2025 has been a challenging year for the film and television industry in Hollywood. Below-average productions and layoffs at major studios, in part due to AI, have spurred many to relocate to other production hubs like Atlanta and Nashville.
Women gather in at the Hollywood Influence Women event.
But for those female filmmakers who choose to soldier through the tough times in LA, the recent Hollywood Influence Women event “Unshakeable: Trusting God’s Voice in Your Career and Life Decisions” gave inspiration and encouragement. The gathering was a poignant reminder of the mission of Influence Women and why we exist under the banner of The Influence Lab.
THANK YOU to our Influence Lab and Influence Women partners for making moments like this possible! In today’s cultural climate, your support is especially important in encouraging Christian filmmakers and media professionals in their work. Read on for a new opportunity!
Kathleen Cooke, the founder and global director of Influence Women, attended the Hollywood event. She reports:
“Beautifully hosted by IW Hollywood Chapter Director, DeAnna Kane, the event featured Wendy Griffith, 700 Club news anchor and journalism veteran, and Peyton Hoffman, Fortune 500 consultant and author. Despite the challenges in LA as industry work slows and AI changes the industry, the IW community is supporting one another while standing firm on God’s word and his promises.
Peyton Hoffman shares with DeAnna Kane in Hollywood.
Peyton Hoffman shared her inspiring journey of how God has brought her work, despite the industry slump, from unseen places as she leaned into Him. Wendy Griffith shared how she met her husband after many years of being single. She encouraged the women to believe that God fulfills the desires of our hearts as we seek Him first and consistently stay engaged with Him.”
Kathleen also spoke at the event, sharing how God continues to teach her obedience and uncompromising faith. She used her story to challenge the women to stay strong in their faith as they wait for the perfect job, career break, or the man God has for them.
She encouraged, “God sees you. He knows you. He is El-Roi, the God who sees.”
NEW CHAPTER GROUPS!
Phoenix launched on November 2nd!
You’ll find Influence Women groups in major production hubs across the nation like Nashville, Atlanta, New Orleans and more! On November 2nd, we launched Influence Women Phoenix… and Influence Women Miami, Florida launches January 2026!
With each new launch, comes added expenses. Even though our directors donate their time and energy, we still have hard costs that must be met.
Can you help? Will you help support these women in their endeavors to produce media – film, music, art – with a Christian worldview? Give your gift today!
Increasing influence! Founder and global director of Influence Women, Kathleen Cooke was invited to Washington DC this September to attend meetings of the White House Faith Office. She joined Paula White-Cain, Senior Advisor of the White House Faith Office; Karoline Leavitt, White House Press Secretary, best-selling novelist Bodie Theone, Christian women’s writer and international leader Lisa Bevere, and other key leaders gathered to share faith initiatives for the nation.
Karoline Leavitt, White House Press Secretary speaks at the White House Faith Office meetings.
“Those in the Faith Office are championing religious freedom for all,” shares Kathleen, “and they are especially working toward policies focused on a biblical worldview.”
Kathleen was honored to speak on behalf of Influence Women and advocate for the need to support women creatives in their artistic endeavors. She was joined by Influence Women Prayer Coordinator Peyton Hoffman and Influence Women board member Caltha Seymour. Kathleen emphasizes, “It’s so important to support women working in media. We can change what we are seeing on our screens.”
Coming up – Congressional Meetings and a Faith Briefing at the White House Kathleen travels to DC again this October for a series of meetings, including an invitation to a national Faith Briefing at the White House and a Congressional breakfast for Women on the Hill.
As a past Congressional Women of Distinction, she will also attend a She Leads America Women of Distinction Reception and an international luncheon with She Leads America/UK delegates for conversations on how to bring cultural change through biblical foundations and a renewed Christian worldview.
Why This Matters for Influence Lab Partners
Kathleen travels to DC again this October with an invitation to attend a national Faith Briefing at the White House.
God is growing the influence of Influence Women. That means that your partnership has increasing reach and impact. Thank you.
We can change what people are seeing on their TV and phone screens. Through the mission of The Influence Lab, we can change culture – in the U.S. and abroad.
Your partnership supports the media training and support we give to pastors in other nations AND the initiatives of Influence Women to support women in arts, media and entertainment. Give a gift and let’s keep the momentum going! Give your gift here.
Need a keynote speaker for your next event? Kathleen Cooke is an inspiring and thought-provoking speaker. Invite Kathleen to speak at your next conference or event here.
In a day when you can hardly trust the news, long-term partnerships are priceless – especially when crossing cultures and languages! This month, The Influence Lab celebrated with our contacts in Russia on the 30th anniversary of their church. Phil was invited to send a congratulatory video to Moscow, and it was an honor to be a part of this landmark event.
Our friendship with this ministry began years ago when Phil and Kathleen traveled to Moscow to train pastors from churches nationwide on media and emerging digital strategies. That friendship continues today with a growing impact, thanks to Influence Lab partners who helped fund Russian translations of Phil’s books.
“Phil’s books have become reference books for people of influence in our country. He is known in Russia as an author who reveals the practical side of life in church ministry and the marketplace.” – Russian Pastor/Publisher
Watch Phil’s update on Russia and the mission of The Influence Lab:
What happens when you partner with The Influence Lab? Long-term relationships with HUGE Kingdom impact!
Thank you, Influence Lab Partners! Your ongoing support empowers pastors and churches to reach their nations with the gospel. Add your gift today! Give here.
Special offer – give a gift or get a free book as our “thank you.” Give here.
For over 30 years, Phil and Kathleen Cooke have carried the mission of The Influence Lab internationally, teaching and training pastors, ministry leaders and Christian communicators in digital and media strategies to share the gospel.
On these international trips, women frequently ask Kathleen how they can continue to grow their skills, keep up with the latest trends, and stay inspired to create projects and programs that will reach their nations for Christ. Often, these women are in isolated regions with limited access to media training and other like-minded people of faith.
They tell Kathleen, “We feel so alone and isolated.”
Now they are no longer alone…
Announcing the new Influence Women online outreach! Influence Women launched a new ONLINE chapter group this August. Led by IW chapter director Selah Cohen, the online group connects women worldwide so they can collaborate, create for Christ, and change the culture — no matter where they live!
This is a dream YEARS in the making!
What began in Kathleen’s living room in Hollywood now has an international impact. India – Ghana – Egypt – UK – Greece… the door is wide open for women around the globe to benefit from the mission and mentoring opportunities Influence Women offers.
Connect now! Are you a woman in media, arts, entertainment or leadership? No matter where you live, Influence Women offers a place to connect and grow in your profession. Become a member today and find a chapter group near your city – OR – connect with the new ONLINE Chapter! Best of all – it’s free! Join here.
(Watch for a recording of the Online Launch coming soon on the Influence Women YouTube channel. In the meantime, check out other teaching and training resources here.)
THANK YOU, INFLUENCE LAB AND INFLUENCE WOMEN PARTNERS! Your generous gifts help make outreaches like this possible. Together, we CAN change culture through media. It all begins with connection. Partner with us today! We’re asking all our friends to consider becoming a monthly partner. It’s easy to set up. Click here!
Any gift helps support the mission of The Influence Lab and Influence Women… give your generous gift here and check out the special offers!
Hannah Pierrou is the author, speaker, and faith-driven founder behind Treehouse Storyteller, a creative hub equipping families to live upright in a sideways culture. Known for her bold storytelling and biblical depth, Hannah is passionate about helping parents raise kids who are rooted in truth and ready for anything.
Her debut children’s book, Miss Understood, became an Amazon new release bestseller for its poetic retelling of the rainbow’s true meaning—God’s covenant promise. Through books, devotionals, homeschool tools, and her podcast, Hannah is reshaping the narrative for today’s families with resources that are both timeless and timely.
A homeschooling mama of three, she shares life from her Colorado foothills homestead, where faith, nature, and creativity intertwine. Her podcast, Treehouse Storyteller, has become a top-ranked family podcast in Colorado, sparking meaningful conversations on biblical parenting, worldview, and the battles our kids face today.
After walking through a powerful season of spiritual warfare and supernatural healing, Hannah now speaks with fresh fire, encouraging others to rise above fear, stand on truth, and walk in wholeness. Whether behind a mic, in a book, or on a stage, she’s here to cheer on the countercultural mom, the curious child, and the Christ-centered family.
With every story told and truth declared, Hannah is raising up a generation to know who they are, live like it matters, and stand upright in a sideways culture.
Kathleen Cooke: What’s the one thing that God has been teaching you recently?
Hannah Pierrou: This past year, I found myself in a battle I never saw coming. What started as a breast cancer scare quickly unraveled into something deeper—spiritual warfare. In the quiet moments between scans, breathless prayers, and aching questions, I realized the enemy wasn’t just after my health—he was after my voice, my purpose, and the message God had entrusted to me.
Could it be that the resistance you’re facing is confirmation of your calling?
Before releasing my book, Miss Understood, I was warned through prophecy that a spiritual attack would come. I didn’t expect it to show up as physical symptoms, mental heaviness, and a choking discouragement that silenced my spirit. But the deeper I stepped into the calling God had placed on my life, the more I became a threat to the enemy. Our influence is not unnoticed in the unseen realm. The devil doesn’t waste his darts on those who pose no threat—he aims at those who are rising in boldness, vision, and obedience.
But God met me in the middle of the storm. One day, I heard Him say, “Get up and walk.” Like the crippled man in Mark 2, I had a choice to either sit in fear or stand in faith. As I obeyed, clarity returned. Peace flooded in. My body strengthened. But even more, my worship ignited.
Because worship is a weapon. When I lifted my hands and lifted my eyes, the weight of the warfare began to break. I wasn’t just surviving I was fighting back in the Spirit. That healing journey led me into a much deeper study of the Armor of God—not just reading about it but wearing it daily. God has been teaching me that while the battle is real, so is the victory. And every day I wake up, I choose to suit up—rooted in truth, singing my battle cry, and never standing alone.
Kathleen: Constant distractions often overwhelm us and take us off track. How have you learned to manage your time and give God priority in your schedule?
