When Angela Halili and Arielle Reitsma, co-hosts of the wildly popular Girls Gone Bible podcast, sit down to chat, it feels less like an interview and more like catching up with old friends. Take our first meeting, for instance: Halili was laughing, apologizing for spilling an entire coffee right before we started.
“Typical Ari and Ann,” Halili quipped, shaking her head with a grin.
There’s no pretense with these two—no polished façade, no overly curated act. And that authenticity is precisely what’s propelled Girls Gone Bible to the top of Christian podcast charts in just one year.
“Honestly, it feels like our whole life is a blooper reel,” Halili laughed. “We’re figuring it out as we go, and somehow, that’s resonated with people.”
The duo’s charm lies in their unfiltered approach to conversations about faith, life and everything in between. Their episodes are packed with raw emotion, laughter and sometimes even tears.
They’ve managed to create a space where listeners feel not only heard but deeply understood. And in a world that often demands perfection, Girls Gone Bible offers a refreshing dose of reality.
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A Shared Journey Through Hollywood Dreams — and Hardships
Both Halili and Reitsma arrived in Los Angeles chasing big dreams. For Halili, the path began at 18, when she enrolled in an acting conservatory.
“I loved acting,” she said, her eyes lighting up at the memory. “But the business was brutal. If you’re not grounded, it’ll tear you apart.”
Reitsma’s story was strikingly similar. She had left a small Massachusetts town, filled with hope but unsure of what her future might hold.
“I wanted to make something of myself,” she said. “But honestly, I didn’t know what that looked like.”
The realities of Hollywood hit hard. Both women found themselves navigating a fiercely competitive industry that often left little room for grace. Halili wrestled with crippling anxiety, turning to alcohol to cope. Meanwhile, Reitsma’s world unraveled when the pandemic stripped her of stability — a lost job, a broken relationship and mounting self-doubt.
“It felt like everything I had built was crumbling,” Reitsma admitted. “I didn’t know who I was anymore.”
Their lowest moments turned out to be the beginnings of something greater. Halili found herself praying in the middle of a panic attack. “I didn’t know if anyone was listening,” she said, “but I was desperate. And God met me there.”
Reitsma’s turning point came when she walked into a church on a whim. “It wasn’t planned,” she said. “I was just broken and looking for something — anything — to hold on to. And I found peace like I’d never known.”
From Living Room Chats to a Podcast Phenomenon
The idea for Girls Gone Bible didn’t come from a marketing brainstorm or a desire to break into the podcasting world. It began, as many great things do, in an unassuming moment.
“We were sitting in my living room, reading the Bible,” Halili recalled. “And suddenly, it just clicked — we need to record this.”
Their first episodes were far from polished. “We had no clue what we were doing,” Reitsma said with a laugh. “We just hit record and started talking.”
What they lacked in technical expertise, they made up for in authenticity. Each episode tackled topics that were deeply personal, from overcoming addiction and anxiety to navigating relationships and faith in an often-hostile world.
“We didn’t try to sugarcoat anything,” Halili said. “We shared the messy parts of our stories — the doubts, the struggles, the moments we wanted to give up. And somehow, that’s what people connected with.”
Listeners quickly found themselves drawn to the duo’s openness. For many, it felt less like listening to a podcast and more like joining a heartfelt conversation with friends.
“We’ve had people tell us they feel like they’re sitting in the room with us,” Reitsma said. “That’s exactly what we want.”
A Growing Community of Faith
What started as a small project has grown into a thriving movement. Within weeks of launching, Girls Gone Bible began climbing the podcast charts, surprising even its hosts.
“We didn’t have a strategy,” Halili admitted. “We were just sharing what God was doing in our lives and hoping it would resonate.”
The podcast’s success has been as organic as it is remarkable. Halili and Reitsma’s transparency has fostered a deeply engaged audience, many of whom see themselves in the co-hosts’ stories.
The women affectionately refer to their listeners as the “GGB gang,” but the connection goes far beyond nicknames. “Our listeners aren’t just fans—they’re family,” Reitsma said. “We pray for them, interact with them and genuinely care about their lives.”
This sense of community is evident in the podcast’s live events, which have become a cornerstone of their outreach. Last year, Halili and Reitsma kicked off a tour that brought them face-to-face with listeners across the country. The events were emotional and electric, with moments of shared laughter, prayer and tears.
“There’s nothing like standing in a room full of people who’ve been touched by your story,” Halili said. “It’s humbling and overwhelming in the best way.”
The Art of Staying Grounded
Despite their growing platform, Halili and Reitsma remain focused on their mission: pointing people to Jesus. For the duo, success isn’t measured by downloads or chart rankings but by the lives being impacted through their work.
“From the beginning, we decided to keep our hearts in the right place,” Halili said. “God told me, ‘If you focus on purity, I’ll focus on growth.’ And that’s been our guiding principle ever since.”
Their approach to the podcast is simple yet intentional. They pray over every topic, ensuring that each episode aligns with what they feel God is calling them to share.
“We don’t just talk about what’s trendy,” Reitsma explained. “We ask God, ‘What do you want us to talk about?’ And somehow, it always aligns with what our listeners need.”
The result is a podcast that feels both deeply personal and universally relatable. Episodes are built around Scripture, offering not just opinions but biblically rooted guidance. “We want everything we say to point back to the Word,” Halili said. “This isn’t about us—it’s about Him.”
Looking to the Future
With their platform rapidly expanding, Halili and Reitsma have no plans to slow down. Over the next year, Girls Gone Bible will visit 50 cities on a national tour, with plans to expand internationally soon after. Stops in Australia, the UK and Germany are already in the works.
Beyond the podcast, the duo is preparing to release their first devotional, a project they’ve poured their hearts into.
“We want it to be more than just another book,” Reitsma said. “We want it to be a tool that helps people deepen their faith.”
Their ambitions extend into mission work, with a focus on combating human trafficking and supporting global evangelism efforts.
“This platform isn’t just for us,” Halili said. “It’s a way to give back and be the hands and feet of Jesus.”
As Girls Gone Bible continues to grow, one thing remains clear: its success is rooted in authenticity, faith, and a willingness to embrace the messiness of life.
For Halili and Reitsma, it’s not about perfection — it’s about showing up, being real, and trusting God with the rest.
“At the end of the day, this isn’t about us,” Halili said. “It’s about pointing people to Jesus. That’s what we’re here for.”
With a global audience, a devotional on the way and dreams of making an even greater impact, Halili and Reitsma are just getting started.
But no matter how big Girls Gone Bible gets, they’re committed to staying grounded in their faith and the community that made it all possible.
