Stephen B. Henry

We all love a good success story; but what we really remember are the failures that came before the win. However, when someone tells us how they reached the top of their game, we listen. But when someone tells us how they fell flat, questioned everything, and had to dig deep to find a way forward; that is when we lean in. That is when we feel something.

Failure Is Universal

Not everyone has climbed the highest peak, but everyone has slipped along their way. That shared experience becomes a point of connection between teacher and student, coach and client, writer and reader.

If you are building a coaching practice, launching a new offer, or sharing your story with the world; remember this: your credibility is not built by your perfection. It is built by your resilience.

Success can inspire, but failure builds trust.

When I tell people about my path, what I have learned over decades of entrepreneurship, mentoring, and content creation, I do not start with the wins. I start with the stumbles, the doubts, and the moments I almost walked away. Because that is where the lessons live. And that is where the audience feels seen.

So here is my invitation to you: If you are teaching others how to succeed, or simply sharing your journey, start with the fall. Share the moment it all fell apart. The mistake you made. The thing that hurt.

Then share the turning point. The insight. The climb. The transformation.

You will not only connect more deeply; you will teach more powerfully. Because people do not just want to know what you know. They want to know that you understand where they are.

And once they see you have been there too? That is when they start believing they can rise as well.

The time to find your guide is before you get lost in the woods. I would like to be your guide, too.

Stephen B. Henry, the Coach's Coach.

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