Heather Frierson, Founder of Created Woman

Heather Frierson is the founder of Created Woman, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that helps equip and empower women to recognize and embrace their God-given passions through resources and education. Heather and Rene sat down over coffee recently to discuss Created Woman and Heather’s ministry of helping women find relevant purpose in their lives

ALL THINGS FAITHFUL: For our readers, tell us a little about Heather?

HEATHER FRIERSON: I like to think I’m fun! I love wakeboarding, coffee, a really good laugh, real conversation, singing and dancing with my girls, and wearing a great pair of jeans and t-shirt. I live in Austin, Texas, with my husband, Hoit, and my two daughters, Hadley and Hope.

ATF  You started Created Woman 6 years ago. Tell us your story and what God put on your heart to respond to this calling?

HF  Prior to Created Woman, I used my fashion degree and worked in a high-end department store hoping to pursue my dreams of Fashion Merchandising. I soon realized God had different plan to transition me to full-time ministry work! While I loved ministry for many years, the passion I had for fashion kept nagging at me. God began showing me how to merge both ministry and fashion in my life, and Created Woman began to take shape. It was then the vision was planted to provide a platform for women to have a place to find relevant life tools and relevant fashion, but I wasn’t sure how to do it. God began unveiling the ‘how’ and soon, He revealed to me that sometimes we just have to take a step of faith to discover our true purpose.

Looking back, 6 years later, I’m amazed at what God has accomplished! I believe we as Christians should have a seat at every table and be the leaders in every area of the world. Created Woman now encourages women to explore and chase after their own passions through a variety of resources: Monthly gatherings called Gather Her, Style Speaks – an interactive fashion & faith conference combining powered panels, lounge sessions, fashion shows and shopping vendors – Style Speaks mobile, Beauty Bar, and other online resources.

This year Created Woman released its first study guide, Becoming: The Dreamer’s Study Guide to Launching God-Sized Dreams. The guide offers lessons based on biblical stories, reflective questions, and interactive activities to equip and empower women to leave a legacy for generations to come in their families, communities, and businesses.

In spite of changing strategies, our mission hasn’t changed: CW equips and empowers women to be who they are created to be, inside and out. We believe that every woman was born on purpose and for a purpose and as we understand who we are in Christ, we begin to show up well and take care of our bodies. From CEOs to stay-at-home moms to fashion, our purpose is to point people back to Jesus and He opens doors to do that in every area of our life.

ATF  Can you give us an example of a woman whose life has been impacted through CW?

HF  Yes! I love talking about Danica. She’s a single mom and came to one of our meetings for single girls last summer. That evening we talked about the dreams God plants inside us, and how we sometimes bury them. She later told me it was that very night God began reminding her she had the gift of singing she wasn’t using. She made a commitment right there to give her talents back to Jesus and today she sings on the praise and worship team for her church!

We talked about the dreams God plants inside us, and how we sometimes bury them.

 

ATF  Where do you envision GOD taking C.W. in the future?

HF  Honestly, I’m open to the how. But I do see us as a global leadership ministry and not just local. There’s a growing movement right now of women awakening to their purpose and their dreams and I believe CW is going to be on the front lines of that march helping women run their race with endurance.

We’ve been given a vision for a building where women can come to classes, host CW events, mentoring and even co-working space. A real gathering space for women with a coffee bar, beauty bar, and boutique. That’s the big vision and who knows if it’s one location or multiple. I just know that the vision for CW to empower women to find their purpose consist of meeting them and hanging out face-to-face in a safe, beautiful environment where God dreams are discovered and launched!

ATF  What kind of roadblocks have you encountered, and how did you stay focused on your calling to overcome them?

HF  There have been a lot of roadblocks – from financial, to relational, to spiritual. I’ve even made some flat out wrong decisions. The lessons have been many, but basically what I’ve learned is that roadblocks will be thrown at you all the time and in many different forms. When you’re doing something that will make an impact for the Kingdom, people and forces will try to stop you. But that’s when you know it’s right and you keep on going. Just get up the next day because His mercies are new every day!

But that’s when you know it’s right and you keep on going. Just get up the next day because His mercies are new every day!

ATF  Tell us something about your prayer life.

HF As far as routine, I get up before everyone else to have coffee, read my devotional and Bible. It’s a must for me as I’ve noticed I don’t have the best of days when I don’t have a moment to myself or with The Lord.

This year, I’ve been really challenged with my faith. I’ve noticed how I have super strong faith in the beginning of something but when it doesn’t come to completion or fruition when I think it should, I start doubting – doubting myself, if I heard God the right way, and sometimes even give up.

God doesn’t work on our timeframe

I think I’ve just gotten so accustomed to a fast-paced world where everything is at your fingertips that I think that’s how our faith walk should be. I call that a “reckless faith” because God doesn’t work on our timeframe and sometimes I’ve just got to keep walking things out to completion even past the due date I may have given for myself. For instance, I may end the year and ask God for a new direction while He’s saying “wait a minute – who said you were finished with what I gave you last year?” That’s been my prayer this year!

ATF  How has CW changed you?

HF  Oh my gosh! Well, the truth is I probably like people more!  I think I’ve found more patience and grace for others through this journey. I’ve learned how to step away and accept that others aren’t exactly like me, we don’t operate on the same rhythm. CW has also taught me the importance of learning every day, and never say “never!”  God may ask us to get outside our comfort zones but He will never ask us to do something that doesn’t fit our personality and ability to respond.

ATF  What have you learned from CW about leadership?

HF  Something I learned long ago that I’ve brought with me to CW is the importance of keeping your hand open and hold your position lightly.  This helps me remember to always be training others to step into my position, to work myself out of my current role in order to grow into the next step God is asking me to take.  Giving away this knowledge to those around me allows CW to reach beyond my lifetime and endure for generations, ministering to women long after I’m gone!

ATF  Would you like to share an answered prayer possibly one not related to CW?

HF  The past couple of years, my husband Hoit and I have really been working hard and praying hard that we would be a team.  And we are a team of family and raising our daughters, but in some ways we tend to do our own things – like in business, just checking in.

What many men and women (including me) sometimes forget is that any dream God gives you a will come true if you answer the call but you have to be in step with your spouse. When you’re married you can’t walk ahead of your partner; you can’t say “well God told me to do this” and just move on without them.

It was a learning process, but we’ve made so much progress.  We can each articulate better, and thus our communication is better.  Now that we’re on the same page doors are starting to open and we’ve seen that prayer of being a team being answered over and over in areas like our church-life, business, and personal life. It’s really been interesting to see how different our dinner or date night talks are now. We’ve been dreaming a lot more together which is nice!