15 Failures That Built Me (So You Don’t Have to Make Them Too)

Failure isn’t the opposite of success—it’s the process of getting there. I’ve failed a lot, and I’m still standing (and thriving). So let’s talk about the real, messy, slightly embarrassing failures that shaped me into who I am today.

Because if I can survive these, you can too.

15 Business (& Life) Fails That Built Me

1. I once bought several boxes of coffee for a networking event… and drank them all alone.  Highly caffeinated, zero connections made.

2. I hosted an event that one person came to. We really bonded, though.

3. I over-delivered on a project, thinking I was securing a long-term client… and got fired instead.

4. I overcommitted (still working on this—because personal growth is exhausting).

5. I stayed up too late, ran on fumes, and burnt myself out so badly I forgot why I even started.

6. I created a product, launched it with high hopes… and didn’t even make my money back. Who wants 100 units of sadness?

7. I let a client RUIN my mental health. Like, full-blown stomach-drop anxiety every time I got a text. 🚩🚩🚩

8. I have missed meetings (some because of work, some because I was on barn time)

9. I worked for free, convinced the client would convert later… spoiler: they did not.

10. I went to networking events where I talked to absolutely no one. Just me, my drink, and my existential crisis.

11. I waited too long to invest in my business because I thought I had to prove myself first. (Turns out, investing helps you grow faster—who knew?)

12. I participated in silly, silly social media trends (read: dances) because I thought I had to. The internet is forever.

13. I bought a young, energetic horse… multiple times… and fallen off said horses just as many times. (Some lessons are expensive.)

14. I have cried at my desk, in my car, and on my horse. Sometimes all in one day.

15. I have screwed things up BAD and had to own it, apologize, and make it right—which is honestly just part of growing.

Now, What Do We Do With This?

We stop fearing failure.
We fail faster, smarter, and forward.
We talk about it, learn from it, and build businesses that actually work.

So let’s keep the conversation going. I’m launching a new Facebook group all about failing forward, pivoting fast, and building unstoppable businesses.

Join me here: Fail Forward: A Small Business Growth Community —because if we’re going to fail, we might as well do it together.