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.

Joel Boyd

To be completely honest I think my resilience comes from feeling like I never fit in. I always felt odd, left out—like other people had a “cool” I couldn’t access. I could never keep up. So at a certain point I stopped trying to be cool and just let myself be nerdy and awkward.  Read more>>

Bronte Williamson

Firstly, I would like to address the complex emotions I feel about being called ‘resilient.’ This term has been applied to me numerous times throughout my life, often accompanied by questions about how I manage to maintain such resilience. However, if we consider the Buddhist perspective that ‘life is suffering,’ then in a sense, we are all resilient.  Read more>>

Princess Sarafina Box

Early on in childhood I watched my parents overcome adversity and challenges. I watched my mom navigate a difficult marriage and push through and endure even when it didn’t benefit herself. I watched my father overcome adversity in the community when his personal struggles impacted his image in the spotlight. Read more>>

Elizabeth Barker

My resilience comes from my passion, creativity, and customer satisfaction. My passion for baking and creating new ideas for my menu fuels my resilience. Passion drives me to persevere through multiple challenges. I love being able to try new techniques, flavors, and ingredients when it comes to different order requests. Read more>>

Briana Acres

What gives me resilience is the ability adapt . My childhood kind of constantly changed so I learned to adapt in any situation or environment . And just wanting to achieve things and be a better person also helped me become resilient. Read more>>

Wendi Nicole

I come from a very strong family. Both my grandmothers were single mothers when it was extremely taboo. They instilled the ability to not take no for an answer in both my parents and that naturally trickled down to me. I’ve watched them face many challenges and adversities and applied those lessons in my life as obstacles would come. Read more>>

Laysia Lee

My everyday life… Every day that I wake up is one step forward. Despite challenges I may personally be facing in life, the fact is that the WORLD keeps going. Do you know the phrase, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade” ? Well that’s how I look at life…life is unpredictable. Read more>>

Dana Currie

My resilience stems from my early childhood experiences along with my surrounding environment. I’ve been on my own since I was 15 years old. A (15) year from Detroit, Michigan in 2001 typically would be enjoying Skating at Detroit Roller Wheels, Shopping at Fairlane Mall on the Weekends, Chasing after Mr. Softee, or Maybe even Downtown at Belle Isle enjoying Family time… Read more>>

Linda Solana

My parents were Cuban immigrants. They came to this country without a dime in their pocket. Growing up in a family with 3 sisters and my grandparents, was a struggled to put food on the table and clothes on our backs. Both my parents worked two jobs, and had very strong work ethics. I was working at the age of 14 years old and signed over my checks to my parents. Read more>>

Deborah (Dee) Arnold

I inherited my resilience from my mother’s unwavering determination to overcome challenges and create joyful experiences for our family, no matter the circumstances. Her ability to find beauty and joy in every journey inspires me to craft holidays that celebrate resilience and create lasting memories for others.  Read more>>

Anh Thu Le

Resilience comes from overcoming a challenging period in our lives. The more gut-punching difficulties we faced and how we overcame them, for me, yields an armor of resilience we have gained. Such armor would protect us from future adversities that are less fatal. Read more>>

BILLY Zerillo

At the early age of 10, my parents got divorced. Like most divorces, it was not pretty, and it was hard. I had a younger sister, and I knew early on that I needed to be strong for both her and myself. I never got the chance to grow up as a kid; I became an adult very quickly. Read more>>

Heather Wilde

My first memory is of massive physical trauma when I was two years old. I sustained a significant head injury and heard the story throughout my childhood that I was 1mm from dying. My body felt old when I was still a teenager, with countless athletic injuries, and physical and emotional trauma. Read more>>

WYCH HAZLE

Having Knowledge of Self is King. Then after that watering your aptitudes no matter who tries to shame you, or make you feel guilty about it. Hip Hop, Alchemy, Qigong, Acupuncture, Tarot, Numerology, Afrofuturism. I wear many hats as a Healer and Hip Hop Artist. All the above…, were not merely dabbled in , or done part time for leisure. Read more>>

King Quic Shebah Saturn

Quic: I’m from the South Bronx and I am Boricua. My cultural identity and spiritual knowledge from my own experiences, as well as the knowledge passed down from my ancestors, reminds me to be grateful through all things. Read more>>

Viktorija Johnston

From a very early age I developed a massive sense of self sufficiency and independence. I knew nobody would be as big of a cheerleader for me than myself. Fast forward to adulthood, I have created a life where I am in control and am able to decide what I do in life and how I do it. Read more>>

Yasha Riley

My Resilience stems from my personal experiences, particularly from overcoming a life altering accident that left me unable to use my limbs for over 6 months. While navigating the subsequent challenges of recovery, motherhood, work and education simultaneously being resilient was my only option. Read more>>

Trelanda Lowe

In short, I got a big part of my resilience from family and friends. However, the rest was from me. It’s always empowering to have a strong supportive network that understands hard work, tenacity, and a like-minded perspective about success. Read more>>

Morgan Baker

My parents divorced in 1968 when I was ten. I felt abandoned and alone. I didn’t know any other divorced families. My mother moved her three children from New York City to London and then to Cambridge MA. I started two new schools within a year, and I had to make new friends again. As I got older, my friends became an integral and important part of my life. Read more>>

Rick Lucey

I believe my resilience from various places my upbringing and just being stubborn and wanting to move forward in life and yes at times I do have moments of doubt or lack of confidence which may cause me to stop and want not move on with things in life, yet many in life inspire me to keep it going strong and I like to see what is around the corner! Read more>>

RJ Zimmerman

I get my resilience from showing myself that I can get through hard challenges. I look back at my life, and I can see specific instances where my life, and my identity, has been burnt to the ground. After those instances, I look at how I have responded to them and I see how I become greater than I thought I could be. Read more>>

Helene Farrar

For most of my childhood, I grew up poor and with a single Mom. She modeled for me how to be happy, how to chase your dreams, and how to surround yourself by love and compassion. Being poor, any “material” was subjective for use to make art. And not having “things” encouraged me to use my imagination. Read more>>

Mziya Weber

Resilience, to me, is a product of life experiences and the environment that surrounds us. My personal journey has been a testament to this belief, as I navigated through challenges from childhood to adulthood, learning to adapt swiftly to less-than-ideal circumstances.  Read more>>

Stephy Sanchez

In the past I never thought I would be as resilient as I am now. I was kind of always having bad luck and faithless to a point of no return until one night I was finally doing what I love which is performing on stage and after the show a drunk driver hit my team and I and sent me to the hospital where I couldn’t walk for 6 months. Read more>>

Steven Wadman

I’m really interested in this interview, but I am not interested in writing a whole bunch of words. I’m happy to do your interview though. I will answer the best I can. Also this is the middle of my season. Read more>>

B Walter Will

Certainly from my mother, and in other manners my father and grandfather. My mother is obvious because she was left with many responsibilities financially and emotionally during and after my parent’s divorce. Four kids alone is not an easy task. Read more>>

Denise Gossett

I’ve always been a very strong person that never gives up. Growing up, I saw my parents work for others, then start their own company and grow it from nothing to extremely successful. I think seeing that made me realize that when you want something you just never give up, no matter how hard it might become. Read more>>

Vanessa Ferlaino

Patience and learning how to embody my softness… In my lived experience as someone who identifies as a woman, resilience was often depicted to me as being a “bad ass” and really being hard. I saw this in the media, I saw this in the workplace, I saw this in books, I saw this even in public figures. Read more>>

Dawn Benton

Growing up, I had a dynamic family environment that shaped my resilience and understanding of self-worth. My father, with his intense personality, presented challenges that ultimately strengthened my ability to navigate life’s complexities.  Read more>>

Norma Garcia

Resilience is the ability to recover from difficulties you face. I believe my resilience has led me to where I am today. I grew up in a home where there was domestic violence and drug abuse. I remember feeling scared as an elementary school student. Read more>>

Bin Youn

My resilience stems from emptiness. I vividly remember a time when I lacked any desire to prolong my life. Ironically, this lack of desire propelled me to explore something new and previously neglected—something I considered dangerous. This led me to take up motorcycle riding, and later, dirt biking. I pursued these activities out of a sense of pure spontaneity. Read more>>

Holly Petitt

“The paradox of trauma is that it has both the power to destroy and the power to transform and resurrect.” Peter A. Levine As the survivor of childhood trauma I grew up with very little self worth and therefore very little self confidence. Read more>>

Dr. Nathan Nourian

Growing up, I wasn’t the smartest kid in school, which meant I had to work extra hard to keep up with the rest of the class. This determination and resilience became a fundamental part of who I am today. My experiences in dental school further solidified this trait. Read more>>

Eyerene Lloyd

My name is Eyerene, and I am a self-care and wellness practitioner. My journey unknowingly started at 16 years old after experiencing a loss and being diagnosed with depression. Going through the journey of returning to self and experiencing love throughout that return made me realize how important community is during every transition we experience in this lifetime.  Read more>>

Morgan Shattuck

Every photographer faces challenges, creative blocks, or setbacks. Growing up my parents always told me to push forward and go after whatever it is that I want. I see any challenge and set back as an opportunity to learn and take another step towards my goals and dreams. Read more>>

Crystle Jones-Bond

My family has a long line of strong individuals. We are a religious Christian family, and we believe that God blesses our path when we take each step forward on faith. With God, my husband, Reginald Bond, and the rest of my family’s and friends’ support I have the strength to keep going. It can get rough sometimes but there is no option to quit.  Read more>>

Ashley Daniels

Always known for wanting more and eager to learn, one holiday night marked the beginning of my transformation. Fresh out of college with a Bachelor’s in Political Science and a minor in Spanish, I was juggling three jobs back-to-back, striving to reach my full potential. My plan was to enter law school soon after returning home to California from Hampton University. Read more>>