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.

Franceta Lopez

One of the most significant times I experienced failure was after writing my first book, Mother You Can Make It. I poured my heart into it, but after its release, it felt like everything went downhill. It was as if the devil was saying, “Oh, you think you can make it? Let me show you!” Life became chaotic, and the book didn’t gain the traction I hoped for. I felt discouraged and questioned if I should continue. Read more>>

Ali Syndergaard

Failure is going to come no matter who you are. I have learned this multiple times throughout the years of school and different jobs etc. No one is perfect and no job is 100% perfect, no matter how it looks on the outside. I don’t like to look at failure as a negative thing, it’s an opportunity for growth and to learn. Failing proves that you are doing, and doing is better than wishful thinking. I have failed in so many aspects whether it was a test, relationships, or trying to master a recipe. Practice makes perfect right? The most recent experience I can share is working with a customer on creating a custom macaron order. Mind you, macarons have become sort of a specialty and I felt like I have completely mastered them. So going into this order I wasn’t the least bit worried about it. While in the process of doing my typical routine of the cookie making – nothing was working. Read more>>

Grace Disu

Failure is inevitable. We have all experienced moments where we missed the mark but hopefully learned a new lesson in the process. My first opportunity to be a vendor for a lounge was quite terrible. I spent about $250 on groceries and made $45 that night. The sales did not even come from the guests, they came from the lounge staff. What I actually learned that night was the priceless value of networking. I had to change my way of thinking for that night to investing instead of profit. That night I met one of the best Djs in Houston, @richlifestone, and he posted my food on his instagram story. It was such an exciting moment for me despite not making any money that night. When I came back to sell food again, I was nervous and scared that I would fail again, but I actually sold out. J Stone shouted me out all night on the mic during his set, which encouraged people to check me out. Then moving forward, I became more confident and continued to sell out Read more>>