Victor, Not Victim: Ann Lopez on Resilience, Faith and Radical Generosity
- 5 days ago
- 5 min read
What if the hardest season of your life was actually the setup for everything you were meant to build?
I recently sat down with Andrew Phipps on the Empathy Unbound podcast and got more personal than I usually do publicly. We talked about resilience, faith and radical generosity, redefining success, what it means to be rich and why the gifts you're not using are a disservice to the world around you.
Here's what I shared.
The hardest seasons have purpose
At 40, my life changed overnight. A surprise divorce during COVID. Becoming a single mom. Losing a lot all within days of each other. And I had just started my business. I'm not going to sugarcoat it. It was one of the hardest seasons of my life.
But here's what I know now that I didn't know then: the pain had purpose. True suffering is really what allows us to understand and feel true joy. And going through that season gave me a level of empathy I wouldn't trade for anything because now I get to walk alongside people going through their own hard seasons and actually help carry them.
That, to me, is one of the greatest honors of my life.
Victor or victim? I chose victor
Sink or swim. That's what it came down to. When everything fell apart, I had a choice. I could lay in bed all day or I could do the habits I had been building for years. Go to the gym. Go to church. Show up to the commitment I had made. Do the things that were already part of my life before the hard season came.
And here's what I learned: habits are not really for the day-to-day. When you build strong, healthy habits physically, emotionally and spiritually, they become most powerful when life hits its lowest point. They become your lifeline. They become autopilot when everything else feels impossible.
The second thing that carried me? Faith. Clinging to God in that season was literally all I had some days. And when you know that something bigger is carrying you, there's a peace that gets you through.
My encouragement to anyone going through something hard right now: don't take the everyday things for granted. Those small, consistent actions are equipping you for storms you can't even see coming.
Building Studio 790 by leading with strengths
I didn't have a design degree. I didn't know AutoCAD. I still don't. But I had 20 years of digital marketing, business acumen, relational intelligence and the ability to walk into a room and sell with confidence. So instead of letting the deficits define my path, I capitalized on everything I already had and hired people who were better than me in the areas I wasn't.
The truth is I've never let the deficits get in my way. Because if I did, I wouldn't be talking to you today. I'd probably still be in corporate America.
When I started growing and realized this wasn't a solopreneur journey, it was a team journey. I leaned into a simple principle: bring people around you who have strengths that fill your voids. That's what leadership is. Self-awareness about your weaknesses and the willingness to surround yourself with people who are better.
Radical generosity as a business model
Studio 790 has donated close to half a million dollars to nonprofits. And I want to be clear: that's not a strategy. It's a heart posture.
A couple of years ago I had a moment where I thought if I'm already giving back 10% personally with joy, why wouldn't I do the same in the business? That day I changed our financial formulas. Ten percent of what comes in goes back out.
Our vision for Studio 790 in 2026 is built to multiply. To create a ripple effect that goes way beyond beautiful homes. Interior design is just the vehicle. I'm here to make an impact on people's lives my team, their families, my own family and way beyond.
I'm less excited about a legacy of beautiful homes. I'm way more in love with making an impact on people. And I think Studio 790 just happens to be the interior design company I get to give from.
Redefining what it means to be rich
I said this to my husband just the other morning: we are rich. Not because of what's in the bank. Because we have our health, jobs we love, a great relationship and a city we love living in. Success is almost never really about the thing. It's about the emotion tied to the thing.
What I'm really after what I think most people are really after is peace. The freedom to own your own time. The alignment that makes work feel like it isn't work. When you can shift your perspective to see that, you realize you might already be living a rich life.
And a decade goes by fast. It's either going to pass with you moving toward your purpose or away from it.
For the woman who feels late to her purpose
If you're 40, 50 or beyond and wondering if you've missed your moment I did this at 39. In the middle of one of the hardest seasons of my life. With no design degree, no external funding, no safety net.
The first chapters of your life aren't wasted. They're fuel for the thing that's going to light your soul on fire.
Don't let fear, imposter syndrome or the feeling of being behind keep you from what you were built for.
The world needs the specific gifts that only you carry. And if you don't use them, the people who were supposed to receive them never will.
You were given these gifts for a reason. Walk in them.
Want to hear the full conversation?
This blog covers the highlights of the episode, but the full conversation with Andrew Phipps on Empathy Unbound goes even deeper. We talked about the dreams I write down everyday, how Studio 790 hires for values over skills, what I think about AI in the business and more. It's a great conversation and I hope you take the time to listen.
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