Embracing Nature in Healthcare with MaryCay Durrant
Mon Jan 12 2026
In this episode of Compassion and Courage, Marcus speaks with MaryCay Durrant about her journey from the corporate world to healthcare, emphasizing the importance of compassionate communication, resilience, and the influence of nature in the workplace. They discuss the significance of orienting oneself to purpose, the power of partnership, and how nature can serve as a model for effective teamwork and leadership. MaryCay shares insights on how to cultivate calm, purpose, and joy in work, and the transformative potential of embracing vulnerability and connection in professional settings.
Resources for you:
More communication tips and resources for how to cultivate compassion: https://marcusengel.com/freeresources/Connect with Marcus on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcusengel/Connect with MaryCay on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marycaydurrant/Learn more about MaryCay’s work: https://marycaydurrant.comLearn more about Marcus’ Books: https://marcusengel.com/store/Subscribe to our podcast through Apple: https://bit.ly/MarcusEngelPodcastSubscribe to our podcast through YouTube: https://bit.ly/Youtube-MarcusEngelPodcast
About MaryCay Durrant:
Our guest today is speaker, facilitator, and change leadership and business performance consultant, MaryCay Durrant. For 30+ years, she has helped people reorient, from broken playbooks to systems and paradigms that rekindle the human spirit. From “doing, producing, and performing” to being, partnering and growing. MaryCay does this by illuminating a brilliant model, one that is alive in nature. Her work has touched thousands of senior leaders and at more than 100 companies including Johnson & Johnson, Deloitte, Pepsi, Hyatt, and healthcare leadership teams from academic medicine like The Children's Hospital Los Angeles to community systems like Health First in Brevard County Florida. Her Vibrant W.O.R.K. model is simple, refreshing - and it’s what we all need today. It reorients people to the truth that we are built for change, meaning and optimistic action. And that when we feel stuck or challenged, it’s not failure but feedback. For decades she has been asked to find ways to translate her Vibrancy Model to “every human” as our world has become more and more disconnected and machine-optimized. She has taken the task to heart and is on a mission to illuminate a vibrant path in life for 50,000 people through podcast interviews by the end of 2026. MaryCay’s fresh perspective, practical tools and sense of wonder will help you find and sustain the “congruence” which is calm, purpose and joy we feel called towards in work and life.
Date: 1/9/2026
Name of show: Compassion & Courage: Conversations in Healthcare
Episode number and title: Episode 177 - Embracing Nature in Healthcare with MaryCay Durrant
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In this episode of Compassion and Courage, Marcus speaks with MaryCay Durrant about her journey from the corporate world to healthcare, emphasizing the importance of compassionate communication, resilience, and the influence of nature in the workplace. They discuss the significance of orienting oneself to purpose, the power of partnership, and how nature can serve as a model for effective teamwork and leadership. MaryCay shares insights on how to cultivate calm, purpose, and joy in work, and the transformative potential of embracing vulnerability and connection in professional settings. Resources for you: More communication tips and resources for how to cultivate compassion: https://marcusengel.com/freeresources/Connect with Marcus on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcusengel/Connect with MaryCay on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marycaydurrant/Learn more about MaryCay’s work: https://marycaydurrant.comLearn more about Marcus’ Books: https://marcusengel.com/store/Subscribe to our podcast through Apple: https://bit.ly/MarcusEngelPodcastSubscribe to our podcast through YouTube: https://bit.ly/Youtube-MarcusEngelPodcast About MaryCay Durrant: Our guest today is speaker, facilitator, and change leadership and business performance consultant, MaryCay Durrant. For 30+ years, she has helped people reorient, from broken playbooks to systems and paradigms that rekindle the human spirit. From “doing, producing, and performing” to being, partnering and growing. MaryCay does this by illuminating a brilliant model, one that is alive in nature. Her work has touched thousands of senior leaders and at more than 100 companies including Johnson & Johnson, Deloitte, Pepsi, Hyatt, and healthcare leadership teams from academic medicine like The Children's Hospital Los Angeles to community systems like Health First in Brevard County Florida. Her Vibrant W.O.R.K. model is simple, refreshing - and it’s what we all need today. It reorients people to the truth that we are built for change, meaning and optimistic action. And that when we feel stuck or challenged, it’s not failure but feedback. For decades she has been asked to find ways to translate her Vibrancy Model to “every human” as our world has become more and more disconnected and machine-optimized. She has taken the task to heart and is on a mission to illuminate a vibrant path in life for 50,000 people through podcast interviews by the end of 2026. MaryCay’s fresh perspective, practical tools and sense of wonder will help you find and sustain the “congruence” which is calm, purpose and joy we feel called towards in work and life. Date: 1/9/2026 Name of show: Compassion & Courage: Conversations in Healthcare Episode number and title: Episode 177 - Embracing Nature in Healthcare with MaryCay Durrant