His Brother Died on 9/11. 25 Years Later, He’s Redefining What It Means to Overcome | Craig Woodall (S4 E16)

What does it really mean to overcome something that changes your life forever? For Dr. Craig Woodall, that question is deeply personal. Craig, a former athlete, spent more than 30 years in education, including 12 years as a high school principal, helping young people develop character, resilience, and purpose. But behind the leader his students knew was a man carrying a profound loss of his own. On September 11, 2001, Craig lost his brother. Twenty-five years later, Craig joins me on Sunday SoulDay for a deeply personal conversation about grief, faith, resilience, leadership, and what it means to rebuild hope without leaving the people we love behind. We talk about who Craig was before September 11th and how losing his brother changed him, the difference between “moving on” and moving forward, and what the long journey through grief actually looks like. Craig also shares the moment he began recognizing that although he couldn't change what happened, he could choose what happened within him from there. We explore how that lived experience quietly shaped his 30-year career in education, his leadership as a high school principal, and the way he now helps others navigate life's inevitable storms. We also discuss why the leadership book Craig originally intended to write became something much more personal: his first book, Overcome: Rebuilding Hope After Losing My Brother on 9/11. This conversation explores: • The person Craig was before September 11th and the brother he lost • What 25 years of grief has taught him about healing • The stages of grief and why healing isn't always linear • The choices we still have when we cannot change what happened to us • How grief, faith, and adversity can shape the way we lead • Why resilience is more than simply “bouncing back” • The difference between moving on and moving forward • What it really means to overcome • Where Craig continues to find hope • What fuels his mind, body, and soul One of the most powerful ideas underneath our conversation is that overcoming doesn't necessarily mean leaving the experience behind. Sometimes it means learning how to carry what happened while continuing to build a meaningful life around it. Craig Woodall, Ed.D., is a speaker, coach, former high school principal, and author of Overcome: Rebuilding Hope After Losing My Brother on 9/11. Today, he works with leaders and organizations to build resilience and develop the mindset needed to navigate adversity. Connect with Craig and learn more about his work at craigwoodall.com. ️ Sunday SoulDay
Conversations about leadership, identity, healing, purpose, and the inner work behind how we live and lead. Hosted by: Damesha Craig, Leadership Strategist and Purpose Alchemist | Founder, Leadership Garden OS & Leadership Garden AI | Executive Coach | Host, Sunday SoulDay | Publisher, The Soul Fueler Journal Connect with Damesha Craig https://www.dameshacraig.com https://www.leadershipgarden.ai https://soulfuelerjournal.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/dameshacraig/ https://www.tiktok.com/@dameshacraig ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@sundaysoulday⁠⁠ Be a Guest: Email us: sundaysouldaypodcast@gmail.com www.sundaysoulday.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.