Building Resilience Podcast – Episode 250: “She Rises” with Molly Claire

Host: Leah Davidson
Guest: Molly Claire
Date: October 1, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode explores what it truly means to “rise” in life’s most challenging seasons. Leah Davidson sits down with mentor, Master Coach, and author Molly Claire to discuss her new collaborative book, She Rises, co-authored with twelve women coaches. The conversation weaves together stories of overcoming adversity, navigating emotions, supporting the nervous system, and the power of female community. Listeners will find inspiration, emotional wisdom, and practical strategies for building resilience—no matter their circumstances.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Origins and Purpose of She Rises

• Molly Claire describes how the idea for the book came as she sought true alignment. Rather than join a generic coach compilation, she envisioned collaborating with women she’s mentored—women with powerful, personal growth stories and tools for emotional mastery.
  • “I just almost could, like, see these... faces in my mind on this book cover. And I just decided to say, let's go for this.” (07:13, Molly)
• The book was organized rapidly, with all authors on board by the end of May and chapters blending unique life experiences with the shared thread of women supporting women and building inner strength.

2. The Power and Shape of Resilience

• Leah and Molly discuss how adversity is universal and constant, but also deeply personal.
  • “Adversity is like your shadow. It's always going to be there, depending on where the sun is.” (09:50, Leah)
• Chapters in She Rises span themes like:
  • Prioritizing wholeness over hustle for ambitious women.
  • Grieving loss (of people, roles, dreams).
  • Establishing and honoring inner boundaries.
  • Emotional regulation, overcoming perfectionism, and self-care.
  • Tools for supporting men in emotional journeying.

3. Community and Shared Humanity

• While the book centers women’s stories, the messages are universal.
  • “Every challenge that we face is an opportunity not just to get through it, but to thrive… every person matters. Your worth is not negotiable.” (09:22, Molly)
• Molly celebrates the vulnerability and courage it took each author to share authentically, highlighting the importance of real-life transformation over polished “methods.”

4. Growth Through Adversity and Change

• Leah prompts discussion on how listeners—especially those feeling stuck—might begin to grow:
  • Embracing, rather than resisting, life’s inevitable changes and challenges.
  • Asking, “How can I be adaptable? What’s here for me?”
• Molly emphasizes the importance of flexibility and acceptance—including the need to process grief for changes or losses, both big and small:
  • “If someone is feeling like they are having resistance to accepting what is... there is a lot of value in taking a minute to just journal about... where is the grief in this?” (23:02, Molly)

5. The Role of Grief and Unexpected Loss

• Grief is not limited to death; it includes lost relationships, life transitions, and even daily unmet expectations.
  • “Grief is anytime there is a perceived loss... if we think about what our hopes and expectations are for life, even on a daily basis, and how often that doesn't happen... sadness and loss and grief, even in those little ways, actually needs to be cared about.” (27:23, Molly)
• Leah shares personal reflections on grief in parenting and divorce, validating the full spectrum of loss.

6. Emotions: From Resistance to Resilience

• Both guests agree that uncomfortable emotions—grief, sadness, frustration—often hold critical insights if explored and processed.
  • “We also know at the root of, like I look at, I do a lot of work around chronic pain and chronic illness. And what do we see behind chronic pain and chronic illness? We see a lot of repressed, unexpressed emotions.” (29:19, Leah)
• Carla’s chapter focuses on “the message in the feeling,” emphasizing emotional literacy as a lifelong journey not achieved by vocabulary alone but through lived experience and maturity.

7. Emotional Ownership and Lifelong Learning

• The conversation stresses the importance of taking ownership of emotions, understanding that they originate within, and learning from them:
  • “When I think about taking ownership of my emotions, I think about noticing that all of my emotions, they're housed within me... it's a lifelong journey.” (34:02, Molly)
• Emotional growth is an ongoing process, relevant at every age and stage.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Molly on women helping women:
  “We as women have such an opportunity to support ourselves and be supportive to one another as we create a strong foundation within ourselves.” (08:53)

• Leah on universal adversity:
  “Who am I when I'm not taking care of other people? Who am I when I'm dealing with adversity? Who am I when I come out of dealing with adversity?” (10:14)

• Molly on unseen strength:
  “When we are in some of those hardest moments, those are the times that we often feel the weakest… but typically what I'm seeing is actually the incredible strength that they're demonstrating and building.” (12:13)

• On emotional processing:
  “Emotions are a topic obviously woven all throughout the book... understanding our own emotional world is a lifelong journey.” (31:42, 34:28)

• On grief’s many forms:
  “Grief is anytime there is a perceived loss... it is a feeling that needs to be processed.” (27:23, Molly)

Segment Timestamps

• 00:00–03:08: Leah welcomes listeners, introduces Molly Claire and the She Rises book.
• 03:08–07:33: Molly discusses the inspiration and rapid creation of the book.
• 07:33–09:43: The vision of empowering women, collaboration, and universal value.
• 09:44–14:22: Adversity as shared experience; examples of chapters and topics in the book.
• 14:22–17:45: Practical themes—doodling for self-knowledge, grief, boundaries, and taping techniques.
• 17:45–24:29: Exploration of growth, resistance, and the critical importance of processing grief.
• 24:29–31:27: Navigating non-traditional grief, transitions, and the necessity of emotional expression.
• 31:27–34:47: Emotional vocabulary vs. experience; generational differences in emotional processing.
• 34:47–36:26: Wrap-up—where to find the book, support for the authors, and gratitude.

Resources & Book Details

• She Rises is available via Amazon (search “Molly Claire She Rises”) and mollyclaire.com.
• Kindle version special pricing on launch day (September 30, 2025).
• Additional resources, workbooks, and author offerings are bundled with some chapters.

Tone & Takeaways

Warm, supportive, and practical, the episode blends personal storytelling with actionable insights. Listeners are encouraged to be gentle with themselves, honor their emotions (especially grief), and seek supportive community as they cultivate resilience. The conversation reiterates that “rising” is as much about embracing vulnerability and process as about reaching a triumphant outcome.

This detailed summary provides a comprehensive map of the episode, capturing the flow, wisdom, and key takeaways for those who haven’t listened.