After spending a decade in public service, I’ve seen my fair share of institutional challenges. When I first started my career after graduate school, I was full of optimism, ready to make a difference. With each new role, I brought that same enthusiasm—only to feel the familiar burnout creep in as I encountered the same frustrations over and over. No matter what agency I worked in or what role I held, the issues were the same: poor coordination between teams and departments, ineffective communication, and a lack of customer relationship management. The “customer” in this case being the general public, who often found government systems difficult to navigate.
Another common challenge? Marketing and branding. Public agencies tend to struggle with clearly communicating their value and purpose, leaving the public confused or disconnected. These issues became routine, and it felt like the public sector was stubbornly stuck in its ways, resistant to the changes that could improve how it served its people.
When I founded my own business, I made a commitment: I would tackle these challenges head-on in my organization. I wasn’t going to recreate the wheel—I was going to build a better one.
The Lessons of Entrepreneurship
As I embarked on this journey of running a business, I quickly realized just how much I had to learn. In my first year of revenue-generating operations, I faced challenge after challenge. So much was new to me—leadership, financial management, business development—and I had to confront my own lack of experience in some areas. Each day presented a new problem to solve, and at times, I found myself overwhelmed.
But today, something shifted. While sifting through my inbox at the end of a long day, I came across an email from IDEO. It was a breath of fresh air, a much-needed reminder of the value of failure.
The email began with a quote from David Kelley, founder of IDEO and Stanford’s d.school:
“Small failures are good at the beginning, not at the end. So, how do you make a culture open to failure—a culture of experimentation—rather than a culture of planning and executing? Planning is way overrated. By definition, if you’re not failing sometimes, you’re not experimenting. I think of the way we work as fast and loose and light, allowing us to change directions quickly.”
This struck a chord with me. For so long, I’d been accustomed to the idea that failure was something to be avoided, especially in the public sector. But here was a respected leader reminding me that failure is not just acceptable—it’s essential, especially at the start of something new.
A Culture of Experimentation
This concept of “a culture of experimentation” is exactly what I needed to hear. As a business owner and leader, every day is an experiment, and not everything will go perfectly. There will be mistakes, missteps, and yes, even failures. But it’s through those failures that we learn, grow, and innovate. If we’re not failing sometimes, it means we’re not pushing the boundaries enough.
In the public sector, where the culture is often one of planning, approval processes, and endless checks and balances, it’s easy to get stuck. The tendency is to avoid failure at all costs, which stifles experimentation and innovation. But when you’re afraid of failing, you miss out on the opportunities to discover something better—to create real change.
Innovation for the Public Good
In my work, I’m committed to breaking that cycle. I’m taking the lessons from my years in public service, where the system often resisted change, and applying them to create an organization that’s willing to experiment, willing to fail, and willing to grow. I’ve seen firsthand how a rigid, plan-heavy approach can prevent meaningful progress, especially in areas like community engagement and public service.
What excites me is the possibility of bringing this experimental mindset into the public sector, which so desperately needs it. Imagine a future where public agencies operate with agility, where small failures lead to big innovations in how we serve our communities. I believe that day is coming, and I can’t wait to see how the improvements we’re piloting—whether in business development, community engagement, or community development—become the new standard.
Conclusion
This journey has been a reminder that failure isn’t something to fear or get down about. It’s just part of the process, a necessary step toward growth and success. By fostering a culture that values experimentation, I’m not only building a stronger business—I’m setting the foundation for the kind of change and progress I know we’re capable of achieving.
My Promise
I’m letting go of fear and the need for perfection. I’ll approach the unknown with integrity and focus, reminding myself that experimentation is key to sparking real change, innovation, and creating lasting impact.
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