If you’ve ever experienced a disruption in your carefully planned roadmap of life, this episode is for you. Today, we’re talking about the art of the pivot -- what to do when life throws you a huge curveball. Our next guest took her life-altering tragedy and turned her sudden floundering into flourishing. When Hilary Billings graduated top of her class at UNLV, the recession derailed her plans and dropped rejection square in her lap. She went on to carve out a new path that lead her to become Miss Nevada and an E! News Host and Producer. Join us as we learn how to turn rejection into rejoicing. 

 

When Hilary graduated, she planned to become a clinical psychologist, but when she was applying for graduate schools, the recession of 2010 left her with 14 rejection letters. In reality, she had no backup plan. So naturally, she took off to Nicaragua and start a travel blog! For Hilary, this rejection allowed her to explore a new path that she would’ve otherwise never encountered. 

 

A massive mindset shift Hilary had when she was faced with rejection was understanding that there are people out there to help you. Recognizing that togetherness can allow us to overcome even the most difficult obstacles. Learning how to rely on the kindness of strangers and understanding that there’s no need for competition -- no one is out to get you -- was Hilary’s method of finding her way after falling off her planned pathway to success. There is a lot of power in knowing what you need, and it’s even more powerful to ask for it. We’re averse by the vulnerability that comes with it, but the accountability that allows us to vocalize externally our internal needs changes the game. 

 

During her travels, Hilary experienced a plethora of incredible, life-changing experiences. From taming a lion to walking on coals with the Firewalkers of Fiji, Hilary was able to get a grasp on what it is she really enjoyed doing and how she could use these experiences to fuel her confidence throughout uncertainty and change. 

 

After her travels, Hilary returned to Las Vegas still internalizing what had happened. A friend of hers invited her to a party on a day where nothing seemed to be going right. At this party, a rogue firework hit Hilary, causing her to suffer 2nd and 3rd-degree burns on her chest. The burns were painful and took a toll on her mental health. 6 months later, she was hired for a modeling gig. After putting on a dress of hers, she saw her scars, and that was the breaking point -- no more feeling sorry, no more living in fear or shame. That same day, she signed up for the Las Vegas beauty pageant. She had a preconceived notion of the kind of woman at these events, but she immediately saw that all these people were experiencing their own troubles and were dealing with their own challenges. This place was a platform to share their stories and advocate for issues that impact them. 

 

Hilary doesn’t subscribe to “fake it till you make it.” Trying to bridge the gap from who you are to where you want to be is a taxing, temporary, and harmful in the long term. When you’re doing this, you’re pretending to be something you don’t naturally identify with. It builds pretense to how people should act in the world. Instead, Hilary suggests gradually move to the middle of the confidence continuum. That will let you feel that confidence more authentically. 

 

What you’ll learn

On today’s episode, Hilary shares with us how we can pivot in the face of adversity and forge a new path when our original plan doesn’t pan out. 

 

LINKS

Hilarybillings.com