What Happens Next

Twenty-five years ago today, I was out on sales calls with my friend and colleague, Bill Schultz. We had just returned to the radio station and pulled into the parking lot when ABC News interrupted our programming. Something was happening in New York. We ran inside and headed straight to the newsroom. Within minutes, all of us—salespeople, air personalities, managers, engineers—gathered around the television and radio feeds. We watched and listened in horror.

Like millions of Americans, we struggled to make sense of what we saw. The images, confusion, fear, and devastating loss of that morning are permanently etched in our memories. Twenty-five years later, September 11 remains a day to remember those who were lost, the families whose lives changed forever, and the first responders and ordinary citizens who showed extraordinary courage.

But I also remember what happened next. People showed up. First responders ran toward danger. Strangers helped strangers. Communities gathered. Blood donation centers filled. Neighbors checked on neighbors. America was deeply hurt. But America kept going.

That is resilience.

The American Psychological Association describes resilience as adapting in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant stress. Resilience doesn't mean you don't experience difficulty or distress. It means you find a way to adapt and move forward.

Nothing we encounter in sales compares to the magnitude of September 11. But the lesson about resilience applies to every part of life. Sales will test yours. The client you were certain would say yes says no. The account you've worked on for months goes to a competitor. A longtime customer cancels. You miss your goal. Your proposal gets ignored. And then tomorrow morning arrives. What happens next?

That's where resilience lives.

Resilience isn't pretending the setback didn't happen. It isn't putting on a smile and acting like everything is fine. And it isn't lowering your expectations so disappointment hurts less. It's acknowledging reality, learning what you can from it, and deciding that the setback doesn't get to write the next chapter.

Twenty-five years ago, I stood in a radio station newsroom with Bill and my coworkers watching a world that suddenly felt very different. I remember the horror of September 11. But I also remember what happened on September 12—and in the days, weeks and months that followed. People got up. They showed up. They helped each other. They moved forward. And radio was there. It shared critical information, provided a place for communities to talk and grieve, and offered companionship to people who simply needed to hear another human voice.

Today, remember those we lost. Honor those who served. And be grateful for those who ran toward danger when every instinct must have told them to run away. Then carry this lesson with you:

You don't get to choose everything that happens to you.
You do get to choose what you do next.

That's resilience.

Think Big. Make Big Things Happen.

Jeff Schmidt is the SVP of Professional Development. You can reach him at Jeff.Schmidt@RAB.com. You can also connect with him on X, YouTube and LinkedIn.