The Invisible Story Running Your Life (And Your Ministry)

About this episode

This episode explores the concept of overstories and their impact on cross-cultural workers navigating competing narratives.

Every culture, organization, and person operates under an "overstory"—a dominant narrative so pervasive it's nearly invisible. In this episode, Amy and Bernie unpack Malcolm Gladwell's concept of overstories and explore what it means for cross-cultural workers who are constantly navigating between competing narratives. If you've ever felt disoriented, misunderstood, or stuck in a cultural context, or just curious about what's going on, this concept might explain why. 📕  The Revenge of the Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell 📝  The online Holistic Conference for Global Workers (includes the Overstories worksheet and the bonus resource of Toxic Leadership Assessment). The conference is 50% off through May 15, 2026. 🎧 Three podcast episodes: Global Online Conference: Holistic Care for Cross-Cultural Workers [ Listen here ] Holistic Care for Cross-Cultural Workers: Insights from the Global Trellis Team [ Listen here ] How to use The Toxic Leadership Assessment [ Listen here ] 🍇 The membership Insiders includes monthly Live prayer activities, all workshops, and 50% courses and conferences (the sale stacks!) Global Trellis: The Podcast Join Insiders

People in this episode

Hosts: Amy Young, Bernie Anderson

Topics covered

• overstory
• cross-cultural workers
• narratives
• cultural context
• leadership

Keywords

• overstory
• Malcolm Gladwell
• cross-cultural
• narratives
• cultural disorientation
• leadership assessment

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Global Trellis, Holistic Conference for Global Workers

Books & works: The Revenge of the Tipping Point

More episodes of Global Trellis: The Podcast

• Small Shifts, Safer Fields: What Every Cross-Cultural Worker Needs to Know About Women's Security with Shannon Mureithi · June 9, 2026 · 47 min
• Shepherding Like Jesus in a Wolf‑Shaped World: Five Leadership Heresies to Resist · June 2, 2026 · 43 min
• More than a Machine: Your Personal Dreams Have Value · May 26, 2026 · 24 min
• Donor Communication Matters: Stories, Support, and Staying on the Field with Emily Maljanian · May 19, 2026 · 28 min
• When Your Global Calling Doesn’t Translate Back Home · May 5, 2026 · 32 min
• Plan a Trip To Your Passport Country With Karli Von Herbulis · April 28, 2026 · 25 min