Busy Pro, Fast Wellness

Harnessing Courage: Grit, Gratitude and Finding Strength Through Adversity
What happens when life changes in a way you never asked for — and there’s no going back?

In this powerful episode of Busy Pro Fast Wellness, Alan is joined by international speaker, coach and author Laura Bratton, who was diagnosed with an eye disease at the age of nine and had lost her sight by her late teens.

Laura is refreshingly candid about what followed. There was no instant transformation or inspirational epiphany. For years, she says, life was about survival — learning how to navigate a completely different world before she had the mental or physical space to make sense of what had happened. Her experience eventually taught her something profound: we often don’t realise the strength we possess until life forces us to use it.

Together, Alan and Laura explore what adversity can teach us about courage, happiness, self-compassion and resilience. Laura explains why happiness isn't something waiting for us when life finally settles down, but something we can choose in the present — balancing the grit to acknowledge that something is genuinely difficult with the gratitude to recognise what remains good. 

Laura also shares a remarkably simple strategy for anyone facing burnout, illness, loss or major change: instead of immediately trying to escape uncomfortable emotions, give yourself ten or fifteen minutes to acknowledge and feel them — and then take the next step forward. 

In this episode:

Why Laura's first years without sight were about survival, not transformation

The unexpected role intuition came to play in her life

Why happiness is a choice, rather than a future destination

How grit and gratitude can coexist during genuinely difficult periods

Why acknowledging pain can actually help us move forward

The misconceptions surrounding blindness — from pity to putting people on a pedestal

How self-compassion helped Laura build confidence

Why gratitude has become Laura's daily mental-health lifeline

What courage can teach busy professionals navigating their own challenges

Laura's final message is beautifully simple: amid the demands of our professional and personal lives, remember that you are enough.

Connect with Laura Bratton
🌐 Website — speaking, coaching & Harnessing Courage
LauraBratton.com

💼 LinkedIn
Connect with Laura Bratton on LinkedIn

📖 Book — Harnessing Courage: Overcoming Adversity with Grit & Gratitude
I'd actually link this to Laura's own website rather than Amazon, because her official site has the book information and ordering route.
Discover Harnessing Courage

100 Episodes. One Philosophy.
When Alan recorded the first episode of Busy Pro Fast Wellness, he thought he was simply creating a podcast.

One hundred episodes later, he's realised he was really refining a philosophy.

In this milestone solo episode, Alan reflects on what hundreds of hours of conversations, reading, experimentation and personal experience have taught him — not just about wellness and performance, but about living well.

Along the way, he's stopped collecting endless ideas and started curating the principles that actually work. He's learned to embrace simplicity, reduce the mental noise, worry less about what other people think and focus on systems that are easy enough to repeat consistently.

Because ultimately:

The simpler your systems, the clearer your thinking.
The clearer your thinking, the more sustainable your performance.

Alan also looks ahead to what comes next for Busy Pro Fast Wellness -  and explains why taking a few weeks away from the podcast is very much part of the philosophy rather than a departure from it.

Episode 100 isn't a finish line.

It's the beginning of the next chapter.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a colleague or friend who wants to become a more effective leader while maintaining their wellbeing.

 

🔗 Links for Alan
🌐 Website: https://alanjwelch.com

📘 Free Busy Pro Fast Wellness Playbook: https://training.alanjwelch.com/playbook
(36 practical tools for movement, mindfulness, and energy — designed for busy schedules)

What if the biggest obstacle to better performance isn't a lack of intelligence or motivation—but unnecessary cognitive drag?

In this thought-provoking episode of Busy Pro Fast Wellness, I'm joined by Russell Van Brocklen, a New York State Senate-funded dyslexia researcher whose work extends far beyond education. Together, we explore how clearer thinking, better mental organisation and strengths-based learning can help busy professionals, parents and lifelong learners cut through overwhelm and perform at their best.

Russell shares why reducing mental friction is becoming increasingly important in an AI-driven world, explains how simple frameworks can improve communication and decision-making, and challenges some of the biggest misconceptions surrounding dyslexia. We also discuss why focusing on strengths rather than constantly fixing weaknesses can unlock remarkable improvements in confidence and performance.

Along the way, we touch on the evolving role of artificial intelligence—not as a replacement for human thinking, but as a practical tool that can support clearer reasoning, organisation and productivity when used well.

Whether you're experiencing brain fog, managing information overload or simply looking for practical ways to think more clearly, this conversation offers plenty of food for thought.

In this episode we discuss:

What Russell means by "cognitive drag" and how it affects everyday performance.

Practical ways to reduce mental friction and improve clarity of thought.

Why strengths-based learning can outperform traditional approaches.

Common myths about dyslexia—and why it's far more than a reading difficulty.

A fascinating real-world case study demonstrating dramatic improvements in learning.

How asking better questions can improve problem-solving.

Where AI can genuinely help support thinking and productivity without replacing human judgement.

Rapid-fire practical insights for parents, professionals and lifelong learners.

Connect with Russell Van Brocklen
🌐 Dyslexia Classes (Official Website)
Dyslexia Classes

📘 Free Parent Guide – Three Reasons Your Child's Dyslexic Education Isn't Working (and What to Do About It)
Free Dyslexia Guide

💬 LinkedIn
Russell Van Brocklen on LinkedIn

🎙️ Special podcast resources from Russell
Podcast Offer & Resources

Enjoyed this episode?
If you found this conversation helpful, please consider:

Following Busy Pro Fast Wellness

Leaving a rating or review on your favourite podcast platform

Sharing this episode with a colleague, friend or family member who might benefit

Your support helps the podcast reach more busy professionals looking to work smarter, think more clearly and live healthier, more balanced lives.
 

🔗 Links for Alan
🌐 Website: https://alanjwelch.com

📘 Free Busy Pro Fast Wellness Playbook: https://training.alanjwelch.com/playbook
(36 practical tools for movement, mindfulness, and energy — designed for busy schedules)

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a colleague or friend who wants to become a more effective leader while maintaining their wellbeing.

What if the biggest obstacle to high performance isn't a lack of discipline—but the stories we tell ourselves?

In this thought-provoking conversation, performance coach Benjamin Smith explores why so many successful people still struggle with anxiety, perfectionism and the constant feeling that they're never quite enough.

Drawing on philosophy, theology, performance psychology and contemplative practice, Benjamin explains why sustainable success begins with self-awareness rather than self-optimisation. Together, we discuss uncertainty, flow state, mental toughness, leadership and the importance of understanding what really drives us beneath the surface.

This isn't a conversation about working harder. It's about performing at your best without losing yourself in the process.

In this episode we discuss:
• Why high performers can feel anxious even when they're succeeding

• The hidden cost of tying self-worth to achievement

• Why self-awareness is the foundation of sustainable performance

• Practical ways to deal with uncertainty and pressure

• What really creates—and blocks—flow state

• A different perspective on mental toughness

• The importance of purpose, values and inner alignment

• Benjamin's simple daily practice for developing greater calm and clarity

Connect with Benjamin Smith
Website:
Inner Life of Sport

Benjamin also shares regular insights on leadership, performance psychology and contemplative practice through his website and newsletter.

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing, leaving a review and sharing it with someone who could benefit from the conversation.

CONNECT WITH ALAN J WELCH

🌐 Website:

https://alanjwelch.com

🎙️ Busy Pro Fast Wellness:

Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and all major podcast platforms.

Small systems. Visible progress. Easier restarts.

Stay consistent. Stay sharp.

What if the challenge that made you stronger ten or twenty years ago... isn't the challenge you need today?

In this solo episode of Busy Pro Fast Wellness, Alan shares how a recent conversation between tennis legend Novak Djokovic and Jay Shetty prompted him to rethink the very nature of growth and high performance.

Drawing on two unforgettable cycling adventures around Lake Geneva, turning 60, and the exciting return of his experimental jazz-punk band Cavallo y Hugo Mas, Alan explores why personal growth isn't about endlessly repeating old successes—it's about having the courage to embrace new challenges that fit the person you've become.

If you're a busy professional striving to keep learning, growing and performing at your best, this episode offers a fresh perspective on curiosity, adaptation and lifelong development.

In this episode:

Why Novak Djokovic's mindset extends far beyond tennis

The hidden danger of repeating the same challenges year after year

Lessons learned from cycling nearly 200 km around Lake Geneva

Why turning 60 changed Alan's perspective on performance

The exciting return of Cavallo y Hugo Mas after a three-year break

Why creativity can become your next great challenge

The importance of evolving your definition of success

A simple practical exercise to help you identify whether you're still taking the right test

Key Takeaway
The person you were ten years ago got you to where you are today.

Be grateful to that version of yourself.

But don't expect them to know exactly what the next chapter requires.

Growth isn't always about pushing harder.

Sometimes it's about asking a better question.

Mentioned in this episode

Novak Djokovic

Jay Shetty

Lake Geneva

Cavallo

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