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.

Heather Liedl

When I turned 30, I thought it would be my best decade yet. Surely, I would be well established in my career, finances, wisdom, and self-confidence. Now that I’m closer to 40, I’m least confident about that, but I am rich in resilience. Read More>>

Justin Sherrod

I think from growing up I went through a lot of things that made me who I am today. Going to school I was one of the few black kids at the school so I would always be the odd one out it felt to me. That kind of subjected me to being a target of bullying and things of that nature. I think relationships that I have had in the past with women have also helped me learn to become stronger and face adversity through challenges during the relationship and also after the relationship ended. I think it’s a key point for me that makes me who I am as a person today. Read More>>

Travis Ross

I feel like its come from my life, the experiences through it, support from others in crucial times, belief in myself even in the roughest of times and this desire to continue to create something bigger than myself and that can stand the test of time. Read More>>

Bethany Marchese

I’ve always had a passion for art, yet a problem with self-conference. Perhaps my resilience is what has motivated me to keep going, and I credit my grandfather for giving me that. I have always feared what others thought of me, and my grandfather was there to give me reassurance when I doubted myself the most, encouraging me to never let my fear of rejection stop me from living out my passion. Read More>>

Alan Z

My resilience comes from perseverance and paying attention to the Law of Attraction. The road to success in the entertainment industry has been a long journey, one that is filled with broken promises, rejection, and discrimination. From music to acting, I’ve dealt with so much since I started on this path as a teenager, but my persistence and resilience has allowed me to continue hitting milestones, leveling up and cementing my name in history. Read More>>

Krystal Williams

I would say my resilience comes from not always getting my way in life. I was someone who has always had to work for everything I have. Nothing was ever given or just handed to me. I had to use my knowledge, skills and talents to get me where I am today. Knowing that I have been able to get myself this far is life keeps me appreciative and humble. Read More>>

Maison Kwame

Sometimes resiliency is forced upon you whether you want to develop it or not. This has been the case for me most of my life. Both in my personal and professional life I have been put in countless situations where there were only two outcomes: figure it out or fail. Life has taught me to get the job done no matter the circumstance. And that has been my biggest teacher; life. Read More>>

Cherokee Mixon

My resilience comes from my God given strong mindset, life experiences, and being in touch with reality. I thank God every day for my mindset, it’s literally something I thank him for in my daily prayers. I am beyond blessed to have developed such a strong mindset so young. I learned early in life that you either sink or swim. I’m a very solution based person- soaking in my sorrows is not going to fix my problems.  Read More>>

Lisa Edwards

My resilience, I believe, comes from a combination of my passion for what I do and my inherent desire to always be growing and learning. Over the years, the ever-evolving world of hair color and texture treatments has taught me to be adaptable and to embrace change – traits that have served me well in my personal life as well. I also have an amazing community of friends, family, and colleagues who have supported and inspired me through the ups and downs of my career. This journey has been filled with challenges, but the rewards – especially the joy on a client’s face when they see their new look – make it all worthwhile. Read More>>

W. Jai White

I guess you can say that I get my resilience from my faith in God and all of my personal life’s experiences. We’ve all had our backs pushed to the wall, the odds played against us and situations not in our favor in some form or fashion. I have learned to analyze all adversities by focusing on positive aspects, while outweighing the pro’s and con’s in all circumstances. When we play the victim in our own situations, we acknowledge our own defeat.  Read More>>

Chris Soliz

My resilience comes from my mother, she is definitely the reason I am who I am today. Without her guidance, I don’t know where i’d be at this moment in my life. She showed me I can accomplish anything I put my mind to. I just try to make her proud everyday. Read More>>

Hooseki

I feel like my upbringing played a key role in instilling values and characteristics that allow me to understand that lots of things happen in life that don’t go the way we plan or expect. I grew up on a small homestead in Oregon with gardens, farm animals, and an orchard. My family also traveled a lot, taking road trips around the country and so far I’ve been blessed to experience 48 states. Not only balancing taking care of a farm and all the unpredictability that entails, but also all the things that can happen on the road – flat tires, missing turns, travel logistics not going as planned, you learn that things can not go as planned very quickly. Read More>>

BreA’na Morganfield

I believe I get my resilience from my mom. I grew up in a two parent household and my parents are still married. My father’s job required him to travel a lot but my mom never missed a beat. Thinking back I remember her getting us up and ready for school, sending us to school and she’d be on her way to work. At one point she was working two jobs, but was still very involved with my two sisters and I. Now that I’m older I realize the sacrifices my parents made for us. It motivates me to be the woman I am today. Read More>>

Bryan Snyder

My grandpa has to be the ultimate example for me. He went down to Mexico as a missionary from Ohio. He’d never been, didn’t know any spanish, nor did he know what he was getting himself into in the longrun. Yet, 50 years later, he’s made a lasting impact through south Texas and Mexico. Read More>>

Bryan Dosono

In my late twenties, I completed my dissertation on identity work in online communities, and articulated how algorithmic configurations within sociotechnical systems reaffirm existing hegemonic values. I found that moderators of Asian subreddits develop collective resilience within their online communities by reclaiming space to confront digital invasions, recording collective memory to circumvent systemic erasure, and revising cultural narratives to deconstruct colonial mentalities. This scholarly undertaking stretched my understanding of my cultural heritage as a Filipino American and inspired me to go through my own journey of decolonization rooted in culture, community, and conviction. Read More>>

Shudi Nelson

God, easily. I’m able to understand what I’m not able to even accomplish on a wholesome level without tapping into my inner self, or inner God. Things feel a whole lot harder & complicated when I try to achieve things on my own terms, even when I mean good towards doing them. But with The Most High, I can do anything through Him. Read More>>

Cosku Turhan

I would say my resilience comes from just loving being behind the piano. The emotional and mental relaxation playing the piano gives me is worth every pain that comes with trying to be a musician. If sitting behind the piano is an act you are just craving to do, compositions and improvement tend to come a lot easier. Also to keep my interest in playing, instead of doing too many robotic exercises, I try to play classical pieces or standards that I love listening to. Another key tip I can give up and coming musicians is to keep their goals really small.  Read More>>

Kira Solomatova

If someone were to ask me to name one quality we should foster in our children, I would say “resilience.” Resilience is one of the most important skills we acquire in childhood and a skill we continue to develop throughout our lives. While there are undoubtedly numerous other essential skills required for life, the ability to rebound from adversity serves as the bedrock upon which all other skills rest. Read More>>

Paul Dorrell

When we opened against daunting odds in 1991, I recognized that as difficult as it might be to launch a gallery of national consequence from a Midwestern city–in my case Kansas City–it’s far more difficult to make a living in any Third-World country. Thus whenever we had a setback or were broke once again, I always maintained an attitude of gratitude.  Read More>>

Calibe Thompson

I think resilience is embedded in the DNA of most Caribbean people. For me, it comes out of having been the fattest, darkest kid in an upper class prep school group, being the product of a society where political correctness doesn’t exist, absorbing books and messaging the likes of The Secret, Think and Grow Rich, The Richest Man in Babylon, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, The E-Myth Revisited, Rich Dad, Poor Dad and so on. Based on those lessons learned, I came to the understanding that being enslaved to my emotions can’t pay bills or get things done. Read More>>

ORLANDO JOHNSON

I believe my resilience is an inherited trait. One thing about the Johnson’s, we bounce back from whatever we go through. From the age of ten, even when I didn’t know what it was, I was resilient. At that age I was homeless due to family issues concerning a house, something material. I didn’t know anything about being homeless, but I was determined to fight through my unfortunate circumstances, and I did.  Read More>>