What has someone had to live through to become the person we now describe as resilient?

In this episode of Reframing Resilience I'm joined by Sarah Brason, Grief Navigator, creative entrepreneur and brand strategist.

Sarah and I explore what it really means to be seen as strong and resilient and the experiences that can sit behind those labels.

We talk about the burden that can come with being “the strong one”, why appearing resilient doesn't mean we aren't struggling and how being seen as capable can sometimes make it harder to ask for help.

Sarah openly shares some of the experiences that have shaped her own understanding of resilience, including sexual assault when she was 19 and the loss of her daughter Rowan before she was born. We talk about grief, survival, vulnerability, the emotions we don't always expect to feel and the importance of giving ourselves space to actually feel and process what we've been through.

Sarah shares a powerful analogy; a seed has to sit in the darkness and crack open before it can grow. Perhaps resilience is similar. We don't have to be grateful for the difficult things that happen to us but they become part of our story and can shape the strength and capacity we carry forward.

This conversation left me reflecting on something I think we often forget: when you look at someone who seems incredibly strong or resilient, take a moment to wonder what they may have lived through to become that person.

Resilience isn't something we're born with. It is built, slowly, through what we've experienced, processed and survived.

And sometimes resilience might not be about pushing through at all. It might be about having the capacity to stop, listen and feel.

About Sarah

Sarah Brason is a Grief Navigator, creative entrepreneur and brand strategist who loves exploring the intersection of creativity, resilience and human potential.

She believes that even the hardest experiences can teach us something meaningful and is passionate about helping others embrace who they are and what's possible for them next.

Find Sarah

Website: griefnavigator.co.uk
Instagram: @grief_navigator
LinkedIn: Sarah Brason - Own Your Story

Content note: This episode includes discussion of sexual assault, baby loss and grief.

What if resilience isn't about becoming stronger but becoming more aware?

In this episode of Reframing Resilience, I'm joined by Michele Kruse, coach, facilitator, speaker and management consultant, and founder of Bluestreak Performance.

Michele and I explore the role that awareness, curiosity and choice can play in resilience. We talk about the stories we tell ourselves, assumptions and perceptions, what is within our control and what isn't, asking for help, trust, recovery, and why telling someone they simply need to be "more resilient" can be so unhelpful.

One of the practical ideas that really stayed with me from our conversation was Michele's simple question to create a pause before reacting: is this my perception, or is this fact?

And when I ask Michele for her resilience reframe, one word keeps coming up: choice. Choosing our perspective. Choosing our actions. Choosing recovery. Choosing to ask for help.

This is a conversation about moving away from resilience as simply becoming tougher and towards greater awareness of ourselves, our responses and the choices available to us.

About Michele

Michele Kruse is a coach, facilitator, speaker and management consultant who helps leaders, sales professionals, teams and entrepreneurs improve performance through stronger leadership, influence and communication.

Through Bluestreak Performance, she works with organisations to develop leadership capability, sales effectiveness and high-performing teams, helping people achieve results through others. Michele is also Regional Director for The Athena Network in Lincolnshire and founder of JAM, a creative handmade brand reflecting her passion for creativity and entrepreneurship.

Drawing on behavioural science, psychometric tools and extensive international business experience, Michele combines commercial insight with a practical, people-focused approach to help individuals and organisations navigate change, build trust and perform at their best.

Find Michele:
Bluestreak Performance

What does resilience mean to you?

In this introductory episode of Reframing Resilience I share why a word I once wore as a badge of honour has started to feel very different.

I explore my own experience of being labelled as resilient, why resilience can sometimes feel more like an expectation than a strength, and why I'm particularly interested in the ideas of recovery, adaptability and elasticity.

I don't have the answers. That's exactly why I've started this podcast.

Through a series of honest conversations, I want to explore what resilience means to different people and whether there might be some healthy reframes to explore.

So, what does resilience mean to you?