Event Recap: Setbacks to Sucess

Thank you to everyone who joined us for From Setbacks to Success. We’re so grateful you took the time to be part of such an honest, empowering, and inspiring conversation.

The evening brought together an incredible panel of women who shared their personal stories of resilience, growth, and perseverance. We were honored to hear from Samantha Bosin, Luyba Caloras, Omrae Smith-Myrtil, and Lillian Chiu, with thoughtful moderation by Eileen Dautruche. Through candid reflections on career pivots, unexpected job loss, motherhood, leadership challenges, and personal reinvention, each speaker reminded us of something powerful: setbacks are rarely the end of the story. More often, they are the beginning of something greater.

What made the conversation so meaningful was the honesty in the room. Our panelists spoke openly about moments of doubt, discomfort, and uncertainty, but also about the lessons they gained on the other side. Their stories served as a reminder that success is not always linear, and growth often comes through the moments we never would have chosen for ourselves.

Several powerful takeaways stayed with us long after the event ended:

Competence builds confidence. The more we do, the more we realize we are capable of.

You can learn anything. Often, growth begins when we are willing to start before we feel fully ready.

Reflection matters. When self-doubt creeps in, taking a step back to recognize how far you’ve already come can be grounding and empowering.

Setbacks are part of growth. Progress does not come from avoiding challenges, but from moving through them.

Life is happening for us, not to us. Sometimes the hardest moments are the very ones shaping us for what’s next.

We hope everyone who attended left feeling inspired, supported, and equipped with insights they can carry into their own personal and professional journeys.

Photos from the event can be found here!

This event would not have been possible without the support of our incredible community. A heartfelt thank-you goes to our talented photographer, Lanie from Lanie Williams Media, for beautifully capturing the spirit of the evening. We’re also deeply grateful to our generous sponsors — Culture Pop, Mochi Melt, The Daily Crunch, Mad Hippie, Joanna Czech Skincare, Krampz, and Born in Brooklyn Skincare — for helping bring this experience to life. And a special thank-you to our event partner and host, Loft39, for providing such a wonderful space for us to gather, connect, and reflect.

We’d also love your feedback. Our post-event survey only takes a few minutes to complete and helps us shape future UWIB experiences. As a thank-you, all participants will be entered into a year-end drawing for an Amazon gift card. The more events you attend and surveys you complete, the higher your chances of winning.

And if you haven’t yet joined the UWIB community, now is the perfect time. Membership is 100% free, and members receive our monthly newsletter featuring upcoming events, professional resources, giveaways, and more.

Thank you again for being part of this community. We can’t wait to see you at the next UWIB event.