RESILIENT A.F. with Blair and Alana cover art

RESILIENT A.F. with Blair and Alana

RESILIENT A.F. with Blair and Alana

Written 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
  • 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
  • Living Boldly: How Erica Bazerkanian Turned Her Father's Spinal Cord Stroke Into a Movement | 077

    Living Boldly: How Erica Bazerkanian Turned Her Father's Spinal Cord Stroke Into a Movement | 077
    Apr 28 2026
    What happens when a healthy, vibrant doctor collapses one day and is diagnosed with one of the rarest neurological events medicine knows — a spinal cord stroke? For Erica Bazerkanian, co-founder and CEO of Bold&Zeal, it became the defining moment that would reshape her entire life.In this deeply moving episode, Erica shares the story of her father Jeff Stone — a beloved podiatrist, lifelong fitness enthusiast, and "joke-a-minute" dad — who suffered a rare spinal cord stroke in June 2016, leaving him fully paralyzed between his C2 and C3 vertebrae. What followed was five months of bedside vigils, lip-reading conversations, family memories shared on a screen, and ultimately, one of the hardest goodbyes imaginable.But out of that grief came something extraordinary.Erica went on to raise over $225,000 for the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation by running marathons — building a team called "Iam Stone" in her father's honour. And in 2025, after a 30-year career in healthcare marketing, she launched Bold&Zeal: a clothing brand built on the mantra Live Bold, that donates 10% of every sale to the Reeve Foundation.This episode is for anyone who has ever lost someone and wondered what to do with that pain — and for anyone who needs a reminder that boldness is a choice you make, even on the hardest days.What You'll Learn in This EpisodeWhat a spinal cord stroke is, why it's so rarely diagnosed, and how it differs from a brain strokeHow Erica's family navigated 5 months of ICU care, long-term facilities, and the impossibly complex emotions of watching a loved one fight for lifeWhy Erica chose marathon running as her act of grief and love, and how she built a fundraising team from scratchHow Bold&Zeal was born, what "Live Bold" means as more than a slogan, and why the brand donates to the Reeve FoundationThe moment a family decides to turn personal tragedy into a lasting legacyIf this episode moved you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear it. And if you want to Live Bold — check out Bold&Zeal and know that your purchase directly supports spinal cord research.Subscribe to our Substack: https://theglobalresilienceproject.substack.com/Buy our books: https://theglobalresilienceproject.com/books/About the Guest:Erica Bazerkanian is the Co-Founder and CEO of Bold&Zeal, leading the company with a deeply personal sense of purpose. The brand was inspired by the loss of her father, Jeff Stone, following a spinal cord stroke that left him quadriplegic, an experience that shaped Erica’s commitment to resilience, advocacy, and intentional living.Long before launching Bold&Zeal, Erica committed herself to paralysis advocacy through sustained action. She has run eight marathons in support of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation and, through her own fundraising efforts and by recruiting and leading Team #IAMSTONE in her father’s memory, has helped raise more than $225,000 to expand awareness, funding, and impact.As CEO, Erica guides Bold&Zeal’s brand vision, strategic partnerships, and long-term growth, ensuring the company remains grounded in purpose while building a timeless lifestyle brand. Her leadership reflects a belief that meaningful impact is created through consistency, community, and the courage to move forward.Links: https://boldandzeal.com/https://www.instagram.com/boldandzeal/https://www.facebook.com/p/Bold-and-Zeal-61576669562619/https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericabazerkanian/https://www.linkedin.com/company/boldandzeal/⚠️ 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://...
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    34 mins
  • Rewire Go Higher with Eileen Filliben | 076

    Rewire Go Higher with Eileen Filliben | 076
    Apr 21 2026
    Eileen Filliben overcame breast cancer twice by the age of 42; 10 major surgeries in 10 years; debilitating back pain; severe migraines; depression and PTSD. This is her story and she is RESILIENT A.F.Buy the books: https://theglobalresilienceproject.com/books/About the Guest:During her successful career as an attorney, HR consultant, and senior executive, Eileen was sidelined with major health issues including:• Breast cancer twice by age 42• 15 major surgeries• Debilitating chronic back and leg pain• Chronic migraines including one mimicking a stroke• Depression and PTSDHer journey back to health involved a deep dive into the connection between the mind and the body. Using cutting edge techniques from neuroscience, Eileen was able to 𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 to overcome her health challenges.Using her groundbreaking 𝙍𝙚𝙬𝙞𝙧𝙚 𝙂𝙤 𝙃𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙚𝙧 framework, Eileen Filliben empowers individuals and organizations to rise above obstacles, build sustainable resilience, and move forward with clarity and confidence.Eileen is also passionate about 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗰𝘆. Speaking at medical and nursing schools, she helps students understand the enormous impact they have on patients' lives, gain insight into what patients really want, and build a practical toolkit to help prevent burnout.Go to eileenfilliben.com to learn more.Links:https://www.linkedin.com/in/eileen-filliben-jd-mba-speakerauthorcoach/www.EileenFilliben.com⚠️ 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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    30 mins
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