Failure, Mindfulness, and the Hardest Lessons I Learned in Business
How I Failed Six Times, Lost Myself, and Rebuilt My Life—Stronger Than Ever
🚀 Ten years ago, I started my second business. Unlike my first attempt, this one saw early success—but I made a critical mistake that cost me everything.
😔 I didn’t take the time to understand why it worked.
When things were good, I thought it was luck, timing, or just a stroke of genius. When things started falling apart, I blamed the market, bad partnerships, bad hires, and external circumstances. But the truth is, I lacked the knowledge, discipline, and perspective to see what was working and why.
Over the next decade, I threw myself into sales, relationship building, and the psychology of human behavior. I read dozens of books, trained under mentors who had walked the path before me, and learned that success isn’t just about intelligence or talent—it’s about discipline, strategy, and execution.
But business wasn’t the only battle I was fighting.
I Lost Control of My Life
"I spiraled into self-destruction—losing control of my life and almost losing everything."
🍾 Eight years ago, I became an alcoholic. I spiraled into self-destruction, collecting multiple DUIs in a short period. It wasn’t just about drinking—it was about avoiding reality. My failures, my disappointments, my regrets—I ran from them all, and alcohol was the escape.
😨 Looking back, it’s terrifying to think how easily I could have died. And it wasn’t just my life I was risking—drinking and driving could have ruined or ended someone else’s.
⚖️ I reached a point where I had two choices:
👉 Keep running and lose everything.
👉 Face reality, take responsibility, and rebuild
✅ I chose option two.
"Mindfulness taught me to stop running and start facing my reality."
🧘♂️ I studied mindfulness, psychology, and the science of behavior. Instead of numbing my thoughts, I examined them.
I learned that mindfulness isn’t just meditation—it’s radical self-awareness. It’s learning to observe your own mind, emotions, and behaviors without reacting impulsively. It gave me a strength I never knew I had.
And as I rebuilt myself, I rebuilt my business mindset, too.
From Rock Bottom to Reinvention
"I studied psychology, human behavior, and sales—this time, I built with purpose."
During my last year at Utah Valley University, I launched another company. This time, I wasn’t just winging it. I took everything I had learned from failure and applied it.
Sales wasn’t about persuasion—it was about understanding human behavior.
Relationships weren’t transactional—they were built on trust and empathy.
Success wasn’t about motivation—it was about discipline and execution.
And most importantly, I realized that failure is the greatest thing that can happen to a person.
If I hadn’t failed six times, I wouldn’t be here.
If I hadn’t lost control of my life, I wouldn’t have rebuilt myself into someone stronger.
Most people fear failure. But failure is a gift—if you’re willing to learn from it.
🔥 The Business Lessons That Changed Everything
Here are the biggest lessons I wish I had known when I started:
1. Own Everything – It’s All Your Fault
💡 Success? You created it.
⚠️ Failure? You created that, too.
2. Focus on Inputs, Not Outcomes
📊 You can’t control when success comes, but you can control the actions that create it.
🎯 Instead of saying, "I want to make $10K a month," I focused on:
✉️ Sending 50 cold emails a day
📞 Booking 10 calls a week
📈 Improving 1% every day
3. Buy Back Your Time
⏳ I wasted years doing low-value tasks.
💰 Time is finite. Money isn’t.
4. Be Impatient With Action, Patient With Results
⚡ Most people wait too long to start.
⏳ Success takes longer than you think—but that’s okay.
5. Launch Before It’s Perfect
🚀 Perfectionism is procrastination in disguise.
6. Ignore Shiny Objects – Stick to What Works
🔄 Winning isn’t about doing more—it’s about doubling down on what’s effective.
7. Competition is Good
🏆 If there’s competition, there’s money to be made.
8. The Market Decides—Not You
🛒 I used to build businesses based on what I thought was cool.
🛠️ Now, I build based on what customers actually want.
"Once I focused on execution and delivering value, everything changed."
9. Failure is the Best Thing That Can Happen to You
🌪️ If I hadn’t failed 6 times, I wouldn’t be here.
⚡ If I hadn’t lost control of my life, I wouldn’t have rebuilt myself into someone stronger.
😨 Most people fear failure.
🎁 But failure is a gift—if you’re willing to learn from it.
Final Thoughts: The Hardest Truth About Life & Business
💭 Chasing dreams isn’t risky. Starting a business isn’t risky. Going after what you love won’t kill you.
🚨 But avoiding your problems, numbing your pain, and escaping reality? That can kill you.
🔥 Failure is not the end—it’s the beginning.
💪 I wouldn’t trade my failures for anything. They made me who I am today.
🙌 If you’re going through hell right now—keep going. Your breakthrough is waiting on the other side.
"If you're going through hell, keep going. Your breakthrough is waiting on the other side."
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👇 Comment below: What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from failure?