Building Blocks of Success: Resilience

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.

Natalie Joly

When I was a kid I remember my parents instilling resilience in me by telling me to always finish what I start, not to get disappointed by set backs and that “failing” can always be a learning experience. I think that has carried through into my adulthood and has been solidified by so many experiences where I’ve seen my resilience working in action. Read more>>

Angellica Thompson

My resilience comes from my grandmother! I watched recover from things in life that were meant to destroy her! Knowing that she made life work even when things were being thrown her way, gave me so much motivation! When things get too hard for me now whether it’s my business or person life, I think about her! Read more>>

Ruoyun Killian

If you asked me where my resilience came from when I was 23, my reaction would have been I had to be resilient to survive. From the age of 8, I experienced a series of challenges that led me to be ostracized and isolated at almost every level of social connection. Read more>>

Jill Laseke

My resilience comes from witnessing the resilience of my family and community. I grew up in small town where my grandparents owned a small business. My parents were actively involved in the school and local fire department. It was really a wonderful way to experience childhood. Read more>>

Kenya Marie

‘Resilient’ is a word I am proud to use when describing myself because it means that I have overcome a lot of uphill battles and I have the skill set to overcome future battles. I developed resiliency due to the many life challenges and adversities I have faced. These experiences taught me valuable lessons, helped me build my inner strength, and helped me develop coping mechanisms that work. Read more>>

Isadora Angulo

We understand Resilience as “the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties”. I’ve found over my lifetime that recovering from any difficulty can also be a slow process. For any trauma or event I have ever overcome (or keep overcoming), my resilience comes from a deep learning process of who I am and why I feel the way I do and that needs a deep compassion towards myself and others, without a “timer” on it. I allow myself to be. Just to be is enough. Understanding that keeps me going. Read more>>

Dawn Billeci

My work ethic started from my upbringing within an extremely hardworking, working-class family. I was taught from a very young age that everything has it’s price, and nothing in life is free. This strong sense of self-reliance and the understanding that hard work is the foundation for everything we achieve became ingrained in me. Read more>>

amber rodriguez

When you have a passion that is so strong for something you love doing you never want to give up but only get better in time! I love education and learning new things so when I feel im bored or defeated I take a new class or get with a new mentor! Read more>>

LaTest With LaTesa

I definitely got my resilience from my grandmother. She always made it her mission to never give up on herself or what life had to offer . Her & my mother would always say, “Well if today didn’t work out just try again tomorrow “ it was never , “well it’s not for you” they both truly believe if it was something in my heart to accomplish to always go for it no matter how hard it was to get to the finish line. Read more>>

Patricia Miller

I think resilience was built within my ancestral lineage / DNA; born into a blue-collar self-made factory family and shaped by my early life experiences influenced deeply by my grandmother and single mother. I have witnessed the fortitude of my resilience increase over time, and also the wobbly moments where I am more impacted and deeply attuned by the vocational path I have chosen and the activist elements I care so deeply about. I was reading something the other day that exposure to joy and the amount of joy we receive or allow, directly correlates to our ability to be resilient. Read more>>

Erin Langs

I was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer in 2013 with a recurrence 4 years later, including 2 enormous surgeries and 6 months of chemo. My first goal was to get my then 4th grader to middle school and my then 6th grader to high school. I felt like I was marching through a dark tunnel, and light at the end was the only possible outcome. Light did not necessarily mean I was alive, it meant I did the most I could to protect 2 young mean from seeing their mother die while they were too “young” Read more>>

Sara Naheedy

Growing up with immigrant parents, I saw the way they navigated the constant challenges of being foreigners in a country where most people do not look or sound like you. As a young adult, I faced bullying from kids at school for being the daughter of immigrants. I saw how my parents took the word no as a stepping stone for the possibility and likelihood of a future yes. Read more>>

Abdulrahman Hamdi

My wellspring of resilience is deeply rooted in a combination of factors that have shaped my journey. From an early age, I have cultivated a relentless drive to strive for excellence and achieve higher goals in life. This intrinsic motivation has served as a steadfast source of strength, propelling me forward even in the face of adversity. Read more>>

Donielle Todman

My resilience comes from within. From childhood, I was surrounded by people of strength that helped me embrace that inner side of me starting with my parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, you catch my drift. They didn’t have time for excuses, more like they didn’t want to hear any excuses. Read more>>

Dr. Monica Ricks

Honestly- resilience comes from surviving tribulations and troubles. I had to learn to actively choose to be positive no matter what came my way because at one point in my life-it seemed like the hits never stopped. In 2018 I was pregnant with my youngest son and lost my cousin who was my best friend. Read more>>

Ariana Kaufman

There is a gnawing feeling in my heart that I often cannot tame. It tells me loudly to go a little longer. Even when my body feels it could not manage one more step, this feeling screams that it could be better with one more foot propelled forward. This feeling is so loud and pervasive that I do not have the option of ever quitting. Maybe it’s naive of me to think that my wildest dreams could come true, but that feeling keeps just enough faith and resilience for me to go on, Read more>>

Shauneille Smith

Shauneille is a native of New Jersey that remembers the embarrassment of being at Walmart counting her change to pay for her groceries. While in Walmart, Shauneille observed a long line of onlookers that restless sighs got louder and louder with each coin. Read more>>

Linda Moya

As a determined Hispanic woman who embarked on a life-changing journey from Honduras to the United States, I have been instilled with the belief that success is not merely an aspiration but a goal to be pursued with dedication. From the very beginning, I have been taught to invest my whole heart and soul, putting 100% effort into everything I complete. Read more>>

Priya Rama

I am answering this as a poem, something that I have been exploring lately… Read more>>

Melany Dierks

Resilience is the reward we get from battles, from the trenches, from the bad, hard times. It’s the learning, the thicker skin, the wall, the stamina, the callus, the strength we have achieved. I didn’t get dealt the best hand of cards with the toxicity of an unstable family environment. Read more>>

Aaron Kelly

The Oxford Dictionary has two definitions defining resilience, The capacity to WITHSTAND or to recover quickly from difficulties; TOUGHNESS. Secondly, the ability of a substance or object to spring back into shape; elasticity. I got my resilience from WITHSTANDING the TOUGHNESS of self-made mistakes, poor decision-making, and a lack of critical thinking and problem-solving. Read more>>

Paul Askew

Growing up I saw my mother and father push through so much. They struggled but they did it with a smile and tried to help others in the process. So I was taught by example how to be resilient. Read more>>

Lisa Ernst

My greatest resilience comes from my meditation practice. I discovered Buddhist meditation in high school after experiencing significant losses in my family, but I didn’t begin practicing for several more years after that. I quickly learned that I needed to be consistent, meditating daily, for it to truly make a difference in my life. Read more>>

Bessy Adut

I am originally born and raised in Istanbul, Turkey there is a saying there from our ancestors “The strength you need is in the royal blood in your veins” Maybe that’s why I always felt like I have the strength I need within me. I also had to learn to be strong when I moved to Los Angeles many years ago to study film and decided to continue my life here. Read more>>

Amanda Caldron

You can say resilience, survival and the ability to adapt was a part of my upbringing. I didn’t really have a choice in the matter, being a daughter of a marine corp family, we moved often. I always knew I wanted to work with animals; but was quite unaware of the range of careers available. Read more>>

Michelle Gonzalez

My resilience is a tribute to the most influential figure in my life, my beloved mother. At the young age of four, with divorced parents, she became my everything—my pillar of support and the very essence of my existence. Even though she departed this world when I was only 23, I carry with me countless memories of her demonstrating strength, courage, and unwavering belief in my ability to shape my destiny. Read more>>

Tonya Pruhs

Resilience is a good word to describe my life. I look back and I’ve endured many challenges and trials along the way and I’m still fighting to get ahead in spite of health problems and other challenges. As a young child, I dealt with emotional, mental, and physical abuse. Read more>>

Jillian Gilbert

Is it horrible if I say it’s come from failure? She said while laughing/crying. Honestly failure is so rough in the moment, but every time I’ve failed, it’s reinforced in me that failure won’t define me or stop me. In the moment, failure feels like the entire book, the whole story, but it’s really just a very small part of my story. Read more>>

Leo J. Solomon,MBA

I get my resilience from always being an underdog. I didn’t graduate from a highly ranked college or come from a financially well off family. I come from a humble being that reminds you that “staying focus” creates the ability for you to overcome any setback in life. In my spiritual upbringings, God speaks about his children being victorious in the face of any obstacles and we are born to be winners if we continue to follow his teachings. Read more>>

Michelle Crawford

“Dig Deep” has been my mantra since I can remember. When obstacles arise, when the challenge feels like more than I can handle, I whisper, “Dig Deep Girl, you got this”. Many times it’s said through tears of frustration. Running a business of your own, is not an easy task. October, 2019, I was on top of the world! We moved our homebased business into a brick and mortar establishment. Read more>>

Hinano Tanielu

I derive my resilience from the trials and tribulations of my past. Growing up, I faced a series of challenging, life-altering events that left me feeling voiceless and steeped in fear. Unseen and unheard, I found myself spiraling into a vortex of pain that manifested itself as drug and alcohol abuse. This dark phase further fueled thoughts of self-harm and suicide, a painful testament to the fear and desolation I was experiencing. Read more>>

Sawyer St. Sin

I am a plus size model and burlesque performer. Most of my projects are based around my love of horror movies and metal music. I love performing in front of different crowds and meeting new people. In the last year I made a big move and have not been able to perform but I am working on new acts and hope to be back on stage and in front of a camera soon. Read more>>

Jude Remedios

When it comes to painting I am so driven by artistic curiosity that I can always bounce back in the face of any kind of adversity or setback. Read more>>

Matthew Teifke

My mom through personal experience. She’s a hustler and a grinder. Read more>>

BAYE Lizette Gary

My Extraordinary Resilience Comes from having ultimate faith in the Most High Creator. Read more>>

Nick Leidl

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Gia Venetia

I get my resilience from my ability to overcome a challenging upbringing that taught me I had to rely on myself if I wanted to get anything done. From a young age I became very self reliant and independent. I was the oldest of two siblings and not the favorite child. Read more>>

Ashley C

My resilience comes from my determination to win. There are no business owners in my family and I’m determined to be the first successful one. Read more>>