Podcast
Real Life Resilience
Hosted by Stacy Brookman · EN
Unlock your leadership potential with Real Life Resilience, the go-to podcast empowering women leaders to thrive in any setting. Dive into candid talks with industry trailblazers, psychologists, and leadership coaches. Discover proven resilience strategies, master emotional intelligence, and tackle imposter syndrome head-on. From shattering glass ceilings in male-dominated fields to achieving work-life balance, this podcast is your comprehensive toolkit for transformative leadership. Elevate your game, lead with authenticity, and redefine the future of female leadership. Subscribe now to join a community committed to resilience, self-compassion, and driving success. Find more resources at https://realliferesilience.com
11episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
The Healing Power of Music
Nov 7, 201900:35:08Tap to summarizeMusic influences us in so many ways. Tim Ringgold uses music to help those struggling with addictions, pain, trauma, and stress to heal and recover. The beauty and power of music caresses our spirit in ways we can’t imagine! His story of how music touched his personal life is inspiring. The Healing Power of Music Tim Ringgold is Director of Sonic Divinity Music Therapy Services and is a board-certified music therapist. He is also certified as Remo HealthRHYTHMS facilitator. His treatment encompasses helping people of all ages to recover from addiction, physical, emotional and spiritual pain, and stress. He is the author of “Sonic Recovery,” and “Bella’s Blessings: A Humble Story of Providence.” In his books, he writes about how music affects and helps people. “Bella’s Blessing” is the personal story of the loss of his baby daughter and how he, his family, and Bella benefited through music therapy. Tim is also a public speaker who, on countless occasions, shares how music helps people to be mindful in the present. Tim has experienced his own emotional trauma through addiction, having five friends murdered, and losing his 17-month old daughter to a horrific skin disease. He shares how he discovered resilience through his music. He lovingly pays homage to his baby daughter by wearing unique and crazy socks. During his stay in intensive care, the only things she was allowed to wear were diapers and colorful socks he and his wife put on Bella daily. It was the one thing that they could do to help brighten each day for her. Tim’s philosophy on how he wants to live life is magnetic! “I light up every room I walk into, touch every person I meet, and leave inspiration in my wake. This is who I am, this is what I do, and this is what you can count on.” Listen to the episode for the full story. Resources Mentioned in the Show: Website: http://www.timringgold.com/about/ Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook...
Transcribe →Let Your Voice Be a Lighthouse
Oct 17, 201900:32:47Tap to summarize“You never knew what was going to come. I think that had become normal for me.” Women who find themselves codependent in a toxic relationship, soon discover that they care more for their partner than themselves. Stephanie McPhail started her own business, Mind, Body, & Awakenings to educate and help facilitate recovery for women in toxic relationships. Exit Toxic Relationships: Let Your Voice Be a Lighthouse Highlights from the interview: Stephanie McPhail planned her wedding day to be a special day, but it turned into a nightmare. Her husband’s anger escalated to a point where she feared for her life. Throughout her marriage, Stephanie timidly walked on egg shells to avoid triggering her husband’s anger. Stephanie’s mother posed a thought-provoking question to her; “Would you want this to be your last day?” A turning point for Stephanie was realizing one day that she had to make a change. She was at a point in her life where nothing was of any value, except her sanity. It was time for her to follow her heart and find a life that would make her happy. After pursuing a new life, Stephanie discovered that the stronghold of a toxic relationship is difficult to free yourself from. Although you are out of it, the aftermath had to be dealt with in intensive therapy. Following her heart, Stephanie founded Mind and Body Awakenings where she helps other abused women rediscover their worth. She helps them to find steady footing on the new path to recovery. Life is no longer monochromatically muted, but is beautifully painted with vibrant colors of every kind. Her soul is full of joy and full of sunshine which never dwindles. Listen to the episode for the full story. Resources Mentioned in the Show: Website: http://www.mindandbodyawakenings.com/home <span style="font-weight...
Transcribe →The Other Side of Adversity
Oct 3, 201900:28:19Tap to summarizeIn one day, your whole world could crumble and everything you treasure could be lost. That is exactly what happened to Anna Seewald in Armenia, where an earthquake resulted in overwhelming tragedy. Although she struggled through adversity, she found healing through community bonds. Her philosophy: together, we could overcome anything. The Other Side of Adversity Anna, growing up in Armenia, lived a peaceful and fulfilling childhood until her home town was hit with a catastrophic earthquake. The tragedy resulted in the loss of her mother, younger cousin, and many more friends and relatives. Anna had to move with other relatives in a foreign country, however, the experience allowed her to grow more resilient and empowering as she lives her life now in America. Overcoming her struggles, Anna became a parent counselor where she guides parents who’ve also been through trauma and abuse. She sees herself in them as they are on the same side of adversity. Anna did work with children at the beginning of her career. She believes that focusing on the parents and how they raise their children will result in a better home for both the parents and children. Anna credits her strength and resilience to the community she was in, relationships she bonded through, and the love she received as well as gave. She believes she is where she is at because of the unspoken bond of empathy. After the earthquake, and to this day, Anna processes her pain through the art of music, poetry, and writing. Listen to the episode for the full story. Resources Mentioned in the Show: Anna’s upcoming book still in the making, The Other Side of Adversity Stacy’s Journal Welcome to Stacy’s Journal! In this segment, I let you peek into my journal as I share my thoughts on a topic or resilience resource. Anna expressed just how valuable having her community with her through the hardship they were all experiencing. She credits her strength to the bonds and relationships she kept and created. That the emotional support and love that she gained was what enabled her to keep on pushing through. This insight really goes to show that if you are ever in a dark place, it is really helpful to put some effort in asking for help, reaching out to trust other people, and surroundin...
Transcribe →A Tough Story Filled With Gold
Sep 19, 201900:24:02Tap to summarize“Now I am trusting myself. I trust my decisions. I stand by my decisions. I know what’s best now and I speak up now.” Melissa Pierce didn’t succumb when tragedy struck, she persevered through the pain and transformed into a stronger person because of it. She learned to accept herself as the person she had become. She moved on to write a book and share her experiences with others. A Widow’s Tough Story Filled With Gold Melissa’s story starts when Melisa and David were a couple struggling with fertility in 2005 and they decided they wanted to adopt two little boys. In 2011 Melissa woke up and David did not. She had become a widow overnight. Melissa relayed her story of struggle, how she moved closer to her family and decided to get help. The first six months she felt like a zombie, but came to the conclusion that if she didn’t help herself she couldn’t help her kids, so she started her road to recovery. When a widow’s grief and stress showed up in her body, she took part in things that made her feel good: yoga, acupuncture, massage and exercise. Over a year later she found she was recovering but continues to have her moments to this day. Melissa learned to accept the person she has become after her husband’s death and has become stronger for it. Listen to the episode for the full story. Resources Mentioned in the Show: http://filledwithgold.org/ Stacy’s Journal Welcome to Stacy’s Journal! In this segment, I let you peek into my journal as I share my thoughts on a topic or resilience resource. Grief is a tough thing. I would like to encourage everyone suffering through grief to seek professional help. Don’t attempt to go through grieving a loss on your own, even if you don’t feel like you need it. There is often a stigma surrounding counseling and therapy, letting a stranger in is a daunting task however bouncing your feelings off someone and talking about what you’re feeling can really help you heal. For those who are grieving, or even just those who are in turmoil, find something you truly enjoy. Keep exploring until you find it. Melissa found tap-dancing and found it to help her get out of her head and just have fun. It could be anything from Jiu-jitsu to coloring pictures just find something that you like doing.</...
Transcribe →Navigate With Soul
Sep 12, 201900:26:08Tap to summarizeEveryone goes through their own trials and tribulations but it’s about overcoming them through not only mental strength but vocally. To grow from your past and help others on their own journey. It only takes one spark to start a fire. Navigate With Soul Tough childhood: Jennifer Lynn McGraw and her sisters were victimized by abuse throughout their childhood. I interviewed Jennifer for this podcast and she thrived in spite of her past. Jennifer remained silent about her abuse until her youngest son entered college. Then she felt ready to start writing down her life’s journey. She published her first book, Changing Lanes from Hell to Heaven, on Amazon to share her story and connect with others. After a while, Jennifer took her books off the shelf to remodel, edit, and overall create something even more fulfilling, which is now called, Navigating with Soul. Jennifer is a nurse as well as a mentor to many. She has been studying and practicing wellness for over 30 years. Focusing on teens, she encourages them to mentor in a win win situation. Listen to the episode for the full story. CLICK TO GET YOUR FREE CHECKLIST – SEE FOR YOURSELF Stacy’s Journal Welcome to Stacy’s Journal! In this segment, I let you peek into my journal as I share my thoughts on a topic or resilience resource. Jennifer mentioned that she wanted to be a voice, or a champion, for those who feel like they can’t express themselves or speak up about abuse. She herself was afraid of the repercussions from her family. Victims are the ones who remain silent. I would like to encourage anyone who has been a victim, whether it’s from abuse, or some other life event, to start writing it down. Writing helps you get it out of your head, find words for what’s happened to you, and helps you gain power over those thoughts and that event rather than letting it have power over you. You never have to share it with anyone at all. It’s incredibly healthy and even life-changing to write about those tough times. It can be personal, just for you. Just start with 10 minutes a day in a journal and see where that takes you. That’s all we have for today. Last episode, Luiza Coscia shared some great strategies for raising children to be resilient. – so, if you need to help your children to be more resilient, you might want to go back and have a listen. Next week, we’ll interview Melissa Pierce who became a widow and single parent over...
Transcribe →Harmonious Clan: Resilient Kids
Sep 5, 201900:22:35Tap to summarizeHow to raise children with a sense of resilience? This week, we are joined again by Luiza Coscia, an engineer, author, and mother of five children with special needs. She discusses her strategies to raise out-of-the-box children with out-of-the-box strategies. Raising Resilient Kids Luiza Y. Coscia, author of Outcast to Outstanding: The Practical Guide to Understanding & Addressing the Drivers of Your Child’s Behavior, joined us as a special guest again this week. Luiza is an author, engineer, and mother of five children with special needs. Last time she was a guest on the podcast, we discussed the importance of being resilient as a parent. Today, we discuss some of her strategies for raising resilient children. Luiza has a series of strategies that she employs in order to instill a sense of resilience into her children. She knows that at some point, all children will find themselves in situations that require them to exhibit the ability to remain resilient in the face of trouble. Coscia describes children’s brains as a sponge, and says that it is parent’s jobs to feed that. Through several different methods, Luiza teaches her children how to act resilient. The first strategy that Luiza uses to help her children understand the importance of resilience is subjecting them to historical figures. By sharing the stories of others acts of resilience, she hopes her children will aim to exhibit the same traits. She told us about how her two year old son likes to share the story of Gandhi with others. Luiza will write down quotes from these historical figures, and talk about how their words have left legacies. She believes that children can look up to these people, and strive to be more like them. Front Loading Resilience Strategies Her second strategy is something that she likes to refer to as “front loading.” Front loading involves preparing children for difficult situations before they encounter them. For example, whenever she takes all five of her children bowling she will discuss with them that not all of them will win. However, she tells them that if they work hard on it, they will improve. She provides incentives for her children such as if everyone graciously loses, they will be allowed to play a second game. The third strategy is to draw to children in order to help them learn. Luiza will illustrate things on kitchen napkins to teach her kids different ways of being resilient. She will display someone overcoming difficult situations, and exhibit that at the end things worked out properly. Luiza says that the drawings can range in complexity depending on the age of the child. Another strategy that Luiza uses is modeling situations of resilience in her own life to her children. She says that you are your child’s hero, whether you feel like it or not. An example from her own lif...
Transcribe →Harmonious Clan: Resilient Parents
Aug 29, 201900:28:27Tap to summarize“I’m not shy to say that they are just really, really quirky kids,” says Luiza Coscia, mother to five children with special needs, who she prefers to think of as out of the box children. After going to school to be an engineer, her life experience lead her to engineering out of the box solutions to help out of the box children like her own. One Harmonious Clan Luiza Y. Coscia is an engineer, author, and mother to five special needs children. When asked about her children, Luiza says that she is not ashamed to say that they are just really, really quirky kids. All five of her children have some sort of special needs, that require creative interventions. After raising her children, she knows the importance of remaining strong and resilient as a parent. She attended college as an engineering student, but Luiza’s life experiences lead her to engineer out of the box solutions for out of the box children. She says that nowadays, having out of the box children with special needs is such an epidemic. In almost every classroom, there are children who suffer because they cannot conform to the class. Luiza says these children typically end up in the principal’s office frequently, because they are out of the box. Luiza says that a lot of low points she has encountered were due to there not being any understanding. She believes that there is a lack of public awareness about out of the box special needs children such as her own. The hardest part is the lack of awareness about what could be going on underneath, in order to cause the children to act in such a manner. Parental Judgment “I’ve had a lot of moments when everybody turned their eyes on me and my clan,” says Luiza. She says that people are quick to judge parents and their children. Before making judgements, Luiza encourages people to consider what the other people are going through. “You haven’t walked a mile in my shoes. You don’t know what I’m going through. My child is an excellent child, and I am a fabulous mother.” Stacy’s Journal Welcome to Stacy’s Journal! In this segment, I let you peek into my journal as I share my thoughts on a topic or resilience resource. During our interview, Luiza said that the main issue she has faced as a parent of five special needs, out of the box children is a lack of understanding. People are not compassionate to others’ situations, and there is a lack of understanding of what might be going on underneath the surface. “You haven’t walked a mile in my shoes. You don’t know what I’m going through. My child is an excellent child, and I am a fabulous mother,” says Luiza. This was one of my favorite quotes from our interview. People really can’t grasp what someone else is going through unless they experience it for themselves. And e...
Transcribe →Male Sexual Abuse Survivors – Shattering the Silence
Aug 22, 201900:30:24Tap to summarizeChildhood sexual abuse leaves a lifelong scar. It is difficult for male survivors of sexual abuse to discuss the matter in public because of social stigma. So much so that many survivors keep on denying the reality. Cecil Murphey, speaker, blogger and author of books like ‘More than Surviving: Courageous Meditations for Men Hurting from Childhood Abuse’, helps survivors of male sexual abuse accept reality, share their pain with compassionate listeners, and believe in the fact that they are not alone in their suffering. Male Sexual Abuse Survivors Shatter the Silence I interviewed Cec Murphey who explained how writing helped him come to terms with his own past sexual abuse. Through his blogs, articles and books, he opens up about his own struggles. His blogs and books also include real life stories of survivors of male sexual abuse. Cec helps other survivors to share their trauma with compassionate readers. He wants them to accept reality, find help and move on. Survivors of sexual abuse, particularly men, find it more difficult to talk about their harrowing experiences. They have to overcome shame and break social taboos. Hence, many of them keep denying the facts and choose to suffer alone. Through his writings, Cec drives the fact that there are many survivors of male sexual abuse and if you’re one of them, you’re not alone. You can send emails to Cec and he will definitely send replies. You can also leave your comments on his blog site. If you prefer to keep your identity hidden, you can do so as well. Stacy’s Journal Welcome to Stacy’s Journal! In this segment, I let you peek into my journal as I share my thoughts on a topic or resilience resource. As I interviewed Cec, I couldn’t help but think, what would I have done if I remembered such abuse? What would you have done? Would you tell anyone or would you hide it and let it eat through you day-in-day-out. Cec actually experienced a mental breakdown and his memories started to haunt him. He couldn’t help it. Mustering his resilience, Cec decided to stand up against his fears. He did research, he investigated, and ultimately he helped himself, and he’s helped thousands of other abuse victims. I believe that this is the greatest achievement a person can aspire to. The ability to counter personal fears and use them as a lesson for your life. Perhaps take a moment to just peek at your own fears. You don’t have to delve head first into them right now, but acknowledging that they’re there is the first step. Then you can ultimately turn to face them, and conquer them. That’s all we have for today. Last episode, Antoinette Martin shared her thoughts on Stage 4 metastatic breast cancer and hugging everyone you know – so if you have had cancer affect your family...
Transcribe →Hug Everyone You Know
Mar 29, 201900:24:58Tap to summarize“I never thought I would be someone who needed so much support,” says Antoinette Truglio Martin, about reaching out to her support group after her cancer diagnosis. Antoinette was diagnosed with stage one breast cancer in 2007, and within five years it had metastasized to her vertebrae and became considered stage four. Now, she will live with cancer for the rest of her life. However, Antoinette remains an optimistic person. She says that in her family the glass is not half empty, it is almost full. Go Hug Everyone You Know Antoinette Truglio Martin is the author of Hug Everyone You Know: A Year of Community, Courage, and Cancer. The book is a memoir about her first year with breast cancer. She is a Antoinette Truglio Martin is a speech therapist and special education teacher, but considers herself a writer at heart. She received her MFA in Creative Writing and Literature from Stony Brook/Southampton University in 2016. Martin’s book Hug Everyone You Know: A Year of Community, Courage, and Cancer is a memoir about her first year of breast cancer. 2-3% of all funds raised from her book go to cancer research. Hug Everyone You Know documents the first year of Martin’s life after getting diagnosed with stage one breast cancer. It includes email correspondence between her and her community, as well as Antoinette’s journal entries. Cancer Doesn’t Deserve a Pretty Journal Martin says that she always wanted to be a writer when she grew up, and she still does. While writing down her feelings about the first year after diagnosis, Martin documented everything in shabby journals. “I didn’t want cancer to be honored in any way, so it is going to get a shabby notebook,” says Martin. She did not have any special notebooks, pens, or bookmarks. Her day to day life of living with cancer was bookmarked by the dog-eared pages in those journals. Keeping in Contact Through Emails During her traumatic first year of battling cancer, Martin chose to update everyone in her life through emails. “It was easier for me to compose an email and send it out to everyone,” says Martin. Instead of talking on the phone, Martin decided that updates came best in the form of emails. Antoinette chose to update people in her life via email, because sometimes it was easier than talking to someone on the phone. She found that talking about cancer on the phone caused her to have to relive the trauma. Martin never considered herself to be a “chatty” person on the phone, so emails allowed her to share her progress with loved ones. Living Day-to-Day with Cancer Within five years of her stage one breast cancer diagnosis, Antoinette’s cancer had metastasized and attac...
Transcribe →Never, Ever Give Up Hope
Jan 12, 201800:28:02Tap to summarize“You have to work at hoping for the positive,” says Carol Graham, host of the bi-weekly podcast Never Ever Give up Hope. She has survived the challenges of major illnesses, devastating personal losses and financial ruin more than once, yet has refused to become a victim. Her goal is to share hope with others and lessons on how to survive and thrive. Don’t Give Up Hope…Choose to Forgive Carol is an excellent example of how necessary it is to keep a positive mindset during some of the toughest of trials. After realizing that she was in control of her future, Carol decided to dedicate her life to helping others. Being a motivational speaker is just one of the many ways that Carol positively impacts the lives of others. She hosts a bi-weekly podcast, and recently released her memoir. Carol is a successful business woman owns and operates two jewelry stores. She has been a certified life coach for 35 years, and touched numerous lives. In addition to helping other humans, Carol has rescued over 30 dogs with her husband. Overcoming Trials and Traumas “People get so overwhelmed by 1 or 2 traumas in their life that they have difficulty imagining someone going through them back to back.” There was a point in Carol’s life that she avoided answering the phone, fearing that it would just be more bad news. Carol was born very ill, and after consulting seventeen experts she encountered a specialist who told her that she needed to get a hysterectomy. “Lady… Go home, suffer, and die,” is what Carol was told after she refused to get a hysterectomy. Determined, she told the expert that she would walk back in there one day – pregnant. 14 years later, she walked back in there to prove him wrong. However, it was not an easy road to get to that point. Carol is the victim of sexual violence. One day, she was gang raped and left for dead on the street. Rape is one of the most traumatizing events someone can suffer through, but Carol chose not to let it impact her negatively for the rest of her life. She says that she decided to forgive those who wronged her, in order to move on from the experience. Not only once, but twice was Carol robbed by her business partners. Even then, she actively decided to forgive people who she trusted that went corrupt. While her previous partners profited and became successful, she and her husband were left with virtually nothing. After a year of having an adopted son, his biological mother decided she wanted custody of him. Carol suffered greatly when she lost her son, then had to endure the same suffering years later. Thirty years into their relatio...
Transcribe →