Belle of Bravery
Inevitably, we encounter hard times or scary situations. Courage allows us to boldly face the challenges we come up against with confidence.
Ruth: The Belle of Loyalty
A life lived in support of and kindness toward others is part of the purpose we all share as humans. Self-sacrifice and putting the needs of others before our own are important ways we can show real love to others.
Deborah: The Belle of Leadership
Leadership is more than simply having the wisdom to know what needs to be done. Leadership is stirring ourselves and others to action and impact.
Each character trait builds on the previous one to allow parents to teach through these qualities and guide conversations with their girls about beauty, identity, and purpose. It wasn’t until we put the stories of these women in order for the traits (prayer, patience, bravery, loyalty, and leadership) that we realized their initials spell the word HEARD. It’s become a beautiful reminder that every girl has a voice that matters and she is called to make ‘A Different Kind Of Noise’ – to go out into the world and use that voice to make the difference she was born to make.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Brent and I are very fortunate to be partnered in marriage and in business. We make a great team! I’m extremely grateful to work alongside him.
We have faced very real challenges. Once we decided not to go the traditional publishing route, we liquidated our savings and he quit his job to set up the infrastructure of the business. We lived off of one paycheck for a while, which allowed us to get things going. We came to a point when it was time for me to quit my job and jump into this work full-time. I was hesitant when he first told me he thought it was time for me to quit my job, but honestly, we prayed about it and a serious miracle showed up in our mailbox that very same day. I’m not sure I would have been ready or willing to jump in without it. It was exactly what I needed so I could take a leap of faith.
We’ve been through several seasons that required us to surrender control and trust that the work we are doing matters and our job is to do it with excellence.
Advice for young women:
1. Get mentors. Seek out people who can help you and spend time with them. You will have time if you prioritize these relationships. Relationships with real humans make all the difference.
2. Remind yourself everyday – Your value is not found in what you do. It’s found in who you are. If you’re not sure, John 1:12.
3. Your calling and your career are two different things, but they can intersect. When they do, it’s a daring adventure and it’s so beautiful.
4. Keep going, You will get discouraged. You will get frustrated when things don’t happen on your time table. Keep going.
What should we know about Truth Becomes Her / Bible Belles? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Bible Belles – We started off as a publishing company to create printed and digital resources for girls ages 4-8 to connect with female role models. The HEARD series teaches girls that they are called to leadership, influence, and impact.
Our podcast series (Heroes For Her) highlights modern heroes so adults can build a supportive network of positive role models around the girls they care about.
Truth Becomes Her – We’ve expanded Bible Belles to offer training, support, and interactive community for moms and mentors who want to teach their girls how to lead. We are on a mission to fundamentally shift feminine value from beauty to inherent worth. We exist to challenge systems of oppression that make girls feel like their voices don’t matter. And we do this not as a lone voice, but as a collective of mothers and mentors joined together to build up our daughters and make the world a better place.
Truth Becomes Her is a worth movement, a place for moms and mentors to gather, grow, and guide girls to discover their true value. Through its books, videos, devotionals, audio programs, resources, training, and speaking events, Truth Becomes Her encourages and equips adult women to train up the next generation of female leaders as they walk in their true identity and answer the call to their life’s purpose.
Who do you look up to? How have they inspired you?
My mom – She strives for excellence in absolutely everything she does. She has always pushed me to challenge myself.
Heather Raymond – She is the best example of a faithful woman that I know.
Pricing:
- HEARD series, 5 book bundle: $59.99 (orig. $75)
- HEARD Devotional: $9.99
- HEARD Kids Coloring Book: $9.99
- Video Series, Nurturing Her Unique Voice: $49 introductory ($79 regular)
Contact Info:
- Website: truthbecomesher.com
- Email: hello@truthbecomesher.com
- Instagram: @truth_becomes_her
- Facebook: @truthbecomesher
Image Credit:
@resolusean (IG/FB) https://resolusean.com
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