Failure is not niche if anything it’s universal
Failure is not niche, if anything it’s universal. What’s niche is how we approach failure. Do we invite failure into our lives? Do we talk about failing? Do we let it stay within us?
Nick and Margie started the podcast Toasted, which centers around failure being viewed as a super power. It’s a space where people can open up and talk about their failures without pressure, and regardless if those failures were then followed by success stories or not.
Toasted is full of very human, very real conversations. If you are like us, listening about other people’s failures will give you that warm, fuzzy feeling: “It’s not just me!”
Nick and Margie
If failure is a superpower, are we all superheroes?
Nick: I think for anyone who chooses to see failure as learning, the answer is, “Yes, we are all superheroes.” We can learn from our mistakes and try things out in a way that allows us to have a much more nuanced understanding of who we are. That’s powerful.
Fail or fake it until you make it?
Margie: Both. At times faking it leads to failure, so be brave and ask questions. Failing brings lessons, and if you heed them, beautiful destinations.
Would you agree? The more we try, the more we fail?
Nick: I think if you aren’t failing, then you probably aren’t really trying. We learn our most meaningful lessons from failing.
If you would have five minutes to teach someone something new what would it be?
Margie: How to pick the right coffee bean roast and use a French Press. Making the world better one coffee at a time.
If failure had a face, it would look like… ?
Nick: I have always had a crush on Meryl Streep… and I feel like she might be the celebrity who most personifies failure-elegant: versatile and never out of style.
“I feel like Meryl Streep might be the celebrity who most personifies failure-elegant, versatile, and never out of style.”
Failures are scared of?
Margie: Of the mirror, of looking it in the face, and deciding, “No, my story doesn’t end this way.”
Scroll or focus?
Nick: I do both. I’m always interested in learning and find both modes effective.
When was the last time you felt toasted?
Margie: Just recently when we had a three-day weekend. My brain was thinking “day off” despite the fact my calendar clearly had appointments that I missed or had to adjust.
What is the best thing that your failures taught you?
Nick: Failure taught me that I should not be hubristic enough to think I have life figured out.
“To me, failing, and letting go of what no longer serves you, is a natural part of the process leading to new growth… “
Is failing giving up?
Margie: I don’t believe so, although letting go may be the outcome, which is different than giving up. To me, failing and letting go of what no longer serves you is a natural part of the process leading to new growth. It's just difficult to see it when you’re in it.
Nick: Failing is giving up, if you simply decide not to face the lessons it offers.
Nick is a dad of three boys, a divorce survivor, a musician and a content creator. He is currently an instructor of humanities at Finger Lakes Community College and an educational consultant.
Margie is a nerdy-artsy type who said she’d never be a teacher or administrator. She is currently the chief officer for curriculum and human resources for a public school district in Western New York, a mom, a friend and a diehard Buffalo Bills fan.
All photos © Nick and Margie, Toasted podcast.