Failure Decoded: Recent Episodes
Rachel & Shamsiya
Learn how to face your fear of failure to achieve the life you want. Get actionable advice from founders who have embraced failure and built stronger businesses because of it.
Adam Kingl is a globally renowned leadership expert, educator, and keynote speaker known for his insights into next generation leadership, innovation, and future trends. He has worked extensively with companies, helping navigate challenges and adapt to changing business landscapes.
Adam is also an adjunct faculty at a number of institutions notable University College London, where he teaches courses on leadership, strategy, and innovation. His expertise lies in understanding the intersection of leadership and organizational dynamics in a rapidly evolving world.
Adam Kingl's research focuses on understanding the work and leadership dynamics of Generation Y, a demographic expected to comprise 75% of the global workforce by 2025. His book, 'Next Generation Leadership', published in 2020 by HarperCollins, explores these paradigm shifts. Companies are increasingly concerned about innovating to adapt to future changes, and Adam offers practical insights on strategic and management innovation, as well as leveraging culture and engagement in work-life dynamics.
Links
Adam Kingl's Website
LinkedIn
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Chris Guillebeau is more than just an author, podcast host, entrepreneur; he's a modern-day adventurer, community builder with a penchant for pushing boundaries. Renowned for accomplishing the remarkable feat of visiting every country in the world by the age of 35, Guillebeau's journey has become an inspiration to countless seekers of unconventional paths.
As the prolific author of bestsellers like "The Art of Non-Conformity" and "The $100 Startup," Chris shares insights that transcend traditional norms. His work extends beyond the written word, as he hosts the "Side Hustle School" podcast, guiding aspiring entrepreneurs on their journey to turning ideas into income.
Join us as we delve into the extraordinary world of Chris Guillebeau, exploring the mind of an adventurer, author, and advocate for action to understand how his experiences have shaped his point of view about Failure.
Show Notes
Links
Chris Guillebeau Website
Chris Guillebeau LinkedIn
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Melanie Elturk. a former civil rights attorney, is the visionary CEO behind Haute Hijab, a preeminent U.S. hijab brand.
A graduate of Wayne State University, Melanie's academic prowess paved the way for her to attain a Juris Doctorate from the university's esteemed law school at a remarkable age—23. Armed with a passion for social justice, she seamlessly transitioned from the realm of civil rights advocacy to the fashion industry.
Melanie Elturk's entrepreneurial journey is a captivating narrative of trailblazing resilience, clarity of vision, steadfastness, honesty, leadership and pursuit of how to find contentment in the face of setbacks and failure.
Melanie explains with clarity how faith, detachment, courage, social justice, patience are key catalysts to transformation into something more beautiful and impactful.
We unravel the layers of Melanie's story, gaining profound insights into the woman behind the brand and the impactful strides she's making in reshaping the narrative of hijab in the world of fashion.
Her commitment to bridging cultural gaps and fostering inclusivity and building communities is not merely a business endeavour; it's a testament to her unwavering dedication to societal progress and self actualization.
Show Notes
1:00 Melanie Elturk’s Legacy, an introduction.
4:17 Navigating challenges and setbacks during the Covid-19 Pandemic as an entrepreneur.
10:34 Haute Hijab’s most heartbreaking difficult time.
15:34 Secret to Melanie’s trailblazing confidence and exceptional leadership qualities.
17:34 Everyone has a role to play and that forms the core of Haute Hijab.
18:19 Haute Hijab has the best team, they are warriors.
20:10 How was Haute Hijab built?
25:10 I am a Hustler.
34:28 Choosing Haute Hijab over an enticing Law career in Dubai.
38:28 Haute Hijab is a symbol of Power and Resilience.
Links
Haute Hijab Website
Haute Hijab Instagram
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**David Silverberg is a freelance writer, journalist, entrepreneur, editor, poet, storytelller and writing coach. From embracing rejection to discussing the importance of failure in entrepreneurship, David's journey from reporting on Fuck Up Nights Toronto , writing to BBC, to coaching writers is a testament to resilience and niche expertise. Learn from his experiences and gain insights on lessons learned, startup ecosystems, and the power of mentoring in the entrepreneurial world.
7:34 Anyone who works in the freelance space is an entrepreneur.**
9:14 Rejection is part of the process, just keep at it.
14:14 The experience of covering Fuck Up Nights Toronto.
15:24 Talking about Failure completes the key part of the entrepreneurial puzzle.
15:35 What happens when something does not go right.
19:20 David Spielberg’s personal tryst with Failure.
20:24 Do not fall into the trap of catering to everyone, Niche down.
26:44 What lessons were learnt from the Epic failure of Google’s Smart City in Toronto .
33:34 Canada’s changing startup ecosystem and how it compares to the United States of America.
38:21 Mentoring is a great way to monetize existing skills as a consultant, entrepreneur, and freelancer.
David Silverberg
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Website David Silverberg
Become a Better Writer newsletter: https://t.co/Rj2APNLDZC
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In this episode Dr Pradeep Kumar Sacitharan shares his experience and insights about the current Global Recession and how it has impacted different sections of the society and businesses. The year 2023 has seen the collapse and failure of some of the biggest banks in the United States of America and the European countries are experiencing rising cost of living that has left many people food insecure.
The resilience of an economy is influenced by numerous factors, and it's important to recognize that the economic performance and resilience of a country can be influenced by a wide range of internal and external factors. This conversation dives deep into the different business sectors impacted by inflation and how pivoting and building stronger business systems could be the way forward to avoid failure and build stronger and powerful economies. So let us Power Up.
Show Notes:
3:00 Not everything is in our control, not even the looming recession however, our response can control the outcome.
4:00 Covid, disruption of the supply chain, impact felt by consumers and challenges for entrepreneurs.
9:12 Offer the best quality products at a good price to the customers and do not cut corners.
12:57 Tips to invest in commercial real estate at this time.
20:28 The challenges faced by the food industry and rise of food insecurity.
22:57 Import and export strategies to implement now.
26:08 Establishing new and ethical export trade deals with developing, resource rich countries can prove to be lucrative.
33:05 Business is a numbers game, building strong networks takes time and hustle.
**Links:
Pradeep's Social Media**
Instagram
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In this episode we talk to Iman Grewal about entrepreneurship and compassion. Iman's journey is one of creativity, business, and relentless passion for helping others. She embarked on her professional life as an artist, immersing herself in the world of performance, production, and curation. Iman's artistic endeavors took her to prestigious organizations and events around the globe, including the World Economic Forum, where she left an indelible mark with her talent and creativity.
Multi hyphenated, multi faceted artist, entrepreneur navigating challenges and achieving success but never at the cost of mental health. Infact, Iman is one of the few entrepreneurs who very early on realize how important taking care of one's mental health is that she has created businesses around it so that she can offer her wisdom, knowledge and experience to others.
In this episode Iman also talks about how immigrant children, herself being one, have very different challenges. They take on responsibilities very early on and the hustle-growth mindset comes with a huge responsibility to never fail.
Show Notes
1:00 Iman Grewal, the performer, producer, curator, event programmer and entrepreneur.
4:58 Sharing stories is very important, especially the failure stories.
5:26 Connecting on a deeper level which is becoming difficult with technological developments.
6:54 Iman’s story and stories of immigrant children, escaping genocide and starting a life in Canada.
9:54 How immigrant children have similar experiences and children becoming parents to parents.
12:23 Resilience, growth mindset, hustle, not letting ourselves fail might not always be a good thing.
15:32 Entrepreneurial spirit and what it means.
17:50 Mental Health Challenges faced by Entrepreneurs.
19:37 Iman’s encounter with never stopping and Burnout.
21:41 Educate and spread awareness to equip others to manage mental health better.
26:13 Organizations have to make work spaces safe for all people, the onus is on them to make everyone feel included.
34:48 Intention and power of slowing down.
37:32 Get on the path of learning, learn to be flexible and never fear failure.
48:59 Have compassion for yourself, be realistic and bring on more acceptance for yourself.
Links
Iman Grewal
Linkedin
Website
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In this episode of Failure Decoded we talked to Simran Kaur, Co-Founder of Girls That Invest, an award winning podcast and Masterclass in the financial education space.
Simran and her Co-Founder Sonya are millennial investors who make financial literacy simple. They remove all the jargon to help people start investing and gain financial freedom.
We talked about how to get started with investing, overcoming fear, handling failure and what it's like working with your best friend.
Show Notes:
2:25 - Simran's entrepreneurial journey
5:25 - marketing money towards women vs men
7:30 - keeping investing simple
13:00 - getting started with investing
15:55 - red flags to look out for when seeking financial advice
20:10 - failures along the way
26:15 - overcoming fear of failure
28:50 - what it's like working with your best friend
Links:
Girls That Invest Instagram
Girls That Invest Podcast
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Pradeep Kumar Sacitharan shares his journey from high school dropout to Ph.D to successful e-commerce business owner.
His resilience and persistence has carried him through many failures, including submitting 47 applications before getting accepted into Oxford and making over 250 cold calls to break into the e-commerce industry.
Learn how Pradeep handles rejection, finds opportunities, delegates and does cold outreach. He also explains the importance of having a low ego and why knowledge isn't necessarily power.
Show Notes:
2:49 - Pradeep shares his story
7:48 - How Pradeep cultivated his resilient mindset
12:02 - Identifying opportunities
16:50 - How Pradeep delegates to his team
20:00 - The best hires to make as a small company
21:45 - Breaking into the e-com industry
24:01 - Strategy for cold outreach
27:30 - Knowledge isn't power, applied leverage is power
28:45 - The importance of having no ego
30:00 - An e-com failure Pradeep experienced and what he learned
**Links:
Pradeep's Social Media**
Instagram
Twitter
LinkedIn
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Nicole Teschl is the founder of a Canadian greeting card company SowSweet Greetings based in Toronto, Ontario. The cards designed by Nicole are riddled with Puns and the best part is that they grow into wildflowers once you plant them.
Nicole, a kindergarten teacher uses beautiful drawings and wordplay in her cards to bring to life every occasion and warm every heart it touches.
Nicole in this episode of Failure Decoded talks about her journey, transitioning from teaching to becoming an entrepreneur. Nicole has been featured on numerous media outlets like BlogTO, CTV News and this is just the beginning. She talks about the importance of reaching out to people, participating in local markets and building meaningful relationships with local businesses.
Nicole also hosts her own local market called the Local Loop and explains what goes into creating one.
This is a lovely episode and it is for all new entrepreneurs and nature lovers. A lot to learn here.
Show Notes:
7:19 Building SowSweet Greetings.
7:44 The first year of building a business and what it takes..
12:00 Working with a business partner is difficult but it;s highly recommended.
15:57 How being a teacher and wearing a lot of other hats set Nicole up for success as an entrepreneur.
17:35 Challenges faced in the beginning of business.
24:00 Quality matters and sourcing is responsible and intentional.
26:50 Challenges of building an eco-conscious sustainable business.
27:54 Building networks with local businesses and how to go about it.
33:40 Generating business buzz with media features like being on Blog To, CTV News.
36:38 The right etiquette to pitch your product to stores.
44:00 Sustainable, closed loop market for local markets.
Links
Website SowSweet Greetings
Instagram SowSweet Greetings
Breakfast Television Breakfast Show
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In this episode we talk to Amanda Pereira, an award winning podcaster about life, skills, mindset, podcasting and everything in between. Amanda is an actor, comedian, creator, and hosts a multi award-nominated podcast the Liquid Courage Podcast.
This episode is for those who want to start a dream project but have been procrastinating. It is never too late to start as long as you do start. Amanda, with dignified vulnerability, walks through her mindset shift when faced with rejections or hardships.
Show Notes
5:13 - Connecting with people with shared interest and community.
5:35 - Genesis of the Liquid Courage Podcast.
6:23 - A disconnect with the professional community was the driving force behind the urge to interview people.
7:11 - Finding inspiration from Judd Apatow's book Sick in the Head to go to the source and interview people.
8:13 - Setting the goal to interview 30 people in the year that Amanda turned 30.
11:15 - Guest outreach process and cold outreach tips.
17:15 - Transferable skills: Using experience gained in clinical Psycho-social oncology research to refine guest outreach process.
21:20 - Handling rejection, the Amanda Pereira way.
29:00 - Amanda’s unique perspective about failure.
30:21 - Be reasonably ready and just do it.
33:38 - Giving yourself the compassion card when life gets overwhelming.
35:52 - Prepping the right way to start a podcast.
42:11 - Amanda believes success is a result of failure.
53:12 - Keep trying and you will succeed.
Links
The Liquid Courage Podcast
Instagram
Amanda Pereira's Instagram
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Dr. Samuel West, a licensed psychologist, and PhD in Organizational Psychology, is thefounder and curator of the Museum of Failure. He talks to us about the fear of failure, psychological safety, taking risks and how he started the museum.
The Museum of Failure tours the world and showcases failed ideas, products, services and innovations. It was first launched in Sweden in 2017 and has been featured in numerous countries since. The exhibit is making its way to Brooklyn in March 2023. The museum aims to stimulate productive discussion about failure and inspire us to take meaningful risks.
Show Notes:
2:49 - Samuel West tells us about his background in psychology and how he came up with the idea for the Failure Museum
5:18 - how Samuel launched the Failure Museum and curated the items
11:54 - who’s the demo of the Failure Museum?
15:45 - what Samuel has learned about the fear of failure from his research
17:50 - taking meaningful risk
21:08 - do you ever have any challenges getting CEOs or executive leadership teams to implement your teachings about failure?
24:50 - Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos role model failure and taking risks in their company culture
26:45 - a lot of startups play it safe and follow the ’trends’
28:28 - AI chat bot at the Museum of Failure
34:24 - we need failure in order to innovate
37:25 - why going viral can backfire
39:30 - Samuel’s Irreverent Research Lab
44:00 - how failure is perceived in different cultures
51:15 - a doll that eats kids hair?!
Links:Museum of Failure
For donations and suggestions for new exhibits please contact: info@museumoffailure.com
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Caroline Labouchere, an entrepreneur, grey model and motivational speaker gives us a raw perspective of what one goes through when life throws an unexpected curveball.
Caroline is now on a mission to empower women to realize their potential and take control of their lives.
Show Notes:
3:19 - Going into the unknown and being brave.
3:44 - Working professionally as a model for the first time at 53.
4:43 - Caroline Labouchere’s story that changed her life.
6:21 - Navigating failure or difficult situations can mean more than just accepting it.
7:44 - Importance of reaching out to people who provide help, hope, and comfort.
8:21 - Don't play victim and take charge of your life.
13:43 - Caroline grew stronger and found strength.
18:54 - Shifting your mindset.
24:23 - Take care of yourself, put yourself first.
25:05 - Caroline’s mission to help women and impact lives.
Links:Caroline's website
Caroline's Instagram
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Rizwan Taj talks about his viral Instagram account, his non-linear career path, and his life advice that can be applied to entrepreneurship. From flying airplanes with the best pilots in the world to working in a tire shop, Rizwan has had an unconventional career.
He believes in making peace with your situation and keep on hustling towards your goals. If you fail, don't give up hope.
Show Notes:
2:15 - Cracking the code of going viral on Instagram.
3:00 - Rizwan proclaims, “My wife is the reason behind my social media success”.
5:00 - Rizwan’s journey, unconventional, adventurous and exciting.
9:35 - Everything is going great and then Reality it’s you.
9:41 - Not finding a job in the US after pilot training, visa restrictions and working in a car tire workshop.
13:12 - If you are stuck in a difficult decision, how do you stop yourself from going insane? Patience is the key!
15:26 - Make peace with your situation but keep working towards your dream.
22:16 - Be optimistic, be scared, do not forget your hardships and that should motivate you to move up and forward.
25:45 - Networking helps break barriers and break into your dream industry.
26:40 - Rizwan’s strategic tips to successful networking.
28:52 - Building momentum and keep moving forward.
28:58 - Best advice, golden words by Rizwan’s boss, Romy Hawatt Founder & Owner of Airways Aviation Academy, "If you are not moving forward, you are actually moving backwards as everyone else is moving forward.”
30:28 - Treading an unconventional path to achieve your goals.
30:32 - Being spontaneous, fearless, not scared to dream big.
35:29 - Taking risks, be persistent, passionate and patient.
36:07 - If you fail, try again and again.
Links:Rizwan's Instagram
Rizwan's YouTube Channel
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Shamsiya and Rachel are shining a light on the founder stories you don't see in the headlines. On Failure Decoded you'll hear interviews with entrepreneurs who've experienced failure, made rookie mistakes, pivoted and overcome obstacles.
The show aims to decode and destigmatize failure. After all, everyone fails! So why isn't it talked about more?
If there's one thing you'll take away from the conversations had on Failure Decoded it's that failure leads to success when approached the right way. Learn from founders who transform failures into opportunities for growth and how you can too.
This intro episode will give you a taste of what's to come on Failure Decoded in 2023.
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Shamsiya and Rachel wrap up the last episode of Failure Decoded for 2022. They discuss some of the biggest business failures of the year including crypto, Meta, Peloton and NFTs.
Show Notes:
1:40 - Shamsiya getting accepted into the Elizabeth Fry My Startup Training Program.
3:30 - Rachel emphasizes the importance of continuous learning as an entrepreneur.
4:40 - Zuckerberg lost 11 billion dollars of net worth in one day!
10:54 - the volatility of Crypto currency.
17:31 - Amazon’s Alexa is a huge failure.
22:24 - Peloton has had a rough year.
26:51 - NFTs the quick rise and fall .
28:53 - Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the next big thing.
28:56 - ChatGPT is blowing up
References:
FTX diverted $200 million of customer funds
Zuckerberg quitting rumor
Metaverse vision killing Meta
Amazon Alexa loses $10 billion
Peloton stock plunging
Peloton gets worse
NFT sales volume drops
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Aaquib is the Co-founder & Chief Integrator at FreeFlow Venture, an Incubator and Accelerator for startups. Aaquib is an advisor to the prestigious Indian Institute of Management, India and Startup India. He's also a celebrated public speaker and a prominent jury member at various global tech startup events.
In this episode, Aaquib deep dives into his journey as a startup founder who found astounding success really early and how the failure that followed had an impact on the way he approached his subsequent startup ventures and the genesis of his philosophy " Failure as a Service". Show Notes:
3:22 - Failure as a Service
3:54 - Working for Google, IBM and filing the first patent.
05:18 - Early success is your biggest enemy.
05:44 - Winning Tech conclaves and Tech Crunch and a growing startup.
06:37 - How the company started spiralling, compliance mistakes, bad vendor agreements, discovering cash in the wrong cycles.
07:06 - Government of India approaching Aaquib with a startup proposal called Startup India Yatra.
8:25 - Navigating the post failure phase, building something again, paying off debts and staying afloat.
8:43 - Startup founders have a stubborn trait.
09:54 - Created Plugins and sold it to Byjus, an Indian Edtech Company.
12:35 - Venture Builders and venture studios.
15:33 - Creating 39 tech IPs, 32 marketing IPs, facilitated 43 investment commitments.
17:00 - The experience of working with 10 co-founders.
21:43 - Merging roles of startup founders who wear different hats.
27:35 - Saying no to funding from VCs like Sequoia Capital twice.
31.52 - Smart advice to young entrepreneurs to not take funding until it is actually needed.
34:00 - Work on strengthening your fundamentals.
42:49 - Building the World’s first startup state manager.
43:55 - Aaquib's global projects, working with accelerator partners in the UK and Canada.
50:00 - Words of wisdom: “Knowledge never goes to waste”, keep learning and upgrading your skill set.
Links:
Linkedin FreeFlow Ventures
Aaquib Hussain's Linkedin
FreeFlow Twitter
FreeFlow Facebook
Aaquib's Facebook
Resources provided by Aaquib
Blog: Top 10 Venture Studios for 2022
Enhance Online Startup Map
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Tareq Hadhad is a Syrian-Canadian entrepreneur, keynote speaker and the founder of Peace By Chocolate. He is the recipient of many accolades including Start Up Canada’s National Newcomer Entrepreneur Award, EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Atlantic, Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee Medal and more.
Peace by Chocolate, is a family run company echoing the spirit of resilience, hope and determination to thrive and flourish defying all odds.
Passionate about peace and entrepreneurship, Tareq and his family relaunched their family’s chocolate business in Canada after their factory and home in Syria were destroyed.
Tareq has a focus on job creation, utilizing a network of local community members and refugees from across Nova Scotia and Canada to help support the local economy.
In this episode Tareq shares lots of wisdom about overcoming challenges, the importance of sticking to your 'why' and creating a value driven business.
Show Notes:
2:15 - Peace by Chocolate: the legacy, rebuilding their life and the family business.
3:20 - Message by Tareq Hadhad to Refugees, newcomers and immigrants about resilience and rebuilding.
5:30 - Building partnerships, relationships with organizations and indigenous communities is invaluable for growth.
7:09 - Community in Antigonish, Nova Scotia came together to build the first Peace By Chocolate factory.
7:30 - Prime Minister Justin Treadeau told the Peace By Chocolate’s story at the United Nations.
10:00 - Supporting small businesses is important for community development.
10:44 - Giving back to the community and helping other refugees.
12:33 - Challenges are opportunities to grow.
13:52 - Overcoming labor shortages was a huge challenge
15:14 - Building a team and taking care of the team members and consumers.
19:00 - Navigating the pandemic as a business.
22:15 - Working with family in a family-run business.
27:33 - The Hadhad story will be told forever, the family worked together with a unified goal in mind.
28:07 - Appreciating differences and not losing sight of the goals.
30:14 - Peace By Chocolate, the movie.
33:25 - Tareq’s tryst with failure.
33:55 - The startup stage is the most difficult for any business.
34:45 - Advice to entrepreneurs: push yourselves out of your comfort zone.
36:13 - Failure is more common than you think.
36:17 - Why we fail.
37:42 - How Tareq navigates failure and challenges.
38:00 - How to be a good leader.
44:33 - Advice for refugee and immigrant entrepreneurs.
44:59 - Refugees and immigrants are unstoppable.
47:44 - Message to the world about peace.
50:45 - Peace by Chocolate is a beacon of hope for immigrants, newcomers, and refugees.
Links:
Peace By Chocolate
Peace By Chocolate documentary in The Atlantic
Tareq Hadhad
Tareq Hadhad Linkedin
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In this episode Ruhee Rajan, the founder of Rubies Bras, talks about how she built her business from scratch, learnt how to sew, changed the business model to survive the pandemic, leveraged government grants and also about being featured on Vogue.com.
Rubies Bras specializes in luxury custom-made bras. Originally Ruhee relied on in-person fittings to deliver her products. Once the pandemic hit all in-person fittings came to a halt. Rubies Bras managed to find its footing during the tough times. The brand evolved, adapted and thrived but the journey was not easy. Hear Ruhee's story!
Show Notes:
07:57 - Ruhee leveraged the support and tools from the Starter Company Plus Grant offered by the City of Toronto.
9:48 - Reach out to your governments and private institutions for support.
10:59 - Identifying the need to push the available resources to business owners and making this an organic part of registering a business.
14:41 - Ruhee’s biggest challenge as a founder.
15:02 - Ruhee’s improvisation strategy, bras to masks.
16:36 - Re-assessing and resetting the business operations at Rubies Bras.
18:37 - In person fitting to virtual fittings and how this shift completely redefined the entire business model.
19:15 - Redefining the Marketing plan during Covid.
20:37 - A strong and impactful marketing strategy using blogs, reviews and social media.
23:21 - Outsource activities you are not good at. Being part of groups like Women Who Freelance Toronto on Facebook is a good place to find talented individuals.
23:41 - Just start, do not try to get fancy in the beginning.
26:30 - Challenges of outsourcing custom-made bras.
30:27 - Going back to the basics, putting in the work and being stubborn about not giving up.
32:15 - Building a team and scaling the business strategically.
32:50 - The process from start to finish to create a custom-made bra with virtual fittings.
35:00 - Creating value for the customers.
36:35 - Ruhee’s personal story and why Rubies Bras as a company is special to her.
39:57 - Being featured in Vogue.com and how it happened.
45:30 - Being told no means ‘not yet’, so don't quit.
46:12 - Practice resilience and work on the product.
46:48 - Advice to young entrepreneurs.
48:43 - Surround yourself with like-minded people and founders.
Links:Rubies Bras Website
Rubies Bras Instagram
Rubies Bras LinkedIn
Starter Company Plus Grant
Women Who Freelance Facebook Group
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In this episode Arun Nijhawan, the co-founder of Menda Health, talks about everything from getting acquired, developing a routine to avoid burn out, co-founder relationships and tips for new entrepreneurs.
He shares with us that the feeling of success is fleeting so it’s important to work towards something that serves others.
His company Menda Health is on a mission to serve those who suffer from chronic pain (over 1 billion worldwide) through virtual Pain Reprocessing Therapy.
Show Notes:
3:03 - Arun’s struggle with chronic pain and how Menda Health came about.
3:57 - Helping people suffering from chronic pain using Pain Reprocessing Therapy, a non opioid treatment
5:20 - Acute pain lives in the body, chronic pain lives in the brain
6:00 - Menda Health is on a mission to help 1 Billion people globally
12:33 - It took two years to try to figure out how to start a company and deliver value the first time around
13:44 - Redefining the purpose of entrepreneurship
15:21 - Redefining the approach to delivering purpose and importance of self-care and self-healing
18:21 - Skills learnt in the transitioning period and overall learning experience
22:47 - Success is fleeting, it comes and goes pretty quickly
25:25 - Skills needed to see challenges and push through to the next level
27:31 - Making pivots, struggling to move forward and how being resilient helps
29:31 - Founders and partnerships, the alchemy of it.
32:00 - Managing relationships with business partners and co-founders
37:00 - Challenging aspects of businesses in the healthcare sector
38:37 - Layered complexities of how money moves in healthcare-focused businesses
42:12 - Teaching entrepreneurship to high school students and demystifying the ideologies around being an entrepreneur
47:00 - Why is it important to talk about failure and our relationship with failure
Links:Menda Health
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Navigating Pain Podcast
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Negotiation expert, George Siedel, shared 4 key concepts for negotiating:
- Know your key numbers
- Get to know the other side on a personal level
- Ask lots questions
- Listen carefully
George is an author and professor at the University of Michigan and has taught over 1.5M students about negotiation through his online course!
If negotiating feels intimidating to you you’ll enjoy this episode of Failure Decoded where Professor Siedel breaks down negotiation strategies that will set you up for success.
Show Notes:
1:40 - Shamsiya introduces Professor George Siedel
4:10 - What led George to become a negotiation expert
11:24 - Negotiation Concept #1 - Key numbers, BATNA
20:00 - Negotiation Concept #2 - Get to know the other side on a personal level
22:00 - Negotiation Concept #3 - Ask lots of questions
24:00 - Negotiation Concept #4 - Listen carefully
29:45 - Sticking with your strategy
30:27 - Study on Lawyers' negotiation style
32:00 - Negotiation Planner - list of free tools for determining negotiation tactics
33:20 - Life Goals Tool - how to avoid failure in negotiation
37:49 - Parting words of advice - look at the big picture
Links:Negotiation Planner
Failure Decoded
Failure Decoded Instagram
Your Hosts:
Shamsiya
Instagram
LinkedIn
Rachel
LinkedIn
Twitter
Instagram
Ashley Menzies Babatunde is an attorney, graduate of Stanford and Harvard Law School, activist, disruptive thinker, a natural storyteller and podcaster.
Failure, setbacks or success do not define her. She is proud of her success because she has worked extremely hard to beat failure.
Her podcast, No Straight Path, is all about highlighting stories, emphasizing communities and learning from people's experiences and also helping others get access to these stories.
Ashley shares her friend’s perspective about failure which helped her embrace failure as a normal part of everyone’s success story.
Ashley makes compelling points about why it's important to talk about failure and how it could help people be less judgmental and approach others’ experiences with more curiosity, empathy and compassion.
Show Notes:7:31 - Failing was devastating
8:03 - Failure does not define Ashley, grit and resilience do
8:30 - Normalizing failure
10:25 - Deep dive into failing the Bar exam
13:09 - Dispel shame and stigma attached to failure
19:00 - Fighting perfectionism
20:54 - Striving for excellence
23:07 - Supportive parents make a huge difference
24:00 - Humanizing stories as there are not enough stories to learn from
26:00 - How to connect with people and not be awkward about it in an effort to
emphasis communities, highlight their stories
28:16 - Ashley's podcast 'No Straight Path', story behind connecting organically, showcasing various stories through this medium.
32:30 - Mindset shift about failure because of her friend’s story
33:45 - Failure happens only if you're doing something. Failure is an event that happens when people are setting themselves up to succeed. All emotions need to be felt.
35:05 - Honor the pain and then formulate an action plan to bounce back.
36:05 - Why talking about failure or setbacks and sharing it is important.
37:00 - Share more and humanize experiences so it is easy for others.
Links:
Follow Ashley Menzies Babatunde on Linkedin & Instagram
Read her stories on her Blog
No Straight Path Podcast & Instagram
Failure Decoded
Failure Decoded Instagram
Your Hosts:
Shamsiya
Instagram
LinkedIn
Rachel
LinkedIn
Twitter
Instagram
Landon Sanford is a serial entrepreneur, an ex-YCombinator/Sequoia backed founder & ex-Googler who joins us to talk about his love of building things, launching ventures, his experience with raising funds and failure.
Show Notes:0:35 - Landon’s viral LinkedIn post about launching 8 startups in 6 years
1:52 - Landon talks about some of the industries he’s worked in
3:00 - Shamsiya introduces Landon
5:26 - Landon’s advice for raising funds
7:45 - Raising money vs bootstrapping
8:55 - Being a non-technical founder
10:15 - Classic entrepreneurial mistakes and finding product market fit
12:55 - Landon’s experience being the first hire at Maven
15:28 - Validating startup ideas
16:30 - Experience with failure and mindset
20:20 - Skill set for overcoming failure
24:18 - Landon talks about his podcast and interviews with senior citizens and terminally ill patients
28:00 - Landon’s experience at YCombinator
29:23 - Founder houses
32:51 - Personal branding and building credibility in the startup community
35:52 - What mistakes Landon is seeing among new entrepreneurs
39:00 - Pitching to investors and differentiating yourself
41:14 - What Landon is working on currently
43:19 - Where you can find Landon on social media
Links:
Follow Landon Sanford on Linkedin & Twitter
Current venture: Arwen
Personal portfolio
Failure Decoded
Failure Decoded Instagram
Your Hosts:
Shamsiya
Instagram
LinkedIn
Rachel
LinkedIn
Twitter
Instagram
Erik Engheim, a software developer, educator and author, draws interesting parallels between historical events and new age innovation strategies.
He also deep dives into the hands on approach with which Elon Musk is paving the way for futuristic innovations.
In one of his many articles, Erik reiterates how people do not have to like Elon Musk to laud his accomplishments. Musk's approach to innovation largely involves iteration and prototyping. This strategy is perhaps why he can embrace failure with confidence, even when the odds are against him.
Show Notes:
6:08 - Colonizing Mars in 1980s was just talked of but governments with huge resources couldn't accomplish it. Elon Musk started these big changes.
7:35 - Iterative development and prototyping
8:30 - Differences between Elon Musk and the Soviet Union’s approach
9:26 - How Elon Musk built Space X
9:41 - Hardware rich approach: blow up a bunch of rockets
10:44 - Hands on approach versus theoretical approach to rocket building, which set Elon Musk apart
12:19 - Companies must embrace failure but need to have strategies to minimize it
18:53 - Thinking Fast Thinking Slow
19:14 - Feedback from your average customer is everything
22:05 - Sunk cost fallacy
23:00 - Elon Musk's mental stamina
26:26 - Musk doesn't accept failure, most of us are not built that way.
26:57 - Erik reflects on how he would not be able to handle failure the same way.
28:38 - Advice from Erik for software development to minimize cost, confusion and failure.
31:37 - Find effective ways to generate results in short time: Use innovative strategies, tactics.
32:39 - Finding optimal solutions: Germans’ approach
Links:
Follow Erik Engheim on Substack and Linkedin
Failure Decoded
Failure Decoded Instagram
Your Hosts:
Shamsiya
Instagram
LinkedIn
Rachel
LinkedIn
Twitter
Instagram
Rachel shares her experience buying a rental property for Airbnb. She talks about all the things that went wrong and the mindset needed to keep a level head when things aren't going your way.
Show Notes:
0:35 - Rachel talks about buying an investment property for Airbnb with her husband
1:35 - How and why they picked the Hilton Head market
3:20 - First hiccup - they fly to Hilton Head to tour properties but their original realtor ghosted them
5:42 - Second hiccup - making their first offer and finding out the property had structural issues
7:28 - The importance of being budget conscious and financial modelling to be cash flow positive
8:38 - Third hiccup - financing fell through 2 days before closing!
11:42 - Third times a charm - they find a new lender and finally get a place
13:15 - They start renovating the unit and only have 6 days to complete it
17:00 - Managing your emotions, find out what's trigging you and walk away when necessary
17:55 - The stressful sprint to finish everything before needing to leave for the airport
19:00 - Having a debrief with your partner - discuss what could be done better for next time
20:55 - Planning for unforeseen problems - buffer time and budget for that (broken light, bathroom leak)
22:03 - They run out of time and almost miss their flight
23:30 - Accepting the situation and moving forward by problem solving
24:34 - If you're buying real estate in a new place check out the area and get a sense of it
27:46 - You can only pre-plan for so much, things will go wrong so you need to learn to problem solve and pivot in the moment
Links:
Failure Decoded
Failure Decoded Instagram
Rachel's AirBnb
Your Hosts:
Shamsiya
Instagram
LinkedIn
Rachel
LinkedIn
Twitter
Instagram
Rachel and Shamsiya talk about how to start a podcast, what tools they use and how they came up with the concept for Failure Decoded. They also talk about the first failure they experienced as podcast hosts.
Show Notes:
0:30 - Failure Decoded's first failure
3:45 - How we handle rejection and failure
8:45 - Step 1 for starting a podcast - finding a niche
11:45 - Step 2 - Finding the format, frequency and name
13:55 - Step 3 - Tips for creating a logo that pops
16:58 - Step 4 - Choosing our recording tools (we use Riverside and the Yeti microphone)
19:13 - Step 5 - Finding a podcast hosting platform (we use Buzzsprout)
21:22 - Step 6 - Editing software (we use GarageBand)
25:23 - Summing up the podcast process
28:48 - We talk about TikTok and the social platforms we like to use
33:00 - Going viral on TikTok
Links:
Failure Decoded
Failure Decoded Instagram
Your Hosts:
Shamsiya
Instagram
LinkedIn
Rachel
LinkedIn
Twitter
Instagram
Being good at cold outreach is an extremely important skill as an entrepreneur. You can create a lot of opportunities for yourself if you master this skill and develop the confidence to face rejection.
Rachel talks about her experience with door-to-door sales, selling credit cards at a gas station and starting a Holiday gift box business two months before Christmas using cold outreach techniques.
Show Notes:1:00 - Rachel talks about her door-to-door sales jobs in University and learning to face rejection
5:50 - Rachel breaks down the cold outreach techniques she used to start a business with no experience or industry contacts
15:45 - Rachel talks about a free tool to help you find people's email addresses
17:08 - Create an outreach process to make your life easier
20:00 - How Rachel got her favourite band to record a personalized birthday shoutout video for her husband using cold outreach
25:55 - How to get leverage
27:35 - Sam Parr's cold outreach techniques
29:24 - Quick recap of all the cold outreach techniques
Links:
Failure Decoded
Failure Decoded Instagram
Your Hosts:
Shamsiya
Instagram
LinkedIn
Rachel
LinkedIn
Twitter
Instagram
In this episode we give you a glimpse of how two nerdy entrepreneurs have coffee table conversations about Elon Musk.
We talk about why he is so polarizing, his power to get away with trolling, his vision, mental stamina and his eccentric work-life situation.
We explore how Elon Musk is that one entrepreneur who is not afraid to fail. He has built his entire prototyping, iteration and testing strategy to minimize the cost of failure.
Show Notes:
3:10- What is the effect of his trolling tweet about The Rings of Power
4:54- He doesn't worry about failing, his innate nature
5:57- Elon Musk’s power to get away with anything
7:12- He stays relevant in the public eye
9:12- He kept blowing up rockets but wouldn't succumb to failure
10:00- Elon's mental stamina
13:29- He's hands on, proactive, and has a greater vision for humankind
15:00- Thoughts on his high stress lifestyle and why it's not manageable for most people
16:22- Elon is obsessed with finding disruptive solutions to the world's problems
18:47- People love him, hate him or just don't care
References:
Elon's Tweet about The Rings of Power
Fortune Article
Market Watch Article
Links:
Failure Decoded
Failure Decoded Instagram
Your Hosts:
Shamsiya
Instagram
LinkedIn
Rachel
LinkedIn
Twitter
Instagram
Masooma, the founder of Kids Bolo, talks about prototyping, finding mentors, networking tips, enduring sleepless nights and what it’s like to work with her husband.
She walks us through the initial steps she took to start Kids Bolo, the process of setting up a launch campaign and some of the businesses she tried to start that failed.
Show Notes:
1:30 - Masooma tells us how she started Kids Bolo
3:20 - She talks about the tech side of Kids Bolo and the sleepless nights it took to get it launched
6:15 - Prototyping process, market research and talking to competitors
9:00 - 3 initial steps to launch Kids Bolo
10:45 - How did you find your mentors?
12:50 - Masooma talks about businesses she tried to start that didn’t work before Kids Bolo
18:28 - Networking tips
20:25 - Masooma talks about executing on their launch campaign event
25:36 - Hiring key people
30:15 - The importance of meeting deadlines
33:40 - What’s it like working with your husband?
34:52 - Is it hard to disconnect and ‘leave work at work’?
Links:
Kids Bolo
Kids Bolo Instagram
Failure Decoded
Failure Decoded Instagram
Your Hosts:
Shamsiya
Instagram
LinkedIn
Rachel
LinkedIn
Twitter
Instagram
We all have 24 hours in a day but no one has time. This leaves us feeling stressed, burnt out and like failures. In this episode we talk about looking inward to figure out what time management system works best for you. There's no one size fits all! We also talk about what self-care really means.
Mastering time management and a self-care practice are essential to leading a successful and balanced life that makes you happy, healthy and fulfilled.
Show Notes:
1:09 - Shamsiya explains why you need to start by looking inward before you can determine the best time management strategy that works for you
8:39 - How do you document all the aspects needed to determine the best time management strategy?
11:39 - Differing opinions on sleep
16:33 - What is self-care? It's not one thing. It's the process of taking care of your being in a way that brings you peace and happiness
21:45 - Time eaters - these are the activities that you should remove from your life
28:55 - Remove drama, negativity and the things that don't serve you
30:05 - Consistency can be hard but it's one of the main ways to avoid failure and get results
33:00 - How to add more time to your life
35:53 - The time management systems that Shamsiya and Rachel use
Links:
Failure Decoded Instagram
failuredecoded.com
Your Hosts:
Shamsiya
Rachel
Nora Ben talks about starting (and stoping) her first business venture then returning to a 9-5 job before taking the plunge into entrepreneurship again and launching her current business, a global interior design agency called LivHoli.
Nora shares the benefits of hiring a coach and the importance of hearing constructive criticism in order to grow. She believes in the mindset of viewing your work as an act of service to others. This mindset as enabled her to get most of her clients through referrals and helped her expand into many countries.
She also shares some tips for relationship building as an introvert.
Show Notes
2:15 - Nora explains how she tried to start her first business but decided to go back to a 9-5 job when it didn’t work out the first time
4:43 - Nora talks about giving herself one year to learn everything she felt she was missing in order to start her own business again
10:48 - Nora talks about getting mentors and hiring a coach
13:14 - Nora explains the benefits of hiring a coach (one of the biggest benefits being criticism)
18:50 - Her company’s Instagram was hacked and disabled so she lost all her followers and the resources spent growing the account!
19:50 - Nora talks about how she gets referrals from clients and vendors
23:07 - Nora talks about how she grew her business globally
23:50 - Relationship building strategies for introverts
28:44 - What upfront capital is needed to start a design agency?
32:41 - Where you can find more about LivHoli?
Links:
LivHoli Website
Failure Decoded Instagram
failuredecoded.com
Your Hosts:
Shamsiya
Rachel
Danijela Kovac shares her story of sobriety and how AA and going to University as a mature student changed her life. Danijela is the founder of Teetotaler Wines, a sober woman-owned company of award-winning nonalcoholic wines. Teetotaler’s Sparkling Rose was featured in the Sex and the City reboot, And Just Like That!
Her years of experience working in hospitality sparked her passion for food and wine. Unfortunately her struggle with alcohol took over and she spent 9 years battling addiction. She tells us about her journey, the struggles she faced, and what inspired her to start her own brand of nonalcoholic wines.
Show Notes:
1:45 - Danijela shares how Teetotaler Wines was born
3:15 - Danijela’s journey with addiction, her career in hospitality and construction, and going to University as a mature student
14:00 - Danijela’s transition into entrepreneurship
15:30 - How Danijela cultivated a positive mindset through AA and sobriety
18:50 - How Danijela views success
21:10 - Danijela shares her experience with failure
26:13 - Danijela talks about the importance of following her own path and knowing when to quit
31:05 - Danijela talks about her routine, including waking up at 3:30am
34:40 - Danijela shares her top tips for aspiring entrepreneurs
36:25 - All the details about where to find Teetotaler Wines online and on social media
Links:
Teetotaler Wines
Teetotaler Wines Instagram
Teetotaler Wines Facebook
Failure Decoded Instagram
failuredecoded.com
Your Hosts:
Shamsiya
Instagram
LinkedIn
Rachel
LinkedIn
Twitter
Instagram
Shamsiya invested in a food truck business with a family friend in 2015. Things seemed to be going great until one day her friend called her up and told her he dissolved the business and sold the truck without consulting her!
She tells us some of her biggest learnings from the experience - like having hard conversations, getting things in writing, being experienced in your industry and taking responsibility for your part in any situation.
Show Notes:
2:00 - Shamsiya talks about investing in a food truck with a family friend
5:15 - They expand the business to start an NGO to educate children in poor communities
8:00 - Shamsiya’s friend dissolved the business without telling her
13:42 - Despite everything Shamsiya explains why she wasn’t angry at her friend
15:15 - Shamsiya shares what she learned - no legal contracts, no clearly defined roles, inexperienced in the industry
22:30 - the importance of cultivating the right mindset
Links:
Failure Decoded Instagram
failuredecoded.com
Your Hosts:
Shamsiya
Instagram
LinkedIn
Rachel
LinkedIn
Twitter
Instagram
Networking is essential as an entrepreneur, but let’s be real…it can feel awkward.
In this episode of our ‘How Not To Fail’ series we give you actionable tips you can use to meet new people and build genuine connection. Because you never know where your next customer, employee, investor or business partner might come from!
Show Notes:
0:42 - Intro
2:28 - How to find events and niche groups to join
4:25 - Start networking now. Don’t wait until you need something because it takes time
9:30 - Be more interested than interesting
11:35 - Perfect your story/elevator pitch
13:36 - Breaking into a group conversation
16:15 - Volunteer at events
18: 30 - Informational Interviews
20:20 - How to craft a cold email that will get a response
Links:
Failure Decoded Instagram
failuredecoded.com
Building an MVP or prototype can save you from yourself! Want an easy way to avoid failure? Find product market fit before investing too much into an idea. Susahosh is a software engineer and the Founder of Metaii, a dev shop based in Toronto. He tells us when it comes to developing an MVP it’s crucial to build for functionality at the beginning, even if it means sacrificing style. Before starting his own business he worked for BlackBerry (called RIM at the time). Get his take on why BlackBerry failed so spectacularly.
Links:
Metaii
Rewardly
Brightly Boxed
Welcome to the intro episode of Failure Decoded! Your hosts Rachel and Shamsiya will explain why they created a podcast about failure and what you can expect to learn from tuning in.
They also break down a TedTalk by Eat, Pray, Love author Elizabeth Gilbert. Elizabeth lost her confidence after the success of Eat, Pray, Love and thought about giving up writing. She describes how extreme success can feel just as disorientating as extreme failure. So how do you find the middle ground? Tune in to find out.