Failing Forward

How I Turned My Faceplants Into Finish Lines (and You Can Too!)

Let’s get real—failure used to terrify me. I thought it meant I wasn’t cut out for success, that I’d messed up beyond repair, and that I should quietly retreat into a corner of shame.

Spoiler alert: I didn’t.

What I’ve learned—after a few epic faceplants—is this:

Failure isn’t the end. It’s the beginning of something better.

Working with visionary leaders across industries, I’ve seen it time and time again: failure is not a stop sign,

It’s a launchpad.

It doesn’t hold you back—it catapults you forward, with more grit, more clarity, and more honesty than any shiny win ever could.

My Faceplant Moment

During 2022-2023, I was following all the “shoulds.” Outwardly, I was the perfect leader! Everyone thought I was amazing, and my colleagues and teams loved me. I was consistently being told I was "the best." I was grinding it out as a leader, convinced that rest equaled weakness or, worse still, failure. But behind the scenes? I was dying.

My body was waving red flags left and right:

• I suffered two miscarriages in less than one year.

• My immune system gave out—not only was I already struggling with a degenerative autoimmune condition, and a blood clotting disorder that baffled doctors. But I developed eczema and a hernia that I didn’t take time to repair.

• I even broke my foot and didn’t give myself time to heal. 🙈

I was falling apart—physically, emotionally, spiritually. Why? Because I was terrified that slowing down meant failure. That stepping back meant I didn’t belong at the table.

Failure Is Just Feedback in Disguise

After a whole lot of therapy and deep coaching (shout out to Dr. Lisa Yeung!), I stopped seeing failure as a dead end. Now, I see it as one of the best diagnostic tools in my leadership toolbox.

Here’s why:

• It shows me exactly where the cracks are in a system.

• It highlights broken workflows or missing processes.

• It exposes personnel misalignments—those not-so-obvious Right Person/Right Seat mismatches.

• It puts pressure on a business—and how the team handles that pressure reveals everything.

Failure gets your attention. But instead of spiraling, I’ve learned to listen.

It’s data. It’s insight. It’s direction.

Pressure Creates Progress

Every time I’ve failed, I’ve gained something priceless: RESILIENCE.

I’ve made bold calls that didn’t pan out. I’ve launched initiatives that flopped. I’ve walked with teams through chaos, and every single time I’ve walked out stronger, clearer, and more confident.

That’s the win. Not perfection—but the unshakable belief that I can handle the hard and so can you.

I've learned that failure, when we take time to learn from it, can become fuel and rocket us to our next breakthrough!

My Finish Line

So, what did I learn from all that burnout and breakdown?

I needed to:

• Quit my job.

• Prioritize my health and my family.

• Start my own business (what?!).

Yep. It was through my most painful professional meltdown that CBLTM was born. 💥

Today, I am healthy! I’m doing what I love, with people I adore, in a healthy, and sustainable way. None of that would’ve happened if I hadn’t failed—and failed BIG.

The Blessing of the Breakdown

I call it failing forward. When I zoom out, every “breakdown” was actually a breakthrough.

✅ It clarified what actually matters.

✅ It spotlighted where my team or tools needed tweaking.

✅ It forced me to align even more tightly with my vision.

✅ It built the courage I now bring into every major decision.

And it’s not just my story. I’ve helped dozens of companies navigate their own moments of failure—missed Rocks, messy meetings, painful people issues—and come out stronger, smarter, and way more aligned.

So Here’s the Truth…

If you’re in a season of failure, you’re not broken! You’re building.

You’re gathering the wisdom, grit, and confidence you’ll need for your next bold move.

And if you lean into it—instead of running from it—you’ll grow in ways you can’t yet imagine.

Trust me. I’ve been there. I’ve lived it. And now, I teach it.

If you’re feeling stuck, like you’ve lost your footing—fail forward. That’s what I do—turn breakdowns into breakthroughs.

You’re not alone. And you’re definitely not done.

xo,

Lisa