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.

Bailey Lopata

One of my most memorable failures was the first time that I tried to edit a comic. I wanted to gain some editorial experience, so I started up a little anthology with my friends. We were all very excited about it and wanted to make something we could add to our resumes and portfolios. Read more>>

Cherish Jesine

Absolutely. Honestly, I’m in it right now. This isn’t a story I’ve already overcome—it’s one I’m still navigating. I’m still learning how to breathe through the highs and survive the lows. I’ve been spiraling, questioning everything—my stability, my purpose, my strength. Mentally, it’s been one of the hardest seasons of my life. Some days I wake up ready to fight. Other days, it takes everything in me just to get out of bed. Read more>>

Kira Coates

Even as Black Betty’s Cuisine remained 5-star rated and publicly thriving — with features on news segments, partnerships across Maryland, and a loyal client base — I was silently unraveling.
In the beginning, my mission was clear: I wanted to bring intimate, high-quality culinary experiences to life, rooted in deep care, community, and culture. But after the first year, the pressure to say yes to everything — while unknowingly overmedicated and misdiagnosed — pulled me off course. Read more>>