In our building blocks of success series, we tackle the various foundational blocks we believe are essential for success. Resilience is near the top of the list, because pursuing greatness almost always means you will face losses, mistakes and tough times along your journey. The ability to bounce back is so critical and we hope the stories below will inspire you to dig deep and discover more of your own resiliency.
Briana Torres
My resilience comes from within, from a part of me that has learned to survive and choose hope in the face of adversity. I grew up in a household where it wasn’t safe to express my emotions. My father, struggling with PTSD from his time in the Marines, often took out his anger through physical abuse. Read more>>
Amanda Bigelow
I get my resilience from a long blood line of incredibly strong women. Alaska Native Yup’ik woman who not only have endured the elements of Alaska remote villages but also survived all kinds of generational trauma. Because they survived is why I am here today and why I am as resilient as I am. Read more>>
Abbigal O’Neill
My resilience comes from the people and moments that remind me why I started. From my little boy who teaches me to see the world through wonder, to the memory of my stepdad who taught me that love lives on in the smallest details. Read more>>
Abdul Chestnut
My resilience is deeply rooted in my parents — my mother, (the late) Sedina Chestnut, and my father, Alexander Chestnut, Jr. They were my first examples of strength, sacrifice and unwavering faith. My mother was the backbone of our family — a nurturer, a provider and a warrior in her own right. She taught me compassion, creativity and the importance of pouring into others. Read more>>
Alonzo Hayes
My resilience is like a diamond. Everyone sees the shine, but only I know the pressure it took to create it and the value it truly holds. I compare it to a diamond because I see everything about myself as beautiful, even the parts that others might not understand. I’ve learned how to transform pain and challenges into something meaningful and new. Read more>>
Latrell Floyd
I get my resilience from my goals that I have for myself. I have had dreams of living the life I want since I was a kid. This goes from everything from educational goals, to personal goals, and professional goals. I also get my resilience from my Mommaw. Read more>>
Steven Sutherland
This is a loaded question. My resilience comes from several pivotal moments in my life that have shaped who I am today. If I had to sum it up in a single statement, it comes from tragedy, and the way tragedy can inspire. When I was 14, I lost my dad to suicide. Read more>>
Alana Dent
I get my resilience from God and from everything I’ve had to overcome — including surviving domestic abuse. That experience broke me in ways I never imagined, but it also rebuilt me into someone stronger, wiser, and more compassionate. Read more>>
Garima Verma
Much before I truly understood the meaning of resilience, I was gifted with a desire to know and experience what lies ahead of the perceived world. This desire led me into self-enquiry at a very young age, where I found myself dropping into a blank, vast state of mind. A state that was both profound and fleeting. Read more>>
Justin Douglas
Resilience for me was built in the quiet seasons, those years when I was working at MAC, commuting by bus with a kit on my back, wondering if my big break would ever come. I learned to keep showing up even after losing major jobs or facing rejection. Read more>>
L G Boyle
My resilience comes from my parents and their examples but also from life’s events, which have proven to be incredible teaching moments. With each setback I’ve learned there is a comeback. It may take a while but it’s coming, just wait for it. Read more>>
Tiferet Cohen
I guess the initial response to this one is being an Israeli, we kinda don’t have a choice about this one… But personally, I think it comes from a survival instinct. I didn’t have the most easy life. My mom passed away when I was 11, then about a year later my dad, unfortunately, lost his business. Read more>>
Steven Bennett
I’m not sure. I do believe I am resilient because I’m quite stubborn and won’t let anything or anyone tell me what I can or can’t do without my say so, and I think I’ve always been that way since day one. That’s something innate within me. Read more>>
Shauna La
Honestly, I think some of it is in my blood. My biological father came to America as a refugee during the Vietnam War, and my mother went through her own share of hardship but continues to move through life with such grace and strength. Read more>>
Kelli Lewis
Resilience, for me, wasn’t learned from a book. It was baked into my survival. I grew up as the daughter of two heroin addicts. That meant figuring out a lot of life on my own. I’ll never forget being a child with an aching tooth and not knowing what a cavity was. Read more>>
Julia Young
get my resilience from loss — and from what it’s taught me about love and strength. I lost my mom when I was 24, and later my stepmom and sister as well. Each experience was different, but they all taught me how fragile and precious life really is. Grief has been one of my greatest teachers. Read more>>
Lill Kohler
When Jesus called me to write a book, I had no idea how hard it would be. To begin with, I was neither a writer nor a reader when during prayer one day He asked me to write a book. Through guidance I began reading, and writing small pieces. Read more>>
Krista Wilkins
got my resistance from my faith in God. That connection gave me strength, clarity, and the understanding that no challenge is too great when you stay rooted in faith. I also knew I was intelligent enough to see that anything is possible when you have the right support system—especially family—and when you stay close to God. Read more>>
Nicole Shapiro
Surrounding yourself with positive people who want to support you and lift you up. Read more>>
Jason & Blue Gerber
Little did we know 9 years ago that a 5 minute video project would turn into our first feature film, a documentary called Dawn Dusk. A journey which required a lot of resilience! Picture this: it’s the end of 2016 and we meet Chelli Look, a talented leather bag artist. Read more>>
Maha Nasrallah-Babenko
The word ‘resilience’ to me means being able to adapt and overcome. I think various experiences in our lives give us the opportunity to build resilience. For me, I believe it’s a combination of my family system, the environment and country I grew up in, several major experiences in my life, and of course, the incredibly loving and supportive people in my life. Read more>>
Janine Lee
My resilience isn’t something I consciously sought out; I realize it was forged when I was just a teenager. I’ve always been a curious person, training in Kung Fu to get my black belt after being inspired by seeing Martial Arts actresses on TV like Michelle Yeoh. Read more>>
Sherine Leslie-Gooden
My resilience comes from a combination of life experience and my faith in God. Over the years, I’ve faced challenges that tested my patience, strength, and even my faith. I remember one particularly difficult season in my life when I encountered a major setback that felt overwhelming at the time. Read more>>
Melissa Termini
My resilience is forged by a rigorous life. In education, rigor refers to being challenged academically, intellectually, and personally. As both an educator and interdisciplinary artist, I see the parallels in both my teaching and personal journeys, and draw strength from them. Each chapter of my life has had its own rigorous challenges. Read more>>
Kimberly Thalken
With the world changing so rapidly—and our individual lives shifting along with it—resilience has become one of the most essential and practical skill sets we can cultivate. For me, resilience is built through daily habits and mindful choices that keep me centered, and bring me back to that place when I need it, inspired, and connected to what matters most. Read more>>
Alex Golding
I think my resilience comes from a combination of two things: my background in sports and my experience as an entrepreneur. Growing up, athletics taught me early that setbacks are part of the process — whether it’s losing a game, facing an injury, or being asked to push beyond what felt comfortable. Read more>>
Trinity Collett-Goatley
Resilience is a quality that is nurtured and gained over time. I grew resilient in life due to fear of failure and my upbringing. I grew up in an impoverished community, with just enough of what I needed, watching my family work tirelessly for everything they had. Read more>>
Bamidele Omeiza
Resilience for me comes from two places – purpose and perspective. Shoes may be my craft, but purpose is my anchor. Every time I design or lead at Bambata, I’m reminded that this work isn’t just about footwear; it’s about telling stories, elevating culture, and leaving a legacy of excellence. That bigger picture keeps me grounded when challenges come. Read more>>
Tamara Benavente
I’ve been lucky enough to make many of my dreams come true, but none of them came easily. I’ve learned that things don’t magically happen to you; you have to be honest with yourself about what you truly want and then be willing to put in the work to go after it. For me, resilience comes from clarity of purpose. Read more>>
Keyanna Montague
When people ask me where I get my resilience from, I always smile — because it’s not something I just woke up with one day. It’s been built over time, through lessons, love, and a lot of life. I grew up watching my mom raise three girls with strength, faith, and grace. Read more>>
DJ Carroll
Where Coach Carroll’s Resilience Comes From Coach Carroll’s resilience wasn’t built in comfort. It was forged in early decisions that demanded courage — like turning down college football scholarships to start his first business. While his friends chased parties and degrees, he was chasing invoices and opportunity. That choice taught him the truth about life early: no one’s coming to save you. Read more>>
Jordon Alexander
I don’t think my resilience was born in a single moment—it was built slowly over time. I didn’t choose to be resilient; in many ways, it was forced on me. Without going into detail about parts of my childhood, I can see now that the foundation for resilience started stacking up back then. Read more>>
Aleksandra Melaniuk
Probably from a mix of stubbornness, curiosity, and passion for music. Being a conductor is an unbelievably difficult life path, and I believe only those who are completely mad about it can survive the intensity, uncertainty, occasional loneliness, and constant self-doubt – it’s all part of the same landscape, and it’s the heart that drives the resilience. Read more>>
Curtis Nugin
Resilience is not just a trait I’ve developed over time; it’s been forged in the fire of adversity. My journey has been marked by unexpected twists and turns, but it’s taught me that resilience is about more than just bouncing back – it’s about growing stronger. When life knocks you down, it’s easy to stay down. Read more>>
Bruno Clemente
I get it from my journey. I come from a background where earning a place wasn’t easy, yet I moved forward with faith, discipline, and a deep desire to grow. Every obstacle I’ve faced — whether in Brazil or while starting over in the United States — taught me how to turn struggle into strength and challenges into lessons. Read more>>
Adilene Sanchez
As an immigrant, I have faced significant challenges from the outset. My parents began their journey with very limited resources, starting with nothing more than a mattress on the floor, no air conditioning, and minimal access to food. However, their unwavering determination ensured that we would succeed. Read more>>
Zeinab Beydoun
My resilience comes from both my personal experiences and building my candle company from the ground up. When I started my business, I had no roadmap. In fact, I learned everything through trial and error, from pouring wax at my kitchen table to managing supply issues and designing packaging that reflected my vision. Read more>>
Danielle Howley
Having been through this long chronic illness with my husband, truly almost giving up, and persisting until he made a full recovery. It inspired the creation of a medical center that we could never find. Deeper Healing, a center where brilliant doctors, treatments that heal the body naturally and loving staff come together to help chronically ill people recover. Read more>>
Monica Verde
My resilience was born from the struggles that shaped me, from my earliest memories in childhood to the challenges of adulthood. I grew up in an inner-city community where poverty, crime, and substance use were all around me. Read more>>
Anna Granholm
I learned to become more resilient as I go through failure. Not everything I do or create will become something great. I’ve learned that doing more, creating more, and not giving up on my passions will eventually make my dreams a reality. As they say in Disney, “just keep swimming.” Read more>>
Netraa Dave
I think my resilience, as a cinematographer, comes from being on set and realizing that things rarely goes as planned. You can prep for days, but once you are there, something always changes like the light, the schedule, the setup. I have learnt to stay calm and find solutions instead of getting stuck on what went wrong. Read more>>
Liberty Oyugboh
I grew up in a place where survival was a family effort. From a young age, every child had a role to play to ensure that the entire household had food to eat. It wasn’t optional. If you didn’t work, there was nothing to eat. And if there was no food, there was no life. Read more>>
Nicole Kizlinski
My resilience comes from a mix of experiences that taught me to keep getting back up no matter what. Growing up playing softball, I refused to be the girl who let one bad play ruin the whole game for me. Read more>>
