Triumph Over Trials: Lessons On Resilience And Self-Belief

BY: Forbes Riley

For almost three decades, I was the queen of infomercials – those late-night television shows that sold products – and was privileged enough to gross a little over $2.5 billion. During that time, I also worked with some of the industry's biggest producers, including the genius who created the "As Seen on TV" Logo.

After receiving so many blessings in my career, I am now focused on more than just selling products on television. Aside from shooting a new movie and coaching over 18,000 students, I recently launched a massive membership program that has grossed over six figures weekly.

My 20-year-old daughter, Makenna, leads this fresh venture as the company's CEO, displaying honesty, integrity, and passion that outshines nearly everyone I've met. The bond between my daughter and I transcend our ages. I'm 63, and she's 20 – and those years bridge a lifetime of knowledge. I've seen her blossom into a gifted orator, delivering messages from her heart with great eloquence. Together, we've developed a solid team that thrives on principles I've come to appreciate more and more as technology speeds along.

Embracing The Human Element

As I moved further along my career path, I understood the beauty of a dynamic team and realized an important truth: despite the overwhelming technological advances, we're still human. And humans are innately creative, expressive, and innovative.

Yes, we can use tools like AI to augment our capabilities, but nothing replaces our ability to connect. So, I would like to encourage everyone to improve their communication skills to understand why they talk to people and what they expect from them. Remember, if you consistently give more than you get, you will eventually receive more than you imagined.

To navigate this world effectively, it's also crucial to understand the art of pitching, which is not about selling, but about exciting, engaging, and enrolling people to take action. Understanding what pitching truly means – getting people to do what they want, not what you think they need – will profoundly improve your life. Once you truly comprehend this concept and start practicing it in your daily life, your life will begin to transform. That's how I've raised my children and what I strive to teach my students.

Believing In Yourself And Overcoming Obstacles

I've noticed over the years that so many of us are just playing small, limiting ourselves based on our misconceptions and fears. One of the most significant obstacles we face is not truly believing in ourselves, and our world is filled with countless examples of individuals who achieved greatness simply because they believed in themselves when no one else did.

Let me tell you this: YOU are your own biggest obstacle. It's not your product, your education, or your parents. It's you not genuinely believing in who you are.

Self-doubt is a challenge we all confront at various points in our lives. I, too, had my fair share of self-doubt. However, I've managed to overcome it by acknowledging my worth and capabilities, and this has been instrumental in my journey toward self-belief.

In my life, I've grappled with intense adversities, which include losing my husband, surviving cancer twice, and dealing with the traumatic experience of being robbed at gunpoint. Although these instances pushed me to despair, I've learned to use them as catalysts for growth and change.

I've also experienced numerous failures in my professional journey. But instead of letting those failures defeat me, I chose to view them as opportunities to learn and grow. This perspective has been vital in shaping my approach to work and life.

Throughout my journey, I've found that reinvention is crucial in overcoming personal obstacles. I've had to redefine myself numerous times, which involved shedding old beliefs and adopting new ones, and it's a process that has ultimately helped me become more resilient and adaptable.

Turning Dreams Into Reality

Many of us who have achieved success were never handed a silver spoon. We just took a step back, believed in ourselves, and found a mentor who believed in us.

My mother wanted to be an actress, and I took her dream, asking myself how to live that reality. Years later, that’s exactly what I'm doing. I've had the pleasure of spending time with inspirational individuals such as Mark Victor Hansen, Crystal, Sharon Lechter, and Les Brown, and I'm proud to say that I'm living the dream.

But when I think back to my journey, I remember my first mentor, Professor David Richmond – a legally blind theatre director who saw in me what others didn't. Growing up, I was always judged for my looks: my mouth was goofy, my nose was crooked, my hair was frizzy, and my legs were too big. And people made fun of me throughout my childhood.

I was a simple girl from Long Island with a heavy accent but I had big dreams. One day, Professor Richmond gave me the lead in the play and told me that I was one of the most talented performer communicators he had ever seen – a theatre director who lost his eyesight made me believe for the first time that somebody could see who I really was. And based on that man's faith in me, plus a lot of guts, I moved to New York to become an actress, landed the lead in my first feature film, and never looked back.

Along the way, I would get inspiration from the lives of others who dared to dream big, like Arnold Schwarzenegger, a 'goofy guy' from Austria who became the top bodybuilder in the world, a leading actor, and a governor. His secret? He believed in himself, especially when no one else did.

In my world, we'd say that he "Forbes'd it." It means you create, especially when no one thought you could. So, what have you Forbes'd lately? What did you create, especially when no one else thought you could do it?

When you start believing that you are enough just the way you are, regardless of your physical attributes or social status, you will shift your perspective and see the world differently. I found this to be profoundly true in my journey, and I invite you to join me in this realization. Permit yourself to lead the most amazing life ever just because you're here: alive, thriving, and learning.

There's always room for dreaming big. I always desired to be on the same level as Julia Roberts or Sandra Bullock, and I still might hold an Oscar one day.

I won't lie; sometimes, my demons got the better of me. I let those inner voices tell me what I couldn't be, what I couldn't do. But you see, it's never too late. Jamie Lee Curtis can hold an Oscar, Ki Young can hold an Oscar, and there's still time for me too. How big can you dream? I dare you to dream bigger than ever imagined, to defy your demons.

It doesn't matter where you're from or what you've been handed in life - the key is to take a step back, believe in yourself, find a mentor who believes in you, and never stop dreaming. I dare you to Forbes your life.

It doesn't matter where you're from or what you've been handed in life - the key is to take a step back, believe in yourself, find a mentor who believes in you, and never stop dreaming. I dare you to Forbes your life.

About the Author:

Forbes Riley is an award-winning TV host, author, motivational speaker, entrepreneur, and one of the world's leading health & wellness experts (National Fitness Hall Of Fame inductee). She was voted the "Top 20 most inspiring people on Television" through her roles as a sought-after spokesperson, broadcast journalist, and success/results coach to celebrities, sales teams, and CEOs. 

She is also a dynamic motivational speaker and role model for the success of women in business, sales training, and leadership coaching. Affectionately called "the female Tony Robbins," Forbes has toured the globe, from colleges and sales meetings to boardrooms and global digital conferences. 

Forbes' career includes countless TV shows/movies, with many acting and hosting credits on Broadway, TV series, and movies. But her true gift is communication in the widest of varieties: live events, comedy at laugh factory, infomercials (179 to date w/ dozen best TV presenter awards), and live home shopping.