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.

Dymun Johnson

As the trying person that I am, I fall short at times. I tend to get in my own way or discourage myself. The last couple of years had been rough. Life has really been beating me up. I’ve taken time away from my business to get my mind, my heart and my finances together. Within this time I’ve watched other businesses grow and become more. It made me think and look within. It had me feeling like I failed. Not just myself but everyone who is supporting me. I took time off when I should have just leaned in a lot more. I should have turned to jewelry making in my time of struggle, need and discomfort instead of pulling away. Read more>>

Deryck Jones

In 2007, I launched a managed IT services company that I grew to $4.5M in three years. In 2011, I was offered 11.2M for the business by a former partner that was launching a billion dollar startup in the smart city space. He had secured capital from a group of investors out of the EU. His plan was to purchase a series of companies with key assets in the areas needed to allow for a rapid launch. However, later in 2011, the Greek Finance Minister declared he was going to default on his loans to the EU and when that happened, the investors withdrew. Read more>>

Bryan Babcock

Since middle school, I’ve been captivated by the idea of capturing moments and telling stories that matter, stories that move. Growing up in Maryland, my passion for storytelling runs as deep as the Chesapeake Bay that shaped my childhood. Read more>>

Kylee Love

I’ve been braiding hair since middle school. From a young age, I dreamed of either working under a professional to learn the ropes of becoming a skilled hairstylist and braider or one day owning my own salon. In 2022, I decided to take a leap of faith and officially launch my braiding business. Things were going well, but I began to feel like something was missing — the professional structure and growth I truly desired. Read more>>