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.

Tisha Martin

I edited a book during the worst of my symptoms. As a solopreneur, sometimes taking time off doesn’t play cards. As solopreneurs, we… – dedicate time to our authors – determine to deliver projects on/before deadline – add value to every moment But sometimes… – illness derails the timeline – unexpected snags delay manuscript progress Fingers deep into a manuscript that needed a near-complete rewrite, I muscled through. Taking micro-breaks. Communicating with the author. Planning tasks one day at a time. That book won a national award. Second place in its category. That book won the hearts of its readers. And an Instagram viral reel with 20k views. Read more>>

Karen Levine

Failure can be one of life’s greatest teachers, and for me, it came in the form of being laid off from my job in corporate America at the age of 48, due to that company’s collapse. At the time, it felt like a devastating blow – I had spent years building my career, only to find myself suddenly without a path forward. Even though it was not a personal failure, I still found myself in a position of being collateral damage due to my company’s business and investment decisions. Their failure became my failure by association, as we both faced the unfortunate consequences. Little did I know at the time however, that it would be a defining moment in setting the stage for my greatest success. Read more>>

Marissa Bader

Failure is a part of learning and growth. In fact, that’s the topic of my latest children’s book, Petunia the Perfectionist. Petunia is a little girl who wants to be perfect at everything she does but finally learns that mistakes help us learn, grow, and improve. As a writer, I’ve failed plenty. I try not to get discouraged but rather to use the experiences to improve my craft and try again. For instance, several times I’ve pitched articles or personal essays to publications, only to have them rejected. Rather than get down about it, I get back to work revising and reworking the piece. To me, having an editor say no to a piece doesn’t mean that’s the end — it simply means it’s an opportunity to make it better and try again.  Read more>>