Resilience, Rebounds, and the Next Shot

Take it from this girl, you can let that last shot take you down or you can rise up and prepare for the next.

I didn’t play sports growing up, but my kids sure do.

First tournament as a full time hockey goalie!
The teams were tough, and so was she. Many saves, amazing memories with her team on the ice, the water slide, team parties and all the shenanigans. This is the stuff that she’ll remember and so will I.

What stood out most, though, wasn’t the score. It was her resilience.

Every period, she got back in the crease ready for the next shot, even when the scoreboard wasn’t in our favour.

Her goalie coach said something that stuck with me:

“Your job isn’t to stop every goal. It’s to give your team the best chance at winning.”

That hit home — for business, too.

Entrepreneurship is its own kind of tournament. Some days you make the save. Other days, one gets past you. The trick is to not let it define your next move.

Because let’s be honest — being an entrepreneur is harder than getting a job. No one chooses this because it’s the easy route. We do it because we want something more:

• Freedom in our time and choices.

• Financial independence.

• The satisfaction of building something that’s truly ours.

But there’s a reason entrepreneurship is often called a roller coaster — the ups are exhilarating, but the downs can test every ounce of grit you’ve got.

When you hit one of those “losses,” remember this: it’s not about never letting one in. It’s about getting ready for the next shot.

Here are three ways to stay resilient and keep your momentum:

1️⃣ Keep expanding your pipeline.

Whether it’s leads, partnerships, or opportunities, don’t rely on one or two “sure things.”
Have more eggs in more baskets.
That’s how you stay steady when one deal stalls or a client moves on.

2️⃣ Get comfortable with “no.”

Salespeople will tell you “no” is their second-favorite word.
Because “no” means clarity = you can move forward.
It’s the maybe that drags you down and drains your energy.
The faster you get to a yes or a no, the faster you get to the right fit.

If you think about it, every no is making room for another yes.

3️⃣ Know how to explain what you do.

If you can’t clearly say what your company is and who it’s for in a few sentences, your audience can’t either.
Practice your elevator pitch, on friends, on family, even in the mirror, until it feels natural.
Clarity builds confidence. Confidence builds connection.

So, yes, sometimes you’ll get scored on.
Sometimes the scoreboard won’t reflect your effort.
But if you keep showing up, keep taking the next shot, and keep learning from every play, you’re still in the game.

And that’s what resilience looks like, on the ice, and in business.

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