From Painful Mistakes to Profitable Pivots: William Holsten’s Story of Reinvention

In this episode, Dave sits down with William Holsten, famously known as the Business Mistake Prevention Specialist, to share a refreshingly honest conversation about the unpredictable journey of entrepreneurship. William draws from his decades at Bayer Consumer Health and his real-world experience of taking a backyard carnival game from a napkin sketch to national product—mistakes, setbacks, and all.

Listen in as he details how a failed dunk tank rental and a clever water balloon invention led him and his family straight into the realities of start-up life—facing costly blunders, customer complaints, and ultimately, product redesign. You’ll hear practical lessons on product-market fit, customer feedback, business resilience, and why being “good for it” is key to building trust.

This episode is packed with actionable lessons for small business owners, side hustlers, and founders wanting to avoid preventable mistakes while growing their companies. William breaks down his data-backed approach to risk, shares his SAFER method for decision-making, and reveals insights from his nationwide study of entrepreneurs.

If you’re searching for genuine stories, proven strategies, and wisdom you can use as you build your business—with all the messy challenges included—this episode delivers. Plus, you’ll learn where to find William's mistake risk quiz and find out how to connect for mentoring and support.

Connect with William: https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-holsten/

Learn more about our sponsor QuicklyDoc: https://www.quicklydoc.com/beyond

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