What happens when the identity you’ve spent decades building is suddenly taken away from you? And what happens when a near-death experience changes the way you see life completely? In this episode of Riding the Trauma Train, Lydia is joined by international speaker, leadership expert, author, podcast host and founder of Heartbeat for Hire, Lyndsay Dowd, for a powerful conversation about heart, trust, identity, resilience, courage and reinvention. After spending 23 years at IBM, Lyndsay stepped into what she believed would be an exciting new chapter, only to be unexpectedly fired six months later. The experience shook her sense of identity and left her grieving the career and reputation she had spent years building. Eventually, she asked herself three questions: What am I really good at? What do I love to do? How can I help people the most? Those questions became a compass, helping Lyndsay reconnect with who she was beyond a job title and eventually build Heartbeat for Hire. Lydia and Lyndsay explore the leadership experiences that shaped her, from navigating male dominated corporate environments to discovering the power of trust, autonomy and authenticity. For Lyndsay, leading with heart means creating spaces where people feel seen, heard and supported. It means giving people the freedom to grow, ask for help, make mistakes and try again. It also means recognising that lifting someone else up does not take anything away from your own success. But this conversation goes far beyond leadership. Lyndsay shares the deeply personal story of a life-threatening asthma attack in 2005 that led to emergency resuscitation, intubation and a medically induced coma. She talks openly about what she remembers from her near-death experience, her personal spiritual interpretation of what happened and the extraordinary circumstances surrounding her survival. Lyndsay reflects on how the experience changed the way she lives, the choices she makes and the things she chooses to give her energy to. Her story is one of losing titles without losing yourself, finding courage after life changes course and learning to trust your heart when it tells you there may be another way forward. It is also a reminder that life is precious, purpose can be found in unexpected places and sometimes the moments that change everything can lead us towards a path we never imagined taking. And perhaps one of Lyndsay’s most powerful reminders? Give people their flowers. Celebrate people. Lift them up. Let them shine. There is room for all of us. CONTENT NOTE This episode includes discussion of workplace sexism, inappropriate behaviour, sudden job loss, grief, depression, serious illness, breathing difficulties, resuscitation, a medically induced coma and a near-death experience. Lyndsay also shares her personal spiritual interpretation of her near-death experience as part of her individual lived experience. Please listen in whatever way feels supportive for you. This podcast is for education, reflection and shared lived experience and is not a replacement for medical, mental health or therapeutic support. ABOUT LYNDSAY DOWD Lyndsay Dowd is an international speaker, leadership expert, author, podcast host and founder of Heartbeat for Hire. After 23 years at IBM, Lyndsay built a new chapter focused on transforming leadership through trust, autonomy, authenticity and leading with heart. She is the author of Top Down Culture and a contributor to the leadership anthology Voices of Women. CONNECT WITH LYNDSAY Website: https://heartbeatforhire.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lyndsaydowdh4h Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lyndsaydowdh4h/ Podcast: Heartbeat for Hire with Lyndsay Dowd PEOPLE MENTIONED Codie Sanchez: https://codiesanchez.com/ Ben Duthie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benduthie/ CONNECT WITH LYDIA Website: www.ridingthetraumatrain.co.uk Instagram: @ridingthetraumatrain @right.track.wellbeing Email: hello@ridingthetraumatrain.com