E60: The Identity Freefall - Dr Liesl Keen
From The Unstoppable 5% by Laurie Drummond
January 15, 2026 · 50 min · Episode 60
About this episode
Laurie Drummond and Dr Liesl Keen discuss navigating uncertainty and rebuilding identity through resilience and self-awareness.
In this episode, Laurie is joined by Dr Liesl Keen, an industrial psychologist and applied neuroscience practitioner, for a grounded conversation about navigating uncertainty, rebuilding identity, and developing real resilience when life no longer looks the way you expected. After spending 20 years in the corporate world, Liesl shares her personal experience of leaving structure and certainty behind, facing an identity crisis, and learning how stress, self-doubt, and overwhelm affect the brain. Together, they explore why uncertainty often hits our sense of self before anything else, and how resilience is built through nervous system regulation, self-awareness, and small, consistent actions. This conversation unpacks: Why pushing through is not resilience How stress shuts down clear thinking and decision-making The role identity plays when we're navigating career or life change How the brain's neural networks influence confidence, focus, and burnout Practical ways to regulate stress and rebuild self-trust during uncertain seasons This episode is for anyone who feels stuck in an in-between phase… when the old version of you no longer fits, but the next one hasn't fully formed yet…
People in this episode
Host: Laurie Drummond
Guest: Dr Liesl Keen
Topics covered
- identity crisis
- resilience
- nervous system regulation
- stress management
- self-awareness
- career change
Keywords
- uncertainty
- identity
- resilience
- stress
- self-doubt
- neuroscience
- career transition
- burnout
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: corporate world
More episodes of The Unstoppable 5%
- E64: She sat with people at the end of their lives. Here's what they taught Hannah Lucy about living. · April 2, 2026 · 39 min
- E63: She Walked Away From What Was Working with Kelly Lundberg · March 24, 2026 · 47 min
- E62 When words don't match behaviour, with Lori Warren · March 18, 2026 · 44 min
- E61: When Coping Stops Working with Naima Spencer · January 30, 2026 · 47 min
- E59: Sally Maddison Talks Choosing Presence Over Pressure · January 8, 2026 · 56 min
- E58: I didn't hate myself… but I didn't want to be here anymore. Dr Katherine Iscoe · December 15, 2025 · 57 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Unstoppable 5% podcast page.