From Setback to Strength: Coach Dar on Turning Pain into Purpose

Dr. Keiko sits down with powerhouse leadership coach and mental skills expert Darlene Santore—known as Coach Dar (@thecoachdar)—for a deep and uplifting conversation on resilience, purpose, and what it really takes to bounce back from life's hardest moments. From working with elite athletes and CEOs to surviving three strokes, Coach Dar brings real, raw wisdom on mental fortitude and the art of rewriting your story when life knocks you down. Her new book, The Art of Bouncing Back, is a call to action for anyone ready to rise stronger—not in spite of challenges, but because of them.

Please enjoy!

HIGHLIGHTS

What it means to be “licensed to rise” after setbacks (5:61)

Why adversity isn’t a punishment—it’s preparation (8:21)

Finding your “flow state” and working in your genius zone (13:57)

Coach Dar shares her mentor Laurie Beth Jones (14:02)

Dar’s ultimate game changer in life when things get tough (18:10)

The moment Dar stopped looking for approval (22:40)

Letting people off the train. Not everyone is meant to go the full ride with you. Letting them go is part of your growth. (24:15)

Mental resilience starts by choosing hard over easy (24:56)

There’s no “right” way to grieve—just feel it, share it, and reframe it to keep moving forward. Grief is a personal journey (31:33)

Dar reflects on giving a keynote less than 24 hours after watching her mother take her last breath—and how she channeled that pain into purpose. (32:28)

Dar’s micro moments to recharge her energy (40:48)

Using stillness to discover your strengths (42:20)

Coach Dar shares her mental reset rituals even while in your car and with animals –sometimes it’s just the simple things that reset your soul. (42:57)

How not to agree with everyone-it’s about embracing differences and finding common ground through kindness. (45:22)

Surprising an Uber driver with apple pie to encourage the importance of human connection. (44:56)

This episode is for the visionaries, the high-performers, the healers, and anyone who’s ever asked: Can I come back from this? Coach Dar’s answer? Yes. You’re born to rise.



RESOURCES AND LINKS

instagram.com/thecoachdar

www.coachdar.com

The Art of Bouncing Back



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