Turning Hardship into Momentum: Insights with Tom LeNoble

This week on Reignite Resilience, we are joined by Tom LeNoble, a former leader at MCI, Walmart.com, Palm, and one of Facebook’s earliest operators. Tom’s journey spans from a humble childhood to Silicon Valley boardrooms and hospital wards. Along the way, he faced life-threatening illness and supported his brother through the early AIDS crisis. These experiences shaped his approach to resilience, coaching, and purposeful living.

In Episodes 84 and 85, Tom shares how to turn life’s most difficult moments into opportunities for growth, how to plant small possibilities that lead to lasting change, and why joy, support, and action are essential levers for building momentum.

Featured Episodes

Episode 84: Risk, Reinvention, and Resiliency
Tom explores how to take meaningful risks while staying grounded in resilience. He explains resilience as a muscle that strengthens through action under pressure and reinvention as a recurring cycle.

Key Insights:

• Resilience grows from evidence of past trials. Reflect on moments you overcame to gain strength for your next step.

• Reinvention requires risk paired with purposeful action. Small steps accumulate into major shifts.

• Gratitude is a daily practice designed for hard days, not just easy ones.

Notable Quote:
"I define resilience not as just getting back up, but how do you get back up and grow from it?"

Episode 85: Reignite Your Spark and Resiliency
This episode focuses on restoring energy and momentum during difficult times. Tom introduces the concepts of the energy of support and the energy of enjoyment as practical ways to reignite your spark.

Key Insights:

• Allow others to help you. Support creates space to rebuild and plant new possibilities.

• Choose small moments of joy even on challenging days. These choices restore energy and perspective.

• Purpose amplifies stamina and meaning, particularly when uncertainty is high.

Notable Quote:
"Feeling depleted does not mean you are done. It means it is time to borrow energy and build momentum."

Key Themes and Takeaways

1. Planting Possibilities:

• Shift from attempting grand leaps to stacking small steps.

• Celebrate incremental wins to build momentum over time.

2. Evidence of Resilience:

• Keep a list of past challenges you overcame.

• Reflect on these moments to strengthen confidence in your ability to navigate future obstacles.

3. Purpose and Service:

• Engage in acts of service, whether time, talent, or resources.

• Small contributions can create ripples that outlast us.

4. Manifestation in Action:

• Define the goal clearly.

• Take consistent action.

• Release control over timing and form to allow opportunity to emerge naturally.

5. Coaching and Clarity:

• The Haystack Method helps clear clutter and identify solutions already within you.

• Break complex projects into simple, daily actions, such as drafting ideas over several pages each day.

Intentions of the Week

Cultivate Emotional Intelligence and Empathy
Understanding your emotions and those of others strengthens relationships and builds trust. Listening actively and responding with care creates a supportive environment for growth.

Lead with Integrity and Authenticity
Decisions made with honesty and alignment with your values foster long-term credibility and resilience. Leading authentically inspires others to do the same.

Pursue Knowledge and Self-Improvement
Continual learning expands your capacity for impact and adapts your skills to meet evolving challenges. Investing in yourself empowers your ability to help others.

Subscribe to the Reignite Resilience newsletter to receive inspiring insights, actionable tools, and uplifting stories directly in your inbox. Stay connected to practical strategies for building momentum, fostering purpose, and reigniting your spark.

Join Us for Reignite Live 2026!

If you are craving clarity, balance, and renewed direction for the new year, you will want to be in the room for Reignite Live 2026. This one day experience is designed for leaders, professionals, and entrepreneurs who carry a lot and are ready to strengthen their focus without sacrificing their well being.

Reignite Live takes place at 404 East 3rd Street on January 22 from 9am to 4pm MST.
Throughout the day you will learn from Pamela Cass, Natalie Davis, and guest speaker and event sponsor Rachel Jayne Groover. Each session creates space for reflection, intentional planning, and embodied leadership practices that help you reconnect with what matters most.

You will walk away with a grounded sense of purpose, clear next steps, and a plan that supports who you are becoming. You will also meet vendors and sponsors offering resources that nourish both your personal and professional life.

For anyone who has been feeling stretched, overwhelmed, or pulled in many directions, this event offers the reset your mind and body have been asking for.

Tools to Resiliency

• Time-Boxed Grief: Set aside specific periods to acknowledge and process difficult emotions without getting stuck.

• Evidence List: Document your past challenges and successes to reinforce your confidence and agency.

• Small Next Steps: Identify one concrete action each day that moves you closer to your goals.

• Joy Lever: Commit to one small, enjoyable activity daily to restore energy and perspective.

• Support Lever: Invite trusted individuals to provide guidance, encouragement, or assistance.

Tom LeNoble’s journey reminds us that resilience is not just surviving hardship but using it as a springboard for purpose, growth, and meaningful action. We hope these episodes inspire you to plant possibilities, take small but meaningful steps forward, and find joy and support along the way.

With warmth and resilience,
The Reignite Resilience Team