Kevin Hicks, Wilmington Market Manager for the Center for Private Business, sat down with Dr. William Lewis to discuss his upcoming Wilmington workshop on March 5 entitled "Lessons in Resilience Every Leader Can Learn."

Kevin: When you are coaching entrepreneurs on resilience; how do you define this characteristic?

William: “Resilience isn’t the absence of pressure. It’s the ability to remain present and purposeful inside of it. In decision-making, resilience looks like pausing before reacting and holding short-term pressure in tension with long-term purpose. In performance, it means staying consistent when motivation fluctuates. In uncertainty, it means leading even when resolution hasn’t arrived. Resilient leadership is regulated, not reactive. Focused, not frantic. Adaptive, not rigid.”

Kevin: What makes resiliency a critical skill for Wilmington business owners specifically?

William: “In transition economies, leaders can swing between optimism and anxiety. Resilient leaders pause, assess, and adapt.Wilmington businesses aren’t navigating chaos — they’re navigating change. And resilience is what positions them not just to endure it — but to lead through it.”

Kevin: Is this a lesson you had to learn first-hand as an entrepreneur in NC?

William: “It is. During COVID, we had to close our family business, Cam’s Coffee Co. It hurt financially — but more than that, it hurt because of our mission to create meaningful employment for people with special needs. But we focused. We adapted. We reimagined. Today, we’re celebrating our tenth anniversary and three years in our current location inside Kaleideum in Winston-Salem.”

Kevin: Congratulations! I think to adapt your plan when faced with a new reality is hard for most owners. Would you consider resiliency something you can learn?

William: “I wouldn’t characterize resilience as a soft skill. It’s infrastructure. Businesses today need teams who can adapt without losing identity. Or navigate fear of uncertainty without abandoning their mission.”

Kevin: How does resilience connect to employee well-being?

William: “During my own professional storm, I tried to suppress fear and doubt. I thought resilience meant not admitting struggle. But suppression isn’t resilience — it’s delayed collapse. Resilience protects well-being because it creates space to recover, recalibrate, and reconnect to purpose. It allows people to name strain without stigma and pursue performance without sacrificing health.”

Kevin: I can’t wait to hear more insight from you on March 5. We invite any Wilmington business leaders to register for our March 5 session from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Secure your spot here: https://cpb.wfu.edu/programming/register.

Learn more about professional leadership development and with the Center for Private Business at www.cpb.wfu.edu. We expanded into Wilmington in 2025 and are growing our Membership across the state with over 260+ family and privately-owned businesses.