Conn Bertish, a high-performing creative director, faced a rare brain cancer diagnosis at 36. Emergency surgery revealed a medulloblastoma, usually only found in children under five. In a matter of hours, Conn’s life fractured, forcing him to confront who he was; and who he would become.<br /> <br /> In this episode of Something Shifted, Sean Loots explores how lifequakes - those seismic shifts that upend everything we know - can fracture identity and force us to rewrite the stories we tell ourselves.<br /> <br /> Conn’s story begins with subtle slurred speech and six-second headaches that escalated into emergency brain surgery and a rare brain cancer diagnosis. <br /> <br /> For him, this was the ultimate identity interruption. A before-and-after moment that challenged everything he believed about resilience, purpose, and survival.<br /> <br /> Through courage, self-reflection, and the hidden strategies that make some people harder to kill, physically, mentally, and emotionally, Conn rebuilt his life. <br /> This episode dives into the science of resilience, identity after trauma, and the powerful internal narratives we create to navigate life’s most intense disruptions.<br /> <br /> Listeners will discover:<br /> - How a lifequake can fracture identity and change the stories we tell ourselves<br /> - The hidden survival strategies that allow people to endure extreme trauma<br /> - Lessons on resilience, purpose, and transformation after life-changing events<br /> <br /> Conn’s journey is more than survival; it’s a testament to the human capacity to integrate life’s upheavals into a stronger, more purposeful self.<br /> <br /> www.somethingshifted.co.za<br /> Recorded at Latitude Podcast Studio <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2PGntgE4y6RG6wxTxUqgJI?si=CA9uGd2wRRaKQOpJ8-VrmQ">Listen to Something Shifted: The Soundtrack on Spotify</a>