Sometimes just seeing resilience can change out mindset and unlock our own resilience. That’s our hope with the Portraits of Resilience series – we hope the stories below will inspire you to tap into your own resilience.
Scott Hamler
I love the word resilience. I use it a lot these days, as my wife and I raise our two amazing daughters. My resilience comes from my upbringing. There were tough times for sure, but nothing that ever folded us. You can’t let difficulties in life keep you down. You have to get up and keep fighting. Again, and again, and again… Read more>>
Susan Kolman
For me, resilience is about flexibility and creativity. It’s being willing to face challenges and see the possibilities. We all had to learn this during Covid – we had a choice to sit still and alone at home or find innovative ways to keep our businesses going, hold tight to our family and friends, and to rebound stronger and more focused as we re-entered the world. Read more>>
Abigale Palacios
I get my resilience from my mom. She has been through some tough times and is still able to laugh and push forward. I can remember being on my first acting site located at Disney Ranch. I was on a small break and I remember asking my mom what her dreams were. I asked her because she told me how lucky she was to able to be by my side and see me live my dreams. I then asked her what her dreams were. Read more>>
Tim Salau
I get my resilience from my father and mother. Both of them are nigerian-american immigrants who emigrated here in 1999 from Nigeria. Growing up, I witnessed them adapt through 9/11, the 2008 financial crisis, and getting us out of the ghetto of Alief, Texas. They are two of the most resilient people I know. Most importantly, their grit and resilience lives on in me. Read more>>
Dwayne P. Mitchell
I am resilient, because my mother is resilient. From as early as I can remember, my mother has sacrificed so much for my siblings and I to be what we are and to have what we have, today. Growing up in a single mother household and being the oldest child, I often helped my mother take care of my siblings (as much as I could at that age) with things like cooking, helping them get dressed for school, and homework; while my mother worked two and three jobs sometimes to provide for us. Read more>>
Coola
I have majority of the credit for my resilience to the 8 years I spent in the US Army. As one could imagine there a lot of obstacles and challenges that inherently come with being with in the military but with that said my ability to adapt and overcome was tested constantly which made me feel like I could conquer any obstacle in my path. Read more>>
Ryan Henry Johnston
I attribute my resilience to my mother. At a very young age, she instilled in me that it’s the challenges and defeats you face in life that make you who you are. I’ve learned a great deal more about myself and my strength from my failures than from my successes. My mother explained to me that life isn’t fair and you have to play the cards you’re dealt to the best of your abilities through hard work and perseverance. Read more>>
Kimmy Burns
Life is HARD, Harder for some more than others. While I can’t say I’ve had the worst of it, I HAVE been through some things that have made me stronger and have opened my eyes to the bigger picture in life. I think when you’re put in difficult situations you have a choice to give up or forge ahead. In all honesty, I’ve done both. With that being said, it’s important to be kind to yourself when you make the choice to give up on things that no longer serve you or your mental health. Thankfully, my art has never been one of them. Read more>>
MILK + SIZZ
Our resilience is rooted in the belief that anything given to us by God is ours – and cannot be taken away. This conviction holds true even in times of great loss, as it is a sign that we are on the cusp of something far greater. So, no matter what challenges we face, we only need to focus on reaching the other side. Read more>>
Reese Jones
For the past couple of years, I have been running ultra-marathons, so any distance beyond the typical 26.2 marathon. Since 2021 I have completed 3 100-mile races, several 50k and 50-miler distances, and some other interesting events like running 10 marathons in 10 days to raise $20,000 for a local charity. I think people think this is where I get my mental girt/resilience from. I actually developed my ability to endure in high school, where I wrestled for 3 years. Read more>>
Sekoya Collier-Burke
My resilience comes from my upbringing. Being the oldest of 10 siblings, and the ONLY GIRL for 6 years, I was the “trial and error” kid with both of my parents and my siblings. I learned at an early age to hear the word “NO” loudly, clear and often. Because of that, my resilience in my career is a reflection of “just that. I hear the word NO often, nevertheless, it’s doesn’t stop me nor discourage me. Read more>>
Memory Thomas
Just knowing that life comes with lows, it’s inevitable. But the important part is being able to identify them, accept them and allow yourself to go through the motions with grace. It’s funny because my sisters and I have this rule where you only get 48 hours. You only get up to 48 hours to let something get you down or affect your mood and then you have to get back up and keep it pushin. The basis is you can’t live there. Read more>>
Sarah Amrou
Resilience? Well, I guess it’s kind of in my blood. Being a first-gen American with my roots in Lebanon has played a huge part in shaping who I am. When I was 17, I felt this pull to go back to Lebanon, you know, to really connect with where my family came from. It was supposed to be a short trip, but I ended up loving it so much that I stayed there for over ten years and even finished my studies there. Read more>>
Myke Robb
My resilience comes from a few people in my life and that’s my mother & my grandparents. I was truly blessed, as an 80’s baby to grow up around four generations of grandparents between my mother and my father side of the family which is very rare in today’s generation. Growing up as my mother’s only child until I was fifthteen I was spoiled in many ways, but throughout all that they my family saw high potential in me. Read more>>
K. Noel Jordan
Firstly, I’d say my resilience comes from my faith in God. Whenever I feel like giving up, something happens that inspires me to keep moving forward. Secondly, my own life story plays a big part. I grew up involved in gangs, being in the gang culture built up a lot of resilience in me. I’ve always been someone who gives everything my best shot. I don’t believe in quitting. Sure, there have been times when I’ve slowed down or even cried, but I never give up. Read more>>
Stephan Durand
I think I have received my resilience first and foremost from seeing my mother raised 2 boys by herself and doing it well, but also from the spirituality she passed on to me. Going through difficult time can bring a person down to the brink of giving up, but I truly believe if you find your own path to spirituality it can really help you when things are down and also open doors for you. Read more>>
Jonathan Cooper
Seeing how far I’ve come and understanding what I’m capable of are important things that inspire my work ethic and resiliencey. Truthfully, it takes a lot out of you to have to be resilient all the time. Throughout my journey I’ve been taken advantage of, there’s been disappointments, and I’ve been misunderstood while being overly understanding, but I refuse to give anyone or any situation power over my ability to do great things. Read more>>
Quinn Kelly
I think resilience comes when you believe in what you do with all your heart. Because when you have passion about your work you also have a greater purpose that goes beyond your own self or insecurities! And that purpose allows you to continue to move forward — both when things are going easily and when you are facing challenges! Read more>>
Adam Tiainen
I think that resilience comes from attitude. I think being a resilient person comes from an attitude that is informed by a perspective on life and the world that places that person at the center of responsibility. The thing I’ve learned about responsibility is that it isn’t something you earn or are bestowed by an authority – you adopt it. In my case I’ve learned through business that the responsibility for a client or a customer is there for the taking and he to claims it gets the rewards that come with that responsibility. Read more>>
Louise (Lulu) Eschelman
Growing up in a small town in Denmark, I always had a lot of freedom. I learned a lot of things by doing, and learned from mistakes. My parents always trusted me to do hard things and never doubted that I could anything, so I didn’t doubt it either – that definitely instilled a sense of confidence and resillience in me. Although Denmark offered me a lot of freedom, it also had the most ridicilous unwritten set of ‘rules’, that sadly many Danes do live by still. Read more>>
Tisha Thompson
Resilience is one of the most underrated qualities that you will find behind any successful person. It leverages challenges to sharpen your ability to get back up whenever you’re knocked down. In any career path or entrepreneurial endeavor, you’re going to be forced to be resilient, so I’m thankful that my parents instilled that into me through parenting methods and their own example. I come from military parents, so having an incredible work ethic is second nature to me. Read more>>
Adrian Ernesto Cepeda
Before I was accepted to my MFA program at Antioch University in Los Angeles, I read about Malcolm Gladwell’s 10000 rule about The Beatles. I use this time to harness my craft and learn from creative geniuses like David Bowie, Frida Kahlo, Anais Nin, Pablo Picasso. I learned and was inspired by their level of dedication and resilience and it fueled my own. I worked on my craft of poetry and used their life and work as inspiration for my own. Read more>>
Chaim Solomon
Hey there, I’m Chaim Solomon, a 25-year-old entrepreneur hailing from Israel. Five years ago, I made the decision to embark on a new chapter, and that’s how I found myself here. I’m the proud owner of Guardian Lens Security, a venture that’s not just about cameras and systems—it’s a reflection of my journey, my resilience. Read more>>
Andres Quintero
I am a first generation Mexican Immigrant, growing up I witnessed my parents work harder than anyone I’ve ever met. I didn’t understand at early age the sacrifices and hardships they had to overcome, but as I got older I begun to understand better. Driven by the bigger picture and the race against time to make sure you and your family are good. Read more>>
Ethan Mole
Pursuing a career as an actor and a drummer/musician in Los Angeles can be very difficult. The amount of rejection faced on a daily basis is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced and when I first moved here, it did take a toll on me. 6 years later, I’m still here auditioning every week, booking shoots, and playing gigs with a few different bands. The resilience I’ve gained I owe a lot to my close circle. Without my friends and my family, I think I’d be very lost. Read more>>
STiRZY
When I was fourteen, I started experiencing severe OCD symptoms as a result of ongoing depression and anxiety. For years after that, it felt like my mind wasn’t my own and I had no control over the thoughts and images that would whip through my brain at a million miles per hour. Day in and day out, I was constantly barraged with voices in my head telling me I was an awful person, that I wasn’t good enough, that I didn’t deserve success — all for completely illogical, made-up reasons. Read more>>
Andra Harris
I get my resilience from my mother. She was a single mother, no matter what obstacles we faced, she always bounced back and kept pressing forward. She always kept a positive attitude, even in the midst of our darkest trials and I never saw her give up. Having watched my mom always bounce back from trials while still being filled with so much love and joy, influenced me in a major way. Read more>>
Marcel Williams
Like many others, I have faced some of the hardest challenges in life. My first encounters with adversity was when I was a child; from the struggle to fit in and find my identity, to vicious bullying, and a tumultuous family life. When I was 13, I had a severe medical crisis that left me unconscious and in need of urgent care. Read more>>
Thomas Yungerberg
In order to better understand where we get our resilience from, it’s best to begin by first understanding the problems that we frequently face. By far, the most persistent obstacle that has remained on hour path as a company is our ability to stay financially afloat. It is no understatement when I tell you right now that our financial hurdles seem absolutely insurmountable. Read more>>
Shannon McGraw Carr
Driving towards the destination of Colorado, across the vast state of Texas in the onset of summer, AC broken, windows down, and my playlist blaring through the bluetooth speaker sitting on the passenger seat because the radio on the 2004 Jetta had offered it’s last tune with the previous owner, I felt at peace. Even though the landscape of my domestic world had been torn to shreds I knew I would not only survive, but thrive. Read more>>
Phil Rice
Growing up in the vibrant city of Detroit, I discovered the power of resilience. Our rich and dynamic history showed me that setbacks can be opportunities to grow. My hometown gave birth to some of the greatest innovators in music, fashion, and film. It’s no wonder why it is the source of my determination and the positive mindset that propels me forward. Read more>>
Nicole Young
Learning to be resilient in the face of adversity was an all important lesson that my parents constantly preached to my sister and I during childhood. My parents always taught us that real strength is found and shown when you are able to bounce back from difficult situations. I am so grateful for those lessons in resilience from my parents because I am a firm believer that having resilience is the most important and absolutely necessary skill for success and happiness, both personally and professionally. Read more>>
Michael Vasquez
My Mom & Dan always had my brother and me in sports. Sports is what gave me the ability to be more confident in myself and that confidence started to blossom in High School. One day when school let out and I was walking home a kid called out to me and said hey you should join the cross-country team. I told him I wasn’t sure that I could run cross-country but he convinced me that not only could I run but that it would be fun. Read more>>
