Woman Wednesday with Andrea Harrison
Chief Shine Officer, Show Up Strategist & Author
Andrea Harrison calls herself the Chief Shine Officer, but her light shines far beyond a title. As the Founder of the Show Up & Shine movement, Andrea’s story is one of bold obedience, tender grief, and the kind of faith that keeps showing up even when life gets hard.
When asked what season of life she’s in, Andrea shares with raw honesty:
“I’m in a season of bold obedience and tender grief. Losing my mother was the deepest heartbreak I’ve ever experienced. But the obedience journey I started before she passed has to continue, because it’s not just about me it’s about the women I’m called to serve.”
Two years ago, Andrea began going live every weekday at 10 AM out of sheer obedience to God’s assignment. She didn’t have a script, a plan, or even the confidence that anyone would watch. Yet she showed up nervous, trembling, sometimes in tears — and kept going.
Her consistency birthed a global movement of women called the Shine Crew. Andrea became proof that you can step out scared, lead while healing, and still make an impact. Even when her mother passed, she found a way to honor her grief and her calling. She created the hashtag #missingGUYGUY to share honest reflections of loss, guilt, laughter, and love. To her surprise, women thanked her for grieving publicly, saying it gave them permission to be honest about their own pain.
Andrea’s wisdom is both tender and powerful. If she could speak to her younger self, she’d say:
“Girl, you don’t have to shrink to fit into places God never assigned you. Stop doubting your voice. Stop apologizing for taking up space. You are already enough.”
And what is she still learning now? That grief has no timeline and healing doesn’t always look like progress.
“I’m learning to offer myself grace in real time. To show up messy. To rest without guilt. And to trust that God is still moving, even on the days I don’t feel like shining.”
For Andrea, purpose used to feel like a far-off destination. Today, she defines it as the daily yes, the quiet decision to show up, even if your voice shakes. Her obedience has turned into a global ministry of visibility and faith-driven leadership.
Self-care, for Andrea, is less about perfection and more about honesty. It’s blocking off time to rest, posting memories of her mother without fear of being “too much,” and walking the beaches of Florida when her soul needs quiet. She describes rest as resistance and healing as leadership.
When asked what inspires her to keep going, Andrea credits God first, then her loving husband, her soon-to-be 19-year-old daughter, and her late mother:
“Even in her absence, my mother pushes me forward. She was grace in motion and a powerhouse of creativity and wisdom. The Shine Crew keeps me going too, they’ve seen every version of me and remind me that there’s always someone watching who needs permission to rise.”
Her defining “yes” moment was saying yes to going live every weekday. That simple act of obedience unlocked her calling and revealed the kind of leader she was meant to be, not one who leads from a pedestal, but from the middle of the mess.
“God didn’t ask for my résumé. He asked for my obedience. That yes stripped away perfectionism. Some days I was fire, some days I was fragile, but I showed up anyway. And every time I did, I became more grounded in my calling.”
Andrea stays grounded by keeping God at the center and surrounding herself with those who knew her before the spotlight. Grief keeps her humble, and honesty keeps her authentic.
As for her legacy, Andrea hopes women remember that she modeled what she taught.
“I want women to say, she showed us how to come out of hiding, own our story, grieve out loud, and still grow. If I can empower women to stop playing small, love big, and let God use their whole story, then I did what I was born to do.”
Andrea’s journey proves that true leadership isn’t about titles, it’s about showing up, even when it’s hard. And with every “yes,” she’s lighting the way for women everywhere to do the same.
Andrea Harrison is the host of Shine With Andrea (live weekdays since June 2023), author of Show Up & Shine: A Busy Woman’s Guide to Bold Visibility and Faith-Driven Leadership, and Founder of Shine Academy, and creator of The Shine Effect anthology.
Connect with Andrea at shinewithandrea.com or @shinewithandrea on all platforms.