We were lucky to catch up with Chalice Springfield recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Chalice, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
I believe resilience is built in the “messy middle”—the space Brené Brown describes as that uncomfortable place between the beginning and the resolution of a challenge. It’s where growth actually happens, even if it’s not glamorous. When I’m going through tough moments, I remind myself: this is where resilience is being formed.
One of my favorite guiding phrases comes from Ray Kroc, the founder of McDonalds: “Be green and growing, not ripe and rotten.” To me, that means always being open to learning, even—especially—when it’s hard. I’ve also learned that naming emotions accurately is a powerful act of resilience. (Did you know most people can only name three emotions: sad, mad, and happy?) By increasing our emotional vocabulary and practicing self-awareness, we become more equipped to respond rather than react. And, we know more appropriately what actions to take (or not take) in order to exercise our resilience muscles. Action, even the smallest of steps, is what helps us be more resilient.
A growth mindset has been foundational in my own life. I’ve come to understand that discomfort often signals the edge of transformation. So I lean in, knowing that the space between uncertainty and clarity is where real resilience is born. I try to remember another favorite mantra when I’m in the discomfort (aka: “messy middle”) — “The learning occurs in the challenge.”
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I’m the founder of Unstoppable Curiosity, and my work is split between two exciting areas: executive and life coaching, and professional development workshops and facilitation. About half my work is deeply personal—1:1 coaching with individuals navigating growth, change, or challenge. The other half is with organizations and nonprofits, where I lead workshops, strategic planning retreats, and team development trainings that build stronger workplace cultures and transformation.
What lights me up is when people tell me they’re still using the tools they learned from our work together—whether it’s months or even years later. I want every session, whether it’s a workshop or coaching conversation, to be full of actionable tools that are practical, useful, and truly transformative.
Here’s what I know: people are hungry for connection, clarity, and courage. I get to help spark those things. I don’t take for granted that I’m often invited into the most vulnerable and transformative chapters of someone’s story. I’m honored by the trust that people place in me.
As for what’s new, I’ve been facilitating a lot of strategic planning retreats and sessions for non-profits and business owners and have also worked with several organizations to create a series of professional development workshops for their teams that are delivered over an extended period. It’s been special to get to know their employees, create relationships with them and see them growing over time.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
1. Lifelong Learning:
From the time I was a little girl, I was obsessed with books and ideas. Libraries were my happy place. That love of learning stuck with me, and I still devour books, podcasts, and meaningful conversations. I heard once, “You’ll be the same person you were five years ago except for the books you read, the people you meet and the places you travel.” I think this is true about our learning and growing, too! The best leaders truly are curious and lifelong learners. If you’re just starting out—read widely, ask questions, and be a sponge. Growth is an everyday practice.
2. Integrity:
Integrity is one of my deepest core values. To me, it means being your word—doing what you say you’re going to do. It’s the foundation of trust in every relationship. There have certainly been times in my life when I’ve missed the mark, and when that happens, I believe in owning it, taking responsibility, and recommitting. Integrity creates alignment and credibility, and it never goes out of style. Without integrity, nothing works.
3. Curiosity:
So important, I named my company after it! I’ve always asked questions (even the odd ones—like when I asked my teacher in third grade if fish sleep and how they’d know!). I believe curiosity is the antidote to judgment and the doorway to understanding. Ted Lasso said it best: “Be curious, not judgmental.” In my work, curiosity helps me get to the heart of what matters for individuals and teams alike in both coaching and training.
Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?
Brené Brown’s Daring Greatly arrived at exactly the right moment in my life. I was leading a real estate company as CEO through some incredibly difficult challenges, and the message of vulnerability as courage deeply resonated with me. I had the privilege of attending her book launch in Nashville, and I remember feeling like she had written the book just for me and that I was the only one in the entire audience. I was emotional the entire time.
Some key lessons that stuck with me from that book:
-Vulnerability is not weakness—it’s courage. Showing up without guarantees is what it means to dare greatly.
-Worthiness isn’t earned—it’s embraced. Learning to say, “I am enough,” helped me step into leadership with more confidence, clarity and groundedness. I like to remind myself (and share with others), “I am enough. Just the way I am and all the ways I am not.”
-Leadership requires daring and vulnerability. That means leading with empathy, leaning into tough conversations, and modeling authenticity.
That book gave me language for things I had felt for a long time. It helped me grow not just as a leader, but as a person. I still return to it often.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.unstoppablecuriosity.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UnstoppableCuriosity
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chalicespringfield
Image Credits
Jen Coet Photography
Logue Photography
Lexie Martin Photography
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
