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.
Joe Scrocca
I just never had the give up attitude. I keep pushing along. In stand up comedy you never know what will work until you try it. Even if you get laughs from one audience does not guarantee consistent laughs from all audiences. Learning how to read a room and change up a set mid set is something I force myself to do. Read more>>
Meg Hadley
My resilience stems from a deep-rooted passion for my craft and a relentless drive to express myself authentically through my art. From a young age, I’ve always been enamored with the power of painting. This love for painting has fueled me through the inevitable challenges and setbacks that come with pursuing a career in the arts. Read more>>
Danielle Munn
Danielle hails from Revere, Massachusetts. Her resilience, she believes, stems from the many challenges she’s confronted and conquered. Among these trials, she’s faced the loss of several family members, providing care and comfort as they passed. Her father’s disability at a young age shifted their dynamic, making him her stay-at-home dad. Read more>>
Kimberly Davido
My grandmother, Priscilla, was a beacon of strength and wisdom in my life. From her, I learned the invaluable lesson of resilience and the power of words. She instilled in me the belief that our thoughts, words, and actions shape our reality, urging me never to utter the phrase ‘I can’t,’ but instead to choose my words wisely. Read more>>
Joyce Bacon
When I think of resilience, I think of withstanding, persevering and the ability to press forward in spite of trails we face. I myself have endured many trials from being molested at the age of 12, to having my first kid at the age of 18, later becoming a mother of four. Read more>>
Veronica Rottman
My resilience is sourced from my body, which is what I guide others to find now as a somatic trauma resolution practitioner. From an early age, trauma impacted my nervous system, yet what Iʼve found and created is a lot of light despite all the suffering. Read more>>
Roxane Hollosi
I was fortunate to grow up around a long line of strong women. My mother, aunts, sisters, cousins, friends… the influences are endless. Strong female resilience, in the face of all that life throws at you, was, and is, the constant. We just have to keep surviving, keep moving ahead. Read more>>
Iman Rahman
Resilience. Dreaming of a world where nobody has to be resilient ever again. Resilient out of necessity. Out of survival. Not a choice. Having to navigate systems of oppression. That will surely get you there. Tired of being praised for it. Instead of being cared for. Sick of having to advocate for myself. Screaming to be heard. Living in a body considered to be less valuable. That is what forces you to become resilient. Read more>>
Sydney Guerrette
I (Sydney Guerrette) was going back and forth from Portland, ME (where my brother, Brayden, and I grew up) to Nashville for a year and a half starting when I was 16 yrs old. I sat in writing circles, recorded my first solo EP, and was in talks for my first publishing deal. There were a couple things that took place during that time that didn’t sit well with me. Read more>>
Fred Beam
My resilence came from my interior spirit and my being deaf in African American culture. After I became Deaf at age of three from chicken pox and high fever, Becoming an artist was a journey that I took. I found my passion and a way to overcome many barriers related to expressing myself in the environment where I grew up in an era where oral method was believed to be the best mode of communication. Read more>>
Benedicta Syran Hentsch
My resilience, I must have gotten it from my mother. She never gives up. She empowered me to follow my dream and to live a full life. And from that, I have built my resilience. I am still working on being as good as my mother is but whenever I feel like giving up, I always think of her and what she would do. Read more>>
Jordan Fernandez
Before I was an artist, I was an athlete. I grew up playing competitive soccer in south Florida. Among many things, it taught me how to fight through adversity…how to get back up after being knocked down. I was blessed to be a part of many successful teams growing up. We succeeded because we learned how to rise together through challenges. I owe so much of my resilience today to that part of my childhood. Read more>>
Paul Fotiades
First of all I would answer on behalf of both me and Thanos(Co-Founder of Script-Up). I strongly believe that the resilience that we have comes from the vision in our heads. It keeps us motivated, focused and strong. We have cultivated the ”never give up” mentality. Read more>>
Dan Hudson
I grew up on a small grain farm in North Dakota. Hard work and responsibility were not only taught, but demonstrated by my parents and siblings. I learned that hard work beats natural talent every single time. Read more>>
Lakota Summer
At 14, I experienced something a 14-year-old should never experience: I became a mother. Far worse, I kept my pregnancy a secret to everyone around me. I trusted no one with what was happening; I tried to be a 14-year-old girl as my body morphed into womanhood in 9 months. Read more>>
Christy Ukata
A number of things contribute to my resilience. It is first and foremost a my upbringing and experiences—both good and bad—which have imparted upon me invaluable knowledge about perseverance and versatility. Second, my support system consists of my family, friends, and mentors (both direct and indirect), who have helped me through difficult moments by offering advice and encouragement. Read more>>
Kristin Smith
As I entered the world, I faced an immediate challenge. At six months old, I underwent cosmetic surgery on my head due to a flattened side. The doctor explained that the surgery might not have been necessary if I were a boy, as boys’ heads often have irregular shapes. However, being a girl, it was deemed necessary. Read more>>
Tutaleni Ilonga
My upbringing, I grew up in environment and in a high school where I noticed and witnessed first hand that those who have money and power will always walk over those who don’t have. Read more>>
Tenise Farria
My resilience derived from having no choice. Where I came from is not where I wanted to be. So my only options were to become complacent or defy the odds. I chose the latter. Accepting defeat has never been something that I’ve dealt with lightly. I have always desired the most for filling life. At times, my desperation to change my environment has fueled the fire that has, at times, catapulted me to places I didn’t think I could go. Read more>>
Joan T Randall
My resilience isn’t a result of pure luck or chance; rather, it comes from two crucial factors. Firstly, I possess an innate ability to pick myself up and keep going when faced with challenges. This unwavering determination has been a part of me for as long as I can remember. Secondly, my resilience is fueled by an unyielding drive to push my limits and see how far I can go, regardless of obstacles. Read more>>
Marianne Xenos
Resilience, for me, is a work-in-progress rather a finished product. Resilience is about being in motion, trying and failing, creating and then recreating. Resilience is a practice. My grandparents modeled resilience for me and my cousins. Three of my grandparents were immigrants, and one was the son of immigrants. Read more>>
Shayla Kay
My resilience comes from following the stirrings of my soul no matter what, amidst both external and internal doubts. At a certain age I realized I could either start living from my soul or I could stop living. I watched what most people called living life, and I decided it wasn’t for me- not the way I’d been taught, not the way I’d been shown. Read more>>
Manesha Dowdell
Aside from the passion I have for my craft. My resilience comes from my faith, my upbringing and my support system. Read more>>
Jocelyn Bishop
The word resilience speaks to so many volumes in my life. I believe with the help of God, I’ve been able to be bounce back from anything. As a child growing up, I remember not having no food to eat on many occasions. I use to look for beer and sodas cans around the neighborhood to have them cashed in. Read more>>
Taryn Turner
After months of emails, logistical planning, design proposals, and mock-ups, the big day is finally here! The guests are arriving, the bouquets and boutonnieres have been delivered, and I watch from afar as people admire the florals arching over the altar and cascading down the aisle. There is such joy and fulfillment in knowing I was trusted to be a part of a couple’s special day, and make their dream wedding come to life. Read more>>
Tanisha Rothmiller
Growing up I had somewhat of a rough childhood. My mother was on drugs and my father has been incarcerated since before I was born. I had to overcome so many obstacles at a young age so by the time I got older, I guess I became numb to challenges. Read more>>
Nichelle Mohammed
I believe my resilience started when I was a teenager and often heard “no” from my parents, which left me feeling disappointed. This experience helped me develop a strong mindset, teaching me to be okay when things didn’t go my way and to figure things out independently to avoid feeling let down. Read more>>
Iman Serbones
My resilience came from the challenges that the world has given me. Cliche, but true. Everyday is different, and brings new challenges for me to navigate. I like learning through challenges because I can practice self- awareness, and take note of my strengths and areas of improvement. Growing up, I was told by loved ones that I was a determined kid with my goals, and I humbly agree that I’m still that kid today, haha! Read more>>
Sammy Smedley
Personally I feel that resilience comes hand in hand with pursuing a creative life. It’s pretty difficult to grow as an artist without it. Because let’s be honest, without it, even the most talented and artistic people can throw in the towel when things “get too tough” or they don’t reach the success they imagine for themselves on their predicted timelines. Read more>>
Caroline Giammanco
Resilience comes from hard knocks. I grew up in a dysfunctional, dirt-poor family, but life has been full of hard knocks. I believe each of us has a choice in reacting to those gut-wrenching episodes that leave us feeling broken and lost. That choice is to either let it make us bitter or more compassionate. I choose compassion. Read more>>
Bryden Wilson
Maybe we do not get introduced to our resilience until we begin to stare down hardship and we find ourselves with a choice to lay down and give up… or to dig in. To take hold of courage and hope is a scary thing, it is a risk. And you have to decide sometimes if you are willing to risk being foolish, because you have this tiny flicker of light inside and it doesn’t become a flame if you give up. Read more>>
Travis Sackett
My resiliency stems from building upon small victories to generate momentum and eventually overcome great hurdles. I have faced countless hardships in life, the most challenging arose when I suffered a traumatic brain injury in 2013. Read more>>
Stephanie Page
I believe resilience comes when something doesn’t go the way you thought it would initially and you come to a crossroads. You can either give up or keep going. If you choose to press on and keep going, it is here resilience is developed. I don’t believe resilience is something people have, I believe it is something that grows within a person through perseverance. Read more>>
Becky Pollard
Resilience is something you can only learn by failing. My resilience comes from many failed attempts, rejections, and losses. It’s easy to write rejection off as a sign that you are doing the wrong thing and should quit, but I remind myself that rejection is redirection. The more times I get rejected, the more practice I gain in resilience. Just like any sport or tough situation, practice in resilience makes perfect. Read more>>
Shenise Cobb
The best form of resilience comes from Jesus Christ. Growing up in the suburbs and spending summers running around in red clay dirt roads with family gave me the mindset at a young age, we all live and endure life differently but feel, love, and dream the same. In America we all have the right to pursue our dreams but you have to have the faith that everything is temporary and no human has complete control over you. Read more>>
Lisa Harrison
This is a hard lesson for me. We have over 5000 reviews on Etsy and you’d better believe that with that many reviews, you’re bound to have some that aren’t very positive. We’ve had to learn how to accept criticism, identify which comments are ones we can learn from and which comments to let roll off our back. Read more>>
Jenn Howard
Being my own cheerleader and cultivating a sense of self-worth, confidence and resilience is an ongoing process for me. I am a Scorpio woman forever battling my own harsh critic and taming my ego and the desire to be seen and heard. I am a woman in music. Being a woman in music means I’ve been willing to get chewed up and passed over again and again until the next golden moment I get to shine up there. Read more>>
Steven Maynard
Since being diagnosed with Dyslexia in first grade, I’ve faced a series of challenges that have shaped my resilience. Speech therapy and mental therapy were part of my early journey, teaching me valuable skills in overcoming obstacles. Through the years, I’ve constantly pushed through barriers, proving to myself and others that my potential goes beyond any initial limitations. Read more>>
Yolanda Mitchell
I thought I wasn’t good enough due to childhood trauma, but now I aim to inspire others to believe in themselves and overcome challenges. My resilience comes from wanting others to trust in themselves and not give up, regardless of past experiences or negative beliefs. Read more>>
Tracy and Skyler Strandness
Tracy: I suppose by it’s very nature, resilience comes from struggle, from overcoming, and I have a little bit of experience with that! I think I always felt apart growing up – like the proverbial square peg, and I had an awareness that I wasn’t like everyone else. I have always been highly empathetic, very connected to nature, and a big dreamer from day one. Read more>>
Rulia Harris
I get my resilience from being counted out so often. Over the years, I’ve experienced people for whatever reason count me out and consider me as what I would say a non-factor. I enlisted into the United States Air Force, immediately upon graduating high school. A lot of my resilience began at that point. Read more>>
Whitney McElvy
My resilience is woven from the threads of support and wisdom passed down by my family, the unwavering encouragement of my friends, and the trials faced and conquered throughout my journey. Resilience, for me, is a choice—an unwavering commitment to rise above circumstances, letting adversity refine rather than define me. It’s a testament to the strength found in embracing difficulties and emerging stronger on the other side. Read more>>
April Eldridge
In addressing where my resilience comes from, I reflect on the journey that has shaped my professional and personal growth. My resilience has been profoundly tested through challenging experiences, notably enduring five layoffs in just seven years. Each layoff, while initially disheartening, became a catalyst for self-discovery and adaptation. Read more>>
Tony Chennault
My resilience comes from my humble beginnings. I was born and raised in the Olney section of Philadelphia. From a young age, I understood the importance of hard work. I’d seen many people from my community simply just put their heads down and do the work. They didn’t make excuses about their circumstances or the hand life dealt them. Read more>>
Natalie Brockeveldt
I derive resilience from a deep well of inner strength, unwavering determination, and a courageous spirit that refuses to be defeated by challenges. My parents raised me to have resilience that I personally nurtured by life’s experiences to gain the ability to adapt to adversity, your belief in your own capabilities, and your capacity to find hope and positivity even in the darkest of times. Read more>>
