EPISODE · Aug 31, 2026 · 27 MIN
The 42-Minute Walk That Turned Grief Into a Leadership Legacy
from Life Fulfilled Podcast — Where leadership, self awareness and workplace performance actually connect. · host Bernie Borges
Meri Stockwell has coached more than 600 emerging leaders over three decades. But this episode isn't about strategy decks or performance reviews. It's about grief, a 6 a.m. walking habit, and a Cavapoo who ended up with the unofficial title of Chief Cultural Officer. What started as a way to survive the loss of two dogs in two years turned into a weekly video series, a softer leadership style, and a reminder that legacy isn't only what you plan. Sometimes it's a leash, a sunrise, and a promise you keep to yourself every morning. Who This Is For • Leaders who think legacy only comes from titles, milestones, or grand plans • Anyone moving through grief and looking for a structure, not just advice, to help them process it • People curious how one small daily habit can rebuild confidence, health, and connection • Coaches and executives wondering whether a softer leadership style can also be a stronger one • Listeners who enjoy an unconventional creator story, this one involves a dog with an executive title Five Key Takeaways 1. After losing her two dogs, Sierra and Pebbles, within about two years of each other, Meri added the dates together, landed on 42, and committed to walking at least 42 minutes every morning at 6 a.m. as a way to move through grief rather than around it. 2. The walk led her to a Cavapoo she calls CC, after basketball player Caitlin Clark, whose presence softened how Meri shows up on camera and how she leads and coaches. 3. What started as a private ritual became Sunrise Saturday, a weekly video series filmed along Florida's Gulf Coast, where CC delivers three tips a week and always gets the last word. 4. The series built real community. Meri hears from high school classmates, neighbors, and strangers who recognize her and CC, with some videos reaching thousands of views. 5. Meri connects the ritual to all five fulfillment pillars: health (26 pounds lost and more consistency), mental fitness (staying present instead of stuck in grief), relationships (old friendships resurfacing and new ones forming), career (a more human coaching style), and legacy (built daily, not just planned for someday). Connect With Meri Stockwell LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meristockwellleadership/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meritas_advisorygroup TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meritasadvisorygroup/ Website: https://www.meritasadvisorygroup.solutions/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@meritasadvisorygroup8937 Watch this episode (all episodes) on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@lifefulfilledpod Book Bernie Borges as a speaker at your next event:https://fulfilledatworkacademy.com/speaking/ Download The Human Dividend White Paper: A Leader’s Guide to Human-Led AI Transformationhttps://fulfilledatworkacademy.com/services/human-led-ai-transformation/ Learn more about the Human Dividend AI Assessmenthttps://fulfilledatworkacademy.com/human-dividend-ai-transformation-assessment/ Subscribe to the Weekly Fulfill newsletterhttps://fulfilledatworkacademy.com/newsletter/ Music Attribution Old BossaTwin MusicomSuno Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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What this episode covers
Meri Stockwell is the founder and CEO of Meritas Advisory Group and a leadership strategist who has coached more than 600 emerging leaders over three decades. In this episode, she and Bernie talk about a different side of her work: a 6 a.m. walking ritual that started after she lost her two dogs within two years of each other. Meri added the dates of their deaths together, landed on the number 42, and promised herself she'd walk at least 42 minutes every morning. That ritual eventually brought a Cavapoo she calls CC into her life, and CC brought along an unofficial job title, Chief Cultural Officer. Together they created Sunrise Saturday, a weekly video series that's grown into a real community of viewers, neighbors, and old friends who show up for three tips and a treat joke every week. Meri and Bernie connect the story to the show's five fulfillment pillars and talk about why the parts of leadership we soften are often the parts people remember most.
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The 42-Minute Walk That Turned Grief Into a Leadership Legacy
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