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.

Ray Pee

I’m no stranger to failures. In fact, I am a specialist at failing. I’ve failed a thousand times more in the past 2 years than I’ve ever failed in the previous 40 years of my life. My story of intense failing started when I decided to break out of the ‘mundane’ 20 years I’ve spend in the corporate world climbing the corporate ladder. Read more>>

Brittney Powell

When I first tried to get into Walmart stores it took me over a year. I got so discouraged. Every time I got close something else came up. I threw in the towel basically. I called my father and he said to me “Brittney if this is your dream see it through “. That gave me the push I needed and I ended up making history as the first African American Woman Sole Proprietor on Walmart. Com. Read more>>

Lisa Soto-Lopez

Overcoming adversity is something that I’ve dealt with all of my adult life. My path was simple in the beginning. I graduated high school, married my high school sweetheart, moved to New Jersey and started a family. I worked easy jobs like daycare, banks, insurance etc. Basically, anything Customer Service related. Read more>>

Mari Vandenberge

The most significant moment that comes to mind was a client I collaborated with earlier this year. It was a pinnacle in my career, a moment when I felt truly recognized and valued for my creative contributions. Those instances when you can finally take a deep breath, knowing that they chose you for your unique creative vision and ability to deliver exceptional designs. Read more>>