September 22, 2025 • 9 mins
The stories where we fall down or fail are the most important ones to share. These "lessons learned" moments humanize us, make us relatable, and provide valuable insights that can help others avoid similar pitfalls.
• Failure stories are powerful connection points with your audience
• When starting in social media consulting, I made a major presentation mistake
• I prepared advanced strategies for an audience who didn't know what Facebook was
• Had to throw away my presentation and start with absolute basics
• This failure shaped my entire business approach and led to teaching opportunities
• Sharing mistakes makes you more human and relatable
• Your "lessons learned" can save others time and frustration
• These stories demonstrate growth and real expertise
• It's not about falling down but how you get back up
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
We're all afraid of sharing these stories, the
stories where we fall down, thestories where things don't go
according to plan, the storieswhere we feel like we failed.
And those are the stories we'regoing to be talking about today
, because those stories, thoselessons learned, they're
important stories on yourjourney and they make a
(00:22):
difference in how you're showingup.
Welcome to another episode ofthe Story Lab.
(00:49):
I love this episode because Iknow that many of you are going
to hate this episode.
I love this episode becauseit's so important.
It's an episode about learningfrom our mistakes.
It's an episode about growingfrom what happens to us.
It's an episode about showingpeople that it doesn't matter if
we fall.
It's how we get back up.
It's about lessons learned.
It's not failures, it's lessonslearned, and that's what we're
(01:11):
going to talk about today.
What lessons could you learn?
When I first started in thesocial media business I just
left my college bookstorebusiness I thought everybody
knew what social media was and Iwas going to help businesses
really show up like, get pastthe basics and understand what
they can do to really really winon social media with strategies
(01:32):
and campaigns and all thatthings that we were doing in the
college bookstore businessRight, and I was asked early on
in my career, literally twomonths into it, to speak to a
bunch of business owners abouthow to show up on social media.
And I went into thisconversation thinking, all right
, here I'm going to blow themaway with what I know and what
(01:56):
they can do and how they can doit.
So I got there, I'm starting totalk about things and I'm
welcoming people in and you knowI get my presentation started
and I started with this big likesocial media can be, this
amazing thing that's going toblow up your business and you're
going to be able to grow withsmart campaigns and this, and
(02:19):
that I started talking aboutthings you could do on Facebook
and Instagram and how you couldgrow your business page and how
you should have a group so thatyou could be building community
and all of these things.
Lo and behold, a woman in theback very shyly raises her hand
yes, ma'am In the back, you havea question?
(02:41):
Slowly puts her hand down andgoes yeah, you have a question.
Slowly puts her hand down andgoes yeah, what's facebook?
Everything went through my mindlike what do you mean?
What's facebook, what's?
And I immediately had to bringmyself back in, remember.
I've only been doing this fortwo months, I'm a little bit new
at it.
I had to bring myself back inand I asked everybody.
I'm like I'm sorry, I'm gonnaget to that.
(03:02):
Who else doesn't know whatFacebook is?
Half of the crowd raises theirhands and I immediately,
immediately, knew I blew it.
I didn't do the one thing thatis so important for all of us,
no matter what who's ouraudience?
Who are we talking to?
What do they need?
(03:23):
I miss that.
I totally miss that.
And I started with this wholebig idea on things you could do
on social media and how youcould learn and to grow your
business with this and that andthe other thing.
And while that's great, it'snot what they needed.
They need to know how to builda Facebook page, they need to
(03:46):
know how to get a business page.
They need to know how to showup on Instagram with pictures,
because that's what we weredoing.
I missed very important lessonwhen I first did this
presentation.
I didn't see where my audiencewas and what they needed, and
that's a lesson I took with meand I still take with me in my
(04:07):
entire career who am I talkingto?
What do they need Listening tomy audience before I put out
what I think they need, becausewhat I was doing was I was
speaking so I could be thesmartest person in the room, so
that I felt good about myselfand could talk about all these
things that they knew nothingabout.
(04:28):
That didn't serve them.
It didn't serve me in the longrun either.
So as I got to that in thismoment, I literally threw away
my presentation.
I sat on the desk and I startedanswering basic questions like
what was Facebook?
And I showed them what Facebookwas and I showed them how they
could set up their own profile.
My presentation was in thetrash.
(04:50):
It didn't matter because theywouldn't get it.
How are they supposed to know?
This also was where my nineessential posts came from, and I
know a lot of you have heard metalk about nine essential posts
.
There were nine posts that youcould post in your business that
would work for any business.
They were all different thingsthat you could talk about.
(05:10):
They came because I needed toteach at that level at first.
What are the basics that youneed?
So that moment, that story offailure, was a lesson learned
that helped shape my business,and it's why I've been hired to
teach public school districtshow to use social media.
(05:32):
It's why I've been hired toteach businesses how to do
social media that have neverdone it before.
A local wedding hall hired mefor a three-day session on how
to use social media.
That was a lesson learned andthat's a story that shaped my
(05:53):
business and it'd be silly forme to never share that story,
because that story highlights areally important lesson that led
me down a path that has gottenme hired for other things.
It's gotten me hired to do tohelp those school districts, to
help those other organizations.
So why would I leave that out?
Now I know why many of us wouldleave that story out because I
look silly in that moment.
(06:13):
I look silly saying you got todo these things and all these
advanced strategies and youdon't even know what Facebook is
.
Yeah, I look silly, but Ilearned from that silly and I
built my business on that sillyand I showed those businesses
how to do the basic things.
That silly allowed me to stepin one Halloween and teach a
(06:36):
class that I'd never taughtbefore.
Three hour class, never taughtbefore.
But because I knew the basics,on two hours notice, I went and
taught a college class on how todo social media, and guess what
?
I taught that class for fouryears after that.
See, that lesson learned helpedme be better at my business, and
(06:58):
I'm sure that you have lessonslearned that have helped you be
better at your business, thathave helped you go further, that
have helped you understandthings differently.
And if you're not sharing them,you're missing the opportunity
to share this very human thingthat happened, this very human
thing that your audience isgoing to resonate with, this
(07:20):
thing that people will findendearing.
And, even better, because youshared it, you're sharing your
lesson learned with somebody whoneeds to learn that lesson as
well, and that's a big deal.
You're saving people time.
You're showing up as a human.
You're being real Lessonslearned or failures, even if
you're showing up as a human.
You're being real lessonslearned or failures, even if you
(07:41):
want to call it a failure.
There's stories that matter toyour audience.
There's stories that canconnect with your audience and
they help you show up in a realway that your audience is going
to resonate with.
So that's why you need to sharethose lessons learned, those
failures, so that your audiencesees you.
That is why those stories areso powerful.
(08:02):
That is why you need to sharethose stories.
That's another episode of theStory Lab and I hope that you
enjoyed that episode.
And I hope that you share yourstory of failure, your story of
a lesson learned, because itdoesn't matter that you fell, it
matters that you got back upand kept going.
So make sure that you keepgetting back up and you keep
(08:24):
going, because that is whatmatters.
If you enjoyed this episode,please do me a favor and go over
to your favorite podcastplatform and give us a rating or
write us a review.
Those always help and I love tosee what I can do to make this
podcast better for you.
I need an ending to this podcastand I want your feedback.
I need something that wraps itup and encourages you to come
(08:47):
and listen next time.
So tell me how I should end myepisodes.
Going forward, I'd love to hearwhat you have to say and I will
see you on the next episode ofthe Story Lab.
Remember, make your story onethey remember the truth that
ignites the reason they stay.
This is your time.
(09:07):
You're brighter than ever.
You've got something to say.
We're all afraid of sharing these stories, the
stories where we fall down, thestories where things don't go
according to plan, the storieswhere we feel like we failed.
And those are the stories we'regoing to be talking about today
, because those stories, thoselessons learned, they're
important stories on yourjourney and they make a
(00:22):
difference in how you're showingup.
Welcome to another episode ofthe Story Lab.
(00:49):
I love this episode because Iknow that many of you are going
to hate this episode.
I love this episode becauseit's so important.
It's an episode about learningfrom our mistakes.
It's an episode about growingfrom what happens to us.
It's an episode about showingpeople that it doesn't matter if
we fall.
It's how we get back up.
It's about lessons learned.
It's not failures, it's lessonslearned, and that's what we're
(01:11):
going to talk about today.
What lessons could you learn?
When I first started in thesocial media business I just
left my college bookstorebusiness I thought everybody
knew what social media was and Iwas going to help businesses
really show up like, get pastthe basics and understand what
they can do to really really winon social media with strategies
(01:32):
and campaigns and all thatthings that we were doing in the
college bookstore businessRight, and I was asked early on
in my career, literally twomonths into it, to speak to a
bunch of business owners abouthow to show up on social media.
And I went into thisconversation thinking, all right
, here I'm going to blow themaway with what I know and what
(01:56):
they can do and how they can doit.
So I got there, I'm starting totalk about things and I'm
welcoming people in and you knowI get my presentation started
and I started with this big likesocial media can be, this
amazing thing that's going toblow up your business and you're
going to be able to grow withsmart campaigns and this, and
(02:19):
that I started talking aboutthings you could do on Facebook
and Instagram and how you couldgrow your business page and how
you should have a group so thatyou could be building community
and all of these things.
Lo and behold, a woman in theback very shyly raises her hand
yes, ma'am In the back, you havea question?
(02:41):
Slowly puts her hand down andgoes yeah, you have a question.
Slowly puts her hand down andgoes yeah, what's facebook?
Everything went through my mindlike what do you mean?
What's facebook, what's?
And I immediately had to bringmyself back in, remember.
I've only been doing this fortwo months, I'm a little bit new
at it.
I had to bring myself back inand I asked everybody.
I'm like I'm sorry, I'm gonnaget to that.
(03:02):
Who else doesn't know whatFacebook is?
Half of the crowd raises theirhands and I immediately,
immediately, knew I blew it.
I didn't do the one thing thatis so important for all of us,
no matter what who's ouraudience?
Who are we talking to?
What do they need?
(03:23):
I miss that.
I totally miss that.
And I started with this wholebig idea on things you could do
on social media and how youcould learn and to grow your
business with this and that andthe other thing.
And while that's great, it'snot what they needed.
They need to know how to builda Facebook page, they need to
(03:46):
know how to get a business page.
They need to know how to showup on Instagram with pictures,
because that's what we weredoing.
I missed very important lessonwhen I first did this
presentation.
I didn't see where my audiencewas and what they needed, and
that's a lesson I took with meand I still take with me in my
(04:07):
entire career who am I talkingto?
What do they need Listening tomy audience before I put out
what I think they need, becausewhat I was doing was I was
speaking so I could be thesmartest person in the room, so
that I felt good about myselfand could talk about all these
things that they knew nothingabout.
(04:28):
That didn't serve them.
It didn't serve me in the longrun either.
So as I got to that in thismoment, I literally threw away
my presentation.
I sat on the desk and I startedanswering basic questions like
what was Facebook?
And I showed them what Facebookwas and I showed them how they
could set up their own profile.
My presentation was in thetrash.
(04:50):
It didn't matter because theywouldn't get it.
How are they supposed to know?
This also was where my nineessential posts came from, and I
know a lot of you have heard metalk about nine essential posts
.
There were nine posts that youcould post in your business that
would work for any business.
They were all different thingsthat you could talk about.
(05:10):
They came because I needed toteach at that level at first.
What are the basics that youneed?
So that moment, that story offailure, was a lesson learned
that helped shape my business,and it's why I've been hired to
teach public school districtshow to use social media.
(05:32):
It's why I've been hired toteach businesses how to do
social media that have neverdone it before.
A local wedding hall hired mefor a three-day session on how
to use social media.
That was a lesson learned andthat's a story that shaped my
(05:53):
business and it'd be silly forme to never share that story,
because that story highlights areally important lesson that led
me down a path that has gottenme hired for other things.
It's gotten me hired to do tohelp those school districts, to
help those other organizations.
So why would I leave that out?
Now I know why many of us wouldleave that story out because I
look silly in that moment.
(06:13):
I look silly saying you got todo these things and all these
advanced strategies and youdon't even know what Facebook is
.
Yeah, I look silly, but Ilearned from that silly and I
built my business on that sillyand I showed those businesses
how to do the basic things.
That silly allowed me to stepin one Halloween and teach a
(06:36):
class that I'd never taughtbefore.
Three hour class, never taughtbefore.
But because I knew the basics,on two hours notice, I went and
taught a college class on how todo social media, and guess what
?
I taught that class for fouryears after that.
See, that lesson learned helpedme be better at my business, and
(06:58):
I'm sure that you have lessonslearned that have helped you be
better at your business, thathave helped you go further, that
have helped you understandthings differently.
And if you're not sharing them,you're missing the opportunity
to share this very human thingthat happened, this very human
thing that your audience isgoing to resonate with, this
(07:20):
thing that people will findendearing.
And, even better, because youshared it, you're sharing your
lesson learned with somebody whoneeds to learn that lesson as
well, and that's a big deal.
You're saving people time.
You're showing up as a human.
You're being real Lessonslearned or failures, even if
you're showing up as a human.
You're being real lessonslearned or failures, even if you
(07:41):
want to call it a failure.
There's stories that matter toyour audience.
There's stories that canconnect with your audience and
they help you show up in a realway that your audience is going
to resonate with.
So that's why you need to sharethose lessons learned, those
failures, so that your audiencesees you.
That is why those stories areso powerful.
(08:02):
That is why you need to sharethose stories.
That's another episode of theStory Lab and I hope that you
enjoyed that episode.
And I hope that you share yourstory of failure, your story of
a lesson learned, because itdoesn't matter that you fell, it
matters that you got back upand kept going.
So make sure that you keepgetting back up and you keep
(08:24):
going, because that is whatmatters.
If you enjoyed this episode,please do me a favor and go over
to your favorite podcastplatform and give us a rating or
write us a review.
Those always help and I love tosee what I can do to make this
podcast better for you.
I need an ending to this podcastand I want your feedback.
I need something that wraps itup and encourages you to come
(08:47):
and listen next time.
So tell me how I should end myepisodes.
Going forward, I'd love to hearwhat you have to say and I will
see you on the next episode ofthe Story Lab.
Remember, make your story onethey remember the truth that
ignites the reason they stay.
This is your time.
(09:07):
You're brighter than ever.
You've got something to say.
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