Savor the Success - The Premium Business Network for Women Entrepreneurs.

Last week in Part 1 of "What's Holding You Back?", I wrote about how competition can be paralyzing for people and how to stay focused on "your painting". 

This week, I talk about failure. Yes, that F word. 

About a year ago, I was talking to a friend/colleague about some of my upcoming projects. She said, "Ang, don't go down that route again. You tried to do it once and look how it flopped." 

Huh? Flopped? I was shocked to hear her say that. It had never crossed my mind that something of mine had flopped. To this day, I cringe at that notion. 

She had a point though. Although I had made money on the project, it wasn't amazingly profitable so I knew that the "flow of the universe" was not there. It was a matter of adjusting my project and refocusing my energy. 

Fast forward to a few months later. I was shopping with another friend, and she casually said, "It's interesting... in all of the years that I've known you, one thing that I've noticed is that you don't acknowledge failure. You never see anything you do as a failure." 

And it's true. I see "failure" as the beginning of something new and amazing. 

If something doesn't work out the way you want it to work out, it's a lesson that's worth a million bucks. It tells you something about you that you didn't know before. Sometimes knowing something is not for you is more valuable than knowing if something is for you. It clarifies the picture. It guides you. It propels you toward success.

Did you hear that? Failure propels you toward success. If you let it, that is. What does that mean? It means that you take time to really understand the lesson and to have a fuller understanding of yourself. It doesn't matter if the lesson comes in the shape of a success, failure, or experience. It's your guide and compass that you are meant to apply to the next part of your journey. 

My journey has been more than ten years in the making. Check this out:

The Food and the City website my husband and I launched together around ten years ago? (Oh my god... it was SO adorable and now that I see it again, I want to launch it again!) We didn't recognize the potential, got distracted by life, and abandoned it. But that experience taught us that we loved community and content. 

{Grrrr... why didn't we hold on to that url? Lucky dude who snatched that one up.}

The Spa Project website that I launched four years ago? I forgot about that "failure". It's now Savor the Success. The lesson I learned was that I didn't have a passion to help spas. I have a passion to help women entrepreneurs. 

The Savor Magbook? I didn't enjoy the process. That "failure" helped me to hone in what I enjoy most and my gift to the world: building a tight-knit community. How can I not be grateful for that experience? 

The first 7 Figure Club that I launched a couple of years ago? I was never quite satisfied with the format and kept "tossing and turning" with the idea. Leading thousands of masterminds allowed me to hone and polish what I really wanted. Now it's an extremely successful venture that is the most spiritually fulfilling mission I've ever had in my entire career. 

{Did you notice how each endeavor was the precursor to the next? No failures, friends. Just lessons to add to your self growth and business acumen arsenal.}

I'm sitting here racking my brain for more failures that I've had, but it's hard for me to come up with them. I don't see them as failures. I see them as beginnings of HUGE successes. 

What "flop" have you turned into an amazing success? 

Angela Jia Kim is a woman entrepreneur advocate, organic lifestyle guru, doting mom, New York City (not house)wife, and author-in-the-making.

She uses her organic skincare business, Om Aroma, to empower and inspire other business owners by openly sharing mistakes (the kind most sweep under the rug) and lessons learned (the kind most keep as secrets to get ahead).

She believes that building business is directly tied to self growth, that it takes a village to raise a business, and that your business is meant to serve the life you want to live.