Resilience Is a Muscle by Laurie Carey launches April 21, 2026 — preorder now on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Steve Palmer built Indigo Road Hospitality from one restaurant in 2009 to a nationally recognized group spanning eight states — but the real story starts long before that. In this episode, Steve shares how losing his father and grandfather as a child, surviving addiction, and finding purpose through service shaped both his life and his leadership. He and Laurie dig into recovery, people-first culture, the founding of Ben’s Friends, and why resilience isn’t something you’re born with — it’s something you build.

Episode Timestamps:

0:00 — Introduction & welcome

0:22 — Meet Steve Palmer — Indigo Road Hospitality & four-time James Beard semifinalist

1:07 — What does resilience mean to you? Steve opens up about childhood trauma and the power of faith

3:35 — It’s a mindset — surviving jails, IV drug use, and homelessness by believing something better was possible

5:57 — Steve’s story: losing his father, his grandfather, and being on his own at 12

9:15 — How the restaurant industry saved his life — and how addiction nearly took it

11:01 — The founding of Ben’s Friends: sobriety support for restaurant workers, now in 24 cities

19:48 — People-first culture at Indigo Road — free mental health counseling, home loans, and hiring for emotional qualities

29:19 — Servant leadership, staying curious, and why leadership is a privilege, not a title

37:25 — Is society losing resilience? Laurie and Steve on what it will take to build it back

About Steve Palmer:

Steve Palmer is the Founder, Managing Partner, and Chief Vision Officer of Indigo Road Hospitality Group, which he grew from one restaurant in 2009 to a nationally recognized hospitality company spanning eight states with 2,500 employees. A four-time James Beard Award semifinalist, Steve is also the author of Saving Grace (Forbes Books) and the co-founder of Ben’s Friends, a sobriety support network for restaurant industry professionals now active in 24 cities.

Connect & Resources:

• Steve Palmer: Indigo Road Hospitality — theindigoroad.com
• Ben’s Friends (sobriety support for restaurant workers): bensfriendshope.com
• Book: Saving Grace by Steve Palmer — available on Amazon
• Website: resilienceisamuscle.com
• Nonprofit: We Connect The Dots — weconnectthedots.org
• Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts
• Watch all episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nebulaacademy2702
• Share this episode with someone who needs it — be the domino that starts a resilience revolution

Every comeback started with a setback. Resilience is a muscle — you build it one rep at a time.

Resilience Is a Muscle by Laurie Carey launches April 21, 2026 — preorder now on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

What does it actually take to move forward when life knocks you down — not the Instagram version, but the real one? That's the question at the heart of Resilience Is a Muscle, and it's the question Laurie Carey has spent her life answering.

In this intro episode, Laurie shares the personal story that shaped everything — losing her father to suicide at age five, watching her mother raise four kids alone, and the one rule that carried them through: no such words as "can't." That belief became a career. That career became a book. And now, it's a podcast.

The science is clear: resilience isn't a personality trait you're born with. It's a skill you build — one rep at a time. Your brain is designed to keep you alive, not to make you successful. Once you understand that, you stop fighting yourself and start building.

This Season's Guests:

• Steve Palmer — Founder of Indigo Road Hospitality & author of Saving Grace — on recovery, leadership, and people-first culture.
• Drew Burdick — The future of work and building resilience in a world that's changing fast.
• Sara Olin — Wellness in the workplace — the conversation most companies are still avoiding.
• Sheila Maitland — Clinical therapist on addiction, estrangement, and what it truly takes to reconnect.
• A special episode on parenting — because that's where resilience begins.

Key Takeaway:

Every episode ends with one thing you can use today — not inspiration, but something real. Resilience is a muscle. You build it one rep at a time.

About Your Host:

Laurie Carey is an author, educator, CEO, and resilience coach with over 40 years in technology and business, including a decade at Microsoft. A Harvard Business School alumna and certified neuroscience-based coach, she is the Founder & CEO of Nebula Academy and founder of We Connect The Dots, Inc. — a nonprofit building real career pathways in tech for those who haven't always had access to opportunity. Resilience Is a Muscle is her debut book.

Connect & Resources:

• Website: resilienceisamuscle.com
• Nonprofit: We Connect The Dots — weconnectthedots.org
• Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts
• Watch all episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nebulaacademy2702
• Share this episode with someone who needs it — be the domino that starts a resilience revolution.

Every comeback started with a setback. Resilience is a muscle — you build it one rep at a time.