What if being resilient isn't about managing everything yourself but recognising when you need support?

In this episode of Reframing Resilience, Liz is joined by Shannon Holdstock to explore the emotional impact of constantly keeping going and why asking for help can be a strength rather than a weakness.

As a business owner and mum of two, Shannon knows how easily the demands of work, family and everyday life can become overwhelming. She shares her experience of a particularly challenging period when she found herself in survival mode, continuing to do everything that needed doing while emotionally struggling.

Together, Liz and Shannon explore:

• The difference between getting through something and feeling resilient

• How stress can build when we move from one responsibility to the next without pausing

• Why self-care shouldn't become another job on our to-do list

• The importance of recognising and expressing our emotions

• Why asking for help can feel so difficult

• The value of support networks, boundaries and connection

• How gratitude can help us find perspective during challenging times

Shannon's resilience reframe brings the conversation back to boundaries, mindset and recognising that we cannot do everything ourselves.

Perhaps resilience isn't simply about how much we can cope with but about recognising what we need to help us through.

About Shannon

Shannon Holdstock is a Property Finder at Starris Property. Alongside running her business and managing clients, she balances the demands of family life with two young children and a dog.

Drawing on her own experiences, Shannon brings an open and relatable perspective to the pressures of modern life and the importance of making space to pause, reset and look after ourselves.

Find Shannon

Website: https://www.starris.co.uk

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/starris_property/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/starrisproperty

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sholdstock/

What has someone had to live through to become the person we now describe as resilient?

In this episode of Reframing Resilience I'm joined by Sarah Brason, Grief Navigator, creative entrepreneur and brand strategist.

Sarah and I explore what it really means to be seen as strong and resilient and the experiences that can sit behind those labels.

We talk about the burden that can come with being “the strong one”, why appearing resilient doesn't mean we aren't struggling and how being seen as capable can sometimes make it harder to ask for help.

Sarah openly shares some of the experiences that have shaped her own understanding of resilience, including sexual assault when she was 19 and the loss of her daughter Rowan before she was born. We talk about grief, survival, vulnerability, the emotions we don't always expect to feel and the importance of giving ourselves space to actually feel and process what we've been through.

Sarah shares a powerful analogy; a seed has to sit in the darkness and crack open before it can grow. Perhaps resilience is similar. We don't have to be grateful for the difficult things that happen to us but they become part of our story and can shape the strength and capacity we carry forward.

This conversation left me reflecting on something I think we often forget: when you look at someone who seems incredibly strong or resilient, take a moment to wonder what they may have lived through to become that person.

Resilience isn't something we're born with. It is built, slowly, through what we've experienced, processed and survived.

And sometimes resilience might not be about pushing through at all. It might be about having the capacity to stop, listen and feel.

About Sarah

Sarah Brason is a Grief Navigator, creative entrepreneur and brand strategist who loves exploring the intersection of creativity, resilience and human potential.

She believes that even the hardest experiences can teach us something meaningful and is passionate about helping others embrace who they are and what's possible for them next.

Find Sarah

Website: griefnavigator.co.uk
Instagram: @grief_navigator
LinkedIn: Sarah Brason - Own Your Story

Content note: This episode includes discussion of sexual assault, baby loss and grief.

What if resilience isn't about becoming stronger but becoming more aware?

In this episode of Reframing Resilience, I'm joined by Michele Kruse, coach, facilitator, speaker and management consultant, and founder of Bluestreak Performance.

Michele and I explore the role that awareness, curiosity and choice can play in resilience. We talk about the stories we tell ourselves, assumptions and perceptions, what is within our control and what isn't, asking for help, trust, recovery, and why telling someone they simply need to be "more resilient" can be so unhelpful.

One of the practical ideas that really stayed with me from our conversation was Michele's simple question to create a pause before reacting: is this my perception, or is this fact?

And when I ask Michele for her resilience reframe, one word keeps coming up: choice. Choosing our perspective. Choosing our actions. Choosing recovery. Choosing to ask for help.

This is a conversation about moving away from resilience as simply becoming tougher and towards greater awareness of ourselves, our responses and the choices available to us.

About Michele

Michele Kruse is a coach, facilitator, speaker and management consultant who helps leaders, sales professionals, teams and entrepreneurs improve performance through stronger leadership, influence and communication.

Through Bluestreak Performance, she works with organisations to develop leadership capability, sales effectiveness and high-performing teams, helping people achieve results through others. Michele is also Regional Director for The Athena Network in Lincolnshire and founder of JAM, a creative handmade brand reflecting her passion for creativity and entrepreneurship.

Drawing on behavioural science, psychometric tools and extensive international business experience, Michele combines commercial insight with a practical, people-focused approach to help individuals and organisations navigate change, build trust and perform at their best.

Find Michele:
Bluestreak Performance