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.

Simona Burton

My resilience comes from all the negativity presented around me since I told people what I wanted to do, where I wanted to go in my career, during beauty school etc. Read more>>

Yu-jei Yen

After college, my heart longed to embark on a journey of artistic creation. I drew inspiration from the amazing artists who shattered boundaries to leave a lasting impact on people’s lives. I aimed to use my specialization in textiles to build my artistic realm. Despite needing a job, I saved diligently and applied for scholarships to attend Parsons’ MFA Textile program in New York. Read more>>

Victoria Rocha-wolf

My journey into pottery began as a crucial coping mechanism of resilience and, in many ways, it saved my life. After living a hectic life in Mexico City with a demanding corporate job, I rarely had time to pause or slow down. Meeting my now-husband, an American traveling in Mexico, was a turning point. A few years later, when we decided to move to the U.S., I was excited about the prospect of taking a break from work and starting a new chapter. Read more>>

Agatha Francini Gomes Figueiroa

i get my resilience from God. My faith is everything to me and has been there in my most lonely times. You know those moments where you don’t know what to do and seems to have no way out? I pray, I talk to God, I kneel. I remember myself that we are simply vessels, and there are beauty and uniqueness in our flaws, our mistakes and our singularities. there is only one you. And we are reminded to love ourselves as we love others, but I think we must remember and re-learn what it means to truly love ourselves. Read more>>

Jean Guzman

When you grow up in a low income, immigrant neighborhood in NYC, resiliency is not a thought. You don’t have the time to really stop and think about it, which in essence, is what makes you bounce back and keep moving forward. Your family and neighbors are the same. So many people and so many stories that you always know someone who’s experienced something worse. So much so, that you feel guilty at the thought of feeling sorry for yourself. “Fulano” has really been through some sh*t, you’re lucky. Read more>>

Sarah Pigion

Pain can be a powerful teacher, and passion a powerful motivator. Following your passions and living your truth doesn’t free you of obstacles. In my experience, it often confronts you with challenges. When I hit a wall, I look to the natural world and observe how cycles inevitably flux with the elements, and life always persists. I take time to be with whatever challenge from a very zoomed out lens. There is often a lesson to learn or an insight to be gained. In a sense, resilience can be cultivated from challenge if we are open to growth. Read more>>

Lauren Friarson

My resilience is forged through life’s toughest battles—overcoming childhood trauma, navigating financial hardships, and enduring unhealthy relationships. These experiences have taught me that perseverance is key and that what feels like rejection is often a redirection. I’ve learned that the stories we tell ourselves can be misleading, and our challenges don’t define us. Through personal development, I’ve gained the strength to forgive, the vision to move forward, and the determination to succeed. Read more>>

Carmen Rosa

I draw my resilience from God’s strength and His strength alone. My journey has been marked by significant challenges, starting from being a foster care child who was adopted at just one year old. Despite facing numerous obstacles, including not finishing grade school and working in a factory for more than half my life, I’ve seen firsthand how adversity can shape and strengthen you. Read more>>

Sara Montrose

Like so many others, my life has come alongside pain, loss, and much difficulty. The world can be an unfriendly place and those that lead with an open heart seem to all-too-often be those that become hardened to this world and its people. It has been in my darkest hours that I have sat, cried, screamed in outrage and longing for something different. Wishing away situations, harm caused by others, mistakes, as well as memories; wanting for another life, to start all over. But to what end? Read more>>

Sasha Woods

My resilience comes from literally finding the good in all things, even the bad ones. An refusing to make an excuse about anything. Growing up I had alot of situations occur that taught me how to survive and if things don’t go as planned to keep getting up daily and try again. Never give up. From the time I started Pre-K throughout high school I experienced being bullied and picked on for many different reasons. What kids seen as a physical flaw was actually a physical disability that affects my daily living. Read more>>

Roberson Kenneth

“As my heart beats to the rhythm of the music
People turn their heads and stare, watching as I’m dancing there
I know Mama’s blessed, I’m best when I’m dancing
My feet can dance upon a dime, I’ll give five cents back keep in time”
by Marti Sharron Read more>>

Matteo Ribaudo

My resilience comes from my family and my participation in wrestling in High School. Read more>>

Brad Raymond

I grew up in a working class family on the south-side of Chicago during the 1980s; it was the perfect confluence of circumstances for building resilience. Watching my handyman father and stay-at-home mother navigate Reaganomics while finding creative ways to keep five children clothed and fed really taught me the value of resiliency. Read more>>

Lil Sk8hoe

Resilience something I learned at a young age I kinda learned it in the house u feel me..I grew up different It was kinda tough and like stuff we went thru/go thru u gotta know how to bounce back and not let nothing discourage you kuz even when stuff look like it’s at its worst it’s ALWAYS light at the end of the tunnel so u jus gotta keep goin. Read more>>

Emmanuel Deanda

I believe I got my resiliency from my parents. My mother and father were both hard workers and that is something that was instilled in myself and my brothers at home. Read more>>

Gabrielle Jean

My resilience really comes from my upbringing and the experiences that shaped me early on. Growing up, I watched my family work hard—nothing was ever handed to us. We had to earn everything, and that instilled a sense of independence in me from a young age. But it was losing my mother that truly tested my strength. When she passed, I felt like my world crumbled. I had to figure out how to pick up the pieces, not just for myself but also as a single mother. Read more>>

Dominique Davis

My Resiliences breeds from the understanding of Romans 5:3-4 t”hat not only that but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance and endurance produces character and character produces hope” . Read more>>

Christie Johnson

Resilience has always been a defining trait in my life, and I attribute much of it to my mother, Carolyn Davis, Winrow Blevins. Growing up, I had the privilege of witnessing her navigate countless challenges, always emerging stronger and more determined to provide for her family. My mother faced adversity with a grace that left a profound impact on me, shaping my understanding of what it means to persevere. Watching her, I learned that resilience isn’t just about surviving difficult times; it’s about maintaining love, compassion, and a sense of purpose even when life seems overwhelming. Read more>>

Vanessa Boden

I like to think my resilience comes from my refusal to believe I’m incapable. Baking is my passion, my therapy, and creative outlet. And the beauty of being self taught is, while you may feel anxious, overwhelmed or intimidated, you’re not held back by those negative emotions because when you first start out, the inexperience makes everything intimidating and overwhelming. But I’ve learned, with patience and practice I’m capable of creating anything I set my mind to, and that fuels my resilience to try new things and continue learning new techniques! Read more>> 

Gica Pucca

To me, resilience is an everyday practice. When it comes to the entertainment industry, your biggest enemy is often yourself. After all, actors work with their body, mind and soul to give life to character, and this job can get extremely personal, clouded by self doubt and contaminated by lack of motivation. Read more>>

Allison Merriweather

My mother had four children by the age of 23. She was a single mother by the age of 26. In spite of this, she never let circumstances or limitations stop her from having adventures or embracing her curiosity and love of travel. This was in the 60s and 70s when virtually nothing was set up to help her. She would have an idea, hear of an opportunity, or read about someplace amazing and have us all piled into whichever old car we had at the time and onto the next jury-rigged odyssey. Read more>>

Dora Kurimay

I developed resilience through the support of my family, coaches, and athletic sports experience as a child. One of the most memorable experiences for me was breaking my ankle at a young age. I started playing table tennis at the age of 8, and by the time I was 11, I was playing almost every day. I was considered one of the fastest-rising stars. However, it was at the age of 11 that I broke my ankle in three pieces, as my right shoe slipped off while I was high jumping during the last minute of my PE class at school. It was a shattering experience both mentally and physically. Read more>>

Megan Merola

I believe resilience comes from understanding that setbacks are inevitable, and nothing is ever perfect. What truly matters is how we react and respond to these challenges. I used to be fixated on the idea of everything going exactly as I envisioned, but life rarely works that way. Learning to let go, trust the process, and pivot when necessary has made all the difference. Read more>>

Lc Howard

My resilience as an artist comes from a deep well of strength that has been shaped by overcoming adversity and grief. Growing up, I faced challenges that could have easily broken me, but I found solace and healing in art. Art became my therapy, a powerful outlet to process pain, confront hardships, and transform my experiences into something meaningful. It has been through this creative journey that I’ve discovered the resilience within me—a resilience rooted in my heritage, my struggles, and my unwavering commitment to rise above any obstacle. Read more>>

Elsten Torres

Being a life long artist I learned early on how to develop that often mentioned “thick skin”. When I started out, as most artists, I was very optimistic, energetic and a bit naive. That attitude worked in my favor in the beginning stages of my career in the arts. Having that attitude propelled me to keep going. But it’s just like Mike Tyson once said and I quote “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face” that reality woke me up. I had to get knocked down a few times to realize how resilient I really was. So once I started seeing my life as a musician in the real world, I adapted a new way of looking at things within what I wanted to accomplish. Read more>>

Shiatoia Davi

I have been through many walks of life. I have had to restart and restructure my life several times. A pivot in life if you will. I’ve been on my own since I was 16 , raised by my grandparents and I watched my grandmother struggle to pay the bills while she had a husband. I came up making many sacrifices because I knew what circumstances we were always in. My grandmother did teach me a lot about survival. I grew up very frugal with my money because I never wanted to go without anything again. Read more>>

Shaun Pezeshki

When I think about my resilience, it’s been shaped by a lot of personal struggles and growth over the years. I grew up as a gay kid with Filipino and Iranian roots in the early 2000s, which wasn’t exactly easy. I felt like I didn’t fit in anywhere and faced a lot of rejection. Read more>>

Gregg Optekamp

Resilience to me is an opportunity to overcome a situation where my mind tells me that I’ll not succeed or to feel pity for myself. In my experience it falls into the impostor roll. A self programmed space developed though my life due to my perspectives of different life experiences.
Growing up I was faced with adapting to different cultures, schools, living styles and had many positive points but like anything there’s a flip side as well. Read more>>

Selena Galloway

My resilience is deeply rooted in my experiences as a former athlete and the challenges I faced through out life in general. Athletics provided me with a comprehensive understanding of both victory and defeat. Even in moments of victory, I would still critically evaluate my performance, always identifying areas for improvement. This mindset allowed me to develop a relentless drive to progress and to continuously strive for excellence. Life’s challenges taught me the importance of perseverance and fighting for what I truly desire. Read more>>

Kara Day

When I was 23 years old, I was just beginning an apprenticeship in Portland, Maine to become a hairstylist and this program required 18 months and 2500 hours of training in order to obtain my cosmetology license. During this apprenticeship, I was in a very toxic relationship where I experienced a lot of domestic violence including physical, mental and emotional. I found out I was pregnant in October 2017 and made a plan to finish my apprenticeship training before going on maternity leave in June 2018. Read more>>

Julie Gladstone

I was born and raised in Toronto Canada, and I definitely learned my resilience from my mother. She is the strongest person I know and she always taught me to stay strong and keep going even in the face of hardships. She is an artist and a gardener, and she taught me to find magic and wonder in nature and that gardening can help you stay grounded and positive. Our family come from a long line of Diaspora and exile and many ancestors are holocaust survivors. Trauma is built into our DNA, and yet each generation has found ways to thrive by tapping into their passions, having a sense of humour, staying focused on what’s most important and not dwelling on resentment or obstacles. Read more>>

Eric Sachs

My resilience is a direct result of struggling through many years of adversity. Starting from childhood, things were rough for me. I grew up in West Hollywood, CA. I come from a broken home and as a child, I was surrounded by addiction, poverty, abuse, and homelessness. Those influences tend to harden a person and I learned how to survive very early on. Because we moved around so much, I never finished an entire school year in any one school. Experiences early on made me “street smart.” It forced me to adapt. It taught me how to assimilate into new and ever-changing surroundings. Read more>>

Beezie Conwel

To me my resilience comes from my grandparents, may their souls rest in eternal peace, my mom & dad as well. As a child seeing them overcome a lot of obstacles & adversities instilled that resilience in me as well knowing that as an adult I would have my own adversities to overcome. Read more>>

Mary Jane Miller

My parents both died when their single-engine plane crashed, orphaning us five children. I was the youngest and 12 years old at the time. For years, I watched the shock and sadness the five us shared in silence. My own life became increasingly twisted and distorted as I drifted farther from all of them with every year. Read more>>

Rick Simone-friedland

I believe that resilience is a skill acquired over time. Like many people, I had a challenging childhood, so I had to learn to recover, adjust, and keep going. It seems counterintuitive , but facing adversity in life is what builds the attribute of resilience. My father’s motto was “Don’t lie, don’t cheat, and DON’T QUIT!” Read more>>

Rose Rath

My resilience comes from years of experience in the entertainment industry, where perseverance is a necessity. As an actress and singer who has performed on Broadway and worked in film and television for over 20 years, I’ve faced my fair share of rejection. Actors are constantly putting themselves out there, knowing that not every opportunity will come their way. It’s an industry where you learn to build a thick skin because rejection is part of the journey. But what keeps me going—what fuels my resilience—is my passion for what I do. I genuinely love performing and telling stories, whether on stage or screen. Read more>>