Episode 221: Why your 20's Suck and What to Do About It with Kate Berski and "30 Phobia"
Release Date: 06/24/2025
Episode 226: The Power of Sharing Your Story, with Sara Connell
Brilliantly Resilient
“The very thing you’re afraid to say is often what will inspire someone else to keep going.” ~ Sara Connell, Best-selling Author and Founder of Thought Leader Academy Have you ever thought about writing a book but believe you have nothing to say? For those of us living "ordinary" lives, it's easy to feel our stories have little meaning beyond our own lives. Yet Sara Connell holds the opposite to be true. As founder of the Thought Leader Academy and a 5x Bestselling author, Sara knows that even everyday stories can have profound impact. In fact, the experiences that test us...
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Episode 225: How to Reset When Achievement Feels Empty, with Dr. Toni Warner
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Episode 223: I Went Back to Therapy, And Here's Why--with Mary Fran Bontempo
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Episode 222: How to Redefine Success, with "No Half Cakes" Podcast Host and HeartCore Growth Founder Jim Sabellico
Brilliantly Resilient
“I was standing there in front of this half-eaten birthday cake realizing like... what am I doing? This is not success.” Founder and Podcast Host How do you define success? Most of us are or were under the impression that success means money, status, and stuff--all obtained through a brutal amount of work and time. Jim Sabellico thought so too. At least until the night his wife had to relight the candles on his six-year-old son's half-eaten birthday cake so he could sing Happy Birthday to his boy. Jim missed the family moment because he was "busy working." Men have generally been...
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Episode 221: Why your 20's Suck and What to Do About It with Kate Berski and "30 Phobia"
Brilliantly Resilient
"The 20s are not the best days of your life. It is a myth that needs to be busted.” ~ Kate Berski, Author: Ah, to be 20 again, right? After all, the 20s are supposed to be the best time of our lives, right? Not so fast. Kate Berski, author of notes that despite the myth, the 20's are a "tumultuous decade" full of self-doubt, unhealthy comparisons and societal pressure. Saddled with a demanding timeline that prescribes benchmarks that "should" be achieved, Kate recognizes that the To-do list for 20-somethings is not one-size-fits-all. She advises young people to take the...
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Episode 220: How to Reset, Rise, and Scale Your Business, with Ivy Slater, Author of "Best of the Best: Lead Boldly, Scale Rapidly, Create Your Legacy"
Brilliantly Resilient
“Great leadership starts by leading with a mindset that's scalable—being willing to see things bigger. What would this look like if...?” ~ Ivy Slater, CEO of Slater Success and Author of What does the word "scalable" mean to you? If you are an entrepreneur, or work with an organization seeking to build (aren't we all?), the word "scalable" should motivate and inspire. Yet, "scalable" also holds some weight, and can be intimidating. Slater Success CEO and author Ivy Slater reminds us that all businesses are scalable. And if the word intimidates, Ivy says, “Scaling is intimidating to...
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Episode 219: How to Navigate AI and the Changing Job Market, with Dr. Joan Palmiter Bajorek
Brilliantly Resilient
“My work directly acknowledges that anxiety (around AI) and talks about what actions we can take to take care of ourselves, our families, our communities, during a time that’s high opportunity but also really high volatility.” ~Dr. Joan Palmiter Bajorek AI Expert and Author of: Your AI Roadmap: Actions to Expand Your Career, Money and Joy" Are you afraid of AI? Artificial Intelligence has long been the stuff of science fiction, with the "artificial" becoming real and taking over the world. Yikes. But AI is here to stay, and according to AI expert, Dr. Joan Palmiter Bajorek, there...
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Episode 218: How to "Live with Courage and Become an Everyday Leader" with Ash Beckham
Brilliantly Resilient
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Episode 217: Building Resilience Through Acceptance and "Owning Ataxia," with "A Good Calamity" Author, Jay Armstrong
Brilliantly Resilient
"Lasting resilience begins with acceptance. For me, acceptance is an every day prayer." ~ Jay Armstrong Author of Are you struggling to accept something hard in your life? Are you even thinking about acceptance, or are you still fighting the hard truth? Jay Armstrong was diagnosed with ataxia (a degenerative disease of the brain and nervous system) in 2013, shortly after the birth of his youngest son. The disease affects Jay's movement, balance and speech, among other things. Jay notes that accepting his disease has been a challenge, but one that has helped him build lasting...
info_outline"The 20s are not the best days of your life. It is a myth that needs to be busted.”
~ Kate Berski, Author: 30 Phobia: Why Your 20s Suck and How to Get Unstuck
Ah, to be 20 again, right? After all, the 20s are supposed to be the best time of our lives, right?
Not so fast.
Kate Berski, author of 30 Phobia: Why Your 20s Suck and How to Get Unstuck notes that despite the myth, the 20's are a "tumultuous decade" full of self-doubt, unhealthy comparisons and societal pressure.
Saddled with a demanding timeline that prescribes benchmarks that "should" be achieved, Kate recognizes that the To-do list for 20-somethings is not one-size-fits-all. She advises young people to take the time to reflect on what fits them, choosing to reset old standards with intention to fit their own values, skills and wants.
With small, purposeful steps, 20-somethings can Rise to create a life that fits not predetermined milestones--get the corporate job, get married, buy the house, have the kids--but individual ones that evolve with a changing mindset and changing goals. The 20's can be a starting line fo discovery, provided we support young people who choose to forge a path that fits them.
Here at Brilliantly Resilient, we're firm believers in ditching what "should be" to make room for what "could be." In this case, a fulfilling life that allows individual Brilliance and Resilience to shine, without comparisons.
Be sure to pick up a copy of 30 Phobia and tune in to hear more of Kate's brilliance on this week's episode of the Brilliantly Resilient podcast. Listen for these additional bits of brilliance:
- “I started to question the internal societal timeline I had internalized to the point of panic.”
- “Uncertainty is just a flag for opportunity.”
- “You don’t have to wedge yourself into a particular life path at 18.”
- “Stop looking out. Start looking in.”
- “You’re not failing. You’re not stuck. You’re just on someone else’s timeline."
- “There are no deadlines on dreams.”
The 20's can be a time rife with opportunity--as long as young people have the courage to set their own goals and timeline. Let's support our young adults, and...
Let's be Brilliantly Resilient together!
XO,
Mary Fran