Being prepared for the worst case scenario doesn’t mean that you’re expecting failure, it means that you’re prepared for no matter what happens. In my opinion, that’s pretty smart!
When you consider the worst possible outcome that that could occur what it does is allow you to consider all of the possibilities that could happen around a situation. It allows you to be thoughtful and plan for whatever may occur with the worst in mind.
I’m sure people think that essentially planning for failure is wrong, and keeps you in a negative headspace, but I assure you that isn’t the case at all.
There have been numerous occasions where I was set to have meetings with a potential client, where they ended up cancelling on me, leaving me wondering if they’d reschedule or blow me off entirely. It sucks in the moment, but because I prepared myself for the potential of this to happen, I was able to fill my time with some of the other amazing work I’m lucky enough to do.
I know I talk about my time on Shark Tank quite a bit, but it’s because these experiences are the things that change the shape of who you are, and how you handle business and sales.
Trying to get onto Shark Tank is the biggest test of patience you will ever experience. I called it my “waiting game”!
There were two scenarios where I was all set to go on the show and make my pitch to the Sharks. I’d had my hair and makeup done and was just sitting and waiting to go on, when the producer would come and send me back home because I was considered “one of the locals,” since the show is taped in LA and I live in San Diego.
Sure I had my hopes up. I really wanted to get my products in front of the Sharks, but I also knew that there was a possibility that I wouldn’t get to film with them. I knew I could be sent home at anytime. They made that VERY CLEAR! It’s just the name of the game.
Eventually, I did end up filming in front of the Sharks, but my particular segment never aired.
I’ll admit I was disappointed, who wouldn’t be after waiting four months to see all of these other episodes air, and then to hear from them with the “sorry but your episode will not air this season, thank you for time.” BUT I didn’t let it get me down for long because I had planned ahead.
I had anticipated the worst case scenario, and knew that even if I didn’t make it on the show, my business would continue in the direction it was meant to go. And, it did… FITzee Foods ended up lasting another 4 years, after my attempt at Shark Tank.
Not getting a deal, and my segment not airing on Shark Tank, changed the entire trajectory of my business. If I’d gotten a deal, or if my segment had aired, FITzee Foods might still be open, and while that wouldn’t be a bad thing, I never would have had the opportunity to then start The Pitch Queen Brand and the Success Unfiltered Podcast. I am so deeply in love with both, that it would be hard to imagine life without them.
The Birth of a Brand
In order to start his company, UGGs Australia founder, Brian Smith (a guest on Success Unfiltered), had to borrow money to buy his first 500 pairs of boots.
When he purchased the boots he was under the assumption that they were going to be HUGE! Everyone he had spoken to about them, loved the idea, but when he took the boots back to try to get inventory in their stores, each store told him they couldn’t carry his boots, they only carry surfboards.
In the first year, Brian only sold 28 pairs of UGGs. Can you imagine? We see the brand UGGs now, and it’s huge. It’s everywhere, keeping everyone’s feet nice,fuzzy and warm, but that wasn’t always the case.
If Brian had just decided to give up and walk away, we wouldn’t have the amazing boots and slippers that we have today.
At this point Brian hadn’t planned for failure, and he wasn’t going to let it happen because he owed his investor money. Since he hadn’t planned for it, Brian had to get crafty, taking his boots to swap meets and street fairs. People started going nuts for them, and it was their enthusiasm that kept him motivated to keep selling.
Remember, planning for the worst case scenario doesn’t automatically mean you are a failure. It means that you have something to fall back on in case your original plan falls through.
Changing the Trajectory of Business
With some adjustment to his marketing and hard work, Brian’s company began to become very popular within the snowboard, skiing, and surfing industries, but he wanted to add to his image. He wanted UGGs to be considered casual comfort all across the country.
To get to that point, Brian launched a huge PR campaign, and wanted to get onto the front page of the USA Today, in the lifestyle section, listed as a new trend.
Brian was fortunate enough to already have an appointment with the fashion editor of USA Today in Chicago. However, it didn’t turn out quite how Brian had planned.
The editor had doubled-booked herself and gave Brian ONLY FIVE MINUTES to share his PR campaign.
A campaign that they had spent about $60K on, and had been prepared for a 45 minute presentation. He had no choice, he had five minutes and had to give her something!
Brian had a folder with him with all sorts of different celebrities wearing a pair of UGGs. One of the photos was of Pamela Anderson wearing UGGs on the beach in a red swimsuit from the set of Baywatch, and the editor had latched onto that one photo.
After that she was gone within four minutes.
That photo of Pamela Anderson ended up changing the whole trajectory of Brian’s business.
The next morning when Brian was flying back to San Diego, he picked up the USA Today and inside was a huge expose on the sheepskin sheering industry, and Brian’s boots! When Brian got back to San Diego the phones had not stopped ringing with retailers from all over the country wanting to stock UGGs.
The lesson here is to always plan for the best, but expect the worst case scenario.
Brian spent loads of money and time planning this amazing presentation, but was never able to share it with the editor. At the same time he had had a folder of photos of these celebrities wearing his boots that he had brought along, just in case.
That “just in case” ended up leading to the exact success he wanted.
In Conclusion
No one wants to plan for failure. I haven’t met a single successful entrepreneur who hasn’t experienced some form of a failure in their tenure as an entrepreneur.
Who knows… That worst case scenario that you experience could end up being THE BEST thing to ever happen to you!
