Imagine what it might feel like to have all the odds stacked against you. No one is going to help you. The only things on your side are your own mind and spirit. At some point in our lives, we all face challenges like this. We want to look at some people who, despite the odds, rose above the hard times that came at them. They didn’t accept their lot in life, met adversity head-on, and through sheer resilience, beat it. If you are feeling like life is standing in the way of your dreams, take a page out of any one of these folks’ books in order to find the success you’ve worked hard for.

Oprah Winfrey

When Oprah moved to Nashville she eventually became the first African American TV correspondent for WTVF. She moved to Baltimore, then Chicago, working each time to rise through the ranks of local media, facing both misogyny and racism along the way. But Oprah was a notoriously hard worker, who wouldn’t take no for an answer. While in Chicago she turned her AM radio show into a nationally syndicated TV talk show within three years. This led to the Oprah that we know and love today.

J.K Rowling

J.K. submitted her bestselling book Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone to over a dozen publishers before her manuscript was finally accepted. All the while Rowling battled sexism. In fact, while she was working with editors, they convinced her that little boys wouldn’t read a book written by a woman. She added the initial “K” to her name in order to have a more “masculine” name. As the series continued, the increasingly dark tones of the story reflected her increasingly difficult personal life. Still, after the success of Harry Potter, she went on to be the first author to be a billionaire. This status didn’t last too long though–she donated so much money she is now “just” a millionaire. Rowling, like everyone else on this list, is a true inspiration.

Do Wan Chang

Do Wan Chang and his wife left South Korea in 1981 during a tumultuous time in the country’s history. They traveled to Los Angeles where Chang immediately took a job at a coffee shop for minimum wage ($3 an hour at the time). This wasn’t enough to support his family, so he took a job at a local gas station and started his own office cleaning company– while working 19 hours a day. After noticing that the people in the garment industry drove the nicest cars, he and his wife began saving their money. After pooling their money they opened a store called Fashion 21. Over time this turned into Forever 21. Their store has since become one of the most profitable apparel stores in the United States.

Jan Koum 

Jan Koum was born in Kyiv, Ukraine and lived there until the age of 16 when he and his mother emigrated to California. The two secured an apartment with the help of government assistance and Jan got to work sweeping floors at a local store. At this time his mother was diagnosed with cancer and they lived on disability benefits. All the while Koum bought books on coding from a second-hand bookstore and taught himself to code. While he had trouble graduating from high school, as a self-professed troublemaker, he eventually enrolled at San Jose University. He worked his way through school as a software security tester for Ernst and Young. This led to a job at Yahoo and to the founding of WhatsApp, a messaging app that he sold to Facebook for billions of dollars in cash and shares in Facebook.

To be resilient means to do your best no matter the challenges you face. The people on this list saw these obstacles as opportunities to not only grow but succeed. They took adversity in stride and ran right through it. They turned their passions into careers that vaulted them to success. While there are many individual lessons that we can learn from each one of these people, just remember that resilience isn’t a special talent that only certain people are imbued with. This quality is simply the choice to work hard in order to overcome your obstacles.

Here at Alpha Kappa Psi, we celebrate and champion many great characteristics. But when it comes to succeeding in the business world, few are as vital as resilience. Gaining success in a career or new business endeavor doesn’t happen overnight. Even when things are going well, there can be difficult impasses and moments when the world seems to be at odds with your dreams. Though we have countless success stories in our alumni, there are a few that we felt truly encapsulate the process of staying motivated and grounded. Here are their stories!

James Cash Penny, Founder of J.C. Penny

Penny began his chain of department stores in the early 1900s, primarily in the Western states of Wyoming, Utah, and Idaho. By 1917, the chain had grown to nearly 200 locations, and then to nearly 1,000 by the 1920s. However, after the stock market crash of 1929, Penny found himself in financial ruin. Despite the store’s success, Penny found himself at his wits’ end and eventually checked himself into a mental health sanitarium. After his stay, Penny resumed his position and continued to travel across the country. He visited stores and locations, meeting with employees and customers alike. Such a traumatic experience may have been difficult, but Penny displayed great resilience to stay committed to his dream.

Bernie Marcus, Founder of Home Depot

We may not think of Alpha Kappa Psi when picking out light fixtures or sorting through paint swatches, but founder Bernie Marcus was a prominent member of our fraternity. His journey is one marked with setbacks and obstacles. He was born to Russian immigrant parents who lived in a fourth-floor walk-up.  In 1978 he was fired from the hardware store Handy Dan. In an act of resilience, he chose to pursue his love of the home improvement industry when he and a fellow coworker decided to then open their own hardware store. Though they faced stiff competition, Home Depot now has over 2,000 locations worldwide, making it the global leader in home improvement retail.

Alexis Ohanian, Founder of Reddit

After graduating college in 2005, this University of Virginia Alpha Kappa Psi member dreamed up a little idea. In collaboration with friend Steve Huffman, they developed the concept of “the front page of the Internet.” This would be a place where all the important links, stories, and content could be brought together in one place. However, only a few months into the process of building the site, Ohanian received extremely disconcerting news ; his girlfriend fell five stories and subsequently was in a coma. While Alexis was still reeling from this accident, he learned that his mother had an inoperable brain tumor. For many, either of these would be cause to give up. However, through the pain he persisted in his work and eventually helped Reddit to grow to over 300 million daily active users.

The road to success is rarely a clear one. Along the way, even the most accomplished professionals will undoubtedly encounter difficulties and setbacks. The key is not to let these diminish your dreams, but to push through them. Whether you’re starting a chain of stores, dreaming up internet sites in your dorm room, or finding your way in a new endeavor, staying motivated and pushing through obstacles is the only pathway to success. How will you showcase your resilience in business? We simply can’t wait to see what else our members can do!

The working world can sometimes present challenging situations and obstacles. One of the most important aspects of success in business is the ability to overcome these stressful situations and make the best of tough experience. By doing so, you grow as a person and can even better your career. But how exactly does one develop professional resilience, especially when your job is on the line? Here are three ways to become resilient and make sure you keep moving forward, even when it feels impossible to do so.

Actress Mary Pickford once said, “This thing we call failure is not the falling down, but the staying down.” Whether in work or personal life, resilience is one of the most important and beneficial traits a person can have. Overcoming obstacles, standing up to naysayers, and moving forward when the going gets tough requires a ton of grit and perseverance. And though we often speak about the importance of resilience, defining how it looks in daily life can be tricky. Let’s take a look at how the motivation to keep moving can play a part at work, with your friends, or at home with the family.

Resilience at Work

Though it can be extremely rewarding, the professional world is equally full of challenges and obstacles. A study performed by the American Institute of Stress found that 40% of workers said their jobs were very or extremely stressful. This stress can come from a variety of sources, but research from the staffing firm Accountemps revealed 33% of workplace anxiety is caused by heavy workloads and difficult deadlines, with struggling for work-life balance (22%), and unrealistic expectations from management (22%) not far behind. Beyond these consistent factors are difficult professional events that are isolated, such as:

• Layoffs
• Arguments with coworkers
• Missing out on promotions
• Relocation
• Negative feedback from managers

Resilience in a workplace means learning to tune out these frustrations. Throughout your career, you will undoubtedly encounter one, if not many, of these instances.  A resilient individual uses these moments as a chance to move forward in a positive way. Consider journaling your progress in a position, and review your entries regularly to remind yourself just how far you’ve come. You may also consider asking for more frequent discussions with a manager or executive. Though it might be frightening to do so, a proactive approach can often prevent future problems.

Resilience with Friends

Our social circle is more than a list of folks who will help us move, or head to the local bar for our birthday. The connections we forge define us and enrich our lives for the better. In fact, a study done at Michigan State University found people who reported having supportive and good friendships had fewer chronic illnesses, as well as reduced stress and boosted overall emotional states. But how do we define “good friends?” One important way is through resilience.

People want to be around people who care, plain and simple. We strive to feel supported, to know that our emotions or experiences matter to our friends. When a companion is going through a difficult time, the best thing you can do let them know you’re there. Offer to cook them a meal, take them out for the night, or just listen while they vent. This will help them work through their emotions.  Your resilience may just rub off on them and help them pull themselves up, too.

Resilience with Family

Dr. Froma Walsh, a top research authority on family resilience, defines it as the ability to “withstand and rebound from disruptive life challenges, strengthened and more resourceful.” Certainly, all families are different, but Dr. Walsh’s studies helped her break down resilient family dynamics into the categories of beliefs, organization, and communication

• Beliefs – sometimes tied to spirituality, help family members find meaning and encourage a positive outlook.
• An organization can foster mutual support and connectedness, allow for flexibility and creates social networks
• Communication is open and clear, allows for the expression of emotions and opinions, and is used in problem-solving

Resilient families provide a safe space for all members. It should be a healthy and welcoming environment, and one built on give-and-take. Just the same as you can go to a sibling or a parent for advice, you too need to offer a shoulder, an ear and helping hand.

Resilience is one of Alpha Kappa Psi’s most important core competencies. Life is full of wonderful and exciting opportunities, but in order to reap the benefits, we must first be able to push through the less-fun and more difficult moments. Whether it’s in the workplace, with a group of friends, or in a family meeting, resilience can help you uncover the true happiness and reward of life.