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.
Gabriel Rice
I got my resilience from my late grandmother Frances Sanders. My grandmother was literally my best friend! They say life doesn’t come with a manual but that can’t be true because she definitely had life’s manual. Everything that I know, everything that I am was because of my upbringing by her. She instilled so much in me before her passing Read more>>
Tosha Wilson-Davis
I have developed resilience over the years simply because I had to make my own path. I started from humble beginnings and had to build most times when I didn’t have much financial or economic support. So, I built a “toughness” to stay focused and move forward. The end of 2022 really tested my ability to preserve and be resilient. My father passed on December 14, 2022 unexpectedly and I was scheduled for my real estate licensing exam the next day. I laid my father to rest on December 22, 2022, and prayed about my path forward and my prayer revealed two words: “Keep Going.” On January 5, 2022, I took my GA State Real Estate Licensing Exam and passed. I am sure my father would have been (and is) so proud of me. Read more>>
Misty Mansouri
My resilience came from making my way in life young. I didn’t have a lot of guidance, and I didn’t Really even have a plan. or a clear path. I started in Hospitality for survival and found my passion and a way to thrive in many forms of Hospitality along the way. When I started in Hospitality 30 years ago there weren’t really many woman in the space. For years I felt like I was going to a knife fight on a daily basis. However I somehow managed to get back up, find my power and go back to battle. Read more>>
Valerie Pallatt
The word “loss” sums up the last few years well. Some days I would say my resilience lacked greatly; however, I never let it stay there. The biggest factor in my drive to bounce back and keep going is Jesus. In Him I have a purpose and through His word I am able to find peace, hope, and the drive to keep going despite my circumstances. It says in the Bible 365 times to not be afraid or discouraged! I find such hope in scripture! The main verses that keep me resilient are Romans 8:28, Genesis 50:20, Jeremiah 29:11. Having such an awesome support system of friends and family helps a ton too! When I can’t seem to keep going, they speak life and cheer me on. I have noticed the more I focus on taking care of myself the more resilient I am as well. Whether that is through eating and sleeping well or monthly counseling sessions, the more grounded I am to face whatever comes at me the better I handle it. Read more>>
Brigette Shvonne
I would say I get my resilience from my mom. I watched her raise children while managing chronic illness. I also got resilience from growing up outside instead of playing video games or engaging in social media. Read more>>
Ajia Munns
I got my resilience from studying my ancestors. It’s something about knowing who you are after being told you were nothing. Understanding the great and long-lasting contributions black and indigenous people made all over the world is inspiring. The spirit of my people is most inspiring. Most of all I think I get it from my grandmother’s mother “MaMa” who is a pillar in our family history. Read more>>
Alondra Molina
My resilience comes from my background/childhood and never giving up. I am first generation Mexican American. my parents came to the United States with the American dream to give me everything they never had. I will never forget one of my first aha moments. Which was my dad being so proud of me when I bought my first car at 16 with my first job at Metro Center mall. A tiny part of me of corse wanted to be a sweet sixteen from mtv spoiled brat pulling up in a range. I was blessed to have new clothes on the first day of school. I knew how hard both of my parents had worked for their family of four, and how lucky I was to have two parents that loved me. Like many they started from the bottom and never gave up. My parents instilled strength and resilience in me. Read more>>
Carolyn McCuan
Resilience is the concept of being able to positively adapt, despite hardship and adversity. It’s a character trait that teaches us to have the patience to endure. We are currently living in a generation of instant gratification. With high-speed internet, 5G, phones that are designed to be better and faster with each new iteration, we are fostering the next generation of “I want it, and I want it now!” It’s great for technological advancement, but it draws us away from the art of being patient, which is a key ingredient in building resilience. Read more>>
Felipe Mucci
When I decided to move from Brazil to the US to pursue my dream, leaving my family and everyone I knew behind, I made a deal with myself. I would never give up. I would do my best to achieve what I set out to do. Every birthday, every get together, every family dinner I miss reminds me that I cannot give up. It’s not easy being away from your loved ones, so if I’m to do that, I might as well try my hardest to make it worth it. My resilience comes from the fact that I know left Brazil for a reason, so I will do my best to honor that decision. Read more>>
Johnny Rhodes
My resilience probably started from my birth with my natural body, also at a very young age i realize life was already: excuse my french FuxKing me so i had plenty of time to practice. life still doing its thing im just a little better at fighting back. Read more>>
Immacula Paul
Resilience is an important quality to have when working with clients and helping them through a large purchase such as a home. My resilience is drawn from within and is based on an individual’s determination, confidence and positive outlook in life, that it self is not always easy. Resiliency comes with practicing self-care, I set realistic goals as often as I can and challenge myself even when I think I can’t. But more importantly I surround myself with supportive people, my family, granddaughter and teaching at the urban league, it brings me so much joy. I love the outdoors and is why I am constantly engaging in activities like running around my neighborhood, cycling, and my favorite of all times is pilates. I strongly believe it is an essential part and beneficial in developing resilience. This journey of mine is constant. Never stop learning. I am currently reading a book called Never Split The Difference by: Chris Voss Read more>>
David Solano
I’m not sure where I get my resilience from, I’m not even sure I am even resilient I just don’t like losing, I don’t like failing. I know many people say they hate losing, but I also don’t sulk after a loss or failure. I use it as a learning moment. Why did I lose? What went wrong? Where can I be better? If these three questions make me resilient than I guess I am a resilient person. I do believe those three questions should guide everybody’s practice, everybody’s daily routine. I also use the power of Yet, to get me through tough obstacles in life. I can tell my brain I’m just not there, but then that statement shuts my brain from trying to achieve the goal. If I end that same statement with yet, as I am just not there yet, it allows my brain to say ok let’s keep going. Then those three questions are the next part of my process. Why did I lose or fail? What went wrong? Where can I be better? I reflect and answer these questions internally. That puts me in a better mindset with goals on what I need to do to improve. Read more>>
Natelle Gentile
How my parents raised me and knowing that God is ultimately in control are where I find my resilience. Growing up a competitive gymnast and competing as a D1 level to then entering the career of sports (a male dominated field) has all proven to come with its challenges. Each chapter o my story has come with extreme peaks and never without extreme valleys. Read more>>
Ken Gregory
Oh, my resilience comes from my paternal grandfather, Walter, T. Jackson, who at age 53, obtained his bachelors degree from the Detroit Business College, all while working full-time as a janitor at Cass Technical high school in Detroit.. And all in an effort to prove to his sons, one of those being my father, the importance of education. However not knowing that his grandson, which would be me, was watching him in awe and wonder. So I proudly tell folks that I am the proud great grandson of sharecroppers from Tennessee, and the proud grandson of a janitor with a bachelors degree in psychology., all of whom we’re able to build something from nothing. Read more>>
Sarah Powell
Overall, Covid really taught me a lot about resilience. I was in the process of stepping out on my own in February of 2020. I was very passionate about my work and this had been a long time coming. No one necessarily knew the world was going to come to a complete stop due to the pandemic. I had signed my paper work for my lease at a new loft and was ready to put my two week notice in, and everything stopped. My daughter was in kindergarten at the time and the salon I was working in was closed until further notice. I ended up being out of work for 13 weeks. Everything was up in the air and I didn’t know if it was smart to be stepping out on my own and starting a business during this time. Read more>>
Mesh Monroe
I believe that resilience is built over time. I experienced domestic for 10 years. And during that time there were so many different things happening at one time that it truly caused a major shift in my mindset, Because one day I finally woke up and decided to live and love me, wholeheartedly! From that day forth, I started being intentional, creating winning habits, and watching who I had in my circle in all aspects of life. Read more>>
Shaniqua Jones
Resilience is a word I struggle with due to its ability to derive from the pits of your pain. Recently, my mother transitioned and my husband suffered a massive heart attack 26 days later. My world has been upside down ever since if I had to operate from my natural head space, I would’ve checked out. My faith is what’s keeping me! I know God did not bring me – us this far to only come this far! I know what it is like to be in the trenches – lacking the basic necessities. I refuse to return to a poverty mindset. I know my husband will make a full recovery. I watch his transformation and his personal road to redemption motivates me in ways that only God can . Read more>>
Vincent Richmond
My resilience has definitely served me a great purpose, especially with my career in acting and the constant auditioning and submissions that come with it. I believe my time in wrestling has been the main aspect in building up that trait. The constant practices and literal blood, sweat, and tears put in day in and day out to get ready for the matches and ultimately win helped bring in resilience and stay focused on goals. Knowing that there is a win at the end of my efforts is always helpful to me to keep my focus and keep pushing on no what obstacles I face along the way. Read more>>
Tosin Aribisala
My resilience is birthed from a place of purpose, knowing that I am in the right path for my purpose and destiny. This realization fuels my actions to bear it all, hold the bull by the horn and channel my energy in fulfilling my purpose as a performing artist. Also, knowing that some folks out there get inspired by what I do gives me some resilience against all odds. Read more>>
AJ Tesler
My daughter is the most resilient person I know. She has a rare neurological disorder called Rett Syndrome, so every day she wakes up struggling to breathe. But that doesn’t stop her from pushing herself out of bed. Rett Syndrome makes verbal communication impossible for her, but every day she finds a way to communicate her wants and needs with us. Beyond that, she finds a way to joke with us and engage in conversations. Rett Syndrome has made taken away functional hand use from her, but every day she works hard in her therapies, at school and at home to try to overcome that disability. It’s the very definition of resilience and she’s dealing with way harder things than I would ever have to. So, when I get a “No” or a “pass” I don’t let it stop me, I just keep plugging away and find a way to bounce back. If my daughter is setting the example for me, it’s the least I can do to try to set the same example for her. Read more>>
Emma Evans
I have always been a resilient person, but the resilience that came about in me after being diagnosed with a chronic illness was unmatched with what I thought I was capable of. I suffer from a strange unknown plethora of autoimmune conditions that cause me a lot of pain, constantly, with no real explanation or relief options. Putting up with it for 3 years now, I have often been almost pushed to a breaking point. I was forced to completely revamp the way I live my life in order to feel even remotely okay at certain times. Physical fitness was really important in that process. I have been a lifelong dancer, but when I became ill and my body started to hurt so much, so often, it was challenging to continue with any physical activity. I had to make a deal with myself, after countless frustrating doctors appointments and being left time and again with no answers as to how to fix my health, that the only way forward was to just try. And so I began to be active again, even though it hurt. When you work out hard, your body hurts a lot, particularly when doing ballet. Pain is at the core of that dance form. However, returning to ballet after a hiatus, something was different with me – I was now really used to being in pain. And the pain that you feel when dancing (with some exceptions) is good pain, it’s a pain that you benefit from. I was able to push myself beyond any limits I had reached before and I’m proud to say I’m in the best physical shape of my life now. I’m even considering training for a marathon in future years as I have picked up running and am very into that as well. Read more>>
Susie Lauri
My resilience comes from the love of learning and my determination to overcome childhood trauma. I went to College to make up for the education I missed in my childhood. In college, I advocated for myself and learned how to study. I asked my professors if I could record their classes because I had PTSD, allowing me to listen for a second time incase my mind drifted or I had trouble concentrating. Read more>>
DJ Bob Stock
Resilience is the only way to make it in business, especially when you’re talking about the entertainment for weddings. Every client, every event requires you to reinvent. You learn from what you don’t get perfect and you never get too comfortable. The next round of Brides will test you and resilience and flexibility will get you through and let you rise to the day. Read more>>
Jabarre Davis
I think I get my resilience from all the failures I’ve encountered over the years. Plus the spirit of my ancestors keep telling me “Boy! You Better Not Stop” lol. It’s just in my DNA to never give up. It’s the way I’m built I guess. I’ve learned to put in the work, love the art and manifest. Also, just knowing the challenges I went through to get here. Giving up is not an option! Read more>>
Allen Ramany
My name is Allen Ramany, owner of TopNotch barbers barbershop in Grand Prairie, Texas. I believe my resilience comes from my family & upbringing. My parents left their homeland Laos to come to America for better opportunities. I grew up in a neighborhood facing many adversities. I had to overcome challenges of starting from the bottom and becoming a self made entrepreneur. These obstacles gave me the fuel to chase my dreams and aspirations to be a good example for the community. I will continue to grow & take it to the top. Read more>>
Milla Rios
The word resilience is how I would describe being able to bounce-back or building a greater tolerance towards obstacles that come your way. I would have to say resilience was learned early on when I was a child. I grew up under the poverty line with nothing where essentials, food, and clothing were scarce. Spending time in a homeless shelter as a child, I learned early on how to be resourceful and to make use out of everything that was given to me. Whether it was donations, food, or even resources, I made the effort to make it last and learned the value of making it to the next day. To this day, I remain humble of where I come from and through those experiences I have built a strong standing to who I am and whatever challenge comes my way. Read more>>
Michelle Robertson
This is a no brainer for sure! Haha, I get my resilience from my parents. My father had cancer all throughout me growing up but he never let it get in the way of anything he did. Even on some of the days he didn’t feel his best he still showed up and you would’ve never known he was struggling. All the way up until the weekend before he passed away, he was there helping me get settled back into college. Read more>>
Bre’Asia Symone
My resilience comes from determination. Determined to live the life I’ve always envisioned for my self ; a life of success and purpose. Early on in my career I faced so many obstacles and set backs in both my professional and personal life and I won’t lie , I use to succumb to my emotions and my thoughts because I wasn’t as strong mentally. I was ready to quit at the smallest mishap. Read more>>
Katina Nikou
Resilience became the name of the game early on for me. As a child, I was presented with a lot of circumstances demanding me to dig deep and find my inner strength or else I’d get eaten alive. Whether it was growing up in an unstable home, having the hair color that invited every insult under the sun (red), or choosing the hardest industry to pursue as a career choice, I refused to let any of it rob me of my spirit. Being rooted in my life’s purpose as a storyteller has given me the will to keep going even when life is at it’s most challenging. Read more>>
Dr. Frances Ann Bailey
My resilience comes from having strength from God and holding onto his promises. I had someone to ask me how I deal with failure and my response was “Every time I get knocked down; I get back up. When life throws me a curve back, I knock it out the park, and I only fail when I quit, so when it doesn’t work, I try again! I been through too much in my past that every trial and tribulation has built my faith to another level of rest in God. Therefore, I’m unstoppable. Read more>>
Jacqueline Lehr
I consider one of my core qualities to be my resilience, as I’ve been faced with one major unique challenge in my life and career. In March of 2020 I was diagnosed with a very rare cancer and I spent the following 8 months doing chemotherapy and immunotherapy. During that time period the world was shut down and everyone was shuttered inside their homes, so I wasn’t missing out on any work opportunities. It allowed me to have the time and space to do my treatment without having to explain my absence from my work community. Read more>>
100 Rome
My resilience comes from my determination to be successful in life. Never giving up on my dreams or a task or anything that I can accomplish I always give 100 percent. Read more>>
Sandra Hauptman
Coming from a place where I survived a war and moved to a foreign country by the time I was 10, I had to grow up really fast as a child. So in some way, I was born with resilience. When I first started my photography business, I couldn’t have ever imagined that it would ever be what it is now. I wasn’t sure that I would ever succeed, work with so many people, and experience so many adventures, but I took my camera, stood tall, reminded myself of what I wanted to achieve, and became comfortable with the uncomfortable. Read more>>
Angélique Cinélu
My mother died before my 13th birthday, so I had to navigate life from a very early age alone. There was a lot of trial and error, but because I didn’t have a parent to fall back on, I learned very quickly how to handle situations and survive. Read more>>
Carissa Gould
My resilience came from my own personal will power to not give up even when life gets hard. You have to believe that eventually things will get better. Nothing ever stays the same. Life will always ebb and flow. We go through challenges, good times, and bad times. They key is to never give up, forgive yourself, give yourself some grace, and keep moving forward. Just making baby steps every day is progress. You don’t always have to be making the big money moves. Learn to rest, care for yourself, and take and break when you need it. You can have a bad day(s), but pick yourself up and do things that make you happy! Eat the damn taco or cake or whatever. I have had a multitude of setbacks and trauma him my life. It only made me stronger and more humble, There will always be challenges ahead….do you want to face it head on with strength or back down?! Face it, deal with it, and keep moving forward. I could write a novel about the challenges in my life, but I always had a belief that things would get better. Somehow the challenging things in life resolve themselves. Just keep trusting in your abilities and know your worth. Read more>>
Teneka Williams
I don’t know if I really think of it as resilience, it’s likely that I don’t know any better. I just work up one day and said to myself, “I’mma open a flower shop”, and I did. I am not a serial entrepreneur. I had worked in as a Librarian for the Visually Impaired up until three years ago. I did, however, see a need in my community. On my first day of a Leadership cohort as a Librarian, the speaker walked in the room and said, “Your calling is where your passion meets a need in the world.” Read more>>
Messieurs Swank
I believe my resilience is rooted in having confidence that whatever I put my mind and energy to, I can achieve. It sounds cliché, but it has a lot to do with my upbringing. My parents always instilled that idea in my siblings and I. To the point where we really believed it, no matter what it was. As I grew older I was able to take that confidence even further by recognizing the value of trusting the process and the grind of achieving my goals. There are aspirations that are coming to fruition in my life today that were set in motion many years prior. I don’t always know the exact path or have the right answers, but I never lose site of what I truly want to accomplish. I once heard the late, great Nipsey Hussle state in an interview that the distinguishing factor between him and those who did not attain their goals is that he didn’t give up. I wholeheartedly believe that sentiment. Read more>>
Vanessa Cooper
My mother is where is got my resilience from. Growing up as child I watched mom struggle and face challenges. No matter what situations she faced she always got through them. My mother is so strong and she always holds her head high. She is a warrior and superhero to me. But I gained that one skill of resiliency from her. Read more>>
Daniel Juarez
I get my resilience from my mother. As a hispanic women, she understands the setbacks that come with the corporate world. She started out as a receptionist and worked her way up to a Director position. She was the only women to do so. In a workplace full of powerful men, she did not give up. In fact, I believe it fueled her to consistently work even harder than her male counterparts. She had a lot of setbacks that made it easy to give up. Like mental health issues, multiple counts of sexual harassment, divorce, and the guilt of not spending enough time with her children. Though my mother and I disagree on a plethora of issues, we both can agree that I get my resilience from her. The way I bounce back from a trauma, spin a negative situation into a positive one, or continue to pursue a career in acting in the midst of a pandemic is all because she raised me. Read more>>
Aby Kane
The most common adjectives I’ve heard used to describe me are “energetic,” “fun” and “confident.” While I agree with these, there are times where I have low energy, I turn down fun activities and I have bouts of insecurity and self-doubt.Read more>>
Thomas Madden
I got my resilience from newspaper reporting. Editors at The Philadelphia Inquirer would send me out to do stories requiring interviews with persons who didn’t want to talk to me, so I had to push my way past their resistance, in some instances literally being knocked down, like one time I was trying to get to the President of the United States, who was Richard Nixon at the time when I was a young reporter who’d do anything to get the story. Read more>>
Jai Got Soul
I got my resilience from my strong will. Through every obstacle in life, I willed my way to the finish line. The painful experiences, the naysayers, or even my enemies could never stop me. I’ve been in many positions to create my own lane and I drove each lane as far as the road would take me until the road ended. I continued to recreate myself and create more lanes throughout my career which lead me to the space that I hold now as an Independent Entrepreneur. Read more>>
Meagan Nicholson
Being a biracial woman of color, I’ve had no choice but to be resilient, like so many others that have similar shared experiences to myself. My mother immigrated to the United States in the late 80’s and my father grew up in South Carolina missing the tail end of Jim Crow. I inherited my resilience from them. From a young age, I saw the odds that my parents had to defy being minority business owners in this country, to provide a life for our family. Read more>>
Gilbert Frogozo
From FAILURE. As cliche as it sounds, we do learn from our mistakes. I think it is safe to say that almost all of us are afraid of rejection, mistakes, and failure. We all thrive to be successful in all aspects of life, however, life does not come with a conclusive “manual” on how to be successful on our first try. With success comes failure, and with failure comes resilience. In life, we will stumble upon obstacles and hurdles that will set us back but will also make us wiser next time around. Read more>>
Michelle Kuei
In finding things that fulfill our desires and creating the life we want to live, I believe Rumi said it the best: “What you seek is seeking you.” Read more>>
Adrian Jules
I get my resilience from a tiny Haitian immigrant woman named Marcilia Jules, my mother. Early in life, she taught me to go after what I wanted and allow no one or thing to deter me. Read more>>
Michelle Robinson
I believe my resilience comes from my desire to WIN! As a teen mom, I was often told I would not result to anything more than a “statistic”.
Although I found myself making bad choices and on a road that could very well lead to that particular title, I decided I didn’t want it and decided to change the path for my future. With two kids in tow at the age of 19, I decided to go to college to pursue a degree in healthcare. This was the first time I felt I was on the right path and the ability to move beyond my current circumstance was in the horizon. Read more>>
Dr. Tyrha Lindsey-Warren
“Sometimes you have to encourage yourself. Sometimes you have to speak victory during the the test. And, no matter how you feel, speak the word and you will be healed. Spoke over yourself, encourage yourself in the Lord.” -Lyrics from the song, “Encourage Yourself” by Donald Lawrence and the Tri-City Singers Read more>>
Ash Allure
My resilience comes from knowing that my destiny and purpose in this lifetime is bigger than me and I am merely a vessel for something greater. Even in my darkest moments, I still have a sense of calmness because I know once I accepted this path and everything that comes with it whether positive or negative I will prevail through it all because it is written for me to heal and inspire generations to come. Read more>>
Ashleigh Montford
Resilience is a word I have come to know all too well from serial entrepreneur, Mrs. Teia Acker-Moore. She’s such an inspiration and light in the world that I am consuming myself in. Read more>>
James Knox
Man really just growing up and watching my mom at times struggle. Seeing her maneuver and make sure me, my brothers and sister had everything we wanted despite any financial hardships. That pushed me and showed me that no matter what the case may be whenever there’s a will there’s a way. Read more>>
Richard Turrentine
“Whether you’re going through a tough time now or you want to be prepared for future challenges, I’ve learned to build resilience by first having a great example in my mother. As a single mother, she displayed to my sister and I the importance of finding purpose, believing in yourself, establishing goals, and taking action. All of which I continue to live by today as a man.” Read more>>
