Stories & Perspectives on Resilience Building

We’ve shared some incredible stories of resilience below that we hope will help you on your journey towards building up your resilience.

Brooke Macko

I like that resilience doesn’t have to be shiny, obvious or heroic. It can be but doesn’t have to. For me, it comes from my love of photography, the innate desire to see life in a split-second image, the love I feel from God, and the experiences in my life. If any of these would be missing, I think I would have given up on doing photography. Read more>>

Feven Getachew

I draw my resilience from multiple sources. My parents have always been a constant source of support, while prayer helps me stay grounded. My sisters, though often amused by the number of ideas I come up with, never hesitate to support me, offering advice and suggestions whenever needed. Read more>>

Lena Jones

I didn’t know it but compared to my peers I grew up kinda tough. We always had enough money but not a lot. More importantly we were made to be resourceful. Sometimes when I’m working a long day and seeing others struggling I know I have to be the one to lift them up. I just got tough early, and I know how to see my way through the long days. Read more>>

Ashley Hart

My resilience comes from a tough childhood. My mother was an alcoholic, and absent most of my childhood. I was raised mostly by my father, who also fought with his addiction to alcohol. He also battled with depression and anxiety. Read more>>

Jennifer Armour

Until the age of 6, my entire family was my mom, my grandmother and me. We lived in a southern city. I attended a private Christian school from pre-k to 1st grade. My mother kept me busy with ballet, gymnastics and baton twirling classes. My mother was strict, and I was raised to be an obedient, polite southern girl. Read more>>

Elizabeth Patel

I’ve never really had a problem with self-confidence, but self-esteem? Now that’s a different
story. While the two are definitely connected, for me, self-esteem issues were all about seeing
myself through other people’s eyes. It wasn’t really about doubting my own abilities. I had to let
go of the expectation of viewing myself through someone else’s lens and focus on how *I* felt.
That was a game-changer. Read more>>

Kalee Clark K.iconique

I can honestly say I get my resilience from failure. My Childhood hero is John Cena and his slogan is “Never Give Up”. I’ve been hearing him say that since I’ve been a little kid and even if WWE is scripted the message is still there. You get your resilience by taking the L and getting back up. Not to be a young Rupaul but from experience, failure makes a stronger person. It’s the process of seeing what/why/when and how I can fix it. And let’s be honest everyone loves a great comeback story. Read more>>

Suzy Weeks

My resilience has grown through failure. I launched a dream business in 2023, with high hopes to create a legacy product for our family. Every part of the business felt “graced” from the start – we enlisted the A-team from the start: a top tier group of product designers, engineers, and marketers. Within the first 18 months of business, we had sold to every single state in the US, we made Kourtney Kardashian’s baby registry, and we had offers to launch in retail stores in California. Read more>>

Lorna Joyce

I get my resilience from my Mom. At such a tender age.. i saw how hard my mom worked to feed my little brother and I, she was also in a marriage that wasn’t that great.. and she persevered solely to ensure we got taken care of and went to school and finished.. Read more>>

Douglas Taurel

For me,  resilience lives in an unrelenting faith in myself. If you are an artist, an actor, or an entrepreneur,  you need to keep your head focused on what you are going after and let nothing distract you from achieving that goal. Nothing!. Worrying about what others think about you, your goals, your dreams, or whatever it is you are trying to achieve is absolutely useless.  And the moment you allow other people’s opinions to persuade you in any way or steer you from actually taking action towards your goals, you will lose your confidence and lose your resilience.  Read more>>

Colleen Kennedy

I am number 6 of 11 children. We did not have technology, cell phones and had to learn from a very young age on how to become self sufficient. You figured out at a very young age that comparing yourself to other siblings or friends was a waste of time. It was more important to figure out your own talents and gifts and persevere toward your own goals. Parents may or may not be able to attend your recitals, games and ski meets, but there was always someone there who knew your were a Dwyer and would encourage you. Read more>>

Anthony Tate

I get my Resiliency from my WHOLE FAMILY! My 2 Grandmothers showed me how to LOVE Unconditionally. My Grandfather showed me how to be a Protector. My Mother showed me how to be a WARRIOR. My Father showed me PERSISTENCE & that there are no Failures- Just Lessons. Read more>>

Keyuna Milam

My sheer determination to live the life that I have envisioned for myself and now my family keeps me getting up when I fall down. Being an entrepreneur is an emotional roller coaster. I began On the Go Fitness as a job…Wanna Go Fit LLC is a business, a legacy. I have a vision for Wanna Go Fit and I cannot stop until I see it happen. One of the biggest struggles that I have had has been staying consistent when life has “lifed”. Being a military spouse, I moved frequently. That meant rebuilding my business each time that I moved. Read more>>

Kara Stevens

I get my resilience from my own personal journey of overcoming debt and limiting beliefs about money. Through that experience, I learned the importance of self-worth and financial empowerment. As a brown girl myself, I understand the unique challenges we face in society and the negative stereotypes that can impact our relationship with money. I am passionate about helping black women break free from financial struggles and build wealth. Read more>>

Renita Pagan

Growing up, I often confused strength with resilience. Surrounded by strong Black women in my community, I looked up to them for guidance and admired their daily display of strength. It wasn’t until later that I realized strength can emerge from resilience. At a young age, I became known as the ‘strong’ girl, simply because that was all I knew how to be. Read more>>

Richard Merrill

Resilience isn’t just a skill I developed; it’s the very foundation of who I am. Growing up in a household fractured by divorce and overshadowed by the specter of addiction, I learned early on that life doesn’t always follow a predictable script. My parents were often caught in the throes of their own battles, leaving me to navigate the choppy waters of childhood largely on my own. Read more>>

Ebony Neal

My resilience comes from my childhood. There were many battles that were fought alone if I’m being completely honest. I pretty much raised myself and learned a lot from it. There were adults and caregivers in my life but they didn’t have the resources or tools to guide me. Currently in my life my kids and siblings make me resilient. Being the oldest there was no other choice but to be strong and keep pushing forward. Read more>>

Graziana Zito

Resilience, for me, comes from a sense of self-awareness, community and purpose. My resilience was not cultivated alone. In fact, having a strong support system, was one of the key factors that built, and continues to build, my resilience every single day. Knowing that I have people I can count on fully, who carry me through the tough times unconditionally, and believe in me wholeheartedly, gives me a greater sense of my own self-trust and perseverance on the hardest of days.  Read more>>

Mariateresa Ortiz-naretto

When I look at my paintings, I observe in every stroke, swirl, and lump the resilience that moves me to show up at my studio daily. The last 5 years of my life have been continuous tests of acceptance and perseverance. My marriage ended, I lost my home, my children went to college, my inner circle changed, and I moved my art studio 4 times. Maybe the worst part of all my storms is over because I have never said all together in one sentence. Read more>>

Daniel Belardinelli

ultimately, I believe my resilience comes from being an athlete. I played sports my entire life, tennis, basketball, football, etc…and, being on teams forces one to be disciplined. I was also an avid runner & have run over 20 marathons. Running marathons requires a tremendous about of discipline & resilience. Additionally, I went to law school, which also requires discipline & resilience. Read more>>

Moe Wakai

I’m not naturally resilient. I’m quite emotional, and I cry easily, often finding myself struggling to stand up for my own needs. I sometimes let others’ desires overshadow my own, which can be draining. I also tend to downplay my achievements and dwell on my mistakes, which affects my self-worth. For example, just earlier this month, I felt like I hadn’t achieved much this year. I hadn’t attended any artist residencies or shows and hadn’t applied for many opportunities. I told my partner I felt like I hadn’t accomplished anything, and he responded with surprise. He listed the things he was proud of me for and reminded me of my progress. Read more>>

Sung Park

I get my resilience from the stories of family, both living and deceased. My father’s family is from a South Korean village named Uijeongbu, which is where the show M.A.S.H. was set. My grandfather died in a POW camp during the Korean War, and I was inspired by stories of my grandmother raising 7 boys by herself. Read more>>

Jc Hoffman

Growing up, resilience was just life, a series of challenges and experiences that shaped me without my awareness. Looking back, I can see how each moment contributed to the person I am today. My childhood was a mix of typical sibling rivalry and extraordinary circumstances. For me resilience and optimism are inseparable. Read more>>

Jill Bailey

First and foremost, I get my resilience from my faith in God. I know that no matter how hard things may get, having faith and trusting in God has always helped me through any difficult situation. I think having my faith and knowing that no matter how hard things may get, I will make it through and learn important lessons along the way. Second, I was raised by a single father who is the definition of resilience and strength. He not only raised my sibling and I on his own, but helped to raise my cousins on a very sparse income. Read more>>

Staci Hazeur

I’ve found that my ability to bounce back from tough situations comes from a mix of personal experiences and professional hurdles I’ve encountered in my career. Growing up in Detroit, I had an opportunity to attend Cass Tech High School which was a very competitive environment. This upbringing and working in various roles in marketing has really toughened me up and taught me how to push through challenges. Read more>>

Alejandro Cortés

Every art school has that one professor who likes to say, “only 10% of you will make it in this business”. I always wondered if that’s one of those weird things people say for good luck, like “break a leg!”, or if it’s a harsh reminder of what to expect. I’m not sure about that 10%, but I know for a fact that in order to be an artist, you need to first be resilient. Read more>>

Amy Guth

Building resilience is not a one-and-done activity; it’s an ongoing practice. My life motto is “figure it out” and I believe deeply in the power of starting and doing to continually build self-reliance, self-trust and resilience. So often, I see creatives waiting to have figured out every step of an idea before they start on something, but the reality is that what’s mentally and creatively accessible to us at the start of a project is often just a fraction of what opens up to us along the way, so not only does waiting unnecessarily stall us, but it also severely limits the potential scope of what we’re working on. Read more>>

Louisa Foong

My resilience comes from a combination of faith, family, and the unwavering support of my community. Faith has shown me that challenges aren’t setbacks but opportunities for growth. Life’s ups and downs can be hard to navigate, but I’ve learned the importance of trusting the process, knowing that each hurdle not only strengthens my character but also prepares me for what comes next. A phrase that has guided me for years is, ‘If I don’t give up, I win.’ It’s a simple yet powerful reminder that perseverance is the key to overcoming whatever life throws my way. Read more>>

Daniela Rey

I grew up in a family of entrepreneurs, so I’ve always seen how possible it is to build a life and career on your own terms. My dad runs an electrical engineering company, and my grandfather owned a hardware store, so the idea of finding my own path was instilled in me early on. I’ve always known I didn’t want to work for someone else and that there was a way to do life that fits me. Read more>>

Anuradha Seneviratne

At an early age I had to learn not to let the harshest of conditions get to me. We had a great childhood and means our parents provided us with but me and my two sisters were mostly growing up with either one parent or none because of their work abroad. One of my earliest memories as kid was when we had to evacuate the invasion of Kuwait. They separated the women and children from the men to give us safe passage out of the war zone. That fear, I might never see my father again was a shrieking, devastating pain.  Read more>>

Shelita White

Resilience is a quality often admired but rarely understood. For me, resilience wasn’t something I was simply born with; it was built, piece by piece, through life’s experiences. It has shaped me into who I am today, and I believe it’s one of the core reasons I’ve been able to navigate both personal and professional challenges with grace and determination. Read more>>

Kasey Loftin

At the age of 13, while going through puberty, my family moved from Pennsylvania to North Carolina. Within the next 6 months, every friend I had back home turned their back on me and the day after Christmas, my grandmother had a heart attack on our living room floor and passed away. I’ll never forget watching my 15 year old brother give her CPR until the paramedics got there. It was a significant period of trauma in my life, mixed with hormones, that triggered a lifelong struggle with depression and anxiety. Read more>>

Giselle Fischman

I think my resilience comes from my ability to fail well and defining what success looks like to me. Society tends to have a negative connotation with failure and a very limited view of success. It removes this vail and pressure that every endeavor we do has to be “the one”. The faster you fail, the faster you fly! Read more>>