What happens when you reach the dream everyone else is chasing…only to realize it still leaves you empty? In this episode of Upside Down Influencer, Jessica sits down with former NFL player and Super Bowl Champion, Josh Wells to talk about his journey from small-town football to the big stage of the National Football League. Josh shares the highs of making it to the top, but also the surprising emptiness that came with money, “success”, and influence.

Together, we unpack:

• The illusion social media creates about success, wealth, and influence
• The moment Josh realized that even the NFL couldn’t satisfy the deepest longings of his soul
• His personal struggles with social media
• How faith in Jesus redefined his identity and purpose both on and off the field
• The challenges of leaving professional football and finding purpose beyond a career
• How he now uses his platform to encourage others to pursue Christ over cultural “success”

If you’ve ever believed the lie that life will finally feel complete once you “make it,” Josh’s story is a powerful reminder that there’s nothing at the top, apart from Jesus.

Connect with Josh: Instagram: @j_wells72 Instagram: @ undraftedcoaching

To get connected with other upside down influencers and follow along with us, you can find us on:

Instagram: @upsidedowninfluencer TikTok: @upsidedowninfluencer Facebook To reach out to us: upsidedowninfluencer@gmail.com

How do you make a living on social media and still follow Christ faithfully? In this episode of Upside-Down Influencer, I sit down with Chelsea Shull, a content creator who works in both the influencer and UGC (user-generated content) world. Chelsea shares her journey into influencer marketing, what success looks like to her, and what real influence is vs just a viral video. She also opens up about how she navigates brand partnerships, stays anchored in her faith and discerns which opportunities align or don’t align with her values as a Christ Follower.

We also dive into what it looks like to stay rooted in your identity in Christ instead of followers or likes, set healthy boundaries online, and use your platform to point people back to Jesus. Whether you’re curious about building income through influencer or UGC work, or you just want practical wisdom on living faithfully in the digital world, this episode will encourage you to pursue influence that lasts!

In this episode, we’re diving into the questions most Christ followers on social media aren’t asking out loud, but are probably thinking about! Should we be posting pictures of our Bible and coffee on Instagram? Is it okay to ask God for followers? Can we record our quiet time with the Lord and still call it authentic? Should we expect worldly success when we share about Jesus online? These are the kinds of questions that come up when Christianity meets social media, and while I don’t claim to have all the answers, I believe it’s worth wrestling with them honestly. So I brought back my friend, Pastor John Barringer, for a raw Q&A around these tricky (and often unspoken) tensions. I invited John on because I trust his opinion, admire his walk with the Lord, and deeply respect how thoughtfully he engages with hard questions. Whether you're a content creator, a casual scroller, or just someone trying to navigate faith online with integrity, this one’s for you.

Connect with Pastor John: @thereadthinkpraypodcast on IG.

To get connected with other upside down influencers and follow along with us, you can find us on: Instagram: @upsidedowninfluencer TikTok: @upsidedowninfluencer Facebook

To reach out to us: upsidedowninfluencer@gmail.com

Are we being vain? How do we know? In today’s culture, many things get so “normalized” that we almost get desensitized to how self obsession can actually look. Listen, I am not trying to be over the top and say you can never post a photo of yourself or that we can’t celebrate wins. However, I DO think there needs to be more conversations around this topic because as Christ followers, our social media SHOULD look different from the world’s. Pastor John Barringer joins me on this episode to unpack some of the questions I had about self obsession and vanity and to my surprise, HE had some questions to ask me too.

Connect with Pastor John: @thereadthinkpraypodcast on IG.

To get connected with other upside down influencers and follow along with us, you can find us on: Instagram: @upsidedowninfluencer TikTok: @upsidedowninfluencer Facebook

To reach out to us: upsidedowninfluencer@gmail.com

Constant notifications, endless scrolling and nonstop multimedia... distraction isn’t just a nuisance… it’s a battle for our attention and affection. How can we guard our hearts and minds against the things that pull us away from Christ? In this episode, I’m joined by Caitlin Armstrong from The Church of Eleven22 to unpack this important topic. We talk about the difference between what is sinful and what’s simply not beneficial, how to recognize distraction in our lives, and what it looks like to practically pursue focus, God's presence, and spiritual discipline in a world trying to steal it.

Caitlin’s Talk on How to Read Your Bible: Here To get connected with other upside down influencers and follow along with us, you can find us on: Instagram: @upsidedowninfluencer TikTok: @upsidedowninfluencer Facebook

To reach out to us: upsidedowninfluencer@gmail.com

In a culture obsessed with visibility and validation, Tyler Workman’s story offers a needed, counter-cultural reminder: you don’t need a platform to be faithful. As the founder of Okoa Refuge, Tyler shares how God called him into full-time missions work. Not with fanfare, but through years of quiet obedience. In this episode, we talk about the unseen years, when no one was clapping, no one was posting and how God used that season to shape his character, deepen his conviction, and redefine what influence really is. We dig into what it means to pour your life out for others, the wrestle with burnout and how Tyler keeps his eyes on eternity when the world demands immediacy. He opens up about the cost of obedience, the beauty of sacrifice, and what it looks like to live with integrity when no one is watching. If you’ve ever felt like your faithfulness is going unnoticed, like your obedience isn’t “influential enough” to matter, this conversation will remind you that some of the most impactful Kingdom work happens far from the spotlight. Check out Okoa Refuge. Follow them on instagram @okoarefuge. To get connected with other upside down influencers and follow along with us, you can find us on: Instagram: @upsidedowninfluencer TikTok: @upsidedowninfluencer Facebook To reach out to us: upsidedowninfluencer@gmail.com

In this episode, we dive into a tricky topic: Self-promotion. In the age of social media, the lines can get blurry. To help navigate this conversation, I invited someone who has spent years wrestling with this tension. Josh Sinke has served with Youth With a Mission (YWAM) for over 16 years, leading global mission trips and mentoring young leaders. He’s also been a worship leader for more than two decades and even spent time in a band! Along the way, he’s walked through hard seasons that reshaped how he thinks about calling, visibility and humility. In this episode, we talk about what it means to keep your heart pure before the Lord, how God’s definition of success often looks very different from our own, and why we don’t need to broadcast every win to prove our worth. We also unpack the temptation to build our own legacy and why anything built apart from Him won’t last. This episode challenged me deeply. You’ll need a pen and paper for this one.

To get connected with other upside down influencers and follow along with us, you can find us on: Instagram: @upsidedowninfluencer TikTok: @upsidedowninfluencer Facebook To reach out to us: upsidedowninfluencer@gmail.com

What would it look like to leverage your social media for the gospel? In this episode, I sit down with Pastor Joby Martin, lead pastor of The Church of Eleven22 to process through what that means. We talk about everything from the temptation of engaging in online gossip to the challenge of promoting your work without promoting yourself. We also discuss “longevity content” and how to know when we’ve crossed the line from stewardship into idolatry. This conversation is for the Christ follower who is ready to look different in the digital space and reflect Jesus in the way they post, scroll and engage.

Key topics:

• How to approach self-promotion as a Christian
• Practicing humility online
• Guarding your heart from gossipy content and judgment
• Stewarding your body vs. self-preserving
• Living in rhythm, not just balance
• Practical ways to set yourself apart on social media

To connect with Pastor Joby or The Church of Eleven22

Instagram: @jobypmartin @coe22 coe22.com jobymartin.com

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To get connected with other upside down influencers and follow along with us, you can find us on:

Instagram: @upsidedowninfluencer TikTok: @upsidedowninfluencer Facebook upsidedowninfluencer.com

To reach out to us: upsidedowninfluencer@gmail.com