Failure for event planners is often a public affair. A groovy DJ gets booked for a crowd more suited to mellow jazz. The bride’s face swells because the cake-contained tree nuts. The festival didn’t sell enough tickets to cover costs. So, how can you use these setbacks as fuel for entrepreneurial growth?
The number of ways NYC events can go wrong are more numerous than the lights illuminating Manhattan’s skyline. If your NYC event planning business has been visited by catastrophe, then we have the strategies you can use to overcome failure and use setbacks to fuel entrepreneurial growth.
Why Failure Feels Awful
We’ve all heard about Thomas Edison’s famous quip, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that don’t work.” Yet, despite numerous examples of famous people who overcame failure to find success, we still feel awful when we fail. Why is that?
A popular theory is that, as our brains evolved to favor behavior that keeps us alive, it also developed as aversion to risk. So, as far as the brain is concerned, failure is a red flag that indicates we took a risk. Hence, it releases punishing feels into the core of our being.
True, disasters at NYC events usually aren’t life-threatening. Regardless, according to psychologists, intense negative emotions make us think unrealistic thoughts about ourselves, such as:
- We are not capable of achieving our goals.
- We are powerless to change our situation.
- We are less talented than the people around us.
In the face of these brutal thoughts, we feel shameful, depressed, and anxious. However, these judgments of ourselves and the painful emotions that follow aren’t based on objective reality.
Remember, you are just as resilient and capable as anyone else, and failure is a universal experience.
Adopt a Growth Mindset
The first step to overcoming failure and using it to fuel entrepreneurial growth is recognizing that everyone has failed, often many times. Those event planners who achieve success despite their failures have a growth mindset.
A growth mindset is the belief that you’re capable of the learning and growth required to achieve your goals. Entrepreneurs with a growth mindset aren’t afraid to face their weaknesses and develop ways to overcome them. It’s where true entrepreneurial growth begins.
Acknowledge Your Emotions
Negative emotions often morph into a subtle saboteur. The shame, depression, and anxiety that occur as a result of any event or business failure become an experience you don’t want to relive. You may unconsciously start self-sabotaging in an effort to not fail again.
Procrastination, perfectionism, underachieving, and more are forms of self-sabotage that can sneak up and derail your dreams of being a top NYC event planner. Nip self-sabotage in the bud by acknowledging and working through your negative emotions.
Put Your Failure Into Perspective
Okay, things are bad. But chances are they are not as bad as you think. Your pesky, risk-averse brain will dramatize your failure. So, give yourself a reality check by asking yourself a couple of questions.
- Ask yourself what your worst fear is about this failure. You’ll likely realize your fears are overblown.
- Ask yourself what the realistic consequences of your failure will be. Maybe you lost a client. Or maybe you’ll receive a negative online review.
- Recognize that, while unpleasant, the consequences of the setback won’t prevent your future success.
Focus on Problem-Solving
Sometimes, you’ll have to suck it up and accept the consequences of your failure. But sometimes, you can use problem-solving to diminish the fallout.
Ask yourself if genuinely apologizing and offering a refund will save the client relationship or at least prevent a ding to your brand reputation.
Assume Full Responsibility
Far from being a vehicle for shame, accepting full responsibility for our failures is empowering. Blaming the DJ, baker, or bad luck on your setbacks prevents you from examining how you can prevent failure.
Examine what you could have done to prevent the misstep that botched the NYC event. Doing so will help you improve your processes when you’re planning future events.
A detailed questionnaire to zero-in on your attendees’ music tastes or a contract detailing known food allergies that everyone signs could prevent a repeat of the same disaster.
Forgive Yourself for Entrepreneurial Growth
Realize that everyone makes mistakes and you’re not the superhuman exception. Accept that what’s done is done. And most importantly, don’t abuse yourself with negativity.
Even if you’ve fully worked through our first strategy and banished self-sabotage, it’s important to enjoy your event planning work. So, don’t let setbacks dampen the passion and joy that inspired you to become an NYC event planner.
Let Failure Make You a Better Person and Professional
Believe it or not, failing is a powerful way to level-up and not just in your business. Failing develops strong character traits, such as empathy, resilience, and innovation. If you follow these strategies, your professional failures can make you stronger and better. And when success comes from those lessons learned, it’ll taste all the sweeter.
Share the Setbacks
Finally, find your tribe of industry professionals with whom you can share setbacks and struggles. Not only will you feel less alone, you’ll learn from the mistakes of your peers. And they’ll learn from you, only elevating the lessons learned for everyone. It’s a win-win, and you can make it happen when you attend The Event Planner Expo 2024! Get in the room this October with some of the brightest minds of the events industry. Get your tickets today!
