Over the years, after talking with tens of thousands of entrepreneurs, artists and creatives, almost every success story we’ve heard has been filled with stories of failure. Unfortunately, in our view the media rarely covers these parts of the story – instead we often read summaries that make it seem like success happened “overnight.” However, what we’ve learned in our conversations with so many successful folks is that failure is core ingredient in the recipe for future success. Below, we’ve shared some fascinating stories of failure from folks who have ultimately found great success.
Michaela McCarthy
My Business and passion for art was rekindled after one of my biggest failures.
In 2018 I bought a one-way ticket to Hawaii from California for a job in Film as a location scout. It was one of the biggest moves I had made in my young adult life, and I was so excited! As I opened my phone after landing on beautiful Oahu, I got a call letting me know that the person who brought me on got fired while I was midflight and my position went with it. Most people might have fallen apart, I did for a day or 2, but I picked myself up, took my sketch book and paint set and decided to start making art inspired by the colorful plants and scenery that I had grown up with. Read more>>
Evan Coleman
Most of my work up to this point has been a “failure”. From individual projects to the growth of my business, it has all been a series of failures that I have learned from. I do not feel badly about this at all because I have learned so much from these moments. I am very young in my career and artistry; most of what I put out is a failure, to me. In college, I was taught when presenting your own work, do it as though it is perfect. The viewer will not recognize the blemishes, only you. I live by this. I deliver my work as though it was all intentional, but the majority of the time I made an error and improvised the rest. I do not reference my work as a failure but a learning opportunity. Moving forward, I know what needs to be done differently to succeed and that has made much more of an impact than always getting it right. I fail everyday and that is why I believe I will succeed. Read more>>
Brian Court
Earlier in my career, I bought a recruiting business. Up to that point, I’d experienced success as a salesman and I thought because of my success, that would translate directly to being a good business owner. Spoiler alert – it did not. While the salesman in me was able to keep making things happen, the logistical and operations side of my business suffered. I didn’t do well in hiring people (I lack discernment when hiring because I like everyone, I wasn’t organized enough to keep my employees clearly on task, and I felt obligated to do everything they were doing). The other thing I really struggled with was planning. Read more>>
Loryn Brantz
I’m not sure if I really believe in the concept of “failure.” Something is only a failure if that’s the way you perceive it. However, I’ve certainly had many setbacks along the way. “Failure” has a negative connotation, but all it means is that you tried something and it didn’t work, and that’s just part of the process. It’s how you learn and grow and get closer to whatever version of “success” you’re looking for. I put “success” in quotes too, because that’s also highly subjective! That said, for me personally, I can’t tell you how many books I’ve had rejected before reaching my version of “success” in getting published. I actually have a folder filled with them. Read More>>
Cailie Derifield
In 2022 I opened a beautiful bakery. It was everything I’ve ever dreamed of. But I had to close the doors down within a year. To this day I don’t consider it a fail but some may. I chose the wrong business partner. She tanked our whole set up. Diving in to a business and building along side someone you think is trustworthy, then realizing it was the wrong decision, was one of the biggest set backs I’ve endured. After I closed the doors, took over our loan payments and felt absolutely defeated, I resurfaced!!!
My baking career wasn’t going to end because of a crappy human. I then bought my first freeze dryer and became Candied & Caked by Cailie!!! I started signing up for vendor events and craft fairs and my new business took off!!! Read More>>
Haley Evans
I have “failed” multiple times in my life, both personally and professionally, and there is no doubt that time and self-reflection provide healing and insights that foster growth post these experiences.
In college, I started “Say Anything” where I wrote custom poems and roasts for life’s special milestones. They were a HUGE hit, but the idea was not scalable in the 90’s like it would be possible today.
In 2010, I started a customer painting business, Whimsey Designs, that offered custom chalk-painted furniture and nursery canvases for moms-to be. Again, a HUGE hit, but not scalable as a one-woman show. Then I wrote a book, “Hung Up, Why You Should Put the Phone Down”. I was invited onto the Charlotte Today Show, the Nashville Today Show, Daytime in Tampa and it seemed this my book might actually take off. Read More>>
Loryn Brantz
I’m not sure if I really believe in the concept of “failure.” Something is only a failure if that’s the way you perceive it. However, I’ve certainly had many setbacks along the way. “Failure” has a negative connotation, but all it means is that you tried something and it didn’t work, and that’s just part of the process. It’s how you learn and grow and get closer to whatever version of “success” you’re looking for. I put “success” in quotes too, because that’s also highly subjective! That said, for me personally, I can’t tell you how many books I’ve had rejected before reaching my version of “success” in getting published. I actually have a folder filled with them. For my first book, to me, the more rejections I got, the more it meant I was getting closer to my goal. Read more>>
Cailie Derifield
In 2022 I opened a beautiful bakery. It was everything I’ve ever dreamed of. But I had to close the doors down within a year. To this day I don’t consider it a fail but some may. I chose the wrong business partner. She tanked our whole set up. Diving in to a business and building along side someone you think is trustworthy, then realizing it was the wrong decision, was one of the biggest set backs I’ve endured. After I closed the doors, took over our loan payments and felt absolutely defeated, I resurfaced!!! Read more>>
Haley Evans
I have “failed” multiple times in my life, both personally and professionally, and there is no doubt that time and self-reflection provide healing and insights that foster growth post these experiences. Read more>>