“If we are brave enough often enough we will fail” Brene Brown

When things go wrong of course there are regrets, days when you are consumed with thoughts of how you could have done differently and if only you’d been able to see around corners (or known what information you didn’t have) you could have perhaps made different decisions that would have resulted in different outcomes. But if creating and running businesses was easy then everyone would be doing it.

I definitely feel more risk-averse now I am older but that is just my natural human instinct after all a broken arm hurts so next time you trip there is a resistance to put your arm out in case it happens again.

But what a shame it would be if we just gave up…

Some of the joy in opening up new businesses and creating something new is the ‘leap into the void’ the not knowing, the uncertainty but doing it anyway.

Picking yourself back up and learning from the fall is how we grow and move forward and I am proud that over my 25 years working in this industry that I have had opportunities to fall, learn and get back up again. it makes me an expert, not only do I know how to create a phenomenally successful business I know the risks, where things go wrong, I can see the cracks as they appear and I can navigate around them. Far from knocking my confidence failure has helped me build resilience and I hope it is something I can support my kids to learn. It is not comfortable but it makes success so much more possible and enjoyable.

Seth Godin argues that an artist is, in a broad sense, anyone who creates something daring and new.

Whilst I haven’t spent the last 20 years creating new businesses telling myself I was an artist there is some comfort in this idea.

I have made bold decisions and created businesses that not only created revenue and jobs and achieved success, but they were businesses that contributed beyond my world. They had an impact on others. When one of my businesses closed I had over 900 messages I received from friends, colleagues, and strangers. Without me knowing my business had created a huge community with many people who benefited from and bought into our small local business, it was something that mattered to others and impacted their lives.

Being prepared to fail is definitely worth it.