Last month, when former Navy SEAL and Madefor CEO Pat Dossett received a text from One Summit founder Adam La Reau, he picked up the phone and called him back right away.

The two went through BUD/S together, have been friends for a while now, both run successful businesses, and are raising families of their own. So what was in the text that required a quick response?

"Hey, I've got Ani here, and I'm driving her to her senior prom."

Ani was the little warrior Pat was paired with when he was a mentor at the first Climb for Courage event in 2014. Today, she is finishing high school and preparing for college, and that night she was as excited as ever as Adam drove her to her senior prom!

"Even when she was in a place where she was navigating the challenges of cancer, she still found things to be excited about, fired up about, and could find happiness and express resilience in that way," says Pat. "It's been cool to see that continue to be a drumbeat of who she is and how she shows up, and certainly has inspired me to do the same."

Pat knows a thing or two about resilience; in fact, he co-founded Madefor, a company dedicated to helping people thrive, using small steps to make lasting changes in their lives. He draws many comparisons to what he's doing at Madefor and what he's done as a mentor for One Summit over the years.

"We get more than we give, both from our time on the Teams, but also, and especially, in these Climb for Courage events," Pat says. "And Madefor is very much the same way. It's 'What are these small ways you can shift your perspective by engaging in these habits?"

The Madefor program utilizes science-back research to help people implement small changes in their lives. These small changes eventually become lasting habits. The Madefor Journey focuses on ten areas in life, intentionally chosen to help build new positive habits. When completed together, they provide a foundation for cultivating new mindsets and greater wellbeing. Participants make simple changes around things like hydration, gratitude, breathing, and movement.

Pat says when we engage in some of these practices, we can start to understand better how to be resilient and how to move through life in a way that not only builds you up, but builds others up in the process.

"Something I grow more and more appreciative over time is that everyone is navigating some kind of challenge," Pat says. "No one is immune from challenge or friction, or adversity. Everyone is navigating something."

Overcoming adversity and challenges and building resilience are key areas of focus for both Madefor and for One Summit, and while we're focusing on helping Little Warriors build resilience, we also recognize that their families are facing challenges, as well.

"I think when we find ourselves in particularly challenging or stressful times, oftentimes the first person that we deprioritize is ourself, and we stop tending to and caring for ourselves," Pat says.

"Madefor tries to make that process easier for people." He says that instead of focusing on big things that you can do for yourself, which might be unrealistic when you're in the midst of a challenging situation - like going on a retreat, for example - the idea with Madefor is much more simple. "Can we help you find a way to take care of yourself in small ways, regardless of the situation you're fighting? So as you're going through that, you're not only getting better about taking care of yourself and building your own resilience, but in the process, you actually increase your capacity to take care of others in your life, as well."

Madefor has served approximately 12,000 people to date and has members in 46 countries. The program can be done within an online community or at home. The Madefor program is available free of charge for active-duty military, veterans, and military dependents. Additionally, Pat has generously offered to share the Madefor program with the families of our Little Warriors. Please reach out to maria@onesummit.org for more information. And to learn more about Madefor and its offerings, including how to get started on the path to healthier habits so you can show up as your best for yourself and your loved ones, you can visit their website.