Today, I got hit with a message that carried an unpleasant surprise. It was the kind of news that could have easily knocked me down, pulled me into frustration, maybe even made me question my next steps.

But instead, I chose to view it through the lens of an entrepreneurial mindset – to turn this into an opportunity to recalibrate, to remind myself that setbacks, whether personal or professional, are part of the journey. Surprises, pleasant or otherwise, are part of both life and business.

Building a startup is often like navigating a rollercoaster of wins, losses, and everything in between. Sometimes, the people around us – whether intentionally or not – might hurt us, and resilience is the shield that keeps us moving forward. Instead of taking every hit to heart, resilience lets us rise above and learn from each experience.

I know these surprises won’t stop coming, but how we handle them makes all the difference. So I ask you:

How do you build your resilience? What strategies help you rise after a fall?