As entrepreneurs, we are often celebrated for our vision, innovation, and ability to create something from nothing. But beneath every successful venture is a superpower that doesn’t always get the spotlight it deserves—resilience. In my journey as an entrepreneur, I’ve come to realise that resilience is not only a key to survival but also to long-term success. It’s the ability to keep moving forward when everything around you says to stop.
Resilience isn’t something we are born with. It’s something we cultivate, much like a muscle we train through challenges and setbacks. When we stumble, when we fail, when we feel like giving up, that’s when we’re truly given the opportunity to develop this essential skill.
Today, I want to share three personal stories from my entrepreneurial journey that have taught me how resilience has been the backbone of my growth—both as a businesswoman and as a person.
Story 1: Finding a Way When No Doors Were Open
When I co-founded 3Q Recruitment 25 years ago, I was filled with optimism and a touch of naivety. I had a solid business plan, contracts in place, and what I thought was a promising start. But when it came time to secure a loan, the doors were slammed shut. Bank after bank rejected our application, despite our promising business model.
With 20 temporary staff waiting for their wages and no money in the bank, I was desperate. It felt like my first real failure as a business owner, and I questioned whether I had what it took to make it in this industry. But here’s the thing about resilience—it shows up when you need it most. Instead of accepting defeat, I found another path. I reached out to my local Credit Union, and with the help of a supportive contact, we secured the funds we needed just in time.
That experience taught me a fundamental lesson: resilience means finding a way when all paths seem blocked. It’s about persistence, resourcefulness, and refusing to take “no” for an answer.
Story 2: Leading Through Loss
Five years into the business, we had grown rapidly. But with that growth came new challenges—leading a larger team, managing morale, and keeping the business running smoothly. It wasn’t easy, and there were moments when everything felt like it was unravelling. We lost a major contract that accounted for 20% of our revenue because of a mistake we made—a failure in due diligence. I could see the devastation on my team member’s face when we lost that account.
But what came from that loss was an important realisation: resilience isn’t just about pushing through for the sake of survival; it’s about learning and growing through your setbacks. Instead of blaming, we took a step back, re-evaluated our processes, and invested in building a stronger foundation. We set up systems to ensure we wouldn’t make the same mistake again, and, in time, we recovered—not just financially but with a renewed focus and energy. That contract loss pushed us to pursue new markets, and we landed deals that were far more lucrative in the long run.
Resilience in leadership is about showing up for your team, learning from mistakes, and finding new opportunities where others see only failure.
Story 3: Rediscovering My Why
About five years ago, I hit a wall. I was burnt out, my passion for the business had faded, and I felt like I had lost my way. Despite everything I had achieved, I was ready to walk away. I had even begun the process of selling the company and had planned my exit. But as life often does, it threw me a curveball—a global pandemic that put the sale on hold indefinitely.
Instead of seeing this as another obstacle, I chose to see it as a sign that perhaps I wasn’t done yet. The pandemic reconnected me with my “why”. I remembered the purpose that had driven me to start 3Q in the first place: to provide people with opportunities and to serve those on the front lines. By leaning into that purpose, I found the strength to keep going, to renegotiate the business structure, and eventually, to buy out my partners and become the sole owner.
Resilience here wasn’t just about bouncing back—it was about rediscovering my passion, my purpose, and aligning with the reason I started this journey in the first place.
The Japanese Way: “Fall Down 7 Times, Get Up 8”
There’s a Japanese proverb that perfectly captures the essence of resilience: “Fall down seven times, get up eight.” In Japan, there is a deep cultural understanding of resilience, or “ganbatte”, which means to persevere through hardships, no matter how difficult. It’s not about avoiding failure or pretending it doesn’t exist. It’s about embracing the lessons that come from falling and rising stronger each time.
As entrepreneurs, we will all face moments of failure—be it financial setbacks, failed projects, or personal burnout. But what matters most is not the fall; it’s how we rise. It’s the willingness to get back up, time and time again, that defines our success.
Resilience is a Superpower We All Have
Resilience isn’t about toughness. It’s not about pretending things are easy or acting like we have it all together. It’s about finding strength in the moments we feel weak, drawing on the power within us, and choosing to move forward even when the road feels impossibly hard.
When we talk about resilience, it’s easy to think of it as something extraordinary—something that belongs to the brave few. But I want you to know this: resilience is within you, too. It’s in every small step you take when you feel like giving up. It’s in every decision to try again after a failure. And it’s in every choice to believe in your vision, even when the world tells you otherwise.
You have the power to persevere, to get knocked down and rise again. And each time you rise, you’ll be stronger, wiser, and more prepared for whatever comes next.
3 Questions to Reflect on Your Own Resilience
- When was the last time you faced a major setback in your business or personal life? How did you respond, and what did you learn from the experience?
- What are the challenges you’re currently facing? How can you view them as opportunities to build your resilience muscle?
- What is one small action you can take today that will move you forward, even if the path ahead feels uncertain?
Remember, resilience isn’t about avoiding failure—it’s about rising again and again, each time with more strength and clarity. So, the next time life knocks you down, embrace the fall, because you have the power to rise again.
Stay resilient, stay focused, and never stop believing in what’s possible.
