Sara was living her dreams in Latin America with her husband Brian when a bus accident turned everything upside down; Sara broke her leg and lost five teeth, and tragically, Brian died, just one week after his 44th birthday. This is her story, and she is RESILIENT A.F.

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

About the Guest:

Sara Clark is a facilitator, trainer, and team coach. She likes to nerd out about people problems, puzzling out ways to bridge our many differences. Communication differences are her forte. She has spent two decades working on international and multicultural teams, as well as bridging with her husband, whose style was very different style from her own. Over the last year, Sara has found a new route of connecting across difference – grief, which is what brings her to us today.

Links:

https://www.instagram.com/curiousways.co/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/curiousways

https://www.facebook.com/curiousways2/

⚠️ 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

Alana and Blair met in Los Angeles to attend End Well and Grieftastic. End Well is a grief conference and is considered “A Day About Death & Life: For the Curious and Courageous.” The day was full of inspirational speakers, deep connections and all of the feelings. The following day was Grieftastic, a book fair with grief books, panels, networking, and a lot of laughing. This episode is a digest of their two days and the amazing people they met.

End Well: https://endwellproject.org/end-well-2025/

Grieftastic: https://www.grieftastic.com/

Buy The Global Resilience Project books: https://theglobalresilienceproject.com/books/

⚠️ 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

blair@blairkaplan.ca

Alana Kaplan is a compassionate mental

Rachel lost her dad when she was 27 years old and turned to travel as a way to heal her heart. She built an online community as a way to express her feelings, which quickly grew. Shortly after, she started leading Grief Trips around the world to show others the beauty in travelling while grieving. This is her story, and she is RESILIENT A.F.

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

About the Guest:

Rachel is the founder of Happy Grieving, a grief community. Her life took a profound turn after the loss of her father at the age of 27. This devastating experience reshaped her perspective and inspired her to dedicate her work to helping others navigate grief in meaningful, transformative ways. Her mission is to create a grief-literate society where open conversations about loss are normalized.

Links:

https://grieftrips.com/

https://www.instagram.com/grief.trips

https://www.instagram.com/happy.grieving/

⚠️ 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/

Deb Drummond is an author in the forthcoming book about tattoos of resilience, RESILIENT A.F. Skin Deep Stories, launching December 2025. Dr. Parul Dua Makkar is an author in the upcoming book, RESILIENT A.F.: Stories of Resilience Volume, launching in March 2026.

Deb Drummond joins us to talk about balancing various projects, life, and everything in between. They talk about health, abundance and what happiness can feel like. This is Deb’s story, and she is RESILIENT A.F.

Dr. Parul Dua Makkar lost her brother, and as she came to terms with that, she lost her dad three years later. This is her story, and she is RESILIENT A.F.

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

About the Guests:

Deb Drummond is a pioneer in the world of entrepreneurship. To date, she has built 7 international companies and inspired thousands around the globe.

She is the Founder behind the Show Up StandUp Speak Up, Yes You! movement, a televised, heart project with a reach of over 350 million designed to remember the solidarity of International Women’s Day. Deb  owns The Women's Channel, offering accessible televised opportunities to all women.

Deb’s thirty-year deep dive in Top Performance has built her reputation as a speaker, mastermind trainer and personal coach. She has educated, and motivated audiences of 20 thousand to stand to their feet. In her private practice, Deb has personally worked with over 30 thousand clients, moving them to a higher state of optimal health and wealth.

A well-known radio host of the Mission Accepted podcast, Deb interviews dynamic Entrepreneurs, Ultrapreneurs, Creatives, and Media Professionals who reveal personal life stories and secrets to the success of ‘making it.’ Deb is the Founder of Mission Accepted Media, where she creates anthologies and books about people and business. She is the creator of the ever so popular Top Performance Day Planner and Tracker.

Deb loves music and is happiest when she is connecting people that she knows will benefit from meeting each other and, if you were to go to her home, you would be greeted with a table of “treats” that look like she took over Willy Wonka’s candy shop!

Links

www.debdrummond.com

LI – https://www.linkedin.com/in/DebDrummond/

FB – https://www.facebook.com/deborahldrummond/

IG – @deborahldrummond https://www.instagram.com/deborahldrummond/;

@debdrummond_official (3)Instagram; @missionaccepted_media (3) Instagram

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsnh0BsWjHS1aba4cItw4rw

Dr. Parul Dua Makkar is a dentist, author, and grief coach whose life and work were forever shaped by loss—first her younger brother to oral cancer, and later her father. She channels that grief into action, educating healthcare professionals and the public on oral cancer prevention and early detection, while creating compassionate spaces for conversations about grief. Through her work, she bridges science and empathy, reminding us that awareness saves lives and shared stories heal...

The Kaplan sisters catch up on Shayne’s health, Alana’s experience with a cat psychic, a new way to communicate their mental health superpowers, and what they've both been up to.

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

Grief and Resilience Expert Certification Program with Blair Kaplan Venables, information and registration: https://blairkaplan.ca/grief-resilience-expert-certification-program/

Blair’s Substack: https://substack.com/@blairfromblairland

⚠️ 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

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...

Heather Marianna is back on the podcast to chat with Blair about adult friendships, betrayal and a new way to make genuine adult friends. This is her story, and she is RESILIENT A.F.

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

Camp Manifest: https://sunshinesecretofoc.com/camp-manifest-retreat

About the Guest:

Heather Marianna is a powerhouse entrepreneur and the visionary founder of Beauty Kitchen, a brand she launched in 2012 after leaving her 9-to-5 job to pursue her passion for skincare, DIY beauty, and natural ingredients. What began as a YouTube series teaching at-home beauty recipes quickly evolved into a full-scale beauty empire—and she’s been trailblazing ever since.

With years of hands-on experience, Heather has built and scaled multiple beauty brands from the ground up, mastering every facet of the business—from product formulation, pricing, and marketing to public relations, manufacturing, business credit, payroll, and retail strategy. She has even taken a company public and remains the majority shareholder, solidifying her reputation as a results-driven leader who not only talks about success but creates it. Her expertise has been featured in numerous books and articles, earning her recognition as one of the top authorities in beauty brand development and manufacturing.

Beyond brand creation, Heather is also the producer of the #1 Celebrity Gifting Lounge for Oscars and Emmys Week—a premier event that connects brands directly with A-list celebrities, influencers, media, and top industry insiders. Her gifting lounges have helped participating brands secure major media coverage, celebrity endorsements, and increased national visibility. Whether representing beauty, fashion, wellness or lifestyle, the brands showcased at these events benefit from unmatched exposure and credibility.

Heather’s work doesn’t stop at startups. She also coaches established beauty and lifestyle brands looking to reignite growth, expand their markets, or refine their strategies. Through her one-on-one coaching and consulting, she helps business owners identify blind spots, improve pricing and marketing, and develop clear action plans for sustainable success.

Widely known as the Queen of Manufacturing, Heather offers low MOQs (minimum order quantities), flexible production options, and access to over 400 white-label formulas, allowing entrepreneurs to launch or expand their beauty brands with ease. She provides a one-stop solution—offering everything from custom product formulation and branding guidance to business strategy and coaching.

Over the past decade, Heather has empowered countless entrepreneurs, celebrities, and TV personalities to launch and scale their own beauty lines. Her deep understanding of what it takes to move a concept from idea to retail-ready success makes her an invaluable mentor for anyone serious about building a thriving brand.

Heather believes success doesn’t happen by accident—it’s the result of smart strategy, expert guidance, and consistent evolution. Through her digital workbooks, mini-courses, product development packages, and private coaching, she offers tailored support for entrepreneurs at every stage of their journey. Whether launching a new brand or scaling an existing business, Heather Marianna helps clients avoid costly mistakes, fast-track their growth, and build brands that stand out in competitive...

Big changes happened in the Kaplan sisters lives and they dive deep into what has been going on. This episode explores life changes and medical trauma and how both sisters are navigating it all.

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

⚠️ 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

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...

This episode dives into the stories of two coauthors featured in RESILIENT A.F. Skin Deep Stories, Helga and BB.

Helga Magdalen had to be resilient when both her mom and sister had terminal cancer diagnoses in the same time period. This is her story, and she is RESILIENT A.F.

BB Gabriel shares the story of the tattoo that she got to represent the relationship with her sisters, Tara and Bryanne and navigating learning that her little sister was terminally ill. This is her story, and she is RESILIENT A.F.

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

Griefy Gals on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@griefygals

About the Guests:

Helga Magdalen is a mother of two amazing kids, an RN, an intuitive healer and a hypnotherapy intern. She loves to travel, write, spend time in nature, and go on adventures.

Links:

Instagram.com/czechgal1

https://www.facebook.com/helgamagdalen

linkedin.com/in/helga-schoening-a6343885

BB Gabriel is a proud Canadian, a master’s level registered social worker, and an award-winning author with a deep commitment to healing through storytelling. Drawing from her own lived experiences, BB writes powerful narratives that chart the journey from trauma to triumph, exploring the complexities of adversity, grief, and personal transformation. Her work centres on stories of survival and resilience; offering raw, honest reflections on overcoming life’s most difficult challenges.

BB believes that storytelling is not only a tool for personal healing, but also a source of strength and solace for readers who find themselves reflected in the pages. By fostering emotional resilience and encouraging others to process, heal, and evolve, BB creates space for connection, growth, and hope. She aims to inspire, empower, and uplift those who are navigating trauma, grief, and profound change with messages of perseverance and possibility.

Through her writing and professional work, BB is dedicated to giving back by supporting others on their healing journeys and reminding us that we are never truly alone. Her stories illuminate the path from surviving to thriving, offering readers the courage to keep going and the belief that transformation is always possible.

Links:

www.bbgabriel.com

https://www.instagram.com/no.ordinary.love_bb.gabriel

⚠️ 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...