Brilliantly Resilient

Episode 144: How to Look Forward to the New Year with Enthusiasm, Hope, and no Pity Party--with Keith Baldwin!!

Just a few more days to go before we welcome in the New Year! Who's ready to see 2022 hit the road?? The last few years certainly haven't been easy. And there's a great temptation to feel little enthusiasm for what's to come. BUT, throwing yourself a big, 'ol pity party doesn't provide much satisfaction--at least not long term.  So here it is, our most listened to episode from 2022, and it features our friend, Keith Baldwin. If there were ever an example of how to live a Brilliantly Resilient life in the midst of a giant pile of poo, Keith provides it. And although Keith loves a good party, his best advice involves putting the breaks on one. Read on to hear more from Keith and listen to how he managed a major sucker punch BRILLIANTLY!!! Thanks to Keith and all of our Brilliantly Resilient guests for sharing their wisdom, humor and humanity with us in 2022. We are beyond grateful. And thanks to all of you who listen to learn how to live a Brilliantly Resilient life--we're still learning right along with all of you! Happy New Year to all and here's to a fabulous 2023!!! Limit your Pity Party. I threw a hell of a Pity Party, but those emotions don't help you with solutions or move you forward. ~ Keith Baldwin Have you ever thrown yourself a Pity Party? Here at Brilliantly Resilient, we were experts at it. When life hits you with a sucker punch, it seems like you're entitled to feel sorry for yourself. And you are–to a point. But you can't live in that place of pain. Acknowledge it, feel it, and then get the heck out of there! This week's guest, Keith Baldwin decided to make 2020 a year of firsts and wrote a book (A Leap Year of Firsts) about his experiences. But what started out as fun and games quickly turned serious when the pandemic produced some unwanted firsts–as when Keith had to lay off his entire workforce.  After realizing that feeling sorry for himself wasn't helping him or his staff, Keith got to work, finding a unique solution to his problem and hiring all 45 workers back within hours of laying them off. Remember, sometimes life just sucks. The question is, are you just visiting that place of yuck or are you going to live there? Tune in to this week's episode of the Brilliantly Resilient podcast to hear more about Keith Baldwin and his Leap Year of Firsts! XO, KS & MFB

Episode 143: Lessons in How to Live, with Diane Berberian--A top episode from 2022!

As we approach the end of 2022, we wanted to bring you another favorite episode with our viewers from this past year. Our dear friend, Diane Berberian, left us this year, but she also left behind many lessons and the endless light of her hard-won wisdom. Tune in again to hear more from this Brilliant woman. Every day, just be enough.                                                                                                                        ~ Diane Berberian It is with a mixture of both sadness and joy that we bring you this week's episode of the Brilliantly Resilient podcast. Our dear friend, Diane Berberian, passed away peacefully last week after a long battle with cancer. To say that Diane was a bright light is an understatement, but she never saw herself that way. In her mind, she was always "just Diane," although she inspired so many with her grit and grace. A true Northeast Philly girl (we're a tough lot!) Diane fought, but never looked like she was fighting, her wide, bright smile always at the ready. When we spoke to Diane two years ago, she dropped too many Brilliance Bits to count, but her advice to "Every day, just be enough." was brilliantly simple and striking. Do your best, help others, and just be enough.  Tune into this episode to hear more of Diane's simple, beautiful brilliance. Here are a few more quotes to listen for: Sit still and think. People don't take the time to sit still. Find those people you belong to. There may be different people at different times.  Beginners need to know that you get more than one chance if you fail.  If I don't ask, the answer will always be "No."  ~ Diane Berberian We love you, Diane. Thank you for sharing your light with us all. Let's be Brilliantly Resilient together. XO, KS & MFB

Episode 142: Celebrating the Season with America’s Dad, Rob Kenney--One of the Year’s Top Episodes!

We've got a few holiday treats in store for you here at Brilliantly Resilient! We've decided to share some of this year's top episodes as we head into 2023. Here's our first fave! Stay tuned for more in the next few weeks! The holiday season is all about family, whether related or chosen. Yet, not everyone has family to surround them with love. Enter one of our favorite folks--Rob Kenney, of "Dad, How Do I?" fame. Rob's warmth and advice fills a void for many, and we couldn't think of a better way to honor the season than to share our friend Rob and his brilliance once again. Here's more about Rob below.... S.E.L.F. Serve others, Eat and exercise, Learn something, Forgive somebody. ~ Rob Kenney, a.k.a. Dad, How Do I? Rob Kenney is America's Dad. A kind, fun-loving guy, Rob has sky rocketed to rockstar status - all because he gives some good Dad-ly advice and tells a few goofy Dad jokes. Yet, Rob is really about reaching out to those who are missing their dads--and the support and love dads can provide. With a genuine, simple approach, Rob not only teaches viewers how to do "Dad" stuff, he dispenses wisdom about how to live a good life. Tune in to hear Rob's story about creating the "Dad How Do I?" videos and how Rob's values infuse his work. Get Rob's book on Amazon here: Dad, How Do I? Join the Brilliantly Resilient Facebook Community for daily motivation to move forward through life's sucker punches! www.Facebook.com/groups/brilliantlyresilient! Let's be Brilliantly Resilient together, and Happy Holidays! XO, KS & MFB

Episode 141 : How to Become a Chief Peace Officer with April Ervin

When you have a heart to give and a heart to serve, you can get lost in the mission. That's why we have to take that pause. Serve your purpose but don't lose yourself. And remember, we're not called to serve everybody. ~ April Ervin Do you love to help people? Most of us do. When we help others, it makes us feel good, as though we're somehow making the world better. That's not a bad thing, except when our helping depletes us to the point where we feel anxious, stressed and overwhelmed.  April Ervin knows how it feels to be depleted. At 35, her doctor warned April that she was on a path toward illness and health problems if she didn't take a pause and reassess her life and priorities. That's when April decided to become a Chief Peace Officer, intentionally stopping her mad race to achieve and taking the time to rest, reflect and finally recalibrate her choices and life. That focused approach allowed April to not only decrease her stress and overwhelm, but to actually be more effective in all areas of her life. Living our best lives as well as serving others must be goals that work together for us and those we care about. By making intentional decisions and understanding that we cannot serve everyone, we empower ourselves to deliver our best to others and ourselves. Tune in for more of April's tips and wisdom on this week's episode of the Brilliantly Resilient podcast. Let's be Brilliantly Resilient together! XO, KS & MFB

Episode 140: How to Lead Through Chaos, with Antonia Hock!

I was driven towards chaos, turn-arounds, new-ideas, startups. I discovered that I like the burning buildings. You can lead through disruption, but it's important not to make fear-based decisions. ~ Antonia Hock How many of us are drawn to chaos? We've all had more than a taste of it over the past several years, and most of us couldn't wait to get back to "normal." Yet if we're honest, that state of chaos encouraged many of us to be creative, find our brilliance and rebuild our lives in ways that were new. While we'd never say we enjoyed the chaos, our friend Antonia Hock looks at chaos with a unique perspective, seeing the opportunity dramatic change can offer to remake and rebuild things we often content ourselves with because they've always been that way.  A world-renowned business coach, Antonia believes that great challenges offers great opportunity, and encourages her clients to value people, building "exceptional customer experiences and a world-class employee culture." Antonia also recognizes that we must constantly challenge ourselves in order to grow, and took up rock climbing to engage herself physically and mentally, helping to add clarity and focus to all areas of her life. How can you put aside fear to lead through chaos and disruption? Tune in to hear more of Antonia's wisdom on this week's episode of the Brilliantly Resilient podcast. Let's be Brilliantly Resilient together! XO, KS & MFB

Episode 139: How to Heal from Trauma ”Bone by Bone,” with Geralyn Ritter

Bad things happen. It's what we do with them. Grace is defined as an undeserved, unmerited gift. I've been given a gift. ~ Geralyn Ritter Those of us who live in the Philadelphia area remember with great clarity the early evening of May 12, 2015, when an Amtrak train bound for New York from Washington, D.C. derailed in Philadelphia, killing 8 and injuring over 200 people.  Geralyn Ritter, our guest today on the Brilliantly Resilient podcast, was on that train, and was one of the 11 people critically injured whose lives would be forever changed. Taken unconscious to a nearby hospital, Geralyn was without identification and was unable to contact her husband and children, who searched desperately for her all night. Geralyn speaks of her experience, how she survived her trauma (doctors said her survival was nothing short of miraculous) and how she has dedicated herself to helping others heal from devastating challenges by sharing her story, especially through her book, Bone by Bone. With a determined, resilient spirit, Geralyn offers lessons to navigate crisis and even find the true purpose within them.  Tune in to this week's episode of the Brilliantly Resilient podcast to hear more of Geralyn's truly inspiring story. Let's be Brilliantly Resilient together! XO, KS & MFB

Episode 138: How to Build Your Happy EVEN AFTER, with Renee Bauer

We don't celebrate failing. We should fail proudly and share our failures. Just show up imperfectly. ~ Renee Bauer How many times have you failed in your life? Beginning with childhood (babies fall around 17 times an hour learning to walk!) the answer is probably zillions–so, a lot. As children, we innately recognize that failure is a part of learning. And as we absorb the lessons of each failure, we come that much closer to success. It's only as we begin to know shame and embarrassment that failure becomes FAILURE!!! and we neglect to recognize its value. The other downside of our relationship with failure is that it makes us afraid to try. Our friend Renee Bauer knows "failure" in what many think of as the traditional meaning of the word. She's also chosen to take intentional action to not only learn from her failures, but use them to propel her forward both personally and professionally. Twice divorced and now happily married in a blended family, Renee built a legal practice serving individuals who couldn't imagine a happily ever after by encouraging a mindset change along with imperfect action and courage with hard decisions. She also inspires women around the world with her She Who Wins Summit. Tune in to hear more of Renee's wisdom on this week's edition of the Brilliantly Resilient podcast and start on the path towards your happily even after. Let's be Brilliantly Resilient together! XO, KS & MFB

Episode 137: How to Give Yourself a Self-Care and Energy Audit, with Pag Sadie

Self care is not about bubble baths. A self-care and energy audit encourages us to look at six essential areas of our lives to see what is feeding us and what isn't working. Where are we in terms of relationships, emotionally, psychologically, environmentally, spiritually, and  career-wise? ~ Peg Sadie In the last three years, how many times have you heard the term "self-care?" Probably almost as often as you've heard about "resilience." But what do they mean? If we try to define either word, we rarely agree on a singular definition. As to how to integrate either, or both, into our lives, well, that makes room for even more opinions and suggestions, but few concrete strategies. Here at Brilliantly Resilient, we're all about specific tools to help you tap into your inherent resilience (learn more at www.brilliantlyresilient.net), as is our friend Peg Sadie, founder of the Resilient Mom Academy, and an expert on helping mothers create calm and intentional lives. Peg advises that in order to practice meaningful self-care, we need to intentionally take note of what is and is not working in six major areas of our lives. Being unbalanced in any one, or more likely several, can lead to anxiety, overwhelm, and parenting that is not only less than ideal, but passes on those challenges to our children. By recognizing what is lacking, we can "reverse engineer" the problem, finding solutions to fix what's broken or let go of it altogether. Self-care is not about bubble baths (not that there's anything wrong with that!), but rather, allowing ourselves the time and focus to pay attention to ourselves. Tune in to hear more of Peg's wisdom on this episode of the Brilliantly Resilient podcast. Let's be Brilliantly Resilient together! XO, KS & MFB

Episode 136: How to Feed Your Tigers, with Steven Rudolph

Understand what the situation needs and bring the tigers. There's too much emphasis placed on being the lone wolf. ~ Steven Rudolph We Americans love our independence. It's kind of our thing, going all the way back to our founding as a country. There's something about individual success that's empowering. Saying "I did it–all by myself!" makes us feel strong. It can also make us feel lonely. And contrary to what we may think, taking on challenges as a "lone wolf," in the words of our friend Steven Rudolph, doesn't always give us the best results. Steven Rudolph believes in tigers. Not only the big cats, but the tigers we all have inside of us. Here at Brilliantly Resilient, we see our tigers as our Brilliance. And Brilliance is meant to be shared. As Steven reminds us, when we bring our tigers, or Brilliance, and encourage others to do the same, we discover better solutions to challenges and build better teams, as everyone brings their best selves to each situation. Our tigers are our strengths, and combined with the strengths of others–our tribe–we are more productive, successful and stronger. We're all just better. Tune in for more of Steven's Brilliance on this episode of the Brilliantly Resilient podcast. Let's be Brilliantly Resilient together! XO, KS & MFB

Episode 135: How to Avoid the Loneliness Epidemic with Small Packages’ Julie Schechter

The Surgeon General has pointed to a loneliness epidemic. Losing your support group is the equivalent of smoking 15 cigarettes a day. We have to invest in our relationships. ~ Julie Schechter How many Facebook friends do you have? How about Instagram followers? What's your count of LinkedIn connections? Isn't it amazing to have so many friends? If you're on social media, odds are you have thousands of "friends." But how many of those are people whom you really know, and who know you? Even with so many connections, we can still feel isolated and alone. Our real relationships often get lost in the shuffle as we forget birthdays, anniversaries, or even making a phone call (???!!!) to let someone know we're thinking of them. Julie Schechter reminds us that our relationships are the most important parts of our lives, impacting both our mental and physical health. The former ballet dancer and lawyer wants to help us reconnect with those we care about through her company Small Packages. Julie began her values-based business after realizing that she herself was missing out on her relationships, and admitting that she needed a way to let those she cared about know she was thinking of them. By building a business with intention (97% of Julie's products come from small suppliers), Julie encourages people to send small gift packages (pre-packaged or personally chosen) to loved ones as a tangible reminder that we care–especially appreciated in our electronic world. Here at Brilliantly Resilient, we know the value of a tribe. Be sure to nurture your relationships, both personal and professional, and show appreciation for the "real" people in your life. Tune in to learn more about Julie here, and be sure to learn more on this week's podcast! Let's be Brilliantly Resilient together! XO, KS & MFB