Success on Our Own Terms: Rising Through Challenge

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Life and leadership aren’t always filled with sunshine and celebration.

We encounter losses, setbacks, and moments that shake us to our core—times that leave us questioning everything once the dust settles.

The big game we lose. The job we’re unexpectedly let go from. The opportunity we chased relentlessly, only to hear, “We went in a different direction.” The relationship we gave everything to, only to watch it fade. The difficult diagnosis we hoped we'd never receive. Life gives us our fair share of duality.

But it’s never just what happens to us—it’s how we choose to respond. That’s what puts us in position to receive the lesson, to uncover the teaching hidden inside the experience.

It’s hard—sometimes extremely difficult—to find perspective when we're in the thick of it. But the challenge becomes the unique opportunity if we’re willing to listen to the answers that often come in the silence and stillness.

In this week’s Saturday Blueprint, we explore the pursuit of purpose and success on our own terms—amidst both the obstacles and the opportunities, within what we can control and what we cannot.

Each voice reminds us that leadership and meaning aren't found in comfort or applause. They're built through intentional choices, quiet clarity, and the relentless, personal commitment to what matters most.

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You worked at Fortune for several years. How difficult was the choice to leave and what ultimately led you to it?

When I was making the decision, I read Anna Quindlen's 1999 commencement speech in which she says, "I am successful on my own terms. Because if your success is not on your own terms, if it looks good to the world but does not feel good in your heart, it is not success at all. Remember the words of Lily Tomlin: If you win the rat race, you're still a rat.” And I started thinking about that every single day: "How do I define success?" and "What does fulfillment mean for me?"

For me, ultimately, it came down to independence. There is no better feeling than the freedom to decide what you work on, how you spend your time, and who you do business with. And I really learned this from my parents who left an entire country in the hopes for independence. And I was doing it now on a much smaller level.

― Polina M. Pompliano, Founder of "The Profile" & Author, Hidden Genius

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Would you be open to sharing what your journey of living with and leading with cerebral palsy has taught you about resilience, leadership, and overcoming challenges?

Everybody crosses paths with people who shape them—who ignite resilience, challenge limitations, and help them discover strengths they never knew they had. I feel profoundly grateful to have had a circle of people who have pushed me to be better, even in moments when I doubted myself. These people—my family, my 24/7 personal assistant, my medical team, incredible friends, mentors, and even Hall of Fame athletes—have all played a role in my journey. Some have been there in the trenches with me, offering unwavering support. Others—people I’ve never even met—have inspired me through their words, actions, and examples.

My 24/7 personal assistant has been working with me for four and a half years. She has seen me at my worst and my best, and she is an angel sent from God. Each of them, in their own way, has reminded me that leadership—like life—isn’t about never facing adversity. It’s about how you show up despite it.

Living with and leading with cerebral palsy has taught me that resilience isn’t just about enduring hardships—it’s about actively choosing to move forward. It’s about embracing every challenge as an opportunity to grow, to refine my purpose, and to inspire others to do the same.

Whenever I face an obstacle, I remind myself of the wisdom and encouragement I’ve received, and I make a choice: to "keep on trucking." Because at the end of the day, leadership and life isn’t about walking the easiest path—it’s about forging ahead, even when the road is tough and uncertain. And in doing so, we light the way for others to follow.

― Anthony Bonelli, Basketball Coach and Journalist

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That willingness to ask questions, even if they make you look a little naïve at times, isn’t always natural for people. Why were you comfortable doing that?

One of the keys I write about in “Dynamic Drive” is curiosity. I think curiosity creates chances for us. I grew up in an environment where you asked, you got an answer, and you dealt with the results. If my brothers were wrestling and I jumped into the middle of the pile, I was going to live with whatever happened inside of that pile, which was probably a bloody nose.

It was nurtured at some level to ask for what you want. It’s O.K. to ask questions. It’s O.K. to not know the answer. It’s O.K. to not be the smartest person in the room. It’s how you build better relationships.

When you ask people questions about themselves, you learn, you grow. I think it’s important for people to know there are such things as dumb questions. There are. But I think we want to ask the kinds of questions that can help us gain more respect because of the knowledge we’re able to demonstrate.

― Molly Fletcher, Keynote speaker and Best-selling author

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How do you handle setbacks or roadblocks in your work—what helps you stay on course when things don’t go as planned?

Well, I always look at perseverance as arguably the most critical asset—whether for a producer or director or anybody who’s in a position of leadership. Things almost never come easy, and they always take more time than you could imagine.

So instead of talking about obstacles, I prefer to look at them as challenges. Oftentimes, the challenge makes you re-route. Like following the GPS in your car - you see the traffic, you make a turn, ignoring the GPS. And it says, “re-routing”, and now you’re further away from your destination. But you gotta stay strong and trust your instincts and know you’re going the right way and eventually will get where you’re going. Like the old saying, “that which doesn’t break you makes you stronger.”

Getting back to perseverance — having done this for so long, I’ve developed the perspective that “no” really means “maybe”.  My dad went to his grave not quite understanding what a producer does. The closest I ever came to having him grasp it was just explaining, “A producer turns no into yes.” He got that, liked that.  But along the way, there are a lot of “maybes”. A lot of “buts”.  And so many potholes!  So I think it becomes critical to check your passion, clarify your vision, making sure you’re doing the right thing for the right reason. Which includes making sure some of the obstacles aren’t self-generated, making sure your team is working in unison and presenting the best opportunity for success. And then—just staying the course.

There was a Commissioner of Major League Baseball who once had a plaque on his desk which read, “Not talent, not genius. Perseverance is the greatest attribute of all. That will win out in the end.”

― Mike Tollin, Award-winning Producer and Director

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