From Setbacks to Comebacks: Unpacking the EMPOWER Workshop at EY

By Richelle Gabucan

"Would you rather have a rocky life but more resilience, or a smooth life with less resilience?"

This was the provocative question posed by Nidhi Kush Shah, author of Becoming Bold, Brave & Brilliant, at the recent EMPOWER workshop hosted by EY. It stopped me in my tracks. While our instinct might be to choose the "smooth" path, the reality is that life rarely offers that option.

During the session, Nidhi asked us to raise our hands if we had experienced a setback. Every hand went up. She asked if we had overcome them. Every hand went up again.

Looking around that room, I realized something profound: We are walking evidence of our own comeback stories.

Here are my key takeaways from the workshop:

Resilience 2.0: Reset and Rise

We often think of resilience as simply "bouncing back." But Nidhi introduced a powerful upgrade to this definition:

• Resilience 1.0: Adapt + Rebound + Recover.

• Resilience 2.0: Rebound + Recover + Reset + Rise Higher.

Resilience isn't just about returning to the status quo; it’s about using the experience to elevate yourself. When asked what the first word that comes to mind regarding resilience is, Ninam, a member of my group, said "Stepping Stones." I loved that perspective—viewing obstacles not as blockers, but as the path itself.

The Resilience Backpack: "Just Be a Rock"

We are all on a journey, and for that, we need a "Resilience Backpack." One of the most striking moments of the talk was a discussion on perspective—specifically, memento mori, memento vivere (remember death, remember to live).

Another group member, Alexandra, shared that remembering we are all just tiny specks of dust in the universe helps her cope; if you mess up, so what? In the grand scheme, it doesn’t matter.

This immediately reminded me of the scene in the movie Everything Everywhere All At Once. In the midst of multi-dimensional chaos, the main characters suddenly turn into rocks on the edge of a cliff. Evelyn simply says, "Just be a rock."

Sometimes, resilience is just that—finding stillness in the chaos, accepting that you are a tiny speck, and just being what you are in the moment.

Strategies for the "Space In-Between"

How do we actually build this resilience?

1. Broaden & Build: Don't wait for a crisis to build resilience. It is built during the stillness and happy moments. If you strengthen your mindset when life is good, you bounce back easier when times get tough.

2. The Power of Choice: Nidhi shared a timeless quote from Viktor Frankl: "Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom."

3. The Resilience Resume: We spend so much time polishing our professional CVs, but we should also mentally track our "Resilience Resume"—a record of the tough things we’ve survived and how we grew from them.

Panel Discussion: The Elements of Career Success

Following the keynote, we dove into a panel discussion featuring Lily Kwok, Meena Datwani, Grégory Franc de Ferrière, and Jhalak Sheth. They shifted the conversation from internal mindset to external career navigation.

Here are the top insights from the experts:

1. Success is Relative (and Never Final) The panel emphasized that you must define what success looks like for you. Is it impact? Is it money? There is always a sacrifice involved, depending on what you prioritize. Furthermore, success is not static. You have to reinvent yourself constantly. You can control what you can control, but you must be willing to adapt.

2. Navigating Identity in the Workplace A key question arose about navigating the workplace as a woman or ethnic minority. The advice was refreshing in its directness: Do your job properly. Competence is undeniable. If you embed yourself in the culture you want to be in, people will naturally learn about yours.

3. Network = Net Worth The panel agreed that connection is currency, but with a caveat: it’s not about the number of connections, but the quality. You need real relationships—people who will be your advocates, who promote you when you aren't in the room, and who genuinely want to work with you.

4. What Hires Look For If you are looking for that next step, the panelists highlighted three non-negotiables:

• Curiosity: Ask questions and learn about the place.

• Problem Solving: How do you resolve issues?

• Communication: This is 100% vital.

Looking Ahead

As we ended the workshop, I realized that even those who have “made it” in their careers have struggled, made mistakes, and have regrets. But because of resilience, they were able to bounce back and continue to reinvent themselves even now!

As someone still unsure about where I’ll end up in my career, it’s reassuring to know that the mistakes and setbacks don’t have to stop me from looking ahead and gaining success.

This event would not have been possible without the incredible community that supports EMPOWER!

First of all, a big thank you to our trusted venue sponsor, EY, for once again being a generous and gracious host.

Next, a massive appreciation to the various facilitators and speakers of the evening: Nidhi Kush Shah, Grégory Franc de Ferrière, Lily Kwok, Meena Datwani, Seema Ram, and EMPOWER alumni Jhalak Sheth. Thank you for showing us that true success is defined less by titles or status, and more by alignment, impact, and personal growth shaped through experience, perspective, and setbacks.

Thank you to the group leaders: Amrita Agarwala, Angela A. Watkins, Ewan Qian, Jeremiah Palmerston, Ph.D., Jasmine Lee, Julie Labrecque Page, Omme Kulsoom Akhtar, Kunal Mulchandani, Loretta Ho, Mike Nanwani, and Ronnie Kwok for volunteering your time and expertise to empower us.

Last but not least, a heartfelt thank you to our event organizers and moderators, Manisha Wijesinghe and May Anne Vergara Bird, for putting together a great session. We are also deeply grateful to the rest of the EMPOWER ExCo and Event Volunteers for making this happen: Elizabeth L. Thomson, Kishore Sakhrani, James Thomson-Sakhrani, Anisha Sakhrani, Felicity McRobb, Petunia Kingsley, Reena Rollason, Ria Mehrotra, Soundari Mukherjea, Meena Palad, Eshal Mahmood, Komal Bibi, Momna Bashir, Veronica Jose, and Yashita Sharma.

As I look ahead, I am focusing on what Nidhi called the "one-degree shift." Instead of being overwhelmed by the big picture, I am looking for that single, small action I can take in the next 24 hours to move the needle.

Sometimes, growth doesn’t happen in solitude—it happens in rooms where others see your potential before you do. Can’t wait to see how I’ll continue to grow in my success, on my own terms!