One of the biggest inhibitors to realizing our dreams is fear. Fear creates holes in our bucket lists, often holding us back from pursuing the things we truly desire. Whether it’s the fear of failure, fear of the unknown, or even the fear of success, these emotions can paralyze us. But what if we could shift our perspective on fear and failure?
I’m reminded of the story of Sarah Blakely, the founder of Spanx—a billion-dollar empire built on undergarments for women and men. Sarah is a self-made billionaire who faced adversity head-on, brushing off countless “no’s” before her business took off. How did she do it? She had no fear.
Sarah’s fearlessness didn’t come by chance; it was cultivated by her parents. Every day at dinner, Sarah and her brother were required to share a story of failure. Imagine that! They were encouraged to try new things, to take risks, and to be proud of their failures. This practice instilled in Sarah a mindset that failure wasn’t something to dread—it was something to embrace. After all, the more you try, the more you fail, and the more you fail, the closer you get to success. By the time Sarah was an adult, she feared nothing, and that fearlessness led her to build a billion-dollar brand.
Last Friday, I shared Sarah Blakely’s story at a leadership conference for New Memphis. Afterward, I received feedback correcting a part of my talk. I had mentioned that Sarah Blakely was America’s first self-made female billionaire. However, the title actually belongs to Madam CJ Walker, a trailblazing entrepreneur who was born in 1867.
Madam CJ Walker, born Sarah Breedlove, faced unimaginable adversity—poverty, discrimination, and the challenges of being an African American woman in the 19th century. Yet, she succeeded in building a cosmetic line and hair products specifically for Black women, becoming one of the most successful entrepreneurs in African American history. Her story is so inspiring that it was made into a movie, “Self Made: The Story of Madam CJ Walker.” If you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend it.
So, whatever you fear today, I encourage you to embrace it. No matter what adversity you’re facing, remember that it likely doesn’t compare to what Madam CJ Walker endured in the early 1900s. On this Front Row Friday, I challenge you to go out there and fail. Learn from your failures, be inspired by them, and understand that every failure brings you one step closer to success.
Happy Front Row Friday, everyone! Embrace your fear, embrace your failure, and keep moving forward. See you next time!
Your Head Usher,
Marilyn
