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Host Russell Thackeray welcomes guest Andrew Gregor, a British-born, California-based architect and residential remodelling contractor who has transitioned into publishing novels. Gregor recounts being born in Beirut, sent to UK boarding school at 10, studying architecture, building an award-winning practice in Germany, then moving to the US and starting a renovation company. He discusses how architecture taught him practical skills like managing people, money, and materials, and reflects on AI’s potential impact as he plans to retire and write. Gregor’s novel ‘Roscoe,’ set over 12 hours in the life of a homeless man in San Francisco, draws heavily on his own voice and experiences, including briefly sleeping in his truck after the 2009 crash and divorce. He describes outreach work, the need to treat unhoused people with dignity, and endorses Housing First; the book won first place at the New York Book Festival and is available on major platforms. 00:00 Welcome and Introductions 00:46 Andrew’s Global Journey 01:52 From Building to Books 03:11 Architecture Skills and AI 05:19 Beirut Roots and Languages 07:07 Writing Roscoe and Voice 07:49 Orwell and Experiencing Homelessness 10:19 Close to the Edge in 2009 12:29 Dignity and Outreach Stories 15:32 Humanising Homelessness Solutions 17:56 Veterans, War, and Hypocrisy 19:41 Where to Find the Book 20:15 Connect and Closing Thanks You can contact us at [email protected] Resources can be found online or link to our website https://resilienceunravelled.com

In this Resilience Unravelled episode, host Dr Russell Thackeray interviews Dr. Joel Davis Brown about consciousness as worldview and self-positioning within society, and how marginalised communities often lack the “luxury” of drifting through life unaware of systemic inequities. Brown defines marginalised communities as those denied full access to life, liberty, and freedom, and discusses causes of marginalisation including discomfort with difference, scarcity thinking, greed, apathy, and historical inequality. He explores reclaiming the term “queer,” describing it as a generationally contested but increasingly inclusive political and cultural umbrella within LGBTQ+ identity. Brown outlines his work as an author, poet, professor, and organisational development consultant focused on culture, strategy, and leadership, arguing effective leadership requires self-interrogation, inclusion, and resisting groupthink. He explains why he wrote Souls of Queer Folk (2023) to uncover LGBTQ+ values and leadership lessons, and previews his upcoming healing book, I Had to Become the Father, releasing mid-August. 00:00 Welcome and Banter 00:53 Who Is Joel Brown 02:02 Defining Consciousness 04:08 Awake in Margins 06:58 What Marginalised Means 10:19 Why Marginalisation Happens 13:37 Reclaiming Queer 19:38 What Joel Does 23:02 Souls of Queer Folk Origins 29:54 Leadership Lessons From Queer Culture 41:16 Healing Book Preview 43:43 Where to Find Joel 44:18 Closing Thanks You can contact us at [email protected] Resources can be found online or link to our website https://resilienceunravelled.com

Host Dr Russell Thackeray interviews Georgina Woodley in Perth, Australia about her background in big-four consulting, strategy, and 20+ years in market research, and her interest in applying personal-development “energy” concepts to organisations. They discuss how people sense workplace culture, how individual mood and “underlying human state” affects meetings, authenticity, and leadership responsibilities to support mental wellbeing. Woodley introduces Joy-o-meter, a measurement framework/program that assesses customer and staff experience plus the underlying human state to reveal patterns, capacity, and friction points affecting performance, loyalty, burnout risk, absenteeism, and turnover. She argues joy is a strategic advantage linked to creativity, flow, and psychological safety, and contrasts joy measurement with satisfaction and NPS. Joy-o-meter uses succinct quantitative surveys with open-ended comments, can isolate current issues from past experiences, and is delivered flexibly via reporting, workshops, or dashboards. Contact is via LinkedIn and joy-o-meter.com. 00:00 Summer vs Aussie Winter 01:39 Meet Georgina Woodley 02:30 What Energy Means at Work 06:19 Authenticity and Mood Responsibility 10:11 Measuring Joy with Joy-o-meter 12:59 Why Joy Drives Performance 16:36 Beyond NPS and Satisfaction 19:34 How Joy-o-meter Works in Practice 21:57 Finding Friction and Burnout Risk 26:30 Expectations and Better Signals 29:08 Where to Learn More 29:56 ROI Proof and Closing Thoughts You can contact us at [email protected] Resources can be found online or link to our website https://resilienceunravelled.com

Host Dr Russell Thackeray welcomes Fort Lauderdale–based visual artist, therapeutic arts practitioner, author, and two-time cancer survivor Nerissa Balland, who discusses her work at the intersection of creativity, resilience, and personal growth. After being diagnosed with metastatic melanoma in 2016 while pregnant and parenting a toddler, she navigated surgeries, immunotherapy, later recurrence, chemotherapy she stopped due to low odds and side effects, and advocacy challenges including being told to terminate a pregnancy; she is now 8.5 years NED. Balland distinguishes therapeutic arts from art therapy and reframes resilience as engaging with adversity and moving forward, focusing on process over product, identity, and what can be controlled. She describes interviewing 100+ young mothers with cancer and her book, "Canvas of Courage," featuring 19 stories with practical “grace notes,” addressing gratitude, creativity, and how to show up for others. 00:00 Heatwave Welcome 00:48 Meet Nerissa 01:47 Art and Resilience Mission 04:07 What Visual Artist Means 05:20 Redefining Resilience 07:24 Therapeutic Arts Explained 10:24 Identity and Honest Expression 12:12 Corporate Toxicity Lessons 17:51 Control and Moving Forward 19:38 Creative Coping Stories 21:48 Melanoma Diagnosis Journey 30:14 Advocacy and Treatment Choices 32:28 Canvas of Courage Book 38:14 Where to Find Nerissa 38:57 Final Thanks and Goodbye You can contact us at [email protected] Resources can be found online or link to our website https://resilienceunravelled.com

Dr Russell Thackeray interviews Melbourne-based clinician and BBM (Brain Benefit Movement) founder Aram Cargill, a father of nine and former musician who developed a protocol to improve self-regulation and executive function, informed by raising a daughter with level 3 autism and two sons with ADHD and publishing multiple journal papers. They discuss ADHD diagnosis via DSM indicators, how ADHD traits vary by individual, and how ADHD-like symptoms can arise from stress, trauma, environment, and modern “base load” pressure. Cargill differentiates ADHD and autism, describing autism as more insular and emphasising expectation management and transition “thresholds,” and explains hyperfocus and detail-noticing as strengths. They explore higher burnout in neurodivergent people, concerns about short-form scrolling (including a child’s stutter resolving when iPads were removed), and his book “Seven Pillars of Mental Fitness,” arguing for proactive mental fitness in schools and a physiology-first lens; he outlines pillars including vision, attitude, awareness, adaptability, grit, recovery, and connectivity, and shares where to find the book and his research. 00:00 Welcome and Introductions 00:27 Aram Background and BBM 01:58 What ADHD Really Is 04:01 Symptoms vs Diagnosis 07:10 ADHD and Autism Differences 08:23 Autism Expectations and Safety 12:16 Hyperfocus and Tech Careers 15:41 Burnout and Modern Stress 18:21 Social Media and Kids Brains 22:20 Why Mental Fitness Matters 27:10 Seven Pillars Overview 29:45 Physiology First Psychology 31:14 Who the Book Is For 33:51 Where to Get the Book 34:58 Find Aram and Closing You can contact us at [email protected] Resources can be found online or link to our website https://resilienceunravelled.com

Host Dr Russell Thackeray interviews Dr. Kim Foster, an MD and former family doctor now living on Vancouver Island and spending summers in London, about identity and change. Foster explains identity as the “I am” stories people tell themselves, often inherited from parents, teachers, or society, and argues even positive labels can be limiting. She shares her own shift from being “the artistic one” to embracing science and medicine, and describes her current work as an author, speaker, YouTube creator, coach, and educator. Foster outlines her three-step process—recognise, redesign, ritualise—emphasising building “identity evidence” through small daily actions rather than affirmations, illustrated by her learning golf in her 50s. They discuss gendered identity pressures around work and motherhood, the risks of over-identifying with diagnostic labels, and her new book, "Redesigning You: Change Your Inner Story, Transform Your Health," plus her website drkimfoster.com. 00:00 Welcome and London Intro 00:31 Canada UK Summer Life 02:07 From GP to New Career 05:10 What Identity Means 06:59 Identity Shifts in School 08:58 Reclaiming Your Identity 10:47 Building Identity Evidence 12:18 Golf and Bridge Identities 14:30 Gender and Role Identity 19:20 Three Rs Framework 21:51 New Book Redesigning You 24:39 Labels and Being Unwell 26:55 Client Success Story 29:04 Where to Find Kim 29:39 Closing Thanks You can contact us at [email protected] Resources can be found online or link to our website https://resilienceunravelled.com

In this episode of Resilience Unravelled with Dr Russell Thackeray, Antonio Michael Downing discusses growing up in Trinidad and Tobago with his grandmother, who taught him to read from the King James Bible and to sing Anglican hymns, before her death led to his move at age 11 to rural Northern Ontario. He describes the shock of migration, being renamed “Michael” at school, and how losing familiar culture and language prompted questions about identity, belonging, and the self, shaping a lifelong focus on fluid identity and resilience. Downing links resilience to flexibility and performance across contexts, from multiple musical personas to a corporate career at BlackBerry, and notes that those who migrate between ages 9–14 often become “a third thing” between cultures. He connects these themes to his memoir Saga Boy and novel Black Cherokee, explains his creative process as a “visitation,” and shares that Black Cherokee has an Audible audiobook, a paperback coming in August, and that he can be reached on Instagram @antoniomichaeldowning. 00:00 Welcome and Introductions 01:24 Growing Up in Trinidad 02:22 Grandmother’s Gifts 04:26 Move to Canada 07:01 Reinventing Identity 11:17 Neither Here Nor There 13:45 Two Jackets Life 19:08 Resilience Through Fluidity 23:13 Themes in Music and Books 26:24 Toronto and Belonging 28:37 Writing as Visitation 33:35 Books Formats and Where to Find 34:53 Final Thanks and Goodbye You can contact us at [email protected] Resources can be found online or link to our website https://resilienceunravelled.com #resilience, #burnout, #intuition

In this Resilience Unravelled episode, host Dr Russell Thackeray interviews Chris Hill, a London-based “lived experience practitioner” who helps people with mental health and addiction by teaching an educational “separation model” that distinguishes the conscious self from mind/body mechanisms. Hill shares his own 20-year history of addiction and explains addiction as dopamine-driven habitual wiring that can be harmful when it causes damage to self or others, spanning substances (nicotine, alcohol, drugs) and behaviours (gambling, sex, porn, shopping, social media). He argues modern society “hacks” survival mechanisms, highlights environmental risks such as youth vaping and its gateway effects, and criticises willpower-only approaches. Hill outlines his book Get Your Life Back, his private mentoring via beatmyaddictions.com, and his charity robhillfoundation.org, founded after his twin brother’s fatal overdose in 2014. 00:00 Welcome and Introductions 00:37 Chris Hill Background 01:10 Personal Addiction Journey 02:49 What Addiction Means 05:46 Physical vs Behavioural Addictions 08:24 Who Is Most Vulnerable 10:33 Environment and Youth Vaping 13:48 Education and Rewiring Solution 16:59 Separation Model Explained 22:13 Natural State and Breaking the Cycle 23:38 Book and Program Options 26:24 Support Community and Faith 28:01 Charity Links and Closing You can contact us at [email protected] Resources can be found online or link to our website https://resilienceunravelled.com #resilience, #burnout, #intuition

Host Dr Russell Thackeray interviews Dale Atkinson from near Reading, a former finance compliance consultant who now works as a patient advocate, audits companies for “patient trust leaks,” sells adjunct wellness modalities, and writes. Dale recounts that in 2024 his partner was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer and surgically cured, then he was found to have a large esophageal tumour and later told he had terminal, metastatic cancer (T4b N3 M1) with 11.5 months to live, after years of GP visits for GI symptoms and a long wait for a “routine” endoscopy. He pursued chemotherapy and immunotherapy alongside extensive research, next-generation sequencing, off-label medications, nutrition/naturopathic support, and modalities such as hyperbaric oxygen, high-dose vitamin C protocols, ketosis/fasting, and medical cannabis, while warning against social-media “snake oil.” He reports no visible signs of disease, has made major lifestyle changes to reduce stress, and is launching a charity, Beyond the Standard, to push NHS change; he emphasises self-advocacy. 00:00 Welcome and Introductions 00:28 From Finance to Advocacy 01:34 A Shocking Cancer Cascade 03:38 Years of Missed Symptoms 06:09 Turning Anger Into Research 09:24 Snake Oil and Red Herrings 11:57 Chemo Immuno and Realistic Goals 13:17 Next-Gen Sequencing Explained 16:41 Integrative Care vs NHS Pathway 18:30 Lifestyle Overhaul After Diagnosis 20:03 Where to Start Without Rabbit Holes 20:41 Avoid Social Media Gurus 21:26 Find Credible Integrative Experts 22:08 Vetting Doctors and Directories 24:27 Biohacking Hype and Supplement Scams 25:30 Bloodwork Guided Supplementation 26:31 Ketosis and Fasting Strategy 28:23 Medical Cannabis for Symptoms 31:31 Access and NHS Change Efforts 33:51 Prognosis and Staying on Protocol 34:37 Hyperbaric Oxygen and Red Light 36:43 Self Advocacy and Final Takeaways You can contact us at [email protected] Resources can be found online or link to our website https://resilienceunravelled.com

Host Dr Russell Thackeray interviews Jodie Herbert in Canberra, Australia, founder of Ability Pathways Australia and a carer of three children on the autism spectrum. They discuss neurodiversity as natural variation in thinking, differences in autism categorisation (ASD 1–4), and how modern workplaces with constant digital channels can make neurodivergent needs harder to accommodate. Jodie describes practical, low-cost adjustments employers can make—written follow-ups, clear SOPs, and quiet workspaces or work-from-home options—and explains her data-driven “longitudinal study” approach: clients complete daily questionnaires for 30 days, producing visualised recommendations to help employers close the “implementation gap.” They also cover Australia’s disability legislation and the NDIS, noting proposed 2026 funding cuts and a pending parliamentary bill, with concerns about service loss, economic impact, and participant wellbeing. 00:00 Welcome and Introductions 00:21 Life in Canberra 01:28 Jodie’s Story and Mission 02:50 What Neurodiversity Means 03:56 Autism Levels Explained 06:37 Workplace Overload and Inclusion 11:33 Simple Adjustments That Work 14:57 Remote Work and Real Needs 17:31 Closing the Implementation Gap 20:56 Australia Disability Policy and NDIS 23:32 NDIS Cuts and What’s at Stake 27:16 How to Connect and Final Thoughts You can contact us at [email protected] Resources can be found online or link to our website https://resilienceunravelled.com

Dr Russell Thackeray welcomes Dr. Denis Cronson, a South African-born medical doctor now based in Switzerland, to discuss leadership through a biological lens. Cronson describes moving from trauma surgery into 20 years of organisational health and executive consulting, observing how overcommitment, “success but sacrifice” cultures, and failure patterns deplete leaders and spread dysfunction through organisations. They argue many leaders respond with “hacks” (supplements, sleep programs, workouts) that increase capacity without changing the underlying system creating unsustainable load. Cronson links leadership attributes like judgment, empathy, adaptability, and working memory to neurobiology affected by sleep, nutrition, and chronic stress, and notes normalised distraction and phone scrolling. He outlines “Leadership 3.0” as the biological and psychological condition required to lead, and introduces his book, The Executive Condition, released internationally Sept 1, 2026, aimed at leaders, boards, shareholders, HR, and coaches. 00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro 00:30 South Africa to Switzerland 01:23 Culture Humour and Humanity 03:30 From Trauma Surgery to Exec Health 05:29 Why Hacks Miss the System 09:06 Neurobiology of Leadership 12:56 Working Memory and Doomscrolling 15:20 ADHD Normalisation Debate 17:11 Leadership 3.0 Framework 19:35 The Executive Condition Book 24:57 Wellbeing Programs vs Redesign 28:09 Resilience Band Aids and Culture 29:11 Where to Get the Book Closing You can contact us at [email protected] Resources can be found online or link to our website https://resilienceunravelled.com

Host Dr Russell Thackeray welcomes Andrea Carter, a Canada-based organisational scientist known for validating a way to measure belonging and leading studies across 3,500 people in 13 companies, later extended across eight industries and 150,000 employees. This is a genuinely fascinating episode and worth a full listen..! Andrea argues resilience is often treated as a solo sport—“exile with a deadline”—and that the real breaking point is facing hardship alone. She defines belonging as a measurable performance metric co-created by individuals and systems, distinct from “fitting in,” and explains five neurological indicators: comfort (clarity/predictability), connection (trust beyond transaction), contribution (evidence you matter), psychological safety, and wellbeing/recovery, noting “resilience without recovery is delayed collapse.” The discussion covers measuring belonging at organisational, team, and individual levels, focusing on shrinking belonging “gap scores,” and cites a plant intervention improving gap and discretionary effort, plus faster safety reporting. They also touch on DEI measurement issues, cultural differences, schools’ rising anxiety, and social media’s negative effects. 00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro 01:00 Andrea Background and Research 04:34 Resilience Is Not Solo 07:04 Fitting In vs Belonging 10:35 Measuring Belonging Science 11:44 Five Indicators Explained 20:59 Teams Leaders and Culture 26:36 Belonging Drives Performance 30:39 Friction That Grows 39:32 Schools Youth and Social Media 44:05 Wrap Up and Contact Info You can contact us at [email protected] Resources can be found online or link to our website https://resilienceunravelled.com

Host Dr Russell Thackeray interviews Sydney-based psychologist, former HR/leadership development director, and secular Buddhist teacher Lenore Lambert about her work Flourish Personal Growth and her “People Against Rushing” (PAR) intentions: a 20% time buffer, blank diary spaces, and “be where you are.” Lambert outlines her “nine elements of human flourishing,” adding safety factors to Seligman’s model: material security, autonomy, ease with uncertainty, and belonging, plus pleasure, engagement/flow, achievement, connection, and contribution. They discuss resilience as bouncing back/forward from setbacks, the risks of overdoing any element (especially money, power, and status), and research on “maximisers” vs “sufficers.” Lenore emphasises flourishing as both content and process, using learning, mindfulness, and Buddhist insight to reduce reactivity and respond rather than react. She directs listeners to flourishpersonalgrowth.com and suggests downloading her free self-assessment to improve the lowest-scoring element. 00:00 Welcome From Sydney 00:57 Background And Work 02:57 People Against Rushing 04:36 Neurodiversity And Difficulty 05:24 Nine Elements Of Flourishing 08:36 Building The Model 10:35 Resilience And Setbacks 11:52 Money Status And Meaning 15:38 Workplace Leadership Effects 16:26 Sufficiency Versus Maximising 18:00 Paradox of Choice 19:08 Perfectionism and Maximisers 20:01 Learning as Resilience 20:35 Flourishing Process Model 22:09 Who Defines Flourishing 24:33 Happiness Myth Spectrum 27:32 Contentment and Comparison 29:18 Tools Programs and Website 30:26 Feelings as Body Sensations 33:33 Buddhist Nonreactivity Practice 37:15 How to Engage and Next Steps 38:26 Final Task and Farewell You can contact us at [email protected] Resources can be found online or link to our website https://resilienceunravelled.com

Host Russell Thackeray welcomes Duncan Starr-Boltt, a Cambridge-based Brit who lives in Crete most of the year, and explores his journey from mechanical engineering into personal training, coaching, and running a CrossFit gym. Duncan describes intense fitness challenges (including a wall-ball world record of 452) and how proving fitness shaped his identity, later easing once he felt he’d proven it to himself. After becoming stressed running the gym, he found Western approaches ineffective and turned to Eastern ideas, emphasising “you are not the mind,” cultivating the observer through meditation and mindfulness, and focusing on feeling okay internally. He discusses the tension between goals and contentment, advocating goals for clarity without unhealthy drive, and shares his father’s Maslow-inspired visualisation process that iteratively achieves goals to uncover deeper purpose. He also mentions his fictional book, "Seeking Sukha," about lasting happiness and peace, and how to find him online. 00:00 Introductions 00:37 From Engineer to Fitness Coach 01:55 Gym Stress and Eastern Practices 02:50 Forrest Gump Fitness Identity 03:33 Chasing World Records 06:06 Did Proving It Matter 07:09 The Goal Behind Goals 08:38 Goal Setting vs Discontentment 11:08 Driven Energy and Satisfaction 11:53 Why We Choose Unsatisfied 12:48 Why We Tolerate Abuse 13:38 Eastern Wisdom vs Western Fixes 14:45 You Are Not The Mind 17:08 Observer Mindfulness and Goals 17:50 Purpose Beyond the Cave 19:15 Vision Triangle Goal Process 23:21 Identity and Future Self 24:40 Seeking Sukha Book Story 26:26 Audiobook Recording Realities 26:53 Where to Find Duncan 27:24 Final Reflections and Goodbye You can contact us at [email protected] Resources can be found online or link to our website https://resilienceunravelled.com

In this Resilience Unravelled episode, Dr Russell Thackeray interviews Celeste Warren, a US-based former chief diversity and inclusion officer who retired after nearly four decades in global corporations and now consults, speaks, and promotes her book The Truth About Equity. Warren explains why equity is often misunderstood as preferential treatment and uses the “rocks and fence” analogy to show equity as giving people what they need without taking away from others, while the fence represents systemic “isms” that require long-term change. She emphasises the role of dialogue in widening entrenched perspectives formed early in life, addresses DE&I pushback by framing equity as pragmatic business, marketing, and leadership basics, and outlines a six-step “equity in action” model including awareness, access, advocacy, action, accountability, and empowerment. She discusses AI hiring risks and the need for checks and balances, shares her goal of creating ripple effects through education and allyship, and closes with “stay relevant, stay supportive, and stay in the fight.” 00:00 Welcome and Introductions 00:49 Celeste’s Career Journey 02:36 Why Equity Matters 03:40 Rocks and Fence Explained 06:54 Mindsets and Upbringing 10:58 DEI Pushback and Proof 11:35 Equity as Business Basics 15:17 Who the Book Is For 16:09 From Awareness to Impact 17:39 Equity in the Age of AI 20:38 Big Dream and Ripple Effect 21:52 Where to Get the Book 22:16 Final Takeaways and Wrap You can contact us at [email protected] Resources can be found online or link to our website https://resilienceunravelled.com