The Resilient Brain

4. No Apologies: Resilience, Truth, and Owning Your Story

Guest: Christina Kirkey | Founder, Pinup Studio NC | @pinupstudio_nc | pinupstudionc.com @ps.christinak Episode Overview Christina Kirkey built a thriving business, leads a team of multiple six-figure stylists, shows up hysterically and authentically on social media, and somehow makes it all look like she was born doing it. Behind the pink walls and the belly laughs is a woman who has navigated profound loss, personal heartbreak, and the kind of hard seasons that either break you or build you. Christina chose build. In this episode she brings her signature honesty, humor, and zero-filter energy to the conversations most people avoid — and makes you feel completely seen in the process. What You'll Learn 1. Why vulnerability isn't a weakness - and how leading with it builds deeper trust than any management strategy ever could. 2. How to support someone navigating loss or trauma without saying the wrong thing. 3. What post-traumatic growth actually looks like in real life - and how hardship can quietly become your greatest asset. 4. How high-achieving women unconsciously operate in masculine energy and what shifting that does for their relationships. 5. Hustle culture - how to know when the grind is working for you versus against you. 6. What it actually takes to show up authentically on social media 7. How to coach people as individuals - and why one-size-fits-all leadership quietly destroys team culture. This episode touches on resilience, mental health, grief, personal growth, and the inner work that builds unshakeable self-trust. Whether you are navigating loss, processing trauma, struggling with people pleasing, or trying to find more balance between ambition and burnout - Christina's story and the lessons she shares are a practical and deeply human starting point. Topics also include entrepreneurship, leadership, team culture, hustle culture, work-life balance, authenticity, vulnerability, social media, identity, marriage, communication, and what it looks like to build a life and business on your own terms without sacrificing your mental health or sense of self. Rapid Fire Answers Book, podcast, or resource that shifted her perspective: Britt Seva — industry coach for stylists and salon owners. Christina credits her with fundamentally changing how she thinks about the business side of the beauty industry. Most pivotal piece of advice: Don't take advice from people who have not done what you're trying to do - or who could never. Be intentional about who you let speak into your life and your business. One habit for a more intentional, resilient, joyful life: Have fun. Put the music on, dance while you're doing the thing you don't want to do, and stop taking life so seriously. You're going to get through it either way - you may as well laugh. About Christina Kirkey Christina Kirkey is the founder of Pinup Studio NC, a salon she has grown over 11 years from a single chair to a multi-stylist, multi-department business, including Pinup Bridal for event hair and makeup, and offers extension certification training for stylists. Known for her unapologetic personality, magnetic energy, and genuinely hilarious social media presence, Christina has built a brand that sells more than hair - she sells girlhood, community, and the feeling of walking into a room where you already belong. Find Christina: * Salon: @pinupstudio_nc [https://www.instagram.com/pinupstudio_nc] * pinupstudionc.com [https://pinupstudionc.com/] * Personal: @ps.christinak [https://www.instagram.com/ps.christinak] About Your Host Jen Shepard is a neuroscience-backed resilience expert, keynote speaker, corporate workshop facilitator, and host of The Resilient Brain Podcast. With a Master's degree focused on Neuroscience and Human Behavior and a decade of experience in high-pressure corporate environments, Jen bridges the gap between brain science and real-world performance. Her work helps leaders, entrepreneurs, and high performers build stress resilience, reclaim focus, prevent burnout, and create sustainable success - without sacrificing their health, relationships, or sanity. Through her signature RESILIENT BRAIN Framework, Jen delivers science-backed strategies that are practical, actionable, and grounded in how the brain actually works. Whether she is leading corporate workshops through her company Resilience Rewired, speaking on stage, or sitting across from a guest on this podcast - Jen's mission is the same: give people the tools to think sharper, recover faster, and build a life that lasts. Connect with Jen: * Instagram: @thejenshepard [https://www.instagram.com/thejenshepard/] * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jen-shepard-2b196648/] * Website: www.jenshepard.com [https://www.jenshepard.com/] * Speaking inquiries [https://www.jenshepard.com/contact]

3. Stress Recovery: Nervous System Tools for High Performance

Episode 3: Stress Recovery: Nervous System Tools for High Performance Guest: Joss Michael | Soma Breathwork Expert | breathwithjoss.com Meet Joss Joss Michael is a Master SOMA Breath® Instructor, speaker, and nervous system educator who helps high-performing women regulate stress, restore coherence, and expand capacity by working directly with the nervous system. Blending ancient breath practices with modern physiology, Joss guides breathwork as a practical, science-backed pathway to whole-body wellbeing. Episode Overview Most high performers have the discipline, but they're still burning out. The missing piece is stress recovery and learning how to regulate your nervous system for sustainable high performance. In this episode, Jen sits down with Soma breathwork expert Joss Michael to break down the science behind why your body gets stuck in chronic stress, what that's actually doing to your health and performance, and the practical tools you can start using today. This conversation focuses on small shifts - in as little as five minutes - to rewire your stress response from the inside out. What You'll Learn 1. Why your breath is the most direct and immediate link to your nervous system — and why that changes everything. 2. The different styles of breathwork and how each one helps you achieve your desired outcome. 3. Breathing techniques for calming down, reclaiming focus, or daily regulation. 4. The science behind what breathwork is actually doing inside your body — from HRV and longevity to your brain's feel-good chemicals. 5. How chronic stress rewires the way you breathe and the simple habit to correct it. 6. Why a dysregulated nervous system makes everything feel urgent and kills prioritization. 7. How five minutes a day over thirty days produces measurable change and how to actually start a breathwork practice without quitting. Connect with Joss * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/breathewithjoss] * Website [https://breathewithjoss.com/]

2. Radical Accountability: Building Strength, Identity, and Intentional Success

Guest: Roxanne Engstrom | Founder, Hawa Images | Brand Storytelling Photographer | hawaImages.com | roxengstrom.com Episode Overview What does it actually look like to build a meaningful life and business while navigating a chronic illness diagnosis, raising four kids, living across continents, and refusing to let any of it define you? Roxanne Engstrom is here to tell you. In Jen's first guest episode, Roxanne brings raw honesty, perspective, and a lot of laughter to the topics that matter most: self-trust, identity beyond your roles, intentional community, and what it really means to build a life in alignment. What You'll Learn in This Episode On resilience and reframing your narrative — Why she stopped searching "MS warrior" hashtags and what she built instead — The difference between toxic positivity and depth of joy — and why it matters for how you lead, parent, and show up. On radical accountability and self-trust — How Roxanne responded to being told she'd be in a wheelchair in 18 months — by running the Chicago Marathon — The direct link between keeping your promises to yourself and building unshakeable confidence — Her framework for "radical editing" — and why pivoting isn't failure, it's realignment. On identity beyond your roles — What Roxanne learned living on a remote island off East Africa about role deprivation and self-worth — Why your identity being tied to what you do quietly erodes your resilience — How she rebuilt her business from zero after relocating and why losing it all was actually clarifying. On authentic community and connection — Why the "just be yourself" advice is useless without the real work behind it — and what that work actually looks like — Her rule for networking events — How to build genuine community from scratch in a new city. On the work-life pendulum — Why "balance" is a lie that made women feel like they were constantly failing and what to replace it with — The moment dropping her daughter off at college shifted everything. On building a business true to yourself — How Roxanne's photography goes beyond beautiful images to ethical brand storytelling — Why women stop on set and cry — and what that reveals about how rarely we pause to celebrate what we've built. Key Topics: 1. Roxanne’s journey through MS diagnosis and redefining resilience 2. The role of joy versus happiness in overcoming adversity 3. Cultivating self-trust and radical responsibility in health and life 4. Setting boundaries and curating social media spaces for mental health 5. The importance of intentional habits, movement, and nutrition 6. Transforming setbacks into opportunities for growth and authenticity 7. How to create meaningful, deep connections and community 8. Shifting identity beyond roles to foster true self-worth 9. Parenting with integrity and teaching children by example 10. Living in alignment with core values and future self-visions Timestamps: [00:00] - Welcome & Introduction to Roxanne Eggstrom’s resilience story [02:09] - Finding joy amidst a chronic illness diagnosis [04:02] - MS diagnosis and early support journey [05:04] - Curating social media for mental health & hope [08:14] - Habits that strengthen resilience [10:21] - The Chicago Marathon [12:14] - Value of visible progress and celebrating wins [20:04] - The importance of authenticity & self-acceptance [25:29] - Parenting with love, boundaries, and integrity [32:55] - The myth of work-life balance [36:00] - Building genuine relationships & meaningful connection [42:55] - Living authentically: role de-association & self-worth [45:41] - Recognizing what matters [50:49] - Small daily steps for a resilient & joyful life [55:18] - Hawa Images: Authentic storytelling & client transformation [57:56] - Rapid fire insights: Books, advice, and habits for resilience Meet Roxanne Engstrom: "Hi, I'm Roxanne Engstrom- founder and storyteller of Hawa Images! I help purpose-driven entrepreneurs show up with clarity, confidence, and connection through brand photography that goes deeper than a headshot—so their visuals finally match the value they bring and they can connect with their ideal clients and share their story with intention and strategy." Connect with Roxanne: Hawa Image website: https://hawaimages.com/ Hawa Images Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hawaimages Roxanne Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roxengstrom

1. The Science of Sustainable Success: The Resilient BRAIN Framework

Have you been chasing productivity, success, and balance — only to find yourself exhausted, burned out, and running on empty? You're not alone. In this debut episode, brain health and performance strategist Jen Shepard introduces The Resilient Brain podcast and the science-backed framework that changed everything and took her from burnout to balance. After 10 years in Corporate Tech and Cybersecurity Sales, two stress-induced autoimmune diseases, and years of trying every self-care solution that never quite worked, she discovered the missing piece most burnout conversations ignore entirely: the brain. This episode kicks off the BRAIN Framework - a five-pillar system rooted in neuroscience, longevity research, and stress recovery - designed to help high performers reclaim focus, build resilience, and create a life that feels as good as it looks. Whether you're a driven professional, a burned-out parent, or someone who simply wants to perform at your best without sacrificing your health, this episode is your starting point. KEY TAKEAWAYS 1. The brain is your most overlooked performance asset — with 100 trillion neural connections firing every second, it's more complex than every computer on Earth combined 2. Your thoughts physically affect your body — rumination and negative thinking can cause hormonal imbalance, accelerate inflammation, and impair memory and decision-making 3. Neuroplasticity is real and actionable — Harvard research shows new mental habits can create measurable structural brain changes in as little as 8 weeks 4. Multitasking is a myth — context switching increases errors by up to 50% and takes 23 minutes to fully regain focus 5. Stress isn't the enemy — lack of recovery is — chronic fight-or-flight mode has serious long-term consequences for brain health and longevity 6. Sleep is a performance multiplier — deep sleep activates the glymphatic system, clears brain toxins, consolidates memory, and forms new neural pathways 7. Cognitive reserve is your brain's secret weapon — it helps you recover from stress and has been shown to delay the onset of Alzheimer's, dementia, and Parkinson's 8. Purpose and connection are non-negotiable — social connection, mentorship, and living in alignment with your values are directly tied to longevity and happiness 9. You have more control than you think — your thoughts and daily habits are the most powerful predictors of your future health and success THE BRAIN FRAMEWORK 1. B – Build Resilience 2. R – Reclaim Focus 3. A – Activate Recovery 4. I – Ignite Your Impact 5. N – Nurture Your Connections 6. "What if it all works out?" TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 – 0:41: Episode intro and what to expect 00:55 – 2:04: Episode format and host background 02:04 – 4:27: Burnout backstory and core premise 03:22 – 4:50: The brain as the engine 04:50 – 5:11: Introducing the BRAIN framework 05:38 – 12:22: Pillar 1 – Building resilience - the power of your mindset and building cognitive reserve 12:22 – 18:11: Pillar 2 – Reclaiming focus 18:11 – 21:32: Practical productivity and focus-optimization tips 21:22 – 25:31: Pillar 3 – Activate recovery 25:31 – 28:00: Breath work and nervous-system regulation strategies 28:00 – 33:07: Pillar 4 – Ignite impact through your legacy and identity 33:14 – 39:06: Pillar 5 – Nurture connections - friends, toxicity & mentorship 39:06 – 41:20: Closing quote and giving thanks 41:20 onward: Bloopers! RESOURCES & LINKS: 1. Crum's Milkshake Study [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21574706/] 2. Louisa Nicola [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0t_DD5568RA] 3. Strength Training and Aerobic Exercise to Brain Health [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0t_DD5568RA] 4. Blue Zones [https://www.bluezones.com/] CONNECT WITH JEN SHEPARD: 1. LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jen-shepard-2b196648/] 2. Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/thejenshepard/] 3. Website [https://www.jenshepard.com/] Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who needs a little more brain in their hustle. TOPICS & KEYWORDS brain health | burnout prevention | neuroscience for high performers | stress recovery | cognitive resilience | neuroplasticity | peak performance | longevity habits | focus and productivity | nervous system regulation | mindset rewiring | women in leadership | high-performance habits | work-life integration | brain longevity | stress management | BDNF | glymphatic system | deep work | ultradian rhythms | parasympathetic nervous system