The most successful people aren’t the ones who manage to avoid failure. Entrepreneur and author Fiona Macaulay says they’re the ones who learn how to fail forward.

“When we have a failure, it doesn’t make you a failure—it’s simply having a failure. The real question is: what strategic intelligence can you learn from it?”

- Fiona Macaulay

In this episode of Standing Up Strong, Dr. Jillian Coppley sits down with Wild Network founder Fiona Macaulay to talk about the truth behind success that most people never see: the long trail of setbacks, pivots, and lessons that make it possible.

Fiona shares how perfectionism nearly derailed her early success—even landing her in the emergency room with a panic attack while her company was thriving. That moment forced her to rethink what failure really means and how leaders can transform setbacks into what she calls “strategic intelligence.” Fiona explains why talking openly about failure can be liberating—and how it helps people move from shame to learning.

Dr. Jillian Coppley is a visionary executive recognized internationally for her expertise in character strengths, wellbeing, and organizational transformation. With deep experience in positive psychology, strategy, and change, she has led large-scale collaborations, built global programs, strategic partnerships, and thriving organizational cultures that empower individuals, teams and organizations to flourish. Her leadership blends strategic vision, research-based innovation, and deep personal care for others —creating environments where people and programs thrive and where meaningful, lasting impact takes root.

Fiona Macaulay is a leadership expert and keynote speaker who designs immersive learning experiences that drive lasting behavior change for Fortune 500 companies, global nonprofits, and professional associations. With 25 years of experience, her approach combines practical frameworks with real-world application, ensuring participants leave with tools they can use immediately. Fiona is Founder/CEO of The WILD Network, connecting 25,000 purpose-driven leaders across 100+ countries in global development and social impact. In the academic world, Fiona serves as Adjunct Professor and Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business.

This series is part of the Cynthia & Harold Guttman Family Center for Storytelling at the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, where the science of character strengths is integral to our work creating a community of upstanders. https://www.holocaustandhumanity.org/ https://www.youtube.com/@holocaustandhumanity

Our thanks to the Mayerson Family Foundation and the VIA Institute on Character for their support of this series

https://www.mayersonfoundation.org/ https://www.viacharacter.org/

Episode Resources

Follow Jillian and Fiona on LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcoppley/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/fionamacaulay/

Buy Fiona’s book, “Aim High and Bounce Back” https://a.co/d/0eqsJg3m

Take your free character strengths quiz

https://www.holocaustandhumanity.org/upstander/assess-your-character-strengths/

What does it really mean to thrive—especially in a world full of complexity, pressure, and constant change?

“The way we define thriving is to be internally well-resourced to meet your complexities and demands with a sense of vitality, with a sense of competence, and with a sense of growth. And for us, this is absolutely not about chasing perpetual happiness, because that's not real life.”
- Renee Moorefield

In this episode, Dr. Jillian Coppley sits down with Renee Moorefield, CEO of Wisdom Works Group and a global leader in the science of human flourishing. Renee shares why thriving isn’t about being happy all the time—it’s about building the inner resources to face life’s challenges with energy, growth, and purpose.

Together, they explore how leaders shape the environments where people either flourish or burn out. Renee also explains why thriving is no longer a “nice to have,” but a foundation for the kind of leadership our complex world needs now.

This conversation also connects to the work of building upstanders—people who choose to show courage, care for others, and make a positive difference. Thriving helps us show up with the courage and compassion the world needs.

Dr. Jillian Coppley is a visionary executive recognized internationally for her expertise in character strengths, wellbeing, and organizational transformation. With deep experience in positive psychology, strategy, and change, she has led large-scale collaborations, built global programs, strategic partnerships, and thriving organizational cultures that empower individuals, teams and organizations to flourish. Her leadership blends strategic vision, research-based innovation, and deep personal care for others —creating environments where people and programs thrive and where meaningful, lasting impact takes root.

Renee Moorefield, PhD, MCC, is the CEO of Wisdom Works Group, a social enterprise partnering with global companies to integrate the science and practices of human thriving into their cultures, brands, and leadership—establishing thriving as the new standard of success. Through Wisdom Works’ core brand Be Well Lead Well®, leaders across the world gain access to a cutting-edge platform of science-based assessments, strategic advisory services, and development resources to lead and thrive with greater impact. Renee sits on the Advisory Board of the Global Wellness Institute and the Program Advisory Board of the John W. Brick Foundation, championing innovation in wellness and mental health worldwide. For over three decades, she has advanced a global movement of leaders committed to making thriving a priority across workplaces, communities, and society at large.

This series is part of the Cynthia & Harold Guttman Family Center for Storytelling at the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, where the science of character strengths is integral to our work creating a community of upstanders. https://www.holocaustandhumanity.org/
https://www.youtube.com/@holocaustandhumanity

Our thanks to the Mayerson Family Foundation and the VIA Institute on Character for their support of this series
https://www.mayersonfoundation.org/
https://www.viacharacter.org/

Episode Resources

Learn more about Wisdom Works
https://www.wisdom-works.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/wisdom-works-group

https://www.instagram.com/wisdomworksgroup

Follow Renee and Jillian on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/reneemoorefield/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcoppley/

Take your free character strengths quiz
https://www.holocaustandhumanity.org/upstander/assess-your-character-strengths/

“One of the most beautiful, sort of promising - and also tragic - statements that I heard very, very early on, when I started this work, nearly what 17-18, years ago was the girls would say, ‘Nobody ever told us we had strengths.’”
- Steve Leventhal, CEO of WorldBeing

In this episode of Standing Up Strong, Steve Leventhal joins Dr. Jillian Coppley to talk about why wellbeing isn’t something we earn after things get better—it’s what helps people make things better.
Through his work with young people around the world, Steve shows that when kids recognize their strengths, believe in their worth, and learn how to speak up, they’re better equipped to stand up to injustice, inequality, and difficult circumstances.

By starting from the inside out—building identity, kindness, and courage—Steve reminds us that upstanders aren’t born; they’re developed. And when we invest in wellbeing, we’re not just helping individuals thrive—we’re helping communities change.

More about host Jillian Coppley:

Dr. Jillian Coppley is a visionary executive recognized internationally for her expertise in character strengths, wellbeing, and organizational transformation. With deep experience in positive psychology, strategy, and change, she has led large-scale collaborations, built global programs, strategic partnerships, and thriving organizational cultures that empower individuals, teams and organizations to flourish. Her leadership blends strategic vision, research-based innovation, and deep personal care for others —creating environments where people and programs thrive and where meaningful, lasting impact takes root. 

This series is part of the Cynthia & Harold Guttman Family Center for Storytelling at the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, where the science of character strengths is integral to our work creating a community of upstanders. 
https://www.holocaustandhumanity.org/  
https://www.youtube.com/@holocaustandhumanity     

Our thanks to the Mayerson Family Foundation and the VIA Institute on Character for their support of this series    
https://www.mayersonfoundation.org/      
https://www.viacharacter.org/   

Episode Resources

Read more about the work at WorldBeing
https://ssir.org/articles/entry/the_missing_link_in_girls_education

Follow WorldBeing on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/worldbeing/

Follow Steve
https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-leventhal-a2748/

Follow Jillian
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcoppley/

Take a free character strengths quiz
https://www.holocaustandhumanity.org/upstander/assess-your-character-strengths/

True resilience and success don’t start with striving harder—they begin by standing firmly in who you are at your best.

“Happiness precedes success.”
- Caroline Adams Miller

In this episode of Standing Up Strong, Dr. Jillian Coppley speaks with positive psychology pioneer and author Caroline Adams Miller about the science of flourishing, goal setting, and meaningful achievement.
Caroline challenges the myth that success creates happiness, explaining instead that well-being fuels goal attainment and long-term success. Drawing on research and personal experience, she highlights the power of character strengths, supportive relationships, and her concept of ampliship—publicly and intentionally uplifting others, particularly women, as they pursue ambitious goals.
Her best advice: do hard, meaningful things, surround yourself with people who believe in you, and create spaces where everyone can rise together. This conversation reminds us that true happiness and wellbeing are critical to building a community of upstanders.

More about host Jillian Coppley:
Dr. Jillian Coppley is a visionary executive recognized internationally for her expertise in character strengths, wellbeing, and organizational transformation. With deep experience in positive psychology, strategy, and change, she has led large-scale collaborations, built global programs, strategic partnerships, and thriving organizational cultures that empower individuals, teams and organizations to flourish. Her leadership blends strategic vision, research-based innovation, and deep personal care for others —creating environments where people and programs thrive and where meaningful, lasting impact takes root.

This series is part of the Cynthia & Harold Guttman Family Center for Storytelling at the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, where the science of character strengths is integral to our work creating a community of upstanders.
https://www.holocaustandhumanity.org/
https://www.youtube.com/@holocaustandhumanity    
   
Our thanks to the Mayerson Family Foundation and the VIA Institute on Character for their support of this series   
https://www.mayersonfoundation.org/     
https://www.viacharacter.org/  
   
Find us on social media   
https://www.facebook.com/CincyHHC/    
https://www.instagram.com/holocaustandhumanity/    
https://www.tiktok.com/@holocaustandhumanity   


Episode Resources
Take the free VIA Character Strengths Survey https://www.viacharacter.org/survey
Caroline Adams Miller’s latest book, "Big Goals" https://biggoalsbook.com/
Caroline Adams Miller’s website: https://www.carolinemiller.com
Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center https://www.holocaustandhumanity.org

“When we can start to reach for and engage and develop our strengths, those things we're good at and enjoy doing, then it is going to not just energize us a bit more in the face of all those challenges but give us more confidence to try to muddle our way through and get to the other side.”
- Dr. Michelle McQuaid

Feeling stretched thin by all the change around you? In this uplifting episode of Standing Up Strong, author and researcher Dr. Michelle McQuaid joins Dr. Jillian Coppley of the VIA Institute on Character —a global leader in the science and practice of character strengths—to reveal how our character strengths can help us rise above stress and “quiet cracking.” Discover how leaning into what makes you strong, paired with a dose of self-compassion, can boost your confidence, build resilience, and help you thrive even when life feels overwhelming.

Dr. Michelle McQuaid is an award-winning researcher, LinkedIn Top Voice for Mental Health, and honorary fellow at Melbourne University's Centre for Wellbeing Science and her team runs workshops, designs tools, and delivers coaching to help care for well-being, supercharge psychosocial safety, and co-create change in workplaces, schools, and communities around the world.

Dr. Jillian Coppley is a visionary executive recognized internationally for her expertise in character strengths, wellbeing, and organizational transformation. With deep experience in positive psychology, strategy, and change, she has led large-scale collaborations, built global programs, strategic partnerships, and thriving organizational cultures that empower individuals, teams and organizations to flourish. Her leadership blends strategic vision, research-based innovation, and deep personal care for others —creating environments where people and programs thrive and where meaningful, lasting impact takes root.

Our thanks to the Mayerson Family Foundation and the VIA Institute on Character for their support of this series.
https://www.mayersonfoundation.org/
https://www.viacharacter.org/

This series is part of the Cynthia & Harold Guttman Family Center for Storytelling at the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, where the science of character strengths is integral to our work creating a community of upstanders.
https://www.holocaustandhumanity.org/
https://www.youtube.com/@holocaustandhumanity

Find the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center on social media
https://www.facebook.com/CincyHHC/
https://www.instagram.com/holocaustandhumanity/
https://www.tiktok.com/@holocaustandhumanity

Find the VIA Institute on Character on social media
https://www.instagram.com/viastrengths/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/via-institute-on-character/

Episode Resources

Take the Character Strengths survey for free and find out your top strengths
https://www.viacharacter.org/

Find out more about Dr. McQuaid and her work
https://www.michellemcquaid.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chellemcquaid/

Michelle’s “HEART of change” steps to navigating change in our lives: Honoring feelings, Engaging purposefully, Appreciating strengths, Reaching out, and Taking tiny steps.
https://www.michellemcquaid.com/research/heart-of-change-insights-report/

Follow Dr. Jillian Coppley on LinkedIn for more insights about character strengths and how they can help us thrive
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcoppley/