article by Hannah Olson | photos courtesy of Resilient Stories

When Danielle Dahl talks about Resilient Stories, you hear a heart finding its rhythm again. After two decades in management and a master’s in management and leadership, she realized her career lacked purpose. “I had a 20-year management and leadership career … and I had a little bit of a midlife crisis,” she says. She returned to writing, published a raw personal story, and “made nine cents.” “I remember crying that I got paid nine cents for my words,” she adds. A freelance stint led to a dream role as managing editor, then an abrupt layoff. Devastated, she took her husband’s advice: “Just start your own website.” 

That spark became Resilient Stories, first to safeguard her work, then to host others’ truths. “What upset me the most… was that my words would have no home if he shut the website down… If I can control the website, then they can always have a home. And then other people’s words can have a home,” she explains. Today, it is a multimedia platform featuring first-person narratives Danielle often crafts from interviews, a YouTube channel, monthly “journal + craft + community” events, and the Spark to Heal conference that puts lived experience on stage with tenderness and care. 

“NOT THERAPY, BUT THERAPEUTIC” 

Events are simple and human: a guided journal, a themed craft, and a circle where people do not need the same background to understand one another. “You might cry at these events,” Danielle says with a smile. “It’s not a group therapy session … but it’s therapeutic.” She is clear that Resilient Stories complements clinical care rather than replacing it, and she encourages participants to seek professional help when needed. Many bring their workbooks to therapy, and some therapists even ask what they did at Resilient Stories that month. Danielle celebrates notes from clinicians who say, “keep coming to the Resilient Stories events because they’re really helping you,” and she never calls it treatment. — a distinction that honors both the power of community and the expertise of clinicians. 

ACCESS THAT FEELS WELCOMING 

Events typically cost between $45 and $65, with a standing $10 newsletter discount. Local sponsors help Danielle give away seats because “the people who really should be here don’t often have $50 of extra disposable money.” Sponsors pay a small marketing fee, and Danielle turns that into free tickets. The point is not perfect crafts, it is belonging. “Imperfect crafting is so welcomed here,” she says. Venues rotate across Billings, and any business with room for about 30 crafters makes for the perfect setting. 

THE POWER OF A STORY 

Resilient Stories began with Danielle’s essays, then strangers started asking for help sharing their own. “You don’t have to be a writer … You can just be an everyday person … and you can share your story here,” she says. Often, she interviews contributors and then writes for them, even those who have never published before. The result is twofold: “It’s inspirational for the reader, and it’s healing for the person who’s writing the story.” 

The ripple effects can be immediate. Danielle recalls seeing a community member recently, as he fought through tears to explain how telling his story helped him choose life, find work, and start again. "This grown man … he starts sobbing,” Danielle remembers. “I just tell stories,” she told him. “No, no you don’t,” he replied. Other changes are quieter. A regular who once struggled to even leave her home now attends monthly. Someone else brought a quote from an event to their therapy session, then tattooed it as permanent encouragement and changed careers. “It’s crazy what happens at these things,” Danielle says. 

SPARK TO HEAL 

To widen the circle, Danielle created Spark to Heal, an intimate conference with “eight fireside speakers” who are not professional presenters, plus four keynotes, guided journaling, and Q&A. Picture a warm living-room setting with two chairs and honest conversation. The first gathering took place in November, with a portion of proceeds donated to local nonprofits. Another installment follows in June. 

JOIN THE CONVERSATION 

Monthly events take place at partner venues across Billings. There is a journal, craft, theme, and a gentle expectation that you will be yourself. Sharing is optional; feeling is welcome. If money is tight, ask about sponsorship-supported seats. “Every event I try to give away … five to seven tickets,” Danielle says, thanks to local businesses who see the value of neighbors gathering to listen and be listened to. 

In a world that can convince us our stories are too messy, too ordinary, or too much, Resilient Stories offers a different mirror: your voice belongs, your experience matters, and connection is possible. Danielle sums it up simply. There is “literally a story for everyone,” from job loss to parenting to the quiet work of letting go. The subjects vary. The thread is the same. Tell the truth. Take the next step. 

“I knew I was helping people, but I didn’t understand the scope,” -DANIELLE DAHL

Originally printed in the January 2026 issue of Simply Local Magazine

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