Posted by: Carolyn Chaplin

In our business we often say that the best creative concepts live and die on our shelves. Why? Because breaking apart from everyone else, whether it’s a branding or a marketing campaign, requires clients to make bold and brave decisions. It takes courage.

Sure, there are numerous legitimate reasons clients give for what could go wrong with an idea, or how it could fail. Nothing in this world comes with a 100% guarantee for success. But how do you know if something will succeed or fail if you don’t try? Just ask the inventors of Trivial Pursuit. Their idea was turned down by every game manufacturer the first time around before it became the most successful selling game in history.

Some of the best lessons in life and applicable to marketing can be learned in sports. By his own admission, Michael Jordan missed over 9000 shots in his career, lost 300 games and failed to make the game winning shot 26 times.

In my spare time, I am a figure fitness athlete. For the past year I have been training to compete at the Canadian Championships in my sport. Just eleven weeks out from Nationals, I am struggling with an injury threatening to sideline this year’s goal and dreams. It limits my ability to train 100% for the next several weeks. The journey there will be tough, mentally and physically. I have doubts. I have had people say “So sorry” and look incredulous when I say, “don’t count me out yet.”

We all have choices to make…mine is to sit on the sidelines this year and hope to qualify again next year or work with my trainers to modify, push forward and take the best shot at it before making a final decision to compete.

What’s your courage factor? Would you pick the safe choice and settle for average results? Would you say “Never going to happen, it won’t work” or “let’s go for it and prove them wrong?”

You have to have the guts to fail before you can win.

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One Response to “The Courage to Fail”

1. Deb Cakes says:

   January 12, 2012 at 8:24 am

   A great lesson for all of us to apply to our lives. Cheers.