Resilience Unravelled

Russell Thackeray
  • 5.0 (47)
  • MENTAL HEALTH
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

These podcasts help you get the most from life and work by helping you reduce burnout and improve your resilience and performance.

  1. 3D AGO

    Will Steel on Courage, Limiting Beliefs, and being Free to Lead

    Will Steel joins Resilience Unravelled and shares a business lesson from investing £50,000 in a shirt venture that failed after the designer overcharged and manipulated import paperwork, which Steele links to Keith Cunningham’s idea that leadership failures stem from lack of courage. He introduces himself as a coach for business owners and entrepreneurs, helping them grow while reducing time spent working in the business, after a 27-year background leading transformational programs and a prior career as an Air Force and airline pilot. Steele distinguishes his ontological coaching from curriculum-based mentoring, illustrating with a client avoiding a pay conversation with his brother/employee. He discusses limiting beliefs and confirmation bias, gives a personal spelling example, and explains writing his book, Free To Lead, to support leadership programs in the Middle East—especially for women—framing leadership as speaking up in the moment. He notes the book’s availability via Amazon and his website. 00:00 Intros 00:26 Shirt Business Betrayal 00:59 Courage and Leadership Lesson 02:32 Working With Creative Egos 03:50 Meet Will Steele 04:44 From Pilot to Transformation Work 05:38 Pandemic Pivot to Coaching 06:56 What Real Coaching Is 08:00 Brother Employee Breakthrough 09:53 Limiting Beliefs and Bias 11:33 Spelling Story Mindset Shift 13:06 Why He Wrote Free to Lead 16:34 Leadership for Everyone 18:24 Where to Get the Book 19:33 Closing Thanks You can contact us at info@qedod.com Resources can be found online or link to our website https://resilienceunravelled.com

    21 min

  2. MAR 2

    Alexis Sikorsky on Entrepreneurship, Private Equity Exits, and Getting Unstuck at Scale

    In this Resilience Unravelled episode, Alexis Sikorsky, a Swiss entrepreneur based in London, recounts building an internet café/ISP in Senegal, fleeing the country with only a suitcase, then returning to Geneva to grow a banking software and internet development business to about $10–11M revenue before the 2008 financial crisis cut 75% of revenue in a day. After years of survival, he rebuilt to breakeven and sold to private equity on an 11x EBITDA deal with 85% cash and 15% earnout, emphasising that PE deals involve uneven information and founders should do diligence on acquirers by speaking to prior CEOs. He discusses why most people shouldn’t be entrepreneurs, differentiates “having a job” from owning a company, advises seeking free mentors who’ve done what you’re doing, warns about conflicts with PE-paid advisors and small-company investment banks, explains when to avoid investment unless necessary, and describes his book Cashing Out and his initiative Night Scale to help firms stuck at $5–50M revenue using mission-based, part-time C-level expertise. 00:00 Welcome 00:43 From Geneva to Dakkar 02:03 Building and Losing It All 03:20 Private Equity Exit Playbook 06:24 Chairman Life and Retirement 09:23 Who Should Be Entrepreneur 11:57 Mentors and Real Advice 16:14 Due Diligence on Buyers 21:30 Investment vs Exit Decisions 24:00 Why I Wrote Cashing Out 26:05 Night Scale and Growth Plateaus 27:49 Social Media Reality Check 28:47 Final Thoughts and Goodbye You can contact us at info@qedod.com Resources can be found online or link to our website https://resilienceunravelled.com

    30 min

  3. FEB 23

    Susan Inouye on Leadership, Sawubona, Somatic Practices, and What Millennials Are Teaching Leaders

    On the podcast Resilience Unravelled, Russell speaks with Susan Inouye in Los Angeles about resilience themes in homes, products, and organisational culture, including companies that post values but don’t live them. They discuss generational differences at work, with Susan describing shifts from command-and-control leadership toward belonging, meaning, and authenticity, and noting that millennials are now a large portion of the workforce. Susan also shares that millennials are complaining about Gen Z, arguing it’s often about age and development, and references brain development and the influence of how generations were raised. She emphasises that leadership change requires embodied practices, not just advice, explaining that transformation happens through the body and somatic intelligence, with HeartMath Institute research as an example. Susan tells a client story about an event-production leader whose gift for planning became controlling behaviour; using the Sawubona (“I see you”) gift-centered approach, rituals for letting go, and trapeze lessons, the client replaced fear with freedom and became more trusting at work. Susan’s book, "Leadership’s Perfect Storm: What Millennials Are Teaching Us About Possibility, Passion, and Purpose," is aimed at leaders, includes stories and a coach’s corner with practices, is used in over 30 countries, is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and donates all proceeds to the nonprofit Youth Mentoring Connection. She notes Sawubona Leadership originated in South Central Los Angeles through Tony LeRae’s mentoring work. 00:00 Welcome 01:05 Resilience, building standards & planned obsolescence 03:00 Corporate values vs reality: authenticity and truth-telling at work 04:47 Millennials & Gen Z reshape leadership expectations 06:28 Are generational stereotypes real? Command-and-control vs belonging 10:24 Brain science, upbringing & why each new cohort gets judged 15:40 From advice to embodiment: practices, somatics & emotional intelligence 19:17 Client story: planning as a gift—and learning to let go (trapeze breakthrough) 25:49 The book: Leadership’s Perfect Storm—who it’s for & what’s inside 27:21 Where to buy + proceeds to youth mentoring; Sawubona ‘I see you’ origins 28:34 Wrap-up You can contact us at info@qedod.com Resources can be found online or link to our website https://resilienceunravelled.com

    30 min

  4. FEB 16

    Exercise With Oxygen Therapy: Brad Ley on Inflammation, Capillaries, and 1000 Roads

    In this Resilience Unravelled episode, host Russell interviews Brad Ley in Texas about oxygen and exercise with oxygen therapy (EWOT). Ley explains he turned to oxygen therapy about a decade ago after chronic illness and autoimmune conditions, including psoriasis and autoimmune arthritis, when standard drugs carried serious risks and he developed melanoma. He contrasts EWOT with hyperbaric oxygen therapy, noting hard-shell hyperbaric treatments were recommended to him but were too expensive and time-consuming. Ley describes “inflammaging,” where inflamed blood vessels and swollen capillaries restrict oxygen delivery, pushing cells into anaerobic respiration, lowering energy production and increasing inflammation; he says delivering a high dose of oxygen during exercise can reduce inflammation and help reestablish blood flow in capillaries. He addresses concerns about oxygen and oxidative stress, stating oxygen is also important for detoxification and that research does not show increased oxidative stress from EWOT. Ley outlines the origins of EWOT research from Manfred von Ardenne and explains how oxygen therapy relates to inflammation and hypoxia, comparing it to hydrogen-based approaches. He discusses founding 1000 Roads after building his own system as an engineer and then producing units for patients, with a focus on affordable at-home use and a protocol of about 15 minutes of cardio with a mask, three to five times per week. Ley shares a customer anecdote about osteoarthritis improvement and notes response times vary. The conversation also covers red light therapy, which he says targets mitochondria to increase oxygen demand and pairs with EWOT by boosting oxygen supply then uptake, with claimed benefits including healing, cognitive function, reduced inflammation, skin and collagen support, and recovery. Ley notes the company ships from the US and internationally, with tariffs varying by country, and directs listeners to 1000roads.com and the 1000 Roads HQ YouTube channel for weekly videos on EWOT and red light therapy. 00:00 Welcome & meet Brad Ley (Texas) 01:04 Why more oxygen can reduce inflammation: ‘inflammaging’, capillaries & hypoxia 02:42 Is oxygen ‘rusting’ us? Oxidative stress vs detox benefits 03:51 Brad’s autoimmune journey & why he needed a third option 05:01 Hyperbaric oxygen vs exercise-with-oxygen: cost, time, practicality 06:32 The origins of EWOT: von Ardenne’s research & Brad builds his own device 08:32 Oxygen vs hydrogen therapy: how both target inflammation 10:01 Oxygen is ‘multimodal’: energy, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer & detox 11:28 At-home EWOT systems: 15 minutes, 3–5x/week, accessible pricing 13:11 Can it help osteoarthritis? Early user results & what to expect 14:17 Red light therapy explained — mitochondria, oxygen demand & synergy with EWOT 17:18 Shipping worldwide, 1000 Roads links & final wrap-up You can contact us at info@qedod.com

    20 min

  5. FEB 9

    Unlocking Longevity with Chris Burres: From Carbon Nano materials to Breakthrough Health Supplements

    In this episode of Resilience Unraveled, host Dr Russell Thackeray interviews Chris Burres, a scientist and entrepreneur, about his unexpected journey into the longevity space. Chris shares his extensive background in working with a unique molecule, ESS 60, which has shown remarkable potential in extending lifespan and improving health. He explains the science behind this molecule, its origins, and how it might contribute to reducing oxidative stress and inflammation in the body. Chris also touches on the skepticism surrounding the supplement industry, the rigorous research backing his products, and his transition from a carbon nano material scientist to a health supplement advocate. The discussion further covers the potential applications of ESS 60 in cosmetics and other health products, as well as Chris's commitment to continued research and ethical business practices. The episode wraps up with information on how listeners can learn more about the product, access discounts, and support a charitable cause through the purchase of Chris's book, "Live Longer and Better." Just to be clear - we do not endorse the views contained in this podcast from the guest - nor have any claims been checked or verified. 00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome 00:41 Chris Burres' Background and Longevity Journey 01:55 Defining Longevity and Its Importance 04:39 The Molecule: Basics and Breakthroughs 11:19 From Lab to Supplement: The Journey 19:24 Health Benefits and Research Insights 25:48 Product Offerings and Final Thoughts You can contact us at info@qedod.com Resources can be found online or link to our website https://resilienceunravelled.com #resilience, #burnout, #intuition

    33 min

  6. FEB 2

    Kate McAfoose on Revolutionising Healthcare with Robotics at Chang Robotics

    In this episode of Resilience Unraveled, Dr Russell Thackeray welcomes Kate McAfoose from Chang Robotics. Kate shares her journey from civil engineering in upstate New York to her current role at Chang Robotics in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. She delves into her early career in project management and her transition into the field of automation and robotics. The discussion highlights the challenges and resilience needed in male-dominated sectors, as well as the importance of mentorship for women in STEM. Kate elaborates on how Chang Robotics is revolutionising healthcare with autonomous robots designed to assist nurses by performing nonclinical tasks, ultimately reducing their workload and improving efficiency. The conversation also touches on the development, cybersecurity, implementation, and industry-wide potential of robotic systems. 00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome 00:38 Kate's Background and Career Journey 02:16 Challenges in Male-Dominated Fields 03:23 Women in STEM and Mentorship 05:34 Introduction to Robotics 06:39 Robotic Applications in Healthcare 10:09 Development and Implementation of Robotics 12:30 Cybersecurity in Robotics 14:11 Leadership and Robotics 17:18 Future of Robotics and Conclusion You can contact us at info@qedod.com Resources can be found online or link to our website https://resilienceunravelled.com #resilience, #burnout, #intuition

    22 min

  7. JAN 26

    Everyday Bravery: Embracing Fear and Journaling for Personal Growth with Renee Zukin

    In this episode of Resilience Unraveled, Russell interviews Renee Zukin, an author and former educator, about her background, her focus on empowering entrepreneurial women, and the benefits of writing and journaling. Renee discusses her new book, 'Every Day I'm Brave,' which explores the relationship with fear and provides tools for personal growth, including journaling prompts. The episode also covers societal shifts in anxiety, the importance of self-compassion, and the potential advantages of writing as a method of facing and understanding one's own fears. 00:00 Introduction 00:45 Guest Background and Career Journey 02:03 The Power of Writing and Journaling 10:14 Overcoming Fear and Anxiety 13:44 About the Book: Every Day I'm Brave 23:00 Conclusion and Farewell You can contact us at info@qedod.com Resources can be found online or link to our website https://resilienceunravelled.com #resilience, #burnout, #intuition

    25 min

  8. JAN 19

    Resilience and Success with Patrick Engassser: Overcoming Challenges and Finding Opportunity

    In this episode of Resilience Unravelled, host Russell Thackeray welcomes guest Patrick Engasser, who shares his journey of overcoming blindness since birth to succeed in sales and motivational speaking. Patrick discusses his move from Buffalo, New York to Destin, Florida, and the attractions of the warmer climate and beach lifestyle. Despite his initial desire to work in sports radio, he pivoted to a successful career in sales and later coaching. Patrick emphasises the importance of resilience, relationship-building, and empathy in both personal and professional spheres. He also touches on the advancements in assistive technology for the blind and highlights the benefits of facing and learning from rejection. Patrick's book, 'If I Can Do It, You Can Do It,' aims to inspire others to overcome their own challenges and succeed. 00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome 01:37 Patrick's Background and Career Journey 03:22 Living Without Sight 08:39 The Importance of Sales Skills 11:40 Building Relationships in Business 22:25 Patrick's Book and Motivational Message 25:55 Conclusion and Contact Information You can contact us at info@qedod.com Resources can be found online or link to our website https://resilienceunravelled.com #resilience, #burnout, #intuition

    29 min
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5
out of 5
47 Ratings

About

These podcasts help you get the most from life and work by helping you reduce burnout and improve your resilience and performance.

Information

  • Creator
    Russell Thackeray
  • Years Active
    2016 - 2026
  • Episodes
    300
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 QED - Performance on Purpose
  • Show Website
    Resilience Unravelled