My Favorite Mistake: Business Lessons from Failures and Success
Unlock Leadership Excellence: Tune into “My Favorite Mistake” with Mark Graban Are you a leader aiming to boost effectiveness, insight, and innovation? Join Mark Graban on ”My Favorite Mistake” (and no, it’s not the Sheryl Crow song), where top business minds, C-suite executives, and industry innovators share their pivotal mistakes and the powerful lessons they’ve learned. The Concept Embrace the transformative power of mistakes. Discover how errors can fuel leadership growth and creative problem-solving, turning each misstep into a masterclass in improvement and innovation. The Stories Dive into captivating interviews with international entrepreneurs, tech pioneers, accomplished athletes and entertainers, healthcare leaders, and award-winning authors. Each guest reveals how their significant mistakes shaped their careers and led to groundbreaking insights. The Breadth Explore a wide range of topics, from leadership psychology and organizational culture to process innovation and sustainability. Gain valuable perspectives to navigate the ever-changing business landscape. The Approach Guided by Mark Graban, an author and seasoned consultant, each episode delves into Lean Management (based on the Toyota Production System) and psychological safety, uncovering strategies for individuals and organizations to learn from their mistakes. Why Subscribe? Engage with Thought-Provoking Dialogues: Challenge conventional wisdom and explore new perspectives. Access Tools and Frameworks: Gain actionable insights for a competitive edge. Discover Innovative Opportunities: Learn how to turn mistakes into catalysts for innovation. Develop Emotional Intelligence and Resilience: Enhance your leadership skills and agile thinking. Transform your approach to leadership and success. Subscribe to “My Favorite Mistake” today and embark on a journey of relentless improvement through the power of learning from mistakes.
Episodes
In this edition of Mistake of the Week, Mark Graban tells a story that didn’t appear in any safety report or headline — it happened on a pickleball court. Early in learning the sport, Mark found his old tennis instincts taking over, leading to a very incorrect serve and a moment of embarrassment. What followed was a small but meaningful lesson in feedback, psychological safety, and the challenge of unlearning deeply wired habits.
S...
In this week’s Mistake of the Week, Mark Graban tells the story of a Maine hospital system that accidentally mailed condolence letters to 531 very-much-alive patients. The cause? A computer glitch — and a few missing fail-safes. Mark explores what this bizarre mix-up reveals about system design, automation, and trust in healthcare. Beyond the absurd headline lies a familiar pattern: when we blame people instead of learning from pro...
We’re going back to Episode 30 from January 2021, featuring Katie Anderson — author of Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn — and Isao Yoshino, the longtime Toyota leader whose career and lessons inspired her book.
Episode page with video, transcript, and more
It was such a privilege to talk with them then, and even more meaningful now, because I recently got to spend time with Mr. Yoshino in Japan last October during Katie’s Learnin...
My guest for Episode #328 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Emily Aborn, a small business copywriter, speaker, and host of the Small Business Casual podcast.
Episode page with video, transcript, and more
Emily helps entrepreneurs bring clarity, creativity, and authenticity to their marketing. Before finding her true calling, she owned a brick-and-mortar organic mattress store—a business that looked great on paper but didn’t al...
My guest for Episode #327 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Dr. Maya Ackerman, AI pioneer, researcher, and CEO of WaveAI. She’s also an associate professor of Computer Science and Engineering at Santa Clara University and the author of the new book Creative Machines: AI, Art, and Us.
EPISODE PAGE WITH VIDEO, TRANSCRIPT, AND MORE
In this episode, Maya shares her favorite mistake — one that changed how she builds technology an...
My guest for Episode #326 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Dr. William Harvey, a manufacturing executive and university professor whose career is defined by developing people, strengthening systems, and driving organizational excellence. A proud U.S. Marine, William carries forward a deep tradition of service and leadership. He also serves as the chair for the 2026 AME International Conference in Milwaukee, hosted by the Asso...
In this bonus re-release, we revisit an important and timely conversation with Sabrina Moon, Founder and CEO of The Problem Solving Institute and a certified Dare to Lead™ facilitator.
Originally aired as Episode #35 of My Favorite Mistake, this conversation remains one of the most powerful and honest reflections on leadership, shame, and transformation.
Episode page with transcript and more
🔍 What You’ll Hear:-
Sabrina’s “fa...
My guest for Episode #325 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Phillip Cantrell, EVP of Strategy at United Real Estate, founder of Benchmark Realty, and author of Failing My Way to Success: Lessons from 42 Years of Winning and Losing in Business.
EPISODE PAGE WITH VIDEO, TRANSCRIPT, AND MORE
Phillip reflects on more than four decades of entrepreneurial ups and downs across printing, real estate, and related ventures. He openly ...
In this very special solo episode of My Favorite Mistake, Mark Graban breaks down the gloriously ridiculous — and surprisingly instructive — mistakes made by the characters in his all-time favorite film, This Is Spinal Tap.
With the long-awaited sequel, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, now in theaters, Mark explores why Spinal Tap endures not just as a cult comedy classic, but as a brilliant satire of human behavior, team dysfunct...
My guest for Episode #324 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Trevor Schade.
Episode page with video, transcript, and more
Trevor began his career as a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt with a strong background in coding and process improvement. He consulted on business efficiency and outsourcing before shifting into real estate in 2008. After earning his license, he quickly built a top-performing team of 26 agents with zero turnover ov...
In this special episode of My Favorite Mistake, host Mark Graban celebrates the kickoff of football season with a unique perspective: five legendary kickers who know what it means to perform under pressure. Guests include former NFL kickers Jay Feely, Shane Graham, David Akers, Nick Lowry, and University of South Carolina’s all-time leading scorer Parker White.
These athletes share their most memorable mistakes and high-pressure mo...
My guest for Episode #323 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Grace Bourke, Consulting Director of the Performance Excellence Practice at Baker Tilly. With nearly 40 years of experience in healthcare quality improvement and industrial engineering, Grace has worked in clinical care, biotech, global public health, and senior leadership roles at organizations including Kaiser Permanente and Sutter Health.
Grace share...
My guest for Episode #322 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Rob Dorgan, a multi-talented professional whose career path has taken him from paralegal to college professor, retail store owner, manufacturing company president, and now licensed massage therapist, certified yoga educator, meditation teacher, and astrologer. Rob is also the author of Awakening the Mystic: A Novel of Cosmic Love and Healing.
My guest for Episode #321 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Cynthia Kane, founder and CEO of the Kane Intentional Communication Institute and author of several books, including How to Communicate Like a Buddhist and The Pause: How to Keep Your Cool in Tough Situations.
Episode page with video and more
Cynthia shares a pivotal mistake from early in her life: letting other people’s opinions matter more than her own—especiall...
🎙️ In this bonus episode of My Favorite Mistake, Mark Graban welcomes back Dr. Jen Heemstra, Charles Allen Thomas Professor and Chair of Chemistry at Washington University in St. Louis. Jen joins us to talk about her new book, Lab Work to Leadership: A Concise Guide to Thriving in the Science Job You Weren’t Trained For.
She shares how the book was inspired by her favorite mistake—realizing that a research career in science unexpe...
My guest for Episode #320 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Damon Lembi, CEO of Learnit, a live learning and development platform that has helped upskill over 2 million professionals.
Episode page with video, transcript, and more
A former college baseball player and now a two-time bestselling author, Damon shares the story of how youthful ambition and overconfidence led him to push Learnit into a rapid, unsustainable expansion...
My guest for Episode #319 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Sapna Pieroux, award-winning author of Let’s Get Visible!, a branding consultant, and the founder of Inner Visions ID.
Episode page with video, transcript, and more
With a background spanning 20 years in media and experience working with major brands like Toyota, Sony, and L’Oréal, Sapna shares the defining mistake that led her to a new level of impact: believing th...
My guest for Episode #318 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Matthew Neal Davis, an attorney, entrepreneur, and author of the provocative book The Art of Preventing Stupid.
Episode page with video and more
Matthew is the founder and managing partner of Davis Business Law, which has grown more than 1,000% in six years, earning a spot on the Inc. 5000 list. In addition to running a multi-office law firm across several states, h...
My guest for Episode #316 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Davina Frederick, founder of Wealthy Woman Lawyer, host of the Wealthy Woman Lawyer Podcast, and a business coach who has helped women law firm owners scale their practices to seven figures and beyond.
Episode page with video, transcript, and more
In our conversation, Davina shares why going to law school—an unconventional move at age 38—turned out to be her favorite ...
My guest for Episode #316 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Jim Schleckser, founder and CEO of The CEO Project.
Episode page with video, transcript, and more
Jim is a seasoned business leader, bestselling author, and trusted advisor to CEOs around the world. With experience spanning 42 countries and multiple industries, Jim has spent decades helping leaders grow their companies and think more strategically. He’s also the autho...
Popular Podcasts
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!