Your relationships might be the most important thing you’re not training.

"We should invest our relationships, like our health and well-being depends on it, because it does." - Suzie Pileggi Pawelski

In this episode, Suzie and Dr. James Pawelski—the husband and wife who co-authored the book Happy Together—explore how thriving relationships aren’t all about finding the perfect match, but about putting in the right kind of effort to build something worth having.

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.

Suzie Pileggi Pawelski has a Master of Applied Positive Psychology degree from the University of Pennsylvania. She is a freelance writer, well-being consultant, and international speaker specializing in the science of happiness and its effects on relationships and health. Her 2010 Scientific American Mind cover story, “The Happy Couple,” was the catalyst for Happy Together: Using the Science of Positive Psychology to Build Love That Lasts. Happy Together was named a best book of 2018 by Business Insider, Success magazine, Fatherly and The Greater Good Science Center.

James Pawelski is Professor of Practice and Director of Education in the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania where he co-founded the Master of Applied Positive Psychology Program with Martin Seligman in 2005. The Founding Executive Director of IPPA, he is currently leading a three-year, multi-million-dollar grant investigating connections between the science of well-being and the arts and humanities.

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.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 her guests on LinkedIn

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

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

https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-pawelski-1636572a3/

Find out more about Suzie & James’s work

https://www.suzannpileggi.com/ https://jamespawelski.com/

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

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/