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.

Suzy Pittman

I draw my resilience from my mother and grandparents, who have exemplified unwavering strength throughout their lives. In the 1960s, my family emigrated from Cuba to the United States with nothing but the clothes they were wearing and a determination to build a new life. Despite leaving behind their family home and careers, they faced the challenges of adapting to a new country without speaking the language. Read more>>

Miracle Emeka-Nkwor

I have faced lots of challenges as a businesswoman, especially in a niche such as mine in Nigeria, but my ability to stay resilient and keep growing stems from a deep conviction in my heart. I didn’t start Omaji Designs on a whim; it was a calling. And the more I’ve grown, the more I believe that God never leads anyone to failure.  Read more>>

Atai Chang

Adversity, every setback, every obstacle I had to fight is what gave me the resilience that I have. Read more>>

Hector Padilla

Mr. Hector Padilla is the Founder & President of HP Capital Investments, Inc, a Real Estate Acquisition & Investment Firm. The Padilla family has been in the real estate industry for almost 50 years. Mr. Padilla is a true “American Success Story”. He went from Paperboy, to Police Officer, to Realtor, to Broker Owner, to Flipper and to purchasing over $100,000,000 in Real Estate assets. Read more>>

Christina Prah

Resilience is a quality that often emerges from the depths of adversity, shaped by unique life experiences and personal aspirations. In the pursuit of my academic and professional goals, I draw inspiration from my journey, which has been marked by challenges and triumphs alike. As a 28-year-old woman hailing from a polygamous family, where I am the youngest among 21 children, my experiences have given me a deep sense of responsibility and adaptability from a young age. Read more>>

Mike Morawski

My resilience comes from growing up in a single parent household. and watching my mom push through the hardest parts of her life. Learning to not let any tough stuff get in the way. Walk through the hard things and fear and take the necessary action to grow. I tapped into this when I lost a $100mm company and was sentenced to 10 yrs in federal prison, for white collar fraud. I had to tap into this part of my life and past to push through.  Read more>>

Robert Jackson

My journey is a testament to the power of dreams and the resilience of the human spirit. From a young age, I harbored ambitions of becoming both a business leader and a basketball player, fueled by a genuine desire to make a difference in my community. Read more>>

Michelle Hamilton

My truest belief has been that if you let it, life will always provide gifts in times of struggle. I’ve found that even in the darkest moments, there is a glimmer of hope, a seed of opportunity waiting to sprout. These moments of doom, far from being the end of the road, are often the doorway to incredible new horizons. Read more>>

Anu Sehgal

It comes from my upbringing, born into a middle income, hardworking parents, in India. At an early age we saw hardship and the importance of being resilient. Read more>>

Alyssa Londoño

My mom has always been my best friend and the main source of my resilience. Growing up it was just her and I which made our bond that much stronger. I watched her raise me as a single mother and persevere through many tough times. One of the toughest times she ever had to endure was when she was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer. When you hear “Pancreatic Cancer” most people automatically think it is a death sentence. Read more>>

Qiana Thomas

I get it from people telling me that I can’t do something. When people bet against me or tell me I’m going to fail is when I come out fighting and winning. The best motivator that I’ve ever had in life is people telling me I can’t win. I don’t give up. If I fall, I’ll pick myself back up again. Read more>>

Jeffries Moore aka Muotaji

As an artist it can be quite a challenge to achieve success and recognition for your creative talents. Artist often see the world differently than most and can come across as odd. This was especially true of me being a person of color from an urban area that is not often exposed to the cultural nuances of more privileged communities.  Read more>>

Chi Fan Wang

My resilience stems from producing a variety of animations, including both 2D and 3D, for audiences to enjoy. Seeing people delight in my work fills me with immense happiness and energizes me further. Read more>>

Shiloh Guay

I have learned how to be resilient through facing many challenges head on in my 32 years on this Earth. Reflecting on my early years, I would have to initially credit my mom with teaching me how to be resilient. . My mom had my sister and I in her early teens. We grew up poor and we grew up fast. My mom often worked multiple jobs and experienced hardship after hardship, not to mention multiple heartaches. Read more>>

Valarie Iosue

My resilience comes from rising from the ashes. I harness the wisdom of my past traumas as catalysts for personal growth, propelling me to new heights in life’s journey. On April 25, 2019 my husband, Mark, passed away after a grueling battle with esophageal cancer. He was only 41 years old. I became a widow and single mom of four at the age of 38. Read more>>

Riccardo Guerrieri

I got resilience from the mistakes i did in the past, the beatings and the disillusions from my previous life in Italy. I began a new start ten years ago in Houston without any knowledge of English and instead of being demoralized i found the energy to be resilient. If you believe to find the bright light at the end of the tunnel you already resilient and nothing can bury you. Read more>>

Siyowin Peters

I think my resilience began building its roots in me since the moment I was born. My family and the way I have grown up has had a profound impact on myself and the certain qualities that I hold. I was raised in a household with my grandparents, mom, and brother. My father lived in the next city over and my brother and I would have sleepovers and hangouts with him every so often.  Read more>>

Yvonne Rosegarden

Faith and Knowing. I believe in the One Infinite Creator. I know the One Infinite Creator lives in me, which allows me to believe everything is always working out for me…even when it may not appear that it does. In 2022, I lost all 3 of my beloved family members I shared a home with: my partner, my mother-in-love, and my fur baby. Each succumbed to illnesses/conditions that escalated rapidly. Suddenly everything in my life changed. Read more>>

Nicole Detling

I have failed so many times in my life – and I have learned from each one of those failures. That has also led me to spend some time researching resilience to better understand how to build it. Through all these experiences, I am currently working on a book about resilience. I also teach courses on resiliency for federal government leaders. Read more>>

Richard Ellis

As a filmmaker, much of your working life is met with hurdles and setbacks. This part of the territory and it’s the same for all of us striving to create the stories and ideas we have within us. There’s really only two options, you keep pushing or you quit. For me quitting isn’t an option, so you have to stay true to your vision and goals and try to be better and get closer to those goals everyday. Read more>>

Rochelle Bannerman

Resilience? Well, I am Liberian! 😊 We have a history of years of unrest and economic challenges, but we are the most friendly, loving, and carefree bunch of people I am forever grateful to be a part of—my tribe. Read more>>

Kendall McGill

I’d say I got my resilience from my grandmother. She was a force to be reckoned with. When she was 14 years old she fell pregnant with my mother and this was during the heat of the Jim Crow era. Though she had dreams of becoming a teacher, unfortunately, but fortunately she made great sacrifices for her family.

Don Alexander

This is an easy answer for me. As a Military Brat, the term resilience has always been a constant companion throughout my life. My childhood was marked by frequent relocations, and if I wasn’t moving, friends were leaving. Such was the life I was born into on Fort Huachuca, Arizona, on March 17th, 1985, to an Army Officer Black-American Father and a Former Military Brat Puerto Rican Mother. Adding to that, I spent most of my childhood and high school years on various Army Bases in Germany. Read more>>

Shanya Roberts

I’d credit my resilience from first experiencing the loss of my mother at a young age and being determined never to give up. Ultimately, it started with my wanting, from that moment, to make her proud. I quickly learned that I had to now live life for myself and those who were still here looking up to me. Throughout life, I’ve believed, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” It rings in my ears ever so often. Read more>>

Dr. Ruby Gibson

For many years I have been developing a body or work called Somatic Archaeology©. It is a recovery modality for healing from historical trauma. Our Native American population has been suffering for 500 years from the ethnocide and genocide of our people, culture, and homelands. Read more>>

Jhalana Jones

From a young age, I’ve embraced the idea that using your natural given talents can take you so oh so far; it’s the combination of talent and relentless effort that propels you forward. As a woman with a myriad of passions and talents, navigating a neurodivergent path while practicing African spirituality in a culture often dominated by Christianity, I’ve also learned the power of faith combined with action—the unyielding belief that I can shape my own destiny. Read more>>

William Bossen

In the depths of my family’s generational traumas, where shadows of loss, poverty, and abuse loomed large, I found my sanctuary in the realm of art. Within it, I discovered a voice that transcended the limitations of words, a voice that spoke volumes of emotions, dreams, and reasons for life. Art became my lifeline, a beacon of hope in a sea of darkness, offering me solace and strength when the world seemed to crumble around me. Read more>>

Korrine Maher

I think we’re all born with a certain degree of resilience. Some more than others. Some still have yet to figure out how to unlock their full potential. However, my resilience was fine-tuned and taken to the next level when I started training in a Japanese traditional militant form of karate called, Koei-Kan Karate-Do, when I was 15 years old.  Read more>>

Christopher Falvey

I’ve failed so many times at so many things. I mean going back to when I was a kid, as well the slew of businesses I started in my 20s, of which one was massively successful. From there, again, a lot of failure in my 40s until I landed on this tour company I started in 2017 which has been a success. Read more>>

Femi Adebanjo

Being born in brooklyn & moving to Nigeria from age 2-10 creates resilience. Getting up everyday to fetch water for yur family to bathe creates that. Also leaving home at 17 and never looking back for the last 32 years creates a different kind of resilience. Having the ability to figure it out, no matter what is thrown your way. Read more>>

Tasha Meyer

I have overcome a lot of hardship in my life. I have always been strong-willed and wanted be successful in all areas of my life. Struggling with anxiety and depression as a teenager I finally found my purpose through a relationship with God at the age of 19. The inspiration behind My Business came as a first time mom and my child suffered vaccine injury.  Read more>>

Mera D

Faith. As simple as that answer may seem, it can be extremely complicated sometimes. But faith in God, in my abilities, in my support system to lean on, and faith in being in the right position at the right time. Faith is what has helped be resilient no matter what I face. Read more>>

Samantha Menendez

Well, resilience is something that’s built over time through experience, challenges, and a deep sense of determination. Running a bar, or any business for that matter, requires a lot of resilience. Every day brings its own set of obstacles, whether it’s dealing with tough customers, navigating financial uncertainties, or handling unexpected crises.  Read more>>

Codi Wilcox

My resilience comes from the various challenges I’ve faced throughout my life. From a rocky childhood where I was constantly adapting to new situations with limited information as to why we moved or why things are changing, to motherhood without a maternal figure to lean on during tough times, and most recently overcoming stage 3 colorectal cancer.  Read more>>

Erika Beroard

I think life teaches you so many things and if you are open to it then you learn. Back in 2020 I was an employee and still living in Dubai (United Arab Emirate) and the COVID 19 pandemic was at its peak. We were going to face something we’ve never seen before, the lockdown. I have to say that, before this “experience”, I was really tough at work.  Read more>>

Winifred Summer

I’m a first-generation American of Haitian descent. My parents worked hard to come to America and make a great life for our family. I don’t take it for granted. I love putting the work in, I love trial and error, I love how God always turns things around for the good. The journey is exciting. Quitting is never an option. I come from a determined family of change-makers. Read more>>