I was up early this morning, trying to enjoy at least one sip of my coffee while I planned out my day...
Theo was already shouting from the living room, while Isla’s lunch was still half-packed on the counter.
And as I sat there, staring at my laptop screen, I had this random flashback to the first website I ever built.
Ohhh, it was so bad.
Like, so bad that I wish I could travel back in time, gently close my laptop, and say, “Honey, maybe just don’t.”
I had spent weeks working on it. I picked a fancy-looking template, stressed over the colors, and tweaked every single tiny detail.
And when I finally hit publish?
It was hideous.
The fonts clashed, the layout was a mess, and for some reason, everything just felt… off.
I was so embarrassed.
And honestly? I almost quit right then and there.
Because when you’re in the middle of it, failure doesn’t feel like a “lesson.”
It feels like proof that you have no idea what you’re doing.
That maybe business just isn’t for you.
That maybe you should stop now before you waste any more time.
But here’s the thing…
That first website?
It wasn’t a mistake.
It was just my first.
The first version of something that would eventually get better.
The first attempt at figuring it all out.
The first stepping stone to actually knowing what I was doing.
And the truth is?
I still have those moments.
I still put things out there and think, Ugh, this is terrible.
I still have ideas that completely flop.
I still have days where I feel like I’m just winging it—balancing school drop-offs, nap schedules, and work, all while trying to keep Indi (our husky pyrenees rescue dog) from stealing Theo's breakfast sausages.
But if I’ve learned anything, it’s this:
Failure isn’t the opposite of success. It’s part of it.
Every successful business starts as a mess.
Every great idea starts as something awkward and unfinished.
Every “overnight success” is built on a hundred tiny failures no one ever talks about.
So if you’re in that ugh, nothing is working phase right now—if your website isn’t coming together, if your branding feels all over the place, if your offers aren’t selling—
It doesn’t mean you’re failing.
It just means you’re figuring it out.
And the only way to truly fail?
Is to stop.
✔ Keep going.
✔ Keep testing.
✔ Keep learning.
Because this is how you build something that actually works.
And one day, you’ll look back on the thing you’re struggling with now and laugh—because it’ll be proof of how far you’ve come.
Trust me. I’ve been there.
Amber xo
