7 Battle-Tested Strategies for Building Resilience When Everything Goes Wrong

Welcome to The Path Weekly! If you’re new here, join the thousands of subscribers who receive valuable business insights and actionable advice each and every week from hundreds of industry leaders! Click here to subscribe on Substack!

Welcome to the first “real” edition of The Path Weekly. As we enter the second week of January, the initial buzz around New Year’s resolutions has already begun to fade. That’s perfectly fine because I’ve never been a fan of the endless cycle of setting superficial goals each year only to abandon them days or weeks later. Instead, I believe in cultivating qualities that sustain us throughout the year and beyond.

One such quality that is often overlooked is resilience. While absolutely critical, many people don’t truly appreciate the difference between it and the often-conflated term grit. Understanding how they differ and knowing when to apply each can be a powerful tool in designing your path.

This brings me to today’s feature. In this issue, we’ll explore seven battle-tested resilience strategies drawn from the remarkable journey of our recent podcast guest and business titan José Berlanga. These insights not only highlight why resilience is often more valuable than grit but also provide actionable lessons on how to turn your biggest setbacks into your greatest opportunities.

Grit vs. Resilience

This certainly won’t be the first time you’ve heard these words, but as it pertains to finding your path in life or in business, you’ll certainly confront them —?grit and resilience. Most of the time, these words are used interchangeably, but I’d like to take a minute to noodle on the nuanced differences.

Grit could be thought of as sustaining passion and perseverance over the long haul. Think of it as an unwavering commitment to a goal.

Alternatively, and for me, the more important trait in an entrepreneur is resilience. Resilience is more about bouncing back better and stronger, an ability to react and pivot when things blow up in your face.

While both are key to a well-crafted path, grit alone might keep you shoveling the shit, but resilience ensures you can weather a crisis and emerge —?like a lungfish from the mud —?and discover new opportunities. For me, one is a story about staying the course, while the other is about building a new and better one on top of it.

Being “gritty” isn’t Enough

Grit can keep you laser-focused on a goal—even when the ground beneath your feet is coming apart. For some, that “gritty,” unwavering, dogged pursuit can create tunnel vision, blinding you to urgent signs that it’s time to pivot. Instead of avoiding an obvious sign of trouble, this approach can lead to actively working against your better interests just for the sake of the grind.

On the other hand, a developed sense of resilience will help you recognize that the world, the economy, and even your personal circumstances can change overnight. It’s the quality that says, “Let’s adapt right now — even though it sucks.” Rather than doubling down on a dying dream, resilience encourages you to learn from setbacks, realign your strategy, and seize new opportunities. José Berlanga’s story proves that grit alone can lock you into a single path, while resilience ensures you’re always ready to forge a better one. It’s not just about hammering down on the same goal. Rather, it’s about reinventing yourself when the old path collapses altogether.

Now More than Ever

The last many years have been described, in so many words, as bonkers. Rapidly shifting economies, evolving workplaces, emerging industries, and technologies (not to mention the?other?stuff) have left many people in a prolonged state of “what now!?” The ability to flex and recover has become absolutely crucial.

Markets, consumer needs, and technology are evolving at a rate previously unseen, and entrepreneurs who demonstrate their grit by staying the course while the world changes around them will be left in the dust, fixated on creating solutions to yesterday’s problems. When you are prepared for unexpected blows—from global financial crises to personal upheaval—resilience empowers you to turn chaos into opportunity and emerge better for it.

The Gold Standard of Resilience, José Berlanga

Podcast guest and business titan José Berlanga is the human manifestation of resilience. He’s endured colossal failures in business — most of which would have crushed a weaker person. From near-bankruptcies and economic crashes to full-on industrial collapse, on more than one occasion, José has not only risen from the ashes but has refused to let these setbacks define him. He defines resilience in real-life terms.

It’s easy to talk about perseverance, but José exemplifies this trait and, from his experience, teaches us how to adapt swiftly to new circumstances and come out on top.

Below, we’ll uncover?seven resilience strategies?drawn from José Berlanga’s entrepreneurial journey. His experience feels like watching five business lives rolled into one. But with each stumble, he was forced to discover practical ways to recover and rebuild. As we explore José’s path, let it serve as a powerful reminder that your biggest failure can become your greatest catalyst for growth.?

7 Hard-Won Lessons from the Rollercoaster Life of José Berlanga

1. When Everything Falls Apart Overnight

“I was making a lot of money at a very young age … losing it was devastating. It wasn’t quick. It was sad. I didn’t know what was going to happen with the rest of my life.”

The insight: José’s first big failure hit when an industry shift left him holding the bag—no payments, no direction, and no clear path forward. Rather than sink, he found a way to swim by capitalizing on the reputation he had built beforehand.

2. The Resilience Factor

“You have to have that mental strength to tolerate endless setbacks… Entrepreneurship is much more about taking the punches.”

The insight: Early success can distract us from the reality of how often business goes sideways. José stresses that it’s not your product alone that leads you to victory—it's your capacity to adapt and outlast the rough patches.

3. The Pivot that Saved Everything (Again and Again)

“That wasn’t the only time. I kept failing over and over… I kept just moving forward.”

The insight: José learned that when one door slammed shut, he had to hustle, talk to people, and stay open to “unsexy” opportunities. That outlook helped him rebuild after repeated collapses, including the 2008 real estate crisis.

4. Surviving the Global Storm

“We got hit by the financial crisis of 2008… which almost put us out of business again. It was terrifying.”

The insight: The housing crash forced José to make painful decisions. But by selling assets quickly instead of hanging on in denial, he preserved his credit—and his ability to fight another day.

5. Act Fast. Don’t Cling to Denial.

“Don’t just wait and think that things are going to fix themselves.”

The insight: According to José, stubbornly refusing to cut losses can sink your entire operation. His quick moves—offloading property at or below cost—were agonizing, but they’re what kept him in the game.

6. Humility Before Profit

“I was humble enough to understand my new reality… and start again in any opportunity I thought I could turn into something.”

The insight: When big, glamorous projects disappeared, José took on less appealing ventures—often at lower stakes. In doing so, he rebuilt credibility and kept forging new relationships that would pay off long-term.

7. The 10-Year Overnight Success

“It takes 10 to 15 years to become an overnight success… and during that time, you’re so immersed in building that you don’t even realize how far you’ve come.”

The insight: José’s reflections prove that success doesn’t typically arrive in one big “aha” moment. It’s a marathon of baby steps, sleepless nights, and unwavering commitment—until one day you look around and see just how much you’ve accomplished. (This is where grit actually factors in.)

Inspired yet?

Josés story is full of inspirational moments and absolute disaster, the highest highs and lowest lows. No matter where you are in your journey, if we can learn anything from his, it’s that the path to success is winding and uncertain. The ability to adapt and survive—or better yet, thrive—despite adversity will serve you well as you carve your way to greatness, no matter what that looks like for you.

Thanks for reading. –R

If you were forwarded this post and would like to receive my next piece in your inbox, make sure to subscribe. Click here to subscribe on Substack!

Want more?

Watch José’s interview in its entirety on Eggs! The Podcast. To be sure you don’t miss a show, you can subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or really anywhere else you listen to great podcasts.

What’s Next?

Next week, we delve into the transformative power of innovation in business. Discover how a forward-thinking leader is driving success through creativity and cutting-edge strategies. Learn actionable insights that can help you foster a culture of innovation within your own organization and stay ahead in a competitive market. Don’t miss this inspiring conversation with a top innovation expert!

Path Picks

Cool stuff to help you forge your path to greatness.

Note:?The Path Weekly is reader-supported. As such, I may be using affiliate links below. If you want to support the newsletter at no additional cost to you, please consider using the links below. If you’d rather not, most items below are widely available anywhere you want to shop. Thanks! –R

Reading list

Want to learn more about developing and applying grit and resilience? Here are some great books that will help you forge your path.

• The Business of Home Building by José Berlanga
• Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth
• Real Estate Titans by Erez Cohen
• The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz
• Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

More to explore

José Berlanga Official: https://joseberlanga.com/

Work with me

R2 - Creative Services for Agencies and SMBs: https://www.r2mg.com/

Eggs! The Podcast: https://www.eggscast.com/

Would you like a personal introduction to any of the incredible leaders featured in The Path Weekly to explore business or other collaborative opportunities? Contact me here to learn more about my B2B matchmaking service.

Get featured

Do you want to be featured in a future edition of The Path Weekly? Contact me to learn more.

If you were forwarded this post and would like to receive my next piece in your inbox, make sure to subscribe. Click here to subscribe on Substack!