WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.080 Welcome to Milestone Moments, the show where 00:00:03.080 --> 00:00:05.960 we explore the journeys that lead to success. 00:00:06.620 --> 00:00:10.199 I'm Sheila Slick, your host and founder of Five 00:00:10.199 --> 00:00:13.859 Milestones. In every episode, we will bring you 00:00:13.859 --> 00:00:17.100 insights from the minds of entrepreneurs, leaders 00:00:17.100 --> 00:00:20.800 and experts who will share not just their expertise, 00:00:20.879 --> 00:00:24.120 but the milestone moments that have reshaped 00:00:24.120 --> 00:00:27.039 their journeys and led to significant achievements. 00:00:27.960 --> 00:00:30.359 So if you're looking for motivation, you're in 00:00:30.359 --> 00:00:33.560 the right place. Subscribe now and discover the 00:00:33.560 --> 00:00:40.920 milestones that mark the path to success. Welcome 00:00:40.920 --> 00:00:44.219 to another episode of Milestone Moments in Business 00:00:44.219 --> 00:00:47.100 and Leadership. I'm Sheila Slick, your host. 00:00:47.380 --> 00:00:50.359 And today we're talking about something that 00:00:50.359 --> 00:00:53.359 affects all of us, whether we're just starting 00:00:53.359 --> 00:00:55.399 our journey or we're seasoned professionals. 00:00:56.320 --> 00:01:00.140 And that's turning setbacks into comebacks. You 00:01:00.140 --> 00:01:02.600 know, I had an interesting experience this past 00:01:02.600 --> 00:01:05.359 week that I wanted to share with you. I just 00:01:05.359 --> 00:01:09.840 sent it out in my biweekly newsletter. After 00:01:09.840 --> 00:01:13.159 12 years of building my network, my community 00:01:13.159 --> 00:01:17.200 on X, formerly known as Twitter, I suddenly found 00:01:17.200 --> 00:01:20.819 my account suspended. Just like that, I was locked 00:01:20.819 --> 00:01:23.870 out of my community. I was... unable to connect 00:01:23.870 --> 00:01:26.450 with the network that I've spent over a decade 00:01:26.450 --> 00:01:30.329 building. And the irony is that I've been telling 00:01:30.329 --> 00:01:33.409 my clients for years, don't build your brand 00:01:33.409 --> 00:01:36.629 or business exclusively on rented platforms. 00:01:36.969 --> 00:01:40.870 And now I'm living my own advice. And honestly, 00:01:41.150 --> 00:01:44.549 it's been quite frustrating and, of course, a 00:01:44.549 --> 00:01:48.150 wake -up call. Here's how it happened. I downloaded 00:01:48.150 --> 00:01:51.560 an app. to help clean up followers and X -flagged 00:01:51.560 --> 00:01:55.459 it as inauthentic behavior. Days later, I'm still 00:01:55.459 --> 00:01:58.159 waiting for a human to review it. And the struggle 00:01:58.159 --> 00:02:01.379 is real, as they say. But you know what? This 00:02:01.379 --> 00:02:04.700 experience got me thinking about setbacks in 00:02:04.700 --> 00:02:09.199 general and how we respond to them. Because let's 00:02:09.199 --> 00:02:12.419 face it, setbacks are inevitable, both in business 00:02:12.419 --> 00:02:16.530 and in life. And the question isn't whether we're 00:02:16.530 --> 00:02:19.289 going to face them, but how are we going to respond 00:02:19.289 --> 00:02:24.430 to them when they do happen? So today, I want 00:02:24.430 --> 00:02:27.229 to talk to you about how we can transform our 00:02:27.229 --> 00:02:31.610 setbacks and turn them into comebacks. Because 00:02:31.610 --> 00:02:34.509 I truly believe that every setback contains a 00:02:34.509 --> 00:02:38.189 valuable lesson, and every success leaves clues 00:02:38.189 --> 00:02:43.210 worth following. And the key lies in paying attention 00:02:43.210 --> 00:02:47.819 to both. So first, Let's talk about reframing 00:02:47.819 --> 00:02:51.080 failure. When something goes wrong, our first 00:02:51.080 --> 00:02:55.020 instinct is to often see the situation as a failure. 00:02:55.199 --> 00:02:58.340 I certainly felt that way when I realized I was 00:02:58.340 --> 00:03:02.259 locked out of my account. I even felt punished. 00:03:03.319 --> 00:03:07.680 But what if we reframe failure as feedback? Instead 00:03:07.680 --> 00:03:11.460 of asking, why did this happen to me? What if 00:03:11.460 --> 00:03:15.620 we shift our thinking to... What can I learn 00:03:15.620 --> 00:03:19.139 from this? Well, in my case, this setback reinforced 00:03:19.139 --> 00:03:22.020 something I already knew intellectually, but 00:03:22.020 --> 00:03:25.060 I hadn't fully implemented. And that's the importance 00:03:25.060 --> 00:03:30.400 of being able to connect with my audience through 00:03:30.400 --> 00:03:34.340 other channels that aren't as rented, like an 00:03:34.340 --> 00:03:38.060 email list or perhaps phone numbers, right? Where 00:03:38.060 --> 00:03:41.500 I can reach out via text. The second thing I 00:03:41.500 --> 00:03:45.039 found helpful. was what I call the power of a 00:03:45.039 --> 00:03:49.400 pause. When the account was suspended, I initially 00:03:49.400 --> 00:03:53.000 felt that urgent need to fix it immediately. 00:03:53.780 --> 00:03:57.039 But taking a step back has given me the space 00:03:57.039 --> 00:04:00.770 to think more clearly. And sometimes we need 00:04:00.770 --> 00:04:03.629 to pause, we need to breathe, and we need to 00:04:03.629 --> 00:04:06.750 process what happened before we can respond effectively. 00:04:06.990 --> 00:04:09.750 It's not about giving up. It's about creating 00:04:09.750 --> 00:04:13.610 space to think clearly and to respond thoughtfully 00:04:13.610 --> 00:04:18.750 rather than impulsively. Now let's talk about 00:04:18.750 --> 00:04:22.790 staying connected to your why. During tough times, 00:04:22.970 --> 00:04:27.389 it's really easy to lose sight of why you started 00:04:27.389 --> 00:04:30.910 in the first place. My why has always been about 00:04:30.910 --> 00:04:34.769 helping others navigate business, navigate transitions, 00:04:35.269 --> 00:04:39.290 leverage technology, and find clarity in their 00:04:39.290 --> 00:04:43.170 next steps. This setback actually reminded me 00:04:43.170 --> 00:04:46.029 of that purpose. It has given me an opportunity 00:04:46.029 --> 00:04:49.870 to practice what I preach and to share this experience 00:04:49.870 --> 00:04:52.990 with you, turning it into a teaching moment rather 00:04:52.990 --> 00:04:56.610 than just a personal frustration, even though 00:04:56.610 --> 00:04:59.579 that's real. Another strategy that's been really 00:04:59.579 --> 00:05:02.620 helpful for me is taking micro steps to regain 00:05:02.620 --> 00:05:06.220 momentum. After a setback, getting back on track 00:05:06.220 --> 00:05:09.779 can feel overwhelming. But the key is taking 00:05:09.779 --> 00:05:13.180 small, consistent actions rather than expecting 00:05:13.180 --> 00:05:16.759 everything to fall back into place at once. Even 00:05:16.759 --> 00:05:19.660 though it would be nice, it doesn't always happen 00:05:19.660 --> 00:05:22.740 that way. And for me, That can mean doubling 00:05:22.740 --> 00:05:25.980 down on my email newsletter, for example, reaching 00:05:25.980 --> 00:05:29.240 out to connections through other channels, and 00:05:29.240 --> 00:05:33.279 seeing this as an opportunity to diversify my 00:05:33.279 --> 00:05:37.899 communication strategy. Let's talk about adaptability, 00:05:37.899 --> 00:05:42.160 too. In today's world, we are seeing so many 00:05:42.160 --> 00:05:44.779 shifts, so many changes. We're seeing supply 00:05:44.779 --> 00:05:48.800 chain shifts. We're seeing tariff changes. We're 00:05:48.800 --> 00:05:52.120 seeing technical disruptions. And all of these 00:05:52.120 --> 00:05:56.680 have become our new normal. So adaptability isn't 00:05:56.680 --> 00:06:00.160 optional. It's essential. Being adaptable doesn't 00:06:00.160 --> 00:06:04.000 mean abandoning your goals. It means reevaluating 00:06:04.000 --> 00:06:06.019 your approach when things don't go according 00:06:06.019 --> 00:06:09.360 to your plan. In my case, this hasn't changed 00:06:09.360 --> 00:06:11.839 my goal of connecting with and helping others. 00:06:11.899 --> 00:06:14.819 It's just changing how I have to go about doing 00:06:14.819 --> 00:06:18.670 that. And I've also been reminded that resilience 00:06:18.670 --> 00:06:21.250 isn't just something that you either have or 00:06:21.250 --> 00:06:24.050 you don't have. It's a skill that you have to 00:06:24.050 --> 00:06:27.209 develop over time and you have to practice it. 00:06:27.269 --> 00:06:30.170 It requires intentional practice, especially 00:06:30.170 --> 00:06:34.370 when setbacks occur. And a practice that always 00:06:34.370 --> 00:06:38.069 helps me is gratitude. Because even in a frustrating 00:06:38.069 --> 00:06:42.209 situation, I'm grateful for the reminder. that 00:06:42.209 --> 00:06:44.949 I need to diversify my communication channels. 00:06:45.089 --> 00:06:47.589 I'm grateful for the people that I did manage 00:06:47.589 --> 00:06:51.250 to connect with outside of the platform. And 00:06:51.250 --> 00:06:53.569 I'm grateful for this platform where I can share 00:06:53.569 --> 00:06:57.110 these experiences with you. I'm also grateful 00:06:57.110 --> 00:07:00.310 for the opportunity to practice resilience in 00:07:00.310 --> 00:07:03.889 real time. And finally, I want to emphasize the 00:07:03.889 --> 00:07:07.350 importance of finding support. Setbacks can often 00:07:07.350 --> 00:07:10.230 feel isolating, but we don't have to go through 00:07:10.230 --> 00:07:12.839 them alone. Talking through your challenges with 00:07:12.839 --> 00:07:16.439 others can help us process our emotions. It can 00:07:16.439 --> 00:07:19.920 help us gain new insights and feel more empowered 00:07:19.920 --> 00:07:23.000 to move forward. I've been fortunate to have 00:07:23.000 --> 00:07:25.399 mentors and colleagues who've offered perspective 00:07:25.399 --> 00:07:28.540 and encouragement during tough times. This particular 00:07:28.540 --> 00:07:32.199 case being a social media isn't that dire, so 00:07:32.199 --> 00:07:35.639 to speak. It is frustrating. So I haven't really 00:07:35.639 --> 00:07:38.300 had to seek out much support, but I definitely 00:07:38.300 --> 00:07:42.920 communicated. to help others learn, and also 00:07:42.920 --> 00:07:47.259 to gain different perspectives from people that 00:07:47.259 --> 00:07:51.420 are part of my community. And a lot of times, 00:07:51.420 --> 00:07:55.259 by having support, it not only becomes invaluable 00:07:55.259 --> 00:07:59.160 in helping you see setbacks, not as an ending, 00:07:59.199 --> 00:08:02.160 but as the beginning of something new. And so 00:08:02.160 --> 00:08:06.100 here's what I want to leave you with today. Success 00:08:06.100 --> 00:08:09.399 isn't always a straight line. It's filled with 00:08:09.399 --> 00:08:13.379 twists, with turns, and with detours. And with 00:08:13.379 --> 00:08:16.939 the right mindset, every setback can become a 00:08:16.939 --> 00:08:20.019 stepping stone. Because when we face setbacks, 00:08:20.019 --> 00:08:23.620 we gain clarity about what truly matters and 00:08:23.620 --> 00:08:26.519 what needs to change. And this is how resilient 00:08:26.519 --> 00:08:30.540 businesses and people are built and how breakthrough 00:08:30.540 --> 00:08:34.779 ideas are born. So I'd love to hear from you. 00:08:34.860 --> 00:08:37.659 What recent challenge has taught you something 00:08:37.659 --> 00:08:40.480 unexpected? Or how have you turned a setback 00:08:40.480 --> 00:08:42.519 into a comeback in your own life or business? 00:08:42.960 --> 00:08:46.100 I'd love for you to share your thoughts. Feel 00:08:46.100 --> 00:08:48.799 free to reach out to me directly through my website 00:08:48.799 --> 00:08:54.440 or email newsletter or social media. And speaking 00:08:54.440 --> 00:08:57.139 of newsletter, if you haven't subscribed yet, 00:08:57.179 --> 00:09:00.500 now might be the perfect time. It's one channel 00:09:00.500 --> 00:09:03.419 that isn't controlled by any platform, so I'd 00:09:03.419 --> 00:09:06.700 love to stay connected with you there. Until 00:09:06.700 --> 00:09:09.860 next time, remember that setbacks are just setups 00:09:09.860 --> 00:09:12.700 for comebacks. I'm Sheila Slick, and this has 00:09:12.700 --> 00:09:15.600 been Milestone Moment in Business and Leadership. 00:09:16.440 --> 00:09:17.899 Until next time.