Failing Forward Despite the Challenges

Let’s get real for a moment. Today was a textbook case of “Failing Forward.” I had to navigate challenge after challenge to deliver my very first virtual Lunch & Learn. Over the last few weeks, I’ve been planning to launch a series on leadership, drawing on Maxwell Leadership principles, my own experiences, and a few good stories to engage and equip leaders at all levels.

I spent hours fine-tuning my topic, using John C. Maxwell’s Leadership Gold as the backbone for this one-hour session. I rehearsed whenever I could, and honestly, I felt ready to go. But, as the universe would have it, things started going sideways right before “High Noon” (because, of course, they would).

I had a few meetings planned earlier in the day, which—shockingly—ran longer than expected. Then, just 45 minutes before the session, tech issues showed up like uninvited guests. With 30 minutes to go, we seriously considered rescheduling. It was a classic moment of “do we take the easy way out, or do we push through?” By 11:45, we decided to press on.

We scrambled through the tech hiccups and, by some miracle, were ready at 11:57. That’s when the real fun began: the Zoom link was invalid. Cue the flood of texts and emails: “I can’t log in! The link’s not working!” We stayed calm, focused, and worked to fix it. Honestly, many people would’ve thrown in the towel at this point, but we pressed on. Finally, at 12:19, we were live with the first of many "Lunch & Learn" sessions!

I owe a huge thank you to my incredible wife, Lashantah D. Braswell —also known as my producer, engineer, publicist, editor, and ultimate partner in crime. She stuck with me through every twist and turn. And to the attendees who patiently hung in there, thank you for not only sticking around but for sharing how much you gained from the session.

Wow! That was powerful!!, Marilyn Westropp

My main takeaway comes from yet another Maxwell book that was staring at me the entire time: Failing Forward. John says, “The difference between average people and achieving people is their perception of and response to failure.” Trust me, I thought about rescheduling more than once. But then, I remembered a quote from an unknown author: “You don’t have to have it all figured out to move forward… just take the next step.” So, we took that step—and now, Lunch & Learn #1 is in the books!

Here are three nuggets I’d like to share from this experience:

1. Leaders rarely succeed alone. Trust your team—they're there for a reason.

2. When the road gets tough, don’t lose heart. Adapt, adjust, and keep going.

3. Surround yourself with believers. Find people who will journey with you through the ups and downs.