Stronger Than the Storm: Lessons in Resilience, Purpose, and Humanity at Work

By Helen Wada with Felicity Ashley

Unlocking Resilience and Humanity in the Workplace

In an inspiring episode of the Human Wise Podcast, I had the pleasure of welcoming Felicity Ashley—a marketing leader turned adventurous motivational speaker—to explore what true resilience and being “human at work” really mean in today’s ever-evolving business landscape. Felicity’s story is one of profound endurance and unwavering spirit, weaving together over two decades in senior marketing roles with personal triumphs over daunting physical and emotional challenges.

As an industry leader and champion of the “human advantage” in business, I believe these stories are crucial. They remind us that behind every commercial target is a person shaped by life’s storms and triumphs—and this is where real, sustainable growth begins.

Redefining Challenge: From Atlantic Rows to Extraordinary Mindset

Early in our conversation, Felicity recounted the pivotal decisions that changed the course of her career—and indeed, her life. After more than twenty years leading global marketing teams, Felicity chose what she dubs a “midlife awakening” over any so-called crisis. She explained:

“I decided to row across The Atlantic as part of a crew of four working mums... It was a 3,000 mile trip from The Canaries to Antigua. It’s an unsupported row, so everything we needed... was on the boat itself. And that was an incredible experience. Life changing, life affirming.”

But just weeks after this triumphant journey, Felicity faced a wholly different and unexpected challenge: a stage three bowel cancer diagnosis.

“It was really then about how... I tackle that challenge as a mum of three small children, a professional working mother. And, really, I suppose what helped me through was the approach that I took for the row... It was about mindset, keeping positive, being resilient, and about harnessing the power of the support network around me.”

Seeing the Whole Person at Work: A Shift in Perspective

As an industry leader, I frequently advocate for a view of work that recognises the entirety of the human experience. Felicity’s journey echoes this sentiment:

"It’s about looking beyond the person that you see in the day to day working office environment and looking at the whole person. Everything that’s going on outside of their working lives... has such a massive impact on the person that they are at work."

We discussed how, all too often, “being human at work” is just a slogan—yet at the “coal face”, many organisations still prioritise targets and numbers over true connection and wellbeing.

Felicity brilliantly put it:

“Some of it comes down to the way that, you know, objectives assess or people are targeted. So it’s all about the numbers, and it’s driving for those numbers... that comes at the expense of some of the softer measures.”

Helen on the Human Advantage: Merging Commercial Success with Compassion

Human Wise is built on the belief that commercial performance and human-centric practices are not mutually exclusive. I explained:

“This commercial performance is not gonna go away... But what I saw... was that the skills you need to make better decisions in business, to run effective meetings, to be focused on the individuals and clients... Those are the same skills we use as a coach: creating trust, challenging, supporting, sometimes pushing back.”

The message is clear: businesses can and must build cultures where being more human, more empathetic, is the lever for unlocking high achievement.

Felicity reinforced this commercial argument:

“You need to be human-focused to actually unlock that higher performance. I saw a report... which assigned financial gain to looking after the wellbeing of employees... The biggest driver [of reduced performance] was actually toxic workplace behaviours... That’s all about, you know, inclusivity and treating people like human beings, not numbers.”

Stepping Out of Comfort Zones: Inspiration from the Atlantic

Felicity teaches us that great things rarely happen in the comfort zone. After initially doubting she could take on the Atlantic row, a pivotal reframe from her sister—a coach herself—changed everything:

“Pip said, stop giving me reasons why you can’t and start giving me reasons why you can... It wasn’t about looking for the excuses to say no. It was about looking for my reasons to say yes.”

This moment of clarity, paired with deep self-reflection and access to a strong support network, propelled Felicity to not only tackle the Atlantic but also inspire her children and others to “dream big”.

“Setting an inspiring example for my children... showing them that anyone can do anything extraordinary if they have the right mindset, support, and willingness to work hard. I wanted to show them that.”

As leaders, it’s our responsibility to create space for this kind of growth at every level—helping ourselves and our teams move beyond limiting beliefs.

Resilience as a Skill: Tools for Navigating Life and Work

An outstanding point from Felicity is that resilience is a muscle—one that can (and must) be developed.

“I talk about, I suppose, three things when I think about, especially mental resilience. One is about understanding my superpower or finding a superpower... The second one is around just reframing... And then also I think it is about understanding your why.”

From her own experience, what resonated most was the power of finding your “superpower”—that unique trait or inner strength that can be relied upon during challenging times. For Felicity, it’s “being nails”: unyielding grit and the ability to be stronger than any storm.

Ownership, Purpose, and Stepping Up

One of the cornerstones of Human Wise is the conviction that each individual must take responsibility for their own career and growth. I underscored:

“We have to take ownership for setting that goal and then stepping out of our comfort zone to go and go after it... The only person that is stopping us moving forward is ourselves.”

Felicity agreed and reminded us that our purpose evolves, shaped by the events and turning points in our lives. By remaining open to change and seeking out new meaning—whether driven by family, health, or the need to help others—we become better versions of ourselves at work and beyond.

Practical Guidance for Leaders: Human First, Always

To wrap up our enriching conversation, I asked Felicity what advice she’d give her former employers or current leaders about embedding humanity in the workplace. She advocated:

“Take the time to understand the people around you... Everyone’s going to go through the highs and the lows... It’s about understanding what you can do as a leader or as a colleague to help lift people up. It might be as simple as making them a cup of tea... It’s those small gestures that make the biggest impact.”

I echoed that organisational success builds on trust and genuine care—qualities that matter as much in client relationships as they do within internal teams.

Reflective Questions for Teams and Leaders

Felicity left us with a powerful question for self-reflection:

“Are you bringing your true self to work or to any relationship? Because to generate that understanding, you need to give people license to be open with you. And to do that, you need to be open with them.”

As you read this, I invite you to pause and ask yourself this very question. Write it down. Share your thoughts. True transformation starts with this level of honest reflection.

Final Thoughts: Building a Resilient, Human-Centred Workplace

The lessons from Felicity’s story could not be clearer: resilience, vulnerability, and humanity are not soft skills—they are business essentials. Organisations that encourage vulnerability, recognise unique strengths, and foster supportive environments will thrive even in the face of uncertainty.

For more insights, listen to the full Human Wise Podcast episode with Felicity Ashley, and stay tuned for her forthcoming book, “Stronger Than the Storm”. Let’s continue this crucial conversation—connect with me and Felicity on LinkedIn, or visit Felicity’s website for speaking enquiries.

Human Wise is here to lead the movement for more human working worlds—where every storm makes us stronger, together.

Listen to the Human Wise Podcast for more story-driven insights on leadership, resilience, and the art of being human at work. New episodes released weekly on all major platforms.

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Human Wise releases new episodes weekly and is available on all major podcast platforms.