John Mackey launched one grocery store in Austin, Texas to get started. But it was successful and growing, beating his expectations just nine months after opening. Then, in one night, disaster struck — and he had to be resilient and accept help from others.
A storm and ensuing flood on Memorial Day weekend in 1981 wiped out Mackey's first Whole Foods Market store. Several feet of water poured inside. To top it off, he didn't have flood insurance.
But his perseverance and resilient attitude toward overcoming setbacks, along with the hard-earned help from others along the way, enabled him to get back on his feet. He eventually expanded Whole Foods into a powerhouse natural and organic grocery giant, where he was CEO from 1980 to 2022. Amazon.com bought the chain in 2017 for nearly $14 billion.
Be Resilient When Tough Times Arise
Reality is going to deal you tough blows. It's inevitable. That's where your ability to bounce back and work as part of a team comes in.
"Resilience comes from your determination to learn from that and figure out another solution," Mackey, author of "The Whole Story," told IBD.
Mackey learned resilience from a young age. He was competitive in sports as a kid. "I was always taught, don't quit," he said. "Being a quitter was equivalent to being a loser."
Lean On Others
The first day after the flood, when he and other store employees were bailing out water and trying to save what they could, customers showed up to help.
"That was so inspiring. It makes it a lot easier to be resilient if you're not doing it all yourself," he said.
After Mackey realized he didn't have flood insurance, he needed a bank loan. He didn't have a long track record. But a local bank gave him a loan. He later found out the banker personally guaranteed the loan to make it happen.
"He did it because he trusted me and believed I had integrity," Mackey said. "If you consistently tell the truth and do what you say you'll do, people will trust you."
Learn From Mistakes
Look for the lesson in your mistake to help you move past it and avoid repeating it, said Rick McDaniel, Richmond, Va.-based president of coaching firm High Impact Living.
"There may be something to learn," said McDaniel, author of eight books, including "This is Living." "Failure teaches us not to do it again."
Be Resilient By Learning From Setbacks
Many people tend to do what McDaniel calls "rehearse it, curse it and nurse it," when they suffer a misstep. They'll dwell on it, get angry and then wallow in self-pity.
"None will get you out of a setback," he said. Take a mental position that can handle tough situations with support from others, especially when you've just faced adversity.
"A leader really brings that can-do mindset," McDaniel said. "It's like the Ted Lasso 'Believe' poster in the locker room. Show that you're not defined by your setbacks and you believe things can turn around."
Avoid The Victim Mentality
And don't dwell on what you could have done to prepare, McDaniel says. Nobody's perfect.
"Lose the regret because it doesn't do you any good," he said. "Learn the lessons and bury the regret. It's a 'welcome to the human race' moment."
McDaniel once talked to a college team that was unbeaten but then lost a game. He told them they couldn't be perfect but they could be excellent. They easily won their next game.
"Successful people pursue excellence but they don't pursue perfection," he said.
Reframe Mistakes
Don't view a mistake as meaning you personally failed.
"If I have a setback, it's like a game," Mackey said. "What did I learn, how can I do better next time and how can I grow?"
But resilience at times has to give way to going another direction. Mackey once had Whole Foods buy a mail order vitamin company. It didn't work and he later sold it at a $100 million loss.
"If you're going the wrong direction down the trail, you have to turn around," he said. "I've found that admitting your mistakes early pays off."
