the non-negotiable
The Number One Life Skill You Need if You Want to Take This Path?
It’s this: getting really freaking good at failing.
I know, you’ve probably heard that before. I used to as well — from YouTube entrepreneurs, the autobiographies I devoured, and my own coaches. But it took me a while to actually get it.
Because when you’re sitting there in the thick of failure — head in your hands, wondering how you’re going to cover wages that week — it doesn’t feel like a “lesson.” It feels like defeat. And yet… those are the exact moments when the magic (in the form of most creative thinking) happens.
Recently I spent a weekend with some old friends. They’re “electric curtains, heated tiles, and eight investment properties” kind of well-off. Their business model? They literally create businesses, in what feels like for fun. The husband is straight up obsessed with the creation stage. He just builds, launches, and sees what sticks. And when something doesn’t? They both shrug, move on, and start again.
They’re not fearless. They’re just really good at failing fast.
That’s what this game demands.
I’ve been at it eight years now. I opened my second studio in year two, and by year four, I had five in total. Today, I’m back to two studios — leaner, wiser, and more sustainable.
We survived COVID not because we were prepared (spoiler: I cried very publicly on social media and felt anything but prepared) but because we moved fast and had the whole thing online in under 24 hours. Every lease I’ve ever signed happened within a day. Every to-do gets actioned quickly — sometimes written on a scrap of paper and shoved on top of my keyboard if actioned immediately is proving impossible.
And with speed comes failure. Always.
I’ve made some expensive mistakes. Like hiring managers I couldn’t afford (Karen if you are reading this, it aint about you, you worth every penny boo and I love you!), ignoring my numbers for years, trusting the universe to sort it out (pro tip: it won’t — check every transaction). I once invested a small fortune “taking over” a studio from an old friend, only to lose it three months later.
Some mistakes cost more than money. After my first child was born, I opened another studio when she was two weeks old — denial in action. I pushed myself (and my partner) into burnout. And I’ve spent more hours than I care to admit obsessing over what others thought of me.
But here’s the point: mistakes matter. Discomfort matters even more. If you’re thinking about stepping into this life — the life of entrepreneurship — don’t avoid failure. Expect it. Accept it as part of the deal.
Your heart will break, and then it will mend. Again and again.
The trick is to note the lesson, move quickly, and don’t stop. Take brain breaks, fill your cup, take yoru favourite form of rest — but keep stepping forward. Make every experience educational.
Because here’s the reward: you wake up every morning and get to decide what you want to do.
And that freedom? WORTH IT.