Researcher and thought leader Dr. Brené Brown offers a powerful new vision in Daring Greatly that encourages us to embrace vulnerability and imperfection, to live wholeheartedly and courageously. Challenging everything we think we know about vulnerability, Dr. Brené Brown dispels the widely accepted myth that it’s a weakness. She argues that vulnerability is in fact a strength, and when we shut ourselves off from revealing our true selves we grow distanced from the things that bring purpose and meaning to our lives. Daring Greatly is the culmination of 12 years of groundbreaking social research, across the home, relationships, work, and parenting. It is an invitation to be courageous; to show up and let ourselves be seen, even when there are no guarantees.

Each day we face a barrage of images and messages from society and the media telling us who, what, and how we should be. We are led to believe that if we could only look perfect and lead perfect lives, we’d no longer feel inadequate. In her second book, Brené Brown, Ph.D. shares what she’s learned from a decade of research on what she calls the ten guideposts to Wholehearted Living. In this book, Brown engages our minds, hearts, and spirits as she explores how we can cultivate the courage, compassion, and connection.

Shame manifests itself in many ways. Addiction, perfectionism, fear and blame are just a few of the outward signs that Dr. Brené Brown discovered in her 6-year study of shame’s effects on women. While shame is generally thought of as an emotion sequestered in the shadows of our psyches, “I Thought it Was Just Me” demonstrates the ways in which it is actually present in the most mundane and visible aspects of our lives – from our mental and physical health and body image to our relationships with our partners, our kids, our friends, our money and our work.

Ade Adeniji is a Certified The Daring Way™ Facilitator–Candidate. As a certified Life Coach, Group Facilitator and Storyteller, Ade adopts a holistic approach in all aspects of his work, which involves working with individuals, teams and organisations to uncover the unconscious, cultivate conscious choices and integrate the insights.

Ade has over 20 years’ experience in human resources and personal development, spanning the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. He was Human Resources Director with Liberty Global Europe, a digital media company, with responsibility for the UK, Netherlands, Spain and Central Europe. Prior to that, he was Head of Human Resources with Guardian News and Media Ltd. He held other HR roles with ITV, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Cabinet Office and the Government Legal Service.

He is Co-Founder of The Quest for Gay Men (www.thequestawaitsyou.com), a UK-based social enterprise that delivers personal development workshops and events aimed at transforming the relationships gay men have with themselves, others and the world they inhabit. Ade’s academic background is Law — specialising in Employment Law. Additionally, he has an MSc in Human Resources and a Diploma in Group Facilitation, Counselling Skills and Conflict Resolution. He is a qualified Workplace Mediator, NLP practitioner and ordained Interfaith Minister and Spiritual Counsellor.

Darren Brady is a Certified The Daring Way™ Facilitator–Candidate. As a certified co-active coach, a certified Stanford University group facilitator and creative director, Darren brings a strong therapeutic element to the work he undertakes investigating the causality of our behaviours and redefining the ways in which we create our daily experience of life.

Darren has created a number of pioneering creative and business projects working in partnership with The BBC and Channel 4. Additionally he has taught adults, teens and children in numerous settings as both a state teacher and community leader. In 1995 Darren founded Outlet, a specialist accommodation service designed to support the LGBT community of London, and more recently the UK.

In the past decade he has invested his time, experience and energies in the personal development field. Having trained with The Coaches Training Institute he set up a private practice working with a wide range of clients — focusing his attention on work with people who are HIV + and he has worked extensively in collaboration with the NHS providing group workshops and 1-2-1 coaching. Alongside Ade he co-founded The Quest for Gay men developing the methodology and organisational structure that supports gay men to heal from trauma and shame based childhood experiences. He is a fellow of The School for Social Entrepreneurs where he completed a program for new Social Enterprises.

Ernesto Moreno is a certified The Daring Way Facilitator-Candidate and an experienced business consultant, trainer, coach and entrepreneur who is passionate about helping people become more self-aware, more resilient and transform their lives.

Ernesto has over 14 years of experience in HR consulting, Organisational Development and Behavioural Change working for leading consulting firms like Atos and PwC. His experience spans across a number of different industries including public, private and non-profit sectors both in the UK and internationally. Some of his clients have included: RBS, EasyJet, British Airways, DHL, DVB Bank, The British Ministry of Justice and The Global Fund when was part of the United Nations.

As independent consultant, Ernesto designs and delivers training and leadership development programmes aimed at increasing the self-awareness of individuals and helping them integrate their insights into the development of new habits and behaviours. He is also an avid public speaker and group facilitator who combines his cross-cultural and cross-functional business experience with his psychology and behavioural change education to offer a unique approach that enables teams and individuals to embrace dynamic change. Ernesto is a qualified coach, NLP practitioner and group facilitator. He holds a degree in Business Studies, a Master’s in Business Administration and Postgraduate Studies in Psychology of Management and People Development from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).