Brilliantly Resilient

"Great leadership starts by leading with a mindset that's scalable—being willing to see things bigger. What would this look like if...?"

~ Ivy Slater, CEO of Slater Success and Author of Best of the Best: Lead Boldly, Scale Rapidly, Create Your Legacy

What does the word "scalable" mean to you?

If you are an entrepreneur, or work with an organization seeking to build (aren't we all?), the word "scalable" should motivate and inspire. Yet, "scalable" also holds some weight, and can be intimidating.

Slater Success CEO and author Ivy Slater reminds us that all businesses are scalable. And if the word intimidates, Ivy says, "Scaling is intimidating to you? Throw the word out. Just say: I'm going to grow." Grow. Yes; that we can do.

Ivy reminds us that growth takes intention, flexibility, the willingness to pause, reevaluate and accept that scaling often comes not in giant leaps but in grounded, thoughtful steps. 

One of the most basic steps is intentional alignment with values-driven leadership, thus providing a strong foundation for present and future growth. Followed by imperfect but intentional action, scaling becomes a manageable process that also begins to create a legacy for a sustainable, growth-oriented organization. Ivy also reminds us to build relationships--one former client returned to her years later with a new project based upon their past relationship.

Values, tribe, imperfect intentional action--all foundations of the Brilliantly Resilient method, useful in business and in life.

Be sure to pick up your copy of Best of the Best: Lead Boldly, Scale Rapidly, Create Your Legacy. Tune into this week's episode of the Brilliantly Resilient podcast to hear more of Ivy's wisdom and be sure to listen for these additional bits of Brilliance: 

• "When you're faced with an obstacle and you're just looking at the obstacle, it doesn't disappear."

Let's be Brilliantly Resilient together!

XO,

Mary Fran

~Dr. Joan Palmiter Bajorek AI Expert and Author of: Your AI Roadmap: Actions to Expand Your Career, Money and Joy"

Are you afraid of AI? 

Artificial Intelligence has long been the stuff of science fiction, with the "artificial" becoming real and taking over the world. Yikes. But AI is here to stay, and according to AI expert, Dr. Joan Palmiter Bajorek, there ways to both utilize this amazing tool to work and live more efficiently and effectively, as well as to prepare for the changes, particularly in our work lives, that are to come.

In her book, Your AI Roadmap: Actions to Expand Your Career, Monay and Joy, Dr. Bajorek speaks directly to the fear and uncertainty that many professionals feel as AI transforms the job landscape. Yes, it can be scary, but AI also offers tremendous opportunities. Her first tip: get curious about AI. Acknowledge what's happening and play. 

Play? Yes. Simply opening Chat GPT or trying AI with a friend can not only decrease anxiety, but shift the mindset from fear to learning and intention. 

Further, it's essential to elevate your own profile or brand to become well known for your skill set--and AI can help to create a powerful online profile. It's also important to recognize that human relationships are still a major part of finding opportunities. Dr. Bajorek cites that 70% of post-COVID job seekers landed their next role through personal introductions—not job boards. Take control of your own narrative and actively engage with relationship building while utilizing AI as a tool. And AI is a tool, not a replacement. Humans still bring the creativity, strategy and discernment behind the machine. 

Here at Brilliantly Resilient, we recognize the value of imperfect action--the playing in this scenario--to learn and build confidence. Play, and use AI as a tool to grow, enhancing your value and impact as we all move forward in this strange new world. Tune into this episode of the Brilliantly Resilient podcast for more of Dr. Bajorek's wisdom and listen for these additional bits of Brilliance:

• "We don't have to be alone… Maybe you do it with a friend. Honestly, just having community around it—we don't have to be alone."

Let's be Brilliantly Resilient together!

XO,

Mary Fran

~ Ash Beckham, Everyday Leadership Coach, Inclusion Activist, TEDx Speaker and Author of Step Up: How to Live with Courage and Become an Everyday Leader

Ash Beckham believes that the hardest thing you've ever done is valid simply because it was hard for you. Her approach encourages people to strip away comparison around struggle and instead recognize the commonality of the human experience--we all struggle.

When we remember that whatever we are doing in relation to others, we are interacting with another human first, we create common ground, without judgement, allowing for greater communication, conversation, and progress in our work and personal lives. By immediately establishing empathy and recognizing the human experience as one we all share, we also create opportunities to lead, whether in a professional or personal capacity.

Rooted in eight specific pillars (empathy, responsibility courage, grace, individuality, humor, patience, and authenticity), Ash's straigtforward leadership model focuses on understanding the humans we encounter, building leadership that isn't about controlling, but rather elevating collective strength. It's a reminder of the importance of the Brilliantly Resilient focus on building a tribe, which is much simpler and effective when we begin by recognizing the commonality of who we all are. 

Here at Brilliantly Resilient, we believe everyone has their own Brilliance, just as Ash believes that anyone who shows up with compassion and courage has the potential to lead. By substituting curiosity for judgement, we not only reveal our own Brilliance, but also create space for others to shine. 

Be sure to check out Step Up: How to Live with Courage and Become an Everyday Leader. Tune into this week's episode of the Brilliantly Resilient podcast to hear more of Ash's wisdom and be sure to listen for these additional bits of Brilliance:

• Anybody from the Fortune 50 CEO to the bench warmer on the 7th grade basketball team has the power to lead in the way they show up every day. They just have to realize that they have that power.

Let's be Brilliantly Resilient together!

XO,

Mary Fran

~ Jay Armstrong

Author of A Good Calamity: Useful Essays and Poems on Living with a Disability

Are you struggling to accept something hard in your life? Are you even thinking about acceptance, or are you still fighting the hard truth?

Jay Armstrong was diagnosed with ataxia (a degenerative disease of the brain and nervous system) in 2013, shortly after the birth of his youngest son. The disease affects Jay's movement, balance and speech, among other things.

Jay notes that accepting his disease has been a challenge, but one that has helped him build lasting resilience. "You have to own your struggles," Jay says. "I no longer put my handicapped devices in the closet. I keep them out and say, 'This is who I am.'" (Jay has also named his walking cane Clark Able. Hahahaha!)

As we often say in Brilliantly Resilient, owning our struggles not only builds resilience, but allows us to let go of what "should be," to make room for what "could be." In Jay's case, he "should not have been" stricken with ataxia, but it is his reality. Once we accept our reality, we're better able to determine what "could be" possible and take small, incremental steps to rebuild.

Jay's new book A Good Calamity: Useful Essays and Poems on Living with a Disability, is the fourth book in his journey on living with his disease and its effect on his life and that of his family. It's funny, moving, and a testament to hard won resilience and wisdom. 

Tune in to hear more of Jay's wisdom on this week's episode of the Brilliantly Resilient podcast, and be sure to listen for these additional bits of Brilliance:

• Hard won wisdom doesn't come easy, but it comes honest.

 Let's be Brilliantly Resilient together!

XO,

Mary Fran

~ Meg Gluth, Owner & CEO, Catalynt Solutions, Inc. 

Meg Gluth knows about the "critical importance of compassion, empathy, and resilience" in leadership.

Growing up in poverty in rural Iowa, Meg's challenges eventually drove her to turn to alcohol as an "inappropriate coping mechanism" as she navigated the turbulent waters of young adulthood. Despite her alcohol addiction, Meg finished college after 7 years (she was kicked out of her first college), and was admitted to law school--with no way to pay for it.

A remarkable act of kindness and faith changed Meg's outlook on life when the father of a friend co-signed Meg's loans and allowed her to pursue her goal. Still a functional alcoholic and despite more devastating hardships, Meg got sober in 2011, and began working for the company she would one day own and become CEO. Meg now leads Catalynt Solutions, Inc., one of the largest certified women-owned chemical suppliers in North America.

Meg's experiences taught her that "Life is a full contact sport," but she still believes there is room in leadership for kindness and empathy--along with the necessary accountability. Meg believes that holding her employees accountable while respecting their humanity encourages everyone to not only own their mistakes, but grow into being part of the solution to challenges. 

Here at Brilliantly Resilient, we know the importance of accepting responsibility and being accountable for our mistakes, as well claiming our wins. Growth and evolution happen when we realize that as humans, we will always have seasons of success and failure, but we can live and lead with kindness and grace through both. 

Check out Meg's website  for more and tune into this week's episode of the Brilliantly Resilient podcast to hear more of Meg's wisdom. Be sure to listen for these additional bits of brilliance:

• Life is a full contact sport and our acceptance of that is sort of one of the key defining moments. I accept the full contact nature of the sport and I accept the discomfort.

Let's be Brilliantly Resilient together! 

(And click here to buy your copy of From Broken to Brilliant: How to Live a Brilliantly Resilient Life, by me!!)

XO,

Mary Fran

"Be involved in both your business and personal finances. 80% of women will die single. At some point in your life you are going to have to manage your finances. A man is not a financial plan."

Are you in financial survival mode? Many women are. It's a mindset trap that many women, especially female entrepreneurs, can fall into. But it's possible to make the shift from survival mode to lasting wealth.

Audrey Faust is the best-selling author of She Grows Rich. Audrey notes that "money is emotionally charged for women," often keeping them from approaching finances strategically, or ignoring finances all together. 

With simple, achievable, step-by-step strategies, Audrey helps women create confidence and empowerment around personal and business finances. She guides women on creating a financial blueprint, which she notes is different than a budget, as it lets women decide where their money goes and where they want to see it grow. By encouraging women to take charge of their finances and invest in themselves and their businesses, Audrey uses "reverse engineering" to help clarify action steps towards financial security and success. She also reminds entrepreneurs to charge what they're worth! (And why is that so hard????)

Here at Brilliantly Resilient, we know that education and action are essential to creating successful, fulfilling professional and personal lives. Further, in order to establish financial security and confidence, women need to take responsibility for themselves and their futures. 

To help you start on your journey to financial empowerment, Audrey is offering a free download titled 12 Secrets from and Expert CFO. Get your copy here, and order your copy of She Grows Rich here.

Tune into this week's episode of the Brilliantly Resilient podcast to hear more of Audrey's wisdom and be sure to listen for these additional bits of Brilliance:

• Mindset and financial strategies are the best combination for women and money.

Let's be Brilliantly Resilient together!

(And click here to buy your copy of From Broken to Brilliant: How to Live a Brilliantly Resilient Life, by me!!)

XO,

Mary Fran

Is your brain keeping you in pain? The emotional responses we have to trauma--which often stay with us--can trigger the brain to continue to send a physical pain response in our bodies.

Huh? Isn't pain caused by a physical issue in the body? Well, yes. Unless it isn't.

Patty Tashiro experienced a mother's nightmare when her daughter and her husband were rear-ended by a speeding car--and Patty, on the phone with her daughter, heard the whole thing. 

Patty's daughter, 10 at the time, had a severe brain bleed, but miraculously survived her injuries. Yet, despite her body healing from obvious physical injury, Patty's daughter continued to suffer from debilitating pain, confounding doctors.  

Finding no help from traditional physicians (One doctor told Patty that if her daughter "wasn't barfing, she should be in school,") Patty began researching and discovered Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, which utilizes the brain's ability to "rewire" itself (neuroplasticity) to help those suffering to reprocess trauma and reduce the brain's reaction--thus lessening chronic pain. Patty continued exploring similar options and is now certified in brain health coaching and Pain Reprocessing Therapy.  

Clearly, seeking alternative help for her daughter required Patty to change her thinking and be willing to look at things differently. Here at Brilliantly Reseilient, we refer to seeing the world through a different "lens," being open to new ideas, experiences and opportunities to grow--and heal.

To learn more, visit Patty's website and tune in to this week's episode of the Brilliantly Resilient podcast for these additional bits of wisdom:

• What is the brain's role in perpetuating pain?

You can heal. And you can become Brilliantly Resilient. Let's be Brilliantly Resilient together!

XO,

Mary Fran

~ Toby Mildon, Author of Inclusive Growth: Future-proof Your Business by Creating a Diverse Workspace, and Building Inclusivity: Making Your Workplace Equitable, Diverse and Inclusive

How many people in the world are exactly like you? EXACTLY like you, no differences.

The answer is no one. Every single person, because of countless factors including genetics, personal experiences, education, inherent skills--the list is endless--is unique. 

Toby Mildon, author and DEI expert, notes that when we broaden our definition of diversity to include everyone's unique skills and circumstances, and provide access in our workplaces for all to succeed, we "can increase creativity and innovation and problem solving because you have people with different perspectives and experiences."

A wheelchair user for his entire life, Toby notes his personal experience with diversity, but also suggests that we must begin to think about other, less obvious aspects of diversity. Toby suggests that one of the keys to making DEI all-inclusive is finding commonalities and synergies between different groups. Toby says: "When we stop labeling groups and identifying them by a particular issue and realize everyone has the issue to some degree, implementing changes can benefit everyone in an organization," --a unifying benefit of DEI that uplifts the entire organization.

At Brilliantly Resilient, we recognize the benefits of diversity and inclusion, both on a large scale and within our own lives. Seeking out others with different experiences, perspectives and talents helps us learn, grow and evolve--a key to living a Brilliantly Resilient life.

Learn more about Toby on his website, and find his books here. Tune in for more of Toby's wisdom on this week's episode of the Brilliantly Resilient podcast, and be sure to listen for these additional bits of Brilliance:

• I've been on a Diversity and Inclusion journey myself. I've been a wheelchair user all my life. I have personal experience with diversity.... We have to be thinking about other aspects of diversity.

Let's be Brilliantly Resilient together!

XO,

Mary Fran

Christina Sorenson was in 15 different foster care homes from ages five to fifteen. Separated from her sister and eventually adopted at age fifteen, Christina has made it her life's work to provide legal and supportive aid for children and young adults in foster care.

An attorney at TeamChild in Seattle, WA, Christina has thoughtfully incorporated her own life experiences into her mission, bringing compassion, empathy and insights into the struggles of those in a foster system that frequently denies them a voice. 

Being a "foster kid" is often deeply traumatic, and this trauma can have a lasting effect, especially on a child. According to Christina, statistics show that kids in foster care experience PTSD at twice the rate of veterans who served in active combat. Having little to no personal agency to fight for themselves, kids in foster care can be further traumatized and therefore must rely on others to step in to advocate for them.

Creating a supportive tribe is one of the bedrocks of living a Brilliantly Resilient life. As adults, we can cultivate relationships on our own, but it is our personal responsibility to assist and protect the young people in our communities who may have no one to help their voices be heard.

Community engagement is essential to healthy lives both as individuals and as part of a group. One of the simplest ways to engage, according to Christina, is to become an empathetic listener and respect the voices of our children, thus becoming part of the solution.

Tune into this week's episode of the Brilliantly Resilient podcast to learn more about Christina's important work and for tips about how to get involved. Be sure to listen for these additional bits of Christina's Brilliance:

• Integrating it (my experience) into my identiy now as a part of who I am is exactly how I can bring that lived experience and perspective and empathy...it allows me to listen to others and their experiences in a different way.

Reach out to Christina at: [email protected]. Let's be Brilliantly Resilient together!

XO,

Mary Fran

~ Christine Eberle, Author: Finding God Along the Way

"Be where you are on the way to where you want to be going." Um...huh?

The above sounds like a riddle, doesn't it? Then again, isn't life a kind of riddle we try to figure out every day?

Christine Eberle, author of Finding God Along the Way, decided to seek clarity in answering life's riddle by undertaking a journey--literally and figuratively--as she and her husband walked the Camino of St. Ignatius Loyola in 2022.

For the uninitiated, the Camino (there are two--one of St. James and one of St. Ignatius), is a walking pilgrimage along the paths travelled by the saints as they experienced their conversions and deepened their relationship with God. In modern times, walking the Camino is a journey of discovery and peace undertaken by those seeking the same.

Those who travel the Camino consider themselves pilgrims--traveling the journey for spiritual growth and learning. Often, more human connections are formed as well, as Christine discovered. Undertaking the 676,000 step trek (with accompanying pain every day), Christine wanted to learn to live life "with a pilgrim's heart," meaning "We have a destination, and the destination is fixed, but we are very present to where we are in the given moment," Christine explains.

In Brilliantly Resilient terms, this translates to several core concepts: Do not be married to outcomes, and let go of what "should be" to make room for what "could be." As we plan our life journeys and our desired outcomes, we must be willing to evolve. Do what you have to do but be willing to let the moments evolve as you move, perhaps slowly, towards where you want to be. Christine found some of her most moving experiences were with those who helped her in her vulnerable moments during the days she was forced to rest--not part of her plan.

As we walk into 2025, consider your own journey with intention. Determine your destination, but allow for growth and change--and perhaps open yourself to some spiritual guidance along the way.

Learn more about Christine Eberle here, get the book, and be sure to tune into this week's podcast and listen for these additional bits of Brilliance:

• It's being fixed. Having your destination fixed, but also being very present to exactly where you are. The goal in pilgrimage is to be where you are on the way to where you know your want to be going.

Let's be Brilliantly Resilient together!

XO,

Mary Fran