My 3 biggest failures:

My 3 biggest failures in life + business:

Failure 1: Getting (sort-of) fired.

I worked for a company for many, many years as a staff writer.

I was also ghostwriting for my agent, but this staff job was my MRR safety net. By November 2020, I thought I'd "escaped" the professional Grim Reaper Covid ushered in. The CEO of the company called me in. My heartbeat throbbed in my toes.

"You can take a massive pay cut + do more work OR you can move to a month-to-month retainer."

Since my electric company doesn't accept well wishes as a form of payment, I went month-to-month. I felt rejected. I felt singled out. I felt really pissed off. But ...

→→ This was a defining moment in my life and career. I started The Story Spark and replaced that income x3.

Failure 2: Getting divorced.

I woke up one morning in 2018 and learned I was getting divorced. Just like that. Quick-snap, papers were filed, furniture was moved out, and I hadn't even had my Diet Coke yet. I WANTED TO DIE.

I handled this real bad. Real, real bad. But eventually, I got my act together. [Honestly, because I had no choice.] I never believed I could support a household on my own, much less run an entire business. But ...

→→ God showed up. One dream died and another dream I wasn't brave enough to dream came to life. I am a better mother, friend, business-owner, human, and partner to my fiancé because of this nightmare. I wouldn't wish divorce on an enemy, and I won't say I'm thankful it happened to me. But I see the redemption and value in all it taught me.

Failure 3: Getting burned out.

I spent 10 years working in big publishing as a ghostwriter. I worked with celebrities, politicians, pro-athletes, and famous founders. MAN I THOUGHT I HAD MADE IT. But it grew empty. Something was missing. The words felt like dust to me. They were on the pages, but what did they mean anymore?

I knew I had to take a break. I knew I needed to walk away. So I did. I figured my career had peaked. Everything that happened next would be the "descent." But ...

→→ I went all-in on LinkedIn and my entire life changed. I wake up excited and hungry for more. Building a business is the second greatest adventure I've been on (the first being parenting). And I can't wait to see what happens next.

Failure isn't the opposite of success.

Failure is rung on success's ladder.

What is one lesson a "failure" taught you?

The Go and DO

I don't want to be another newsletter in your inbox. I want to be an actionletter. In every edition, I'll include a "Go-and-Do" [below] to help you take an action step TODAY that improves your LinkedIn™ performance, your business, or even your life. 

Take 10 minutes today and do this:

Step 1: Name it.
Write down one moment you still  label as a failure.

Step 2: Finish this sentence (three times).
“Because that happened, I learned how to ______.”

Be specific.
Not “be resilient.”
Try “sell without permission,” “bet on myself,” “set boundaries,” “ask for help sooner.”

Step 3: Turn it into leverage.
Ask yourself:
➜ Where am I using that lesson right now in my work, parenting, or relationships?
➜ Where am I still hiding from it?

Optional (but powerful):
Share one line of this on LinkedIn this week.

Example:
“I used to think this moment meant I failed. Now I see it’s the reason I can do ___.”

That’s how credibility compounds.