In Part One of this two-part conversation, Sonia Baillon welcomes resilience expert, bestselling author and friend Karen Dean for an honest, deeply human exploration of what resilience really means for women who are strong, capable — and quietly exhausted.

Together, they reflect on early leadership experiences, feminism, entrepreneurship, and the lived hardships that shaped Karen’s identity, including single motherhood, abuse, and community leadership.

The conversation widens to examine burnout, boundaries, masculine and feminine energy, self-trust, and listening to gut wisdom. Karen speaks candidly about her desire to soften without losing her power, naming a tension many women feel but rarely articulate.

Part One ends with a powerful unanswered question: how can women reclaim their softness while still honoring their strength?

This episode sets the stage for Part Two, where resilience will be redefined in a way that truly sustains.

00:00 – Intro: redefining resilience and framing the two-part series 02:50 – Introducing Karen Dean and today’s focus 04:10 – Shared history at Mount Saint Vincent University 06:40 – First leadership breakthrough 08:40 – Feminism, leadership, and social justice roots 11:30 – Identity, motherhood, and reclaiming self 14:10 – Abusive marriage and learning “I am enough” 17:10 – Choosing independence and redefining partnership 20:00 – Gut vs heart: embodied wisdom 23:10 – Karen’s book We Are Unbreakable 26:40 – Why are women expected to be so strong? 30:00 – Masculine and feminine energy 33:20 – Burnout and the importance of “just being” 37:20 – Boundaries and self-care 41:00 – The young Crone phase 44:50 – Mirror work and self-love 47:50 – Receiving support 49:30 – Softness vs responsibility (leads into Part Two)

Continue the Journey | Links & Resources

✨ Learn more about Karen Dean: 🌐 Website: Karen Dean - Resilience Expert, Inspiring Speaker, Bestselling Author 📕Book: We Are Unbreakable | Karen Dean 📱 Follow Karen on Facebook, Instagram & LinkedIn

💛 Work with Sonia Baillon: 🔥 Get Your Spark Back / Contain Your Magic (8-week program) - APPLY HERE 🌿 Choose Me Promo Bundle: 21-Day Starter Challenge for Embodied Joy + Yoga Nidra Workshop. Use coupon code CHOOSEME26 at checkout to get 26% off! 🎪 Contain Her Magic Experience (events & festivals): Contain Her Magic Experience: Mind-Body Workshop & Yoga Journey

🎧 Listen Next: ➡️ Episode 7 — Part Two of this conversation - Drops Tuesday, February 3, 2026!

🤍 Support the Podcast: ⭐ Subscribe, rate & review Contain Her Magic 📤 Share this episode with someone who needs to hear it ☕ Donate to support the show: https://www.paypal.me/soniabaillon

🌕 Follow Contain Her Magic on Instagram

💬Contact Sonia: containhermagic@gmail.com

💫 Learn more about Sonia's yoga and transformational coaching programs

👉 Follow Sonia:

Facebook - soniabaillon.com

Instagram @soniabaillon

YouTube - Yoga & Transformational Coaching

🎵Soundtrack for Contain Her Magic - Return To Me, by Scenic Kiss (Sonia Baillon & Mark Gibson)