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.
Leticia Valdez
I get my resilience from all the times I was told ‘no’ and all the time something in my heart told me I was a ‘yes’. I didn’t always exactly know when that yes would arrive, or what shape it would take, but one thing I’ve always known is that I was meant to help people breakthrough. Read More>>
Gaetano Drago
My resilience comes from working in environments where there are no second chances. A wedding day moves fast, emotions are high, and once a moment passes, it’s gone. I learned early that I couldn’t rely on ideal conditions or perfect plans — I had to stay calm, adapt quickly, and keep working no matter what was happening around me. Read More>>
Breanna Carpico
Resilience has been one of the most important skills I have developed in my career. At its core, my resilience is rooted in failure and a deep desire to learn. My journey as an artist began while I was studying digital media at a small community college in my hometown. The curriculum included only one animation class, where we made a Lego stop-motion film. Read More>>
Deborah Jefferson
My resilience was forged in the quiet moments when no one was watching, when survival wasn’t heroic, it was simply necessary. It didn’t come from having all the answers or always being strong. It came from learning how to stand back up when life kept knocking me down and realizing that giving up was never truly an option for me. Read More>>
Jennifer Carrillo
Life has thrown many tough curve balls at me throughout my lifetime, and yet, I still continue to be resilient. I think my resilience comes from faith, faith in God, a belief that we all have a purpose greater than ourselves, and until that purpose is served, we will remain. Read More>>
Amy Kelly
I’ve built my resilience by understanding one fundamental truth: life will always change and I am the only person responsible for how I respond. That realisation hit me hardest when I stepped into a brand-new chapter of my life, far away from anything familiar.Read More>>
Makenzie Miley
People often say a good entrepreneur needs a clear mind and a solid plan — and that may be true — but you also need grit, grace, and a willpower that goes beyond what you ever believed you were capable of. Read More>>
Cathrine Swift
In a nutshell, my resilience comes from pure stubbornness, a passion I couldn’t ignore if I tried, and a deep love for artistic expression. I often joke with friends that I “don’t have a choice” when it comes to the many projects I always seem to have on the go. On the surface, it is a joke—but underneath it, there’s truth. Read More>>
Stephanie Sands
I’ve lived enough life to know that things don’t always unfold the way we plan. I’ve had to rebuild, pivot, and reimagine more than once, both personally and professionally. Being a mother, an entrepreneur, and a woman navigating change has taught me how to adapt, how to listen to myself, and how to keep moving forward even when the next step isn’t obvious. Read More>>
Gonzo
My resilience comes from being a true believer in what I’m doing. And loving it. Doubts may pop up here and there, but at the core I really just believe this is my path. It feels right to me. I spend a lot of time trying to find the next way forward, what the next step will be. Read More>>
Z’eani Furdge
My resilience comes from necessity and vision. I’ve had to adapt early, personally and professionally and that taught me how to keep moving even when the path isn’t clear. I’ve learned to treat setbacks as stumbles, not defeat. Every challenge sharpens my strategy instead of shaking my confidence. Read More>>
Brooke Kuhn
I come from a long line of strong women — especially my grandma (Mamo) and my mom. They have both deeply influenced who I am and what resilience looks like in practice. Growing up, I watched them navigate hardship with quiet strength, faith, and perseverance, and that example was planted in me long before I realized it. Read More>>
Daisa Smith
I’ve faced challenges as most have during formative years of my life. Changing my view of the way things work and as to how to navigate the challenges before me. When I got accepted into my nursing program the most important person to me passed away. Leaving me to those overwhelming feelings until I got through the program to grieve. Read More>>
Breanna Wise
My resilience comes from knowing my ‘why.’ I’m building something meaningful for my family and for the women who trust us with their care. There have been seasons that tested me both personally and professionally, but those moments taught me to slow down, listen to my intuition, and lead with integrity. That inner alignment is what keeps me grounded and resilient. Read More>>
Brenda Karina Yanez
My resilience comes from lived experience and purpose. I learned early on that life rarely unfolds exactly as planned, but it always offers lessons if you are willing to stay present and keep moving forward. Read More>>
Melissa Jandebeur
My resilience comes from my life experiences of loss, hardship, determination, and success while having a giving heart. I lost my dad at the age of 12 and worked to help support my family until we got back in our feet, I was the victim of child sexual abuse, grew up in a small town with few opportunities. Read More>>
Amelia Taylor
I get my resilience from the Lord, He gave me the strength to face my cancer diagnosis. It was the hardest challenge I’ve ever had to endure. But ultimately God healed me and put me where I am today. Read More>>
Sydney ‘Squid’ Wojszynski
I think a lot of my resilience comes from how I grew up. I’m the second oldest in a family with five kids, and we moved around quite a bit trying to make things work in rural southern Minnesota. Both of my parents worked, and money was often tight, so everyone had to pitch in. Read More>>
Tamás Hevér
Working in film taught me pretty early on that things rarely go according to plan. Your budgets shifts, your location burns down, schedules changes every five seconds, creative visions evolve, etc. Instead of resisting to those changes, I think of them as part of the process. Read More>>
Sam McSwain
I get my resilience from my family; from seeing both of my parents become first generation entrepreneurs out of a family of nine children on both sides, I’ve always felt as though it’s my duty to continue their legacy. When you see the sacrifices that those before you have made, it’s much easier to not quit during the triumph of life. Read More>>
Terrell Grier
My resilience was born long before I ever had the language to describe it. Growing up in Detroit, life taught me how to stand up before I even understood why I kept falling. I learned early that survival wasn’t a choice, it was a muscle, and every experience strengthened it. Read More>>
Marie Hall
My resilience evolved from raising six children without my parents or extended family nearby. When support wasn’t available, I had to create my own. You build your family and your community when life doesn’t hand one to you. But I also didn’t learn resilience from a book or a seminar—
I learned it from the land. Read More>>
Lexi Nguyen
My resilience comes from the innate desire to make younger Lexi (aka, younger me) proud.
I got into music when I was very young. I’m Vietnamese & singing karaoke is a big thing in my culture. At my Bà nội & Ông nội (means “paternal grandparents” in Vietnamese) house, they’d turn on the karaoke machine & my toddler self would always hold the mic & put my hands on the karaoke speakers. When my parents turned off the radio or the CD player, I would whine at them and kept telling them “nhạc, nhạc!” (means “music” in Vietnamese). Read More>>
Sarah Tuck
First and foremost, I was given my resilience from God. By being humble, praying and being obedient to his word; by doing this he has given me the opportunity to grow into what he already knew I would become. Read More>>
Marlene Villafane
Well first of all, thank you so much for this opportunity to be featured in Bold Journey. I deeply appreciate it. Thank you again. Well, my resilience? My resilience comes from transforming my entire inner landscape— Read More>>
Takyra Fulton
My resilience was born long before I had the words to describe it. As a Black woman growing up in environments that often, demanded strength before support. I learned early that survival and softness had to coexist. I carried responsibilities that grew me up fast, but those same experiences also planted the seeds of the woman I am today. A woman who leads with compassion, vision, and a deep commitment to community healing. Read More>>
Zachary Clary
Resilience did not come to me in one dramatic moment. It arrived the way most truths do: quietly, after a series of doors that never opened.
I was born in Texas, raised across the state, and spent parts of my life in places far from home. Read More>>
Stefan Amali
I’d say being Jamaican is a big source of my resilience. After seeing the passage of damage that Hurricane Melissa has caused, my Jamaican people need to tap into that spirit of resilience more than ever. My hope is to be able to achieve some major things in my business and career that can help reinstate a sense of hope in our people , especially in the creative sector. Read More>>
Alysia Holmes
Resilience has been my greatest challenge and my greatest strength throughout my academic journey. My name is Alysia Holmes, and I am a full-time employee, entrepreneur, and content creator. Balancing these roles has not always been easy, but my determination to push through my shortcomings has become one of my most valued accomplishments as a student. Read More>>
Danielle Stringer
In 2009 I was passenger in a horrific car accident. I suffered a brain injury and left side paralysis. Taught myself how to walk again at the age of 21. Was told I would never be the same again. Since then I’ve graduated college with a business degree, ran a marathon, competed in a body building competition, and started my own successful business Read More>>
Mila Troncoso
I think my resilience comes from the fact that life has tried to take me out a few times… and I survived every single one. I’ve had near-death experiences, including three days in a coma in Bolivia that stripped me down to nothing; no thoughts, no feelings, just existence. When I was about to call it, something in me shifted. Read More>>
Jey Tran
I credit my resilience to the struggles and challenges that shaped my early life. I was born in a war-torn country toward the end of the Vietnam War, a time when opportunities were scarce, especially for families like mine from the countryside. My father understood this reality, and like many others, he risked everything to escape the Communist regime in hopes of giving us a better future. Read More>>
