The Wow Factor

Gracie Formsma is a college student at Samford University, co-founder of Love Gives, a hat brand in the Generous Family ecosystem. She's also the daughter of The Wow Factor host, Brad Formsma. Originally from Michigan, Gracie moved with her family to California about a decade ago, growing up in a home shaped by faith, generosity, and the gritty reality of launching the nonprofit I Like Giving and its Generous Family initiative. Today, she brings her marketing eye, creative direction, and heart for discipleship to Love Gives, a lifestyle brand built around the simple but profound truth of John 3:16. Brad sits down with Gracie to unpack her journey from a "lukewarm Christian" and people-pleasing high schooler to a young leader who met God at rock bottom, transferred schools in obedience, and eventually said a hesitant but wholehearted "yes" to launching Love Gives with her brother, Drew. Gracie shares how a single comment at a conference, a road trip photo shoot to Nashville, and a season of closed doors on campus leadership roles became confirmation that God was calling her into something unconventional. She also explains the heart behind a hat that quietly points to the gospel, why she uses Instagram as a place for raw vulnerability, and how this work has exposed her weaknesses while deepening her dependence on Jesus and her passion for helping others feel known, seen, and loved. "I don't want to just shout the name of Jesus at people. I want them to see Him through my actions, through my fruit, and then ask, 'What does that hat mean?'" – Gracie Formsma "This has been the biggest gift—and the hardest thing I've ever done. It's exposed every weakness in my life, and that's exactly where God keeps meeting me." – Gracie Formsma "God's power is made perfect in our weakness. So I can boast in my weakness, because that's where He fills in the most for me." – Gracie Formsma This Week on The Wow Factor: Gracie's journey from Michigan to California, starting high school in the middle of COVID, and recognizing that her faith had been inherited but not yet her own Hitting emotional and spiritual bottom in her sophomore year, crying out to God in her childhood bedroom, and choosing to fully surrender and be baptized Sensing God's nudge to transfer high schools, leaving behind the life she'd built, and discovering new friendships, joy, and a deeper walk with Jesus How closed doors on campus leadership at Samford opened the way for Drew's Love Gives idea, a providential moment at the National Grandparent Conference, and the first prototype hat Driving to Nashville for the first Love Gives photo shoot, building the brand vision from a Pinterest board, and realizing she felt more peace and purpose there than in a typical college path The heart behind Love Gives: subtle John 3:16 branding, lifestyle hats that quietly spark gospel conversations, and partnerships with teams, churches, and campus ministries all supported by a fulfillment process covered in prayer Gracie's honest presence on Instagram, sharing mental battles, spiritual warfare, and real struggles, and how vulnerability, generosity, and deep family trust are shaping her vision for Love Gives in 2026 and beyond Gracie Formsma's Word of Wisdom: Gracie invites us to boast in weakness. Drawing from Paul's teaching, she points out that God's power shows up most clearly in the places we feel unqualified, insecure, or insufficient. Instead of hiding those moments or waiting to feel "ready," she encourages us to bring them into the light, respond in obedience, and trust that God will meet us there using our vulnerability to connect with others and shape a story we could never have written on our own. Connect With Gracie Formsma and LOVE GIVES: Love Gives Instagram Purchase a Love Gives Hat Generous Family Website   Connect With Brad Formsma: WOW Factor Website   Brad Formsma on LinkedIn   Brad Formsma on Instagram   Brad Formsma on Facebook   Brad Formsma on X