Living Strong: The Flip Side of Adversity

In this moving episode of The Flipside of Adversity, join Kayla "Bird" Kressler—clinician, educator, and founder of Kindred Way Wellness Collective—as she reveals a side of her journey that few know: the personal and systemic struggles that transformed her from a caregiver into an advocate for those who help others. Having dedicated nearly two decades to supporting individuals through crisis and trauma, Bird found herself facing an unexpected crisis of her own, a time when reaching for help exposed immense financial, social, and emotional barriers that deeply impacted her life and career. Bird’s story sheds light on the challenges of navigating mental health and trauma recovery from within the helping professions, where the reality of moral injury and burnout is often hidden beneath a professional veneer. In a powerful conversation about resilience, trauma-focused care, and the urgent need for compassionate peer support in high-stakes careers, Bird discusses the founding of Kindred Way and her mission to change how we care for caregivers. Please tune in to explore how systemic reform, trauma-informed practices, and the voices of those delivering essential services can shape a future of support and healing for those who help us all.

In this episode, Resilience Through Adversity: Turning Pain into Purpose, we explore how life’s toughest challenges can lead to profound personal growth. We’ll discuss how adversity can foster resilience, reshape our understanding of success and failure, and build stronger problem-solving skills. Together, we’ll uncover how overcoming obstacles enhances empathy and compassion and dive into strategies for transforming difficult experiences into opportunities for growth. Tune in to discover how turning pain into purpose can empower you to navigate life’s challenges with strength and optimism.

In this episode, Dr. Nicole Pertillar shares the life-changing “aha moment” that led her to shift her approach to well-being and inspire others to do the same. After a car accident in 2019 forced her to pause and reevaluate her life, Dr. Nic realized the importance of slowing down to tap into Divine Wisdom and Guidance. This pivotal experience led her to transition from traditional counseling to Mental Health Coaching, allowing her to reach and impact a broader audience. With her business, Live from Wholeness Coaching, Dr. Nic empowers women to prioritize self-care, discover their purpose, and find healing through holistic approaches that blend spirit, mind, and body. Tune in to hear her journey, her passion for creativity, and her transformative insights on living a life of wholeness. www.nicolepertillar.com

In this episode, we dive into the power of using your voice to influence change, especially in times when community needs are on the rise. We explore how speaking up and standing out can make a real difference, emphasizing that indifference is not an option when action is needed. Tune in for insights on how to harness your influence and take purposeful steps to uplift and impact your community.

Let's tackle the challenge of being or becoming a business owner while life continues to happen around you.  Join us as we discuss failures to success and beyond.

In this episode of Women in Leadership, with @zrboone we dive into the journey of leadership, tackling the unique challenges faced by women along the way. Zakiyyah will share personal stories of the obstacles she overcame and the pivotal people, places, and experiences that shaped her path to success. You’ll walk away with practical tools for speaking up, standing out, and confidently living out loud as a leader. Whether you’re navigating leadership challenges looking to break through barriers or just leading better in your everyday life, this episode will offer key strategies to empower your voice and vision.

Have you heard yourself ask...   "What if I’m not good enough?” "What if people don’t take me seriously?” "Do I even have anything valuable to say?” "Is it selfish to speak up for myself?”   But you have a yearning inside that says… It’s time to speak up, stand up, use your voice… Let’s Talk about it!    Many people ask me, “How did you become a speaker? Where did you start? How do you use your voice on so many platforms?” My answer: because I am healed. For almost 20 years, I’ve been on a healing journey—walking through forgiveness, reclaiming my God-given identity, trading the lies about my value for the truth about my worth, and adopting daily practices that keep my healing in front of me, not as a check mark behind me.   Would you believe there was a season when every time I opened my mouth, my voice quaked and my hands shook? NOW, I use my voice with purpose and intention as a transformative tool for myself and others. Join me as I talk about the tools for the FLIP.

In this episode, we chat with Geolaina "Jo" Copeland, author of "Broken Legacies," who shares her personal story of dealing with family dysfunction and finding a way to move forward. From the opening line, "This comeback is personal; it’s an apology to myself," we dive into what inspired the book and the challenges of facing difficult family histories. We'll discuss key moments that led to change, the impact of stories from the Bible, and practical advice for anyone struggling with similar issues. This conversation is about finding hope, healing, and the strength to create a better future.

In this episode, we will explore the transformative power of adversity and how it can shape your true identity. Our guest shares their personal story of overcoming significant challenges, revealing the pivotal moments that led to a deep self-discovery.   Together, we discuss the practical steps they took to unlock their identity blueprint, the role of faith and resilience in their journey, and how embracing their past has empowered them to live a life of purpose. Tune in to gain valuable insights and inspiration for your path to triumph.

Have you felt “less” than yourself lately… hopeless, helpless, powerless. When everything feels turned upside down, even in that moment, we can shift our thought life from obstacle to opportunity. This season has had me encounter so many people devastated by turmoil, and I found myself struggling to remain an influence and not get infected by helplessness and hopelessness. So I have found myself returning to life lessons that have brought me through and FILLED my soul in the process. So it’s just you and me kid this week! I am sharing my story, my strategies, and my life lessons on Flipping powerless to Power-FULL. You get the mic and can ask me your questions… no, I may not know your story but I know your story is not meant to end here. So this week let’s lean in together, ask the hard questions, and get strategic about intentional areas that catapulted our growth , even when it was uncomfortable.

Make your next best decision today alongside Jessica Frew. Jessica was 2 years into her marriage when her husband came out to her. One baby, an affair, and five years later, she found herself divorced trying to figure out what was next for her and her family. By trusting her gut and leaning into her intuition, she rebuilt her life into something even better than she could have imagined. And it started by making and acting on one decision at a time. Fast forward 12 years... Jessica has been remarried for 11 years, is still good friends with her ex, and is mothering not just her own daughter but two awesome stepkids as well. Because she knows the power of hearing and acting on what your gut is telling you she now helps women develop that skill in their own lives.

Dr. Larry L. Anderson Jr. returns to the publishing scene along with Co-Author, Christine O. James, with the 2nd installment from “The Diaries Series” with the highly anticipated release of “The Pastors’ Wives’ Diaries” (published by SMS Press).   This diaries entry offers a visible journal of the invisible journey of the women who have been called to be pastor’s wives and the personal challenges they encounter throughout their lives. It also contains the passionate and transparent testimonies of Pastor Anderson, as he bares his soul naked, like never before, on the blind spots he and other pastors may have when it comes to effectively covering their wives.   Written to affirm pastors’ wives, encourage pastors, and educate the faith-based community, this book is filled with real-life confessions and testimonies from diverse voices and faith-based leaders, many of which have never been shared with the public. It details their unscripted transparent trials and triumphs of being a pastor’s wife, including their jilted, jealousy, Judas, judgment, Jezebel, and joy experiences, while serving in ministry. Unlike other books written by or for pastors’ wives that encourage them to be more spiritual or faithful, this book reveals the true scars associated with the call and some heartfelt Scripture, prayer, and encouragement for healing. Christine O. James and Anderson form a dynamic tag-team tandem to love on pastors’ wives and help articulate and illuminate how their pain has been for human purpose and God’s glory.   The Pastors’ Wives Diaries  Athens Avenue Podcast

We all have heard the saying that ‘Hurt People, Hurt People’ but what happens when those hurt people are our leaders, our encouragers and our pastors? How do those who have been wounded the most by the church, make sure they don’t in turn hurt the church? Pastors’ deal with a high level of pressure to perform and behave perfectly as they have been placed on a pedestal. The pastor must be healthy in order to lead a healthy church. Understanding the unrealistic demands that pastors are to be perfect, is what keeps them from being transparent, authentic and able to get the help they made need themselves. Pastors must embrace humility, seek grace and learn to forgive themselves as well as those they have been called to shepherd. The Pastors’ Diaries gives us a transparent look behind the pulpit into the lives of those who have been called to pastor and their personal challenges that could lead to tragedy if left unattended.

Get ready for an inspiring journey where I'll share my story of triumph over trauma to the NFL, navigating five learning disabilities, and overcoming a stutter that persisted until college. Join me as I reveal how a rough upbringing fueled my determination to win, transforming suffering and pain into currency for personal growth. Through resilience and perseverance, I've embraced my uniqueness, turning adversity into strength. Tune in to discover how I've leveraged my experiences to not just survive, but thrive in life. Don't miss this powerful conversation about resilience, perseverance, and the limitless potential within us all.

“Believing that life interruptions—divine interruptions—are a privilege not only causes us to handle them differently but to await them eagerly. Will you surrender your plans and purposes into the greater known of God's unknown designs for your life?” - Priscilla Shirer What happens when life doesn’t look the way we planned? How do we navigate the detour? Where do we experience pitfalls that make us stall? How do we grieve the loss of the plan we planned for? Let’s Rewrite our perspective and regain from the loss …. No… It wasn’t suppose to be “this”. But even “this” can lead to possibility, opportunity, and a new life on the Flip Side of Adversity. Join CEO, leader, trainer, author, and speaker Uneeka Jay as she shares her own story of grief in the middle of an interruption and lean into her gift to ignite transformation with powerful, practical and refreshingly relevant tools to move forward.

So often people ask, What tip will help them move forward through hard seasons in life? But there is no magic wand answer to that question. The real question and conviction becomes, Are you willing to do the work, break up the broken thoughts, stand firm in emotional upheaval, and get grounded in truth when it feels like life is in pieces? Join us for our conversation with gospel artist, Y’Anna Crawley. Her flip side story will challenge you embrace the pieces in life, accept what comes, move and change what you can, build and place your pieces where they should be to become open, transparent, honest and free.

So many times, we run ourselves into the ground going, doing, and living in ways that could be harmful to our bodies, minds, and hearts. But when we take the time to unplug from the world and plug into God, we’re able to hear clearly as He continues to order or steps. We’re able to align our hearts and minds with the plans He has for our lives and what He wants us to do in this season. Join us for a talk about R.E.S.E.T. (Releasing Every Situation Encourages Transformation) and the importance of taking time to allow yourself to breathe and hear from God.

Join Jackie Bledsoe, bestselling author and marriage expert, as he transparently shares his marriage story and insights on how couples can thrive through adversity. In this special segment of Living Strong, Jackie explores the flip side of challenges in marriage, revealing the hidden opportunities for growth, connection, and lasting love. Discover practical tips, real-life experiences, and the power of a Christ-centered foundation in building and sustaining happily married couples. Get ready to transform your relationship and conquer life's storms together.

Jevon Wooden is a business and mindset coach, speaker, author, and veteran of the US Army and the tech industry. He specializes in empowering motivated people to build the life of their dreams, professionally and personally. Wooden felt called to this line of work after navigating his fair share of adversity and emerging from it stronger, wiser, and committed to uplifting others. Wooden learned the power of taking inspired action, investing whole-heartedly in relationships, embracing his authentic self, and genuinely connecting with others from a place of understanding and transparency. These experiences taught him the importance of mindset when facing what seemed like impossible odds. They also showed him that you could do more with less, but not without a solid strategy and a commitment to maintaining good mental health. Wooden is passionate about sharing his unique mix of mindset and business coaching to help business leaders and entrepreneurs do more and be more without losing themselves in the process.

No matter who she serves, Denise believes it is essential to open the door of communication through trust, empathy, and compassion—meeting people where they are and allowing them to be unapologetically themselves. She continues to grow into her life's purpose by merging her gifts to inspire and open the doors for healing and self-discovery for others through the power of therapeutic art resilience coaching. Thus Be ReZilient was born. Through creative arts wellness educational programs and inclusive community-building that empowers, cultivates and heighten resilience, Be ReZilient's mission is to reprint the narrative surrounding mental wellness by providing resources to support individuals and communities, while actively addressing intergenerational disparities and trauma within the community that affect mental health. Denise is a relatable and transparent coach and motivational speaker. She creates a safe space to provoke thought and change. Join us for a Flip Side Conversation that will transform, heal, and bring out the creative energy in you.