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.

Isabel Gomes

In the late 1990’s my husband and I started a wedding photography business that quickly became very successful and profitable. Because we were so busy shooting weddings, meeting prospective clients and designing wedding albums, we never thought to, or had time to, market ourselves and go after work in other photography genres.  Read more>>

James Lanham

A lesson I had to unlearn was how I approached emotional values and self-worth. Growing up was not easy. I suffered from poor decisions and a lack of good support, which led me to my toxic actions for many years as a young adult. I internalized a mindset of survival that often undervalued emotions and connections. I believed suppressing feelings was the key to staying strong and navigating life’s challenges. While that mindset served me in difficult times, it also became a barrier to personal growth and meaningful relationships. Read more>>

Taylor Ferrell

I’ve always had a knack for design. I was that kid constantly rearranging furniture and repainting my bedroom. But I also had a big dream of going to college, something no one in my family had done before, so I pursued a degree in marketing. That path led me through a handful of jobs, but none of them ever felt quite right. Read more>>

Jamie Samland

I fully believe that we learn more from failure than from success. After I wrote the final words of my first book, I thought, “Wow! This is it! I just have to wait for Netflix to call with a miniseries request!”

I hired a developmental editor, who ripped the book in half. From her feedback, I split characters, combined others, and cut whole story arcs. I learned humility, that the book I created wasn’t flawless on the first go, and allowed myself to accept criticism. Read more>>