Failing Forward, Fast—And Why It Kinda Rules

I used to hear phrases like “fail fast” or “fail forward” and think… okay, corporate fortune-cookie energy. Sounds nice in a LinkedIn post, but what does it really mean?

Because last I checked, failing sucks.

Like, flop-sweat, sink-into-the-sofa, “did I really post that?” kind of sucks.

But here’s the thing I’ve learned—especially working in content, marketing, and the beautiful chaos that is social media: if you’re not failing, you’re probably not experimenting enough. You’re playing it too safe. You’re following a template someone made three years ago and hoping it still works in this algorithm soup we’re all swimming in.

Spoiler: it doesn’t.

Failing Fast Isn’t Reckless. It’s Resilient.

When I finally got what “failing forward” meant, I realized it wasn’t about crashing and burning on purpose. It’s about moving through the crash.

Trying the wild idea. Sending the pitch.Posting the reel that feels a little “out there.”Building the campaign you kinda made up at 11 p.m. but your gut said “yes.”

It’s about being brave enough to take the L, learn, and try again—quickly.

One time, I ran a social campaign that totally flopped. I mean… engagement was on life support. A ghost town. I had to triple-check the post even went live.

But instead of sulking (okay, I sulked for 30 minutes max), I turned around and rebuilt it as a short-form blog, pulled out the one stat people did click on, turned it into a graphic, and somehow… it worked. Like, really worked. We got reposts. Sales clicked in. One of the sales folks even emailed me a thank you, which if you know sales and marketing dynamics—that’s basically a standing ovation.

The Grit Is in the Rebuild

This job? This field? It’s not for the faint of heart. It’s one-part strategy, one-part scrappy, and like six parts “try stuff and see what sticks.”

You need thick skin, fast reflexes, and the ability to laugh when the post you were sure would crush… absolutely doesn’t. You also need to be the person who says, “Alright, what’s next?” while quietly finishing your third coffee of the day and Googling how to animate a pie chart in After Effects.

(Yes, I did that. Yes, I still have the tab open.)

Marketing is a sandbox with no instructions. Content changes every time a platform breathes. Social media is a mood ring—ever shifting. Failing fast isn’t a cute phrase. It’s a survival skill.

So If You’re Failing, Good.

It means you’re doing the work. You’re testing, learning, iterating, and getting braver.

The worst thing you can do in this industry? Be afraid to try.

The best thing? Fall flat, then stand up swinging.

Fail forward. Fail fast. Then post it anyway.

And if you need a sign that you're doing just fine—even when it feels like you're not? This is it.

(Also, did I reuse the same CTA in three campaigns last quarter? Maybe. Did anyone notice? Nope.)