Failure and friendly faces
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Hi Reader, When you look at Martha Stewart, you see someone who made cooking, homekeeping, and decorating mainstream. When you look at Michael Phelps, you see the world’s most decorated Olympian. When you look at Damon John, you see an A-list CEO and charismatic Shark Tank personality. As I listened to each of those very successful people speak at this year’s Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Summit, it was the reality of their low-lows that really stuck with me. Martha went to prison for crying out loud. Michael has had major mental health struggles. Damon had a fashion brand that went under five times before it took off. I know saying “failure makes you stronger” feels cliché, but maybe we need the reminder more than we think. Truly, no successful person has gotten where they are today without serious low points. Chances are, they won’t get where they’re going next without a few (dozen) more. We know this, but we also love to forget it. Here’s your reminder not to be afraid of failure. When it happens, embrace it. Look at it as a chance to learn and grow. The most important thing is to get back up, keep going, and carry those lessons forward. Failures aren’t always epic. They’re often the small, everyday blips that weigh us down. It could be a slow business period that zaps our confidence or a mistake we make on a Monday afternoon. It could be a low point in our motivation that tanks our creativity or makes us lose the bigger picture. Next time you’re embarrassed that you “failed,” remember that even the icons fall down. Why should we expect ourselves to skip that part? That doesn’t mean it’s easy, but it does mean you’ll get through it. At the end of the day, if you have a business community you can lean on through the highs and lows, count yourself lucky. I was so grateful to be surrounded by dozens of familiar, friendly faces at the conference, all soaking in the stories together. Income growth and flashy awards are great, but a solid business community has got to be the most underrated definition of “success” in my eyes. Whatever your goals are for the rest of 2025, make sure you work in some community-nurturing goals too. Plan a coffee date, go to an event, check in on your business owner friends. Show up and thank them for always being in your corner.
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Hi! I'm Rachel, the Left Brain of Drio.
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