My Favorite Mistake: Business Lessons from Failures and Success

Author of The Orgasmic Entrepreneur and more Episode page and links: https://markgraban.com/mistake164 My guest for Episode #164 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Melissa Drake. As the founder of Uncorped Influence, Melissa helps like-minded businesses and individuals find creative solutions and go further than they thought possible. Melissa is the author of three books: The Orgasmic Entrepreneur: Discover the Sweet Spot of Love, Sex, and Business by Simply Being YOU, Sacred Medicine Integration: A Companion Journal Supporting Ceremonial Medicine Experiences TranscenDANCE: Lessons From Living, Loving, and Dancing She's also a TEDx Speaker with 25 years climbing the corporate ranks and a decade of entrepreneurial experience. Her TEDx Talk, “The Dance of Collaboration,” presents fresh insights on the benefits of collectively beneficial collaborations. In this episode, Melissa shares her “favorite mistake” story about the pattern of “not taking care of who I am as a person, not pursuing the things that bring me joy.” How did she come to see this pattern? Are mistakes like this just “part of the process” or are they to be avoided? How does she make sure she doesn't fall back into that trap? We also talk about questions and topics including: Were you sort of going through life in autopilot? Finding the fix — looking within or to others? How to make sure you don’t fall back into that trap? As easy as avoiding a corporate job? When things aren’t going well — double down? – Or rest, take time? Did you have any fear that your book title would be a mistake? Is it a book for women? No New path started in 2015, laid off from insurance industry, “kick in the pants” she needed Why was “the ability to truly be me” so important to you? Freedom of expression is one of your most significant values Correlation or causation? — finding “the link between achieving sexual satisfaction and attaining strong business results.” Find Melissa on social media: Facebook YouTube LinkedIn Instagram --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/favorite-mistake/support

Episode page and links: https://markgraban.com/mistake163 My guest for Episode #163 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Jeff Zigman, known as “The Business Engineer,” and the founder and CEO of SkillBuilder. He’s been a tech entrepreneur 10 years, having led and built 25+ software projects from idea to Live, including multimillion-dollar enterprise software, with an engineering background, ten years as a Business Analyst, and eight years as a Chief Technology Officer. He’s married with two little kids and, during COVID, he created a software platform that incorporates the learning principles that he’s gained from 20 years of martial arts into a remote learning system that he’s been able to prove to be more effective for virtual training than most in-person training, with higher absorption and better retention. In this episode, Jeff shares his “favorite mistake” story about trusting somebody he was working to build a software company with — working for 1.5 years on a trust basis, how did Jeff end up saddled with a “lopsided contract”? What problems did that cause and why was it “a real nightmare”? We talk about that and the lessons that Jeff learned through this experience. We also talk about questions and topics including: Were there red flags? Should he have gotten a lawyer to review it? How has he focused on not preventing this mistake? Why is training thousands of employees so difficult? Lessons from martial arts? 4 things that are required? What is Process-Oriented Learning? Knowledge (information or theory) vs. Skills (ability)? How do we confirm that the learning has sunk in… that the skills can be applied effectively? Closing the loop? How can training be gamified? --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/favorite-mistake/support

Episode page: https://markgraban.com/mistake162 My guests for Episode #162 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast are Dr. Joseph A. Allen and Karin M. Reed. They are the authors of the book SUDDENLY HYBRID: Managing the Modern Meeting. Their previous book was SUDDENLY VIRTUAL: Making Remote Meetings Work. KARIN M. REED is CEO of Speaker Dynamics. She is an Emmy award-winning broadcast journalist and now focuses on helping business professionals to be confident communicators on any platform? in person, on camera, or through virtual communication tools. JOSEPH A. ALLEN, PHD, is a Professor of Industrial and Organizational Psychology at the University of Utah. His research focus is on the study of workplace meetings, organizational community engagement, and occupational safety and health. Sharing their “favorite mistake” stories, Karin talks about a time early in her television news career, where a technical mishap taught her to always have a “Plan B.” Why was Joe surprised that he wasn't getting honest feedback about his writing, and what did that teach him about not taking expertise for granted? We also talk about questions and topics including: Mistakes with virtual meetings? Is it a mistake to keep your camera off? What is a hybrid meeting or the hybrid workplace? Mistakes that people or organizations make with hybrid? Tips and tricks to be inclusive to all participants in the room, on video, on the phone etc.? Technology to solve the room webcam camera problem? When the video is imperative in a virtual or hybrid meeting and when it’s not? Non-verbals in a hybrid meeting? Strategies to combat video fatigue and multitasking? --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/favorite-mistake/support

Author of Relationships to Infinity Episode page: https://www.markgraban.com/mistake161 My guest for Episode #161 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Jason Levin. He's a speaker and trainer. He's an executive career, business development and outplacement coach. He's the co-host of the Parents at Work Podcast. His website is www.readysetlaunch.net. He’s also the author of the book, Relationships to Infinity: The Art and Science of Keeping in Touch. Scroll down to learn how to enter to win one of five free signed copies of the book! In serving his enterprise and individual clients, Jason draws on experiences as a District Manager with Vault.com. At Vault, he held roles both on the operations team and led a remote business development team. Prior to Vault.com, he worked in brand management for Unilever on the Dove Global team where he developed global innovations in the anti-aging skincare category and he also worked for the consulting firms KPMG and Accenture. He has an MBA from the Georgetown McDonough School of Business. He’s an assistant coach on his son’s little league baseball team and is a “raving fan” of DC sports. In today's episode, Jason shares his “favorite mistake” story about failing to follow up with the wealthy benefactor of Rowan College. Why did he get yelled at by the head fundraiser at the college — and for how long? How have those lessons from that episode impact him as a coach? We also talk about questions and topics including: What attracted you to working with retired pro athletes in their career transitions? How is it different? Previous episodes with retired athletes Lenny Walls and Dave Scatchard With limited (non-infinite) time – how do we make time to focus on relationships? “Show me your calendar and I’ll show you your priorities” What is your “social fortress”? Your external network vs. your network inside the company --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/favorite-mistake/support

Founder of Shattered Pencil Studios Episode page and links: https://markgraban.com/mistake160 My guest for Episode #160 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Rosie Kosinski. She is what she calls the Brand Queen and Founder of Shattered Pencil Studios, a brand design & development boutique. She straddles the line between creative and strategic, artistic and scientific. Raised by entrepreneurs and artists in a nomadic environment that took her through Europe, the Middle East, and the United States, Rosie is a global citizen through and through. She taps into this mosaic of perspectives to deeply understand the people she serves and to help them connect with the people they serve. In today's episode, Rosie shares her “favorite mistake” story about “waiting too long to get a coach.” How did she go from being skeptical about the idea to working with a coach for years? We also talk about questions and topics including: Learning to value her work — the Sandler Selling System Why she learned to quote a price and “shut the hell up” More about what you learned about being a branding design coach? Do people confuse a logo with a brand? Mistakes that people make when it comes to branding?? Other than being cheap? Micromanaging the process? Blog post about Brand Clarity in Seven Questions 5 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me Before I Became A Founder --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/favorite-mistake/support

Episode page and links: https://markgraban.com/mistake159 My guest for Episode #159 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Glenn Poulos, the cofounder, vice president, and general manager of Gap Wireless Inc., a leading distributor for the mobile broadband wireless and test and measurement equipment markets. Gap Wireless Inc. was recently acquired by Network Wireless Solutions. With over three decades of experience in sales, Glenn has spent thousands of hours in the field or on the phone with customers and working with salespeople to help create several very successful companies. After entering the sales field in 1985 as a technical sales rep, Glenn founded his first company, mmWave Technologies Inc., in 1991 and simultaneously served as president of Anritsu Electronics Ltd. for nine years. Using his extensive knowledge and experience in the industry, he lectures groups on sales strategy, consumerism, and what motivates people at a raw emotional level. His new book is titled NEVER SIT IN THE LOBBY… 57 Winning Sales Factors to Grow a Business and Build a Career Selling. In today's episode, Glenn shares his “favorite mistake” story about being the last to know that it was difficult (if not impossible) for employees to reach. Why did that unsolicited feedback “sting” and what did Glenn do to adjust going forward? We also talk about questions and topics including: Learned to ask people for feedback?? Mistakes in the selling of the first company? Never forget a face What is “greed-based learning” when it comes to sales? When to Stop Compromising with Your Customer – and What to Do Instead?? – can you give us an example? --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/favorite-mistake/support

Episode page and links: https://markgraban.com/mistake158 My guest for Episode #158 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Karen Hold. She is the Founder of Experience Labs and her work is grounded in a core belief that design thinking provides an enabling social technology that facilitates adaptation and effective problem-solving in complex social systems. Karen began her career in business and strategy on the Folgers Coffee brand team in the early 90s (part of Proctor & Gamble) — influenced by the work of Tom Peters, who was my guest in Episode 58. She is one of the authors of the Book: Experiencing Design: The Innovator's Journey from Columbia Business School Publishing. In today's episode, Karen shares her “favorite mistake” story about having all of her professional eggs in the telecom industry basket. What did she learn about the need to diversify when all of her customers went bankrupt? What actions did she take to move forward in a better way? We also talk about questions and topics including: Being more intentional about diversifying in what to do next? Folgers experience? Lessons from learning brand management? The influence of Tom Peters? In Search of Excellence A family of designers Who were some of your key mentors? Grandfather Leroy Grumman… Leroy Grumman: “A rough answer to the right question is better than a detailed answer to the wrong question.” How does that idea connect to entrepreneurship, innovation? “Effective problem solving in complex social systems?” What is a complex social system? How does Design thinking help with customer understanding and problem solving? “From ego centricity to empathy” Why is “the discovery process” so important, something to dive deeply into, before we start testing products or services? Can you apply the lessons from the book to the writing of the book? “Test your way to success” — peer review for an academic book --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/favorite-mistake/support

My guest for Episode #157 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Denis Crawford, a historian who is the author of books including his latest, The Life and Teams of Johnny F. Bassett: Maverick Entrepreneur of North American Sports. Episode page, video, transcript and more: https://markgraban.com/mistake157 Denis M. Crawford holds a PhD in American Studies, teaches at Youngstown State University, and is managing editor for “The Coffin Corner,” the official magazine of the Professional Football Researchers Association. He is an honorary member of the Bucs UK, the largest American football fan club in the United Kingdom, and a 2010 inductee to the Bucs UK Hall of Fame. Denis is also my uncle — even though he's just a few years older than me. In today's episode, Denis shares his “favorite mistake” story about not taking advantage of sports journalism internships in college. Why did his young “arrogance” get in the way of his dream of becoming a play-by-play announcer? We talk about what Denis learned and we talk about some of the mistakes made by Johnny Bassett as a professional sports owner. Part of the conversation looks back at the original USFL — and some of the battles between Bassett and Donald Trump (then-owner of the New Jersey Generals). With the new USFL launching this week, will the league manage to prevent its past mistakes? We also talk about questions and topics including: Bassett’s biggest mistakes? And I ask this realizing that he was generally the most successful owner in failed leagues… When he owned the Toronto Toros, what was the worst mistake that he could have made? Mistakes in overpaying players behind budgets or salary caps… Bassett seemed determine to avoid repeating mistakes from the WFL (and WHA) — how did the USFL end up undermining that? Trump the businessman… decided to move the league to the fall to compete directly with the NFL Did you get to read the letter Bassett sent to Trump? You got to interview Wayne Gretzky and some other Hall of Fame athletes — did you have jitters? A new version of the USFL (or at least a rebranded Spring League) will launch April 16 2022… If the original USFL didn’t learn from Johnny Bassett’s WFL mistakes, will they avoid repeating the same mistakes this time? How have leagues like MLS and the WNBA avoided the fate of Bassett’s leagues and others? --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/favorite-mistake/support

My guest for Episode #156 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Rachell Kitchen. She is an Author, Certified Professional Life & Transition Coach; ICF Associate Certified Coach, and Professional Speaker. Episode page and links (with video and transcript): https://markgraban.com/mistake156 She graduated college with a B.S. degree in Industry & Technology and enjoyed a career as an Industrial Engineer. Rachell is the author of a Book: Doubt Your Doubts: How to Transform Negative Self-Talk, Take Action and Confidently Create Your Dream Life. And she has a FREE eCourse called Grow, Expand, Thrive (GET), In today's episode, Rachell shares her “favorite mistake” story about being a young engineer (the only minority woman in the group) and how she “ended up on the bathroom floor at work” crying as the result of the stress of trying to have a daughter and a career. How did getting a coach help her? Why is it a mistake to not ask for help? We talk about what she's learned along the way and more. We also talk about questions and topics including: What were your adjustments career wise? Letting life create her instead of creating her life? Tell us about the book — why did you write it? What is “negative self talk” and why is it so common in our heads? What’s your “gremlin”? Do we all have one? How can we recognize doubts and negative self talk? At what point are doubts helpful (in terms of being cautious about something – maybe avoiding mistakes) and when do doubts get in the way? What is your “dream life” and are you making progress on that, Rachell? Find Rachell on social media: Facebook Linkedin Twitter Instagram --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/favorite-mistake/support

Episode page: https://markgraban.com/mistake155 My guest for Episode #155 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Rebecca Contreras. She is President & CEO of AvantGarde LLC, an SBA certified 8a and Women Owned Small Business firm she co-founded as Majority Partner in May 2011. Her firm offers a “one stop shop” approach to addressing complex organizational, people and technology needs. Rebecca Contreras is the author of the book Lost Girl – From the Hood to the White House to Millionaire Entrepreneur, which recounts her journey from becoming a welfare-dependent teenage mother to advising a sitting president, to driving a successful 100-person company. Rebecca is a social and business entrepreneur who started her fifteen-year service in government in a welfare-to-work program for Texas icon Ann Richards. Rebecca then spent nearly twelve years working with George W. Bush, first in Texas as his Director of HR then in the White House as a Commissioned Officer supporting the Presidential transition, followed by other roles in D.C. In today's episode, Rebecca shares her “favorite mistake” story about trying to move past some mistakes she made as a young woman. When she was becoming part of the White House staff, she was open and transparent about her past mistakes — was it a “crapshoot” that might not have turned out well? How did Rebecca move past her early mistakes, including dropping out of high school and becoming a teen mom? We also talk about questions and topics including: Mentoring and coaching girls today When President Bush called you to serve, why did you have imposter syndrome? How did you recognize that and get past it? West Wing protocol mistakes? Tell us more about the book Tell us about your firm… who you serve and how What is it like being the CEO of a minority- and woman-owned consulting firm working in a male-dominated industry? --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/favorite-mistake/support