“You’re So Brave”: Tyler Merritt Turns the Tables on Jen in Part 2 of Their Vulnerable Conversation

2025-08-13

Description: In Part 2 of this episode, we push even deeper — into the personal, the creative, the brave, and the sometimes scary places we go when we dare to tell the truth. This time, Tyler Merritt has turned the tables on Jen and he’s asking the questions! We talk about what it’s like to be seen, judged, misunderstood — and still choose honesty. We talk about Awake and the vulnerability involved with retelling the painful and unvarnished parts of your story. We talk about fear. And we talk about the joy we’ve found in the middle of it...

Description:

In Part 2 of this episode, we push even deeper — into the personal, the creative, the brave, and the sometimes scary places we go when we dare to tell the truth. This time, Tyler Merritt has turned the tables on Jen and he’s asking the questions!

We talk about what it’s like to be seen, judged, misunderstood — and still choose honesty. We talk about Awake and the vulnerability involved with retelling the painful and unvarnished parts of your story. We talk about fear. And we talk about the joy we’ve found in the middle of it all. So let’s jump back in.

In this second installment:

Jen talks about the last time that she felt truly brave and what it felt like to unearth and expose some of the most tender and personal moments of her life in such an honest and examining way
Tyler asks Jen who was her best model of kindness at a young age
Jen shares the song that is reflecting her current vibe in the world
And Tyler asks Jen what she wishes more people understood about her

Thought-provoking Quotes:

"Our stories, though they may seem new, are the things that change the world." - Jen Hatmaker
“What I asked myself when deciding to include or exclude something was, am I going to be proud of this five years from now? So that's five years further down the road. I'm going to be five years more mature, five years more healed, five more years of distance. Will I be proud of what I say five years from now? And I let that be my guide.” – Jen Hatmaker
“It's been weird to be at that center of people's judgment for quite a long time now. I've evolved a lot in the public eye, which is weird for everybody. It's weird for me. It's weird for people to watch. At all points along the way, I can say sincerely, I have really and truly been trying to do my best. I just wish people knew that.” – Jen Hatmaker
“My story is not special and I think that's what makes it important. I hope that the readers will see their own story inside of it somewhere in some way on some level and then decide to take from mine what they need for theirs. So I can't wait to find out.” – Jen Hatmaker

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Depoe Bay, Oregon – https://visittheoregoncoast.com/cities/depoe-bay/
Awake: A Memoir by Jen Hatmaker - https://amzn.to/40MYuXs
Jen shares the first line from Awake – https://www.instagram.com/reel/DMrDdj4sCaQ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=ZzdzZGdvM3h5Mmd6
This Changes Everything: A Surprisingly Funny Story About Race, Cancer, Faith, and Other Things We Don’t Talk About by Tyler Merritt – https://amzn.to/4m135Oj
Brené Brown – https://brenebrown.com/
Before You Call The Cops by The Tyler Merritt Project – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGu_xGBekpo
I Take My Coffee Black: Reflections on Tupac, Musical Theater, Faith, and Being Black in America by Tyler Merritt – https://amzn.to/47by9Gf
Luna Sea Fish House in Yachats, Oregon – https://www.lunaseafishhouse.com/
Buy My Own Drinks by Runaway June – https://open.spotify.com/track/40p6WybX0YvcLdMlLja3oL
A Door Made for Me by Tyler Merritt – https://amzn.to/4mv4jBd
A Long December by Counting Crows - https://open.spotify.com/track/1tjKIXd7DYNklhVSgBxREi