We were lucky to catch up with Karen Brown recently and have shared our conversation below.
Karen, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
re·sil·ience /rəˈzilēəns/
noun
1.
the capacity to withstand or to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness.
This definition is the best way to answer the question, “where do you get your resilience from?” The answer lies within difficulty and struggle. Growing up, I did not have it all. My parents worked very hard and struggled, which meant us kids also did not have it all either. We learned how to be independent and work for things from a young age.
Now as an adult, I have worked very hard to get where I am and found that the quickest and most effective way to achieving my dreams is through struggling, failing and learning from the things that do not work. Mistakes and failures are really good teachers and show us that what we are doing is not working. Once I began to see my mistakes and failures as helpful friends, my entire life changed. Suddenly, I began to recover more quickly from setbacks, find
and implement solutions more rapidly, and welcome challenging circumstances more readily.
Resilience is something that requires life to be lived. I can no longer fear living and taking risks if I want to have resilience.
A few things that have happened in my lifetime to teach me the art of resilience are:
1. Getting married and opening my heart to grow and love another person
2. Having children
3. Having a miscarriage that almost took my life
4. Being diagnosed with multiple conditions that were life altering for several years of my life
5. Committing to exercise and refusing to give up when it gets hard or boring
6. Starting a business and continuing the business even when I am at my weakest
7. Keeping my word
We all have our own stories to tell about what makes us resilient. My stories are imprinted on my heart and remind me that I get through anything. Any storm that comes my way can be endured as long as I stay the course and don’t give up.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
My husband, Joshua, and I have been married for almost 12 years and have two beautiful children, Zephaniah age 9 and Talia age 8. We currently live in East Valley Arizona and enjoy hiking, reading and all things health and wellness related. We started IV League from our own passion for helping people with their vitamin and nutrient needs.
IV League Arizona is a mobile IV therapy company servicing the Arizona valley. We offer IV hydration to people in their homes. Our team of highly trained nurses bring compassion and care in everything they do. The IV blends we offer include nutrients similar to a Myers Cocktail and help people with various needs including migraine relief, hangover recovery, viral illnesses, immune boosting, travel prep, dehydration and much more!
Our goal is to bring excellent care to every client we serve and leave them feeling amazing! What sets us apart is that this service is done in the home and does not require anyone to leave the house for care. We keep people out of the hospital everyday.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Quality 1. Grit: You must stay the course, keep your mental toughness and never give up. If you know what direction you are meant to go, keep going no matter what. Find a tribe of people who are staying the course and stick close to them. You will need each other.
Quality 2. Always be teachable: Read all the books, listen to those who have successfully (and sometimes unsuccessfully) gone before you and learn from them. Be open to feedback and criticism because that is the stuff that will change your life for the better.
Quality 3. Focus on collaboration and not on competition: The people at the top are collaborating and finding ways to serve those around them. Even those in your own industry can be your greatest cheerleaders and collaborators. Find ways to build relationships with everyone around you. We rise by lifting others.
Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
It is hard to only pick one person. So many people have supported us in this journey. I would say the real OG’s are our parents. My husband and I have been blessed with very encouraging parents who always told us we could do anything. We are very fortunate to still have our parents here with us, cheering us on. In business, we have had many in our corner who tell us to get back in the ring and keep fighting when things get tough. They have taught us to look at tough situations and find the lessons in them. We could not be more grateful for our tribe.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ivleagueaz.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ivleagueaz/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ivleagueaz
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/iv-league-arizona
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/i/flow/login?redirect_after_login=%2FIVleagueaz
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/iv-league-arizona-gilbert?utm_campaign=www_business_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)
Image Credits
CHRISTINE LOWELL PHOTOGRAPHY
