Inner Views
BIO
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.
Watch the Influence Women Webinar with Hannah on the Influence Women YouTube Channel and learn more about her work and how you can connect more.
INNER VIEW
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?
Hannah: Let me paint the picture: (more…)
Inner Views
BIO
Lisa Renee Pitts is a veteran and award-winning (multiple Critic Circle and NAACP Theater) actress on stage, film, and television. You may recognize her from the highly acclaimed music biopic, “STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON,” playing Verna Griffin. After graduating from Rutgers University, Lisa began her career in her hometown, NYC, where she graced the stage with numerous artists, such as Leslie Uggam and Chita Rivera on Broadway, in Regional Theaters, and in Europe. You may have also seen Lisa in her numerous TV roles, which include “The Shield,” “The Practice, “Lincoln Heights,” and many others, or in her many national commercials. Lisa is an award-winning audiobook narrator and producer, motivational speaker, and ministry leader. Most recently, you may have seen her in LA at the Mark Taper Forum’s 30th Anniversary production of “Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992.”
INNER VIEW
Kathleen Cooke: The industry is a rollercoaster. You often feel out of control, having to wait and wait for projects and productions to happen. What have you learned about how to stay in control when you can’t be in control?
Lisa Renee Pitts: Most recently, God has taught me, or rather He has reminded me once again, that He is in control, at all times, all by Himself. His timing is not my timing and whether I can “see” His hand moving or not, I can stand on Deuteronomy 31:6 (NKJV) “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”
Kathleen: Our days are full of choices. What has God taught you about making the right choices?
Lisa: Making choices – GOD FIRST! Lay every choice you have before God, first, asking, “Will this choice represent who you have called me to be?… who I know myself to be.” Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Glory to God! We can go straight to the source for direction and clarity regarding every decision we have to make. What a blessing! Go to God first!
Kathleen: The Bible tells us in Nehemiah 8:10, “…the joy of the Lord is our strength.” We often forget this when we’re in the midst of suffering. And there’s lots of suffering today. What have you learned to do when suffering happens?
Lisa: As I began to mature in my walk with God, I could clearly see the toll long-suffering was having in my life (sickness, isolation, depression, anger.) I could also see that I needed to change the way in which I responded to that season of suffering. (more…)
Inner Views
BIO
Amber Butaud is multi-talented. As an executive producer and podcast host, she uses her God-given gifts to inspire and lead others through storytelling. Amber is the founder and owner of 4 The One Studio, which is excelling the film industry in Houston, Texas, and is earning accolades from industry leaders and corporations such as The Beach Boys, Wilson, and Univision. She co-produced UP TV’s first original feature film, “The Life of Me,” and executive produced the feature film “Multiplied,” both set to release in 2024. Amber hosts the weekly video award-winning podcast “Set Life: Inspiring Stories of the Entertainment Industry,” and her passion for uplifting others extends to her production company, No Judgement Media, where she produces films, TV shows, and shorts that impact the culture. Amber’s drive for above-industry standards fuels her mission and has ignited an unstoppable ripple effect to bring meaningful change to the industry. Amber is proud to be part of the leadership team for Influence Women Houston.
INNER VIEW
Kathleen Cooke: What has God recently taught you that has enlarged your faith?
Amber Butaud: God has recently taught me to trust in Him and his timing. All my life, I have been able to see the big picture of God’s vision for my life, and recently, he has been showing me one step at a time and less of the big picture. This is a new level of trust as I am not often sure where I’m going daily, but I have faith that where He is leading me is full of goodness and mercy. I remind myself that when I cannot see the hand of God, I can trust His heart. It has been a new faith journey: trusting the Lord with daily obedience. He has taught me to pray through things when my hopes and dreams don’t reflect my reality. Keep praying. Don’t stop. Keep contending. This season may be difficult, but the unknown is a place of possibility. The two promises from God and His word that I stand on are Jeremiah 29:11-13 and Proverbs 3:5-6.
Kathleen: One of the things that impresses me about your accomplishments is your ability to “just do it.” What have you learned about when to push on and when to pull back when you’re working on a project?
Amber: After a few months in the industry, I learned that there is a time to push and press in. There is also a time to be still and wait on the Lord to reveal what He wants to do through the connections I make daily. I’ve learned to ask God before all my meetings to show me what His ambitions are for the relationship, whether it be a connection, a collaboration, or that it is just a time for me to be the hands and feet of Jesus to others by offering encouragement, praying for them, serving, and helping them. It has been humbling to watch God show up in the most miraculous ways through relationships He has brought my way. This has allowed me to temper the over ambitious, self-driving, achiever personality that I have been given. I surrender my own ways and ambitions by staying in the Word- the Bible and allowing His voice to reign true in my thoughts. His ways are always above my own. I love the scripture in Philippians 2:3-4 “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, value others above yourselves, Not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”
Kathleen: What’s a leadership lesson that changed everything for you?
Amber: A leadership lesson that truly changed how I lead was to lead from my strengths, not my weaknesses. I took an assessment and studied the teachings of Tom Rath called Strength Finders 2.0. The assessment taught me what my top five strengths were. The whole concept of his teachings is to stay focused on our strengths, and we are five times more productive when we focus on our strengths than when we are trying to fix one weakness. As I studied this, the Lord spoke very clearly and said, “What sets you apart? Is it your weaknesses or your strengths that I’ve given you?” His answer was my strengths. That’s what He has set us apart in and where His power is made perfect in our weaknesses. I learned to lead from my strengths and allow the Lord’s power to be made perfect in my weakness. 2 Corinthians 12:9 says, …“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness…”
Kathleen: We influence others daily. What have you learned about influencing others?
Amber: One of the most important things I’ve learned about influence is we can either be a positive influence or a negative influencer. As women, we have the opportunity to make a positive influence in our families, communities, and even in our culture. We are often tempted to sit back and allow someone else to set the pace for the rest of society. Still, there has never been a more important time for us to lead with love and integrity; whether you have the opportunity to be a leader within your neighborhood community, family, business, or even your church, you have the potential to influence others through your words, ideas, and examples. I hope the Lord will light a fire of influence in your heart and encourage you to stand up and step out as an effective leader or influencer. Don’t wait for someone else to carry out the job. God has equipped you as an influencer, so just do it.
Inner Views
BIO
Alaina is an LA-based wardrobe stylist with more than five years of experience in personal, commercial, and editorial styling. Passionate about turning concepts into reality, Alaina specializes in putting together essential pieces that elevate her clients’ personal brand and tell a visual story. She is currently a stylist for Nordstrom at The Grove. As a freelance stylist and consultant, Alaina is happiest when she is bringing ideas scribbled on paper and images posted on a vision board to life for others to experience – her version of art.
INNER VIEW
Kathleen Cooke: Fear. It is saturating our lives with wars, strikes, and ongoing uncertainties. What has God taught you about dealing with fear?
Alaina Griffin: One thing that God has recently taught me came from a dream. In the dream, it was dark, and I was walking to my vehicle. An overwhelming sense of fear and of being lost swept over me. Suddenly, all the lights around me went out. I fell on the ground in crippling fear, unable to move. After some time, I realized that an electrical outage did not cause the darkness around me and in front of me, but because my eyes were closed. I started praying to God that my eyes would be opened. This struggle caused me to wake up from my dream.
What was God revealing? To move forward, we must pray, as Paul prayed in Ephesians 1:18, that God opens our Spiritual Eyes so that we can confidently know and understand God’s WORD and God’s WILL. This enlightenment will transform our walk with God and change how we navigate waiting seasons, tough decisions, life lessons, trials, and triumphs to get to the blessings and promises of the Lord. Finally, spiritual sight causes us to seek God in order to capture in the Spirit what is not yet manifested on Earth. Spiritual sight activates us to speak by faith into existence what is seen, not by the natural eye. The Word God gave me to share is: See it so that you can seize it (even by force if necessary). With this, we are powerful, and all things become possible.
Kathleen: We are living in an increasingly competitive world. Our ambition to succeed can often overpower us, and we can make bad choices. How have you learned to wait on God’s perfect timing and will?
Alaina: Ambition is a topic that is definitely an issue in the town we live and work in – Hollywood. As believers of Christ, we can get swept up in chasing ambition and dreams if we’re not mindful and rooted in God. We must remember that we are IN the world and not OF this world. We are called to infuse and push God’s culture into this world. To do this, we must do as it says in Matthew 6:33: see first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness (ways of doing things). The ways of the Lord are and will always be contrary to the way of the world, which measures success in riches and the number of followers, titles, and degrees a person has. When we seek God daily and trust Him, He will help us to navigate through each day in our professional careers. Sometimes it is a waiting season, and sometimes it is a “go now moment!” God must be the One speaking and leading, not ambition, society, vanity, or cultural pressures.
Kathleen: Many women today are struggling with an identity crisis. What has God taught you about being unique and finding peace in who He says you are, not what the world wants to define you as?
Alaina: I have found that people in this town suffer particularly from identity crises. I have encountered people who are always “ON”- in character, preparing for the next role. As children of God, the Bible makes it clear that we are special – a royal priesthood, 1 Peter 2:9. We are fearfully and wonderfully made, Psalms 139:14, and set apart, Deuteronomy 14:2. God invested time in creating and forming each person to fulfill the plan He has laid out at the beginning of time for Kingdom advancement. How do we find peace and come to know who God called us to be? One way is through our proximity to others- community. Groups like Influence Women, with other like-minded women on similar journeys, will help God’s calling for our lives to become clearer. The other way is through our proximity to God – intimacy. As we grow closer to God, He shows us how to love. How to love Him, ourselves, and others. In loving ourselves, we see ourselves and value ourselves as God sees and values us.
Kathleen: God tells us to Go. To be an influence in all the world. Why is that essential?
Alaina: When Jesus left His disciples, He gave a mandate that echoed throughout the generations, and it was to make disciples of men. As believers, we all have been given a mandate to lead others to Christ and into a deeper relationship. We were created and called to be leaders in this world- influencers. Matthew 5:13 tells us that we are the salt of the earth. It then goes on to say in the next verse that you are the light of the world. As believers, we were created and formed to function as salt and as a light in the world. By its design- light cannot be hidden, and salt cannot not be salty. It is just not possible. We are called to be a light at our jobs, at home, on the subway, in line at the grocery store, and in neighborhoods.
Thanks to technology, we can go and be influencers around the world without leaving our homes. As God has freely given us life, purpose, identity, giftings, spiritual blessings, healing, deliverance, His Word, and so much more, how could we possibly not share the good news and our testimonies with others? Not operating as God’s light or salt causes us to have an identity crisis and creates frustration and feelings of hopelessness, meaninglessness, and restlessness in us. It creates God-size issues that only God can correct. Answering the mandate to go simply means allowing God to navigate our next move and to work through us so that we can become the answers God called us to be on earth.
Connect with Alaina:
Find out more about her work at: arashedastyling.com
Facebook and Instagram: @arashedaconsulting
TikTok: @arashedastyling
