What if the hardest thing you've ever faced ended up being the biggest gift of your life?
My guest on The Ambitious Introvert® this week is Krista Ryan – a Workplace Performance expert, speaker, coach, and former HR director who brings nearly two decades of leadership experience to her mission of helping individuals and organizations thrive through change. But this conversation isn’t just about leadership - it’s about resilience, presence, and how a stage 3 cancer diagnosis changed everything.
Krista shares how surviving colorectal cancer reshaped her life, her leadership, and her priorities. We talk about what resilience really looks like (hint: it’s not just powering through), why vulnerability is one of the strongest things you can practice, and how living more in the now can create greater impact than chasing future goals ever will.
Whether you're leading a team, navigating a personal challenge, or simply trying to stay grounded in a fast-paced world, Krista’s wisdom will leave you feeling both seen and inspired.
Tune in to hear us discuss:
1. Why resilience is a practiced skill, not a personality trait - and it starts with pausing before reacting.
2. How vulnerability and asking for help aren’t weaknesses, they’re accelerators for growth and connection.
3. Why the best life is the one happening right now; chasing the future often pulls us out of alignment.
4. The way a single resilient person can shift the energy of an entire organization.
5. How simple daily rituals like solo walks or intention-setting can restore clarity, energy, and focus.
If you're ready to redefine resilience on your own terms, this one’s for you.
https://www.kristaryan.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/krista-ryan-pcc-b91830164/
CONNECT WITH EMMA-LOUISE:
Website: https://theambitiousintrovert.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmalouparkes/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emmalouparkes
Sign up to receive my monthly Introverts Only digest, delivering all the best introvert-friendly resources straight to your inbox, minus the scroll here.
PREMIUM SUPPORT:
Interested in working with me 1:1? Learn more and apply here.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.