Embracing failure has become a recurring theme among participants on our recent B!G 5 Instagram Live sessions.
At The B!G Idea, we often talk about fLearning — learning through failure — and it’s clear our mentors truly live this mindset.
James Gaskin, CEO of BDO, shared a powerful perspective. In his view, you can’t really fail when doing something creative. Instead, you keep building, learning, and refining your work until you break through the glass ceiling.
According to James, fear, not failure, is the biggest barrier to success.
Catherine Ryan, CEO of Ryan Marketing Solutions, agrees. For her, creativity starts with not being afraid. Her advice is simple but effective: aim to be 1% better every day. Over time, progress adds up.
Colm O’Connor from Scurri echoed this idea, saying there’s no such thing as a creative failure. Design is subjective — people will love or hate ideas in equal measure. As long as the effort, research, and confidence are there, failure simply doesn’t exist.
Sarah Flynn also shared inspiration from Austin Kleon, reminding us that nothing is ever completely original.
Creativity often comes from noticing what others are doing, taking the best parts, mixing them together, and shaping something new. Every idea builds on something that came before — and that’s perfectly okay.
According to Masih Shafieian, Associate Project Manager at Unum, creativity takes many forms. What matters most is having the courage to explore ideas and follow where they lead.
Creative moments don’t arrive on a schedule. They might come while walking the dog, commuting home, standing in the shower, or — inconveniently — just as you’re trying to fall asleep.
One lesson stands out every single time we host The B!G 5 Live:
With creativity, there is no right or wrong. Every attempt teaches you something and helps you the next time you try.
If our incredible mentors agree on one thing, it’s this — the best thing you can do is get stuck in and get creative.
