It’s the thing that picks you up after a gut punch email. It’s what keeps you moving when you’re two launches deep with a toddler on your hip and a sinking feeling in your chest. Resilience isn’t always about ‘bouncing back’ and just getting on with it, sometimes, it’s about crawling forward, finding your footing again, and figuring out what’s next.

I created my 3Ws of Resilience not in a moment of clarity but in the aftermath of an accident that brought everything to a crashing halt. I’d been living life at 100 miles an hour, working 7 days a week, born from fear that if I slowed down, it would all unravel. Terrified that everything would come crashing down around me if I even for a second took a moment to rest. The accident forced me to stop. Not pause. Stop. In the biggest and scariest way possible. It gave me no choice but to step away from the day to day noise and ask myself what truly I was doing and what is it that I was REALLY working towards.

That time, and I won't sugarcoat this, was extremely painful and mentally uncomfortable. But what it did was allow me to gain a much needed aerial perspective. It gave me the headspace to step back, re-evaluate everything and look at things from the outside in, rather than the other way around. And from that space, where the dust had settled and the urgency faded, I started piecing together a new way to process setbacks and challenges. I developed the 3Ws of Resilience. Not because I wanted a catchy framework, but because I needed a lifeline, and a renewed sense of control back. And now, it’s something I use every single day in both life and business, and I’ve shared it with the women I mentor because I know how powerful it can be when everything feels like it’s crumbling.

Here’s what the 3Ws are and how you can use them.

W1. WHAT can I learn from this?

This is always the first question. And it’s the hardest when emotions are running high. When things go wrong, when a deal falls through, a collaboration doesn't come off, a launch flops, a client ghosts, it’s easy to jump into panic, blame, or as we often do – self criticism. But this question invites a pause. It says: “Before I write this off as a failure… what’s here for me to learn?”

After my accident, I initially saw the whole experience as a disaster. Drowning in a multitude of feelings from embarrassment, feeling useless, and honestly, like a massive letdown. But when I asked myself what I could learn, the answers started unfolding. I realised I had been operating from a place of fear, constantly overworking, and never allowing rest or reflection. I hadn’t created a business that was sustainable, what I'd actually created was a treadmill I couldn’t step off. The funny thing is, I actually convinced myself that I couldn't step off it, but in actual fact this was entirely my decision to keep on it- hindsight is a beautiful thing right?

When I began mentoring other women, I saw how often we do this, constantly powering through without questioning the cost. But this question allows you to flip the script. And not just in the present moment.

Since creating the 3Ws, I’ve found myself going back to experiences from years ago, situations I had mentally filed away as just difficult chapters. Now, I’m able to revisit them through a new lens. And instead of just seeing pain or frustration, I see valuable data. I can ask a number of questions like: what did that teach me about my boundaries, my values, or my instincts? What would I do differently now? That kind of reflection turns those tough times into gold. It makes the weight of those experiences feel lighter, because now, they serve a purpose, a real opportunity to shape what you do next.

W2. WHICH direction does this take me in?

Resilience isn’t about springing back to exactly where you were before. It’s about using the setback as a fork in the road. That accident could’ve made me cling harder to the path I was on, but instead, it opened up space to ask: What’s next?

And not just “next” in terms of action steps. I mean, what direction feels aligned? Which path feels right, not just for my goals, but for my energy, my values, and the life I want to live?

In business, we can fall into the trap of just doing what we’ve always done, because it feels safe or familiar. But often, a challenge is an invitation. It’s asking us to shift, to pivot, or to realign. When you give yourself permission to change direction, it doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It means you’ve evolved. And this is the biggest gift of all, because when we feel stuck in a situation and don't feel like we can change it, it can feel too scary to switch up what we're doing.

But that’s what resilience does, it gives you the strength not just to keep going, but to choose where you’re going. That’s a huge difference. You’re not stuck, you’re simply at a crossroads. And that’s a place of massive power!

W3. WHO can I help with this?

This is the W that brings everything full circle. Because once you’ve reflected on the lessons and chosen your direction, there’s one more step that transforms your experience from painful to purposeful. We as women are so often driven in our businesses – perhaps even the reason we began them in the first place – by purpose. Whether that's a business that was set up as a result of a need, a product we needed at one time, a service we wished was available when we needed it the most, inherently our businesses are steeped in purpose.

Ask yourself this, WHO can benefit from what I’ve been through?

When I started sharing my story, the burnout, the accident, the shifts I’d made, I was blown away by how many women resonated with it. Women who had been silently struggling, thinking they were the only ones on the brink. Women who needed permission to step off the hamster wheel.

Your story, (even the messy and imperfect bits!) isn’t just for you. It’s a lighthouse for someone else, a beacon of support for other business owners. And when you use your experiences to uplift, support, or guide others, something magical happens, the weight of it feels lighter. It becomes part of your legacy, not just your history.

For me, mentoring women through their business challenges, watching them come back from burnout or self-doubt stronger and more focused, is the most rewarding part of what I do. And it wouldn’t be possible if I hadn’t gone through my own dark times. The ability to resonate, sympathise and understand the place in which they are coming from allows a connection to form and a shared commonality.

Resilience isn’t about being unshakeable, it's not about never failing, never losing your way and always having the answers. It’s certainly not about never crying, never faltering, or always being positive. It’s about allowing space for the struggle, and then choosing what you do with it, reclaiming back the power over the situation. Refusing to sit in the negative and let the weight of so called failures keep you stranded, it's all about taking what you can and moving forward, not just for you but for others too.

The 3Ws have helped me over and over again, not just in business, but in life. They’ve become a kind of compass, one I share with clients, friends, and even my own daughters. Because we all face setbacks, there's absolutely no one that hasn't! But with the right questions, we can turn those setbacks into stepping stones.

So, next time things feel hard, and they will, pause and ask:

• WHAT can I learn from this?
• WHICH direction does this take me in?
• WHO can I help with this?

That’s where your resilience lives. Not in the hustle, not in the perfection, but in the honest, human moments where you decide to move forward, as a wiser, stronger, and more aligned version of yourself than before.

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