エピソード

  • Living Boldly: How Erica Bazerkanian Turned Her Father's Spinal Cord Stroke Into a Movement | 077

    Living Boldly: How Erica Bazerkanian Turned Her Father's Spinal Cord Stroke Into a Movement | 077
    2026/04/28
    What happens when a healthy, vibrant doctor collapses one day and is diagnosed with one of the rarest neurological events medicine knows — a spinal cord stroke? For Erica Bazerkanian, co-founder and CEO of Bold&Zeal, it became the defining moment that would reshape her entire life.In this deeply moving episode, Erica shares the story of her father Jeff Stone — a beloved podiatrist, lifelong fitness enthusiast, and "joke-a-minute" dad — who suffered a rare spinal cord stroke in June 2016, leaving him fully paralyzed between his C2 and C3 vertebrae. What followed was five months of bedside vigils, lip-reading conversations, family memories shared on a screen, and ultimately, one of the hardest goodbyes imaginable.But out of that grief came something extraordinary.Erica went on to raise over $225,000 for the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation by running marathons — building a team called "Iam Stone" in her father's honour. And in 2025, after a 30-year career in healthcare marketing, she launched Bold&Zeal: a clothing brand built on the mantra Live Bold, that donates 10% of every sale to the Reeve Foundation.This episode is for anyone who has ever lost someone and wondered what to do with that pain — and for anyone who needs a reminder that boldness is a choice you make, even on the hardest days.What You'll Learn in This EpisodeWhat a spinal cord stroke is, why it's so rarely diagnosed, and how it differs from a brain strokeHow Erica's family navigated 5 months of ICU care, long-term facilities, and the impossibly complex emotions of watching a loved one fight for lifeWhy Erica chose marathon running as her act of grief and love, and how she built a fundraising team from scratchHow Bold&Zeal was born, what "Live Bold" means as more than a slogan, and why the brand donates to the Reeve FoundationThe moment a family decides to turn personal tragedy into a lasting legacyIf this episode moved you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear it. And if you want to Live Bold — check out Bold&Zeal and know that your purchase directly supports spinal cord research.Subscribe to our Substack: https://theglobalresilienceproject.substack.com/Buy our books: https://theglobalresilienceproject.com/books/About the Guest:Erica Bazerkanian is the Co-Founder and CEO of Bold&Zeal, leading the company with a deeply personal sense of purpose. The brand was inspired by the loss of her father, Jeff Stone, following a spinal cord stroke that left him quadriplegic, an experience that shaped Erica’s commitment to resilience, advocacy, and intentional living.Long before launching Bold&Zeal, Erica committed herself to paralysis advocacy through sustained action. She has run eight marathons in support of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation and, through her own fundraising efforts and by recruiting and leading Team #IAMSTONE in her father’s memory, has helped raise more than $225,000 to expand awareness, funding, and impact.As CEO, Erica guides Bold&Zeal’s brand vision, strategic partnerships, and long-term growth, ensuring the company remains grounded in purpose while building a timeless lifestyle brand. Her leadership reflects a belief that meaningful impact is created through consistency, community, and the courage to move forward.Links: https://boldandzeal.com/https://www.instagram.com/boldandzeal/https://www.facebook.com/p/Bold-and-Zeal-61576669562619/https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericabazerkanian/https://www.linkedin.com/company/boldandzeal/⚠️ Content Note: Some episodes may contain themes that could be distressing. Please take care of yourself while listening, and don’t hesitate to seek support from a mental health professional if needed.About the Hosts: Blair Kaplan Venables is a British Columbia-based grief and resilience expert and coach, motivational speaker and the Founder of The Global Resilience Project. Her expertise has been featured on media platforms like Forbes, TEDx, CBC Radio, Entrepreneur, and Thrive Global. She is named the Top Grief and Resilience Expert of the Year 2024 by IAOTP. USA Today listed Blair as one of the top 10 conscious female leaders to watch and she empowers others to be resilient from stages around the world. 'MyStory,’ which is a television show available on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+ and Google Play, showcases Blair's life story. She is the host of the Radical Resilience podcast and specializes in helping people strengthen their resilience muscle using scientifically proven methods and guides grieving high performers with her Navigating Grief Framework. The Global Resilience Project’s award-winning book series are international bestsellers, and her fourth book, RESILIENT A.F.: Stories of Resilience Vol 2, will be published in January 2025. In her free time, you can find Blair writing, in nature, travelling the world and helping people to strengthen their resilience muscles. Links:https://www.blairkaplan.ca/https://...
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    34 分
  • Rewire Go Higher with Eileen Filliben | 076

    Rewire Go Higher with Eileen Filliben | 076
    2026/04/21
    Eileen Filliben overcame breast cancer twice by the age of 42; 10 major surgeries in 10 years; debilitating back pain; severe migraines; depression and PTSD. This is her story and she is RESILIENT A.F.Buy the books: https://theglobalresilienceproject.com/books/About the Guest:During her successful career as an attorney, HR consultant, and senior executive, Eileen was sidelined with major health issues including:• Breast cancer twice by age 42• 15 major surgeries• Debilitating chronic back and leg pain• Chronic migraines including one mimicking a stroke• Depression and PTSDHer journey back to health involved a deep dive into the connection between the mind and the body. Using cutting edge techniques from neuroscience, Eileen was able to 𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 to overcome her health challenges.Using her groundbreaking 𝙍𝙚𝙬𝙞𝙧𝙚 𝙂𝙤 𝙃𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙚𝙧 framework, Eileen Filliben empowers individuals and organizations to rise above obstacles, build sustainable resilience, and move forward with clarity and confidence.Eileen is also passionate about 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗰𝘆. Speaking at medical and nursing schools, she helps students understand the enormous impact they have on patients' lives, gain insight into what patients really want, and build a practical toolkit to help prevent burnout.Go to eileenfilliben.com to learn more.Links:https://www.linkedin.com/in/eileen-filliben-jd-mba-speakerauthorcoach/www.EileenFilliben.com⚠️ Content Note: Some episodes may contain themes that could be distressing. Please take care of yourself while listening, and don’t hesitate to seek support from a mental health professional if needed.About the Hosts: Blair Kaplan Venables is a British Columbia-based grief and resilience expert and coach, motivational speaker and the Founder of The Global Resilience Project. Her expertise has been featured on media platforms like Forbes, TEDx, CBC Radio, Entrepreneur, and Thrive Global. She is named the Top Grief and Resilience Expert of the Year 2024 by IAOTP. USA Today listed Blair as one of the top 10 conscious female leaders to watch and she empowers others to be resilient from stages around the world. 'MyStory,’ which is a television show available on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+ and Google Play, showcases Blair's life story. She is the host of the Radical Resilience podcast and specializes in helping people strengthen their resilience muscle using scientifically proven methods and guides grieving high performers with her Navigating Grief Framework. The Global Resilience Project’s award-winning book series are international bestsellers, and her fourth book, RESILIENT A.F.: Stories of Resilience Vol 2, will be published in January 2025. In her free time, you can find Blair writing, in nature, travelling the world and helping people to strengthen their resilience muscles. Links:https://www.blairkaplan.ca/https://theglobalresilienceproject.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/blairdkaplan https://www.facebook.com/blair.kaplan https://www.facebook.com/BlairKaplanCommunications https://www.instagram.com/globalresiliencecommunityhttps://www.instagram.com/blairfromblairland/https://www.facebook.com/globalresiliencecommunity https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-global-resilience-project blair@blairkaplan.ca Alana Kaplan is a compassionate mental health professional based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. She works in the mental health field, and is a co-host of the Resilient A.F. podcast. Fueled by advocacy, Alana is known for standing up and speaking out for others. Passionate about de-stigmatizing and normalizing mental health, Alana brings her experience to The Global Resilience Project’s team, navigating the role one’s mental health plays in telling their story.Engaging in self-care and growth keeps her going, and her love for reading, travel, and personal relationships helps foster that. When she’s not working, Alana can often be found on walks, working on a crossword puzzle, or playing with any animal she sees.Thanks for listening!Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section belowSubscribe to the podcastIf you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or on yourfavorite podcast app. Leave us an Apple Podcasts review.Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review.
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    30 分
  • Finding Purpose After Loss: Grief, Spiritual Awakening, and Soul-Level Alignment with Jacqueline Jenson | 076

    Finding Purpose After Loss: Grief, Spiritual Awakening, and Soul-Level Alignment with Jacqueline Jenson | 076
    2026/04/14
    In this deeply moving episode of Resilient A.F., Blair sits down with Jacqueline Jensen, an award-winning speaker and certified Akashic Records practitioner whose life took a sharp, unexpected turn after profound personal loss.Jacqueline’s story is one many listeners will feel in their bones. After leaving a successful legal career, she found herself navigating layered grief: caring for her sister Elizabeth, an oncology nurse who passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2019, followed by the deaths of her mother and grandmother in close succession. Add a hysterectomy and a complete identity shift, and suddenly the question becomes not “What’s next?” but “Who am I now?”Spoiler: this episode does not offer tidy answers. It offers something better. Honesty, spaciousness, and permission to rebuild from the inside out.Blair and Jacqueline dive into the raw, unfiltered terrain of grief and transformation, including:Leaving behind a career that no longer fits after lossThe cumulative weight of grief and how it reshapes identityNavigating medical trauma alongside emotional lossSpiritual awakening as a response to heartbreak, not a bypassWhat “soul-level alignment” actually looks like in real lifeHow to stay present when the future feels impossible to imagineThis conversation is a reminder that grief doesn’t just break us; it can also initiate us. Into deeper truth. Into purpose that feels aligned, not performative. Into lives that honour what we’ve lost while still making room for what’s possible.If you’ve ever felt like loss cracked you open and left you wondering who you’re becoming, this episode will feel like a hand on your back saying, “You’re not doing this wrong.”Sponsorship opportunities: https://docs.google.com/document/d/15oZsxAigvb6e4wbAmvW_El_1_laeyK4shMY1md6zVWI/edit?usp=sharingSubscribe to our Substack: https://theglobalresilienceproject.substack.com/Buy our books: https://theglobalresilienceproject.com/books/About the Guest:Jacqueline Jenson is an award-winning speaker, certified Akashic Records practitioner, and lifelong intuitive who’s been chatting with angels since childhood. After two decades in the legal world, she traded courtroom logic for cosmic connection. Helping others receive soul-level guidance, clarity, and support.Known for her grounded wisdom and warm, magnetic presence, she’s spoken on major stages and hosts signature events that blend divine insight, real conversation, and high-vibe activation (with a few laughs along the way).Links: FB: https://www.facebook.com/jacqueline.m.jenson/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moverndoer/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqueline-jenson-b69757a/Website: https://jacquelinejenson.com/⚠️ Content Note: Some episodes may contain themes that could be distressing. Please take care of yourself while listening, and don’t hesitate to seek support from a mental health professional if needed.About the Hosts: Blair Kaplan Venables is a British Columbia-based grief and resilience expert and coach, motivational speaker and the Founder of The Global Resilience Project. Her expertise has been featured on media platforms like Forbes, TEDx, CBC Radio, Entrepreneur, and Thrive Global. She is named the Top Grief and Resilience Expert of the Year 2024 by IAOTP. USA Today listed Blair as one of the top 10 conscious female leaders to watch and she empowers others to be resilient from stages around the world. 'MyStory,’ which is a television show available on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+ and Google Play, showcases Blair's life story. She is the host of the Radical Resilience podcast and specializes in helping people strengthen their resilience muscle using scientifically proven methods and guides grieving high performers with her Navigating Grief Framework. The Global Resilience Project’s award-winning book series are international bestsellers, and her fourth book, RESILIENT A.F.: Stories of Resilience Vol 2, will be published in January 2025. In her free time, you can find Blair writing, in nature, travelling the world and helping people to strengthen their resilience muscles. Links:https://www.blairkaplan.ca/https://theglobalresilienceproject.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/blairdkaplan https://www.facebook.com/blair.kaplan https://www.facebook.com/BlairKaplanCommunications https://www.instagram.com/globalresiliencecommunityhttps://www.instagram.com/blairfromblairland/https://www.facebook.com/globalresiliencecommunity https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-global-resilience-project blair@blairkaplan.ca Alana Kaplan is a compassionate mental health professional based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. She works in the mental health field, and is a co-host of the Resilient A.F. podcast. Fueled by advocacy, Alana is known for standing up and speaking out for others. Passionate about de-stigmatizing and normalizing mental health, Alana brings her experience to The Global Resilience Project’s team, ...
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    39 分
  • The Way Through Chronic Pain with Elizabeth Kipp | 074

    The Way Through Chronic Pain with Elizabeth Kipp | 074
    2026/04/07
    Elizabeth Kipp joins Blair Kaplan Venables on the show to discuss chronic pain, addiction and resilience through neuroscience. Elizabeth details her 40-year journey with chronic pain and addiction, including her struggles with opioids and eventual recovery through a treatment program. The conversation explored various healing methods and practices, including ancestral clearing and breathwork, while emphasizing the importance of holistic treatment approaches and meditation in managing chronic pain. She wants you to know that you can heal from chronic pain. This is her story, and she is RESILIENT A.F.Buy our books: https://theglobalresilienceproject.com/books/About the Guest:Elizabeth Kipp is a Stress Management Specialist, Historical Trauma Specialist, and Addiction Recovery and Betrayal Trauma Coach who utilizes post-betrayal transformation methods, Trauma-Trained and Yoga-Informed Addiction Recovery Coaching, Compassionate Inquiry, and Ancestral Clearing to support individuals in their healing process.Elizabeth healed from over 40 years of chronic pain, including betrayal trauma, anxiety, panic attacks, and addiction. Now, in long-term recovery, she helps others tap into their healing potential, discover freedom from suffering, and lead a thriving life.She is the international best-selling author of “The Way Through Chronic Pain: Tools to Reclaim Your Healing Power.”Links:Website https://Elizabeth-Kipp.comFacebook https://www.facebook.com/elizabeth.kipp.3Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lizi.kipp/LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethkipp/Substack https://substack.com/@sacredrebelleYouTube https://www.youtube.com/@elizabethkipp9855Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/lizilynx/Free Gift: Free Download of Preface, Foreword, Introduction, and Chapter One of the book “The Way Through Chronic Pain: Tools to Reclaim Your Healing Power.”https://elizabethkippcom.simplero.com/page/132869This book is for chronic pain sufferers and those who care for them: doctors, nurses, family members, and friends. It offers proven techniques to clear pain and live a life free from suffering, from a former chronic pain sufferer who searched the globe for answers – and found them.Elizabeth Kipp lived with chronic pain for over four decades until she learned non-pharmaceutical techniques to move beyond its grip and live free from it. These techniques work because chronic pain significantly changes the brain; only by addressing those changes can healing occur.In this enlightening book, Kipp shares those techniques and her experiences and insights using them as she healed. You will learn:How chronic stress and our reaction to it contribute to chronic pain – and how to change your behavior to alleviate the pain.The proven methods that help heal chronic pain, including a healthy mindset, focus, mindfulness, Ancestral Clearing, meditation, and breath work.The critical elements for healthy self-care, including a daily practice.⚠️ Content Note: Some episodes may contain themes that could be distressing. Please take care of yourself while listening, and don’t hesitate to seek support from a mental health professional if needed.About the Hosts: Blair Kaplan Venables is a British Columbia-based grief and resilience expert and coach, motivational speaker and the Founder of The Global Resilience Project. Her expertise has been featured on media platforms like Forbes, TEDx, CBC Radio, Entrepreneur, and Thrive Global. She is named the Top Grief and Resilience Expert of the Year 2024 by IAOTP. USA Today listed Blair as one of the top 10 conscious female leaders to watch and she empowers others to be resilient from stages around the world. 'MyStory,’ which is a television show available on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+ and Google Play, showcases Blair's life story. She is the host of the Radical Resilience podcast and specializes in helping people strengthen their resilience muscle using scientifically proven methods and guides grieving high performers with her Navigating Grief Framework. The Global Resilience Project’s award-winning book series are international bestsellers, and her fourth book, RESILIENT A.F.: Stories of Resilience Vol 2, will be published in January 2025. In her free time, you can find Blair writing, in nature, travelling the world and helping people to strengthen their resilience muscles. Links:https://www.blairkaplan.ca/https://theglobalresilienceproject.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/blairdkaplan https://www.facebook.com/blair.kaplan https://www.facebook.com/BlairKaplanCommunications https://www.instagram.com/globalresiliencecommunityhttps://www.instagram.com/blairfromblairland/https://www.facebook.com/globalresiliencecommunity https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-global-resilience-project blair@blairkaplan.ca Alana Kaplan is a compassionate mental health professional based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. She works in the mental health field, and is a co-host of the Resilient ...
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    33 分
  • Hug Mobsters with Edie Weinstein | 073

    Hug Mobsters with Edie Weinstein | 073
    2026/03/31
    In this episode, Blair interviewed Rev. Edie Weinstein, a licensed social worker, therapist, and interfaith minister who shared her journey of resilience through multiple life challenges. Edie shares her experiences with an ectopic pregnancy, losing her home in Hurricane Andrew, her husband's diagnosis and death from hepatitis C, and her own heart attack. She described how these events led her to pursue ordination as an interfaith minister and later become a psychotherapist. Edie also shared her passion for promoting physical touch through her "Hug Mobsters Armed with Love" initiative, which began with a free hugs flash mob at a train station and has since expanded to include community hugging events and even virtual hugs during the pandemic. This is Edie’s story and she is RESILIENT A.F.Buy the books: https://theglobalresilienceproject.com/books/About the Guest:Rev. Edie Weinstein is a licensed social worker, therapist, interfaith minister, speaker, journalist and book author.Links:www.opti-mystical.comhttps://www.facebook.com/snuggleyoga/https://www.linkedin.com/in/edie-weinstein-b8a7b44/https://www.instagram.com/edieweinstein/Gift: 15-minute coaching consultation. Please email Edie at bydivinedesign@comcast.net⚠️ Content Note: Some episodes may contain themes that could be distressing. Please take care of yourself while listening, and don’t hesitate to seek support from a mental health professional if needed.About the Hosts: Blair Kaplan Venables is a British Columbia-based grief and resilience expert and coach, motivational speaker and the Founder of The Global Resilience Project. Her expertise has been featured on media platforms like Forbes, TEDx, CBC Radio, Entrepreneur, and Thrive Global. She is named the Top Grief and Resilience Expert of the Year 2024 by IAOTP. USA Today listed Blair as one of the top 10 conscious female leaders to watch and she empowers others to be resilient from stages around the world. 'MyStory,’ which is a television show available on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+ and Google Play, showcases Blair's life story. She is the host of the Radical Resilience podcast and specializes in helping people strengthen their resilience muscle using scientifically proven methods and guides grieving high performers with her Navigating Grief Framework. The Global Resilience Project’s award-winning book series are international bestsellers, and her fourth book, RESILIENT A.F.: Stories of Resilience Vol 2, will be published in January 2025. In her free time, you can find Blair writing, in nature, travelling the world and helping people to strengthen their resilience muscles. Links:https://www.blairkaplan.ca/https://theglobalresilienceproject.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/blairdkaplan https://www.facebook.com/blair.kaplan https://www.facebook.com/BlairKaplanCommunications https://www.instagram.com/globalresiliencecommunityhttps://www.instagram.com/blairfromblairland/https://www.facebook.com/globalresiliencecommunity https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-global-resilience-project blair@blairkaplan.ca Alana Kaplan is a compassionate mental health professional based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. She works in the mental health field, and is a co-host of the Resilient A.F. podcast. Fueled by advocacy, Alana is known for standing up and speaking out for others. Passionate about de-stigmatizing and normalizing mental health, Alana brings her experience to The Global Resilience Project’s team, navigating the role one’s mental health plays in telling their story.Engaging in self-care and growth keeps her going, and her love for reading, travel, and personal relationships helps foster that. When she’s not working, Alana can often be found on walks, working on a crossword puzzle, or playing with any animal she sees.Thanks for listening!Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section belowSubscribe to the podcastIf you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or on yourfavorite podcast app. Leave us an Apple Podcasts review.Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review.
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    31 分
  • How to Survive Compound Grief After Losing Multiple Family Members with Brooke Carlock | 072

    How to Survive Compound Grief After Losing Multiple Family Members with Brooke Carlock | 072
    2026/03/24

    What happens when grief doesn’t come in waves—but in avalanches?

    In this deeply moving episode of RESILIENT A.F., Blair sits down with Brooke to explore complex compound grief—the kind that unfolds when multiple devastating losses happen within a short period of time, leaving little room to breathe, let alone heal.

    Brooke shares her unimaginable journey of losing her father, stepmother, mother, and daughter within 18 months, while also supporting her son through a traumatic head injury and navigating the pressures of returning to work as a teacher. This conversation is raw, honest, and filled with practical insight for anyone living through layered loss.

    This conversation is for anyone who has ever thought, “It’s too much. I don’t even know where to start.” It offers validation, practical tools, and permission to grieve in your own way—especially when life keeps asking you to function through the unthinkable.

    If you’re navigating layered loss, caregiving, workplace pressure, or the quiet loneliness of grief, this episode will make you feel less alone.

    Sponsorship opportunities: https://docs.google.com/document/d/15oZsxAigvb6e4wbAmvW_El_1_laeyK4shMY1md6zVWI/edit?usp=sharing

    Subscribe to our Substack: https://theglobalresilienceproject.substack.com/

    Buy our books: https://theglobalresilienceproject.com/books/

    About the Guest:

    Brooke Carlock is the author of Grief Sucks (But Your Life Doesn’t Have To), host of The Mourning Coffee Podcast, and a YouTube creator known for honest, no-BS conversations about grief and loss.

    Links:

    https://brookecarlock.org

    https://www.youtube.com/@brookecarlock

    https://www.facebook.com/BrookeACarlock

    https://www.instagram.com/brookeacarlock/
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    31 分
  • How to Build Financial Resilience Early with Genicca Whitney: Lessons From a 19-Year-Old Homebuyer | 071

    How to Build Financial Resilience Early with Genicca Whitney: Lessons From a 19-Year-Old Homebuyer | 071
    2026/03/17
    What does financial resilience actually look like?In this episode, Blair sits down with entrepreneur and investor Genicca, whose journey from financial hardship to financial independence began earlier than most. As an immigrant growing up in Toronto, Genicca experienced firsthand the stress and instability that can come from money struggles.Instead of letting those experiences define her future, she used them as motivation.At just 19 years old, Genicca purchased her first home to support her family after learning she was about to become an aunt. Guided by mentors she met while working in sales at 18, she began learning about investing, financial discipline, and long-term wealth building.Over the years, she has expanded into real estate, online business, and multiple income streams, while raising a family and continuing to grow financially.In this conversation, Blair and Genicca explore how financial trauma can become fuel for financial resilience, and why it’s never too late to start rebuilding your relationship with money.Financial resilience isn’t about having perfect knowledge or perfect timing. It’s about learning, adapting, and making better decisions as you grow. As Genicca reminds us in this episode: You are never too late to start building a different financial future.Buy the books: https://theglobalresilienceproject.com/books/About the Guest:Genicca Whitney is a Holistic Financial Strategist and Independent Financial Planner dedicated to transforming the financial culture of families and communities by helping high-performing individuals and entrepreneurs optimize, protect, and multiply their wealth. With nearly two decades of entrepreneurial experience — beginning with purchasing her first real estate investment at 19 for her parents and growing into a six-property portfolio — she combines lived experience with strategic precision. Independent of financial institutions, Genicca designs cohesive wealth strategies that integrate tax-efficiency coordination, risk management, wealth automation, and legacy planning, ensuring her clients build wealth that is protected, positioned, and built to endure.Links: https://www.instagram.com/geniccadotcomhttps://linktr.ee/geniccadotcom⚠️ Content Note: Some episodes may contain themes that could be distressing. Please take care of yourself while listening, and don’t hesitate to seek support from a mental health professional if needed.About the Hosts: Blair Kaplan Venables is a British Columbia-based grief and resilience expert and coach, motivational speaker and the Founder of The Global Resilience Project. Her expertise has been featured on media platforms like Forbes, TEDx, CBC Radio, Entrepreneur, and Thrive Global. She is named the Top Grief and Resilience Expert of the Year 2024 by IAOTP. USA Today listed Blair as one of the top 10 conscious female leaders to watch and she empowers others to be resilient from stages around the world. 'MyStory,’ which is a television show available on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+ and Google Play, showcases Blair's life story. She is the host of the Radical Resilience podcast and specializes in helping people strengthen their resilience muscle using scientifically proven methods and guides grieving high performers with her Navigating Grief Framework. The Global Resilience Project’s award-winning book series are international bestsellers, and her fourth book, RESILIENT A.F.: Stories of Resilience Vol 2, will be published in January 2025. In her free time, you can find Blair writing, in nature, travelling the world and helping people to strengthen their resilience muscles. Links:https://www.blairkaplan.ca/https://theglobalresilienceproject.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/blairdkaplan https://www.facebook.com/blair.kaplan https://www.facebook.com/BlairKaplanCommunications https://www.instagram.com/globalresiliencecommunityhttps://www.instagram.com/blairfromblairland/https://www.facebook.com/globalresiliencecommunity https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-global-resilience-project blair@blairkaplan.ca Alana Kaplan is a compassionate mental health professional based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. She works in the mental health field, and is a co-host of the Resilient A.F. podcast. Fueled by advocacy, Alana is known for standing up and speaking out for others. Passionate about de-stigmatizing and normalizing mental health, Alana brings her experience to The Global Resilience Project’s team, navigating the role one’s mental health plays in telling their story.Engaging in self-care and growth keeps her going, and her love for reading, travel, and personal relationships helps foster that. When she’s not working, Alana can often be found on walks, working on a crossword puzzle, or playing with any animal she sees.Thanks for listening!Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media...
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    29 分
  • Losing Both Parents Young, Breathwork, and Finding Purpose After Grief with Leslie Hacker | 070

    Losing Both Parents Young, Breathwork, and Finding Purpose After Grief with Leslie Hacker | 070
    2026/03/10
    What happens when you lose both parents to cancer in your 20s while trying to build a business, stay functional, and survive emotionally? In this deeply moving episode of RESILIENT A.F., Blair Kaplan Venables sits down with Leslie Hacker to talk about early loss, end-of-life caregiving, alternative healing, and what it really means to take care of yourself when everything around you is falling apart.Leslie shares her story of losing both of her parents to cancer, beginning at age 25, while simultaneously growing her marketing and communications business. She opens up about the emotional toll of caregiving, the impossible choices that come with terminal illness, and how grief reshaped her identity, priorities, and sense of purpose.This conversation explores grief without platitudes, healing without judgment, and resilience without pretending things are fine.Leslie reflects on losing her father after a six-month battle with cancer, followed by her mother’s diagnosis of glioblastoma. While her mother was initially given a short prognosis, surgery extended her life by five years. Leslie describes the emotional complexity of living in constant anticipatory grief and how it affected her relationships, work, and sense of self.While caring for two terminally ill parents, Leslie was also building her business. She speaks candidly about the pressure to “keep going,” the guilt that comes with choosing work or rest, and the reality that grief doesn’t pause just because you’re self-employed.This part of the conversation resonates deeply with anyone who has tried to function professionally while navigating personal devastation.After her mother’s death in 2020, Leslie made a powerful decision to use her PR skills to advocate for cancer research. She organized a fundraiser to raise awareness for her mother’s brain surgeon in Montreal, transforming grief into action and meaning.Leslie explains how traditional therapy eventually stopped meeting her needs, leading her to explore alternative healing practices such as EMDR, breathwork, and sound healing. A transformative retreat in Costa Rica, complete with jungle immersion and a rain-soaked breathwork session, marked a turning point in her healing journey.In one of the episode’s most powerful moments, Leslie describes a breathwork and sound healing experience where she felt connected to her mother’s spirit and found clarity around unanswered questions.This episode is a reminder that resilience isn’t about pushing through pain or having the right answers. It’s about listening to your body, honouring your grief, and allowing healing to take forms you may never have expected.Leslie’s story is raw, generous, and deeply human. It’s an invitation to slow down, breathe, and remember that caring for yourself is not optional, especially when you are caring for others.Buy the books: https://theglobalresilienceproject.com/books/About the Guest:Leslie Hacker is a PR, social media, and marketing strategist with 15+ years of experience helping brands break through noise with meaningful, emotionally intelligent storytelling. She is the founder of Hacker Communications, a collective agency that partners with purpose-driven brands across hospitality, tourism, lifestyle, tech, and consumer goods. She also serves as Vice President of the Canadian Public Relations Society of Vancouver, where she helps shape the future of ethical, innovative communications in Canada.Leslie’s path to building her agency is rooted in resilience. In 2015, both of her parents were diagnosed with cancer in the same week. Overnight, she became a caregiver, and freelancing became her lifeline, and the only way to support her family while keeping her career alive. What began as survival slowly evolved into something meaningful. After losing both parents by 2020, Leslie made the decision to build a business with purpose at its core: work that connects people, tells the truth, and moves audiences to act.Today, Hacker Communications is trusted by brands across Canada for PR, influencer strategy, and experiential marketing. Leslie has led campaigns for national brands and emerging startups alike, delivering measurable impact through storytelling that resonates.She is currently writing her first book; a candid, powerful memoir about the five years she spent caring for her parents, how she survived the emotional and practical realities of illness and loss, and how she rebuilt her life and career with intention, creativity, and heart.Leslie’s story is one of grit, reinvention, and the strength it takes to transform pain into purpose. Through her work, her leadership, and her voice, she reminds others that resilience isn’t just something you endure, it’s something you build.Links:https://www.hackercommunications.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/leslie-hacker/https://www.linkedin.com/company/hacker-communications/?viewAsMember=truehttps://www.instagram.com/hacker_communications/https://...
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