How to Use Setbacks for Personal Growth

Turning setbacks into setups for success: 3 case studies that changed everything. Case 1: Lost my biggest client (40% of revenue) The setback: Monday morning email. "We're going in a different direction." $180K/year. Gone. The setup: Forced me to diversify. Built 12 revenue streams instead of 3. Never dependent on one client again. Result: Revenue up 250% in 18 months. Case 2: Algorithm tanked my reach The setback: Went from 300K impressions to 90K overnight. Thought my business would die. Engagement dropped 67%. The setup: Started building real relationships. Stopped chasing vanity metrics. Focused on DMs over likes. Result: Closed $450K from "low engagement" posts. Case 3: Partnership betrayal cost me $75K The setback: Business partner disappeared with client funds. Left me holding the bag. Almost bankrupted me. The setup: Built ironclad systems. Learned to trust but verify. Became fiercely independent. Result: Built Brand Built with a REAL partner, thriving today. Every setback is a setup in disguise. But only if you look for it. Most people see closed doors. Winners see redirections. Most people see failures. Winners see data. Most people see endings. Winners see beginnings. The formula: 1. Accept the hit (don't deny reality) 2. Ask "What is this making possible?" 3. Act on the new opportunity 4. Appreciate the redirect later My biggest setbacks became my biggest advantages: → Algorithm changes taught me authenticity → Losing clients taught me independence → Betrayal taught me sovereignty → Failure taught me resilience Let's face it: You're either winning or learning. Never losing. But here's the key: You have to choose to see it that way. In the moment. When it hurts. When it's hard. Because setbacks don't automatically become setups. You have to set them up. Your turn: What setback are you sitting on right now? More importantly: What setup is it offering you? Look closer. It's there. It always is.

I've recently suffered a major career setback. Since I teach about high performance and career growth, I want to share how I am addressing it. One day you will need this recipe yourself! My goal in my current "career" is to reach as many people as I can, and to help them achieve career success and satisfaction. For the last three years, the way to do this has been through LinkedIn. Unfortunately, LinkedIn recently made some unknown changes to their algorithm. Other Top Voices and I have noticed a drop of 70% to 80% in the reach of our posts. Since my goal is to share my knowledge with more people, that means my goal just took an 80% hit. In general, setbacks in performance are either due to: A) Something we did Or B) Something external, outside our direct control Mistakes, poor decisions, and missed deadlines are examples of A. They are in our control. Things like Covid, high interest rates, and reorganizations at work are examples of B, outside our control. LinkedIn's change is also case B, outside my control. When a setback comes from something in your control, you know clearly what you did wrong and what you need to change to restore your performance and progress. Fixing your own issues may take time and be difficult, but you know what to do. When the setback is due to something outside your control, you do not know how to fix the issue. So, how can we react when our performance is shattered and we do not know why? Here is my recipe: 1. Allow yourself a fixed amount of time to grieve (and complain if you wish). Emotions are real, and before you can move on you will need to sit with those emotions. But, do not get stuck in them. Curse your bad luck, pout for a minute, etc. Then, move to the next step. 2. Refocus on your core value. Whatever happened, go back to how you define high performance to ensure it is still relevant. I admit, I slipped into defining my own performance by how many people viewed my LinkedIn posts. This was a mistake. My mission is to help others, so getting views is a proxy, not a result. And, using LinkedIn is just a method for the mission, not the mission itself. 3. Adapt your core value if you must (if its value has decreased). In my case, the value of what I offer hasn't changed, the external delivery system has. 4. Once you adapt and/or increase your value, find new ways to deliver it if necessary. Luckily, I have other options for reaching people: my Substack newsletter, YouTube, etc. Since Substack has been such a good partner recently, I will start there. I have also refocused how I write on LinkedIn to make every post focused on my goal. 5. Test, measure, adapt, repeat! Really, this step is everything. Once you get past the grief, jump into action in this loop. Nothing can stop you if you keep working to refine, deliver, and showcase your core value. Comments? Here's my newsletter, which is my next area of investment: https://lnkd.in/gXh2pdK2

Your most significant setbacks can be your best brand story. How to turn challenges into a compelling personal brand in 4-stages. While many prefer tales of success, I love stories of setbacks turned into strength. Here's why: Setbacks are relatable. I don't know anyone who never had them. Here's mine. My career at National Geographic didn’t start ‘til I was 50. There were few women Explorers. I was the only widow. Grieving and adrift, I decided to turn my challenges into strengths. This shift in mindset paved the way to my personal brand. Here’s the 4-stage process I used: Stage 1: This stage is about courage and honesty. Identify your challenge. Acknowledge the difficulty. Resist the urge to avoid or downplay it. Stage 2: This stage is about changing your perspective. Ask yourself: "What can this challenge teach me?" Discover how it can be preparing you for future success. Consider how overcoming it can help others. Stage 3: This stage is about taking control and being proactive. Break down the challenge into smaller, manageable tasks. Set clear goals for overcoming each part of the challenge. Identify resources and support systems you can leverage. Stage 4: Putting your plan into action is where challenges become strengths. Take consistent action. Track your progress and celebrate small wins. Reflect on how much you’ve grown. Your most significant setbacks truly can become your best brand story. Embrace them. Learn from them. Share them. For more insights, follow Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey