Brilliantly Resilient

Brilliantly Resilient

What's your train wreck? Everyone has one–past, present, or future. But why do some people come through stronger while others never recover? Hang on for the ride as Mary Fran teaches you to move beyond crisis to discover your Brilliance and Resilience. You'll face challenges with strategies to come through brilliant, not broken, for personal and professional fulfillment and success!

Episodes

November 10, 2025 39 mins
"You have to give yourself permission to suck — that's how we grow and develop. Resilience is built in the messy middle."

~ Pia Maillot-Leichter, Founder of The Kolektive Studio and Author of Welcome to the Creative Club

Pia Maillot-Leichter, founder of

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"These courses are a roadmap — they guide you to not only uncover your resilience but to rise, thrive, and ultimately find your brilliance within life's challenges."

~ Mary Fran Bontempo, Creator of the Brilliantly Resilient Mini-Course Series

 

Today it's me--sharing the story behind the creation of the <...

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"Sometimes resilience looks like showing up. That's it. Just being here, trying again, and refusing to give up."

~ Jake Weiner--Founder, Zooz Fitness

 

Everyone knows that exercise and movement are important to health, both mental and physical. But can exercise help build strength in other ways--like resilience? 

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"I realized I was battling in a system that valued the system over the child — and that was a big wake-up call."

~Victoria Lenormand, Former Police Detective, Founder of Gemini Directions and Author of The Magic of Not Fitting In

 

Have you ever felt like you just didn't fit in? Occasionally, and especially during the teenage years, everyone feels like they don't belong.

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"Habituelle is rooted in the belief that leadership isn't a title—it's how we show up, again and again."

~ Jessi Sheridan, Founder of Habituelle

 

When you think of habits, what comes to mind?

Often, when we think of a habit, it's in a critical way--as in a bad habit we...

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"We have to reshape how we talk about neurodivergence in the workplace--shift from it being a disability that needs to be accomodated to a form of cognitive diversity we can cultivate and harness to drive success."

Rita Ramakrishnan ~ Founder and CEO of Iksana Consulting

 

What if the very things you've s...

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    "Every disagreement is an invitation to pause, reflect, and reset before we respond."

    Ursula Taylor ~ Founder, Conflict Reimagined

     

    The legal profession is basically founded on conflict. One side tries to prove the other wrong in order to "win."

    A former commercial litigator with 17 years of experience, ...

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    "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 fee...

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    "We get addicted to achievement because it's how we prove we matter."

    ~ Dr. Toni Warner, Certified Trauma Therapist and Author of The Reset, A High Achiever's Gui...

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    "The happiest people in retirement are the ones who stay curious."
    Elizabeth Zelinka Parsons ~ Retirement Transition Expert, Former Attorney and Author of Read more
    "Please don't assume you'll just talk yourself out of dark places. Help is there—and there's a reason for it."

    ~ Mary Fran Bontempo: Brilliantly Resilient podcast host and author of "From Broken to Brilliant: How to Live a Brilliantly Resilient Life"

     

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    "I was standing there in front of this half-eaten birthday cake realizing like... what am I doing? This is not success."

    No Half Cakes Founder and Podcast Host Jim Sabellico

     

    How do you define success?

    Most of us are or were under the impression that success means money, sta...

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    "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. 

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    "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 Best of the Best: Lead Boldly, Scale Rapidly, Create Your Legacy

    What does the word "scalable" mean to you?

    ...

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    "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 Intell...

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    "The hardest thing you've ever done is the hardest thing you've ever done. And it is no easier or harder than the hardest thing I've ever done.... Hard is hard."

    ~ Ash Beckham, Everyday Leadership Coach, Inclusion Activist, TEDx Speaker and Author of Step Up: How to ...

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    "Lasting resilience begins with acceptance. For me, acceptance is an every day prayer." 

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    "It doesn't mean all the snacks in the break room are the greatest. It means that you work in a place that recognizes the dignity of you as a person, recognizes the value of your contributions, and recognizes that ...

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    "Be involved in both your business and personal finances. 80% of women will die single. At some point in your life you are going to have to manage your finances. A man is not a financial plan."

    ~ Audrey Faust: Author of She Grows Rich; Expert CFO and Money Mindset Authority

    Are you in financial survival mode? Many women are. It's a mindset trap that many women, especially female entrepreneurs, ca...

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    "Acute and chronic pain are processed in different parts of the brain. If you aren't healing and are still in pain, it's possible that your brain has established learned neural pathways that can continue to cause pain, which becomes chronic."
    Patty Tashiro ~ Natural Brain Solutions

    Is your brain keeping you in pain? The emotional responses we have to trauma--which often stay with us--can trigger th...

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