Notes on Resilience

Manya Chylinski

Notes on Resilience explores how human experience, including adversity, shapes leadership, innovation, and culture. Host Manya Chylinski talks with people whose work, research, or lived experience reveal how we adapt, care, and create after challenge—what these stories show about the systems we build, and what must evolve.    These conversations are rooted in a simple idea: the goal isn’t resilience for its own sake, the goal is well-being. Resilience is what makes recovery and growth possible.  The show serves as field research on how people and systems recover, rebuild, and move forward.

  1. 4 HR AGO

    177: How Lived Experience Turns Into Real Support, with Cynthia Conigliaro

    Send us Fan Mail You can feel it everywhere right now: more stress, less sleep, shorter tempers, and a quiet sense that a lot of people are barely holding it together.  We sit down with Cynthia Conigliaro to talk about what resilience actually looks like when life hits hard and does not let up. Cynthia shares the real work behind being positive, and why that label often hides a long history of effort, grief, and growth.  We get personal about lived experience, from years of infertility and pregnancy loss to a terrifying medical emergency when Cynthia collapsed on a run with her heart rate at 16 beats per minute, later receiving a pacemaker. We talk about what it means to rebuild trust in your own body, why anniversaries can be a meaningful part of healing, and how simply being understood can lower shame and isolation faster than advice ever will.  From there, we zoom out to collective trauma, indirect psychological injury, and the mental health aftershocks we still underestimate even when physical wounds get immediate attention. We unpack why healing is not linear, why culture shapes grief, and how stay strong can sometimes become emotional avoidance. We end with practical workplace insights: heart-centered leadership, burnout signs, and why AI and automation make caring for people and building psychological safety even more essential.  Cynthia Conigliaro has been in the field of health and wellness for over 20 years. She is a coach, speaker, and the founder of her corporate presentation business Work Well Webinars where she delivers wellness presentations virtually and in person to companies all over the country.  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cynthia-conigliaro-mba-msw-hwc/ Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREE Support the show __________ Producer / Editor: Neel Panji Invite Manya to inspire and empower your teams and position your organization as a forward-thinking leader in well-being, resilience, and trauma sensitivity. Learn more: www.manyachylinski.com/services Subscribe to the newsletter: manyachylinski.com/notes Please subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts or your listening platform of choice. It really helps others find us. #trauma #resilience #compassion #MentalHealth #CompassionateLeadership #leadership #survivor

    26 min

  2. 13 MAY

    176: Beyond Resilience, with Keith Erwood

    Send us Fan Mail Most organizations don’t fail because they don't have a plan. They fail because they can’t imagine they would ever need a plan. We sit down with Keith Erwood to talk about what real risk looks like and why business continuity and crisis management have to be more than checklists and compliance. Keith shares how his experience in EMS during 9/11 shaped the way he thinks about leadership, reflection, and recovery, including the quieter aftermath that hits months later.  We also talk about the ripple effects on small and mid-sized businesses, and why community resilience collapses when the local places people depend on can’t reopen. From there, we dig into what helps individuals recover from trauma, why mental health support is still hard to access, and how workplaces often respond only after something big happens. Then we challenge a common assumption about organizational resilience: bouncing back isn’t the only goal. Keith introduces the idea of endurance, using Ernest Shackleton’s Endurance expedition to explore perseverance, survival psychology, and the will to live. We connect those lessons to preparedness planning, overlapping disasters, and the biases that make teams dismiss realistic scenarios. Finally, Keith offers a practical tool leaders can use right now: financial impact analysis that focuses on what it costs when a critical process goes down, no matter the cause, from cyber events to key-person risk. If you care about disaster preparedness, IT disaster recovery, or building a people-first resilience strategy, you’ll take away concrete ways to think clearer and plan smarter. Subscribe, share this with a leader who needs it, and leave a review with your biggest preparedness blind spot. Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREE Support the show __________ Producer / Editor: Neel Panji Invite Manya to inspire and empower your teams and position your organization as a forward-thinking leader in well-being, resilience, and trauma sensitivity. Learn more: www.manyachylinski.com/services Subscribe to the newsletter: manyachylinski.com/notes Please subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts or your listening platform of choice. It really helps others find us. #trauma #resilience #compassion #MentalHealth #CompassionateLeadership #leadership #survivor

    25 min

  3. 6 MAY

    175: The Gap After The Crisis

    Send us Fan Mail The strange part of a crisis is not the first week. It’s the months after, when the debris is cleared, the headlines move on, and your body finally stops running on adrenaline. That’s when many people begin to notice the insomnia, anxiety, irritability, brain fog, and avoidance they couldn’t afford to feel earlier. And too often, that’s exactly when the surge of support has already disappeared.  We dig into the gap between when help is offered and when people are actually ready to accept it, using the aftermath of the 2018 Camp Fire in Paradise, California as a vivid example.  We talk through why survivors often say “we’re fine” in the immediate aftermath, how triage and stigma shape help-seeking, and why leaders can’t rely on early utilization numbers to judge long-term community wellbeing. Along the way, we connect the dots to what disaster research shows about delayed stress responses and post-traumatic stress symptoms after events like 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina.  We also name the deeper mismatch: psychological timing, institutional timing, and social timing rarely align.  Emergency funding ends, staff burn out, and reporting systems reward what’s measurable early, while many people only feel safe enough to ask for support later, when it’s socially less acceptable to still be struggling.  We close with practical, realistic ways to keep mental health support accessible after disaster recovery begins, including 3, 6, and 12-month follow-ups and partnerships with schools, faith communities, and primary care.  If this resonates, subscribe for more conversations on resilience, share this with someone who leads in a crisis, and leave a review telling us what kind of support you wish existed six months after the emergency. Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREE Support the show __________ Producer / Editor: Neel Panji Invite Manya to inspire and empower your teams and position your organization as a forward-thinking leader in well-being, resilience, and trauma sensitivity. Learn more: www.manyachylinski.com/services Subscribe to the newsletter: manyachylinski.com/notes Please subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts or your listening platform of choice. It really helps others find us. #trauma #resilience #compassion #MentalHealth #CompassionateLeadership #leadership #survivor

    17 min

  4. 29 APR

    174: Resilient Leadership Starts With You, with Chris Harris

    Send us Fan Mail Would you follow someone up the hill if they’ve never taken one themselves?  That question sits at the center of our conversation with executive coach and keynote speaker Chris Harris, whose warrior mindset approach strips leadership down to what people actually feel: credibility, trust, and the calm confidence that comes from real resilience. We get personal fast. Chris shares a defining moment from childhood homelessness, sitting on a curb and eating donuts found in a dumpster, and the decision that changed his trajectory: choosing self-worth. From there, we connect the dots between lived adversity and the kind of compassion that isn’t just empathy, but empathy in action. If you’re thinking about leadership development, mindset coaching, or building a resilient organization, this story is more than inspiration. It explains why care, standards, and accountability can coexist without becoming performative culture talk. From elite special operations lessons to corporate reality, we unpack what makes teams strong under pressure: psychological safety that’s real, shared purpose that’s clear, and leaders whose character, values, and integrity align without friction. Chris also teaches a practical metacognition tool, “Sit, Stand, Open, Close,” to help you break autopilot, notice what you’re thinking, and adjust in real time, especially when stakes are high and stress is loud. And we end with a reminder worth borrowing: you’re under no obligation to be the same version of yourself you were ten minutes ago. If this helped you think differently about resilient leadership, mindset, and trust at work, subscribe and share it with a colleague. What’s one leadership behavior that instantly builds trust for you? Chris Harris is a coach, author, and keynote speaker. He is an accomplished black belt and U.S. Martial Arts Hall of Fame inductee, and has trained thousands — from the U.S. military to its global allies — in close-quarters combat and mental toughness. Website: https://chrisharrisllc.com/ Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREE Support the show __________ Producer / Editor: Neel Panji Invite Manya to inspire and empower your teams and position your organization as a forward-thinking leader in well-being, resilience, and trauma sensitivity. Learn more: www.manyachylinski.com/services Subscribe to the newsletter: manyachylinski.com/notes Please subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts or your listening platform of choice. It really helps others find us. #trauma #resilience #compassion #MentalHealth #CompassionateLeadership #leadership #survivor

    27 min

  5. 22 APR

    173: How To Talk To Your Doctor, with Dana Sherwin

    Send us Fan Mail Doctor visits can feel like a high-stakes performance: you get 15 minutes, you are anxious, and you only remember the perfect question after you leave.  We sit down with Dana Sherwin, a healthcare management consultant and speaker specializing in patient-physician communication, to make those minutes count and to make the relationship feel like a partnership instead of a power struggle. We dig into what patient engagement actually looks like in real life and why it links to better health outcomes. Dana shares a simple, repeatable way to prepare for a doctor appointment: write down your top priorities, your symptom timeline, and the questions you cannot afford to forget. We also talk about a surprising idea many people miss: a huge share of diagnoses comes from what you tell the doctor, which makes your story, your context, and your clarity a clinical tool. If you want more confident conversations and a clearer plan after every appointment, listen now. Dana Sherwin is a consultant and speaker focused on healthcare management and patient-physician communication. In prior executive and consulting roles, Dana worked in hospitals, managed care plans, and three public accounting/consulting firms. She is also a 6 ½ year survivor of a stem cell transplant for a blood cancer disorder. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/desherwin/Website: The Thinking Patient Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREE Support the show __________ Producer / Editor: Neel Panji Invite Manya to inspire and empower your teams and position your organization as a forward-thinking leader in well-being, resilience, and trauma sensitivity. Learn more: www.manyachylinski.com/services Subscribe to the newsletter: manyachylinski.com/notes Please subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts or your listening platform of choice. It really helps others find us. #trauma #resilience #compassion #MentalHealth #CompassionateLeadership #leadership #survivor

    31 min

  6. 15 APR

    172: Hidden Wounds Of Surviving A Public Crisis

    Send us Fan Mail A bomb explodes across the street, and you walk away with both your legs. People call that fine. But your body tells a different story for years. On the 13th anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombing, I share what that day felt like from the bleachers, what came after, and why invisible injuries like trauma, PTSD symptoms, and nervous system triggers can be so hard to explain to anyone who hasn't live them. Then we turn the lens toward leadership, crisis management, and employee well-being. Operations can return to normal while people are still not okay, and anniversaries are one of the clearest moments when that gap shows up.  I talk about the two common mistakes leaders make: saying nothing and leaving people alone with the date, or over-commemorating in ways that feel performative and can reopen wounds. The goal is not a perfect script. The goal is a culture that can acknowledge reality without controlling how people grieve. You will also hear a personal contrast that still shapes how I think about institutions: one response that felt human and one that felt like a form-letter refusal. We close with practical, trauma-informed actions you can take now, including marking key dates on your calendar, offering support resources, checking in and listening, and giving everyone clear permission to opt out of remembrance.  If you found this helpful, subscribe to Notes on Resilience, share the episode with a leader who needs it, and leave a review. What anniversary do you wish your workplace had handled differently? Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREE Support the show __________ Producer / Editor: Neel Panji Invite Manya to inspire and empower your teams and position your organization as a forward-thinking leader in well-being, resilience, and trauma sensitivity. Learn more: www.manyachylinski.com/services Subscribe to the newsletter: manyachylinski.com/notes Please subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts or your listening platform of choice. It really helps others find us. #trauma #resilience #compassion #MentalHealth #CompassionateLeadership #leadership #survivor

    18 min

  7. 8 APR

    171: Lead Without Losing Yourself, with Robin Goad

    Send us Fan Mail What if leadership were less about being impressive and more about being useful?  Robin Goad joins me to get painfully honest about how most of us learn leadership the wrong way, then spend years unlearning it. She’s a technology executive at Amazon Web Services, a speaker and coach, and the author of Girl By Birth, Woman By Fire, and she brings a clear message: leading well is selfless, practical, and deeply human. We talk about what it looks like to protect your team in corporate America, from taking the heat when things go wrong to giving your people real ownership when things go right. Robin explains why compassion at work is about guardrails — clear boundaries, consistent accountability, and earned trust that create the conditions for resilience, better performance, and healthier teams. Along the way, she shares the leadership question she wishes every manager would ask: “What do you want to be when you grow up, and how can I help you get there?” That single sentence changes career development, retention, and the honesty people bring to work. We close with a look at organizational culture and employee feedback, including a simple daily mechanism at Amazon that surfaces anonymous insights and makes leaders pay attention. If you care about compassionate leadership, employee engagement, and building trust inside big systems, this one will stick with you.  Robin Goad is a technology executive at Amazon Web Services (AWS), speaker, and coach who helps ambitious women master the corporate game without losing themselves. She is the author of Girl by Birth. Woman by Fire, with practical strategies for thriving in corporate America and in life. Her message is simple and bold: you can achieve extraordinary success without sacrificing your soul. LinkedInFacebookInstagram Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREE Support the show __________ Producer / Editor: Neel Panji Invite Manya to inspire and empower your teams and position your organization as a forward-thinking leader in well-being, resilience, and trauma sensitivity. Learn more: www.manyachylinski.com/services Subscribe to the newsletter: manyachylinski.com/notes Please subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts or your listening platform of choice. It really helps others find us. #trauma #resilience #compassion #MentalHealth #CompassionateLeadership #leadership #survivor

    29 min

  8. 1 APR

    170: The Servant Leader Mindset, with Daniel Tataje

    Send us Fan Mail The strongest leaders change what people believe about themselves.  That’s the thread running through my conversation with Dr. Daniel Tataje, founder and CEO of Mercy Dental Group and author of The Leader Humanity Needs, a leader who’s built an award-winning workplace culture by treating compassion as a responsibility, not a strategy. For Daniel, leadership means putting your talents, your authority, and your organization in service of others, and using mission and core values to create leaders at every level, not only in formal management roles. We also get practical about scale: how you keep values from becoming wallpaper, how integrity creates trust and psychological safety, and how to handle conflict without losing the human at the center of the problem.  Daniel breaks down what positivity looks like when it’s honest and why the words "I believe in you” might be the most powerful message a leader can deliver, especially when someone is struggling and support is inconvenient. If you care about compassionate leadership, employee engagement, and building a values-driven workplace culture that actually holds up under pressure, this one will give you a clear path forward.  Dr. Daniel Tataje is the founder, owner, and CEO of Mercy Dental Group and author of the book The Leader Humanity Needs.  Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREE Support the show __________ Producer / Editor: Neel Panji Invite Manya to inspire and empower your teams and position your organization as a forward-thinking leader in well-being, resilience, and trauma sensitivity. Learn more: www.manyachylinski.com/services Subscribe to the newsletter: manyachylinski.com/notes Please subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts or your listening platform of choice. It really helps others find us. #trauma #resilience #compassion #MentalHealth #CompassionateLeadership #leadership #survivor

    25 min
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About

Notes on Resilience explores how human experience, including adversity, shapes leadership, innovation, and culture. Host Manya Chylinski talks with people whose work, research, or lived experience reveal how we adapt, care, and create after challenge—what these stories show about the systems we build, and what must evolve.    These conversations are rooted in a simple idea: the goal isn’t resilience for its own sake, the goal is well-being. Resilience is what makes recovery and growth possible.  The show serves as field research on how people and systems recover, rebuild, and move forward.

Information

  • Creator
    Manya Chylinski
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    177
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Notes on Resilience
  • Show Website
    Notes on Resilience

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