Episode 275
275 - Bouncing Forward: When Everyone Thinks You Failed
Have you ever failed publicly — in a way that everyone around you could see? I did. I walked away from a high-status, well-paying job with no backup plan, no other offer, and no real financial cushion. And everyone in my world was watching. This is the first episode in my Bouncing Forward mini-series, and it's about exactly that — not bouncing back to where you were, but bouncing forward to somewhere better.
Why Some People Don't Come Back
Public failure carries a specific kind of weight — the humiliation, the awareness that people are watching, the fear that what you did will define how they see you. I've watched people fold under that weight, cutting off friendships, avoiding eye contact, never recovering. This episode is about making sure that doesn't happen to you.
The Job She Left
A high-demand company, team awards (the hardest ones to win there), 100+ hour work weeks, and then a boss who made clear that the punishing pace was now the permanent expectation. Jill's best friend cleared out her entire office in one visit and said: you're done here. Three weeks later she walked out with no job lined up — and everyone knew it.
Resist the First Life Raft
The temptation in public failure is to grab whatever comes along first, just to stop the bleeding. Jill did the opposite. She analyzed what had made her miserable, what she had actually loved, and built a clear picture of what the next role needed to look like. New hire training, for example, had been one of the highlights of her month — that was going on the list.
The Shift: From Job-Seeker to Evaluator
The moment she got clear on what she actually wanted, the dynamic changed completely. She was no longer interviewing for jobs — they were auditioning for her. She needed to be convinced this company would make her happy. That shift in mindset changed everything about how she approached the search.
The Landing Is More Important Than the Fall
Three weeks after making her list, Jill found the job she spent the next fifteen years in. Everyone sees you fall. But everyone also sees where you land. If you can hold out long enough to aim the landing — to figure out what the next chapter actually needs to look like rather than just stopping the bleeding — the bounce forward becomes something real.
Closing
Whatever your situation looks like — a relationship, a city, a business, a role in your family — the fears are probably similar. What am I going to do? How will I pay for this? But if you can resist grabbing the first life raft and instead ask: what does the next chapter need to look like? — that's where the real bounce forward happens. Next week we talk about private, long-term failure. Different kind of hard.
Jill’s Links
http://jillfromthenorthwoods.com
https://www.youtube.com/@startwithsmallsteps
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/startwithsmallsteps
Email the podcast at jill@startwithsmallsteps.com
By choosing to watch this video or listen to this podcast, you acknowledge that you are doing so of your own free will. The content shared here reflects personal experiences and opinions and is intended for informational and inspirational purposes only. I am not a licensed healthcare provider, psychiatrist, or counselor. Any advice or suggestions offered should not be considered a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice. You are solely responsible for any decisions or actions you take based on this content.
