My Favorite Mistake: Business Lessons from Failures and Success

Ward Vuillemot on the Power of Celebrating Errors and Understanding Customer Behavior for Business Success

Episode page with transcript, links, and more
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My guest for Episode #195 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Ward Vuillemot. Ward is a seasoned C-suite executive with over six years of experience leading fully remote teams while building technology organizations from the ground up for companies with 150 to 650 employees in size and $50M to $125M in revenue across the Americas and Europe.
He is currently Chief Product Officer and CTO at RealSelf. He is a technical advisor with his own company, where he advises startup founders and CEOs on technical roadmap and technology organization along with lean approaches to finding market signals quickly.
I invited Ward because of this Forbes article about celebrating errors.
In this episode, Ward tells his favorite mistake story about launching “Amazon Tote” and why there was “too little friction” in user experience. What did he learn about understanding the customer experience? In a separate story, what was Ward's epiphany about seeing an ant on a bus?
Questions and Topics:
Innovation is doing something others haven’t done before
Tell us about the Celebration of Error (CoE) concept – and practice…
Chicken and egg between psychological safety and CoE?
How much Psychological Safety is necessary and how does CoE build more PS?
From Correction of Error (Amazon) to Celebration of Error?
Are all errors created equally in terms of what to celebrate?
Discovering mistakes that had been there for years
As a person who is “high-functioning autistic” – is it ever a mistake to disclose something that personal?
From mindset to document?
IMPACT of the error on business – send to whole company?… why it matters, not why it happened
RESOLUTIONS — short-term and long-term (countermeasures) – fire out, then prevention
ROOT CAUSE – “show your work”
When to use a CoE?
People “NEED” to make mistakes to hit ever-greater goals?
Taking an impersonal, non-blaming approach — easier said than done? Fighting the instinct to blame?
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Dr. Richard Winters Was Too Transparent in Showing Billing Data to Physicians

Author of the book YOU’RE THE LEADER. NOW WHAT? Leadership Lessons from Mayo Clinic.
Episode page with video, transcript, and more
My guest for Episode #194 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Richard Winters, M.D., an emergency physician at the Mayo Clinic. And he’s the author of YOU’RE THE LEADER. NOW WHAT? Leadership Lessons from Mayo Clinic.
As director of Leadership Development for the Mayo Clinic Care Network and as an executive coach, Dr. Winters provides coaching for Mayo Clinic leaders.
Dr. Winters graduated from the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine in 1994 and returned to Mayo Clinic in 2015.
Previously, Winters served as managing partner of a democratic physician group, department chair of an emergency department, and president of an 800-physician medical staff.
In this episode, Dr. Winters tells his favorite mistake story about being a little too transparent with physicians in a meeting at Mayo Clinic. Why did so many physicians get upset about this discussion about data around billing practices? Why did it help for him to admit the mistake? How did he adjust and what did he learn from this mistake?
We also talk about questions and topics, including:
Was it a mistake to be so transparent?
Breaking down hierarchy and hearing the perspectives of others
Burnout in healthcare, not just doctors but nurses and others… bad before COVID, worse now?
Psychological well-being — 6 dimensions
What are key signs of burnout? How to recognize it and how to bring it up??
Is burnout different than depression?
A mistake to blame the person who is burned out? Resiliency training?
Fix the person or fix the environment?
Your book — the “now what?” Implies being thrown into a leadership role… is there enough formal leadership education, development, and mentoring in healthcare?
How are physicians taught about leading — and being parts of care teams — during medical school and residency? Formal education or seeing the behavior modeled by others?
Ronald Heifitz – technical vs adaptive challenges
Key differences in the leadership style at Mayo Clinic?
Responding to clinical mistakes… medical error, patient harm?
To you, what are the ideal leader behaviors?
There’s normally so much hierarchy in HC… what was the “democratic physician group” that you were a part of, what does that mean?
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This podcast is part of the Lean Communicators network.
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CEO and Investor Kurt Wilkin on Why Being a ”Proud Mistake Maker” is Key to Business Success

CEO of HireBetter and managing partner of Bee Cave Capital.
Episode page with video, transcript, and more
My guest for Episode #193 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Kurt Wilkin, a co-founder and CEO of HireBetter and managing partner of Bee Cave Capital. His bio says he's “coach, mentor, entrepreneur… and proud mistake-maker.”
Prior to founding HireBetter, Kurt founded and led The Controller Group (TCG), a professional services firm focused on accounting, technology and recruiting, which was acquired by Tatum in 2006.
He’s the author of a new book, Who's Your Mike?: A No-Bullshit Guide to the People You'll Meet on Your Entrepreneurial Journey. You can learn more at WhosYourMike.com.
His quiz that he mentioned in the episode: WHOSYOURMIKE.COM/QUIZ
In this episode, Kurt tells his favorite mistake story about not having a complementary “execution partner” to help him run a business. How (and why) did he adjust? Why did he step aside from the CEO role and what did he learn from this entire experience that serves him well today?
We also talk about questions and topics, including:
What does it mean to you to be a “proud mistake maker”??”
How do you try to create a culture where people can also be proud mistake makers? Leading by example?
Investing in people who are humble enough to learn…
Learning from mistakes vs. avoiding company-killing mistakes?
You’ve said that you saw your dad struggle as an entrepreneur. Were you able to learn from any of his mistakes?
You joined a failed startup in the dot-com bubble… any lessons learned from that?
Mistake to try to swing for the fences vs. lifestyle cashflow positive business
TELL US ABOUT THE BOOK: A business book for people who hate business books?
Find Kurt on social media:
LinkedIn
Twitter
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Michael Reddington on Learning from a Consulting Sales Mistake: Insights from a Forensic Interviewer

President of InQuasive, Inc.,
Episode page with video, transcript, and more
My guest for Episode #192 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Michael Reddington, an expert forensic interviewer and the President of InQuasive, Inc., which provides businesses and leaders with the tools they need to improve their leadership by activating the truth in all of their business interactions.
In his new book, The Disciplined Listening Method: How a Certified Forensic Interviewer Unlocks Hidden Value in Every Conversation (Per Capita Publishing, March 2022), Michael details his innovative listening approach for anyone looking to improve their communication and relationship-building skills. Using his background in forensics and his understanding of human behavior through interrogation, Michael teaches businesses to use the truth to their advantage.
In this episode, Michael tells his favorite mistake story about making assumptions about a client's readiness to work with him. Did “arrogance” lead to him not having a plan or a strategy? What did Michael learn and what did he start doing differently as a result?
We also talk about questions and topics, including:
Making assumptions — Ellen Patnaude episode 141
Started out working in loss prevention — Identifying shoplifters and dishonest employees?
How you introduce yourself… and how has that changed?
What is a Certified Forensic Interviewer (CFI)?
TV and movie investigations — realistic or cliched nonsense? – Hollywood and “24”?
How do you approach getting people to share information about their mistakes (or crimes?) when it might not be in their interest to be truthful?
Leadership coaching, sales & negotiation training…
Tell us about the book – who is this for?
Consultant asking prospect about problems they need to solve? How to get them to open up?
What is the “disciplined listening method” and what makes it “disciplined”?
Tell us about InQuasive and the work you do… who hires you and to do what?
Find Michael and his company on social media:
LinkedIn (personal)
Twitter
YouTube
LinkedIn (company)
This podcast is part of the Lean Communicators network.
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From Pain to Progress: How Psychologist Julia DiGangi Overcame her own Mistakes

Founder and CEO of NeuroHealth Partners, LLC.
Episode page with video, transcript, and more
My guest for Episode #191 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Julia DiGangi, the founder and CEO of NeuroHealth Partners, LLC.
Dr. DiGangi holds a Ph.D. in psychology and has worked in the field of neuroscience. She has published extensively in the scientific literature. She is known for her engaging, funny, and relatable communication style, which allows her to help others think about how the brain’s “wiring” affects workplace behaviors such as motivation, performance, and relationships.
She has also worked extensively in U.S. politics, including on presidential campaigns and at The White House Press Office, so she is accustomed to helping people gracefully navigate fast-paced, high-stakes professional environments. She has also given a TEDx talk on the relationship between our brains and stress.
In this episode, Julia tells her favorite mistake story about the very painful mistake of leaving academia. When did it feel like a mistake that “ruined everything” and how did she reach the point of “post-traumatic growth”? We also discuss her expertise in how the brain and the body react to mistakes and how we can go from “avoiding pain” to “choosing the most powerful pain.”
We also talk about questions and topics including:
Did you OVER in your academia work?
Was there a time when it DID feel like a mistake?
“Leaving the pain behind??” – “the brain is a pain detection machine” – the brain will generate pain
How did you end up in politics? This was before academia
What happens when you make a mistake — reaction in your nervous system?
Perfectionism — fear of mistakes
How do we move forward from those feelings?
Leadership & emotional intelligence are key themes
Are we OVERcomplicating E.I.?
Understanding others vs. understanding ourselves?
Upcoming book — tell us about that
“From Pain to Power….”
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From Self-Doubt to Success: How a Positivity Expert Don Sandel Launched his own Business

Founder of GoPositiv
Show notes, video, transcript, and more
My guest for Episode #190 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Don Sandel. He’s a former executive turned leadership coach and is the founder of GoPositiv.
He’s been leading talent development efforts for small and large organizations for the last few decades and has transitioned those skills and experiences into GoPositiv and now to books as well. He’s the author of the book Positive Mindshift: Making Good Things Happen in Life and Work.
He began studying the brain and its effect on learning about a decade ago, and discovered compelling and irrefutable research around positivity.
In this episode, Don tells his favorite mistake story about a time when he was working for a large global company and he listened to self-doubt triggered by a comment from his boss. Why did he give the worst presentation of his life? And what did he learn from this experience in a way that inspired him to start studying positivity??
We also talk about questions and topics including:
What sorts of positive self talk would you say before giving a speech??
How to aggressively battle the negative self talk and change that to positive self talk?
What prompted you to study positivity? How did you study this?
Not being a “Pollyanna”?
John Saunders, who introduced us — his episode
Does positivity lead to better medical outcomes if you have cancer or another serious ailment?
Weight loss and motivation — talking about positive motivations instead of negative / barriers?
Losing weight vs. getting healthier??
Is it too negative to think about mistakes? How can we be positive about mistakes?
The definition of optimism – thinking things will be better
“If dream it, you can do it” —- really?
Is “toxic positivity” really a concern? What does that phrase mean to you?
How would positivity have helped in your previous corporate jobs? Were better performing organizations more positive? Experience vs research?
Optimistic salespeople
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Sabrina Stocker on the Role of Mistakes in Business and on The Apprentice UK: Lessons from a PR Expert

Finalist on The Apprentice UK
Show notes, video, transcript, and more
My guest for Episode #189 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Sabrina Stocker, a tennis player turned entrepreneur, an international speaker, and a finalist for the BBC One show, The Apprentice.
She’s founded multiple businesses, and she is now a publicist and the Founder of Two Comma PR – a Public Relations firm. She wants to inspire and help others to become the best versions of themselves, specifically through helping start and scale their business.
In this episode, Sabrina tells her favorite mistake story about listening to somebody else's advice when she was running a startup tennis events business. Why was she “fueled by fire” when she returned from a long break and was that a mistake to be driven by frustration and a desire to beat a rival instead of an intrinsic drive to serve customers? Did she make mistakes on The Apprentice?
We also talk about questions and topics including:
As a tennis player, what was your perspective on mistakes? Mistakes in strategy, when to adjust? Mistakes on a particular shot? Coaching players how to think about mistakes?
“Unforced errors” as a phrase in tennis…
As a leader — can’t blame… “human error is always going to happen”
The Apprentice UK — tell us about Lord Alan Sugar
Mistakes while on The Apprentice? Did you get fired because of a mistake?
More room to recover from a career mistake at your age?
You’ve done a lot at a young age… started your first business at 14 — what was that?
Benefits of learning from mistakes at a young age? Was that anything you were aware of?
Social media mistakes?
Mistakes related to P.R.?
Mistake to send repeated automated follow up emails on a pitch?
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Simon T. Bailey on The Consequences of Honesty: Insights from a Former Disney Executive

Keynote speaker, author, coach, and more
Episode page with video, transcript, and more
My guest for Episode #188 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Simon T. Bailey. He’s a keynote speaker, a success coach, an author, a television host, and philanthropist — he has worked with over 2,000 companies in 50 different countries.
SUCCESS magazine calls Simon one of the top 25 people who will help you reach your business and life goals.
He’s the author of books including Release Your Brilliance: The 4 Steps to Transforming Your Life and Revealing Your Genius to the World and his most recent book, Ignite the Power of Women in Your Life – A Guide For Men.
Before starting his company, he worked for the Walt Disney Company, including four years as the Sales Director for the Disney Institute. His degrees include a master’s from Faith Christian University and three honorary doctorate degrees.
His main website is SimonTBailey.com and his book’s website is IgniteThePowerofWomen.com.
In this episode, Simon tells his favorite mistake story from his time as a Disney executive. Why did he violate the rule of “never talk to the media unless authorized” — and why did his boss ask “what were you thinking?” Was that “career suicide” or did it “change the trajectory” of his future? What can we learn from his experience?
We also talk about questions and topics including:
Your career transition?
Tell us about your latest book, Ignite the Power of Women… what was the spark that led to it?
How much do men need to help vs. getting out of the way?
Why do you say this is now “the age of the woman”?
“Coaching is not telling, it’s asking”
You say gender equality benefits everyone… how does gender equality benefit men?
Intersectionality — Different support for a woman of color?
You wrote that it took 3 years to write the book — ten drafts, 3 title changes… tell us more about that journey and bringing it to the finish line?
Your next book?
Tell us a little bit about a non-profit that you support, Global Servants and what they do… globalservants.org
Find Simon on social media:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Facebook
TikTok
YouTube
Twitter
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Manufacturing Executive Martina Kuhlmeyer Had Too Many High-Priority Initiatives

Founder of Power Up Your Team
Episode page with video, transcript, and more
My guest for Episode #187 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Martina Kuhlmeyer, the Founder of Power Up Your Team — and she’s the host of a podcast with that same name.
As Leadership Coach and Team Building Strategist, she is guiding CEOs and Founders in high-growth companies to build a resilient team so they can scale and win in the marketplace.
Prior to becoming an entrepreneur, Martina spent 30+ years working for small and several fortune 100 companies, including General Electric, Textron, Fidelity Investments and Liberty Mutual. Martina held a variety of executive roles focused on continuous improvement AND driving large strategic change initiatives. As P&L owner, she managed the successful turnaround of a $1.3 billion asset portfolio management company.
Martina was born and raised in Germany.
In this episode, Martina tells her favorite mistake story about starting to use a management process called “strategy deployment” (a.k.a. "hoshin kanri") and how she overcomplicated it by having too many “high-priority” initiatives. Why did she and others on her team make that mistake? How did they recover? And how did they work to create a culture that adjusts and learns from mistakes?
We also talk about questions and topics including:
We were introduced by Karyn Ross from Episode 3
Karyn's foundation - the Love and Kindness Project
“Strategy Deployment” (or “Hoshin Kanri“)
What was the Impact of this mistake? – over processing
What did you learn and how did you adjust? — “reflection and insight”
A mistake to think you’re going to do something new in a perfect way?
Mistake of having too many “high priority” initiatives?
How do you create a culture in an organization where learning from mistakes is a reality?
Mistake to use too much jargon around continuous improvement?
“Strategy alignment” vs “strategy deployment”
Mistake to have a large scale initiative (like Lean or Six Sigma) when the CEO isn’t full leading it?
Tell us about the podcast
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Professor John Grout on Preventing Mistakes, Yet Learning From Them When They Happen

Professor, former business school dean, expert on mistake proofing
Episode page with video, transcript, and more
My guest for Episode #186 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is John Grout. He is the former dean of the Campbell School of Business at Berry College in Rome, Georgia.
He’s the current Chair of the Technology, Entrepreneurship, and Data Analytics Department and the David C. Garrett Jr. Professor of Business Administration. John has overseen the development, approval and implementation of Berry College’s Creative Technologies program and Berry’s makerspace, HackBerry Lab.
Dr. Grout has researched mistake-proofing extensively and published numerous articles on mistake-proofing. In 2004, John received the Shingo Prize for his paper, “The Human Side of Mistake-Proofing” with Douglas Stewart. John has also consulted with a large variety of firms to mistake-proof their processes. Check out his website, www.MistakeProofing.com.
He’s also published “Mistake-Proofing the Design of Health Care Processes” a book that’s freely available online.
In this episode, John tells his favorite mistake story about using early mistakes to learn and then win a tower-building exercise, defeating a number of “A students” in the process. From John's story, what does that teach us about learning from mistakes — early and often — in a way that propels toward success? Why is this an entrepreneurship lesson (or a human lesson) and not just an engineering lesson?
We also talk about questions and topics including:
Surprisingly, it’s the A students” who think they know how the world works
Knowing vs. Experimenting?
“It’s all about the scientific method” — Lean Startup
PDCA = Plan Do Check Adjust
Others didn’t observe and learn from your mistake?
Spaghetti building – kindergartners vs. MBA
TED talk — the god complex, trial and error
Small tests of change = mistake mitigation method
Chick-fil-A, ThedaCare, and rapid prototyping
ThedaCare stories
Adam Savage – Every Tool's a Hammer book
How do you define mistakes? Strict definition vs common definition?
mistakes —
(strict definition) conscious deliberation that leads to selecting the wrong intention.
(common definition) synonym for error. For example, the term mistake-proofing uses the common definition since mistake-proofing is used more to prevent slips than mistakes (using strict definition)
Errors – breaks down then into mistakes vs slips
Mistake – do what you intended to do
Slips — right intent but not executed well
How do you define “mistake proofing”?? Or Slip-Proofing
How do we decide if mistakes or slips are preventable? “Different vocabularies” for each…
Why are checklists the “weakest form of mistake proofing”?
Some recent examples you’ve seen of mistake proofing in everyday life?
Be careful signs…
“How can I make this process fail? Make it fail in a benign way…”
The language around “mistake proofing” or “error proofing” vs. — is it a mistake to say things like “fool proofing” or “idiot proofing”??
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