Look Mum, I'm Failing!

Sam McNeill
  • 5.0 (1)
  • CAREERS

A podcast exploring the hidden power of failure, featuring stories of epic hardships and the surprising lessons behind them. Look Mum, I’m Failing! pairs business leaders with musicians and creatives to reveal how setbacks can shape success. Hosted by Sam McNeill, General Manager, UK & Europe at SongDivision, the new show promises to combine humour, honesty and hard-earned wisdom in what McNeill describes as “part therapy, part masterclass, and 100% human.

Episodes

  1. 5D AGO

    3 Things on Failure - An Article, A Podcast and Kitty Small stands up the MD of AA!

    Sam recommends a great article from Amy Bran, Jason Allan-Scott's Podcast, and Kitty Small shares the story of the time she accidentally stood the Managing Director of the AA at their own Hospitality Awards Ceremony.

    28 min

  2. FEB 9

    Beth Sherman (Letterman, Jay Leno, Ellen, The Oscars)

    This week's guest is Beth Sherman, a 7 Time Emmy Award-winning Comedian and Writer who has worked on Shows like Ellen, Jay Leno, Queen Latifah and more!https://www.bethsherman.com/ We talk about hustle, toxic workplaces, wearing a million hats and much, much more.... ENJOY!

    45 min

  3. FEB 2

    3 Things On Failure - A book, an article, and Sam's toughest ever event!

    In this week's (solo) episode, Sam recommends 'The Ultimate Sales Machine' by Chet Holmes, an Article on Perfectionism from Boston University - https://www.bu.edu/questrom/blog/overcoming-perfectionism-embracing-progress-over-perfection/ - and tells the story of the toughest event he has ever delivered!

    23 min

  4. JAN 26

    Carina Bauer (IMEX CEO) and John Lombardo (Kurt Cobain, Courtney Love, Pearl Jam)

    This episode is a live recording from IMEX in Las Vegas featuring Carina Bauer (IMEX CEO) and John Lombardo (SongDivision Client Executive, who has toured and recorded with acts like Kurt Cobain, Courtney Love, and Pearl Jam).We discuss working in the family business, addiction, work-life balance, and much more.... ENJOY!

    30 min

  5. JAN 19

    3 Things on Failure - A Book, an Article, and Sam Gets Arrested!

    This week I'm recommending the Book 'A Short History of the World in 50 Failures' by Ben Gazur, a great article from The Mental Game Clinic - https://thementalgame.me/blog/the-role-of-failure-in-innovation-learning-from-mistakes-to-propel-forward, and finally, I recount the story of how I was arrested for driving under the influence, just hours after winning a massive 'Future Leader of Our Industry' Award!

    21 min

  6. JAN 11

    Reggie Aggarwal (CVENT)

    Reggie Aggarwal is widely recognized as one of the most successful and resilient entrepreneurs in the technology sector, best known as the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Cvent, a global leader in meetings, events, and hospitality software. Aggarwal's journey is defined by a deep-seated commitment to innovation, resilience in the face of business adversity, and a long-term vision that transformed the previously fragmented events industry into a thriving Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) market. Coming to live from CVENT CONNECT EUROPE 2026!In this episode, we discuss transferring his skills as a lawyer into the world of event tech, crazy credit card debt, the 'dot com' bubble, 9/11, covid, family, work life balance and more!

    22 min

  7. 11/29/2025

    Trailer

    Sam McNeill here, and I’m very pumped to finally launch my new podcast “Look Mum, I’m Failing!” powered by SongDivision. Yep, I checked. There are 4.5 million podcasts out there, so I figured… why not add one more? After 37 years performing on stages and screens around the world (and collecting a glorious amount of rejections, failures, stuff-ups and “oops” moments), I wanted to create a space where we talk honestly and hilariously about the messy, human side of chasing big dreams. The idea actually came to me during the pandemic. I wanted to bring together two very different worlds: entrepreneurs, founders, CEOs and business leaders, and full-time creative artists like musicians, comedians, writers, dancers and actors. And whilst their jobs may look nothing alike on the surface, their journeys often have some surprising similarities. Each episode we explore:• The shared challenges of creative and entrepreneurial life• How people navigate and sometimes even enjoy failure and setbacks• Real stories, useful strategies and plenty of laughs I’m calling it ‘Edutainment' (a term I didn’t make up) and I'm hoping you learn something and maybe have a giggle along the way. Most of all, I hope anyone out there dreaming of starting a business or pursuing a creative career understands that it’s hard, you will make mistakes, and you will face rejection. But if you can learn to endure and even enjoy the process, your chances of success will increase dramatically, and the journey will be so much more fun. Season One features business legends like Reggie Aggarwal from CVENT, Carina Bauer from IMEX and Ian Whitworth from Scene Change, alongside creative powerhouses like Lionel Cole, Sam Perry from The Grade Cricketer, Broadway and West End star MiG Ayesa and more. New live interviews drop every two weeks, with weekly “5 Things on Failure” episodes in between, filled with stories, data, quotes, recommendations and inspiration. So hit like, follow or subscribe so you never miss a new episode!

    4 min
  • 7 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

About

A podcast exploring the hidden power of failure, featuring stories of epic hardships and the surprising lessons behind them. Look Mum, I’m Failing! pairs business leaders with musicians and creatives to reveal how setbacks can shape success. Hosted by Sam McNeill, General Manager, UK & Europe at SongDivision, the new show promises to combine humour, honesty and hard-earned wisdom in what McNeill describes as “part therapy, part masterclass, and 100% human.

Information

  • Creator
    Sam McNeill
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    7
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Sam McNeill