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.

Derlene Hirtz

I was in a toxic work environment and I lost my confidence, self-worth, and self-esteem during my time there. Upon reflection, and an immense amount of personal investment in my development, I now am grateful for the experience. I think about what advice I would have given myself back then, and it would have been to just go get another job where you, as a person, are supported. What I discovered was that when we are in toxic environments, all the positive ideas of who we are to out the window. We begin focusing on what is so wrong with ourself, finding fault and blaming ourselves. One thing I am very clear on is that ‘what you feed grows.’ In other words we become who we continually tells ourselves whom we are. I had created a pattern of self-devaluation that was constant, and it not only showed up at work, it began effecting every area of my life: spouse, family, friends, health, finances, I could go on. I saw myself as a total failure in work, life, relationships. Read more>>

Yolanda Hunter

I had a boutique, and I didn’t know my numbers. That was my first mistake. I was passionate, but passion alone doesn’t keep a business running—profit does. To be successful in business, you must know your numbers. That means reviewing and understanding your financial statements—not just glancing at them. If numbers aren’t your thing, hire a financial team that handles bookkeeping and taxes. It’s not an expense; it’s an investment in your business’s survival and growth. Once I learned my finances, I learned how to scale. And that’s when everything changed. Read more>>

Megan Carlisle

A Hard Lesson in Business: How a $65,000 Mistake Nearly Broke Us When we started our company, we were determined to build something sustainable, even if it meant starting small. Every order came from our savings, and we focused on creating beautiful hair colors, textures, and extensions while staying out of debt. Slowly but surely, we began gaining. About nine months to a year in, we hit what felt like a breakthrough moment. We saved every penny we made, and with excitement—and admittedly, a little fear—we placed our first big order: $65,000 worth of inventory. It felt like a turning point for our business. What we didn’t know was that it would also become one of the most difficult moments in our journey.  traction. Read more>>