Where do you get your resilience from?

Resilience is often the x-factor that differentiates between mild and wild success. The stories of most of the wildly successful folks in our community have exhibit an extreme degree of resilience and we’ve come to believe that if our goal is to help our community achieve great outcomes we have to help build resources and knowledge around how one can become more resilient.

Javairia Coleman

Before embarking on my journey of entrepreneurship, I worked in the modeling and dance field. This particular area of my life made it really easy to grow from the amount of “No’s” you’re experiencing; character-building and resilience are the two things that are going to be affected. While I was a brand ambassador, I learned that consistency is important in anything you do in order to move forward. Read more>>

Muriel Ottoni

I believe resilience is a combination of mind, body and soul alignments. Spending time with nature, travels, connecting with people I love, meditation, yoga and different spiritual practices are great sources for my mind, body and soul’s alignment. For body alignment, I enjoy working out, hiking and Kundalini Yoga, which elevates me also in my mind and spirit. For mind alignment, juts by doing body + soul alignments, with additional of simplicity and gratitude, everything will be aligned and so connected. This is where I get my resilience from. Read more>>

Daiana Guastella

My resilience comes from a deep-rooted belief in the potential of every individual to overcome obstacles and achieve greatness. Growing up in Argentina, I witnessed firsthand the power of determination and hard work. My journey from a legal background to founding and managing FastForward in the United States was filled with challenges, but it was also marked by incredible learning experiences and personal growth. Read more>>

Alex Sommer

I get my resilience from my mother, there are many things she has taught me but she has taught me to keep going in times of difficulty. When I was younger I broke my leg in Kindergarten, and had to miss out on being a kid because I was bed ridden. You learn how to be creative when have a lot of time to yourself. In Middle School I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis, my illness was so bad I couldn’t do much physically because I couldn’t keep food down.  Read more>>

Judy Malka

I think my resilience comes from life experiences, hard work, being persistent, and overcoming the most difficult challenges that you can come across. Knowing inside of you that you’re heading towards a certain goal makes me resilient. Read more>>

Tracy Lamont

Failure and adversity. This journey has been a challenging one for me and truthfully I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ve lost years worth of music 2-3 times, been told no more than yes, even family has thrown their doubts on my success. In the time since you all reached out for this interview I’ve lost my main source of income, A/C in the studio has went out, my laptop with all my music went out, and an external hard drive containing about 4 years of music stopped working. Read more>>

Tekeshia Allen-Ebron

If asked this question years ago, I wouldn’t have known how to answer it. I didn’t even think I was resilient. I thought that the things I had to endure weren’t as difficult as what others had been through. Now, looking back over my life, I’ve been through many things that cultivated my resilience. I lost my mother as a young child, I lost my grandmother who assumed the responsibility of raising me after the loss of my mother, two years ago in the middle of nursing school.  Read more>>

Lynn Ramsey

My resilience comes from the understanding that change happens & it’s up to me on how I allow it to affect me. I like to find solutions to problems rather than harping on the problem it self. I’m a big believer in self care. I take myself on dates, I speak positive affirmations to myself daily, I read & study.. I know that I have a purpose in life & no matter what challenges come my way, I am equipped to handle them. Read more>>

Vickii Ma

Moving from Singapore to New York City with two suitcases and a one-way ticket in 2020 helped build my character and resilience. Chasing my dreams and starting from scratch in a completely different country during a trying time built my resilience and showed me that anything is possible if I set my mind to it. Read more>>

Tomeka Jones

I get my resilience from my personal experiences of overcoming adversity, including my struggles with physical flaws, bullying, short-lived relationships, and traumatic events in my childhood. Serving in the Air Force for 23 years and sometimes being the only woman, or black woman, or black officer in a room has truly humbled me. Read more>>

Giselle López

I get my resilience from my loved ones, my family, my grandmother, my mother, they have all taught me to stay strong because the universe will always have your back, my friends and chosen family who show me to never give up and to chase our dreams no matter how crazy they are, the crazier the better. My resilience comes from my hometown, the border that is constantly seen as a threat, as a violent area, growing up in a border made me resilient early in life, and for that I will always be grateful and blessed to come from a land of strong, resilient individuals. Read more>>

Alfredo Mercedes

My resilience is deeply rooted in my upbringing and life experiences. Growing up in the Dominican Republic in a house made of cardboard, I faced many challenges early on. My parents instilled in me the values of hope, hard work, and dedication, teaching me that with these, I could change my destiny. Read more>>

Sara Kunz

Resilience comes from not jsut grit, but grace too. My resilience stems from a combination of trained adversity, and the chaos (and BS!) of modern life. While I grew up doing tough things like hiking, competitive martial arts, and other sports, it wasn’t till I was sexually assaulted in my early 20’s that I really leaned into the idea of GRIT. I had horrible PTSD that jeopardized my physical and mental health. Read more>>

Carrie Reichartz

I get my resilience from remember 2 things. One knowing that Jesus died completely innocently and even if I am suffering now unjustly, I have done things wrong. Secondly, I get just keep going. Thinks may look messy. Just keep going. Things may hurt deeply. Just keep going. Keep moving toward the goal. Read more>>

Sierra Howard

My resilience comes from experience. I grew up with grandmother and she’s the strongest woman I know. She raised me to be hard working and to never give up on the things that I want out of life even when things get hard. My resilience comes from observing her working hard for everything that she owns and applying that into my daily life whenever I feel like self doubt. Read more>>

Jake & Lindsay Ezerski

My resilience comes from my perspective of what success and failure are. I believe that failure is the act of giving up before you’re out of options. Continuing to try, even when things look hopeless, always seems to bring you to your goal sooner or later. My favorite example of this, as trivial as it seems, is my struggle loosening a bolt. Read more>>

raymond holloway

When it comes to resilience coming from where I come from you have to have it or you will easily sink or be overlooked. My resilience was develop through my watchful eye of the people before me and around me. From mentors, to peers, to family I’ve watch them go through life struggle and figure it out. That figure it out is what stuck to me. Read more>>

JADE

Pressure. My entire life I have been under a lot of pressure. Pressure to be a performer, and entertain others with my natural gifts. Pressure to help other people, even when I didn’t know how to help myself. It took me a long time to see how this has shaped my discipline, which has ultimately made me a more resilient person. Though it has been a challenging journey for me toward self-discovery and growth, the pressure I continue to survive is how I have become as resilient as I am today. Read more>>

Lily Cadena

From a young age I realized the typical school system wasn’t for me. I didn’t enjoy going to school but was something I had to do. Fast forward to high school graduation I was faced with the only option my parents gave me, go to college. By the age of 18 I knew I wanted to go to cosmetology school and become a hairstylist however, my parents had a different plan for me. Read more>>

Zoe Borenstein

My resilience comes from my childhood. I grew up with a debilitating autoimmune disorder, Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis. I experienced physical pain, emotional trauma, and social isolation because of it. The constant challenges I faced from the illness made me more flexible; I had to find my own, sometimes different ways to get by. The treatments I went through to ameliorate the illness made me hardier, and they taught me about mental toughness and the power of positive thinking. Read more>>

Tara schnetzler

Resilience is formed when life comes at you hard. I think you have a choice on how to react. We crossed over from the suburbs to a farm in the country with big, dreamy eyes in late 2018. We created a magical homeland that offered space for me to manifest my earth mother intentions. Raising 3 daughters alongside some dogs, a couple cats and our new baby hens. Life was sweeter and my soul was soaring. Read more>>

Adrian Carrillo

I get my resilience from life’s obstacles and hardships. We all go through tough times, and we must choose how we react and then respond to life’s challenges. I have had many heartbreaks with close calls in the art industry, as well as in my personal life with incredibly traumatic events in the recent past. Yet, every time I fall I give myself enough time to grieve and slowly pick myself back up. Read more>>

Jeffrey Moeller

I think I was building up my resilience since I was very young. Being born with eczema will do that. I had to get through my skin issues, both physically and mentally amongst my peers. I hid it pretty well, but not always. Anxiety creeps in and life moments get difficult. Inhibiting my joy and zest for life. I believe it had a lot to do with my shyness as well. My resiliency kept my head above water no matter how extraordinary or difficult a situation was physically emotionally and mentally. Read more>>

Jupiter in Scorpio

I’m very lucky to have been raised, surrounded by strong women. Of them, my mother held the biggest impact in my life. She had me as a high school drop out, and I watched her attain her GED, Associates, Bachelors, and Masters. I watched my mother fight to receive the fruits of her labor, down to her last days. Even while battling breast cancer, she never let go of her sight for what her life would be for her children. Read more>>

Savannah Brown

My resilience stems from a deep passion and love for what I do, which fuels my drive to overcome challenges and push forward even when things get tough. This unwavering enthusiasm for my work keeps me motivated and focused, turning obstacles into opportunities for growth. I try to look at any setback or shortcoming as a learning opportunity and an opportunity to grow.  Read more>>

Deborah Rutherford

My resilience, a quality I inherited from my mother, is deeply intertwined with my faith in God. My mother was my cheerleader, and I remember her supporting me as I nervously tried out for my first play, “Guys and Dolls.” She also gave me ideas for cheerleading tryouts (spoiler alert: I got on the squad and played a hotbox dancer in the play). Working hard to attain a goal taught me perseverance at a young age. Unfortunately, I grew up in a dysfunctional family that led to young adult self-abuse, causing even more trauma. Read more>>

Jillian Vitko

My resilience has come from taking risks and not giving up when something doesn’t go according to plan. I realized early on in life that I had to make things happen for myself. That’s not to say that I haven’t had support – I’m lucky to be surrounded by people who believe in me and the work that I do – but at the end of the day, you have to want it for yourself. More importantly than just wanting it, though, is taking action. Read more>>

Marcus Mercy

My resilience stems mainly from my mother, a powerful role model. Growing up, I witnessed her navigating the challenges of being a Section 8 parent while working two jobs to support our family. Despite the hardships, she pursued and earned her degree to become a nurse. Her determination and work ethic were truly inspiring. Read more>>

Nemat Sadat

I believe I get my resilience from my can-do attitude and telling myself to never give up. There were many times when I didn’t have a support network to get me through my darkest and loneliest days—particularly after my historical coming gay on Facebook in August 2013. I was disowned by most of my relatives, received curses and threats numbering in the thousands, and a fatwa by the mullahs of Afghanistan.  Read more>>

Alamanchermane Medeiros

Even if you’ve feel stuck, or can’t see how you’ll get through another day; if feel you don’t have want it tao, feel afraid, or don’t know how things will work out. I believe It’s never too late to become everything you’ve ever wanted to be. Everything meant for you is still out there! I’ve learned that persistence and belief in oneself can lead to great things. My name is Alamanchermane Medeiros. It took me a while to learn how to write and spell my name lol I also have two nicknames: Cherminha and Jasmin. Read more>>

TIffany Hann

If I had to pinpoint one moment where my resilience began it would be the desire to not disappoint my parents after becoming a teen mom. I am the oldest of 5 children and leadership came natural. I Refusing to become the stereotypical teen mom with the sad ending was never an option. After high school I joined the Army and despite the challenges faced returning home without meeting my goal of being a US Soldier was never an option. Read more>>

Ruby Murray

Being a Retired Military Army Veteran and reflecting on my life as a young soldier while serving, I did not think that bringing a child into the world would be one of my biggest challenges that I would have to face not knowing that having resilience would help me bounce back but the bounce was not going to be easy. So I remember when the doctor gave me the news that I was pregnant and I shared the news with my husband as I was smiling as my heart was full of joy. Read more>>

Eric Reeves

I find my resilience from what I find to be the nobility in being truly hospitable. I think that true hospitality has to be largely selfless and it isn’t easy – rewarding work rarely is. I have been thinking about this recently because I see a lot of restaurant professionals speak on social media about the age-old conversation about “closing time.” There are a lot of variables, and sometimes even laws, to consider about how late you can or should serve someone in a hospitality setting, but I’m of the mindset that closing time means the latest time you’re willing to let a guest start their experience in your establishment. Read more>>

Denise Gunter

Resilience comes from living in the present moment and facing challenges with a positive mindset. I get my strength from knowing that I have faced difficulties in my life but have managed to overcome them. What seems insurmountable at first can be handled in a calm, thoughtful manner. Read more>>

David Rios

My resilience stems from my childhood experiences and the creativity that became my defining trait from an early age. Growing up in a small home with five kids in a one-bedroom welfare situation taught me the value of resourcefulness and compassion. Being raised at times in shelters, I understood firsthand the challenges faced by those with less, and this understanding drives me to give back to nonprofit organizations like Martha’s Village House. Read more>>

Melissa McLaughlin

My resilience has been apart of me, as far back as I can remember. There was always a deep rooted feeling in my heart that there was more to life than what meets the eye. As a child who grew up witnessing domestic violence, often not having meals, and having the experience of homelessness, you had to be resilient. It was essential to push through the obstacles in order to move forward. Read more>>