Failure Isn’t the End—It’s the Beginning of the Work That Matters

I failed the first time I took the Certified Sommelier exam.

I walked in prepared—or at least I thought I was. I had studied, tasted, practiced service. I had flashcards, maps, and notebooks full of information. I was all-in. And then I didn’t pass. Just like that.

It was gutting.

Not because I thought I was perfect. But because I thought I had done enough. I thought wanting it, working hard, and showing up with intention would be enough to carry me through. When it wasn’t, I spiraled. Was I not cut out for this? Had I overestimated myself? What does this say about me?

Failure has a way of triggering all the wrong questions. Questions that go after your identity instead of your strategy. Questions that suggest you were foolish for even trying.

But here’s the truth: that failure wasn’t a reflection of my worth—it was a reflection of what I still needed to learn.

Once I sat with that, everything changed. I stopped making it personal and started making it useful. I went back to my tasting grid. I studied smarter, not just harder. I asked for feedback. I found new ways to practice under pressure. I rebuilt—not because I was trying to prove something to the Court, but because I was proving something to myself.

And when I passed the next time, it wasn’t because I was perfect—it was because I didn’t give up.

Failure isn’t the end. It’s the beginning of the work that really matters. It teaches you who you are. How you respond when things don’t go as planned. What you’re willing to do when no one’s watching.

Recovery doesn’t mean erasing the failure. It means deciding what to carry forward. That moment gave me something I use to this day: resilience, clarity, and an ability to face setbacks without folding.

If you’ve failed recently—good. That means you were in motion. That means you took a swing. And that means you’re in the right place to grow.

You’re not starting over. You’re starting from experience. Let it refine you.

You get to decide what comes next.