Make Friends with Failure: Your Unlikely Ally on the Road to Success by Alicia Hill

Alicia Hill, CEO of ACG Brand Management, builds valuable brands for individuals and businesses. With over 20 years of leadership experience, she specializes in marketing, sales, and development. Alicia coaches and mentors small business owners, leaders, and professionals and actively supports career development and leadership in nonprofits, schools, and corporations.

Failure—just the word alone can make people cringe. For many of us, failure feels like a weight we’d rather avoid at all costs. It’s messy, uncomfortable, and often humbling. But here’s the surprising truth: failure is not your enemy; it’s your most excellent teacher and guide.

As an entrepreneur and content creator, I’ve learned that the only way to achieve something new is to try something new, which inevitably means making peace with failure along the way. If you’re waiting for a perfect plan or a risk-free path, you’re waiting for a ship that will never sail.

The Comfort Zone Conundrum

Why are we so afraid to fail? It’s human nature. We crave certainty and shy away from situations where we might stumble. But here’s the catch: staying in your comfort zone doesn’t protect you; it limits you.

When you avoid trying new things for fear of failing, you deny yourself the chance to grow, innovate, and uncover your full potential. If you want something you’ve never had, you must do something you’ve never done. And guess what? That’s going to feel uncomfortable. That’s going to involve failure.

But here’s the good news: failure doesn’t define you. What defines you is how you respond to it.

Why You Should Befriend Failure

Think of failure not as a judgment of your abilities but as a tool for growth. It’s a mirror that reflects your blind spots, highlights areas for improvement, and shows you what doesn’t work—so you can find out what does.

Here are just a few ways failure works in your favor:

1. It builds resilience. Failure teaches you how to bounce back, making you stronger and more determined. 

2. It sparks creativity. You must think outside the box when one approach fails and explore innovative solutions.

3. It reveals your next step. Every misstep provides clarity about what to adjust or refine moving forward.

Thomas Edison, who failed thousands of times before inventing the lightbulb, famously said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Without those failures, his success wouldn’t have been possible.

Learning From My Own Failures

As an entrepreneur, I’ve launched projects that flopped, pitched ideas that didn’t resonate, and created pieces that missed the mark. Each failure stung, but each one also taught me something valuable.

For example, a failed business proposal once forced me to rethink my approach and refine my messaging. The next time I pitched, I succeeded. Initially, what felt like a setback was a stepping stone to greater clarity and confidence.

How to Make Failure Your Ally

If you’re ready to embrace failure as part of your growth, here are three simple steps:

1. Redefine it. View failure as a learning opportunity, not a reflection of your worth.
2. Reflect on it. Ask yourself, What did this experience teach me? How can I use it to improve?
3. Keep going. Resilience isn’t built by avoiding failure but by showing up repeatedly.

The Reward of Risk

You open yourself to incredible possibilities when you dare to step outside your comfort zone. Failure may initially greet you, but so will growth, learning, and progress.

The most considerable risk isn’t failing—staying stuck in fear and never trying.

So, take the leap. Try something new. Befriend failure, and let it guide you toward the success waiting on the other side.

Learn more about Alicia at www.acareergirl.com. Instagram: acgbrandmgmt