One of the biggest words of 2020 is likely “resilience” as the whole world is trying to bounce back from the COVID-19 pandemic. Headlines, news shows, and social media are saturated with mental health experts, business advisors, education professionals all sharing their research on how to cope with the stress of the worldwide crisis.

Two Bucks County women don’t have advanced degrees or expert titles – they have a few decades of practice in bouncing back from crisis and charm that’s refreshing and real. After launching a new venture at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, they are taking the world by storm and already impacting tens of thousands of people around the globe with their strategies, wit and humor. They're sharing how to not just be resilient – but to also tap into talents and expertise (brilliance) to use this situation and other “sucker punches” (as they call them) to create a new, better road ahead.

Kristin Smedley and Mary Fran Bontempo created Brilliantly Resilient – a life-changing program, online show, podcast, and soon to be released book. The arsenal of resources provides practical strategies, tools and tips to help people “Reset, Rise, and Reveal your Brilliance” to the world.

About Brilliantly Resilient

The goals of Brilliantly Resilient:

• Teach people how to come through challenges Brilliant, not broken.
• Share the program with schools, associations, organizations, businesses, faith-based groups, and others.
• Coach individuals and small group Masterminds to uncover resilience and discover brilliance.
• Impact 1 million people during the pandemic.

Recently, the faculty at Our Lady Star of the Sea School in Atlantic City gave Brilliant Resilient rave reviews during a program presented to support teachers in overcoming challenges and also was embraced as one of the top programs at the National Teen Summit.

Mary Fran is a two-time TEDx speaker and two-time winner of Most Happening Author in Bucks County, while Kristin is a TEDx speaker and four-time winner of Power Person of Bucks County. Both achieved Best Seller status on Amazon.com. And Podcastland.com recently named Brilliantly Resilient as a top-5 podcast. Plus, they're both previous Bucks Happening List Winners!

Brilliantly Resilient provides free resources for everyone on their website and offers programs and classes in addition to live shows and podcasts. With over 150 show episodes (all since March) reaching tens of thousands of people around the world (including Canada, Australia, Ireland, Germany and the U.K.), Brilliantly Resilient features show guests who share their own journeys, as well as the strategies and tools to discover Resilience, surmount challenges, and uncover Brilliance to thrive in the face of adversity and beyond. Guests have included the creator of Pictionary, Rob Angel; ESPN Emmy winner, Jason Ramano; Dr. David Fajgenbaum, author of Chasing my Cure and a Philly top doc; and many others. Dr. Fajgenbaum says:

“As someone who is alive today because I turned my hope for a cure for my disease into action, I didn't think I could be more driven to take action. Somehow Kristin Smedley and Mary Fran Bontempo managed to motivate and inspire me through Brilliantly Resilient to fight harder than ever, and they provide the tools and strategies we all need to uncover our Resilience and begin to share our Brilliance with the world.”
David Fajgenbaum, MD, MBA, MSc—National Bestselling Author of Chasing My Cure: A Doctor's Race to Turn Hope Into Action, www.ChasingMyCure.com

Kristin and Mary Fran are no strangers to crisis. As a young mother, Kristin found herself raising two blind sons, with no idea of how to help them to live vital, successful lives. Mary Fran thought her life was on track, until she learned that her son was a heroin addict. Utterly unprepared to manage either crisis, Kristin and Mary Fran refused to allow themselves or their children to be defined by the challenges. They were determined to not only survive, but thrive, which they do with laughter and joy.

The dynamic duo notes, “We navigated our own challenges with few resources and lots of ugly crying. Now we want to be the resource we wish we’d had during our crises. We’re on a world-takeover tour to teach others that there is life beyond trauma through Brilliantly Resilient. Our goal is to reach 1 million people during the pandemic by way of organizations, schools, businesses, and others in person and online. Becoming Brilliantly Resilient is a process that can be learned, and we want to share it with as many people as we can.”

How to Connect with Brilliantly Resilient: 

You can find Brilliantly Resilient through the group’s Facebook Community, which airs all live programs (also available on YouTube) and provides links to twice-weekly podcast episodes. Community members share their week’s “wins” through “Brilliance Brags.” The growing network provides followers with support to share challenges, hopes, tools and strategies to Rise with Resilience and Brilliance. Everyone can be Brilliantly Resilient. Let Kristin Smedley and Mary Fran Bontempo show you how!

We Are Supported By: