Present Over Perfect

I recall a moment that tested our resilience in the early days of Under Canvas in 2012. We had set up 35 tents at Yellowstone National Park, and despite the excitement of launching a promising iteration of our business, we encountered an unexpected challenge: severe thunderstorms rolling through the area. One evening, a massive storm swept through, leaving our entire campground flattened as guests sought shelter and my children and I took refuge in our camper.

In that moment of devastation, I felt a wave of doubt wash over me. Thoughts raced through my mind: "We are done. This business doesn’t work. It's too hard, and too many things can go wrong." I was on the brink of seeing this setback as a reason to abandon our business altogether.?

The truth? That voice in my head was completely wrong.?

Thanks to the insight of our staff, we not only rebuilt the camp but also gained invaluable lessons on how to better equip our sites to withstand adverse weather conditions. Instead of viewing this failure as a signal to give up, we chose to embrace it as a catalyst for progress. We learned that perfection is not the goal; rather, it's about continuously improving and evolving our offerings to create a more sustainable product in the present.?

The Myth of Perfection

For female entrepreneurs, there's a pervasive myth that our product or service must be flawless from the outset, or else we risk being deemed failures. This belief stems from perfectionism, fueled by the fear of judgment from male-dominated spaces and the pressure to succeed. However, clinging to this false notion can have detrimental effects on our ventures. It often leads us to give up too soon at the first sign of hardship or to delay sharing our product with potential investors indefinitely, waiting for it to reach an unattainable level of perfection.?

The Power of Present over Perfect

Instead of fixating on perfection, I encourage you to embrace a mindset of presence within our business endeavors. When failures inevitably arise, we can view them as invitations to be fully engaged in the here and now.?

Failure, when welcomed, becomes a profound teacher, offering insights that shape us in two significant ways:

1. By embracing failure as a catalyst for self-discovery, entrepreneurs unlock deep insights into their own character amidst challenges. Through resilience and introspection, we uncover latent talents, hone our leadership acumen, and cultivate a richer understanding of our capabilities.?
2. Failure presents a unique opportunity for refining our products or services to better serve our clients and the world at large. Every misstep or flaw in our offerings acts as a compass, guiding us toward necessary improvements and innovations. Through failure, we gain invaluable feedback from the market, allowing us to fine-tune our creations with precision and foresight.

So, how do we actually make this mindset shift? To get there, consider the following reflection questions:

• If you knew that failure was not an option, what would you start doing right now?
• Describe a time when you were so afraid of failure that you decided not to attempt something new. Then describe a time when you were afraid of failure, but you attempted whatever it was you had in mind anyway. What were the results each time?
• If you keep doing what you are already doing, change nothing and start nothing new, what will happen?? Are you okay with that? What might you miss out on?
• Are you actively testing your product/service to look for imperfections and failures?
• What have you learned so far from what hasn’t worked for you? What changes can you make to your product or service?

Embracing imperfection and boldly putting forth our initial iterations, no matter how flawed, serve as stepping stones toward greatness. We need not perfect everything from the outset to succeed; rather, it's our willingness to learn, adapt, and persevere that paves the way to building something truly remarkable.

If you're keen on discovering how to transform your perspective on failure, along with gaining actionable insights to navigate your entrepreneurial journey from conception to fully funded, I invite you to pre-order my book. Tailored with your journey in mind, my utmost desire is for it to serve as a steadfast companion on your path to growth. You can preorder your copy of Thinking Bigger here .