In this episode, Blair Kaplan Venables and Alana Kaplan pull back the curtain on what life looks like when creativity, grief, business, and resilience all collide at once.

The conversation starts in heavier territory. Blair and Alana reflect on the devastating attack at a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney, Australia, and talk openly about what it means to hold grief, fear, and resilience at the same time. They explore the emotional weight of being Jewish right now, the meaning of Hanukkah in moments like this, and the exhaustion that comes from staying strong while the world feels increasingly unsafe. There is honesty here about fatigue, mental health, and the importance of checking in on yourself and each other when everything feels like a lot.

Then, the mood lifts as they celebrate a major win: the recent New York book launch of RESILIENT A.F. Skin Deep Stories. They recap the Times Square billboard moment, the overwhelming community support, the energy of being together in person, and what it means to see a project rooted in resilience land so powerfully. They also share what’s coming next, including future publishing plans, a waitlist for the next tattoo book, and ideas for expanding the RESILIENT A.F. clothing line and other ventures.

This episode is part life update, part grief processing, part creative strategy session, and part reminder that resilience isn’t about doing it all perfectly. It’s about showing up honestly, supporting your people, and continuing to build even when things feel heavy.

If you’re navigating big feelings, big projects, or both at the same time, this one will feel like a deep exhale.

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

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

RESILIENT A.F. Skin Deep Stories waitlist: https://theglobalresilienceproject.com/share-your-story-tattoo-waitlist/

⚠️ 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.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/blairdkaplan 

https://www.facebook.com/blair.kaplan 

https://www.facebook.com/BlairKaplanCommunications  

https://www.instagram.com/globalresiliencecommunity

https://www.instagram.com/blairfromblairland/

https://www.facebook.com/globalresiliencecommunity  

https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-global-resilience-project 

[email protected] 

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.

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