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.

John Locke

Around the end of 2017, I was doing a lot of custom website builds for different agencies. I had one agency in particular that was close to half of my revenue, and they were leveling up their own business. My own business was doing okay, but it really needed a boost, and I approached them about renegotiating our terms on the contract work I was doing for them. They rejected this idea, and I knew I had gotten my business into a place where I had to make a decision. I could continue with this client at the present terms and stay stuck, or possibly lose them and have to find more clients. Read more>>

Germain Arroyo

I have failed many times, but you have to get back up and continue going. But one moment of failure that has always stuck with me was me was the moment I was dropped from a film. It all started with me booking one of my first film, and I was extremely excited. I arrived to the table read and everything was going great, but while I was reading I was also being asked if I could deepen my voice a little or maybe sound a little different. And I did, I tried to do as I was told. The next day I received a call from my manager, and he told me that unfortunately I was being dropped from the film and they decided to go a different route with the role. Read more>>

Darren LaCroix

After four years of business school, I went for the American dream. I bought a very popular franchise. The only way I could get a loan fresh out of school and no experience running a business was a franchise. I was excited. I dreamed of being a multi-unit owner and subsequently a multi-millionaire. A year in, I was losing money and I had to get a day job to pay my employees so I did not default on my loan. I was also working 90 hours a week between my shop and my day job. It was brutal. Read more>>

Carlitta Whitley

I think every chef’s dream is eventually to have their own brick and mortar. Something there signifies you made it. In the the midst of chaos I was presented with an opportunity to have my own, and knew it was my opportunity to finally “make it”. I was skeptical about the timing, because life was lifing, but, I figured either way a lesson could be learned. I was way in over my head, but I did my best. The cost to be boss can be hefty, and something that I was completely unprepared for. Ultimately I got out of the deal before it drowned me and realized I needed time to figure what was next for me in my culinary pursuit, because there are multiple successful ways to be a chef. Read more>>

Melodi Bac

Being a writer requires a few steps. Most people think the act of writing is what makes a writer, a writer. But it is so much more than that. If you don’t have a medium to publish your work to reach the right audience, you won’t succeed. Often, it is difficult to find the right publisher or to find a publisher at all. When I finished my first book, I had a hard time publishing it. Each publisher door I stepped into, shut the door to my face. I had so many rejections that I had a rejection file on my computer. But this was not enough for me to give up on my dreams. After countless rejections, I found a publisher who believed in me and my stories. Shortly after they published my book, the literary critics declared me as Turkey’s JK. Rowling. Now I work with the best publishers in the industry and proudly present my books to my readers. Read more>>

Connie McGOwan

My name is Connie McGowan, and I am the proud owner of Connie & Co. Photography. My specialty lies in boudoir and branding photography, with occasional ventures into birthday, seniors and family portrait experiences. I often say that I can seamlessly capture moments from the boardroom to the bedroom during a photography session. Photography has been a part of my life since an early age, and my love for taking and being in photographs never waned. I began taking photography seriously in 2010, initially experimenting with various genres. However, I soon realized that I needed to find my niche. Read more>>

Caleb Clark

The first job I ever booked was a disaster! I was hired to film a tutorial video for a hair stylist. Being my first job, I, of course, didn’t charge enough and actually went out of pocket to pick up some rentals (lesson #1: include rental expenses in your invoices). Overall, the shoot went relatively well. We filmed for around 3 hours with multiple different angles. Read more>>

Shana Yao

It’s so funny – we are taught to fear failure. And honestly, no one actively wants to fail But failure is a part of life – and for me, it was a big part of my success. I was raised in a family of smart people. My dad was the Head of the Civil Engineering Department and Texas A&M. My brother and sister were super smart. I was kind of the rebel of my family – and instead of following a laid out path into a secure job after college, I decided to go to LA and pursue my dream to work in the retail industry. Read more>>