How to Fail

Tony Farmer was an aspiring college basketball athlete at 6'7" and poised with all of the abilities entitled to a hard working young man. Now he is going to prison for 3 years after pleading guilty to the kidnapping and assault of his ex-girlfriend, Andrea Lane, who shockingly pleaded with the judge not to put Tony in prison.

The reaction of Tony to being sentenced to prison can now be found all over YouTube as it was a sorrowful display. The victim herself was evidently caught sobbing after the sentencing as well. However, my deepest sympathies are not for Tony, but rather his lawyer.

Obviously Tony's lawyer, Joe Dubyak, had highlighted a strategy, communicated it to Tony and his family, and implemented his defense accordingly. I have no doubt there was high degree of optimism on the side of Tony due to his coaches, teachers, and the victim herself pleading with the judge to not put Tony in prison. However, Mr. Dubyak failed.

Being a marketer, I can very much relate to the job of trial lawyers. We put our best strategy forward, we implement it perfectly, and sometimes nothing goes our way. Perhaps the jury is collectively having a bad month and takes it out on your client. Perhaps everybody listening to 106.9 turned the radio dial at the exact moment of our client's advertisement. Either way, we always try to put our best foot forward, but sometimes it lands in poop (especially if you are jogging near Veterans Park).

If you're not failing, you're not trying. Anybody who tells me they have never failed has either never accomplished anything, or is lying. No war is won without casualties, and no slot machine registers a jackpot until first taking at least some of your money.

Your work is not your life. Your work is sustenance for your life. You work hard, you show up, and then you go home. If you are constantly letting the details of your profession keep you up at night than you are in the wrong profession.

A while back I was giving a speech to high school kids about the value of a college education. I found this funny because at the time I had not yet attained my own degree. Anyway, the kids loved me and gave me a standing ovation at the end. A few weeks later an administrator from the school called me and asked if I wanted feedback from my speech. I agreed, and she said that the kids had given me a 9.8 out of 10. I said, "Okay, great." I was about to end the call when she desperately exclaimed, "wait, don't you want my feedback on how you can improve?" Are you kidding me!?

We can't be obsessed with improving every detail of our own lives, and certainly not that of others. Don't put unrealistic demands on yourself because not one of us is perfect. You will always second-guess the root of your failures and contemplate how not to make the same mistakes again; however, if you question your self-worth as a result of failure, than you'll be chopping at the tree with one broken branch.

To Your Success!