Resilience is often the x-factor that differentiates between mild and wild success. The stories of most of the wildly successful folks in our community have exhibit an extreme degree of resilience and we’ve come to believe that if our goal is to help our community achieve great outcomes we have to help build resources and knowledge around how one can become more resilient.
Mira Bahgat
That’s such a difficult question! I think a lot of my resilience comes from my faith, both in God and in myself. I’m determined to build the life I’ve envisioned for myself, both personally and professionally. I believe many of us have a mission in life. From as young as eight years old, I had this gut feeling that my calling would be in the Arts. Music, Film, and Theatre would be my vehicle to make an impact in the world. That intuition that my purpose would come from this path became so persistent that I had no choice but to fight for it. Read More>>
Aaron Thomas
I believe I get my resiliency from my mother. Growing up, I’ve always watched my mom overcome the most difficult obstacles. My mom would be faced with many challenges, but she somehow always overcame them. My mother was a very strong minded woman and she always did her best to push through to provide for her children. Honestly, I believe I take on the quality! Whenever I’m faced with challenges, there’s a strength that somehow pushes me through! I call it “Mommy-Power”. Thank you mommy! Read More>>
Elica Atienza
My resilience comes from my upbringing and life experiences. Growing up, I always felt a drive to push beyond my surroundings and chase something great. My family is also a constant source of strength, through their unwavering support and how they navigate their own challenges. This foundation, along with the ups and downs I’ve faced, has shaped my ability to adapt, persevere, and keep moving forward.
I have experienced many transitions in life — switching majors in college, moving from a small town to a big city, and overcoming my own personal setbacks. Through these, I learned how to stay resilient and push through, even when things felt uncertain. Read More>>
Eva Ramos
La resiliencia no es algo con lo que nacemos, se construye a través de las pruebas más difíciles. En mi caso, cada experiencia dolorosa fue una pieza que ayudó a formarme en la mujer que soy hoy. Desde muy pequeña, la vida me enfrentó a situaciones que me marcaron profundamente y me enseñaron a encontrar fuerza incluso en los momentos más oscuros. Read More>>
Joseph Riccio
My resilience comes from a deep faith and trust in both God and the universe. I truly believe that no matter what challenges come my way, there is always strength and guidance available if we remain open to it. I’ve learned that as long as I trust in myself and keep faith, i’ll be given the tools to overcome any obstacles. Read More>>
Tamika A. Anderson
Resilience was not something I was born with, it was something I had to fight for. I was unconscious on the floor after being strangled by my husband and I almost died that day, but for some reason I survived. The policeman told me, if you don’t make a change, the next time we come back here to your home, it’s going to be to take you out of here in a body bag. He then pointed to an umbrella on the floor and said, this guy cares more about that umbrella than he does you. Read More>>
Lindsey Westendorf
Resilience isn’t something I learned—it’s something I am. It’s woven into every part of me, built from every challenge I’ve faced, and sharpened by every moment I’ve had no choice but to push forward.
As an Aquarius, I don’t do limits. I move differently, think ahead, and refuse to be boxed in by circumstances. That mindset has carried me through life, business, and motherhood—especially as a mom of four, with one of my babies being a transplant child. When you’ve walked through the fire of medical uncertainty, sleepless nights, and the weight of advocating for your child’s life, resilience isn’t just a trait—it’s survival. Read More>>
Ti Young
Well if I’m being honest, it pretty much started from the day I was born. I came into this world premature, weighing around 3 pounds— To say the least, I entered life weak, tiny, fragile, and feeling alone… but I was a fighter from day one and have overcome a lot, probably why I like superheroes so much.
Growing up, there were a lot of challenges in my family. As a kid, I didn’t fully understand them, but I remember being five or six years old and already asking why there was so much pain around me. So much abuse, neglect, food insecurity and hardship. No one was happy. It felt like we were all trapped in a constant state of survival—fear & trauma. Read More>>
Solange Neustadter
Pain has always been my biggest motivator, and being in pain is unbearable to me (as is everyone), and so I’ve always sought ways to get out of my pain or transform it into strength (e.g resilience.) Towards that end, I’ve sought out teachers and techniques that help us embrace our shadow side and maximize a sense of peace and wellbeing. My journey since I was 18 has led me to practicing all kinds of modalities from meditation, to somatic work, dance, psychedelics healings, Stellate Ganglion Blocks, writing and creative expression, comedy study, eastern philosophies. Read More>>
Sashell Daniel
I developed resilience from the hardships I went through growing up, throughout my teenage years to date.
From being molested as a child, becoming a teen mom at 15, dropping out of high school twice to even being kicked out of the church. Life has thrown many obstacles at me, and poor life choices also contributed to some of my demise. But thanks be to God, I’ve been able to bounce back and completed up to tertiary education (LLB), secured a really good job at the bank after college, gave birth to my daughter and is now an author, entrepreneur and one who shares the good news of Jesus. Read More>>
Ashley Engbrecht
My resilience comes from many generations of women and men who have cultivated a life of resilience. It was embedded in me as a child. Family aside, getting support from my mother so that I could achieve and go anywhere I wanted gave me the resilience to move to London, England, when I was 19. It is the inner knowing that I am going to be okay because of how I move through this world with ease, joy, alertness, and curiosity. My resilience was deeply challenged during a 10-day Vipassana (silent meditation) where I was away from external factors, including technology, no talking and lots of meditating. Read More>>
Andrew Ferguson
I’ve often believed, as have many inspirational posters, that success is just a product of failure. As an actor and filmmaker, success personally means that I can wake up everyday doing what I love and work with creative, talented people that also enjoy making films.
To find myself in that position, it really just began with the idea that this success would eventually happen. I have been making “movies” (cheesy sketches on a digital camcorder) since I was in 6th grade with my friends and have subconsciously ALWAYS envisioned that I would be doing this a as a career. Read More>>
Kimberleigh Wood
Resilience, for me comes from the practice of painting itself. Art teaches patience, problem-solving, and the ability to sit with uncertainty. A painting rarely comes together in a single moment- It requires layering, adjusting, stepping back, and sometimes starting over. I’ve learned to trust that if I keep showing up, working through the process, and staying open to change, something meaningful will emerge. That mindset extends beyond the canvas. Whether in art or life, I focus on the long view, knowing that challenges are part of creating something worthwhile. Read More>>
Jocelyn Lindsay
I’m Gen X—we were practically baptized in resilience. I grew up feral, cooking my own meals, playing with the burn pile in the backyard, and enjoying unsupervised freedom. I was raised by “figure it out” energy. If something broke, I fixed it or duct-taped it, shrugged, and moved on. That grit didn’t disappear. It followed me straight into the world of writing and book coaching.
Here’s the real secret, though: I failed a lot as a kid. Like, constantly. I was the kid who tried everything—oil painting, basketball, weird science experiments in the garage. I wasn’t good at most of it. I never became an expert in any of it. And that was the gift. Read More>>
Jeanine Fuentes
In 1992, my 16-year-old Puerto Rican mother gave birth to me in the city of Buffalo, NY. My father, 25 at the time, was a very successful smooth-criminal delinquent—and a victim of opioid addiction. (He’s now fully recovered, retired, and delivered.) I was the firstborn, the oldest of what would eventually become eight siblings.
Growing up, I witnessed an array of events that could easily traumatize, paralyze, or emotionally immobilize most people. The kind of experiences that could make someone accept the limiting labels of “statistic” or “product of their environment.” Read More>>
Tashena Lynette Stokes
My journey has been shaped by a rich blend of life experiences, faith, and an unwavering commitment to growth. I am fortunate to have incredible parents with remarkable qualities. My mother, a Doctorate holder and accomplished financial planner, runs her own practice and podcast. My father, a General Motors retiree, dedicated 46 years as an electrician with his Master’s degree. Their guidance instilled in me faith in Jehovah God, a love for education, and a foundation of strong values. Read More>>
Lauren
My resilience comes from all of my past trials and tribulations. I have always felt this feeling inside me, that I am meant to be something great. Growing up wasn’t the easiest for me. I had to grow up failry fast, taking care of my two sisters at the age of 5. By the age of 9, my fathers mom (I call her Momo) received custody of me, and my sisters were placed in separate households with grandmother’s from my mothers side. Read More>>
Matcha Ritual
Our resilience comes from how deeply we believe in the mission behind Matcha Ritual. We truly love matcha, and we believe more people deserve to experience not just the drink itself, but the calm, intentional ritual behind it. The idea that someone across the country (or even the world) might use one of our matcha sets to start their day with intention? That drives us every time. Read More>>
Kibonen Nfi
My experiences in life have left me with no option but to be resilient. I am a perfectionist and in all I do I ask myself what is the best version or the highest point of this; that’s what I go for and I know it will never be a walk in the park; greatness comes with so many sacrifices. Also i come from a place where I am literarily charting parts, the thought that I have so many people looking up to me makes me resilient to all my challenges and really look at these challenges as steps to the vision. Read More>>
Lynn Lewis
Where do I get my resilience from? Great question. Oblige me, please, to share the back story that led to me being resilient. My son, my only child who was 30 years of age at the time, died by suicide August 2019. Seven months after his death I made a declaration that his death would be a part of my life for the remainder of my life, but I would not be consumed by it. I decided I was not just going to survive this loss rather I was going to thrive in the aftermath of it. Read More>>
Stacey Scott
Where does your resilience come from? I would say mine came from watching my mother raise me and my siblings as a single parent. No matter how many setbacks or difficulties she faced, she always continued to push forward. My resilience also comes from watching my brothers mature into strong men who never gave up despite facing numerous obstacles. They have always been a source of motivation for me. Read More>>
Dylan Lirette
I often get this question from many people, and my answer is always multifaceted as it has many parts! Through my almost 28 years of living, life has placed many various and difficult unexpected challenges in my path and obstacles that I have been blessed to overcome. I grew up in a very small town of about 2000 people & one stop light, where drugs, alcohol and violence were very normal things from a young age. We didn’t have much growing up, and my father wasn’t very involved in my life so I was exposed to a lot of hardships from my youth. Read More>>
Eileen Isagholian
From life. From my lived experience. From hurdles. From rejection. From loss. From pain.
I had to learn real quick that I can only depend on me. All the things to be done in order to make it, was to be done by myself. The only person who had my back unconditionally was my brother. It was us against the world. But after he passed away, it was me against the world. Grief & loss are the 2 greatest revealers in life. They reveal everybody’s authenticity. Read More>>
Mahati V Singh
I get asked this a lot: How do you keep going? How do you do it all?
The truth is, I didn’t wake up one day and decide to be resilient. I never had a choice. It was survival. It was the only way to move forward when nothing around me made sense and when no one believed in me.
I’ve constantly been questioned, doubted, and judged. Growing up, I was told that the best thing a woman can do is be a good daughter, daughter-in-law, wife, and mother. Anything beyond that felt like rebellion. Wanting more wasn’t seen as ambition it was seen as trouble. Read More>>
Alexa Shay
My resilience comes from my tenacity. I grew up in a household where I wasn’t allowed to be a child after the age of around four or five, thus I had to regularly choose to survive and ultimately, to thrive. It’s very easy when you’re in a dark place to get lost. My greatest desires were my guiding lights:
1. Be a better person than my egg donor
2. Gain security in my life
3. Achieve freedom from said egg donor Read More>>
Ciarra Williams
I believe my resilience comes from a deep spiritual place — from knowing that I’m here for a purpose greater than my obstacles. I draw strength from my faith, from the lessons I’ve learned through pain, and from the belief that even my lowest moments are preparing me for something powerful. Read More>>
Emily Lily
You know, when I think about where my resilience comes from, it really comes down to staying connected to my intuition and this deep belief I have in oneness—how all life forms are connected. That belief was tested and strengthened during the most terrifying experience of my life: a medical crisis, or as I call it, a Spiritually Transformative Experience, that completely changed me.
It all started with my elderly dog, Rusty, who I adopted as an 11 year old senior. One day, he started acting so strangely—pressing his nose and paws into my lower abdomen, almost aggressively. It was so odd and persistent that I thought, “Okay, I need to get this checked out.” That’s how I found out I had a massive ovarian tumor. Read More>>
Raquel Langworthy
Resilience is something inside of all of us that morphs in form and changes throughout our life. When I was in my mid-twenties I took the leap to become a photographer with very little knowledge of how to become one professionally. I was working as an Art Director in advertising, when I took a leap to pursue photography full time. Back then, I’d say my resilience came from a refusal to fail. I felt like no one thought I could succeed, and I wanted to prove that I could. Read More>>
Susie Virzi
Being raised the youngest in a family of 7 kids might have trained me early. My house was chaotic though I found it fun. I learned early on that stuff, like my boombox, is not as important as I thought it was. Living in hand me down clothes and things breaking or getting stolen by some of my siblings friends. In the midst of all that I went to a private Catholic school and church. My best friend and family were another example for me in a way to look at life and live it. So, I would say the takeaway from this was learning to be observant. Read More>>
Ani Youssoufian
Resilience, for me, comes from a deep sense of purpose. I opened my studio with the belief that working with your hands can be healing, empowering, and creatively fulfilling-not just for me, but for others too. That belief has kept me grounded through every high and low of entrepreneurship.
Running a small business alone means wearing every hat and learning as I go. Things shift constantly-sometimes marketing doesn’t land, bookings slow down, or new ideas fall flat. But I’ve learned to treat those moments not as signs to stop, but as reminders to adjust. I’ve built resilience not through perfect plans, but by continuing to show up, stay curious, and keep refining. Read More>>
Melissa Guerrero
My resilience comes from watching my mother build her own business from the ground up. I witnessed her carry an entire household on her back while showing up every day with grace and quiet strength. She never complained, never looked for shortcuts, she just kept showing up. Years later, she became incredibly successful in her field, and not because things were handed to her, but because she earned it. That modeled something powerful for me. Read More>>
Elizabeth Chang
Before living in the U.S for college, I spent my youth living across five different countries across continents. My first taste of racism was in the music room in Costa Rica as a 6-year-old harpist, and while my harp teacher was always very fair, her lead student/assistant was not. She didn’t feel like I belonged, and one afternoon, she did not give me a turn on the instrument for the entire Orchestra practice and had me sit in a chair against the wall. It didn’t matter that I was the more skilled harpist; I was the only one in the room who looked like me. Read More>>
