The movement of resilience and faith
- Oct 14
- 2 min read
By Christina Smallwood
When the doctors told me that my daughter might never walk or talk, it felt like the ground had been ripped from beneath me. In that instant, all of the dreams I had carried for her seemed to collapse under the weight of “impossible.”
But that moment became the spark for my breakthrough in my marriage, motherhood and business.
I chose to hold onto hope when fear screamed louder. I leaned into faith when the experts left little room for it. And slowly, step by step, I began to witness the impossible shift into reality. First, a word. Then a step. Then another answered prayer. Each milestone wasn’t just hers, it was ours. Proof that hope can carry us through what we once thought we couldn’t survive.
That journey reshaped everything about the way I live, love, and lead. It taught me that vulnerability is strength, that setbacks are invitations for deeper faith, and that hope is not naïve—it’s revolutionary. These truths became the foundation of Hope in the Hard, the place where I share the raw, unfiltered moments: the heartbreaks, the breakthroughs, and the beauty of choosing hope even when it costs you everything.
As an entrepreneur and creative, I’ve built businesses in spaces where authenticity is often rare. From my years as a celebrity hairstylist on The Real Housewives of Orange County to leading a multimillion-dollar home-based business, I discovered that the greatest connector is not success, it’s story. The courage to be real. The willingness to say, “This is hard, but here’s how I’m moving forward.”
My breakthrough moment as a mother opened the door for my breakthrough as an entrepreneur. It gave me a vision bigger than products or profits: to build a community where people feel seen, where their stories matter, and where they can find hope in their own hard places.
The transformation that followed has been profound. What began as my daughter’s story has become a movement of resilience and faith. Every message I receive from someone who finds courage through is a reminder that vision is never just about us, but about the lives it touches.
Looking back, I can see that my greatest hurdle was also my greatest gift.
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