Amanda NorthcuttFounder & CEO | Keynote Speaker, LevelUp · B2B sales as a solo is HARD. I’ve got you. I help consultants & coaches sell high-ticket services comfortably & confidently, while enjoying consistent, predictable revenue | Founder & CEO | Speaker |

Redefining Failure: Why Your Circle Determines Your Success

20 Mar 2025 · 1 min

Watch on YouTube

0:57

In this monologue, the speaker argues that experiencing failure—whether big or small—diminishes fear and that a person's intrinsic worth is independent of achievements. She urges listeners to stop listening to or associating with people who criticize or drag them down, and instead surround themselves with supportive individuals. Citing a frequently referenced Harvard statistic, she claims that 95% of a person's success is determined by the five most influential people in their circle, emphasizing how those close to you shape your view of failure. The speaker connects this insight to the startup world, noting that surviving beyond the first year is rare, and stresses that founders must accept the possibility of falling, get back up, and maintain a mindset that failure is acceptable.

Chapters

And it's just like, you tried it. And, you know, once you taste failure, big or small, I think your fear will reduce. And so understanding that failure is okay and that your worth as a human being is not tied up in what you do and accomplish, like you are inherently worthy. And so, you know, if other people are tripping about your failure or dragging you down, stop hanging out with those people. Stop listening to those people. Um, And surround yourself with people that are gonna be helpful. Harvard has taught us a lot about that. I think, uh, there's a statistic that we cite quite a lot. It's like 95% of your success is determined by the top 5 people in your circle. So how, how the people around you view, view failure, uh, matters a lot. And people who are wildly successful in business or even moderately successful, I would say, since like the, you know, making it past the 1-year mark is very rare for a startup, making sure that you're okay with like, you can, you can fall down and get back up. It's okay.