For 27 years in the Coast Guard, I thought resilience meant doing it alone. I was the person everyone came to for help, not the person who asked for it. I believed needing support was a weakness, and in my world, weakness could be dangerous.

Then my career fell apart in 2018, and I discovered something that changed everything: the strongest people aren't those who never need help. They're the ones who know how to build and maintain relationships that sustain them through life's toughest challenges.

In this episode, we're going to design your personal support ecosystem. You'll learn the seven essential roles that every strong network needs, how to build meaningful relationships strategically, and most importantly, how to receive support without guilt or shame.

This isn't about collecting contacts. This is about creating a community that makes you stronger, more resilient, and more human.

What You'll Learn

· Why resilience is a team sport, not a solo mission

· The seven essential roles your support network needs to function

· How to map your current network and identify critical gaps

· A strategic five-step framework for building meaningful relationships

· The Power Pause moment that will shift how you ask for help

· How to maintain your network so it's strong when you need it most

· Actionable steps you can take this week to strengthen your support system

Key Moments

The Wake-Up Call: The conversation with my daughter that made me realize I was breaking my own rules about being stronger together.

The Seven Roles: Cheerleaders, Truth-Tellers, Mentors, Peers, Specialists, the Fun Brigade, and Spiritual Supporters. Which ones are missing from your network?

The Power Pause™ Moment: A guided reflection to help you identify what support you actually need and what's blocking you from asking for it.

The Strategic Framework: Five concrete steps to build a support network that actually works for your life and goals.

Why This Matters

You can't transform alone. You can't build a business alone. You can't overcome challenges alone. And you shouldn't have to.

The people who achieve the most aren't the ones with the fewest problems. They're the ones with the strongest networks. They're the ones brave enough to ask for help. They're the ones who understand that vulnerability is a strength, not a weakness.

This episode is about giving you permission to stop carrying everything by yourself and start building the community that will carry you through transformation.

Remember

Asking for support isn't a sign that you're not strong enough. It's a sign that you're wise enough to know that we're all stronger together.

Be Strategic. Be Strong. Be Unstoppable.