I was in a new business meeting the other day and I was asked, ‘Have you ever failed?’ I understood the question as ‘Have you ever failed? Ever.’  Not ‘Have you ever failed delivering training?’

So my answer gave them more than they bargained for and I could have been accused of oversharing. But it got me thinking, I have failed so many times! Here are the most memorable:

• I failed a biology test in my first year at Secondary school. It was my first experience of failure and I was devastated.
• I failed to make the gym squad at Secondary. There were rivers of tears.
• I failed to remember my lines in the middle of a solo in a school production. I was mortified. I was a snotty mess in the interval.
• I failed Grade 8 piano. It was expected, to be honest, I hadn’t practiced enough so pride made me retake it.
• I failed to get my first choice at University but slipped into UCL. Fortunately, I get smarter and smarter as its ranking goes up annually!
• I failed to walk with dignity to collect my second degree and fell off the stage. I cracked a joke so the audience thought I’d done it on purpose. Embarrassing and unforgettable.
• I failed as an actor. I fell into banking instead.

We all know that failure is integral to success. And as Jo Wicks said on a recent episode of Dragons’ Den, ‘might as well miss the bus running’.

I’ve missed a lot of buses, but it’s been a wild ride.

What bus would you love to catch?