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.

Catherine Mccaughey

Much of my resilience comes from the hardest disappointments I’ve had to face, be they personal or professional. Unexpected losses, failed plans, and frustrated projects all proved to be opportunities for me to choose to get back on my feet, set a new goal or expectation, and continue forging a new and different path forward, all while increasing my confidence in my ability to work within whatever circumstances I find myself. A freelance career is certainly no walk in the park, but every unsuccessful effort to market my craft and connect with new writers has also been a chance for me to practice a growth mindset and continue searching for new opportunities without letting discouragement get the better of me. Read more>>

Martha Phillips

I get my resilience from my children. I know our kids learn from our actions not our words. So I want them to know that it is never late to fulfill your dreams and that you only succeed when you never give up. They have seen me go through difficult times and get out of it victorious, lots of falls and lots of raises. But always hand by hand by God, and the attitude to overcome every challenge life presents. Read more>>

Trina (ramsey) Lipscomb

Resilience has been my life’s constant companion, forged in the fires of adversity and polished through hard-won triumphs. I grew up in humble circumstances, facing challenges that many might find insurmountable. Losing my mother to suicide at just 14, followed by the death of my grandmother only months later, shaped me in profound ways. In those moments, I learned the power of perseverance and self-reliance, even as a teenager. Read more>>

Vilerka Bilbao

My resilience comes from my mother. She is the foundation of my strength. As a Dominican immigrant, she came to the United States with three young daughters and a dream. Despite the challenges of starting over in a new country, she always believed in the power of hard work and perseverance. She never let us feel limited by circumstances, and she constantly showed us that there’s always a way forward, no matter how difficult things might seem. Read more>>

Michael Graham

I think resilience is built over time, it is not a trait that is easily obtained. Our experiences and how we choose to grow from them determines the level of resilience we have. For me my life as a whole has made me resilient. Being adopted at an early age by a family member. No contact with my biological parents until I was 14 and 18 years old. If you want to survive and eventually thrive you have to be able to overcome extremely difficult situations. Your resilience is also dependent on your perspective the way you are able to see the obstacles before you. ” The opportunity of a lifetime, must be seized in the lifetime of the opportunity.” Read more>>

Shauna Renee Elton

I get my resilience from a deep sense of determination and an unwavering commitment to being the best version of myself—for me, and most importantly, for my daughters.

During one of the hardest times in my life. I was married, raising two young children, and struggling to bounce back after the birth of my second daughter. I felt the tension in my marriage, and while I kept a strong façade for the outside world, internally, I knew something was wrong. It felt like a nagging itch that I couldn’t quite reach, and I had to do something and had no clue what. Read more>>

Maria Bedoya

I get my resilience from my personal journey as a Dreamer and a Latina. I found out I was undocumented at the age of 16, and my dreams felt like they were shattering before my eyes. But I drew strength from an incredible teacher who believed in me and inspired me to fight for social justice. That experience taught me that resilience is not just about overcoming obstacles—it’s about using those challenges as fuel to create change, support others, and pave a path for a better future. My resilience comes from a deep commitment to empowering others, fighting for what’s right, and knowing that even in the toughest moments, change is possible. Read more>>

John Moody

My resilience has developed through time and experience, shaped by both successes and setbacks. Facing challenges—whether professional or personal—has taught me that mistakes are opportunities to learn and grow. Each failure has pushed me to adapt, reassess, and keep moving forward with a clearer sense of purpose. Read more>>

Mikyla Bordner

When I was young I bounced around from house to house, family member to family member while my parents worked and grinded to support their family. My parents have never been together (since around 4 years old) but thats never bothered me. I gained two different perspectives on life that allowed me to find the diplomacy and life in all the right places. Some living situations and circumstances were not always ideal for a kid, but I know my parents did the absolute best they could and I’m grateful for those experiences whether for better or worse. Coming from a lower-income/ sometimes middle class background, I was able to see the problems my family faced and see how they overcame and figured it out along the way, always maintaining the loving and positive spirit for their family, cherishing the small things and moments that made us happy. Much of my family was like this and I think it stems from the love of people they had despite. My dad’s side of the family has always been welcoming, gregarious and funny, to say the least- but would give the clothes off their back to anyone who needed it- because they love those around them and the humanitarian spirit of helping those in need. Read more>>

Rita White

Throughout my life, I have had to learn how to live the life I want to live despite many health setbacks that have limited what I have been able to do. At first, I thought that I would simply have to push through, be strong and “gut it out”- I thought that was resilience. Now I’ve learned that being resilient comes from accepting where I’m at with my current abilities and creating a life that provides flexibility so that I can go after my dreams and take care of myself. I have had to start over so many times due to health set backs, whether it be a day or a couple years, and now I understand that it is never truly starting over. Instead, it is an accumulation of experience that allows me to have more clarity on what is important in life and how to live with purpose. Read more>>

Paris Gray

I get my resilience from the challenges I’ve faced and the strength I’ve had to find within myself. In less than a year and a half, I lost my 13-year career, my boyfriend to COVID, and was physically assaulted by a business partner’s husband. It felt like life hit me from every direction, but I refused to let those moments break me. Instead, I chose to grow, heal, and rebuild—turning my pain into purpose. Read more>>

Chaz Pringle

My resilience is deeply rooted in the legacy of my family, particularly my grandparents. Both were part of the first generation to emerge from sharecropping in South Carolina, paving the way for the opportunities my family cherishes today. Growing up, I heard countless stories about their journey and later had the privilege of seeing the very places where our roots were planted. What were once wooden homes surrounded by hard soil have now become grassy lands—humble beginnings that symbolize our family’s enduring legacy. Read more>>

Cory Elliott

I get my resilience from witnessing the realities of life from a young age. Growing up in a single parent household, witnessing family members suffer from addiction, feeling the absolute love, support, love, and happiness-black joy in particular; gave me a faith and a resilience that cannot be diminished.

I grew up knowing I had one option and one option only-that was to succeed. To try my very best. To be a leader. and to never forget who I represent and that I walk with God. Read more>>

Robert Spence

Resilience isn’t something that can be taught, in the classical sense. It is something that is acquired through repetitive bouts of unfavorable scenarios. By the age of twenty-five I had already endured numerous major life altering events. My entire childhood and I had the identity as an athlete. I was the only three-year starter on our high school football team my senior year and I was talking with numerous universities to continue playing after high school, notably TCU, UCLA, and UNT but many others as well. The final game my senior year I was ejected from the game, and I threw a tantrum like a toddler. Every single school talking to me stopped, and I didn’t receive the scholarship I had so dreamed of. I went to a smaller NAIA school to continue to play football, but that was halted within the first semester after fracturing two vertebrate in my back. My entire identity was erased in less than a year, I didn’t know what to do with my life. Read more>>

Daniel Quintanilla

It’s all about that drive to do well. But that’s just a fraction of it. It’s largely about getting the story out there as fast as possible. And making sure you’re celebrating the topic or people you’re writing about. It all comes down to news urgency. I’ll admit, there’s times currently where my full time occupation keeps me from being immediate with my writing. But I do the best I can. It’s always on my mind until I get it done. Finding that time and space to just write trying not to feel pressure. Read more>>

Angelle De La Rosa

Emigrating to the United States at the age of 14 was one of the most daunting experiences of my life. I arrived without knowing the language, the culture, or the people, and I was thrust into a world vastly different from the small village of 5,000 I called home. Now, I found myself navigating life in a bustling county of millions. The challenges were immense, but my mother, Maria Jael, instilled in me a transformative mindset: to find the best in every situation, even during life’s most trying moments. Read more>>

Julie Kaminski

I draw my resilience from a combination of life experience and professional skills. Life has shown me that even in the toughest moments, I have the strength to move forward. Knowing I’ve faced challenges before and come through them gives me the confidence to persevere, even though the process is rarely easy. Read more>>

Lekeda Coley

My resilience came from growing up in a low-income household (The Jordan Downs housing community). Facing financial struggles from an early age taught me the importance of perseverance, and making the best out of any situation. It instilled in me a strong work ethic and a determination to overcome challenges, knowing that no matter the obstacles, there’s always a way forward if you’re willing to put in the effort. And let me add that in no way, do I regret my childhood. Read more>>

Catia Sander

Growing up in Brazil, I developed a unique perspective shaped by my rich cultural heritage and a strong sense of adaptability, which later became a hallmark of my work in architectural and interior design across continents.

With over 25 years of experience, my journey has been supported by the trust and belief of those closest to me—friends who became clients, mentors who guided my growth, and my husband Tyler, my steadfast partner. Read more>>

Ben Pham

I get my resilience from my dad. He was a fighter and taught me how to fight from an early age. He had a tough early life but fought through to raise me and my sister. I learned a lot about not giving up and fighting through tough times. Not running from tough times but going through them. Read more>>

Shivi Sharma

I grew up in a small town southeast of New Delhi in a humble family, where resources were limited, and budgets were tight. Many nights were spent studying under candlelight during power outages. At the age of 15, I moved to New Delhi to pursue higher education, as opportunities in my hometown were scarce. Living alone at such a young age brought its own set of challenges, but it also taught me independence and determination. I started setting short-term goals, overcoming obstacles to achieve them, and then moving on to the next. This mindset became the foundation of my resilience, and those early lessons continue to shape me to this day. Read more>>

Ashia George

I get my resilience from seemingly always being the under-dog or not being a priority. Growing up in a divorced, single parent home, my biological father told me at the age of 15/16 years old that he could no longer take care of you. My father, my dad, my parent, told a thriving young lady that he had to live for himself. Though i was already an independent child and an only child, that piercing statement made push even harder to stand on my own. Since then, I’ve always kept a job, sometimes 2 0r 3 jobs, had my own place, gotten cars, and just made sure that I didn’t ask anyone for help. I have dealt and experienced things of an adult life in my teenage and 20s that 40 years are just hurdling over. I have battled depression, heartbreak, and betrayal and still continued to push through. Read more>>

Jacob Siegel

But I also do not have a choice…. If something doesn’t workout we must fold and move in another direction quickly!

I have a strong passion for my field of work so that makes it easy to always put my best foot forward and work hard for those that employee our service.

I am currently married with a baby on the way and need to provide for them.

Ultimately I have people that rely on me.. My family and my team. Letting them down is not an option. Read more>>

Josue Hernandez

My resilience is rooted in my faith and the unwavering support of my family and friends. Throughout my journey, both in life and as an entrepreneur, I have faced numerous challenges that have often made me question myself and my abilities. In those moments of doubt, I always turn first to my faith, and second to my family. Read more>>

Oni Auer

I get my resilience from my childhood, from my past. I grew up in a single-parent home with a mother who struggled with severe mental illness and self-medicated, leading to a lot of abuse. It’s not something I talk about often, but I feel it’s important to share, because maybe my story could be something someone else can hold onto in a low or lonely moment. Read more>>

Montia Leavell

I come from a strong foundation rooted in entrepreneurship. Growing up in a family that exemplified determination, adaptability, and vision has been a constant source of inspiration for me. Their hard work not only motivates me to honor their legacy but also drives me to build something meaningful and lasting for future generations. Read more>>

Craig Wayne Boyd And Taylor Boyd

When my husband and I first met I was an agent at Wilhelmina Models in Los Angeles’ Women’s Division and Craig had won NBC’s The Voice two days prior. By the time we met we had both experienced the super highs and lows of the entertainment industry. I knew what I was signing up for when I fell in love with him and to this day we continue to chase a dream because I have never heard a more consistently powerful and stunning male voice, because our entire family now lives eats and breaths music, and because Craig wants to continue spreading happiness through song. This is in our blood and I am not sure anything would fulfill us like music does so we keep on keepin; on. Read more>>

Domina Mara

I think the reason I am so strong-willed is My Mother’s Matriarchal Line. I’m extremely proud that all the Women on My Mother’s side are self-made who never needed a man to compliment them. Their partners are wanted in their lives. My Grandmother is the source of My familial ties, having given Me unconditional love throughout My entire life. I’ve been blessed with such a force of nature and such a positive, beautiful human being that gave birth to Our Lineage. My Grandmother always told Me I could do it. Anything I wanted to. Anything I put My mind to. I will always be grateful for Her wisdom, Her generosity, and Her love. Love is the most powerful thing in the world. Not just for people, but your relationships to your passions, too. The love you receive is the love you output back into the world. Read more>>

Marisol Tafolla

A key point in my story is that I come from a limited educational background. Before immigrating to the United States, I read at an elementary level and did not have the privilege of access to education in my home country. The question, “Where do you get your resilience?” is bittersweet, especially for immigrants or survivors of abuse. During the most challenging periods of my life, I didn’t have the time to stop and reflect—I lived on autopilot, shaped by my circumstances. Resilience wasn’t something I chose; it was my only option. Read more>>

Candi Usher

My father. He’s a man who grew up in the Southside of Chicago. He lived during the era of Martin Luther King and Malcom X. He saw the riots, the abuse, and how desegragation affected America as a whole. My father later went into the Air Force, choosing to follow in his father and grandfather’s footsteps protecting this country. The same footsteps I followed in going into the Navy. Read more>>

Sergio Ramirez

Resilience is something you develop over time. You build it by going through hard things. It’s like a muscle, if you want to build it and make it stronger, you need to exercise it.

My life has always been a challenge since I can remember. Everything I wanted or needed to do required overcoming an obstacle. Even just getting to school and acquiring an education was a challenge for us. I used to live in Tijuana, Mexico across the border from San Diego where I went to school. It would take my parents and I 2-3 hours every day to get me to school. From elementary school all the way to college, that’s more than 15 years of crossing the border daily. At first I didn’t understand why my parents went through that much work just for me to go to school across the border. It later became normal for me and I understood that all the things that require sacrifice and effort pay off more.  Read more>>

Krystal Katz-page

My resilience was forged through the adversity of growing up in extreme poverty. Growing up on the East Side of Detroit, Michigan, I was immersed in a world where hardship was the norm. Limited job opportunities, low wages, and neglected housing was the harsh reality of my neighborhood. My mom gave me strength because she was a chameleon and navigated raising five children on her own in a home shared with my extended family. Despite our financial constraints, we were a close-knit family that found joy in the simple things. Read more>>

Jillian Batchelor

Resilience is not something I was born with; it was forged in the fires of my upbringing. Raised in a one-parent household with little to no financial stability, I learned early on that survival required strength, adaptability, and an unwavering determination. My mother, though burdened by circumstances, taught me the power of hard work and persistence. Even when times got extremely rough and health insurance was a luxury we couldn’t afford, she showed me that no obstacle is insurmountable when you refuse to give up. Read more>>

Angel René Wilson

My greatest skill is resilience—the unwavering strength to rise, adapt, and thrive in the face of adversity. This talent was not innate; it was forged through hardship and stands as a testament to my capacity for growth.

In 2017, after years of abuse from my parents, I was kicked out of my home and fired from my church for being gay. My world unraveled, leaving me to navigate over five years of instability, heartbreak, emotional turmoil, and spiritual excavation. Read more>>

Luis Rodriguez

My resilience comes from my upbringing and the incredible example my dad set for me. He taught himself everything he knew about IT, spending countless hours researching solutions and figuring things out on his own. He instilled in me the belief that we already have the resources to learn what we need if we’re willing to put in the effort. Growing up, I spent hours by his side learning how to code together for a game I played in high school and setting up a server together. I really got to see how his mind worked and his independence. Whether it be for work or fixing things around the apartment, my dad would figure it out, no matter how long it took. It wasn’t just about the technical skills for him, it was the perseverance, not giving up, and the confidence that he could do anything he put his mind to.  Read more>>

Frank Mallon

When I was a senior in high school I tore my ACL in my knee early in my football season. The first doctor I saw wanted to do surgery right away and told me my season was over. I was devastated and the next day I woke up feeling sorry for myself, thinking I was the most unlucky person in the world. That all changed a couple hours later because that day was September 11, 2001. I realized pretty quickly that a lot of people in the world wished they had my problems and my self-pity immediately turned to gratitude for what I did have in my life. Ultimately, I ended up seeing another surgeon who sent me to physical therapy and told me that if I got my knee strong enough, that I might be able to come back and play. So I did and I was able to come back and play the last 5 games of the season on a torn ACL (I had the surgery after the season), which allowed me to play enough to get recruited to go on and play a full college career. Read more>>

Lauryn Chajon

The resilience I nurtured came from an era in my life when I realized that strength blooms when you decide to grow.

In my parents divorce through my whole childhood-
I came from generations of people who are afraid to make a change, I knew I had to be one who broke unhealthy cycles of self and relationship sabotage in order to evolve inwardly (this included verbal/physical abuse, gaslighting, manipulation, and a chain of infidelity). Read more>>

Tamara Turkai

When I think about my journey over the past few years, I’m struck by how the most challenging times often shape us in the most profound ways. A year ago, I found myself at a crossroads. I had been laid off from a high-paying IT consulting job—a role I had worked hard to attain, one that provided financial security and professional pride. But when the rug was pulled out from under me, I had to confront the question: What’s next? And in answering it, I discovered not just resilience but a deeper purpose. Read more>>

Karabo Lesenyego

In all honesty the resilience is something I learnt from missed opportunities due to lack of “inspiration” I had to learn that you create your own inspiration for your career or dream. If not you will miss out on all opportunities waiting for the “perfect” time. Read more>>

Kelly Giles

My resilience came from my experience of being in foster care and then adopted at the age of 11 months. Although I cried the whole night when I was taken from the foster home, my adoptive mom is quick to point out that I was smiling at everyone in church the very next Sunday. From not having a strong sense of roots, I’ve learned to adapt to situations in order to survive. Read more>>

Damond Blue

My resilience comes from I believe in God, I know that certain challenges and hurdles are spiritually in line with my destiny. Also my hometown gives me my grit in resilience, knowing I have to keep going to get what I want having a dream having a purpose that only belongs to me nobody’s gonna believe or push as much as I believe and push. Read more>>

Carson Christ

I always like to remind myself of a quote from J.R.R Tolkien which states“ All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given.” – The Lord of the Rings. I interpret the quote as when you are faced with challenges in your life, you have to decide how you are going to use those challenges or obstacles to grow from them. Being performers in this industry takes a lot of resilience. It can be mentally and physically challenging if you are not taking care of yourself. I like to think that having resilience is like growing calluses. When you go to the gym for the first time, you will go through aches and pains after a few days. You begin to feel like you just want to give up. But it’s important to remember that you have a goal you want to achieve, and you remind yourself that you want change in your life. Going through the ups and downs is necessary to get there. Read more>>

Ryan Summer

I guess my resilience stems from playing sport as a child. I was a national level junior tennis player, playing tennis tournaments nearly every week. When you grow up with an individual sport, you learn to keep fighting. You have to take the losses along with the wins and keep figuring out how to improve. It was very demanding, however, it certainly gave me resilience along with many other attributes. Read more>>

Teeg Stouffer

Perhaps unpopular opinion: my resilience comes from my faith, and my faith is really not in myself – it’s in Jesus.

I mean, this idea of “believe in yourself,” isn’t all wrong, but if my life has proven anything, it’s that I can get myself into some pretty sticky situations.

But my life also proves that when I find myself in trouble, as I do every so often, as long as I do what I am able to, God will close the gap. Read more>>

Diane Taylor

A Life Woven with Care and Compassion.

In every story of my life, a vivid thread emerges to me—a deep, unshakable commitment to caring for others and staying my course. My life is a tapestry of resilience, compassion, and love, interwoven with moments of challenge and triumph.

My roots in a family that broke barriers and defied norms set my foundation for a life devoted to giving back and being emotionally strong.

My mother was a trailblazer, one of the first two women in Puerto Rico to gain admission to medical school, 1952—a feat that demonstrated courage and determination. My father, a pharmacist by profession but a man of many talents, built homes with his own hands, crafted melodies on a classical guitar, was an Eagle Scout,1942, and showed that life is not confined to a single path. My upbringing nurtured my understanding of possibility and inspired me to pursue a life rich in purpose and adaptability. Read more>>

Johnny Person

I get it from my mother. She always taught me to get back up and come back stronger. If you get knocked down, get back up and keep going. Its been this thing that has been in me for as long as I can remember. I also got it from skateboarding. My enitre life I grew up skateboarding, since before I could even walk, I would push around on my knees. Over time i learned that if I wanted to learn a trick, and get as good as the pros, that I would have to try again and again and again. Theres this trope in the skateboarding community that if you cant land it five times in a row on flatground, you really didn’t land it. This emphasis on resilience was then continuously reinforced by the men in my 12 step program as I got further and further into my sobriety journey. Read more>>

Natalia Gonzalez

I get my resilience from my faith, my family, and the challenges I’ve faced along the way. My faith gives me the strength to keep going, even when things feel uncertain, and reminds me that there’s a bigger purpose in what I do. My family has always been my rock, encouraging me to pursue my dreams and reminding me of the importance of perseverance. Read more>>

Gillespie Johnny

As a child I had a learning disability and got held back in 2nd grade. I felt like a failure and the second time around I had a great teacher who showed me I could do it. She helped me develop confidence and this pattern continued throughout my life. Read more>>

Kinjal Shah

My resilience comes from experiencing significant life challenges that made me go inward and rely on myself, my power, and my abilities to overcome those challenges and turn my life around – that is where resilience lives, not in a superficial thinking brain, but an inner wise and knowing brain. At a time in my life when I had just finally broken free from a very toxic relationship, I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) with severe and frequent flare ups. I would experience debilitating pain leaving me incapable of even performing basic tasks or routine. Western medicine has written off auto immune disorders as a mystery that cannot be solved or cured, but a condition to manage for the rest of one’s life with popping pills and managing symptoms.  Read more>>

Ngohile Yakubu

I get my resilience from growing up in a big family household, where I learned to be independent at a very young age—starting as early as 4. Being part of such a dynamic environment meant navigating different personalities and responsibilities, which taught me adaptability, resourcefulness, and self-reliance. Those early experiences shaped my ability to face challenges head-on and find solutions on my own. It also instilled in me a strong sense of perseverance, as I had to figure things out and contribute from a young age. Read more>>