Welcome to this week’s Business Story of the Week! Today, we have an extraordinary guest, Jaclyn Gallo, a TEDx speaker, author, and podcast host who embodies resilience and the transformative power of hope. 🌟

From an early age, Jaclyn displayed a remarkable drive and determination. As a high school student, she would send daily motivational quotes to her friends—an early sign of the inspirational figure she would become. Fast forward to today, and Jaclyn is not only the host of the “Spark Your Light” podcast but also a keynote speaker who has delivered talks for top organizations like Meta and Comcast NBC Universal. Her media company, Spark Your Light Studios, has reached millions of women across 96 countries, helping them find their light even in the darkest times.

But Jaclyn’s success story isn’t without its struggles. She openly shares how multiple failed business ventures initially made her feel like she wasn’t cut out for entrepreneurship. She tried launching a physical product and later a mobile app, both of which failed miserably. This double dose of failure left her at rock bottom, wondering if she was even capable of success.

Yet, it was during these moments of despair that Jaclyn discovered something profound: failure is often the exact lesson you need to propel you toward future success. 🌱 She learned invaluable skills about market research, financial management, and the grit needed to persevere, all of which prepared her to run her current, thriving business.

One of Jaclyn’s key messages is that hope and resilience go hand in hand. Hope isn’t just a fleeting emotion; it’s the very fuel that helps us endure hardships and push forward. In one particularly vulnerable moment, Jaclyn shared her experience with her newborn son, Michael, who was born with a rare condition called hyperinsulinism. For weeks, Jaclyn and her family lived in a windowless hospital room, their hopes dashed again and again as Michael failed crucial medical tests.

Jaclyn reached a turning point when she decided to “stop getting her hopes up,” only to realize that this mindset was making things worse. It was the hope that things could improve that gave her the strength to continue. In her words, “It’s better to have hope, even if you’re let down, than to have fear and be proven right.”

Her journey with Michael had a happy ending—Michael eventually passed his tests and grew out of his condition. Jaclyn’s story serves as a reminder to all of us: even in our darkest moments, hope is what fuels resilience, and resilience is what leads to triumph. 💪✨

If you want to learn more about Jaclyn, follow her podcast “Spark Your Light” and dive into her latest episodes that inspire and uplift. Let’s keep pushing forward, no matter how many setbacks we face, because every failure is a stepping stone to success. 🌱