Meet Maria Rising

We recently connected with Maria Rising and have shared our conversation below.

Maria , 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?

The Roots of My Resilience as a Businesswoman and Person

“I didn’t know failure growing up. I only knew detours.”
That mindset is my power. And I plan to keep walking, building, and rising—one step at a time

My Foundations of Resilience

I’ve always known I was a fighter—but I didn’t realize how deep my resilience ran until I had a stroke at 27.
It came out of nowhere. One moment, I was teaching and building my academic career. The next, I couldn’t read or write, couldn’t work, and could barely stay awake for more than two hours at a time. Months later, I’d undergone heart surgery. I was trying to find my footing again, and then my world collapsed—again.
But the truth is, my resilience didn’t start in a hospital bed. It started in the middle of Michigan farmland.
I was raised by farmers, taught that when a fence breaks or a tornado is on its way, you don’t panic—you problem-solve. I watched my father, a full-time mechanic and 4-H leader, leap into action during a tornado at our county fair. I’ve seen him herd cows with a torn ACL on a riding mower hours before my grandma’s 75th birthday party (both stories I am happy to share dtails on, as they are quite awesome!). Nothing slows him down. He finds a way—and I do too.
As a first-generation college student, I worked multiple jobs to stay in school at MSU, eventually saving up for an international trip and earning a job offer in California. Undergrad wasn’t easy—but it was where I discovered my inner fire. I wasn’t made to follow the path—I was made to pave new ones.

When Setbacks Spark Business

I never planned to be an entrepreneur. But life had other plans.
In grad school, I couldn’t afford rent, so I turned my locked apartment into an Airbnb by picking locks (yes, really) and renting extra rooms. That first income stream changed my life and became a business I still run today.
Then came Mr. Mocks—a hammock company I built with my then-partner. It was my therapy after my stroke, and I threw everything into it. Until one day, I came home and it was gone. He had emptied the house and left with the company. I was devastated.
But that heartbreak led to my greatest creation: The Rising Project (checkout MariaRising.com). It was just a silly idea I pitched to someone while trying to sell them a hammock. They wanted to know more about me than the product—and I realized, maybe my story was the product. My life, my growth, my coaching, my passion. So I built a business to help others rise too.

What Business Has Taught Me About Resilience

Entrepreneurship is not a linear path. I’ve had to pivot through TikTok bans, a failed business partnership, and financial freefall during COVID.
There were moments I considered walking away. But every time, something pulled me back. Sometimes it was a comment from a stranger saying I helped them. Sometimes it was a new idea, a new contract, a new spark or even a walk through the woods reminding me of my roots and where I came from.
I’ve learned that resilience is a combination of preparation, creativity, and trust. Trusting that I’ll figure it out. Trusting that detours are often disguised as direction.

Where I’m Headed Next

Now, I run The Rising Project full-time, offering writing coaching, leadership workshops, and creative content partnerships. My wellness brand is also growing rapidly (Tirzepatide Tales), and my goal is to expand my impact: more workshops, more partnerships, and more voices rising with me.
Because at the end of the day, resilience isn’t about being invincible. It’s about staying in motion. It’s about rising—again and again.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

My work is multifaceted. I support high school and graduate students in crafting powerful application essays. I coach professionals and academics on how to secure funding, communicate their value, and write with impact. And I also collaborate with wellness and lifestyle brands to create content that’s educational, approachable, and real.

What makes The Rising Project special is that it’s rooted in authenticity and resilience. I’m not someone who arrived here easily or perfectly polished—I got here by figuring things out in the middle of the storm. My clients and followers often tell me, “You make me feel seen,” and to me, that’s the highest compliment. I’m not interested in being the expert behind a paywall—I want to be the friend on the path, helping others walk it with clarity and confidence.

Alongside The Rising Project, I also run a wellness-based social media account called Tirzepatide Tales, where I share my journey with GLP-1 medications and create content that empowers others to take charge of their health without shame. It started as a side project, and now it’s grown into a full community of people transforming their lives, sharing their wins, and learning from each other. Empowering people in wellness and in life!

✨ What’s new?

-I’m expanding my writing coaching services to offer workshops and on-demand guides for students and professionals in addition to individual and group coaching
– I’m working on writing my own autobiography about my life and ups and downs especially focusing on my perspective shift after my stoke

-I’m forming new brand partnerships that promote accessibility, education, and self-advocacy—especially for women navigating health challenges.

At the heart of it all, my brand is about honesty, empowerment, and creativity. Whether I’m helping someone tell their story in a college essay, understand how GLP-1s work in their body, or rewrite their own internal narrative, I want people to walk away feeling more grounded, more inspired, and more connected to who they truly are.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

1. Authenticity
Being real—about the hard stuff, the unexpected pivots, the messy middle—has allowed me to connect deeply with others, whether I’m working with students on personal statements, sharing my wellness journey online, or building a business from the ground up. I’ve learned that people are drawn to truth, not perfection. Being honest about where I’m at and what I’ve lived through has built more trust and opened more doors than any polished resume ever could.

Advice: Don’t try to be what you think others want—be who you are, fully. Your voice, your story, your unique lens on life are your superpowers. Share them, even if your voice shakes.

2. Perspective
After facing a stroke, heart surgery, and losing both a business and a relationship in one blow, I see everything through a different lens. I no longer chase arbitrary success—I build for meaning, for impact, and for joy. Resilience gave me strength, but perspective gave me clarity. It taught me what truly matters, and it helps me lead and serve from a grounded, human place. It also opened my eyes to the solid idea that there are a million different perspective and it’s important to acknowledge them and take inspiration from them.

Advice: Perspective doesn’t come from everything going right—it comes from surviving what went wrong or seeing life through others eyes. Pay attention to what challenges teach you or how others think and feel. Those lessons will anchor you when everything else feels uncertain.

3. Resourcefulness
I’ve had to figure things out in real time, more than once. From turning a locked apartment into a thriving Airbnb in grad school to launching a business after being let go from my dream job post-stroke, I’ve learned to use what I have—creativity, courage, connection—to build what I need. Resourcefulness is not about having all the answers; it’s about believing you’ll find them.

Advice: Don’t wait for ideal conditions. Start where you are, with what you have, and trust that momentum will carry you. The answers often come after the action.

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?

I wouldn’t be where I am today without the people who have lifted me—sometimes carried me—through the hardest parts of my journey. I’ve faced a lot of unexpected challenges in life, from health crises to business heartbreak, but one thing has never wavered: my support system.

I’ve been incredibly lucky to surround myself with the most amazing friends, mentors, and professional networks. These aren’t just people who cheer from the sidelines—they jump in with both feet, help me brainstorm solutions, talk me through fear, and remind me who I am when I forget. They’ve helped me stay grounded and focused, but they’ve also propelled me forward.

After my stroke, it was my friends who flew in to care for me, who sat with me during my healing, and who reminded me that I wasn’t alone. When I lost my business and partner in one blow, they helped me rebuild my confidence. Professionally, I’ve found support through networks of creatives, educators, small business owners, and wellness professionals who share their knowledge freely and celebrate each other’s growth.

What I’ve learned is that resilience doesn’t mean doing it all alone. It means knowing when to ask for help, when to lean in, and when to link arms with people who see your potential even when you’re in pieces.

My advice? Curate your circle with intention. Surround yourself with people who reflect back the best parts of you—and who are building toward something of their own, too. The energy of a strong community is magnetic. It keeps you moving, even when the path gets steep.

Because no matter how strong you are, having the right people around you makes all the difference.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://mariarising.com
• Instagram: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariarising?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
• Facebook: I wouldn’t be where I am today without the people who have lifted me—sometimes carried me—through the hardest parts of my journey. I’ve faced a lot of unexpected challenges in life, from health crises to business heartbreak, but one thing has never wavered: my support system. I’ve been incredibly lucky to surround myself with the most amazing friends, mentors, and professional networks. These aren’t just people who cheer from the sidelines—they jump in with both feet, help me brainstorm solutions, talk me through fear, and remind me who I am when I forget. They’ve helped me stay grounded and focused, but they’ve also propelled me forward. After my stroke, it was my friends who flew in to care for me, who sat with me during my healing, and who reminded me that I wasn’t alone. When I lost my business and partner in one blow, they helped me rebuild my confidence. Professionally, I’ve found support through networks of creatives, educators, small business owners, and wellness professionals who share their knowledge freely and celebrate each other’s growth. What I’ve learned is that resilience doesn’t mean doing it all alone. It means knowing when to ask for help, when to lean in, and when to link arms with people who see your potential even when you’re in pieces. My advice? Curate your circle with intention. Surround yourself with people who reflect back the best parts of you—and who are building toward something of their own, too. The energy of a strong community is magnetic. It keeps you moving, even when the path gets steep. Because no matter how strong you are, having the right people around you makes all the difference.
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariarising?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@tirzepatidetales?si=3rwbSE7TEamnKa5d
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@therisingproject?_t=ZP-8v916KOnsqs&_r=1