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.

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  1. EPISODE 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

    1h 16m

  2. EPISODE 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

    1h 3m
See All Season 6 (2)

4.9
out of 5
50 Ratings

About

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.

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