Monique Rodriguez, Founder & CEO of Mielle Organics, shares how a hobby in her kitchen became a global haircare brand and the highest exit of any Black woman in history.
After the devastating loss of her son, Monique turned to social media and haircare as an outlet for grief. What began as sharing homemade recipes online evolved into a business built on real connection that took over the natural hair space. Within months of launching, she left her nursing career. Within five years, she faced a $2M financial hole that nearly cost her everything.
In this conversation, Monique opens up about betting on herself before she felt ready, building without mentors, mismanaging early capital, walking away from a 40% investment deal, and ultimately securing the right partner. Her story is a grounded look at what it really takes to scale through pain, risk, faith, and battle-tested business lessons.
Key Takeaways and Topics
Turning personal grief into creative purpose
Links
The Failure Factor Podcast was brought to you by Off The Field Coaching. Explore working with one of our coaches at http://offthefieldcoaching.com
Hosted by Megan Bruneau: therapist, executive coach, speaker, Forbes contributor, and host of The Failure Factor. For more info, visit https://meganbruneau.com
Follow Monique
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/exquisitemo
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https://www.instagram.com/mielleorganics
https://mielleorganics.com/
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Brianna Bitton was calling out of work because of her period, and lying about why. Doctors told her to "deal with it." So she and her brother Bobby maxed out every credit card they had to create the first PMS gummy vitamin. Two years and 20+ manufacturer rejections later, they launched FLO. Now O Positiv does nine figures in annual revenue; sits in Target, Walmart, and CVS; and is approaching a rumored billion-dollar valuation.
In this episode, they discuss the COVID-era product that tanked, fighting Meta to say the word "vagina," the most telling question they ask when hiring, and why slow and steady (while bootstrapping) won the race.
Key Takeaways and Topics
Turning debilitating PMS into a viable business idea
Two years of failed R&D and what it taught them about perseverance
Bootstrapping with credit cards and managing financial risk
Why an immunity product failed and the lesson that reshaped the company
Building a women’s health category through education
Getting banned from Meta ads and changing the policy
Product efficacy vs. trend-driven growth
Choosing profitability and control over constant fundraising
The top question they ask when hiring
Why retention matters more than hype
Links
The Failure Factor Podcast was brought to you by Off The Field Coaching. Explore working with one of our coaches at http://offthefieldcoaching.com
Hosted by Megan Bruneau: therapist, executive coach, speaker, Forbes contributor, and host of The Failure Factor. For more info, visit https://meganbruneau.com
Follow O Positiv
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/opositiv
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@opositiv
https://opositiv.com
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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-j-bruneau-m-a-rcc
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Mari Llewellyn, co-founder of Bloom Nutrition, joins The Failure Factor to share the unpolished story behind building a wellness brand that grew from $5 fitness PDFs into a multi-category company selling nationwide at Target, Walmart, and beyond.
Mari didn’t set out to be an entrepreneur. After hitting a personal rock bottom in college, she rebuilt her confidence through fitness, consistency, and keeping small promises to herself. That personal transformation sparked an online community—one built on vulnerability, free value, and trust—long before Bloom ever existed.
In this conversation, Mari reflects on the scrappy early days of selling digital products through Instagram DMs, launching supplements without outside capital, learning publicly, and navigating the pressure of being both founder and face of the brand. She also opens up about missteps, including products she chose to walk away from, scaling beyond her personal identity, and what it’s been like to run a fast-growing company while going through IVF and redefining her priorities.
This episode is a grounded look at building something meaningful without waiting to feel “ready.”
Key Takeaways and Topics
Rebuilding confidence after personal rock bottom
Turning free content into sustainable business models
Why she started with digital products, not physical ones
Learning entrepreneurship without formal training
The risks of being both founder and brand
Starting before things feel “perfect”
When to listen to feedback—and when to pivot
Owning product mistakes publicly
Scaling beyond a personal brand
Navigating IVF while leading a company
Letting seasons of life reshape leadership
Why trust compounds faster than hype
The Failure Factor Podcast was brought to you by Off The Field Coaching. Explore working with one of our coaches at http://offthefieldcoaching.com
Hosted by Megan Bruneau: therapist, executive coach, speaker, Forbes contributor, and host of The Failure Factor. For more info, visit https://meganbruneau.com
Subscribe to the podcast newsletter at https://thefailurefactorpodcast.com
Follow Mari Llewellyn:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marillewellyn
Bloom Nutrition:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bloomsupps
Hosted by Megan Bruneau:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meganjbruneau/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-j-bruneau-m-a-rcc
Branch Basics Co-Founder Allison Evans shares the story behind one of today's fastest-growing human-safe cleaning brands—serving 240,000+ households and generating $50M annually.
What began as Allison’s search for answers to debilitating chronic pain in college became the blueprint for a mission-driven company rooted in integrity and transparency. But at the height of early success—$2M in revenue, nine employees, and a passionate customer base—Allison and her co-founders made an unthinkable call: shutting the company down after discovering they couldn’t verify a key ingredient in their hero product.
In this conversation, Allison walks through the shame, backlash, and financial fallout of that decision—while pregnant—along with the 18-month rebuild that followed. From becoming accidental chemists to restoring customer trust to scaling into 600+ Target stores, her story is a case study in resilience and values-driven leadership.
It's the founder dilemma no one talks about: when doing the right thing means risking everything.
Key Takeaways and Topics
The chronic health crisis that sparked Allison’s mission toward toxin-free living
The early growth of Branch Basics—and the ingredient controversy that halted it
Navigating public criticism, refunds, layoffs, and an IRS audit simultaneously
Rebuilding from scratch: 100+ reformulation attempts and finding the right partners
How transparency, community, and mission made a comeback possible
The mindset shift required to lead through shame, uncertainty, and pregnancy
The role of content and education in driving long-term customer loyalty
Lessons on partnership, boundaries, and sustainable founder capacity
The Failure Factor Podcast was brought to you by Off The Field Coaching. Explore working with one of our coaches at http://offthefieldcoaching.com
Hosted by Megan Bruneau: therapist, executive coach, speaker, Forbes contributor, and host of The Failure Factor. For more info, visit https://meganbruneau.com
Branch Basics: https://branchbasics.com
Branch Basics Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/branchbasics
Megan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meganjbruneau
Megan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-j-bruneau-m-a-rcc
Subscribe to the podcast newsletter at https://thefailurefactorpodcast.com
Jack Savage, Founder & CEO of Everyday Dose, built a 400,000-subscriber functional coffee brand from his dad's garage—but not before spending years as "the dumb kid" who needed extra time on tests, wore a suit on planes hoping to meet someone important, and cycled through ADHD medications that left him with facial tics and shame.
In this conversation, Jack opens up about the scarcity mindset he inherited from watching his father's business collapse, the $500K investment deal that fell through at the last second (leaving him in tears), and why discovering he had the CYP1A2 gene—which makes 50% of us caffeine-sensitive—changed everything about how he formulated Everyday Dose.
He also gets real about the unglamorous parts of scaling: living in his dad's garage at 33, battling a massive counterfeit crisis that cost the company customers and reputation, getting rejected by VCs who made him question his worth, and learning that friendships (even in business) have to be earned, not assumed.
Through it all, Jack kept returning to one framework: Dharma. Are you good at it? Are you passionate about it? Are you making an impact? Does it make you money? This conversation is about finding that alignment—and what happens when you finally do.
Key Takeaways & Topics
The Failure Factor Podcast was brought to you by Off The Field Coaching. Explore working with one of our coaches at http://offthefieldcoaching.com
Hosted by Megan Bruneau: therapist, executive coach, speaker, Forbes contributor, and host of The Failure Factor. For more info, visit https://meganbruneau.com
Everyday Dose on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everydaydose
Everyday Dose: https://www.everydaydose.com
Megan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meganjbruneau
Megan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-j-bruneau-m-a-rcc
Subscribe to the podcast newsletter at https://thefailurefactorpodcast.com
Jewel went from a busking teenager living in her car to selling 30 million records worldwide—then walked away at the peak of her fame. While the world saw success, she was navigating panic attacks, trauma, and agorophobia. She realized she had broken a promise to herself made years earlier: to become a “happy, whole human—not a human full of holes.”
In this conversation, Jewel reveals how she built a career on her own terms—even when those terms seemed irrational to the industry—and how she continues to redesign her life today with the same commitment to peace over profit. She shares spiritual lessons she learned while growing up in rural Alaska, why she believes we should look at anxiety like we do food poisoning, and the opportunity for "breaking down" she's looking forward to next.
Today, through her Inspiring Children Foundation and the Not Alone Challenge, she’s helping others do the same by providing mental health tools for people who don’t have access to therapy, privilege, or a safety net.
Entrepreneurs will recognize familiar terrain here: risk, self-doubt, scaling what works, walking away when it doesn’t, and the personal evolution required to build anything that lasts.
Leaving an abusive home at 15 and choosing agency over circumstance
Turning down a $1M record deal to prioritize long-term well-being
Why fame triggered old wounds and how she restructured her career around values
The concept of “emotional inheritance” and rewiring harmful programming
Anxiety as an ally: using discomfort as a decision-making barometer
Making happiness measurable and non-negotiable as a founder
How to walk away or redesign when your dream stops working
The Inspiring Children Foundation and Not Alone Challenge: democratizing mental-health tools
Creative reinvention at 51: shifting into art and entrepreneurship again
The Failure Factor Podcast was brought to you by Off The Field Coaching. Explore working with one of our coaches at http://offthefieldcoaching.com
Hosted by Megan Bruneau: therapist, executive coach, speaker, Forbes contributor, and host of The Failure Factor. For more info, visit https://meganbruneau.com
Jewel on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jewel
Not Alone Challenge: https://notalonechallenge.org
Megan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meganjbruneau
Megan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-j-bruneau-m-a-rcc
Subscribe to the podcast newsletter at https://thefailurefactorpodcast.com
Courtney Claghorn, Founder and President of SUGARED + BRONZED shares how she transformed a $1,000 side hustle into a 40-location beauty brand spanning seven states. What began as a solution to her frustration with overpriced spray tans is now a brand on track to do $50M in ARR in 2025.
In this conversation, Courtney opens up about bootstrapping for nearly a decade, the hard lesson of hiring the wrong “experts” after raising capital, and the series of personal crises that forced her to shift her focus from hustle to ROI. She shares what it’s really like to rebuild a company’s culture from the inside out and how learning to trust her gut over polished resumes became her biggest leadership advantage.
Now 15 years in, Courtney reflects on balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship, trading cortisol for breathwork, and redefining success on her own terms.
Key Takeaways and Topics
- How SUGARED + BRONZED started with $1,000 and a portable spray-tan machine
- Bootstrapping to profitability during a recession
- Why intuition often beats “expert advice”
- The painful lessons of hiring for prestige over humility
- Rebuilding company culture after leadership missteps
- Surviving pandemic shutdowns and rebuilding stronger
- Finding balance and presence after burnout
- Breathwork and spirituality as tools for leadership clarity
- How Courtney approaches growth, hiring, and decision-making today
- The ROI of creating a joyful, values-driven workplace
The Failure Factor Podcast was brought to you by Off The Field Coaching. Explore working with one of our coaches at http://offthefieldcoaching.com
Hosted by Megan Bruneau: therapist, executive coach, speaker, Forbes contributor, and host of The Failure Factor. For more info, visit https://meganbruneau.com
Follow
SUGARED + BRONZED:
https://www.sugaredandbronzed.com
https://www.instagram.com/sugaredandbronzed/
Courtney:
https://www.instagram.com/courtneyclaghorn
Megan:
IG: https://www.instagram.com/meganjbruneau
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-j-bruneau-m-a-rcc
Subscribe to the podcast newsletter at https://thefailurefactorpodcast.com
Dave Asprey—serial entrepreneur, bestselling author, and Bulletproof founder—went from making $6M by 26 to losing it all two years later. By 30, a health crash (testosterone lower than his mom’s, multiple diagnoses) pushed him to spend millions hacking his biology. He ultimately built Bulletproof to $140M in annual revenue—then was removed from the board in what he calls a calculated coup that cost him hundreds of millions. Now, as CEO of Upgrade Labs, he’s focused on making elite biohacking accessible.
This conversation goes well beyond cold plunges and butter coffee. Dave maps the decisions he wishes he’d made sooner: firing the $28M mistake, spotting narcissists quickly, and sorting win-win from win-lose people before they poison their business' culture. We explore how birth trauma shows up in leadership, why empathy drains while compassion sustains, and how to step out of the victim–perpetrator–savior triangle. He shares hiring guardrails (the “first-wiggle” rule, real reference checks, the 60-day policy) and therapeutic/energetic tools founders can use immediately.
If you’re building through chaos—navigating toxic team members, your own triggers, or both—you’ll leave with concrete ways to protect your company, your energy, and your judgment.
Key Takeaways and Topics
The $28M lesson: recognize the “first wiggle” and act right away
Four categories of people (win-win to win-lose) and who to hire
Red flags: instant “best friend” chemistry, envy tells, and trauma bonds
How to reference-check and background diligence
Empathy vs. compassion: boundaries that protect teams and CEOs
Business drama patterns and how leaders step out of them
Forgiveness as a nervous-system reset; going no-contact with manipulators
Energy as a leadership edge: willpower and decision quality
Daily levers: intermittent fasting and nighttime darkness
The Failure Factor Podcast was brought to you by Off The Field Coaching. Explore working with one of our coaches at http://offthefieldcoaching.com
Hosted by Megan Bruneau: therapist, executive coach, speaker, Forbes contributor, and host of The Failure Factor. For more info, visit https://meganbruneau.com
Follow Dave
Site: https://daveasprey.com/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/dave.asprey/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/asprey/
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IG: https://www.instagram.com/meganjbruneau
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-j-bruneau-m-a-rcc
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Daryl-Ann Denner, Co-Founder and CEO of nuuds, turned a personal frustration—why is the perfect T-shirt so hard to find?—into a nine-figure clothing brand that sold 50,000 units in its first seven minutes. What started as a blog and Instagram account turned into a company built on real body fittings, transparency, and loyalty from a super-engaged community.
In this episode, Daryl-Ann shares how she navigated postpartum anxiety while building a business, why she bets on herself instead of outside investors, and how a failed distribution partnership almost derailed nuuds' early momentum.
Key Takeaways and Topics
How blogging in her 20s laid the foundation for launching NUUDS
Leaving pre-med behind and embracing unexpected pivots
Postpartum anxiety, therapy, and medication—and how it impacted her leadership
Why she believes confidence is a “trained muscle”
The decision to bootstrap nuuds and risk everything on the first production run
Launch day chaos: near-website failure, selling out in seven minutes, and the emotional aftermath
The failure of a flashy distribution partnership and what it taught her about integrity
Why she rejects “perfect fit models” and builds clothing around real women’s insecurities
The role of community trust and transparency in scaling to nine figures
Her mantra, “do it afraid,” and what it means in practice
The Failure Factor Podcast was brought to you by Off The Field Coaching. Explore working with one of our coaches at http://offthefieldcoaching.com
Hosted by Megan Bruneau: therapist, executive coach, speaker, Forbes contributor, and host of The Failure Factor. For more info, visit https://meganbruneau.com
Follow NUUDS
🌐 https://www.nuuds.com/
📱 IG: https://www.instagram.com/nuuds
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📱 IG: https://www.instagram.com/darylanndenner
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darylanndenner
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Subscribe to the podcast newsletter at https://thefailurefactorpodcast.com
Alina Roytberg and Lev Glazman, co-founders of Fresh, built one of the first modern skincare brands rooted in natural ingredients, sensorial experience, and emotional connection—long before “clean beauty” became a trend. In this episode, they share how they turned a personal frustration with conventional products into a business that caught the attention of Barneys, Sephora, and eventually LVMH.
We talk about the $10,000 gamble that launched their first store, the soap that flew off shelves without any marketing, and the costly mistake of chasing too many opportunities at once. They also open up about what it was really like being acquired by a luxury giant, maintaining creative control, and why clarity, discipline, and customer trust are still their guiding principles.
This is a conversation about growth with intention, learning through missteps, and staying connected to the original spark that started it all.
While our last episode officially wrapped Season 5, we couldn’t resist sharing this bonus conversation before we take a short break. We'll be back next season—one more story of risk, resilience, and the long game of building something meaningful.
Key Takeaways and Topics:
The Failure Factor Podcast was brought to you by Off The Field Coaching. Explore working with one of our coaches at http://offthefieldcoaching.com
Hosted by Megan Bruneau: therapist, executive coach, speaker, Forbes contributor, and host of The Failure Factor. For more info, visit https://meganbruneau.com
Follow Fresh
Fresh IG: https://www.instagram.com/freshbeauty
Website: https://www.fresh.com/
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In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-j-bruneau-m-a-rcc
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Robbie Bent is the co-founder of Othership—a multi-million dollar wellness movement centered around sauna, breathwork, cold plunge, and emotional connection. After a devastating startup failure left him broke and struggling with addiction, what began as backyard ice bath experiments during COVID evolved into one of the most innovative wellness concepts today. In this raw conversation, Robbie shares how his darkest moments led to discovering somatic practices that not only saved his life but inspired a business helping thousands heal together.
Robbie and Megan explore why traditional therapy often falls short, how Othership became a "Trojan Horse" for emotional processing, and why the real transformation happens not in the sauna or ice bath—but in the vulnerable sharing that follows. Beyond the emotional insights, Robbie gets tactical about scaling brick-and-mortar businesses, dealing with copycats, founder mode versus delegation, and the profound loneliness of building something meaningful while trying to be a present father and husband.
This conversation reveals why the future of wellness isn't about optimizing alone; it's about witnessing each other's humanity—and healing in community.
What Othership is and why it’s more than sauna and ice baths
The emotional regulation crisis and the new wave of wellness
How hot/cold contrast therapy is a Trojan horse for emotional healing
The science behind breathwork, group sharing, and co-regulation
Why Robbie believes emotional health is “where fitness was in 2009”
The story behind Othership’s founders and their radically intentional space design
Building emotional safety in a luxury-meets-humility environment
From addiction and startup failure to healing and service
How Robbie overcame shame, scarcity, and perfectionism
The power of vulnerability and the healing force of group connection
What makes Othership polarizing—and why that’s the point
Cult-like brand love, social wellness, and the death of shame
How Robbie manages competition, fear, and founder pressure
Why success is about how deeply you impact someone, not how many
The Failure Factor Podcast was brought to you by Off The Field Coaching. Explore working with one of our coaches at http://offthefieldcoaching.com
Hosted by Megan Bruneau: therapist, executive coach, speaker, Forbes contributor, and host of The Failure Factor. For more info, visit https://meganbruneau.com
Follow Othership
🌐 https://www.othership.us
📱 IG: https://www.instagram.com/othership/
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📱 IG: http://instagram.com/robbiebent/
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robbiebent/
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🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-j-bruneau-m-a-rcc
Subscribe to the podcast newsletter at https://thefailurefactorpodcast.com
Themes: entrepreneurship, emotional wellness, nervous system regulation, addiction recovery, startup failure, breathwork, cold plunge, sauna therapy, somatic healing, emotional health, mental health, loneliness epidemic, founder vulnerability, spirituality, conscious leadership, startup resilience, community building, trauma healing, modern rituals, behavioral change, boutique wellness, sharing circles, healing shame
Sasha Plavsic, Founder of ILIA Beauty, the clean cosmetics brand known for redefining performance makeup, opens up about what it took to build a $100M business from a garage and a $25,000 line of credit.
In this raw and vulnerable conversation, Sasha shares how a deeply personal quest to heal her skin led to the creation of ILIA, a brand that went on to help define the "clean beauty" category alongside industry giants like Sephora. But behind the brand’s success story lies an untold reality of burnout, identity loss, and a literal health collapse that forced her to reckon with the cost of carrying it all.
From almost closing ILIA’s doors to hiring a CEO and eventually selling a majority stake to the Courtin-Clarins family, Sasha walks us through the most defining and difficult moments of her journey.
Whether you’re bootstrapping your first venture or navigating scale, Sasha’s story is a powerful reminder that success should never come at the cost of your health or your joy.
Key Takeaways and Topics:
How Sasha built ILIA Beauty from a garage with no outside funding for the first 7 years
The personal skin struggles that led her to question conventional beauty products
Why she rejected the “all natural” label and pioneered a hybrid formulation model
Early setbacks, including being told labs couldn’t make the products she envisioned
The pivotal moment she considered shutting ILIA down—and what saved it
The decision to hire a CEO and why it was the best move for the brand and her health
How ILIA scaled from $5M to $100M, eventually catching the eye of the Courtin-Clarins family
The physical collapse that forced Sasha to finally slow down—her kidneys started shutting down
How hustle culture and perfectionism nearly cost her life, and what she’s doing differently now
The guilt and double standards faced by working mothers and women founders
How Sasha protects her energy today: boundaries, executive coaching, and saying “no”
Her advice to founders: trust your gut, delegate what drains you, and stop trying to do it all
The Failure Factor Podcast was brought to you by Off The Field Coaching. Explore working with one of our coaches at http://offthefieldcoaching.com
Hosted by Megan Bruneau: therapist, executive coach, speaker, Forbes contributor, and host of The Failure Factor. For more info, visit https://meganbruneau.com
Follow ILIA Beauty
Ig: https://www.instagram.com/iliabeauty
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Ig: https://www.instagram.com/sashaplavsic
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Ig: https://www.instagram.com/meganjbruneau
In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-j-bruneau-m-a-rcc
Subscribe to the podcast newsletter at https://thefailurefactorpodcast.com
Themes: entrepreneurship, clean beauty, burnout, founder health, motherhood, bootstrapping, female founders, exit strategy, scaling a startup, sustainable success, executive coaching, mental health, delegating, work-life balance, hustle culture, investor-free growth, ILIA Beauty, women in leadership, resilience, skin care innovation, founder vulnerability
Join us for an unflinchingly honest conversation with Peter Rahal, founder of RXBAR (sold to Kellogg's for $600M) and David Protein. Once labeled "disabled" by the school system, Peter reveals how his dyslexia fueled his contrarian mindset, relentless hustle, and ability to spot market gaps others missed. Learn how childhood humiliation became his rocket fuel, why he refuses to celebrate wins, and how his "anti-authority" approach built two category-defining brands.
This episode is for entrepreneurs, neurodivergent thinkers, and anyone who’s been told they don’t fit the mold.
Key Takeaways and Topics:
The Failure Factor Podcast was brought to you by Off The Field Coaching. Explore working with one of our coaches at http://offthefieldcoaching.com
Hosted by Megan Bruneau: therapist, executive coach, speaker, Forbes contributor and host of The Failure Factor. For more info visit https://meganbruneau.com
Follow Peter and his ventures:
His Ig: https://www.instagram.com/peterrahal
David Protein: https://www.instagram.com/davidprotein
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Ig: https://www.instagram.com/meganjbruneau/
In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-j-bruneau-m-a-rcc
Subscribe to the podcast newsletter at https://thefailurefactorpodcast.com
Themes: RX Bar, entrepreneurship, protein bars, startup culture, product market fit, rebranding, personal growth, childhood experiences, resilience, business challenges, David Protein, dyslexia, work ethic, fatherhood, humility, business lessons, nutrition, leadership
Gara Post—serial entrepreneur, franchise mogul, and self-proclaimed “hyper-emotional” leader—joins Megan Bruneau to unpack the realities of building The Now Massage and Bowie Barker. From her early days as a jewelry designer to franchising during a pandemic, Gara reveals how she balances perfectionism with scalability, why she leans into therapy, and the painful lessons she learned from business partnerships gone wrong.
Key Takeaways and Topics:
The Failure Factor Podcast was brought to you by Off The Field Coaching. Explore working with one of our coaches at http://offthefieldcoaching.com
Hosted by Megan Bruneau: therapist, executive coach, speaker, Forbes contributor and host of The Failure Factor. For more info visit https://meganbruneau.com
Follow Gara and her ventures:
Ig: https://www.instagram.com/garadanielle
The Now: https://www.instagram.com/thenowmassage
Bowie Barker: https://www.instagram.com/bowiebarkerbath
Follow Megan
Ig: https://www.instagram.com/meganjbruneau/
In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-j-bruneau-m-a-rcc
Subscribe to the podcast newsletter at https://thefailurefactorpodcast.com
Themes: entrepreneurship, wellness, business growth, investment, self-care, personal journey, franchising, business expansion, COVID challenges, emotional intelligence, leadership, therapy, quality control, wellness industry, partnership dynamics, business challenges, co-founding, communication, integrity, entrepreneurship,
After more than a year of silence, Megan Bruneau returns with the Failure Factor to share a deeply personal episode about navigating one of the most challenging years of her life. In this raw and insightful conversation, Megan shares her journey through profound grief, major life transitions, and the lessons she discovered along the way.
In this episode, she opens up about how the sudden loss of her mother transformed her understanding of grief, both as a therapist and as a daughter, and how emotional avoidance only compounds our suffering.
Episode highlights:
Whether you're navigating grief, major life changes, or simply feeling stuck, this one’s for you. Megan's story provides compassionate guidance, actionable wisdom, and the reassurance that you're not alone.
The Failure Factor Podcast was brought to you by Off The Field Coaching. Explore working with one of our coaches at http://offthefieldcoaching.com
Hosted by Megan Bruneau: therapist, executive coach, speaker, Forbes contributor and host of The Failure Factor. For more info visit https://meganbruneau.com
Subscribe to the podcast newsletter at https://thefailurefactorpodcast.com
Follow Megan
Ig: https://www.instagram.com/meganjbruneau
In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-j-bruneau-m-a-rcc
Themes: grief, compassion, emotional avoidance, emotional health, lessons, authenticity, therapy, ACT, resilience, personal growth, family dynamics, community
Naveen Jain is a serial entrepreneur and self-made billionaire whose latest venture, Viome, is revolutionizing personalized health and longevity. Jain rose to success as the founder and CEO of InfoSpace, previously one of the largest internet companies in the Northwest, and has since inspired millions to go after their most audacious goals as the founder of Moon Express – the only company permitted to harvest resources from the moon. In this episode, he shares his story of going from being an immigrant with five dollars in his pocket – to having a worth of 6 billion dollars and living on a private island. Listen in to hear how he thinks technology has democratized entrepreneurship; and why he believes passion, naivete, and viewing entrepreneurship as "research" is the secret to persevering through a goal that's "so big, people think you're crazy."
Carly Stein Kremer is the founder of Beekeeper’s Naturals, a collection of natural remedies and immune support products she developed after years of living with a chronically suppressed immune system. She was recognized on the 2019 Forbes 30 Under 30 list and has raised nearly 20 million dollars to date. In this episode, she tells the story of how she left Goldman Sachs to pursue her dream of developing a line of bee propolis-based products. Listen in to hear her advice for staying confident when taking a risk, convincing the person across the table of the upside, modeling healthy emotional expression at work, and the importance of celebrating wins.
Payton Nyquvest is the founder and CEO of Numinus, a mental health company at the forefront of the psychedelic-assisted therapy movement. He's raised over $80 million for the startup, which currently offers psychedelic-assisted therapy, traditional talk therapy, and practitioner training--and conducts research trials. In this episode, Payton shares with Megan how psychedelics saved his life and the challenges of marketing and scaling while maintaining clinical ethics and integrity.
In this episode of The Failure Factor, Megan sits down with Bluemercury co-founder and Marla Beck. The CEO of the rapidly-growing luxury beauty retailer shares how the initially Ecommerce company almost ran out of money, sparking the inaugural pivot "from clicks to bricks." Thanks to Beck's perseverance, in 2015 Bluemercury was acquired by Macy's for $210 million. You won't want to miss Beck's advice on authoritative leadership, secrets to employee retention, why she doesn't endorse "productivity," and the growth-inspiring way she responds to failures and mistakes – both personally and in managing others.
In this episode of The Failure Factor, Megan interviews Michael Cammarata: serial entrepreneur, investor, and co-founder and CEO of Schmidt's Naturals – one of the worlds fastest-growing wellness brands. Despite being told he'd "never amount to anything" after being diagnosed with dyslexia, Michael had made his first million by thirteen years old. Listen in to hear why Michael can't stand "Five Year Plans," the mistake he believes entrepreneurs make that holds them back from opportunities, and the question he urges founders to ask themselves from day one.
In this special episode, Megan sits down with her good friend: writer, American History teacher and feminist sociopolitical expert Sari Rosenberg to clarify myths around feminism and how it relates to sexual assault, dating, body image and eating disorders, and more. If you want to participate in the conversation but feel under-resourced, are curious or skeptical about the movement, or want to know how not to be a "white feminist," this is a great place for listeners of all genders to start.
In this episode of The Failure Factor, Megan talks resilience, sexism, and changing the world with Julie Smolyansky. Julie became the youngest female CEO of a publicly held firm when she took over Lifeway Foods at the age of 27 in 2002 after the tragic death of her father. Even through her grief, she managed to send the company's growth trajectory and revenues soaring, while considerably expanding distribution. She has been named to Fortune Business ‘40 under 40,’ Fortune’s 55 Most Influential Women on Twitter and Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business 1000. Listen in as she and Megan talk about the challenges she has faced, the strength she has acquired, and the world she hopes to build for her two daughters as well as women everywhere.