What happens when workplaces stop treating wellbeing like a checkbox and start treating people like humans?

In this Faces of Atlantic conversation, I sat down with Elizabeth Eldridge, psychological health and safety expert, speaker, and founder, to explore what it really takes to build workplaces where people feel safe, seen, and supported.

Elizabeth has spent years helping organizations move beyond surface-level wellness initiatives and into meaningful, measurable change. From mental health first aid training to organizational consulting, her work is grounded in one core belief: people perform better when they feel like they belong.

We talked about the shift happening across workplaces, why leaders must model vulnerability, and what separates performative efforts from real impact.

In this episode:

→What psychological safety actually means and why it is directly tied to performance
→ Why traditional wellness efforts often fall flat and what organizations are getting wrong
→ The difference between performative initiatives and real, sustainable change
→ How leaders can build trust by modeling vulnerability and authenticity
→ Why belonging at work starts with creating space for people to show up as their full selves
→ The role of transparency and accountability in rebuilding trust within teams
→ The reality of entrepreneurship and why balance is something you build, not something you find
→ Simple boundaries and daily practices that help protect energy in a constantly connected world
→ A powerful reminder that meaningful change happens when organizations and people work together, not in silos

Links and Resources:

Follow Elizabeth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabetheldridgeconsulting/

Follow Elizabeth Eldridge Consulting: https://www.elizabetheldridge.com/

Follow Terri-Ann Richards: https://terriannrichards.com/

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TerriAnnRichards

Follow Faces of Atlantic on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/faces-of-atlantic

If this episode made you rethink what a healthy workplace should actually feel like, share it with a leader or organization ready to move beyond surface-level change.

Subscribe, leave a review, and take a moment today to check in with the people around you. Real leadership starts with creating spaces where people feel safe to be human.

Let’s keep showing up with intention, one honest conversation at a time.

• (00:00:00) - Faces of Atlantic
• (00:00:45) - Elizabeth's 90th birthday party
• (00:01:17) - Elizabeth Bennet on Falling for You
• (00:02:33) - How to Become a Dog Owner
• (00:03:48) - What Do You Do For Fun?
• (00:08:56) - The Need for Vulnerability in Leaders' Lives
• (00:11:10) - Have We Lost Trust in Our Wellbeing Programs?
• (00:13:58) - How to Stabilize Your Work Life
• (00:19:27) - Taking Back Control of My Phone
• (00:19:46) - Grow: Where Do You See Yourself in the Next Two to
• (00:21:51) - Faces of Atlantic: Sarah

What happens when the words we use to describe ourselves start to limit who we believe we can become?

In this Faces of Atlantic conversation, I sat down with Carla, TEDxUNB Lead Organizer and advocate for human potential, to explore how the labels we carry and the language we use can quietly shape our identity, our confidence, and the way we show up in the world.

We talked about the power of words, the danger of shrinking ourselves with phrases like “just,” and what it really takes to break out of the boxes we have been placed in or have placed ourselves in.

This is a conversation about awareness, growth, and reclaiming the fullness of who you are.

In this episode:

→ Why using the word “just” can diminish your identity and flatten your potential
→ How labels, even well-meaning ones, can quietly shape the way we see ourselves and others
→ The moment we start to question the boxes we have been placed in and what it takes to step outside of them
→ Why leadership begins with self-awareness and the language we use internally
→ How to expand your identity beyond roles, titles, and expectations
→ The ripple effect of how we describe others and the impact it has on their confidence and growth
→ What it looks like to show up fully without minimizing who you are
→ A powerful reminder that you are always more than any single label

Links and Resources:

Follow Carla: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlaaacarvajal/

Follow TEDxUNB: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tedxunb/

Follow Terri-Ann Richards: https://terriannrichards.com/

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TerriAnnRichards

Follow Faces of Atlantic on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/faces-of-atlantic

If this episode made you pause and rethink the way you describe yourself or others, share it with someone who needs the reminder that they are more than the box they have been put in.

Subscribe, leave a review, and take a moment today to notice the language you use. The words you choose shape the life you lead.

Let’s keep showing up fully, one honest conversation at a time.

• (00:00:00) - Faces of Atlantic
• (00:00:48) - TEDx Fredericton
• (00:04:39) - What's Up With TEDx GMB?
• (00:06:41) - Carla on Managing All of Her Deputies
• (00:11:24) - What Do You Want To Do In Your Life?
• (00:14:48) - Marc Gaspardi on Podcasts and Reading
• (00:17:26) - TEDxMI: Taking a Risk
• (00:18:54) - Faces of Atlantic

What happens when leadership stops being about titles and starts being about how you show up for people?

In this Faces of Atlantic episode, I sat down with James Doucher, fractional CFO, community builder, father, and advocate for leading with kindness and authenticity. James shares a deeply human perspective on leadership shaped by family, career pivots, and a commitment to being genuinely helpful in every room he enters.

We talked about what it means to lead without ego, why connection matters more than networking tactics, and how empathy and presence can shape stronger teams, communities, and lives.

In this episode:

→ How James transitioned from corporate leadership to fractional CFO work and why flexibility changed everything

→ Why networking is not about selling yourself but about being genuinely curious and helpful

→ Lessons learned from moving across borders, rebuilding community, and starting over more than once

→ What parenting has taught him about empathy, courage, and unconditional support

→ Why authenticity is the most underrated leadership skill in business today

→ The importance of creating safe, inclusive environments at home, at work, and in community

→ How small daily resets like walking, unplugging, and being present protect long-term wellbeing

→ A guiding principle that shapes how James leads and lives: look back and be grateful, look ahead and be hopeful, look around and be helpful

Links and Resources:

Follow James Doucher: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdoucher/

Follow James Doucher CFO Consulting, Inc.: https://www.jdoucher.com/

Follow Terri-Ann Richards: https://terriannrichards.com/

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TerriAnnRichards

Follow Faces of Atlantic on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/faces-of-atlantic

If this episode reminded you that leadership is less about authority and more about humanity, share it with someone who believes in building community through care and connection.

Subscribe, leave a review, and take a moment today to reach out to someone in your circle. Sometimes leadership looks like simply showing up and being helpful.

Let’s keep showing up as real humans, one honest conversation at a time.

• (00:00:00) - Faces of Atlantic
• (00:00:41) - What Do You Do For Fun?
• (00:02:16) - CFO Consulting
• (00:03:41) - Being a Full-Time CFO and a Fractional C
• (00:05:22) - Have You Work in an Occupation?
• (00:05:54) - Your Other Things Outside of Your Role
• (00:08:50) - How to Manage a Full-Time Team
• (00:10:33) - What Has Been The Lessons Learned As A Human Being?
• (00:12:34) - What Kind of Human Skills Did You Lean On During the Trans Transition
• (00:15:06) - In the Elevator With Steve Jobs
• (00:17:28) - How to Network effectively?
• (00:21:44) - Be Authentic
• (00:24:03) - Have You Made an Impact on Others?
• (00:26:17) - Atlantic Canada's Biggest Challenges
• (00:30:32) - How to Manage Your Stress
• (00:35:56) - Faces of Atlantic