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.

Pam Kornreich

Back in 2011, I moved across the globe to Los Angeles in pursuit of a career in television writing. I was singularly focused on achieving this goal, despite the many obstacles I faced (extremely saturated market, strong competition, needing visa sponsorship… etc). After graduating college with a degree in Screenwriting, I took on many internships that I hoped would lead me closer to a writer’s room. However, it quickly felt like I was hitting brick wall after brick wall, and after several years, I eventually quit this dream altogether. It was an extremely frustrating and defeating time as I constantly felt like I was running out of options. After all that time and money spent on trying to achieve this goal, I had felt like an absolute failure and a huge letdown to my family who had supported me throughout this time – financially and otherwise. Read more>>

Amy Wong

I am intimately familiar with the concept of failure, and I believe it has played a crucial role in shaping my journey. In my early 20s, I embarked on a venture that marked my initial foray into the world of entrepreneurship—an apparel business. While I had the privilege of some resources and the encouragement of my brother, who believed in my potential, I was still navigating uncharted waters as a young and relatively inexperienced individual. The business journey was filled with ups and downs, and looking back, I can clearly see that it wasn’t a financial success. However, the lessons I learned during that time were invaluable. It was my first taste of marketing myself and negotiating consignment deals with established businesses. Despite the financial setback, this experience ignited a passion within me and laid the foundation for my understanding of business dynamics. Read more>>

Jordan Zoerner

Being a business owner and a full time mom at home raising my three kids has presented quite the challenge. Like most people I avoid failure because experiencing the feelings that come along with failure can be intense! When I first launched my children’s book business with PaperPie I experienced a ton of success. It was 2021, and most people still had their kiddos home full time and everyone wanted great books for their young readers. There were also many people looking to create the life they wanted by launching their own book business to fill the book needs for their family and friends. My business grew in sales, customers, and team members. It was a very successful year. Read more>>