My Favorite Mistake: Business Lessons from Failures and Success - “Little Failures” Author Alisha Wielfart’s Failed Yoga Studio Was Her Greatest Learning Experience

“Little Failures” Author Alisha Wielfart’s Failed Yoga Studio Was Her Greatest Learning Experience

05/30/22 • 45 min

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My Favorite Mistake: Business Lessons from Failures and Success

Episode page: https://markgraban.com/mistake166

My guest for Episode #166 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Alisha Wielfaert, a leadership, creativity, transitions and resiliency coach for women.

She started her career at an over one-hundred-year-old insurance company. She moved on from that. Along the way, she started studying yoga at the Asheville Yoga Center not just as a physical practice but as a spiritual path. She opened a yoga studio... and then sold it...

Alisha is also the author of a book that’s just been released, titled Little Failures: Learning to Build Resilience Through Everyday Setbacks, Challenges, and Obstacles.

Enter to win a signed copy!!

She is the host of a podcast, The Yoke and Abundance: Wise Women Podcast and her company is called Yoke and Abundance .

In this episode, Alisha shares her “favorite mistake” story about opening a yoga studio that “did nothing but lose money” as it went into bankruptcy. Why was this her “greatest learning experience” but also the “most shameful” that has happened to her? Why did the business fail and what lessons did Alisha learn that she has (and will) apply to other businesses?

We also talk about questions and topics including:

Passion plus seeking for purpose in life
Bootstrapping was a problem – couldn’t fully commit
Lessons for when you became a coach?
Do the failures help you be a better coach?
The Dropout? Elizabeth Holmes
Other thoughts or tips on how to analyze or process our failures?
People who are successful after failures do what things?
How to not get stuck in the grieving and processing time?
Fear of mistakes — Atelophobia is an obsessive fear of imperfection
Do you see a difference between “mistakes” and “failures”? Let’s explore that...
“Planning for failures” in the writing and release of the book?
You write about the idea of “Failing out loud” — the implications for women and minorities?
TEDx talk – founder of Girls Who Code (Reshma Saujani)
Tell us the story behind the name of your company, Yoke and Abundance?

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/favorite-mistake/support

Episode page: https://markgraban.com/mistake166

My guest for Episode #166 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Alisha Wielfaert, a leadership, creativity, transitions and resiliency coach for women.

Alisha is also the author of a book that’s just been released, titled Little Failures: Learning to Build Resilience Through Everyday Setbacks, Challenges, and Obstacles.

Enter to win a signed copy!!

She is the host of a podcast, The Yoke and Abundance: Wise Women Podcast and her company is called Yoke and Abundance .

We also talk about questions and topics including:

Passion plus seeking for purpose in life
Bootstrapping was a problem – couldn’t fully commit
Lessons for when you became a coach?
Do the failures help you be a better coach?
The Dropout? Elizabeth Holmes
Other thoughts or tips on how to analyze or process our failures?
People who are successful after failures do what things?
How to not get stuck in the grieving and processing time?
Fear of mistakes — Atelophobia is an obsessive fear of imperfection
Do you see a difference between “mistakes” and “failures”? Let’s explore that...
“Planning for failures” in the writing and release of the book?
You write about the idea of “Failing out loud” — the implications for women and minorities?
TEDx talk – founder of Girls Who Code (Reshma Saujani)
Tell us the story behind the name of your company, Yoke and Abundance?

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/favorite-mistake/support

Previous Episode

Entrepreneur and CTO Mark Herschberg Believed a Promise That Wasn’t in Writing

Author of The Career Toolkit.

Episode page: https://markgraban.com/mistake165

My guest for Episode #165 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Mark Herschberg, the author of the book The Career Toolkit, Essential Skills for Success That No One Taught You. Learn more at his book's website. This is Mark's 300th appearance as a podcast guest!

From tracking criminals and terrorists on the dark web to creating marketplaces and new authentication systems, Mark has spent his career launching and developing new ventures at startups and Fortune 500s and in academia.

He helped to start the Undergraduate Practice Opportunities Program, dubbed MIT’s “career success accelerator,” where he teaches annually.

At MIT, he received a B.S. in physics, a B.S. in electrical engineering & computer science, and an M.Eng. in electrical engineering & computer science, focusing on cryptography.

At Harvard Business School, Mark helped create a platform used to teach finance at prominent business schools.

He also works with many non-profits, including Techie Youth and Plant A Million Corals. He was one of the top-ranked ballroom dancers in the country and now lives in New York City, where he is known for his social gatherings, including his annual Halloween party, as well as his diverse cufflink collection.

In this episode, Mark shares his “favorite mistake” story about being promised something by board members that was not put in writing. What happened when a new CEO came in? Why was he fired from the product and engineering teams? What adjustments did he make to his approach with later companies?

We also talk about questions and topics including:

Was not spending on tech another short-sighted decision?
Book — lots of examples of mistakes in the book and the class he teaches
Tell us about the book?? The Career Toolkit, Essential Skills for Success That No One Taught You. — not just about new graduates?
Networking mistakes – he met Tim Berners-Lee and blew the opportunity to build a relationship
What are some of those essential networking skills?
Is it a mistake to sign confidentiality or non-compete clauses?
Negotiating mistakes? Don’t name a number first?
Ethical situations?
Your top 3 Halloween costumes?

Find Mark on social media:

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/favorite-mistake/support

Next Episode

Shutting Down a Business Was the ”Best Worst Thing” That Michael Buzinski Has Done

Marketer and author of "The Rule of 26"

Episode page: https://markgraban.com/mistake167

My guest for Episode #167 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Michael “Buzz” Buzinski, the President/CMO of Buzzworthy Integrated Marketing.

Buzz is a lifelong entrepreneur, digital marketing thought leader, and best-selling author of his book The Rule of 26 For Service-Centric Businesses: Three Steps To Doubling Website Revenue. Check out his book's website.

Dubbed a “visionary marketer” by the American Marketing Association, Michael’s sole mission is to reduce the prevalence of entrepreneurial poverty in the US. Michael is a 10 year Air Force Veteran who now mentors other vetrepreneurs through “Warriors Rising”, leads marketing workshops for the Small Business Administration, the Small Business Development Center in multiple states, and has presented marketing workshops for multiple Universities.

In this episode, Buzz shares his “favorite mistake” story about “the little coup” that took place at his previous company when he went on a trip to Italy to serve as a videographer instead because he had nobody else to send. While he was away, the electicity went out at the home office because somebody didn't pay the bill. Young employees “thought the company was going out of business” and that led to a lot of chaos... and his eventual decision to break up the company. Why was the the “best worst thing” that happened to Buzz and how did he move forward in a better way?

We also talk about questions and topics including:

Why do you say you’re a failed musician? What happened?
Starving artist or musician... What does this phrase mean?
What is the rule of 26?
Digital marketing mistakes??
Newest mistake that you’ve found?
Tell us about Warriors Rising
The only three key performance indicators (KPIs) you need to track when marketing your website?
How to get a free copy of his book:Get a copy of his book, The Rule of 26 on Amazon in eBook or paperback.
He will send a free signed paperback copy to any listener who purchases his eBook from Amazon if they email him at [email protected] with a screenshot of their purchase and the address they want the book sent to.