The Failure Factor

Megan Bruneau

Where entrepreneurs get real about their stories and turn failures into lessons for success. Hosted by Megan Bruneau, The Failure Factor explores the journey of business owners, entrepreneurs and thought leaders who have faced significant challenges, persevered through adversity, and emerged triumphant providing listeners with insights to navigate their own entrepreneurial paths There's a myth out there that failure is career-ending and that success is achieved without any bumps in the road. In reality, it's surviving rock bottom what gives entrepreneurs the experience, confidence and edge that ultimately causes them to thrive. Packed with actionable insights, vulnerability, and inspiration, each episode aims to help you navigate your own challenges and grow stronger through adversity.

  1. ВЫПУСК 51

    nuuds Co-Founder & CEO Daryl-Ann Denner on Selling Out 50K units in Seven Minutes, Turning Anxiety Into Strength, and Building a $100M+ Brand Without Investors

    Daryl-Ann Denner, Co-Founder and CEO of nuuds, turned a personal frustration—why is the perfect T-shirt so hard to find?—into a nine-figure clothing brand that sold 50,000 units in its first seven minutes. What started as a blog and Instagram account turned into a company built on real body fittings, transparency, and loyalty from a super-engaged community. In this episode, Daryl-Ann shares how she navigated postpartum anxiety while building a business, why she bets on herself instead of outside investors, and how a failed distribution partnership almost derailed nuuds' early momentum.    Key Takeaways and Topics How blogging in her 20s laid the foundation for launching NUUDS Leaving pre-med behind and embracing unexpected pivots Postpartum anxiety, therapy, and medication—and how it impacted her leadership Why she believes confidence is a "trained muscle" The decision to bootstrap nuuds and risk everything on the first production run Launch day chaos: near-website failure, selling out in seven minutes, and the emotional aftermath The failure of a flashy distribution partnership and what it taught her about integrity Why she rejects "perfect fit models" and builds clothing around real women's insecurities The role of community trust and transparency in scaling to nine figures Her mantra, "do it afraid," and what it means in practice   The Failure Factor Podcast was brought to you by Off The Field Coaching. Explore working with one of our coaches at http://offthefieldcoaching.com Hosted by Megan Bruneau: therapist, executive coach, speaker, Forbes contributor, and host of The Failure Factor. For more info, visit https://meganbruneau.com    Follow NUUDS 🌐 https://www.nuuds.com/  📱 IG: https://www.instagram.com/nuuds  Follow Daryl-Ann 📱 IG: https://www.instagram.com/darylanndenner  🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darylanndenner  Follow Megan 📱 IG: https://www.instagram.com/meganjbruneau 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-j-bruneau-m-a-rcc Subscribe to the podcast newsletter at https://thefailurefactorpodcast.com

    1 ч. 16 мин.
  2. ВЫПУСК 52

    "Father of Biohacking" Dave Asprey on Losing $26M, Getting Kicked Out of Your Own Company and Spotting Narcissists in Business

    Dave Asprey—serial entrepreneur, bestselling author, and Bulletproof founder—went from making $6M by 26 to losing it all two years later. By 30, a health crash (testosterone lower than his mom's, multiple diagnoses) pushed him to spend millions hacking his biology. He ultimately built Bulletproof to $140M in annual revenue—then was removed from the board in what he calls a calculated coup that cost him hundreds of millions. Now, as CEO of Upgrade Labs, he's focused on making elite biohacking accessible. This conversation goes well beyond cold plunges and butter coffee. Dave maps the decisions he wishes he'd made sooner: firing the $28M mistake, spotting narcissists quickly, and sorting win-win from win-lose people before they poison their business' culture. We explore how birth trauma shows up in leadership, why empathy drains while compassion sustains, and how to step out of the victim–perpetrator–savior triangle. He shares hiring guardrails (the "first-wiggle" rule, real reference checks, the 60-day policy) and therapeutic/energetic tools founders can use immediately. If you're building through chaos—navigating toxic team members, your own triggers, or both—you'll leave with concrete ways to protect your company, your energy, and your judgment.   Key Takeaways and Topics The $28M lesson: recognize the "first wiggle" and act right away Four categories of people (win-win to win-lose) and who to hire Red flags: instant "best friend" chemistry, envy tells, and trauma bonds How to reference-check and background diligence Empathy vs. compassion: boundaries that protect teams and CEOs Business drama patterns and how leaders step out of them Forgiveness as a nervous-system reset; going no-contact with manipulators Energy as a leadership edge: willpower and decision quality Daily levers: intermittent fasting and nighttime darkness   The Failure Factor Podcast was brought to you by Off The Field Coaching. Explore working with one of our coaches at http://offthefieldcoaching.com Hosted by Megan Bruneau: therapist, executive coach, speaker, Forbes contributor, and host of The Failure Factor. For more info, visit https://meganbruneau.com    Follow Dave Site: https://daveasprey.com/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/dave.asprey/  Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/asprey/  Follow Megan IG: https://www.instagram.com/meganjbruneau LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-j-bruneau-m-a-rcc Subscribe to the podcast newsletter at https://thefailurefactorpodcast.com

    1 ч. 3 мин.
  3. ВЫПУСК 53

    SUGARED + BRONZED Founder & President Courtney Claghorn on Turning $1k Into 40 Locations, Hiring For Humility Over Hype, And The Business Benefits of Breathwork

    Courtney Claghorn, Founder and President of SUGARED + BRONZED shares how she transformed a $1,000 side hustle into a 40-location beauty brand spanning seven states. What began as a solution to her frustration with overpriced spray tans is now a brand on track to do $50M in ARR in 2025. In this conversation, Courtney opens up about bootstrapping for nearly a decade, the hard lesson of hiring the wrong "experts" after raising capital, and the series of personal crises that forced her to shift her focus from hustle to ROI. She shares what it's really like to rebuild a company's culture from the inside out and how learning to trust her gut over polished resumes became her biggest leadership advantage. Now 15 years in, Courtney reflects on balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship, trading cortisol for breathwork, and redefining success on her own terms. Key Takeaways and Topics - How SUGARED + BRONZED started with $1,000 and a portable spray-tan machine - Bootstrapping to profitability during a recession - Why intuition often beats "expert advice" - The painful lessons of hiring for prestige over humility - Rebuilding company culture after leadership missteps - Surviving pandemic shutdowns and rebuilding stronger - Finding balance and presence after burnout - Breathwork and spirituality as tools for leadership clarity - How Courtney approaches growth, hiring, and decision-making today - The ROI of creating a joyful, values-driven workplace The Failure Factor Podcast was brought to you by Off The Field Coaching. Explore working with one of our coaches at http://offthefieldcoaching.com Hosted by Megan Bruneau: therapist, executive coach, speaker, Forbes contributor, and host of The Failure Factor. For more info, visit https://meganbruneau.com  Follow SUGARED + BRONZED: https://www.sugaredandbronzed.com https://www.instagram.com/sugaredandbronzed/ Courtney: https://www.instagram.com/courtneyclaghorn Megan: IG: https://www.instagram.com/meganjbruneau LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-j-bruneau-m-a-rcc Subscribe to the podcast newsletter at https://thefailurefactorpodcast.com

    1 ч. 7 мин.
  4. ВЫПУСК 54

    4x Grammy-Nominated Artist Jewel on Homelessness to 30M Albums Sold, Turning Down a $1M Record Deal, and Viewing Anxiety As An Ally

    Jewel went from a busking teenager living in her car to selling 30 million records worldwide—then walked away at the peak of her fame. While the world saw success, she was navigating panic attacks, trauma, and agorophobia. She realized she had broken a promise to herself made years earlier: to become a "happy, whole human—not a human full of holes." In this conversation, Jewel reveals how she built a career on her own terms—even when those terms seemed irrational to the industry—and how she continues to redesign her life today with the same commitment to peace over profit. She shares spiritual lessons she learned while growing up in rural Alaska, why she believes we should look at anxiety like we do food poisoning, and the opportunity for "breaking down" she's looking forward to next.  Today, through her Inspiring Children Foundation and the Not Alone Challenge, she's helping others do the same by providing mental health tools for people who don't have access to therapy, privilege, or a safety net. Entrepreneurs will recognize familiar terrain here: risk, self-doubt, scaling what works, walking away when it doesn't, and the personal evolution required to build anything that lasts. Key Takeaways & Topics Leaving an abusive home at 15 and choosing agency over circumstance Turning down a $1M record deal to prioritize long-term well-being Why fame triggered old wounds and how she restructured her career around values The concept of "emotional inheritance" and rewiring harmful programming Anxiety as an ally: using discomfort as a decision-making barometer Making happiness measurable and non-negotiable as a founder How to walk away or redesign when your dream stops working The Inspiring Children Foundation and Not Alone Challenge: democratizing mental-health tools Creative reinvention at 51: shifting into art and entrepreneurship again   The Failure Factor Podcast was brought to you by Off The Field Coaching. Explore working with one of our coaches at http://offthefieldcoaching.com  Hosted by Megan Bruneau: therapist, executive coach, speaker, Forbes contributor, and host of The Failure Factor. For more info, visit https://meganbruneau.com   Jewel on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jewel Not Alone Challenge: https://notalonechallenge.org Megan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meganjbruneau  Megan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-j-bruneau-m-a-rcc  Subscribe to the podcast newsletter at https://thefailurefactorpodcast.com

    47 мин.

Об этом подкасте

Where entrepreneurs get real about their stories and turn failures into lessons for success. Hosted by Megan Bruneau, The Failure Factor explores the journey of business owners, entrepreneurs and thought leaders who have faced significant challenges, persevered through adversity, and emerged triumphant providing listeners with insights to navigate their own entrepreneurial paths There's a myth out there that failure is career-ending and that success is achieved without any bumps in the road. In reality, it's surviving rock bottom what gives entrepreneurs the experience, confidence and edge that ultimately causes them to thrive. Packed with actionable insights, vulnerability, and inspiration, each episode aims to help you navigate your own challenges and grow stronger through adversity.

Вам может также понравиться