redefining failure (part 1)

In late August, at a small inn that was as close to the Artic Circle as I will ever get, I woke later than usual, made a cup of Starbucks Via coffee and powered up the television. To keep my morning routine constant when traveling, I travel with instant coffee. My two littlest girls, ages 9 and 10, were already plugged into their Kindles. Fareed Zakaria of CNN was interviewing Sara Blakely, the founder and CEO of Spanx.

Sharing her success story, Ms. Blakely’s infectious smile and energy pulled me in.  She told of her childhood and how each night her father asked about the day’s failures. They’d share a high-five to each failure. Then she told of how the universe had reached out to her with this idea of a better body shaper. And she ran with it…but not without many, many obstacles and rejections.

I remember well the first pair of Spanx I’d bought. The undergarment reshaped my midline, firmed up my rear, and deleted the dreaded panty line. Spanx changed my perception of clothes and how I felt when dressed. Her product now an essential component of almost every woman’s wardrobe, Sara Blakely had achieved the ultimate: the American dream. But it was her father’s celebration of failure that she applauds, setting her up to know success. I summoned my two littlest children to listen.

My 50th is here soon and I’ve seen more failure than success in my lifetime, but over the years I’ve learned to embrace failure. Failure challenges me to do better, gets me thinking differently, and encourages me to change directions. My two girls and I listened intently.

Life without failure?  Hum. I can’t imagine that. Failure needs to be redefined. I hope my youngest children will remember sitting on the bed while on our Iceland adventure and watching this interview when they contemplate failure.

For a free short excerpt of the CNN video interview with Sara Blakely discussing the American dream, CLICK HERE

The podcast of the August 25th interview can be downloaded on iTunes. Ms. Blakely’s interview begins about halfway through the podcast. CLICK HERE

And for the complete video interview discussing her celebration of failure, you need to buy it on Amazon. It’s $1.99, less than an espresso and a morning roll, and much more satisfying. I think it’s worth it. CLICK HERE TO BUY.