"I was fresh out of college, and that first job experience taught me how entrepreneurship worked," said the man on a podcast about how he built his large business.

At that moment, I realized my Brazilian parents had given me a front-row seat to entrepreneurship. They modeled for my brother, sisters, and me what true courage and grit looked like every day.

My parents may not have completed more than a high school education, but they had the tenacity and intuition to make their art gallery and frame store successful. They were self-taught in many ways, leveraging every resource they could find to make their venture work.

To this day, I still wonder where they found the skills and the unorthodox education needed to "figure things out." I was fortunate to grow up in their household, watching them struggle and conquer the obstacles many business owners in Brazil face. They faced barriers like costly credit, runaway inflation, excessive taxation, and overwhelming bureaucracy that would be challenging for anyone anywhere, let alone people without a formal business education.

Yet, despite these formidable challenges, they somehow found a way to grow their business and provide their four children with a beautiful childhood.

Looking back, here are some things they got right, knowingly or unknowingly:

1.     They never disqualified themselves because they lacked formal education or business experience. They saw it not as a barrier but as an obstacle they were determined to overcome, and that mindset made all the difference.

2.     They didn't listen to naysayers who told them they would fail due to their lack of experience and resources. Instead, they focused on their vision and were stubborn enough to believe in their abilities, providing a powerful lesson in self-confidence.

3.     They tackled the problems of the day head-on, and each small victory became another stepping stone toward their dream. They viewed challenges as opportunities, embracing the chance to learn something new and better their business.

There were so many reasons they could have given up or never even tried – but they believed in themselves, got creative in the face of resistance, and most importantly, just kept going.

Because of what I saw growing up, when I chose to move to the United States at age 18, by myself, not speaking the language, it never occurred to me that I couldn’t figure it out.

When I started my first business, my parents were there cheering me on – believing in me like they believed in themselves.

And when I encountered very challenging times in my business (more than once), it was their encouragement that kept me from giving up.

 I’m now convinced that resilience is the #1 quality you need as an entrepreneur or organizational leader.

Skills can be developed, tasks can be outsourced, but pure grit and a willingness to figure things out is what separates those who succeed and those who don’t.

It also helps to have a cheerleader by your side who believes in you when you want to give up.

Are you facing a challenging season in your organization? Do you need outside perspective, fresh ideas, partnership, or even just hope?

 We all deserve to have a guide on our entrepreneurial journey. I’d love to partner with you to help you navigate this season with grit and grace – like I saw my parents do, and I do it every day – and step into the brighter future on the other side of this.

 Book your free discovery call now. Click Here.