My Favorite Mistake: Business Lessons from Failures and Success

Sales Expert (and Stand Up Comedian) Merit Kahn Didn’t Read the Room

Oops -- fixed the audio gap that was there early in the episode. My most recent mistake!!
Show notes: https://www.markgraban.com/mistake111
My guest for Episode #111 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Merit Kahn, a sales expert, Certified Emotional Intelligence Expert, business speaker, and CEO of her training company, SELLect Sales Development. She has coached & trained entrepreneurs and sales teams form more than 20 years and she's also a stand up comedian.
In today's episode, Merit shares her “favorite mistake” story about taking the wrong approach with a sales prospect earlier in her career. Why was Merit focused on a particular sales technique, in a way that had her disconnected from the moment. What happened and what did she learn from the experience?
We talk about that and other topics including:
Being a stand up comedian – can’t be a low-confidence person, right?
Reading the room, in sales or comedy?
Bombing on stage? What does that teach you?
What is the Open for Business framework?
Common sales mistakes?
Your website says “WARNING: Our programs are not a perfect match for everyone.” — why is that important to say?
The SELLect Sales System — Stop selling and start being selected
She dated a well-known comedic actor… listen to find out who!
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Software Engineer Moses Harris Tried Bowing to Power and Got Fired Anyway

Show notes: https://www.markgraban.com/mistake110
My guest for Episode #110 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Moses Harris, a software engineer and technical leader at IBM, and the co-founder and Head of Outreach for Tech Can [Do] Better, an organization that helps technology companies create equitable outcomes for underserved populations, starting with the Black community.
Moses graduated from the University of Illinois Chicago with a degree in architecture. Born, raised and schooled in Chicago, he now lives and works in Austin, Texas.
In today's episode, Moses shares his "favorite mistake" stories about being fired two different times as a young professional.
We talk about that and other topics including:
His mistake: He tried to bow to power instead of having conversation and keeping pride more intact
Q: Was it a racial component to interactions with the VP?
“The lessons you learn are the fuel…”
Is being told "you're not a good fit" a code for other things?
Should we look for "culture fit" or "culture add"?
Tell us about Tech Can [Do] Better -- why was it founded?
Controversy about Black people fired by Google
Mistakes companies make when trying to close gaps in racial equity?
"ERGs [Employee Resource Groups] aren't a mistake, but there's a risk they become social clubs"
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Business Coach Karie Kaufmann on the Illusion of Balance

Show notes page: https://www.markgraban.com/mistake109
My guest for Episode #109 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Karie Kaufmann, a “business coach who gets results.” Since 2005, Karie has helped over 1000 business owners and executives achieve their goals and take their business to the next level.
Coach Karie lives what she teaches by putting family first, based on her philosophy that:
“being in business should give you more life, not suck the life out of you.”
She uses that phrase in the episode today, and I love it.
In today's episode, Karie shares her “favorite mistake” story about a “mistake of omission,” of having an “illusion of balance” and not having enough time or capacity to help a friend in need.
We talk about that and other topics including:
What let to that realization, over time, that it was a mistake?
What was the adjustment?
The book Slack on needing buffer time
Is it time to retire the ‘lack of time’ excuse?
Why don't more people brag about effectiveness instead of busyness?
“Collect experiences and learn from them”
“You either win or you learn”
Has she had to work at work/life balance?
Find Karie on Social Media:
Linkedin
YouTube
Instagram
Facebook
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A Martial Arts Black Belt on Overpaying for a Company and Other Negotiating Mistakes: Cash Nickerson

Chairman of the North American business unit of AKKA Technologies
Notes: https://www.markgraban.com/mistake108
My guest for Episode #108 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Cash Nickerson. He's the chairman of the North American business unit of AKKA Technologies, a negotiation instructor, and a black belt in karate. He's a visiting professor at Washington University in St. Louis School of Law and has MBA and JD degrees.
Cash is the author of six books including his latest, a WSJ bestseller: Negotiation as a Martial Art: Techniques to Master the Art of Human Exchange.
In today's episode, Cash shares his “favorite mistake” story about advising a company in a deal where they ended up overpaying for a major acquisition. Why did Cash see this mistake and then repeat it, before eventually learning the lesson?
We talk about that and other topics including:
How and when did you take interest in the martial arts?
How has that helped you in business and negotiating, more specifically??
Why observing your opponent closely is so important in negotiating or in martial arts
Things to look out for if you’re concerned about a rash decision, overcommitted?
Find Cash on Social Media:
LinkedIn
Twitter
Facebook
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/favorite-mistake/support

Bookkeeping Wasn’t Her First Career Passion: Ean Price Murphy

Founder of Moxie Bookkeeping
Show notes and more: https://www.markgraban.com/mistake107
My guest for Episode #107 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Ean Price Murphy, who founded Moxie Bookkeeping & Coaching Inc in 2003 to work with creative businesses and nonprofits.
In today's episode, Ean shares her “favorite mistake” story about believing financial advice without questioning it. She was told, and believed, the idea of “follow your passion and money will come?” Is that always true? It wasn't true for Ean in her first career, but she did, thankfully, find another field to be passionate about, as you'll hear her discuss.
We talk about that and other topics including:
Why it was a mistake to think she needed to just work harder to earn more
How did you, personally, get into this line of work?
What would you have done differently? Do that sooner?
What are your thoughts on so-called “hustle culture”?
What makes your firm different than other bookkeepers?
You have an approach called “Profit First” system? What is this?
“The 5 Money Myths” — free download
Find Ean and her company on Social Media:
LinkedIn
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
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Feeling Ashamed of Being Dyslexic and Getting Past That in Business and in Life: Scott Ballard

Coach, author, and speaker
Show notes and links: https://www.markgraban.com/mistake106
My guest for Episode #106 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Scott Ballard, a coach, speaker, and author, based in Portland, Oregon. His company is Confidence Coach LLC.
From his bio, Scott “has used that superpower [of encouragement] to help create insight and breakthroughs for hundreds of people to take their life and their business to the next level. [Scott] can do this because his dyslexia blinded him from seeing his own genius for many years, so he became brilliant at seeing the genius superpower in others.”
In today's episode, Scott shares his “favorite mistake” story about feeling shamed for having dyslexia. How did he learn that it wasn’t shameful? How did he decide to share his dyslexia with people?
We talk about that and other topics including:
Joking about “being dyslexic” in a meeting — inappropriate?
Learning from business failures, wife’s encouragement
“Fail fast”
New business – learned not everybody is an ideal client
Coaching dyslexic leaders?
Find Scott and his firm on social media:
LinkedIn
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The Time Value of Life: Andrea Jones on Taking Years to Get Over Feeling Like a Failure

Consultant with two degrees from MIT
Show notes: https://www.markgraban.com/mistake105
My guest for Episode #105 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Andrea Jones, founder and principal at her firm Andrea Jones Consulting.
Andrea Jones has focused on efficient and effective Project Management and Change Implementation for over 20 years. She also loves process improvements, and has a natural instinct to always seek a better way to execute work.
Andrea began her career at Intel Corporation, as a Process Engineer, and grew to love the use and analysis of data to make actionable recommendations.
Andrea has an MBA from MIT Sloan, an Engineer Masters from MIT, a Masters in Chemistry from the University of Oregon, and a Bachelors in Chemistry and Japanese from the University of Oregon, and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).
In today's episode, Andrea shares her “favorite mistake” story about how she took a buyout from Intel, but then “felt like a failure” because “they didn't find a role” for her. Why did it take years to get over the “emotional baggage” and what did Andrea learn from that experience?
We talk about that and other topics including:
“The time value of life”
Part-time consulting work models for moms (and for dads)
Is it a mistake to not want to manage others?
So hard to keep working moms in the workplace
Might not have all the answers when we go into something
Treat it as an experiment and “fail fast”?
Admit failure, accept reality
Simon Sinek's book The Infinite Game
Do organizations crave certainty?? Do our brains?
Find Andrea and her firm on Social Media:
LinkedIn
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/favorite-mistake/support

Fred Moore Learned to Make Himself Irreplaceable in His Job as a Magician

Corporate magician, speaker, emcee, and more
Show notes and links: https://www.markgraban.com/mistake104
My guest for Episode #104 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Fred Moore, who has been a professional speaker and entertainer for the past 25 years, including roles as a corporate magician, event emcee, and more. Fred has done over 6,000 performances and presentations in 30 countries.
In today's episode, Fred shares his “favorite mistake” story about putting himself in a position where he was “replaceable” at work. We'll hear about how he was fired from the beginning of a 9-month performing contract. What did Fred learn from this, for his own benefit and to help others learn from his experience?
We talk about that and other topics including:
Mistakes that happen as a stage performer?
Things that REALLY throw you off?
“How can I use my enemies and failure?”
Virtual engagements — Pivots, mistakes, lessons?
Certified Virtual Presenter?
How did you get into magic?
Fred's key lessons:
Be irreplaceable, not a commodity
Nobody cares more about you than you
Wallowing in misery isn't that productive
Haven’t failed if you learned something (videos)
Find Fred on Social Media:
Instagram
LinkedIn
Facebook
YouTube
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Dr. Cheryl Lentz: Running From the Failure of Trying to be a Top-Level Organist

Author, speaker, professor
Show notes: https://www.markgraban.com/mistake103
My guest for Episode #103 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Dr. Cheryl Lentz, “The Academic Entrepreneur.” She is a keynote speaker, faculty at five universities, publisher at The Lentz Leadership Institute
She is the author of the book Failure Has No Alibi: Learning From the Lessons Failure Teaches. She had a podcast (still available for listening) called “Fail Faster, Succeed Sooner.” You can also watch her TEDx talk on the subject of failure.
In today's episode, Dr. Cheryl tells her “favorite mistake” story about not being allowed to continue as an organ performance major in college. Why did she “run from that failure” to the point of abandoning music altogether? What would she have done differently and how does she help people “process failure”? What happens when we fail? Is failure an “f word”?
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C-Level Execs Rolly Keenan and Mike Geller Both Learned From Mistakes

Chief Revenue Officer and Chief Technology Officer at Tegrita
Notes: https://www.markgraban.com/mistake102
My guests for Episode #102 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast are two C-level executives from Tegrita, a marketing technology, strategy, and consulting firm based in Toronto. They are Rolly Keenan (Chief Revenue Officer) and Mike Geller (President and Chief Technology Officer) and they're two of the three authors of the book CMO to CRO: The Revenue Takeover by the Next Generation Executive.
In today's episode, Rolly and Mike share their own separate “favorite mistake stories” from the consulting realm — related to Mike giving time away for free and how quitting a job helped Rolly be more authentic. We also chat about their book, their firm, “marketing automation,” and some mistakes that people make in that endeavor.
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