Failure Adds The Flavor

I came across this quote by Truman Capote, “Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor.” It made me stop and think about some of the experiences from my 16 years of event planning that failed or went poorly but made me a better planner for it. If nothing else, they have provided stories which I get to share with others over dinner.

Without experiencing the occasional failure how would you be able to identify when you are experiencing success? How else do you think one becomes a seasoned event planner?

As event planners, we expect the occasional failure. When working with so many different people, details, locations, professions, budgets, contractors, platforms, and modes of transportation, there is bound to be a mishap or two. A failure can’t unravel you. If you are successful enough, you have had your share of failures. Failures often force us to use our creativity to solve a problem in the moment and can lead to improvements to future events.

Something else I take away from this quote is that failure is not the end. I mean, it could be if you give up, but it’s not meant to be the end. When you have learned a lesson the hard way, the next time you succeed at the repeat attempt, success is even sweeter.

For those of us who have already experienced the ups and downs of event planning, I feel it’s our responsibility to not only share what we have learned with those who are newer to the game than we are, but to also walk alongside someone when they fail. To help them see what they can learn from it and how to move through it.

Most importantly, we should help others identify their successes as well so they don’t miss what those taste like. They’re pretty tasty.

I’d love to hear what Mr. Capote’s quote conjures up for you!
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