In this episode of Exodus Brothers, we’re joined by filmmaker and director Cheryl Isaacson for a candid conversation about faith, identity, and the courage it takes to walk away from what once defined you. Cheryl opens up about her years as a leader within evangelical Christianity, what it meant to hold authority inside the church, and the slow, often painful process of stepping away from that world. We talk about the cost of deconstruction when your entire community, purpose, and sense of self are built around belief—and what comes after the certainty collapses.

Now channeling that experience into storytelling, Cheryl discusses her upcoming feature film Girlie, a coming-of-age drama centered on a family unraveling—and rebuilding—while deconstructing from Christianity. We explore how film can become a form of processing, reclamation, and truth-telling, especially when faith once dictated the narrative. This episode is about leaving, losing, creating, and finding a new voice on the other side. Theme music: Jenni Potts Follow Cheryl Isaacson:

Website: Cherylisaacson.com

Girlie Website: girliethemovie.com

Today on Exodus Brothers, we’re joined by Annie Mesaros — writer, spiritual director, and lifelong seeker whose journey began inside a strict Christian framework. What followed was years of wrestling, unraveling, and what Annie describes as a profound “Dark Night of the Soul,” a period that ultimately dismantled the faith she inherited and opened the door to the one she chose.

In this conversation, Annie shares how deconstruction didn’t arrive as an intellectual exercise, but as a full-body collapse of certainty — the kind that forces you to confront what you’ve been carrying, what you’ve been avoiding, and who you might become if you finally tell the truth. Today, she works as a spiritual counselor at Wild Maven Wellness, helping others navigate that liminal space between loss and reinvention.

We talk about the cost of leaving, the slow rebuilding of identity, and the unexpected forms healing can take when you step outside the boundaries you were raised to never cross. It’s honest, grounding, and deeply human. Theme music: Jenni Potts Follow Annie Mesaros: Website: wildmavenwellness.com Instagram: @wild.mavenwellness

In this episode of Exodus Brothers, we explore the rise of Christian nationalism in America—how faith has been used as a tool for political power and social influence throughout history. From its roots to its growing presence today, we unpack the ways religious identity has been weaponized, the impact on American democracy, and why understanding this movement matters now more than ever. Theme music: Jenni Potts