Recently, one of our Bucketlist Bombshells Academy students reached out to us sharing a recent failure she had in her business.

She felt discouraged, exhausted, and wasn’t sure how to move forward so she reached out for advice.

Believe it or not, we’ve been in a failure rut many times in our business journey. And I’m guessing if you’ve been chasing after your entrepreneurial dreams, you probably have felt this way too…

When Shay and I launched the Work Online and Travel the World Course back in 2015, we enrolled just 12 students (nowhere near our goal!). We put our heart and soul into building an amazing course, but didn’t see the results we wanted. We felt stuck, didn’t know how to move forward, and doubted our abilities.

Whether you just launched a course and didn’t reach your goal or just launched your online business and haven’t landed any clients… whatever has got you feelin’ like a failure…  I want you to know that I see you, I believe in you, and I definitely feel you. 

But, love, it’s time to pick yourself back up and keep going. Here’s how we’ve picked ourselves back up from our biggest failures, and tips on how you can too…

Success Doesn’t Happen Right Away

For most people, success doesn’t happen right away. And by most people, that also includes some of the most successful people we now know:

• Oprah Winfrey
• J.K. Rowling
• Shakira
• Mindy Kaling
• Ashley Graham
• Lady Gaga

Honestly, I could go on and on rambling off women who were once told that they weren’t good enough, weren’t talented enough, or weren’t cut out for the job. Women who tried and failed…time and time again!

As you can see, it takes experience, practice, and trials to reach success. Most importantly, to see success, you must learn from your mistakes. 

Success doesn’t just happen in the blink of an eye or the click of a button. It takes time and resilience.

This Is Where Resilience Is Built

Oftentimes, we’re so ready for instant gratification that we overlook our failure, immediately try to fix what went wrong, and then just move on.

However, when you take a step back, you’ll realize that resilience is built in times when you aren’t seeing the results you want — Times when you feel like you’ve failed. 

During that time, you have to make the choice to pick yourself back up and decide to keep going, continue learning, and move forward.

Scientifically, you’re showing your brain and telling yourself that you are capable of handling hard things… and that, my love, is how resilient people are built.

Go Back to the Drawing Board

When you feel like you’ve failed, it’s time to go back to the drawing board from a place of curiosity and possibility. 

When you’re in the mental space of feeling like you’ve failed, it’s difficult to see areas of improvement and opportunity. By stepping away from the problem for a bit, you’ll come back with a new, fresh perspective. You’ll come from a place of possibility and curiosity, and will then be able to start asking yourself why you think it didn’t work. 

What were people saying they wish was different? Did you get any feedback on ways to improve? What can you do better next time? Is there anyone you can reach out to or learn from who’s an expert in this area? What didn’t flow or work well? 

By going back to the drawing board, you’ll be able to uncover the areas that need improvement and continue right on track to seeing success!

Learn from People Who Have Done It Well 

When we first launched our online course business and didn’t get the results we wanted, we went back to our drawing board. When we recognized the areas of opportunity, we looked at other course creators and people in the industry to see what they were doing and how we could learn from them. 

During this time of feeling like you failed, it’s important that you invest in yourself and your online business. Start soaking up as much knowledge and expertise as you can. Dive into what others are successfully doing. Discover what works and doesn’t work in your industry.

Sometimes, it isn’t a matter of determination, but rather you have to have the right tools, knowledge, and information to see the success that you desire.

Stop Doing and Start Listening

If you’re feeling really discouraged, it’s time to surround yourself with positivity. Put your laptop away, stop trying to fix things, and just allow yourself to be inspired and reencouraged by others. 

There are so many great Netflix documentaries, books, and podcasts that you can dive into. Need some suggestions? Check out these blog posts:

• 8 Best Business Books To Inspire Your Girl Boss Journey
• 5 Podcast Episodes You Need To Listen To Now
• 6 Binge-Worthy & Uplifting Netflix Shows For Girl Bosses

Remind yourself that many of us fail. By listening to women who have been in the same exact place as you, feeling the exact same feelings as you, will reassure, encourage, and motivate you!

Taking a break and soaking up other women’s journeys is an important piece of the puzzle to picking yourself back up.

Get Back Up and Try Again

Think of it like riding a bike. As a kid, you jump on, likely fall off, and then try again. You keep trying and trying, and before you know it, you’re flying down the street without your training wheels.

Eventually, you’ll be ready to try again and begin implementing everything that you’ve learned along this process. Give yourself permission to experiment and try new things.

Change Your Perspective

When you fail, you’re likely going to be scared to try again. Maybe you’re overwhelmed with all the pressure? Or maybe you’re scared to make another mistake? Either way, I get it and I’ve been there! 

But it’s absolutely crucial that you shift your perspective on failure! Rather than being afraid of failing, think of everything you do throughout your journey as “experimenting.” Trust me, many of us “experiment” our way to success every single day.

Sarah Blakely, the CEO and Founder of Spanx, is an incredible example of changing perspectives. Check out her really cool story on how her dad actually encouraged her to fail!

We’re seven years into our business and are still learning new things, asking for guidance, using mentors, investing in ourselves, and learning. 

There are always going to be new platforms, developments, and opportunities. The key is to recognize that there’s not going to be one time and space where everything is perfect or never going to change, need improvements, or need tweaking. Experimenting will always be a part of your business journey!

Even though you may have fallen down, you’re not a failure. Use these tips to pick yourself back up because the world needs what you’ve got, love!