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.

Yasmin Tajik

My resilience finds its roots in the unique tapestry of my identity as a first-generation Pakistani American. From the outset, I’ve grappled with the sensation of being an outsider, navigating the delicate balance between two cultures. Raised in an environment where women are not traditionally considered equals, I found myself compelled to transcend societal expectations and strive for excellence. Read more>>

Sarah Halstead

I believe I was taught resilience from my high school track coach, Mr. Holmes. After failing to make the cheerleading, basketball, or tennis team, I was approached by Coach Holmes to join his girls Cross Country Track team. “Halstead,” he said. “your problem is you lack hand-eye coordination, so you can’t participate in sports that include a ball. (Not true, I was great at Four Square.) And you’re never going to make the cheerleading team because of your Scoliosis.  Read more>>

I get my resilience from my inner spirit of determination; I was just born strong. I also feel growing up near NYC gave me a tough spirit as New Yorkers are very determined and don’t let obstacles stop them. When I need motivation and a reminder of my resilience, I think about my grandfathers who fought in World War 2, and the Korean War.  Read more>>

AhSa-Ti Nu Ford

My resilience comes from what I’ve been taught through family, friends, life and ultimately from my desire to live out my passion. As a black woman, many of us are taught to be resilient from sexism from racism, and many of the other isms that exist in order to make it through life. Resilience is baked into who we are as humans trying to navigate through our journeys and all of its many ups and downs. Read more>>

Brittney McKinley

I accredit my mother to being the model image of where my resilience comes from. Growing up in Milwaukee Wisconsin, my mother was a single parent and did everything in her power so that my sister and I could have a fulfilling life. She sacrificed so much for us, sometimes working three jobs at a time to provide for us. Even though she was exhausted, she still made it her priority to put us in activities and to show up and support us.  Read more>>

Noemi Martinez

This is a very layered question, however, it’s one that I am also very proud to answer. My resilience comes from stories about my ancestors, my lineage, my parents, and learning to rise above adversity over and over again. Read more>>

Jessica Gallup & Stephanie Kheder

We get our resilience from many experiences of standing in our own ground to protect our peace and voice our ideas as creatives constantly outputting content in many collectives. Creativity requires spirituality which means faith in oneself to manifest a vision into reality. The resilience is unwavering belief that we can make what we dream up and because belief is the hardest part our partnership is a catalyst to keep going forward even if in small steps. Read more>>

Margot Rowan

When flying, there’s always ‘an in the case of an emergency’ steps demonstrated… the one that really resonates and applies to life, is putting the oxygen mask on yourself before your loved ones… Being blessed to be a stay at home mom I felt myself disappearing and only existing for others, I learned early on that it’s okay to take a day for yourself enjoying every minute of what was now a new term learned ‘me time’. Read more>>

Cindy Trinh

I definitely got my resilience from my mother, who is the most resilient person in my life. She came to America as a Vietnamese refugee in 1975 and had to build a life in a new country entirely on her own. My father left our family when I was very young so my mom raised me and my brother as a single mom. She sacrificed everything to give us a better life and worked tirelessly to provide for her family. Read more>>

Shaine Laine

No doubt – I get my resiliency from the remarkable woman who raised me. Coming from a single-parent household, my mom faced numerous challenges, yet she never gave up determination to give me and my sister a life of fun and laughter. Seeing her navigate life’s hardships instilled in me a profound sense of perseverance. My mother taught me the value of hard work, courage, and humility. Read more>>

Alexandrea Dendy

When I was younger, I lost my sister and my father within three years of each other and both a week before my birthday. Coping with the loss of loved ones requires a great amount of resilience. It is natural to find strength in support systems, faith, or even within oneself to handle such trying times. I watched my mother lean on God in an extraordinary way that gave me hope that no matter the circumstances, I could still be victorious through my pain. Read more>>

Cara Johnson-Graves

From an early age I realized that success is rarely linear. It’s filled with challenges, failures, roadblocks, and detours. And I have adopted the notion that NO simply means Next Opportunity. Resourcefulness and ingenuity are key when it’s time to leap, even when you don’t know what is on the other side. When my sister and I started our business, there were naysayers that didn’t see the purpose or understand the vision.  Read more>>

Angela Benson

Long story short, God. Life has a way of making you learn how to adapt to uncomfortable situations. Having resilience does not mean that we have to figure it out on our own, but I believe it is more so recognizing that it is okay to need help. I grew up without my mom due to racial discrimination on her side of the family; this alone caused me to be hyper-independent to avoid abandonment. My dad passed away in 2013 and then I learned that being strong wasn’t a choice for me, it was a lifestyle. Read more>>

Robin Harris

Pain. When I am caused hurt and or pain by people I genuinely cared for, in a weird way it fuels me to climb out of the vortex . I’ve been this way ever since I could comprehend. It’s a defense mechanism for myself , although no one truly knows what hurt and pain can do to someone who doesn’t not posses the energy to reciprocate that energy back out into the world. I do cry , I do get in deep dark depressions ONLY ONE NIGHT THOUGH it’s like the seasoning to the pain and hurt . However , I RISE with intentions. Read more>>

Tanya Beyer

Taking the long view of changing trends and the changing American natural environment persuades me that, since I have no greater personal ambition than to expand my body of natural history art, I should continue to do so. It is possible that my use of artistic media combined with my yearning to document and ennoble our heritage of wild plants, birds, mammals and other species in nature will ultimately give value and provoke public interest in much of or most of my whole collection of artworks in a time to come. Read more>>

Mark David

My parents Immigrated from Cairo, Egypt to Houston, Texas in 1967. They came here with very little except for their educations. I saw both of them work very hard while growing up.. and both became very successful as result. So, I learned at a very early age that nothing comes easy in this life. don’t expect any favours and certainly do not expect luck, it will be a disappointment. You have to earn everything with blood, sweat and tears. Read more>>

Tara Hayes

I believe that resilience and determination go hand in hand. Ever since I was a child I’ve been determined to succeed in anything that I put my mind to. My resilience stems from always wanting to win. I’m competitive in a sense. I remember wanting to be the fastest runner out of myself and my sisters. Read more>>

Ali krupnik

Honestly, positive self-talk. I strongly believe in the power of a positive mindset and don’t let any negative talk enter my mind. Easier said than done, I know. But as a planner, I always have a plan A, B, C and D so when hardship and challenges come, I go into solution mode and there is always a path forward. Life is too short and even the hard parts are learning lessons and beautiful. Until you can see the gratitude within the hard parts, you’re not ready for all the good things that are to come. Read more>>

Remonde Levy

I get my resiliency from all the NO’s I have received over the year’s. Each “No” that I received gave me the confirmation that I am 1 “YES” away from reaching my destination. I believe that I have my own personal opinion and my own way of dealing with resiliency. I would also add that my ability to be resilient comes from the inner soul searching I have been working on recently. I understand the importance of discipline and structure. Read more>>

Mary Payne Moran

April 19th, 1995, I was sitting in a dark classroom with my peers. We were watching a movie about Anne Frank and World War II, and suddenly, the building I was in shook, windows rattled, doors rumbled, and it wasn’t an earthquake. When the movie ended, we walked into another classroom where we learned the Murrah Federal Building had been blown up by a car bomb. That day we watched heroic firefighters pulling adults and children out of the ruble, both dead and alive. I watched as our small city showed incredible resilience, in such a devastating event. Read more>>

Greg Brooks

I keep pressing on with this endeavor because it makes me happy. Writing is a great creative outlet and when I get the opportunity to make a film, it’s even more of a rush. I’ve been working on success in this world for so long that I wouldn’t even know what else to do with my time if I wasn’t striving for this art form. It’s become a part of who I am. I don’t think I’d recognize myself if I wasn’t chasing this. Read more>>

Rafael Dante

When it comes to work, I don’t let myself get too much attached to small things. I think it’s better to be practical and solve problems instead of suffering and complaining. So if something goes wrong, I try to understand why that happened and what I can learn from it. For example, if I create a beautiful image the client doesn’t approve, it’s fine. Maybe i spent some good hours making something cool but it’s just not right for this occasion. So let’s move forward and make it right on the second round. Read more>>

ZUEHRE BAHRAN

Certainly, embodying Rihanna’s perspective: “My resilience stems from the incredible strength and resilience of my mother. She’s been my pillar of support and the ultimate example of resilience in my life. Watching her navigate challenges with grace and determination has instilled in me an unwavering determination to never give up. Read more>>

Sam Callahan

I actually never really had resilience growing up, I guess I never really needed it. Then I moved to LA at 18 and I was thrown into the music business and very quickly had to adjust to it. Once I started gigging I was immediately thrown into the deep end of it all, getting gigs left and right but there were some people I would reach out to and they would deny me for all sorts of reasons: my height, weight, hair color and mostly my gender. Read more>>

Shante Epps-Copeland

As a life and fianancial coachand a mentor, As a finacial coach, I help people navigate the waters on how to get through lifes trials, tribulations and any ans all stumblinghg blocks that many face in life. How to make the money they earn stretch, how to invest their money and build a legacy for their future generations. I also terach tyhem how to use credit properly to also help them live their dreams. Many people are held back financially due to poor credit mangement or if their credit score is too low to finance the life they dream of living. Read more>>

Reggie Lewis

I get my resilience from my love for storytelling and making people smile. I find joy when I see my words come to life on stage. It’s all about staying motivated and never giving up on my passion and dreams. I’ve learned to cope with the hardships in my past by “telling the story “Hoping it will help someone else that may have experienced some of the same things I’ve experienced. Read more>>

Christianne Brooks

I think I get my resilience from my mother. Who immigrated here as a young woman after the war from Germany. Not knowing a soul or speaking the language, she was the consummate example of a warrior as she had a sense of adventure and really never gave up seeking in her life – always seeked to better herself physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I was in awe of her constant pursuit of a better life. Read more>>

Jessica (wondermundo) Salinas

I guess you could say my resilience comes from my challenging upbringing. I mean, I’m a first-generation Mexican American, and I didn’t even start speaking English until I was five. Growing up in a tiny border town, my parents had to work grueling manual labor jobs because they dropped out of school early on. We were really poor, and my dad battled alcoholism while my mom’s discipline involved spankings starting at the age of 2. Read more>>

Taylor Lianne Chandler

When it comes to resilience I never had a choice! There was no one there to protect me as a toddler when my babysitter’s son started molesting me around 3 years old, and lasted till I was 11. Soon after I was the victim of incest by my uncle. When I finally came to terms with the fact that this was not normal I told my grandparents who raised me, and the first thing they did was ask me why I let it happen. Read more>>

Lyndsay Dowd

Resilience serves itself up when you least expect it and when you most need it. And in this case, I developed resilience when thrown a massive curveball in my career. I had a 25 year decorated history in Corporate America and 23 of those years were spent in Sales and Leadership at IBM. I was managing large sales teams and was well respected as a heart centered leader who brought out the best in my teams. I was proud of my teams’ performance and I referred to them as a group of mavericks and hustlers.  Read more>>

Ziba Shirazi

Growing up in Iran, facing unexpected life challenges, such as revolution, divorce, and migration, I learned to believe that “life is a matter of adjustment.” There is no time to think about the past, think about what I did right or wrong, and feel sorry for myself. Instead, I should think about the future and the opportunities life is offering me. Read more>>

Veronica Gonzalez

I get my resilience from my inner self to never giving up. From my personal experience in life through trials and tribulations. It motivated me to push harder into myself and to keep the faith alive to pursuing in my dreams. Read more>>

J Marie

Being apart of a nation here in America that has been far removed from their God has put us ALL in a position to be cursed in a sense but our God is so good that it is also what makes us strong! Its a blessing and a curse to live in America apart of a lineage of people of color that has been slighted and continue to be in many ways that shows up in the places we are likely to live, the schools we attend all the way to the foods we eat that in turn effect our health. Read more>>

Michelle Colt

From 20 years of deeply looking into self sabotage, nervous system regulation, inherited trauma and the mother wound. I have been teaching workshops and private coaching for 20 years and doing this work personally as well. Read more>>

BA303

I get my resilience from a lot of different places and aspects. I would like to start with my family and friends I consider family they push me and make sure I live up to my full potential which often requires resilience to get though obstacles or hard times. I also have a belief system that I can do anything that I put my mind to and I’ve seen it work first hand after some of the hardest times of my life. I also get resilience from the people I’ve lost throughout my time on earth. I lost many friends including one of my best ones and that will forever motivate me. Long live Rkad3. Read more>>

Katsura Mouri

I get my resilience from the music. Both the music I listen to and the music I make. Also when the audience understands my music and gives me energy I return the energy 100 times back. Read more>>

Valerie Quinones

I believe I get my resilience from my mother and grandmother. Both of them were single mothers, my mother had help from her mother raising my brothers and myself. My grandmother was very creative and my mother was able to smile in the face of adversity. They were both ambitious. The combination instilled a tenacious mentality in the home. If we didn’t have something as kids we had to get creative and not allow our environment or external circumstances to throw us off focus. Read more>>

Deon Michelle Lindsey

Resilience is like your bounce-back ability, you know? I got it from how I see things – having a positive mindset helps a lot. Also, being able to roll with the punches, adapt, and deal with stuff. Life experiences, especially the tough ones, they toughen you up and build your resilience muscle. Read more>>

Jamie Martin

Without a doubt, I get my resilience from my family! My parents were very young when I was born, but they always made it work! There was never a time where my siblings and I were without something- anything! They, to this day, are some of the hardest working people I remember my first day in the workforce (1999!). They dropped me off and said, “you’re here to do a job, not mess around!” And that stuck with me! I went above and beyond for that $5.50 an hour! No one was going to work harder than me. Read more>>

Alaina Hasse

Truth be told, most of my resiliency comes from my stubbornness. The two aren’t so different from each other if you really think about it. The sum of the two is my spitfire attitude, which I also think has a hand in my resiliency. When faced with trials and tribulations I have to question myself on whether or not I am going to allow a situation to get the best of me, or if I’m going to get the best of it. My mother loves to tell this story about me when I was a baby. I was barely 13 months old and as my mom likes to say I “wasn’t even toddlering yet”. Read more>>

Marques Giles

My resilience comes from having a stereotypical 80s and early 90s upbringing being raised by a single mother without a father in an environment where gangs where recruiting young boys who looked like me. Like most young males at the time being inundated with ways out that were and still are cliches. I dreamed of playing sports and taking care of my mother had madsion Avenue presented something different that made money and marketed to my demographic I would have chosen something different. Read more>>

Valerie Wilcox

Have you ever felt like you didn’t fit in? I grew up extremely shy and I was teased for not looking like others (with my curly red hair). I didn’t know how to stick up for myself from bullying and people taking advantage of me. I didn’t feel like I was heard and I had to develop a way to overcome this. Read more>>