As entrepreneurs, we often hear the word failure with a negative connotation—something to avoid at all costs. But after sitting down with Justin Skinner on the Exceptional Companies Podcast, I’m beginning to wonder: What if we looked at failure not as a setback but as a crucial part of our growth journey? What if failure were actually our greatest teacher?
Justin, a professional real estate investor and author, shared a story that radically shifted my perspective on failure. His journey of learning to embrace failure as a source of strength provides profound lessons that I believe every entrepreneur can benefit from. Here’s a deep dive into what I learned from our conversation.
From Baseball Dreams to Business Realities
Justin’s story starts in Southwest Missouri, on a dairy farm where he learned the value of hard work early on. But what truly shaped his path was his love for sports, particularly baseball. Like many athletes, Justin had dreams of going professional, and he thought he was on track after a scouting invite from a major league team. But when draft day came, the call he expected never arrived.
“For me, that was a moment where I felt lost,” Justin said. “I poured everything into baseball, only to have it slip away. I thought I had my life figured out, but clearly, it wasn’t meant to be. It was a huge failure, and I had to ask myself, ‘What’s next?'”
That moment, full of disappointment and confusion, became a turning point in his life. Instead of letting failure derail him, Justin shifted his focus and found his way into marketing. As he reflects, “I wasn’t deterred by the challenges—I embraced them. I knew that each setback would eventually lead to a new opportunity.”
The Struggle of Identity Shifts
What struck me in our conversation was Justin’s honest reflection on the struggle of shifting his identity from being an athlete to being a businessman. “I think it’s still an ongoing process,” Justin admits. For years, his identity was tied to his achievements in baseball. When that path closed, it left him searching for meaning in other areas, unsure of who he was without the title of “baseball player.”
This is something I can relate to, and I know many entrepreneurs do too, especially when we attach our identities so closely to our work. Justin’s shift wasn’t easy. “For a long time, I tied my identity to baseball, to my business success, and even to what others said about me. Letting go of those things was a hard journey,” he shared.
But it was his faith that helped him move past this. “I started to realize that I wasn’t defined by my job or my accomplishments. My true identity lies in something deeper than what I do.”
Turning Failure into a Friend
One of the most impactful parts of our conversation was Justin’s perspective on failure. We often view failure as something we need to avoid, but Justin has learned to embrace it. “I’ve learned to become friends with failure,” he said. “It’s a difficult thing to do, but if you can shift your mindset and understand that failure is happening for you, not to you, it changes everything.”
This mindset, rooted in a concept shared by Ed Mylett, really stuck with me. “Failure is happening for me, not to me.” When I hear that, I can’t help but think about how many times I’ve let failure paralyze me, rather than seeing it as a chance to learn and grow.
Whenever Justin faces setbacks, he reframes the situation by asking himself a simple, but powerful question: “What are you trying to teach me here?” It’s this kind of mindset that turns every failure into a valuable lesson rather than an obstacle.
The Lesson of Trusting Your Gut
A particularly vivid example of learning from failure comes from a real estate deal Justin and his wife, Kendra, went through. Justin was eager to pursue a property deal, convinced it was the right opportunity. But Kendra, trusting her gut, wasn’t so sure. “I pushed hard for it,” Justin admits. “I thought it was a great opportunity, but Kendra had a gut feeling that it wasn’t the right time.”
Against his better judgment, he moved forward with the deal. What followed was a series of unfortunate events. The tenant left unexpectedly. New tenants caused significant damage to the house. And then, after a final set of tenants stopped paying rent, things took a turn for the worse— Justin’s property was set on fire.
“It was devastating,” he recalls, “but it taught me an invaluable lesson—always trust my wife’s discernment. She can see things I can’t, and that’s a strength I need to honor.”
Despite the loss, Justin’s faith in God and his partnership with Kendra remained unshaken. Now, when they drive by the property, they laugh. “It’s just a reminder of how failure isn’t the end of the world—it’s an opportunity for growth.”
Encouragement for the Downtrodden
As someone who works with entrepreneurs regularly, I know how easy it is to feel discouraged after facing failure or setbacks. If you’re going through a rough patch in life, Justin offers a hopeful message: “If you’re feeling down, if life hasn’t gone the way you planned, know that you’re not alone. Business, marriage, health—these things aren’t always easy, but they’re part of a bigger journey. Embrace the messiness of it all. Expect failure, but don’t let it define you. Just keep moving forward.”
Justin’s personal mantra? “Expect nothing and overcome anything.” It’s a mindset that empowers him to rise above challenges, no matter how tough they seem.
Final Thoughts: Forgive and Move Forward
As our conversation wrapped up, Justin shared something that really resonated with me: the power of forgiveness, both for others and for ourselves. “Forgiving myself has been one of the most freeing things I’ve learned to do,” Justin said. “If I can forgive myself for mistakes, then I can keep moving forward and continue growing.”
This simple yet profound advice is something I think every entrepreneur could benefit from. We’re all hard on ourselves at times, but forgiveness allows us to move past failure and focus on what’s next.
Justin’s journey is a powerful reminder that failure is not the end, but a beginning—a chance to learn, grow, and evolve. By embracing failure as a friend and learning from every setback, we can all move closer to our true calling. If we shift our perspective, failure becomes a valuable teacher—one that helps us grow stronger, wiser, and more resilient on our entrepreneurial journeys.
AND MORE TOPICS COVERED IN THE FULL INTERVIEW!!! You can check that out and subscribe to YouTube.
If you want to know more about Justin Skinner, you may reach out to him at:
- Podcast: The Professional Failure Podcast
- Book: Professional Failure
Connect with Chris Seegers:
- Website: https://exceptionalcos.com/
- Email: Ch***@************OS.com
Other Resources:
Books: Selling Main Street by Chris Seegers
