Rising from the Ashes: How I Turned Failure into 12,000 Success Stories

Have you ever felt the weight of giving up on a dream, only to find yourself face-to-face with a chance for redemption?

Marisa Murgatroyd 's

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"Hey there, have I got a story for you! Picture this: August 2010, a time when I was down in the dumps after quitting my job just five months earlier.

I had given up on my dream and begrudgingly settled into a soul-sucking 9-5 gig.

But let me tell you, that moment when I stepped into the HR office, I knew deep down that those days of working for someone else were officially over – I was done with putting on those confining heels and going through the motions.

So, there I was, investing a hefty chunk of each paycheck into learning from the online business legends – you know, the OGs like Brendon Burchard , Jeff Walker and Eben Pagan . I was so committed that I'd even drive hundreds of miles to attend their in-person events, absorbing all the knowledge I could lay my hands on.

But the real twist in the tale happened at one of those events. I bumped into a client of mine, Michelle Schubnel, who turned out to be a game-changer. She invited me to speak at her upcoming event on web design. Sounds awesome, right? Except she casually dropped the question, "What are you going to sell?"

Panic mode! I hadn't even thought about it. I mean, sell what? I couldn't let on that I was clueless, so I blurted out, "How about my Build Your Site, Launch Your Business program?" To my amazement, she thought it was perfect. I was in deep now, but reality struck hard – I had absolutely no idea how to make this program a reality.

My inner voice was screaming, "Are you insane?" I had zero experience speaking on-stage, had never created a program before, and my online business skills were just a tiny blip on the radar. But you know what? I decided to charge ahead, ready or not.

Fast forward to the birth of my first group coaching program – 'Build Your Site, Launch Your Business'. Let's just say, I wasn't exactly a pro at naming things – or designing logos for that matter (I still cringe at that first attempt). But guess what? Armed with a laptop, internet, and a burning desire to share my skills, I found out that's all it takes to start.

Oh, and a looming deadline – that's quite the motivator, trust me. I scraped together an outline for the program, figured out the modules and calls, slapped a $997 price tag on it, designed an order form, and braved the scariest part – the presentation. I stood in front of 75 people, battling that inner monologue of doubt, and despite the rollercoaster in my head, I stumbled through it. And you know what? Three people bought in.

Then came a webinar thanks to Michelle, and I managed to snag 4 more sales. But I wasn't stopping until I hit 8, so I hustled hard – called and messaged folks left and right, turning down nearly 200 'no's until I got those last 4 'yes'es. Can you believe it? From 200 rejections to 8 breakthroughs – I had officially launched my very first program.

That's right, I became a course creator – from a place of uncertainty and daring to take that life-changing leap. But hey, the story doesn't end there. Fast forward again, and those 8 initial students? They multiplied into a whopping 12,000 success stories! Wrap your head around this – I've inspired over 500,000 hours of action among my students. And it all started with me saying 'yes' long before I felt anywhere close to ready.

Now, let's be real – the journey from 8 to 12,000 wasn't all rainbows and sunshine.

It was a grind, a hustle, and it certainly didn't happen overnight. There will be some raw and often embarrassing beginnings that will eventually lead to something extraordinary.

So, friend, what do you think? Did this tale light a fire in you?

Drop me a comment and let me know what you're taking away from this story e – or better yet, share a sneak peek of your own first steps.

Thanks a million for hanging in and reading – your support means the world to me!"

Absolutely, credit where credit's due! This incredible story was shared by Marisa Murgatroyd on Facebook. ??

And if you're looking to dive into more inspiring stories and connect with with me here on LinkedIn.