This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
[Music]
Hello, side hustle school listeners, welcome. This is episode 2,197. We're almost at 2,200 episodes. And of course, this is the beginning of an all new season, first week of the podcast in 2023, and our first Failure Friday segment. So yeah, by the way, if you've been listening for a while, you're like, oh yeah, Failure Friday, is that going to continue?
It is going to continue. We're gonna keep doing it at least most Fridays, if not every Friday, just because it's been such a popular segment. And for everybody who's new, well, what is Failure Friday? Isn't this a show all about success, all about making extra money, all about trying to start a side business using a skill you already have to be able to, again, make extra money, get out of debt, maybe even quit your job. Yes, yes, all those things.
However, I believe we can learn as much from failure as we can from success. And often in fact, failure or something that goes wrong is a stepping stone toward the ultimate success that you're seeking. So it's been really fun over the past year to have these stories highlighting a lot of just, disasters sometimes, big mistakes, of course, personal failures or professional failures, all focused on a small business idea that you had that didn't work out nearly as well as you hoped, or maybe just in the experience of your small business or your side hustle, something that went very wrong. So I try to kind of get out of the way here, provide a little bit of an introduction, but let the story lead the way. So without further ado, today's short story features Reina from Hermosa Beach, California.
Now Reina is a event planner. She is an event planner, I should say, specializing in weddings. And you know how weddings work, right? Everything always goes perfectly well. Okay, maybe not actually.
Sometimes some things go very wrong, like you're gonna hear in this story from Reina. So let's hand it over to her. [Music]
As an event planner, I've seen my fair share of mishaps and disasters, but there was one event that stands out in my mind as the worst of the worst. It was a wedding that I was hired to plan and everything that could go wrong, did. The first problem was the venue.
The couple had fallen in love with a beautiful outdoor garden, but they didn't bother to check the weather forecast. On the day of the wedding, a huge storm rolled in and ruined the entire setup. The guests were drenched and the decorations were ruined. The second problem was the food. The couple had decided to go with a fancy gourmet catering company, but they didn't realize that several of the guests had food allergies or restrictions.
As a result, several people had nothing to eat except some cheap pretzels from Costco. The third problem was the music. I know, I know, the list goes on and on. The couple had hired a live band, but they failed to provide them with a proper sound system. You know, the band sounded terrible, and many of the guests couldn't even hear the music.
Okay, to make matters even worse, the couple started arguing with each other and their families during the reception. I mean, it was a terrible, terrible thing, a complete disaster. Needless to say, the couple was not happy with me. They refused to pay the full amount and left me with a terrible review. It was a huge blow to my business, and it took a long time to recover.
Looking back, I realized that I should have been more diligent in making sure that all the details were taken care of. I should have double-checked the weather forecast, made sure that all of the guests were accommodated, and ensured that the band had the proper equipment. Mostly, I should have been more proactive. Even for issues that weren't technically my responsibility. I mean, I learned my lesson the hard way.
Okay, I really did. But I'm grateful that I was able to move on and continue doing what I love. The next wedding, it was much better. [Music]
Raina, thanks so much. Thanks for persevering.
Thanks for sharing this honest, vulnerable story. I can just imagine the rain coming down and people not having something to eat, and then the wedding party starting to grumble. But of course, never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat. Maybe that was a final defeat for that particular wedding ceremony, but Raina's business continues. That is the theme of Failure Friday, by the way.
Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat. We'll talk about that a bit through the year. And of course, we've got more stories coming up. So listeners, thanks for being out there. Thanks again, Raina.
If you've got a question or an update for us about your hustle, sidehustleschool.com/questions. Otherwise, subscribe, follow. New episode every single day. It's all completely free. My name is Chris Guillebeau.
This is Side Hustle School. [Music]
From the Onward Project.
