Today we’d like to introduce you to Corey Martin.
Hi Corey, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in a small town in North Dakota—where you learned to work hard, keep your word, and show up for people whether you felt like it or not. That sense of duty led me to medicine. I became a family physician because I wanted to make a difference in people’s lives. And for a while, I did. But over time, I started to notice the toll it was taking—not just on me, but on almost everyone around me. Behind the professionalism and dedication, there was exhaustion. Disconnection. Burnout.
Then I lost two physician colleagues to suicide. That shattered any illusion I had that we could keep pushing through without consequence. Their deaths were a wake-up call, and they forced me to start asking harder questions—about our culture, about resilience, and about how we care for the people who are supposed to care for everyone else.
That grief led to action. I co-founded the Bounce Back Project, one of the first efforts in the country focused on clinician wellbeing and community-based positive psychology. From there, everything changed. I started facilitating retreats, giving keynotes, and eventually built a business around helping mission-driven people move from surviving to actually thriving.
Now, I split my time between leadership development, coaching, running international retreats, and still practicing medicine part-time—because I never want to lose touch with what’s really happening on the ground. My work today is about helping people reconnect—with themselves, with their purpose, and with what truly matters—before the system or the stress takes more than it already has.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Not even close. The road’s been full of twists, potholes, and a few moments where I wasn’t sure I’d keep going.
Medicine trains you to power through—to show up no matter what. But no one really prepares you for the emotional weight of the job, or the way it can slowly chip away at your sense of self. There were years when I was deeply burned out, but like so many physicians, I wore the mask, hit the marks, and kept going. That kind of quiet suffering is invisible… until it isn’t.
Losing two friends and colleagues to suicide brought that reality into sharp focus. It cracked something open in me. Their deaths weren’t just tragedies—they were a reflection of a broken system that too often neglects the humanity of the healer. That grief was a struggle, but it was also a turning point.
Leaving full-time clinical medicine wasn’t easy either. There’s an identity crisis that comes with stepping off the traditional path, especially when that path is tied to how you’ve always measured success. Starting my own business meant trading the illusion of stability for the reality of risk—and learning to trust my own vision, even when it felt terrifying.
But every hard season taught me something essential—about who I am, what matters, and how to lead from a place of authenticity instead of expectation. That’s what I try to offer others now: space to do that same kind of deep work.
As you know, we’re big fans of Innovations in Resilience and Bounce Travels. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Innovations in Resilience and Bounce Travels are two sides of the same mission: helping people reclaim their energy, purpose, and joy—before burnout takes them down for good.
With Innovations in Resilience, I work with healthcare systems, nonprofits, and mission-driven organizations that are struggling under the weight of stress, disconnection, and change fatigue. I offer leadership development, group facilitation, coaching, and retreats—bringing science-backed tools and real-life grit to the table. What sets me apart? I’ve lived it. I’m not talking about burnout and resilience from a distance—I’ve walked that road, buried friends because of it, and come out the other side more clear-eyed and committed than ever.
Bounce Travels takes that same mission global. We offer international wellbeing retreats that blend deep inner work with cultural immersion and adventure. These aren’t fluffy spa getaways. They’re intentional spaces for people to slow down, tell the truth about their lives, and reconnect with what matters—while standing on mountaintops, hiking ancient paths, or sitting in sacred spaces far from the noise. We’ve led people through the highlands of Guatemala, the vineyards of Sonoma, the Camino de Santiago and soon the mountain trails of Japan. What sets us apart is the depth of our curriculum, the honesty of our approach, and the magic that happens when you step out of your routine and into something real.
Brand-wise, I’m most proud of the trust we’ve built. People tell us again and again that our work is different—it’s grounded, courageous, unpretentious, and transformative. We create spaces where people can take off the armor and finally breathe.
At the end of the day, whether I’m speaking to a room of physicians, coaching a leader, or hiking beside someone in another country, the work is the same: I help people find their way back to themselves
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
Definitely. I’m a lifelong learner, and over the years I’ve found a few resources that have helped me stay grounded, curious, and open—even in the middle of chaos.
Books:
I go back to “Daring Greatly” and “Dare to Lead” by Brené Brown more often than I’d like to admit. Her work gave me language for things I had felt but couldn’t name—especially around vulnerability, shame, and leadership. “Man’s Search for Meaning” by Viktor Frankl is another one that recalibrates me when things get tough. And “Falling Upward” by Richard Rohr cracked me open in midlife in the best possible way.
Podcasts:
I love Unlocking Us (Brené Brown), Peaceful Life Radio (Don Drew), and The Mel Robbins Podcast. I also appreciate Ten Percent Happier when I need something practical for calming my brain down.
Apps:
I use Insight Timer for meditation and reflective practices—it’s got everything from 2-minute breathing resets to long-form teachings. And honestly, WhatsApp and Google Docs are what keep my teams and retreats running.
People:
I know the question didn’t ask this—but the best “resource” in my life is still the circle of trusted friends and colleagues who tell me the truth, cheer me on, and call me out when I need it. No app can beat that.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.innovationsinresilience.com
- Instagram: bounce.travels
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bouncetravels
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/corey-martin-md/
- Other: https://www.bouncetravels.com
