Resilience is a Muscle

This is the deep one. Sheila Maitland is a licensed clinical mental health counselor, addiction therapist, and CEO of the Relationship Enrichment Center — and she brings the kind of clinical honesty that cuts straight through the noise. In this episode, Sheila and Laurie go to the places most conversations avoid: what addiction really looks like in modern life (yes, including your phone and Netflix), how trauma lives in the body long after the event, why estrangement is becoming more common and harder to repair, and what it actually takes to reconnect — with others and with yourself. This one will stay with you. Episode Timestamps: 0:00 — Introduction & welcome 0:22 — What resilience means to a clinical therapist — and how medicating blocks access to it 3:46 — Inherited patterns: when you become your parent and don’t realize it 6:22 — Where the line is between coaching, mentoring, and therapy — and why it matters 8:43 — Modern addiction: social media, pornography, Netflix, and the brain’s dopamine loop 13:42 — My brain will lie to me. My body won’t. — learning to regulate from the neck down 15:29 — Trauma, the Google Maps analogy, and what it means to have a shrunken brain 18:19 — Speaking in “I” instead of “you” — the language shift that changes everything in relationships 23:28 — Estrangement: why it’s rising, what drives it, and whether it’s ever the right call 50:54 — Accountability, divorce, and doing the hard work — closing thoughts About Sheila Maitland: Sheila Maitland is a licensed clinical mental health counselor, supervisor, and addiction therapist. She is the CEO and owner of the Relationship Enrichment Center, with locations in Richmond, Virginia and Matthews, North Carolina. Sheila specializes in trauma, attachment, addiction, and the complex dynamics of modern families and relationships. Her clinical approach integrates nervous system regulation, communication work, and deep relational healing. Connect & Resources:Sheila Maitland: Relationship Enrichment Center Website: resilienceisamuscle.comNonprofit: We Connect The Dots — weconnectthedots.orgSubscribe wherever you listen to podcastsWatch all episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nebulaacademy2702Share this episode with someone who needs it — be the domino that starts a resilience revolution.Every comeback started with a setback. Resilience is a muscle — you build it one rep at a time.

Resilience Is a Muscle by Laurie Carey is out NOW, purchase on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.Most companies say they care about employee wellbeing. Far fewer actually build the culture to back it up. In this episode, Laurie sits down with Sarah Olin, founder of Lumo — a human-centric leadership and coaching firm working with organizations from Calvin Klein to the City of Charlotte. Sarah shares her path from aspiring actress to mindfulness teacher to executive coach, and gets honest about the conversations most workplaces are still too afraid to have: working parent guilt, parental leave culture gaps, what it really means to bring your whole self to work, and why the future belongs to leaders who can hold their own humanity without letting it derail the room.Episode Timestamps:0:00 — Introduction & welcome0:22 — Before Lumo existed — Sarah’s journey from actress to mindfulness teacher to executive coach3:44 — The origin of Lumo and the “Luscious Mother” moment that started it all6:47 — Why coaches need coaches — and what Sarah looks for in her own8:29 — Leaders need a safe place to vent — and it can’t be their team10:02 — Bring your whole self to work — with an asterisk: being responsible with your humanity15:58 — How Lumo builds culture through coaching — and what 100% ownership really means22:33 — Working parents, caregivers & the compounding pressure of modern leadership24:04 — The parental leave problem: policy without culture is just paper28:51 — AI and coaching — where it helps, where it falls short, and why human connection is the futureAbout Sarah Olin:Sarah Olin is the founder of Lumo, a human-centric leadership and coaching firm with a bench of 25 coaches serving organizations across industries — from Fortune 500 companies to nonprofits to municipal governments. A trained coach through Accomplishment Coaching, Sarah spent seven years as a trainer and mentor in coach education before launching Lumo. Her work focuses on leadership development, working parent support, workplace wellness, and building cultures where people can show up fully and perform sustainably.Connect & Resources:Sarah Olin: Lumo — lumoleadership.comWebsite: resilienceisamuscle.comNonprofit: We Connect The Dots — weconnectthedots.orgSubscribe wherever you listen to podcastsWatch all episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nebulaacademy2702Share this episode with someone who needs it — be the domino that starts a resilience revolution.Every comeback started with a setback. Resilience is a muscle — you build it one rep at a time.

Resilience Is a Muscle by Laurie Carey launches April 21, 2026 — preorder now on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.Will I have a job in five years? It’s the question keeping professionals and leaders up at night — and in this episode, Laurie sits down with Drew Burdick, founder of Stealth X and a builder of AI-native products, to break it down honestly. Drew has a front-row seat to how AI is reshaping roles, skills, and entire organizations. Together, he and Laurie dig into what resilience looks like in a rapidly shifting economy, which jobs are gaining power and which are quietly disappearing, and what it actually takes to lead — and survive — in the age of AI.Episode Timestamps:0:00 — Introduction & welcome0:22 — The big question: will I have a job? Setting up the episode1:38 — Drew’s personal resilience story — burning out on the sprint, becoming a father, and learning to play the long game3:15 — Who modeled resilience for Drew — his father-in-law rebuilding after 2008, and growing up in the Philippines7:02 — The most misunderstood thing about AI: getting to 80% is easy, the last 20% is extremely hard10:39 — High agency vs. low agency mindset — the island and the raft11:27 — What “AI native” actually means in business beyond just buying tools19:39 — Which roles are gaining power and which are quietly losing leverage29:25 — Resilience habits in teams that adapt well — show-and-tell, sandboxes, and building an experimentation muscle44:28 — Resilience tip: the stress container exercise from Laurie’s bookAbout Drew Burdick:Drew Burdick is the founder of Stealth X, a Charlotte-based product studio specializing in AI-native customer and employee experiences. He hosts the Building Great Experience podcast and runs Product Jam with Innovate Charlotte, where early-stage teams pressure-test ideas in a single day. Drew works with mid-size companies to help them cut through the noise and build real AI capability — fast.Connect & Resources:Drew Burdick: Stealth X — stealthx.ioPodcast: Building Great Experiences — available wherever you listenInnovate Charlotte — innovatecharlotte.comWebsite: resilienceisamuscle.comNonprofit: We Connect The Dots — weconnectthedots.orgSubscribe wherever you listen to podcastsWatch all episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nebulaacademy2702Share this episode with someone who needs it — be the domino that starts a resilience revolution.Every comeback started with a setback. Resilience is a muscle — you build it one rep at a time.

Resilience Is a Muscle by Laurie Carey launches April 21, 2026 — preorder now on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.Steve Palmer built Indigo Road Hospitality from one restaurant in 2009 to a nationally recognized group spanning eight states — but the real story starts long before that. In this episode, Steve shares how losing his father and grandfather as a child, surviving addiction, and finding purpose through service shaped both his life and his leadership. He and Laurie dig into recovery, people-first culture, the founding of Ben’s Friends, and why resilience isn’t something you’re born with — it’s something you build.Episode Timestamps:0:00 — Introduction & welcome0:22 — Meet Steve Palmer — Indigo Road Hospitality & four-time James Beard semifinalist1:07 — What does resilience mean to you? Steve opens up about childhood trauma and the power of faith3:35 — It’s a mindset — surviving jails, IV drug use, and homelessness by believing something better was possible5:57 — Steve’s story: losing his father, his grandfather, and being on his own at 129:15 — How the restaurant industry saved his life — and how addiction nearly took it11:01 — The founding of Ben’s Friends: sobriety support for restaurant workers, now in 24 cities19:48 — People-first culture at Indigo Road — free mental health counseling, home loans, and hiring for emotional qualities29:19 — Servant leadership, staying curious, and why leadership is a privilege, not a title37:25 — Is society losing resilience? Laurie and Steve on what it will take to build it backAbout Steve Palmer:Steve Palmer is the Founder, Managing Partner, and Chief Vision Officer of Indigo Road Hospitality Group, which he grew from one restaurant in 2009 to a nationally recognized hospitality company spanning eight states with 2,500 employees. A four-time James Beard Award semifinalist, Steve is also the author of Saving Grace (Forbes Books) and the co-founder of Ben’s Friends, a sobriety support network for restaurant industry professionals now active in 24 cities.Connect & Resources:Steve Palmer: Indigo Road Hospitality — theindigoroad.comBen’s Friends (sobriety support for restaurant workers): bensfriendshope.comBook: Saving Grace by Steve Palmer — available on AmazonWebsite: resilienceisamuscle.comNonprofit: We Connect The Dots — weconnectthedots.orgSubscribe wherever you listen to podcastsWatch all episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nebulaacademy2702Share this episode with someone who needs it — be the domino that starts a resilience revolutionEvery comeback started with a setback. Resilience is a muscle — you build it one rep at a time.

Resilience Is a Muscle by Laurie Carey launches April 21, 2026 — preorder now on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.What does it actually take to move forward when life knocks you down — not the Instagram version, but the real one? That's the question at the heart of Resilience Is a Muscle, and it's the question Laurie Carey has spent her life answering.In this intro episode, Laurie shares the personal story that shaped everything — losing her father to suicide at age five, watching her mother raise four kids alone, and the one rule that carried them through: no such words as "can't." That belief became a career. That career became a book. And now, it's a podcast.The science is clear: resilience isn't a personality trait you're born with. It's a skill you build — one rep at a time. Your brain is designed to keep you alive, not to make you successful. Once you understand that, you stop fighting yourself and start building.This Season's Guests:Steve Palmer — Founder of Indigo Road Hospitality & author of Saving Grace — on recovery, leadership, and people-first culture.Drew Burdick — The future of work and building resilience in a world that's changing fast.Sara Olin — Wellness in the workplace — the conversation most companies are still avoiding.Sheila Maitland — Clinical therapist on addiction, estrangement, and what it truly takes to reconnect.A special episode on parenting — because that's where resilience begins.Key Takeaway:Every episode ends with one thing you can use today — not inspiration, but something real. Resilience is a muscle. You build it one rep at a time.About Your Host:Laurie Carey is an author, educator, CEO, and resilience coach with over 40 years in technology and business, including a decade at Microsoft. A Harvard Business School alumna and certified neuroscience-based coach, she is the Founder & CEO of Nebula Academy and founder of We Connect The Dots, Inc. — a nonprofit building real career pathways in tech for those who haven't always had access to opportunity. Resilience Is a Muscle is her debut book.Connect & Resources:Website: resilienceisamuscle.comNonprofit: We Connect The Dots — weconnectthedots.orgSubscribe wherever you listen to podcastsWatch all episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nebulaacademy2702Share this episode with someone who needs it — be the domino that starts a resilience revolution.Every comeback started with a setback. Resilience is a muscle — you build it one rep at a time.