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.
Anil Karakkattu
My resilience stems from a combination of factors. Firstly, it comes from a deep-rooted passion for what I do. I genuinely believe in the value of consulting and the positive impact it can have on businesses and individuals. This passion fuels my determination to overcome challenges and push through difficult times. Read More>>
Cecilia Rubiera
My resilience comes from my grandmother which when my mom passed away when i was just 3, she stepped up and became my mom. Growing up i always couldn’t stand some things my mom would yell at me for but now being older and a mother myself, ive realized what she said and did was for my own good to help me be who i am today. My mom gained her wings 6 years ago and i promise i can still hear her voice helping me and guiding me still to this day. With her guidance i learned to resilience, purpose , self awareness & perseverance. Read More>>
Bailey Reber
This is a very interesting question that I’ve actually thought a lot about lately. Growing up, I was miserable. So miserable, that it was apparently visibly noticeable, and friends that I’ve known since grade school have recently opened up and told me that they saw this in me. Back then, I used books, TV and my imagination as a form of escapism because although I did not enjoy my life, I knew that there was a better life out there for me. Read More>>
Taryn Thibodeaux
I draw great strength and resilience from my rich Cajun and Norwegian heritage. Rooted in the vibrant Cajun culture, I embrace the enduring spirit that has withstood countless challenges, celebrating the joys of life and finding resilience in the face of adversity. The Cajun people have an indomitable spirit, forged through generations of perseverance and a deep connection to their land, music, and traditions. Additionally, my Norwegian heritage instills in me a sense of resilience borne from the rugged landscapes and storied history of the Vikings. Read More>>
Matticus Lowery
My journey of resilience is a tapestry woven with threads of trials, tribulations, and triumphs. As a child, the world seemed to me a giant kaleidoscope of shifting sands, and I was but a tiny grain, tossed between the homes of family members, battered women’s shelters, and the living rooms of kind-hearted schoolmates. Yet, even then, I refused to compare my journey to that of others – for every path is unique, every struggle a catalyst for unique wisdom. Read More>>
Bidisha Sinha
I think I am person with a clear vision in life. I keep my yearly goals always in mind and ask myself whether I am aligned to my goals every time I take up any project. This is what keeps me going. To me frequent self assessment and self critic is necessary to obtain that resilience. Now I’m not saying that we need to be perfect in everything we do; but keeping a bigger picture mind will always motivate us to take purpose driven actions and build up the resilience gradually. Read More>>
Desmond Wiggan Jr.
I want to say it’s in my blood. Being of Jamaican descent, I draw my resilience from the stories and experiences shared by my grandmother and father, who faced numerous challenges and managed to overcome them with incredible strength. Their tales of starting anew with nothing but the clothes on their backs inspire me to believe that I, too, can triumph over any adversity. Their resilience serves as a constant reminder of the human capacity to persevere. Read More>>
Britton Bentley
I moved back to L.A. on March 1st, 2020, fresh off a live performance at Junior High LA when the venue was still on Hollywood Blvd. I got a job as a PA on a tv show and threw my mattress on the floor of the empty room in my friend’s 2-bedroom apartment in Pico-Robertson area. I grabbed coffee at Maru with my friend Tao an hour before he was scheduled to go into the writer room for Atlanta with Hollywood royalty. My hopes and dreams were alive. The vision was set. He challenged me to do everything–write, produce, perform. To create without limits. Inspired by his story of spending years carrying coffee for writers before breaking in, I braced myself to grind and pursue a similar path. Read More>>
Bryce Landingham
Most of my resilience comes from the many happenstances, fortunate and unfortunate, that have happened in my life; whether it be from failed inauspicious expectations or heartbreak. Even through my mentors who have pushed words of encouragement into my kind, I consider that a big part of my resilience. A time where I can say I had a boost in my resilience probably would be a heartbreak that I experienced late 2022. I put everything into one person but after that relationship, never did I have an urge for revenge or quarrel. I simply just wanted that person back in my life. Read More>>
Victoria Joy Avedesian
To begin, I got my resilienece from several outside factors. I wanted as my parents worked hard on a daily basis. I saw the sacrifices they made to be successful in their own fields. I watched how they worked together during stressful and cahllenging times individually, and as a team. Read More>>
NATALIA VARAZA
I consider myself a resilient person since I had to overcome many difficult moments in my life that helped me and taught me that you can always move forward and that from every painful or sad situation there is a learning. The rainbow always comes out after every storm. It was not and is not easy, but I choose to get up every day with optimism and give my best to get ahead. Read More>>
Lanexa Neal
Throughout life, many of us have heard many times over the phrase “It takes a village to raise a child”, but I don’t think many of us truly understand how significant it is. Gratefully for me, I am aware and I understand because I am the product of the love, support, and encouragement of many strong women and supportive men. The seeds that were planted as a child, cultivated the resilience that the world gets to experience in me. Read More>>
Tre McCluskey
I became a father at a young age, which forced me to grow up fast. When I experienced adversity, I couldn’t allow myself to stay down because I have young people depending on my success. Threads By Tre is a custom suit company that creates timeless pieces for the classic man. This past year, we spent a lot of time growing our new collections: Read More>>
Shelly Kentner
Resilience is one of those traits that you pick up not by choice but instead by necessity. And I believe any restaurateur that has been in the industry for any given time has adopted an edge of resilience. This is one of the fastest pace, rapidly evolving, unforgiving industries there are. My husband and I opened our doors in May of 2017 and quickly got a taste of how quickly things can get flipped upside down. Within the first year the city started a massive redevelopment project right in front of our store front. The project dug up whole streets and rerouted traffic away from us. Read More>>
Chynna Monforte
I come from a lineage of strong, resilient women who fight for me every day. I was also raised with a father that taught me resilience growing up. Seeing him work through challenges and show up to provide for me every day demonstrated the power we have. He came to the US as a kid, and my family on both side had their obstacles to overcome. Fortunately and unfortunately, resilience is baked in BIPOC DNA. Read More>>
JERMEL WILSON
I think I get my reilience in all honesty from my moms. I’ve watched this woman take coal and turn it into diamonds. Not literally but meaning she never lets anyhting or anyone get her down and is always there for anyone that needs her. She don’t quit. She always saw the potential in me that didn’t and wouldn’t let me give up now it’s habitual . Read More>>
LaShara “Mahogany Lovee” Daniel
Hello, my name is La Shara “Mahogany Lovee” Daniel and I reside in Chattanooga, TN. Grew up in a small town -Rome, GA I always knew it was more out in the world for me versus what was being presented. As a child, I was always picked on for my dark skin complexion. Never knew why when I was never the only one in my classes with the same complexion as mine. I got picked on and “roasted” about up till high school. Read More>>
shundilyn smith
I believe that I gained understanding of resilience at a very young age. For as long as I could remember I’ve witnessed my grandma fight for her life. 1 stroke and 2 aneurysms later she still had so much joy inside of her. Dispute her circumstances she still laughed, smiled, sang and danced. Sometimes I’d look at her and feel sorry for her, for I couldn’t imagine myself in her shoes, but that’s because that wasn’t my path to walk! She woke up everyday looked everything negative straight in the eyes and made it beautiful. Even on her death bed she fought, until her literal last breath. Read More>>
Yolimar Perry
Throughout my life learning from my own experiences and even from the experiences of people close to me, has been the key. Identifying the good or the bad of each situation that we go through, no matter how hard it is, and transforming it into opportunities that help us grow will be the guide that helps us behave differently in the future, and not repeat the same patterns that did not benefit us before. Read More>>
Ashley Thompson
Being a single parent of 3, resiliency is something I had to learn to master. The ability to bounce back after a difficult experience, is a skill in itself, and adding children to the equation, makes it that much more important. Children/family is the driving factor to being resilient. My name is Ashley Thompson, co-owner of Fork & Knife Design Co. Our brand began as a food blog and blossomed into a Space Design company! We work with our clients to bring their visions alive through design, organization, and planning. At the start of 2023 we launched a new service, Space Organization. This service allows us to assists our clients with decluttering and organizational needs in their private spaces. Read More>>
Katy Foley
Growing up, I had a learning disability. My parents sent me to a rigorous K-12 Math and Science school. I struggled and often felt behind academically especially when I was little. Most of my teachers did not know how to cater to my disability. When I was 12, I almost got kicked out of school. I had to teach myself how to succeed academically. By 7th grade, I was nearly a straight A student. I apply this experience to my resilience. Especially when it comes to my career. Read More>>
Jodi Grieshop
I get my resilience from knowing and believing that failure is not an option. This stems, first and foremost, from how I was raised. Resilience is a result of my work ethic and drive paired with self respect and deep pride in all that I do. I knew I was in control of never letting anyone else outwork me. Every goal I reached pushed me to set bigger goals, maintain existing goals, and feel good about how my work impacts other people. This ultimately led me to creating the unique salon concept, Edge Boutique, launching later this summer. Read More>>
Arlyana Shanice
My resilience came from losing so much of myself, I had no other choice but to begin again. The saying “When you hit rock bottom, the only way to go is up” was my journey. If I am more honest, it happened a few times throughout my life, losing myself to become again. The most significant, however, was when I became pregnant with my daughter. I was in the midst of a deep depression; navigating through a tremendous amount of grief, our family had lost many loved ones suddenly. The world was terrifying because culturally black and brown people were being targeted and dying at the hands of others. Read More>>
Kenny James
Where do I get my resilience from? It’s a quality that runs deep within me, but if I were to pinpoint its origin, I would say I owe a significant portion of my resilience to my mom. She has been a constant source of inspiration and strength in my life. Read More>>
Marina Lang
If there was one word to describe my journey, it’s probably resilience. Having started my career and adult life at a young age often subjected me to difficult situations. Sometimes the only assets I possessed were patience and strength. I think once I developed an understanding that I had a lot of dreams I also quickly came to the realization that achieving my goals would come with a lot of challenges. However resilience is not something that comes over night. I’ve often been put in to really difficult situations career wise where I had no choice but to live through the rough moments. I also noticed that difficult times may seem eternal at that moment but really if you find a way to get through them they do pass. Read More>>
Richie Sullivan
I work seven jobs on top of running this musical project, our project has rehearsal every thursday night, right in the middle of my work week. I look forward to those Thursdays, meeting with the other musicians in this group, its therapeutic. Everything else in the world can be going wrong and once i’m in that room with those guys, nothing else matters. The work obviously doesn’t stop there. Trying to be a successful musician in this world is an every day hustle. If you don’t wake up every day with the intention of working or promoting your art, you are already behind. Read More>>
Valeria Rivera
Having nurturing and caring relationships with family, friends and mentors can significantly contribute to resilience. Social support provides emotional validation, encouragement, and practical assistance during challenging times. Observing and learning from role models who have faced adversity and overcome it can inspire and instill resilience. Role models can demonstrate effective coping strategies, problem-solving skills, and a positive mindset, serving as sources of inspiration and guidance. Holding beliefs that emphasize personal strength, self-efficacy, and the ability to adapt to change can enhance resilience. Read More>>
Lyrical Foxx
Early life experiences is the reason of my resilience. My bloodline is the foundation of my resilience. Knowing that no matter what life throws at me, I can and will overcome. I am the owner of Lyrical Foxx World, and VP of Skreet Legendz Network. I do everything from artists management, event planning, hosting, to logistics. I created the Lyrical Foxx World brand as an umbrella for the multiple services I provide. I think the most interesting part of Lyrical Foxx World is I get to explore and create a variety of avenues to not only provide services but also build my brand. Read More>>
Triveda Harris
Resilience for me comes from my Mother. The way she lived her life and the challenges that she faced help me to overcome the obstacles that I faced in my own life. I had a stroke in 2009 and was diagnosed with Chiari Malformation and a small brain aneurysm. I was told by my neurologist to get used to using only one side of my body. I refused to just get used to it. The process was hard and I fell down many times. However, I got back up. My mother taught me that no matter of many times you get knocked down you always get back up and to make sure that you never fall for the same reason twice. Read More>>
Stephanie Saulsbury
I get my resilience from my mom and female friends. They are single moms and wife’s who have been through so many trials and tribulations, and they encourage me to be strong and push through. Hello all, I am a behavior specialist who provides health and well-being coaching, behavior support services and career and business coaching to children, teens and adults. I specialist in behavior support services to people with developmental disabilities and mental health diagnosis. Read More>>
