Overcoming Professional Setbacks

I've recently suffered a major career setback. Since I teach about high performance and career growth, I want to share how I am addressing it. One day you will need this recipe yourself! My goal in my current "career" is to reach as many people as I can, and to help them achieve career success and satisfaction. For the last three years, the way to do this has been through LinkedIn. Unfortunately, LinkedIn recently made some unknown changes to their algorithm. Other Top Voices and I have noticed a drop of 70% to 80% in the reach of our posts. Since my goal is to share my knowledge with more people, that means my goal just took an 80% hit. In general, setbacks in performance are either due to: A) Something we did Or B) Something external, outside our direct control Mistakes, poor decisions, and missed deadlines are examples of A. They are in our control. Things like Covid, high interest rates, and reorganizations at work are examples of B, outside our control. LinkedIn's change is also case B, outside my control. When a setback comes from something in your control, you know clearly what you did wrong and what you need to change to restore your performance and progress. Fixing your own issues may take time and be difficult, but you know what to do. When the setback is due to something outside your control, you do not know how to fix the issue. So, how can we react when our performance is shattered and we do not know why? Here is my recipe: 1. Allow yourself a fixed amount of time to grieve (and complain if you wish). Emotions are real, and before you can move on you will need to sit with those emotions. But, do not get stuck in them. Curse your bad luck, pout for a minute, etc. Then, move to the next step. 2. Refocus on your core value. Whatever happened, go back to how you define high performance to ensure it is still relevant. I admit, I slipped into defining my own performance by how many people viewed my LinkedIn posts. This was a mistake. My mission is to help others, so getting views is a proxy, not a result. And, using LinkedIn is just a method for the mission, not the mission itself. 3. Adapt your core value if you must (if its value has decreased). In my case, the value of what I offer hasn't changed, the external delivery system has. 4. Once you adapt and/or increase your value, find new ways to deliver it if necessary. Luckily, I have other options for reaching people: my Substack newsletter, YouTube, etc. Since Substack has been such a good partner recently, I will start there. I have also refocused how I write on LinkedIn to make every post focused on my goal. 5. Test, measure, adapt, repeat! Really, this step is everything. Once you get past the grief, jump into action in this loop. Nothing can stop you if you keep working to refine, deliver, and showcase your core value. Comments? Here's my newsletter, which is my next area of investment: https://lnkd.in/gXh2pdK2

An important realization: Failure is a skill. 4 steps to use your next failure to succeed: We've all felt the pain: • A bad review at work that caught you off guard • Passed up for a promotion you felt you had earned • A weak presentation in front of the leadership team • Harsh feedback from a colleague or partner • A missed quarterly sales quota or target Here's the system I developed to fail better—to handle, deconstruct, and use every single failure to set the conditions for future success. Step 1: Set a Failure Timer Give yourself a fixed amount of time (~24 hours) to feel frustrated or angry about the failure. During this time, you don't need to do anything but sit with the feelings and emotions. Allow yourself the grace of that period, but when the time is up, you move forward to the next step. Step 2: Become a Scientist Once you've made it through your grace period, it's time to learn. You need to approach the failure as a scientist does an experiment: Gather Information: What happened? How did it differ from my expectation? Analyze Information: Why might this have happened? What elements of my process might have contributed to this outcome? What are the underlying insights from the unexpected result? The important piece here is that the cold, emotionless, disciplined analysis establishes accountability for the failure that sparks you into your next action. Becoming a scientist means determining the variables that are within your control, understanding them in detail, and focusing your energy on improving them for the next attempt. Step 3: Time Travel Imagine yourself one year from today: You're in flow, celebrating a great success. Looking back at the prior year, you point to the failure you just experienced as the turning point, as the critical moment that set the conditions for this win. Ask your future self a few questions: • What actions did you take to make it so? • What changes did you make in your life after the failure? • What behaviors, mindsets, and routines did you adapt? Use these questions to guide your actions in the present. Step 4: Take Action In my experience, the hardest part of coming back from any failure is putting yourself back out there. Information is nothing without action. In the wake of a failure, default to action. Remember: Action doesn't have to be perfect for it to be right. The world isn't run by perfect people who never failed. The world is run by imperfect people who failed over and over again—but who used every failure to set the conditions for their future success. Maybe that failure you just experienced isn't the end after all. Maybe that failure you just experienced is your starting line. P.S. Interested in self-improvement? Join 800,000+ others who get my free newsletter: https://lnkd.in/esGsF85Q If this resonates, repost to share with others ♻️ and follow Sahil Bloom for more in future. Visual by the talented Pejman Milani!

2,000. That’s how many auditions I’ve been on. 100. That’s how many projects I’ve been in. 📉 That’s a 5% hit rate. The “failure” rate of an actor is incomparable to perhaps any other industry, but every single person in every industry has experienced failure before. 🙅♂️ In any industry, rejection is inevitable. It may feel discouraging, frustrating, and demotivating. But it’s important to remember that failure is not permanent. It’s a stepping stone toward success. If I hadn’t been rejected for 1,900 of those jobs, I may not have auditioned for those key few that changed my life. I may never have auditioned for Disney or gotten my own show. 🍋 I may never have done Lemonade Mouth, which has been one of the defining projects of my career and my life. If I hadn’t “failed” some of those auditions, I may not have had the time or opportunity to pursue my interests outside of acting. Creating content independently. Learning about business. Investing. Starting my own business ventures. 🚀 It’s important to embrace failure. Use it as a motivator to keep pushing yourself and striving for excellence. Take the opportunity to improve your craft, or pivot to another industry you’ve always wanted to pursue. Remember, success is not defined by the number of failures, but by how you handle those failures and use them to grow. 👇 What are some of your biggest failures? How did they turn into unexpected success?

Life isn’t always smooth sailing. In fact, it was a series of obstacles that truly shaped my journey. Let me share how I turned these challenges into opportunities that propelled my career forward. When I first started out in the digital content and media space, I faced a TON of hurdles. From algorithm changes, to platform glitches, to the ever-daunting task of staying relevant, staying consistent and maintaining upward growth—every day seemed like a new battle. But one moment stands out: my first major brand partnership fell through. I was devastated. I questioned my path and my abilities. What seemed like a setback was actually a chance to reassess and regroup. I realized I needed to diversify my content and leverage multiple platforms to avoid putting all my eggs in one basket. From that failure, I learned to adapt quickly and stay ahead of the game. I began analyzing performance metrics more rigorously, fine-tuning my media strategy, and leveraging feedback from my audience and my incredible friends online. Here's the thing: every obstacle is a lesson in disguise. Lesson #1: Diversify your platforms to reduce dependency. Lesson #2: Analyze and learn from your performance metrics. Lesson #3: Always take feedback seriously—it’s your roadmap to improvement. Now, here's the good part. You can use these strategies in your life or business too. When you face a setback, don't just see it as a roadblock. Flip the script. Look for the opportunity hidden within. Remember: "The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it." - Molière So next time life throws you a curveball, ask yourself: How can I turn this into my next big break? P.S. If my story resonated with you, comment below and let me know. I’d love to hear about the obstacles you’ve turned into opportunities. #BrookeMonk #ContentCreation #DigitalMarketing #Advice

Getting laid off shakes more than your income. It hits your identity, your confidence and your sense of momentum. If you’re not careful, you start to question your own value - just because a company made a business decision. Here’s how I coach laid-off professionals to bounce back stronger: 1️⃣ Separate fact from story. Story: “I wasn’t good enough.” Fact: You were laid off. Those are not the same. Most layoffs are structural, not personal. Stop internalizing systems. 2️⃣ Write your rebound resume. Before you job hunt, list every win from the last 12 months. Quantify outcomes. Reflect on growth. You need a record of proof, not just for recruiters, but for you. 3️⃣ Rework your narrative. You didn’t “lose a job.” You closed a chapter. Learn how to talk about your transition with clarity and confidence: → “My team was impacted, but here’s what I’m taking forward.” → “That chapter ended, and I’m excited to apply everything I’ve built to a new challenge.” 4️⃣ Talk to people who get it. Layoffs can feel isolating. Don’t go through it alone. Find others who’ve landed on the other side. Borrow their perspective until you rebuild your own. 5️⃣ Shift from job seeker to value creator. Don’t just apply. Start conversations. Share ideas. Remind yourself that you still have something to contribute right now. Layoffs happen. What matters is what you do next. If you’re rebuilding, make it intentional. And remember, your value didn’t disappear. It just needs a new place to shine.

It's time to become fantastic failures. We've all been there, right? Those moments when we put our heart and soul into something only for it to fall flat on its face. A few years ago, I had a brilliant idea 💡 (or so I thought) for shaking up the auditing world. Excitedly, I pitched my concept only to face rejection after rejection. It was discouraging at first (I won't lie), but instead of giving up, I decided to use these failures as stepping stones toward greatness. The ideas? • Podcasts for auditors • Self published books • Audit merchandise After failing frequently, I now have • 2 international auditing podcasts • 2 best selling self published audit books • An online store with cool audit merch STOP being afraid to fail. Here are 3 benefits of embracing failures: ➡️ 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 & 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗢𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀: By failing spectacularly (and sometimes embarrassingly!), we open ourselves up to lessons that can never be learned through smooth sailing. ➡️ 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 & 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀: Every stumble teaches us perseverance. ➡️ 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 & 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀: Failed attempts force us outside comfort zones which spark innovative thinking and creative problem-solving. So, next time you stumble (because we all will), don't beat yourself up or let it deter your audacious ambitions. Instead, take a deep breath 💨 , dust off those shoulders and see failure as an opportunity for growth that'll pave the way to success. ---------------------------------- Hi there, I'm Rob. I teach people (especially auditors) how to ask better questions. ---------------------------------- Quality Training Solutions ---------------------------------- Repost ♻️ if you found this useful Let's Connect --->Robert Berry #thatauditguy #internalaudit

Throughout my years in executive recruitment, I've noticed a pattern among professionals who achieve remarkable success: they don't have fewer rejections than others, they just respond to them differently. The path to any meaningful achievement is rarely linear. What we see on someone's polished LinkedIn profile often omits: • The job applications that never received responses • The interview processes that ended in disappointment • The promotions that went to someone else • The innovative ideas that weren't approved • The ambitious goals that initially fell short What separates those who ultimately succeed isn't an absence of these experiences, it's how they metabolize rejection into growth. Resilient professionals don't just bounce back from setbacks, they bounce forward. They extract lessons, adjust approaches, develop new skills, and persist when others would abandon their path. This isn't about toxic positivity or pretending rejection doesn't hurt. It's about recognizing that professional disappointments, while painful, often create the very conditions needed for significant growth. The next time you face career rejection, remember that you're not off track, you're in good company. That experience might just become an important chapter in your success story. Check out my newsletter for more insights here: https://lnkd.in/ei_uQjju #executiverecruiter #eliterecruiter #jobmarket2025 #profoliosai #resume #jobstrategy #professionalresilience #careersetbacks

The first time I received tough feedback as a coach, it stung. A client told me, “Your strategies are great, but sometimes I feel like you don’t dig deep enough into my challenges.” Ouch. My first instinct was to defend myself, but instead, I chose to listen. I realized that feedback wasn’t a criticism - it was a mirror. It showed me blind spots I couldn’t see on my own. I began to actively seek feedback, not just from clients but from peers and mentors. “What could I do better?” Became a staple question in my conversations. Some answers were uncomfortable, but every piece of feedback became a stepping stone toward growth. Here’s what I learned: - Feedback isn’t personal, it’s an opportunity. - Ask specific questions to get actionable insights. - Implement one change at a time, and track the impact. In 2025, make feedback your superpower. It’s not just about improvement, It’s about connection, trust, and growth. PS. How do you approach feedback? #Feedback #Business

Your most significant setbacks can be your best brand story. How to turn challenges into a compelling personal brand in 4-stages. While many prefer tales of success, I love stories of setbacks turned into strength. Here's why: Setbacks are relatable. I don't know anyone who never had them. Here's mine. My career at National Geographic didn’t start ‘til I was 50. There were few women Explorers. I was the only widow. Grieving and adrift, I decided to turn my challenges into strengths. This shift in mindset paved the way to my personal brand. Here’s the 4-stage process I used: Stage 1: This stage is about courage and honesty. Identify your challenge. Acknowledge the difficulty. Resist the urge to avoid or downplay it. Stage 2: This stage is about changing your perspective. Ask yourself: "What can this challenge teach me?" Discover how it can be preparing you for future success. Consider how overcoming it can help others. Stage 3: This stage is about taking control and being proactive. Break down the challenge into smaller, manageable tasks. Set clear goals for overcoming each part of the challenge. Identify resources and support systems you can leverage. Stage 4: Putting your plan into action is where challenges become strengths. Take consistent action. Track your progress and celebrate small wins. Reflect on how much you’ve grown. Your most significant setbacks truly can become your best brand story. Embrace them. Learn from them. Share them. For more insights, follow Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey

Failure isn't inevitable... but it is essential for your team's growth and success. As a leader, if your team hasn't failed recently, you're not giving them opportunities to learn and innovate. Embracing failure fosters a culture of optimization. When things go wrong, your employees won't panic. They'll see it as a chance to develop new solutions. Knowing what doesn't work makes it easier to find what does. Planning for failure also protects your bottom line. No matter how skilled your team is, something will eventually go awry. Building in extra cushion to address problems along the way ensures you won't find yourself with a half-finished project and no budget to complete it. Most importantly, accepting failure leads to the best results. Teams afraid to fail play it safe. Anyone can do that. If you want to be cutting edge and innovative, you have to take risks. And you have to understand that those risks won't always pay off. My team has helped some of the biggest brands on the market gain millions in revenue because we weren't afraid to get it wrong. We took calculated risks, learned from our failures, and used that knowledge to drive exceptional results. Are you creating an environment where your team feels safe to fail and learn? Or are you inadvertently stifling innovation by demanding perfection? Consider how you can encourage more risk-taking and learning from failure in your organization. It might just be the key to unlocking your team's full potential.