From Failure to Breakthrough

This is going to be a long one…

A common theme that has come up in my life is that:

 

Failure is the catalyst to success.

 

As a science nerd, the idea of a catalyst excites me, although in this case the catalyst is something negative like failures.

 

I want to share my failures and how these “setbacks” catapulted me into the breakthrough that I have (and will continue) to experience.

 

First, it took me 6 years to graduate college.

 

College was the most stressful thing ever. I came out of high school bright eyed and ready for the world only to realize that I wasn’t as smart as I thought I was.

 

College humbled me and brought me back to reality. I learned life skills but I also spent a lot of time stressing.

 

I also stopped being a perfectionist and became extremely resilient in learning to balance my time and energy.

 

The second setback happened when I decided to attend medical school.

This experience is a blog post in itself, but in a nutshell, I got accepted into an international medical school and I was miserable.

 

I hated the school. I struggled with depression and separation anxiety. My grades were good but my heart wasn’t happy. This was certainly one of the lowest periods in my life.

 

This is when I learned that I have to do things because I WANT to do them and not because it’s what’s expected of me.

 

I also learned that the “expectations” that I thought people had for me were actually me projecting my own insecurities onto those who love me and I was using them as a scapegoat for how afraid I was about not knowing what I wanted to do with my life.

 

Through my experience in medical I realized I had a knack for teaching and I wanted to pursue that so….

 

I went to grad school for Bioinformatics.

Grad school was a really amazing experience!

 

I learned so much and I was teaching which is something that I am extremely passionate about. I was back in my childhood home with my family which was good for my mental health and I was flourishing.

 

Towards the end of my grad school career I hit some roadblocks in my research and as my wedding day quickly approached I had a decision to make.

 

Finish school or transfer to be with my husband.

 

I decided to stay in school for one more semester but my research situation never changed so…

 

I dropped out.

 

Now, something I am really good at doing is pivoting and leaving things behind that no longer serve me. I have come to realize that this is not failure but instead I am constantly adjusting and staying in alignment with myself.

 

This is something I have learned as a result of my previous “failures.”

 

Anyway, I moved to Atlanta to be with my husband and began my job search. I applied to schools to finish my graduate studies and…

 

I couldn’t find a job.

 

Everywhere I applied, I was “over-qualified” or didn’t have “the experience (they) were looking for.”

 

For one job I did 4 interviews and I still wasn’t hired.

 

I was crushed.

 

I was a biology Master’s candidate who had to drive for Uber and deliver groceries.

 

While I don’t knock the hustle, I couldn’t believe that after getting an education and going into debt, I couldn’t find a job in my field.

 

I was angry and frustrated…

 

I was a failure.

 

Then something just shifted.

All my life I have been an entrepreneur and surrounded by entrepreneurs. I realized that I am worth more than the salary that someone suggest for me. (Again there is nothing wrong with being paid hourly or a salary but this is MY reality.)

 

That’s when I decided to start an LLC and pursue my career as an entrepreneur and I haven’t looked back since.

 

From struggling through undergrad, to dropping out of medical school and grad school, to not being able to find a job and driving for Uber, all my “failures” have led me to where I am today.

 

I am a creative entrepreneur that specializes in photography, digital marketing, and teaching others! This is my dream, I just didn’t know it.

 

I have realized through these wonderfully painful experiences that when we are young we truly have no idea what to expect and how to handle being in the real world.

 

These experiences hurt and crushed my spirit and I know that I will continue to experience “setbacks” but I know that without these experiences I wouldn’t have found my true calling which is to be a creative.

 

Now I welcome “failure” because I KNOW it is going to push me closer and closer to my idea of success. Success to me is being able to live in alignment. To be able to set boundaries for myself and to be present for my family. Success means being able to make an impact and spark change.

 

My “failures” lead me closer and closer to reaching my idea of success every day.

 

What is your story? What failures have you experienced that ultimately led to a breakthrough?

 

Talk to me about it below!

 

xoxoxo Kay