RESILIENT A.F. with Blair and Alana cover art

RESILIENT A.F. with Blair and Alana

RESILIENT A.F. with Blair and Alana

By: Blair Kaplan Venables
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Welcome to RESILIENT A.F. with Blair and Alana—a podcast that celebrates the incredible strength of the human spirit and the ability to bounce forward. This is the show where we dive headfirst into the raw, real, and unfiltered stories of people who have faced life’s toughest challenges—and come out the other side stronger. In every episode, we explore the complex journey of resilience: the heartbreaks, the breakthroughs, and the triumphs. Whether it’s navigating personal loss, overcoming mental health battles, or finding hope amidst chaos, RESILIENT A.F. is a safe space to connect with others who have been there. Blair and Alana bring a unique mix of candid storytelling, heartfelt empathy, and expert insights, shining a light on the untold stories of grit and growth. With inspiring guest interviews and conversations with mental health professionals, each episode is designed to empower you to bounce forward, no matter what life throws your way. Why listen? 1. Relatable Stories: Hear real people share their journeys of resilience in their own words. 2. Expert Advice: Gain tools, tips, and insights from mental health experts to support your own healing and growth. 3. Empowerment: Leave each episode feeling inspired, hopeful, and ready to tackle life’s challenges head-on. But we’re not here to sugarcoat it—resilience isn’t always pretty. It’s messy, it’s painful, and it’s profoundly human. We’re here to remind you that while life can knock you down, it also offers the chance to rise again, stronger than before. ⚠️ 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. If you’re ready to find hope, strength, and the courage to keep moving forward, hit play and join us on this powerful journey. Because no matter what life throws your way, you are RESILIENT A.F. Subscribe now and keep on strengthening your resilience muscle today.Copyright 2026 Blair Kaplan Venables Hygiene & Healthy Living Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Dear Eleven-Year-Old Me with Stacy Schaffer | 080

    Dear Eleven-Year-Old Me with Stacy Schaffer | 080
    May 19 2026
    Stacy Schaffer had a traumatic childhood filled with abuse and neglect, and her mom, her only living relative, died from breast cancer when she was 22.This is her story and she is RESILIENT A.F.Buy the books: https://theglobalresilienceproject.com/books/About the Guest:Stacy Schaffer, MA, LPC, a dedicated children’s therapist in Arvada, Colorado, has more than twenty years of experience. Specializing in grief and anxiety, she creates a safe space for healing. She loves surfing, kickboxing, reading, quality time with friends and her golden retriever/therapy dog Willow. With Love from a Children's Therapist is her first book, and she hopes people feel both seen and heard in the pages.Links:http://authorstacyschaffer.com/ https://www.instagram.com/hoperestored?igsh=ZDcwaG5rZ21reGoz&utm_source=qr⚠️ 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.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/blairdkaplan https://www.facebook.com/blair.kaplan https://www.facebook.com/BlairKaplanCommunications https://www.instagram.com/globalresiliencecommunityhttps://www.instagram.com/blairfromblairland/https://www.facebook.com/globalresiliencecommunity https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-global-resilience-project blair@blairkaplan.ca 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.Thanks for listening!Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section belowSubscribe to the podcastIf you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or on yourfavorite podcast app. Leave us an Apple Podcasts review.Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review.
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    29 mins
  • From the Jaws of Life to a Life of Gratitude: How Jennie Edwards Turned Trauma Into Transformation | 079

    From the Jaws of Life to a Life of Gratitude: How Jennie Edwards Turned Trauma Into Transformation | 079
    May 12 2026
    What happens when a Thanksgiving road trip becomes a life-altering accident and you have to walk back onto a college campus days later, cane in hand, with no mental health support? TEDx speaker and brand storyteller Jennie Edwards answers that question with honesty, hard-won wisdom, and a daily gratitude practice that changed everything.What you'll learn in this episodeWhat it's really like to be pulled from a car with the jaws of life and how to move forwardHow trauma shows up in the body long after physical injuries heal (somatic responses, driving anxiety)The difference between being hyper-aware and being consumed by anxiety and why the language you use mattersJennie's morning gratitude ritual: morning visualization, an "easy button," and celebrating small wins dailyWhy sharing your story, however messy, is one of the most powerful ways to help others healThis is Jennie’s story, and she is RESILIENT A.F.Subscribe to our Substack: https://theglobalresilienceproject.substack.com/Buy our books: https://theglobalresilienceproject.com/books/About the Guest:Jennie Edwards is a Brand Visionary Storyteller, Photographer/Videographer, and TEDx speaker who empowers people to show up confidently and authentically on camera. As the best-selling author of Empowered You, she inspires readers to activate their Best Self and live a magnetic, fulfilled life.With a blend of creative strategy and contagious energy, Jennie helps entrepreneurs and brands express their message through powerful visual storytelling to build trust and magnetize more clients online.Off-camera, she’s affectionately known as “Joyful Jennie,” juggling business, impact, and motherhood with humor, heart, and a coffee in hand.Links: https://www.facebook.com/GuidedByImagination/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennieedwards/IG: https://www.instagram.com/Guided.By.Imagination/TT: www.tiktok.com/@joyfuljenniestockPodcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/guided-by-imagination/id1862883096Free gift: 30 Minute Spark Call to ignite ideas into reality! Jennie provides video production and photography services for entrepreneurs, events, and brands in San Diego and across the globe. Whether you're launching a new product or elevating your brand, reach out to explore how we can bring your story to life.Curious about creating videos that inspire, connect, and convert?You don’t have to have everything figured out. Jennie can help you spark new ideas!If you’re feeling called to share your message more boldly, gain clarity around your visibility, or explore what’s possible through video and storytelling, you’re in the right place: https://guidedbyimagination.com/contact/⚠️ 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.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/blairdkaplan https://www.facebook.com/blair.kaplan https://www.facebook.com/BlairKaplanCommunications https://www.instagram.com/globalresiliencecommunityhttps://www.instagram.com/blairfromblairland/https://www.facebook.com/globalresiliencecommunity https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-global-resilience-project blair@blairkaplan.ca 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 ...
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    31 mins
  • From Breaking Point to Breakthrough: Tracy Doyle on the Aurora Method, Burnout Recovery, and Why You Are Not Broken | 079

    From Breaking Point to Breakthrough: Tracy Doyle on the Aurora Method, Burnout Recovery, and Why You Are Not Broken | 079
    May 5 2026
    What do you do when you have built “the career,” checked all the boxes, and still feel completely empty? In this powerful episode of Resilient A.F., cohost Blair sits down with Tracy Doyle, author of Life Storms: Finding Your Clear Sky and creator of the Aurora Method, for a raw and honest conversation about hitting rock bottom, rewiring your core beliefs, and rebuilding your life from the inside out. Tracy's story is not just inspiring. It is a roadmap.Episode HighlightsTracy grew up as the family caretaker, navigating her mother's mental illness and her stepfather's alcoholism from a very young age. She shares how those early experiences planted the core belief that she did not belong, and how that belief quietly drove her choices for decades.In December 1999, Tracy reached her lowest point. She opens up about her suicide attempt and the unexpected moment that followed, which became her first real lesson in putting herself first rather than sacrificing herself for everyone else.Tracy walks through her remarkable career journey, from working three jobs to pay for college to eventually becoming a CEO in the pharmaceutical industry, and why reaching the top still left her feeling lost.She introduces the Aurora Method, a four-step framework she developed to help women identify burnout, dismantle negative thought patterns, and create lasting emotional change. The method combines belief work, practical exercises, manifestation, and movement, including Tracy's love of dancing as a healing tool.Blair shares her own experience of apathy and emotional numbness at age 36 following multiple personal losses, and talks candidly about why seeking medical help and medication was a turning point for her.Tracy describes her coaching offerings, including one-on-one sessions and group programs through the Aurora Method Academy, and the power of community connection in the recovery process.The episode closes with Tracy's message to any woman who feels empty despite outward success: you are not broken, you are brave.This is Tracy’s story, and she is RESILIENT A.F.Subscribe to our Substack: https://theglobalresilienceproject.substack.com/Buy our books: https://theglobalresilienceproject.com/books/About the Guest:Tracy Doyle is an award-winning entrepreneur, author of Life Storms: Finding Your Clear Sky, and creator of the Aurora Method. Her journey from a childhood shaped by trauma and instability to award-winning CEO to resilience coach is proof that our deepest wounds can become our greatest purpose.A former CEO turned emotional wellness advocate, Tracy helps women uncover what's driving their emotional burnout, break through the patterns keeping them stuck, and move from feeling disconnected to reconnected. The first in her family to graduate from college with a degree in psychology and counseling, she built a multimillion-dollar company before reaching her own breaking point — one that became the catalyst for her transformation and a purpose-driven mission to help women overcome emotional burnout and heal the relationships fractured by it.Links: www.tracydoyle.lifeIG: https://www.instagram.com/tracydoyle.life/FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61569971194280LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracy-doyle-aurora-co/⚠️ 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.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/blairdkaplan https://www.facebook.com/blair.kaplan https://www.facebook.com/BlairKaplanCommunications https://www.instagram.com/globalresiliencecommunityhttps://www.instagram.com/blairfromblairland/https://...
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    34 mins
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