One piece of advice that seems to always permeate the business world is to learn how to turn a negative into a positive. Lemons into lemonade. Failures into lessons. So many of the world’s most successful CEO’s and entrepreneurs have come from difficult circumstances to make their dreams come true, and listening to their stories make our own dreams seem all the more accessible.

Learning how to deal with setbacks and bounce back from failure is an invaluable lesson for business and for life. But the rub is that you can only learn that lesson by going through it yourself; there’s no highlighting a passage from a book. This was the theme of the latest IMAGE Networking Breakfast on Friday morning, where Irish women (and a couple of men!) gathered to hear three of Ireland’s business experts speak about how their resilience has aided their careers. There were plenty of lessons to be learned over the few pre-work hours, but here are three of our favourites:

1. Embrace your Irishness

Caitriona Fottrell, Vice President and Director of the Ireland Funds, specialises in showcasing the best Ireland has to offer. Her speech centered around the inspiring people and projects going on in Ireland right now, and encouraged us to remember our strength when it comes to our Irishness. Irish people are inherently chatty, warm and charitable, and we’re currently at the centre of evolving business and tech industries. Remember the strengths that lie in your personal story and use them to your advantage.

2. Get Up, Dress Up, Show Up

Trudy Hayes, founder of beauty app Raven, inspired the crowd with her emotive story of fighting for her success, and her mantra played a huge part in getting her there. ‘Get up, dress up and show up’. No matter how low you feel, no matter how badly things seem to be going, get up in the morning and put 100% into every part of your day. Not only will it make you feel better in yourself, but it shows those around you that you mean business and are serious about your goals.

3. Be Prepared

You might think that the world’s most successful business leaders and speakers are able to out there and wing it. But according to the Presenter Mentor Rowan Manahan, that’s bull. The leaders we admire are there because they know their stuff inside out. They prepare, they rehearse and they cover every eventuality so that success is as close to inevitable as can be. Do your research and study it until your confidence outweighs the nerves.