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What happens when influencer culture, megachurch ambition, and algorithm-driven community collide?

This week, I’m joined by longtime friend and fellow early-podcaster Alli Hoff Kosik to talk about her debut novel, Too Blessed to Stress — a sharp, nuanced story about faith, friendship, ambition, and the very online world we’re all living in.

We talk about how her MFA journey led her here, why religion in fiction felt like a “risky” topic just a few years ago, and how influencer culture (hello Mormon wives and MomTok 👀) makes this story more relevant than ever. If you love messy friend groups, big institutions, powerful men, and complicated women trying to build something meaningful — this one is for you.

🕒 Timestamps

[00:00] Early podcast days & friendship origin story

[02:00] Alli’s MFA journey and first abandoned manuscript

[05:00] The Christian influencer rabbit hole

[07:30] Influencer monetization & megachurch power

[10:00] Religion, algorithms & modern politics

[14:00] Community after the pandemic

[21:30] Behind the Scenes podcast (BTS-TBTS)

[24:00] Book recommendations: cults, ambition & satire

[37:00] Where to find Alli & audiobook details

📚 Books Mentioned

Too Blessed to Stress by Alli Hoff Kosik — Book Club Fiction | Influencer Culture | Literary Fiction

Little One by Olivia Muenter — Cult Fiction | Dual Timeline | Psychological Drama

Paper Cut by Rachel Taff — Literary Fiction | Power & Family Dynamics

Tehrangeles by Porochista Khakpour — Satire | Reality TV Culture | Pandemic Fiction

Glossy by Marisa Meltzer — Nonfiction | Business Biography | Millennial CEO

Workhorse by Caroline Palmer — Literary Fiction | Publishing Industry | Ambitious Female Lead

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