• Survey
  • Book Becky to speak
  • The book: Small Town Rules
  • Shop Local video
  • SaveYour.Town

Small Biz Survival

The small town and rural business resource

A row of small town shops
  • Front Page
  • Latest stories
  • About
  • Guided Tour
  • Subscribe
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • RSS

What I learned from failure

By Becky McCray

I’m a small town entrepreneur and cattle rancher. I started this site to share the amazing economic development information I was receiving in my email and finding online with other small town folks. You probably know that. This is to tell you a little more about my background.*

You may have noticed I write quite a bit about failure and success. One reason for that is the number of failures I’ve experienced. I ran for elected office and lost; I was very publicly fired as city administrator of a small town; and I used to sell antiques, but didn’t make enough at it to stick with it. I mention these because I see failure as a necessary part of success. I also think people tend to let failure be a negative thing that defines them, especially in a small town. I want to do what I can to redefine failure into a neutral or even positive experience.

Those failures have helped me to some notable successes. If I hadn’t been fired, I wouldn’t have bought my store. The failure of my antiques business taught me about business and selling through multiple channels. My campaign was valuable in so many ways, not the least was to clearly demonstrate my husband’s true commitment and dedication. Failures are funny that way.

I’m passionate about teaching. Sound odd? Not really. I come from a family of teachers, and I do teach computer classes at the local tech centers. But teaching is at the center of everything I do. The liquor store is all about teaching customers about the types of wine or liquor they might enjoy. Clearly, this site is a teaching tool. Even my marketing consulting is about helping the customer to reach and teach their audience. Teaching, to me, is communicating and listening, using the right words and tools to help someone grasp your message.

Outside my business, I spend much of my time with people in my communities. Being in the Business and Professional Women has brought me wonderful mentors and a terrific network. Get involved in your own community, somehow. It’s important!

In the next couple of years, I plan to make lots of changes to revitalize both my store and our ranch. I keep picturing the ultimate destination store, and using that as inspiration for smaller changes that we can implement for our customers today.

*Because Chris Brogan suggested it, and to go along with the personal photos I posted recently.

New to SmallBizSurvival.com? Take the Guided Tour. Like what you see? Get our updates.

  • About the Author
  • Latest Posts

About Becky McCray

Becky started Small Biz Survival in 2006 to share rural business and community building stories and ideas with other small town business people. She and her husband have a small cattle ranch and are lifelong entrepreneurs. Becky is an international speaker on small business and rural topics.
  • Downtown is your town’s core: How to make your case - February 22, 2021
  • Zoom Towns: attracting and supporting remote workers in rural small towns - December 10, 2020
  • In an economic crisis, spend your brainpower before your dollars - November 25, 2020
  • Video: How to fill empty car dealership buildings for the holidays - November 6, 2020
  • How has 2020 changed the challenges rural small towns face? Tell us here - October 20, 2020
  • The Idea Friendly Method to surviving a business crisis - October 6, 2020
  • Join me for the Rural Renewal Symposium online Oct 13 - September 26, 2020
  • Cheap placemaking idea: instant murals - September 11, 2020
  • Refilling the rural business pipeline - July 7, 2020
  • Huge vacant buildings: grants to renovate? - June 9, 2020

May 29, 2007 Filed Under: POV

Wondering what is and is not allowed in the comments?
Or how to get a nifty photo beside your name?
Check our commenting policy.
Use your real name, not a business name.


Don't see the comment form?
Comments are automatically closed on older posts, but you can send me your comment via this contact form and I'll add it manually for you. Thanks!

Comments

  1. Nairobi Paul says

    May 29, 2007 at 4:26 am

    So true!

    My job here has taught me a lot about success through failure. Many times I think the only growth that ever comes our way is via pain.

    I’d love to visit your liquor store someday!

  2. Jon says

    May 29, 2007 at 12:49 pm

    teaching, encouraging, empathizing with struggles…your story matches you, Becky. Thanks for taking the time to write. and well.

  3. Chris Brogan says

    May 29, 2007 at 1:00 pm

    Really great. I love this and am forever thankful for your lessons about failure, even when I rail against them from time to time (remember back in the way old days?).

    You’re a superstar.

  4. David Kawalec says

    May 29, 2007 at 1:10 pm

    A great post, Becky. Thank you.

    Too often people don’t learn anything from failure other than to try to avoid it in the future. I recently was partner in a technology consulting firm. The business didn’t last, but what I learned from the experience was invaluable.

    People who feel a passion for sometime tend to want to infect others with that passion. So, your love of teaching is not strange — it’s quite natural. We often learn most by teaching.

  5. BoomtownUSA says

    May 29, 2007 at 1:18 pm

    This message was right on the mark! Too often we shy away from failure, especially in our schools. There are wonderful lessons to be learned in the aftermath of failure.

    I’ve started 13 businesses in my career and 7 of them were huge failures. But, I learned a lot from those failures which helped me to become much more successful in the long run.

    You do awesome work! Thanks for the messages that you share with all of us.

  6. Ann says

    May 29, 2007 at 1:28 pm

    That Chris Brogan…tends to nudge us all into thinking. :o)

    Some of the best changes in my life came from situations that seemed a bit like failure at the time. Looking back they were transformations that pushed me in a better direction.

    Great post!

    Ann

  7. Cristian says

    May 29, 2007 at 8:02 pm

    Hi Becky, it’s a confession :)

    I actually wrote an interesting article on Entrepreneurship failure which could also be a valuable information for your readers

  8. Becky McCray says

    May 29, 2007 at 10:00 pm

    Paul, I can sympathize! Even when we don’t achieve the goal, we hope to learn and grow from the process and experience.

    Jon, thank you for the compliment! I hadn’t thought about my story matching me.

    Chris, yes I do remember that. Had a great time participating with your live broadcast today. I miss getting to help with your startup dreams. :)

    David, glad to get to know you. You are dead right about avoiding failure. That holds so many people back, so they do not even try!

    Jack, thanks for the kind words! I like teaching failure. And I’m glad you shared your own failure statistics.

    Ann, good to meet you, too. This fits right in with why I want to redefine failure. It’s not negative anymore! It can be a positive transformation point, like you said.

    Hi, Cristian! I love your failure stories, and I’m glad you share them. Thanks for linking to them here.

Howdy!

Glad you dropped in to the rural and small town business blog, established in 2006.

We want you to feel at home, so please take our guided tour.

Meet our authors on the About page.

Have something to say? You can give us a holler on the contact form.

If you would like permission to re-use an article you've read here, please make a Reprint Request.

Want to search our past articles? Catch up with the latest stories? Browse through the categories? All the good stuff is on the Front Page.

Shop Local

Buy local buttonReady to set up a shop local campaign in your small town? You'll need a guide who understands how we're different and what really works: Shop Local Campaigns for Small Towns.

Best of Small Biz Survival

What is holding us back? Why does every project take so long in small towns?

How any business can be part of downtown events by going mobile

Concert-goers talking and enjoying the evening in downtown Webster City, Iowa.

Why do people say there’s nothing to do here then not come to our concerts?

Retailers: Fill all empty space, floor to ceiling

More of the best of Small Biz Survival

Copyright © 2021 Becky McCray
Front Page · Log in