My Favorite Mistake: Business Lessons from Failures and Success

Shutting Down a Business Was the ”Best Worst Thing” That Michael Buzinski Has Done

Marketer and author of "The Rule of 26"
Episode page: https://markgraban.com/mistake167
My guest for Episode #167 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Michael “Buzz” Buzinski, the President/CMO of Buzzworthy Integrated Marketing.
Buzz is a lifelong entrepreneur, digital marketing thought leader, and best-selling author of his book The Rule of 26 For Service-Centric Businesses: Three Steps To Doubling Website Revenue. Check out his book's website.
Dubbed a “visionary marketer” by the American Marketing Association, Michael’s sole mission is to reduce the prevalence of entrepreneurial poverty in the US. Michael is a 10 year Air Force Veteran who now mentors other vetrepreneurs through “Warriors Rising”, leads marketing workshops for the Small Business Administration, the Small Business Development Center in multiple states, and has presented marketing workshops for multiple Universities.
In this episode, Buzz shares his “favorite mistake” story about “the little coup” that took place at his previous company when he went on a trip to Italy to serve as a videographer instead because he had nobody else to send. While he was away, the electicity went out at the home office because somebody didn't pay the bill. Young employees “thought the company was going out of business” and that led to a lot of chaos… and his eventual decision to break up the company. Why was the the “best worst thing” that happened to Buzz and how did he move forward in a better way?
We also talk about questions and topics including:
Why do you say you’re a failed musician? What happened?
Starving artist or musician… What does this phrase mean?
What is the rule of 26?
Digital marketing mistakes??
Newest mistake that you’ve found?
Tell us about Warriors Rising
The only three key performance indicators (KPIs) you need to track when marketing your website?
How to get a free copy of his book:Get a copy of his book, The Rule of 26 on Amazon in eBook or paperback.
He will send a free signed paperback copy to any listener who purchases his eBook from Amazon if they email him at buzz@buzzworthy.biz with a screenshot of their purchase and the address they want the book sent to.

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“Little Failures” Author Alisha Wielfart’s Failed Yoga Studio Was Her Greatest Learning Experience

Episode page: https://markgraban.com/mistake166
My guest for Episode #166 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Alisha Wielfaert, a leadership, creativity, transitions and resiliency coach for women.
She started her career at an over one-hundred-year-old insurance company. She moved on from that. Along the way, she started studying yoga at the Asheville Yoga Center not just as a physical practice but as a spiritual path. She opened a yoga studio… and then sold it…
Alisha is also the author of a book that’s just been released, titled Little Failures: Learning to Build Resilience Through Everyday Setbacks, Challenges, and Obstacles.
Enter to win a signed copy!!
She is the host of a podcast, The Yoke and Abundance: Wise Women Podcast and her company is called Yoke and Abundance.
In this episode, Alisha shares her “favorite mistake” story about opening a yoga studio that “did nothing but lose money” as it went into bankruptcy. Why was this her “greatest learning experience” but also the “most shameful” that has happened to her? Why did the business fail and what lessons did Alisha learn that she has (and will) apply to other businesses?
We also talk about questions and topics including:
Passion plus seeking for purpose in life
Bootstrapping was a problem – couldn’t fully commit
Lessons for when you became a coach?
Do the failures help you be a better coach?
The Dropout? Elizabeth Holmes
Other thoughts or tips on how to analyze or process our failures?
People who are successful after failures do what things?
How to not get stuck in the grieving and processing time?
Fear of mistakes — Atelophobia is an obsessive fear of imperfection
Do you see a difference between “mistakes” and “failures”? Let’s explore that…
“Planning for failures” in the writing and release of the book?
You write about the idea of “Failing out loud” — the implications for women and minorities?
TEDx talk – founder of Girls Who Code (Reshma Saujani)
Tell us the story behind the name of your company, Yoke and Abundance?
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Entrepreneur and CTO Mark Herschberg Believed a Promise That Wasn’t in Writing

Author of The Career Toolkit.
Episode page: https://markgraban.com/mistake165
My guest for Episode #165 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Mark Herschberg, the author of the book The Career Toolkit, Essential Skills for Success That No One Taught You. Learn more at his book's website. This is Mark's 300th appearance as a podcast guest!
From tracking criminals and terrorists on the dark web to creating marketplaces and new authentication systems, Mark has spent his career launching and developing new ventures at startups and Fortune 500s and in academia.
He helped to start the Undergraduate Practice Opportunities Program, dubbed MIT’s “career success accelerator,” where he teaches annually.
At MIT, he received a B.S. in physics, a B.S. in electrical engineering & computer science, and an M.Eng. in electrical engineering & computer science, focusing on cryptography.
At Harvard Business School, Mark helped create a platform used to teach finance at prominent business schools.
He also works with many non-profits, including Techie Youth and Plant A Million Corals. He was one of the top-ranked ballroom dancers in the country and now lives in New York City, where he is known for his social gatherings, including his annual Halloween party, as well as his diverse cufflink collection.
In this episode, Mark shares his “favorite mistake” story about being promised something by board members that was not put in writing. What happened when a new CEO came in? Why was he fired from the product and engineering teams? What adjustments did he make to his approach with later companies?
We also talk about questions and topics including:
Was not spending on tech another short-sighted decision?
Book — lots of examples of mistakes in the book and the class he teaches
Tell us about the book?? The Career Toolkit, Essential Skills for Success That No One Taught You. — not just about new graduates?
Networking mistakes – he met Tim Berners-Lee and blew the opportunity to build a relationship
What are some of those essential networking skills?
Is it a mistake to sign confidentiality or non-compete clauses?
Negotiating mistakes? Don’t name a number first?
Ethical situations?
Your top 3 Halloween costumes?
Find Mark on social media:
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
LinkedIn
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Founder & Author Melissa Drake Didn’t Pursue Things That Brought Her Joy

Author of The Orgasmic Entrepreneur and more
Episode page and links: https://markgraban.com/mistake164
My guest for Episode #164 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Melissa Drake. As the founder of Uncorped Influence, Melissa helps like-minded businesses and individuals find creative solutions and go further than they thought possible.
Melissa is the author of three books:
The Orgasmic Entrepreneur: Discover the Sweet Spot of Love, Sex, and Business by Simply Being YOU,
Sacred Medicine Integration: A Companion Journal Supporting Ceremonial Medicine Experiences
TranscenDANCE: Lessons From Living, Loving, and Dancing
She's also a TEDx Speaker with 25 years climbing the corporate ranks and a decade of entrepreneurial experience. Her TEDx Talk, “The Dance of Collaboration,” presents fresh insights on the benefits of collectively beneficial collaborations.
In this episode, Melissa shares her “favorite mistake” story about the pattern of “not taking care of who I am as a person, not pursuing the things that bring me joy.” How did she come to see this pattern? Are mistakes like this just “part of the process” or are they to be avoided? How does she make sure she doesn't fall back into that trap?
We also talk about questions and topics including:
Were you sort of going through life in autopilot?
Finding the fix — looking within or to others?
How to make sure you don’t fall back into that trap? As easy as avoiding a corporate job?
When things aren’t going well — double down? – Or rest, take time?
Did you have any fear that your book title would be a mistake?
Is it a book for women? No
New path started in 2015, laid off from insurance industry, “kick in the pants” she needed
Why was “the ability to truly be me” so important to you?
Freedom of expression is one of your most significant values
Correlation or causation? — finding “the link between achieving sexual satisfaction and attaining strong business results.”
Find Melissa on social media:
Facebook
YouTube
LinkedIn
Instagram
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CEO Jeff Zigman, “The Business Engineer,” Trusted Someone and Got a Lopsided Contract

Episode page and links: https://markgraban.com/mistake163
My guest for Episode #163 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Jeff Zigman, known as “The Business Engineer,” and the founder and CEO of SkillBuilder.
He’s been a tech entrepreneur 10 years, having led and built 25+ software projects from idea to Live, including multimillion-dollar enterprise software, with an engineering background, ten years as a Business Analyst, and eight years as a Chief Technology Officer.
He’s married with two little kids and, during COVID, he created a software platform that incorporates the learning principles that he’s gained from 20 years of martial arts into a remote learning system that he’s been able to prove to be more effective for virtual training than most in-person training, with higher absorption and better retention.
In this episode, Jeff shares his “favorite mistake” story about trusting somebody he was working to build a software company with — working for 1.5 years on a trust basis, how did Jeff end up saddled with a “lopsided contract”? What problems did that cause and why was it “a real nightmare”? We talk about that and the lessons that Jeff learned through this experience.
We also talk about questions and topics including:
Were there red flags?
Should he have gotten a lawyer to review it?
How has he focused on not preventing this mistake?
Why is training thousands of employees so difficult?
Lessons from martial arts?
4 things that are required?
What is Process-Oriented Learning?
Knowledge (information or theory) vs. Skills (ability)?
How do we confirm that the learning has sunk in… that the skills can be applied effectively? Closing the loop?
How can training be gamified?
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Meetings and Speaking Experts Karin Reed and Joe Allen’s Favorite Workplace Mistakes

Episode page: https://markgraban.com/mistake162
My guests for Episode #162 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast are Dr. Joseph A. Allen and Karin M. Reed.
They are the authors of the book SUDDENLY HYBRID: Managing the Modern Meeting. Their previous book was SUDDENLY VIRTUAL: Making Remote Meetings Work.
KARIN M. REED is CEO of Speaker Dynamics. She is an Emmy award-winning broadcast journalist and now focuses on helping business professionals to be confident communicators on any platform? in person, on camera, or through virtual communication tools.
JOSEPH A. ALLEN, PHD, is a Professor of Industrial and Organizational Psychology at the University of Utah. His research focus is on the study of workplace meetings, organizational community engagement, and occupational safety and health.
Sharing their “favorite mistake” stories, Karin talks about a time early in her television news career, where a technical mishap taught her to always have a “Plan B.” Why was Joe surprised that he wasn't getting honest feedback about his writing, and what did that teach him about not taking expertise for granted?
We also talk about questions and topics including:
Mistakes with virtual meetings?
Is it a mistake to keep your camera off?
What is a hybrid meeting or the hybrid workplace?
Mistakes that people or organizations make with hybrid?
Tips and tricks to be inclusive to all participants in the room, on video, on the phone etc.?
Technology to solve the room webcam camera problem?
When the video is imperative in a virtual or hybrid meeting and when it’s not?
Non-verbals in a hybrid meeting?
Strategies to combat video fatigue and multitasking?
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Career Coach Jason Levin Got Yelled at For Not Following Up with the College Benefactor

Author of Relationships to Infinity
Episode page: https://www.markgraban.com/mistake161
My guest for Episode #161 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Jason Levin. He's a speaker and trainer. He's an executive career, business development and outplacement coach. He's the co-host of the Parents at Work Podcast. His website is www.readysetlaunch.net.
He’s also the author of the book, Relationships to Infinity: The Art and Science of Keeping in Touch. Scroll down to learn how to enter to win one of five free signed copies of the book!
In serving his enterprise and individual clients, Jason draws on experiences as a District Manager with Vault.com.
At Vault, he held roles both on the operations team and led a remote business development team.
Prior to Vault.com, he worked in brand management for Unilever on the Dove Global team where he developed global innovations in the anti-aging skincare category and he also worked for the consulting firms KPMG and Accenture. He has an MBA from the Georgetown McDonough School of Business.
He’s an assistant coach on his son’s little league baseball team and is a “raving fan” of DC sports.
In today's episode, Jason shares his “favorite mistake” story about failing to follow up with the wealthy benefactor of Rowan College. Why did he get yelled at by the head fundraiser at the college — and for how long? How have those lessons from that episode impact him as a coach?
We also talk about questions and topics including:
What attracted you to working with retired pro athletes in their career transitions? How is it different?
Previous episodes with retired athletes Lenny Walls and Dave Scatchard
With limited (non-infinite) time – how do we make time to focus on relationships?
“Show me your calendar and I’ll show you your priorities”
What is your “social fortress”?
Your external network vs. your network inside the company
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Founder / Brand Queen Rosie Kosinski Waited Too Long to Get a Coach

Founder of Shattered Pencil Studios
Episode page and links: https://markgraban.com/mistake160
My guest for Episode #160 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Rosie Kosinski. She is what she calls the Brand Queen and Founder of Shattered Pencil Studios, a brand design & development boutique. She straddles the line between creative and strategic, artistic and scientific.
Raised by entrepreneurs and artists in a nomadic environment that took her through Europe, the Middle East, and the United States, Rosie is a global citizen through and through. She taps into this mosaic of perspectives to deeply understand the people she serves and to help them connect with the people they serve.
In today's episode, Rosie shares her “favorite mistake” story about “waiting too long to get a coach.” How did she go from being skeptical about the idea to working with a coach for years?
We also talk about questions and topics including:
Learning to value her work — the Sandler Selling System
Why she learned to quote a price and “shut the hell up”
More about what you learned about being a branding design coach?
Do people confuse a logo with a brand?
Mistakes that people make when it comes to branding?? Other than being cheap? Micromanaging the process?
Blog post about Brand Clarity in Seven Questions
5 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me Before I Became A Founder
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Sales Expert Glenn Poulos Was the Last to Know That He Was Impossible to Reach

Episode page and links: https://markgraban.com/mistake159
My guest for Episode #159 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Glenn Poulos, the cofounder, vice president, and general manager of Gap Wireless Inc., a leading distributor for the mobile broadband wireless and test and measurement equipment markets. Gap Wireless Inc. was recently acquired by Network Wireless Solutions.
With over three decades of experience in sales, Glenn has spent thousands of hours in the field or on the phone with customers and working with salespeople to help create several very successful companies.
After entering the sales field in 1985 as a technical sales rep, Glenn founded his first company, mmWave Technologies Inc., in 1991 and simultaneously served as president of Anritsu Electronics Ltd. for nine years.
Using his extensive knowledge and experience in the industry, he lectures groups on sales strategy, consumerism, and what motivates people at a raw emotional level.
His new book is titled NEVER SIT IN THE LOBBY… 57 Winning Sales Factors to Grow a Business and Build a Career Selling.
In today's episode, Glenn shares his “favorite mistake” story about being the last to know that it was difficult (if not impossible) for employees to reach. Why did that unsolicited feedback “sting” and what did Glenn do to adjust going forward?
We also talk about questions and topics including:
Learned to ask people for feedback??
Mistakes in the selling of the first company?
Never forget a face
What is “greed-based learning” when it comes to sales?
When to Stop Compromising with Your Customer – and What to Do Instead?? – can you give us an example?
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Innovation Expert Karen Hold’s Telcom Bubble Burst — How Did She Diversify?

Episode page and links: https://markgraban.com/mistake158
My guest for Episode #158 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Karen Hold. She is the Founder of Experience Labs and her work is grounded in a core belief that design thinking provides an enabling social technology that facilitates adaptation and effective problem-solving in complex social systems.
Karen began her career in business and strategy on the Folgers Coffee brand team in the early 90s (part of Proctor & Gamble) — influenced by the work of Tom Peters, who was my guest in Episode 58.
She is one of the authors of the Book: Experiencing Design: The Innovator's Journey from Columbia Business School Publishing.
In today's episode, Karen shares her “favorite mistake” story about having all of her professional eggs in the telecom industry basket. What did she learn about the need to diversify when all of her customers went bankrupt? What actions did she take to move forward in a better way?
We also talk about questions and topics including:
Being more intentional about diversifying in what to do next?
Folgers experience? Lessons from learning brand management?
The influence of Tom Peters? In Search of Excellence
A family of designers Who were some of your key mentors? Grandfather Leroy Grumman…
Leroy Grumman: “A rough answer to the right question is better than a detailed answer to the wrong question.”
How does that idea connect to entrepreneurship, innovation?
“Effective problem solving in complex social systems?”
What is a complex social system?
How does Design thinking help with customer understanding and problem solving?
“From ego centricity to empathy”
Why is “the discovery process” so important, something to dive deeply into, before we start testing products or services?
Can you apply the lessons from the book to the writing of the book?
“Test your way to success” — peer review for an academic book
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