Resilience Redefined with Michael D. Ostrolenk

How do we discover who we are? For Wells Jones, the answer has come through military service, adventure, failure, reflection, and a willingness to embrace uncertainty. In this episode of Resilience Redefined , Michael Ostrolenk welcomes Wells for an inspiring conversation that follows his remarkable journey—from serving with the U.S. Navy Antarctic Pararescue Team and becoming the seventh person t...

Former U.S. Navy officer, former police officer, fitness coach, and podcast host Steve Morris joins Resilience Redefined to share an extraordinary story of failure, redemption, and personal transformation. Steve opens up about growing up with dreams of becoming a Navy SEAL, the setbacks that shaped his early adulthood, and how years of depression, alcohol addiction, imposter syndrome, and broken s...

What if lasting transformation starts with understanding your nervous system, your environment, and the story you tell yourself about who you are? In this episode of Resilience Redefined, Michael Ostrolenk sits down with Michelle Dutro, a certified Biofeedback Specialist, Nervous System & Longevity Expert, Air Force veteran, former firefighter, founder of Inner North Star Retreat Center, podcast h...

Many of the relationship beliefs we accept as truth may actually be creating the very problems we're trying to avoid. In this episode of Resilience Redefined, Michael Ostrolenk sits down with relationship coach, bestselling author, and host of the Secrets of Happily Ever After podcast, Monica Tanner, to challenge some of the most common myths surrounding marriage, communication, intimacy, and last...

What if resilience has less to do with pushing through adversity and more to do with becoming adaptable? In this episode of Resilience Redefined, Michael Ostrolenk welcomes back Michelle James, creativity expert, coach, and author of Pattern Breaks, for a conversation exploring the connection between creativity, identity, movement, and resilience. Together, they examine how rigid identities can li...

What happens when a society loses touch with the stories, books, and ideas that helped build it? In this episode of Resilience Redefined, Michael sits down with Dr. Joshua Phillips, Teaching Professor at Penn State Brandywine, to explore rhetoric, cultural literacy, education, and the enduring influence of foundational texts on modern life. Drawing on his work as a rhetorician, Dr. Phillips explai...

In this episode of Resilience Redefined, Michael Ostrolenk sits down with Dr. Kirk Parsley and Brandy Parsley for a deep conversation on sleep, stress management, emotional health, relationship dynamics, spirituality, and human performance. Dr. Kirk Parsley, former physician for the West Coast SEAL Teams, and Brandy Parsley, Functional Medicine Nurse Practitioner and performance consultant, share...

What does it actually take to push beyond your perceived limits? In this episode of Resilience Redefined, Michael Ostrolenk sits down with retired Navy SEAL Team 6 operator, endurance athlete, and bestselling author Don Mann for a powerful conversation about resilience, leadership, discipline, and mental toughness. Drawing from decades of elite military experience, extreme endurance challenges, an...

Relationships don't usually fall apart all at once. It's often the small disconnects. The lack of presence. The conversations that never happen. The safety that slowly disappears. In this episode of Resilience Redefined , Michael sits down with Gabriel Keczan, men's coach, relationship specialist, and founder of Alive on Purpose, for a deep conversation on marriage, masculinity, embodiment, leader...

What happens after the breakthrough? In this episode of Resilience Redefined, Michael sits down with Beth Sparks—licensed clinical social worker, Marine veteran, and psychedelic integration coach—to explore the often overlooked side of healing: integration. Beth shares her journey from military service to trauma-informed clinical work, and how her family's experience with psychedelic-assisted ther...

What if emotional safety in relationships isn't about staying calm… but about being real?   In this episode of Resilience Redefined, Michael Ostrolenk sits down with Victoria Greer, a somatic practitioner and expert in integrative psychology, to explore a different perspective on communication, conflict, and connection.   Victoria challenges the idea that we need to be fully "regulated" before eng...

What separates teams that look good on paper from teams that actually perform? In this episode of Resilience Redefined, we sit down with Emile Studham—a former elite athlete turned leadership coach—to break down what it really takes to build high-performing teams. Drawing from both elite sports and organizational leadership, Emile shares how culture, clarity, and environment design shape performan...

What actually drives high performance? In this episode of Resilience Redefined , Michael sits down with Chris Lee, former Green Beret, Special Forces Medical Sergeant, and now Division Director at Machine Mentality, to break down what most people get wrong about discipline, resilience, and performance. Chris shares his journey from youth pastor to joining the military at 28 during the height of gl...

In this episode of Resilience Redefined , Michael sits down with Sheridan Folger to explore what resilience truly means in a rapidly changing, AI driven world. Drawing from his experiences as a military veteran, cancer survivor, and leader in intelligent process optimization at  John Hancock , Sheridan shares a grounded and practical perspective on leadership, adversity, and decision making. The c...

In this episode of Resilience Redefined , Michael Ostrolenk speaks with anthropologist Pardis Mahdavi about the intersection of culture, power, identity, and consciousness. The conversation explores the evolution of resistance movements in Iran, the role of sexuality as a site of political and cultural tension, and how individuals navigate these forces through personal resilience and inner work. P...

In this episode of Resilience Redefined , Michael Ostrolenk sits down with Rajiv Mehta to explore the power of observation, self-awareness, and human connection in building high-performing cultures. Raj shares his journey from aerospace engineering to leading work focused on camaraderie, relationships, and personal insight. Together, they discuss how understanding ourselves and others leads to str...

In this episode of Resilience Redefined, Michael Ostrolenk sit down with futurist Max Borders to explore how societies evolve, how systems change, and what role individuals play in shaping the future. We discuss decentralization, innovation in health and education, and why experimentation is becoming an increasingly important force in how new models emerge.  Max shares insights on how alternative...

In this episode of Resilience Redefined , Michael Ostrolenk speaks with relationship expert Marcella Brebaum about the evolution of modern partnerships. Marcella shares how cultural diversity, ancestral wisdom, and innovative coaching methods are reshaping how couples approach growth, communication, and alignment. Together, they explore what it takes to build relationships that don't just last—but...

Are chronic diseases inevitable—or are we approaching them the wrong way? In this episode of Resilience Redefined, Michael Ostrolenk sits down with Dr. Robert Lufkin to explore a shift happening in modern medicine: from managing symptoms to addressing root causes. Dr. Lufkin shares his journey from practicing conventional medicine to focusing on metabolic health, lifestyle interventions, and longe...

What does the future of mental health care look like? In this episode of Resilience Redefined, Michael Ostrolenk sits down with Ben "Doc" Askins to explore emerging approaches to healing, including ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, psychedelic therapy, and integrative mental health care. Ben brings a background that spans military medicine, psychiatry, philosophy, and performance-oriented coaching....

Fear is often viewed as something to overcome or eliminate. But according to self-defense expert Tony Blauer , fear is actually the foundation of courage and one of the most important signals the human brain produces.   In this episode of Resilience Redefined , host Michael Ostrolenk speaks with Tony Blauer about the science and psychology behind fear, stress, and performance.   Tony shares insigh...

What role does creativity play in resilience? In this episode of Resilience Redefined, host Michael Ostrolenk sits down with creativity coach Michelle James to explore how creativity, playfulness, and improvisation can help individuals and organizations navigate change, break old patterns, and access deeper inner resources. Michelle shares insights from her work helping leaders, teams, and individ...

In this episode of Resilience Redefined, I sit down with Dr. Vincent Recine, founder of Prime Physio, to explore what it means to treat the person rather than just the condition. Dr. Recine shares how his clinical approach integrates traditional physical therapy with additional manual techniques, including craniosacral and visceral manipulation, particularly in complex cases such as TMJ and sleep...

What if resilience isn't just mental… but architectural?   In this episode of Resilience Redefined , Michael Ostrolenk sits down with Talor Stewart, award-winning architect and founder of Conscious Home Design, to explore the powerful connection between our physical environments and our overall well-being.   Together, they unpack how aligning body, mind, and spirit begins with the spaces we inhabi...

In this powerful episode of Resilience Redefined , Michael Ostrolenk sits down with Dennis Connors — combat veteran, Paralympic silver medalist, and mental health advocate — to explore a journey that moves far beyond medals and accolades.   Dennis shares the pivotal moment in March 2018 when his wife intervened during one of the darkest seasons of his life. Struggling with PTSD, hallucinations, sl...