Fail Forward

Welcome to episode 7 of the Fail Forward podcast.

In previous episodes, I've been very open about the catalyst for Fail Forward. But I haven't yet covered what went wrong in any great detail.

When I start to share my story, I'm always asked the same questions:

Why did the business fail?

How did I grow a business from zero to 47 staff, and then lose it all?

What went wrong?

In this episode I'm going to share with you, what I believe were the three key points of failure that resulted in me losing my business, my home, my health and very nearly my family.

I quickly realised that recovering after a catastrophic failure like this wasn't something I could do alone. I've spoken before about the immense support I had from employees who kept things going when I couldn't. The support from fellow business owners who wanted to see me recover, and of course, the support of my family. But there were others.

A large factor in turning my life around, was surrounding myself with people I could learn from. Be that peer groups, mastermind groups or working with a mentor.

I would urge anyone who's going through what I did, find people to support you.

Don't be afraid to admit mistakes. After all, perfection is nothing more than someone's idea of what's right!. Create positive environments where you can start to see things clearly.

These days I routinely keep a journal of what's gone well, and what hasn't. That's something I learned when I created my 'What went wrong?' document after the business collapsed. It's a tangible record that allows you to reflect and learn.

So what did the what went wrong document tell me?

Listen to this episode and learn the 3 key points of failure that have gone on to inform the four pillars I believe you need to grow a successful, sustainable business.

If you're enjoying the Fail Forward podcasts, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or LinkedIn for all the latest on my mission to help business owners Fail Forward.

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/failforwardhenri

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/henri-ghijben-539132101/

TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@failforward12

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/henrighijben/

Welcome to episode 6 of the Fail Forward podcast.

In previous episodes, I've talked about accountability and the importance of being accountable when things go wrong. But what if you could put a framework in place that helped you ensure you maximise your potential for success every day?

In this episode of the Fail Forward podcast, I share my personal winning formula that helps me start each day in the best possible shape - mentally, physically and psychologically.

It's something I've been practising and developing over recent years and has been a key factor in my ability to overcome what's gone before and focus on Failing Forward.

There's no shortage of books aiming to give you the golden bullet that will help you achieve success and I've tried lots of them.

While I've learned something from them all, I have come to the realisation that only you can find the winning formula that will work for you. What's more, your personal winning formula may change over time.

A crucial part of recovering when things go wrong and Failing Forward is understanding yourself better. Some people like to rise and shine with the birds, others are night owls. Some like to lift weights, others prefer to practice yoga. Some people love to read whilst others can't wait to plug into an audio book… By now you're getting my point.

When you're thinking about creating a winning formula, pay attention to those amazing days when everything just flows. Who did you speak to? What did you eat? Did you work out? Where did you work?

If it helps, keep a note over a period of time and notice the trends as that will help you spot what works well, and not so well, for you.

In this episode I also share my own personal winning formula that's working for me right now. I'll share why stopped drinking alcohol, and why I work hard to manage the dopamine loops of social media.

I hope it'll help you to find your flow in order to create your very own winning formula.

Who knows, it might just change your life!

If you're enjoying the Fail Forward podcasts, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or LinkedIn for all the latest on my mission to help business owners Fail Forward.

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/failforwardhenri

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/henri-ghijben-539132101/

TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@failforward12

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/henrighijben/

Welcome to episode 5 of the Fail Forward podcast.

In previous episodes, I've talked about accountability and the importance of being accountable when things go wrong.

But what does that mean?

In this episode of the Fail Forward podcast, we will take a deep dive into accountability and why it is such an essential step in failing forwards.

Before my business went under, I worked with a business coach, Jeff Shrimpton. Jeff is an ActionCoach, and one of the things he talks about is being above or below the line. When you're above the line, you're being accountable and taking responsibility. But when you're below the line, you're seeking to blame others and make excuses if things aren't going well.

It's probably important to say that, at the time I was working with Jeff, things were already pretty bad in my business. That business couldn't be saved, but I learned compelling lessons that stood me in great stead for the next phase of my journey.

When my business when bust, it was tough. It was tough on me, my children, my wife, friends, and staff.

It would have been easy to blame the contracts we'd been working on, making excuses that framework rates made it impossible to deliver the work and make a profit. But ultimately, doing that would have been ignorant. I wouldn't have been taking accountability for the decisions I'd made that had brought the company to the point of failure. And I'd probably have made the same mistakes again.

That's when failure is a negative!.

I've talked before about the toll losing my home and business took on my mental health. But, by holding myself accountable, I reflected on what had gone wrong, documented it, and made sure I never made the same mistakes again in the future.

You have to exercise your accountability muscles regularly, which can be challenging. But the more you do it, the better you'll become and the faster you'll recover next time things don't go to plan.

And that's step one of failing forward.

If you're enjoying the Fail Forward podcasts, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or LinkedIn for all the latest on my mission to help business owners Fail Forward.

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/failforwardhenri

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/henri-ghijben-539132101/

TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@failforward12

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/henrighijben/

Welcome to episode 4 of the Fail Forward podcast.

In this episode, I'm talking to Liam Doe, one of the owners of Old Bond Store in Southampton. A unique member-only workspace. Over the next hour, you'll hear first-hand Liam's journey so far, what's gone wrong and how he bounced back when it looked like he'd lost everything.

During the interview, I've asked Liam searching questions about what it means to be successful and what he considers the personality trait you'll find in every successful entrepreneur. We examine the difference between a business operator and an entrepreneur and why you need both those personalities to keep a business on track.

Throughout this podcast, Liam explains with complete honesty how he went from building a business to a £5 million turnover in the competitive world of construction to laying off all his staff and starting again.

You'll learn about his journey from his early years as an ultra-competitive footballer to the innovative workspace disruptor he is today. He'll share lessons from time spent as a "useless recruiter" to a successful kitchen salesperson.

The essence of Liam's story is the importance of understanding your differences, staying true to your ultimate goal, even when things look impossible, and the benefits of simplifying your business model.

As one of the Old Bond Store owners, Liam has created a completely unique offering with the largest business ecosystem in the local area. So what's next for someone who confesses to getting bored and loving the thrill of starting something new?

Join me for a fascinating 55 minutes that will leave you with three vital tips to Fail Forward when things go wrong.

If you enjoy listening to Liam's story, you can connect with him on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/liam-doe-ab7a89166/ where he describes himself as annoyingly loud. Or, to find out more about the Old Bond Store, head to https://oldbondstore.com/ and find a member to introduce you.

If you're enjoying the Fail Forward podcasts, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or LinkedIn for all the latest on my mission to help business owners Fail Forward.

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/failforwardhenri

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/henri-ghijben-539132101/

TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@failforward12

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/henrighijben/

We are conditioned to avoid failure from childhood and be afraid of it. In this episode, I'm taking a deep dive into failure, answering three key questions;

What is failure?

How does failure affect our approach to life?

What can you do to change your perspective?

When you look up fail, failure and failing in the Oxford English Dictionary, you'll read three of the most negative definitions I've ever seen.

However, when you break it down, failure is everywhere.

We face failure every day. Not just in the big things like a business going under or losing your family home. Also, the minor things like being late for a meeting, choosing a gridlocked route to work, or burning the toast. Yet we overlook life's minor failures while catastrophising over the big ones.

When I lost my business a few years ago, I read a book that profoundly impacted what I did next. That book was Black Box Thinking by Matthew Syed. And it made me think about two things:

What if we reframed the negative narrative and stopped fearing failure?

What difference would it make to our lives if we actively looked for the lessons in each perceived failure?

Throughout this episode, you'll hear me talk about not giving up and the difference between giving up and learning to do something differently.

And I'll explore the concept that experience and failure are the same things - the difference is how you think and feel about them. You'll learn the simple four-step plan I've created to help you process and overcome failures.

If you like what you hear in the Fail Forward podcasts, You can follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/failforwardhenri

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/henri-ghijben-539132101/

TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@failforward12

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/henrighijben/

Looking back on when things have gone wrong can be painful, embarrassing or any other uncomfortable emotion. As a result, it's often easier not to and instead focus on what's next.

In this episode of Fail Forward, I reflect on how it felt to listen back to episode 1 when I was interviewed by Amy Rowlinson and consider the importance of taking time to reflect and learn throughout our lifetime.

You'll frequently hear me say, "Failure isn't a negative if you learn from it" - something I passionately believe.

To live the life you want to live, you need to push boundaries, develop and evolve. And that means learning from everything you do - good, bad and indifferent.

Perfection is just a perception.

As Rob Moore says, "Every master was once a disaster". In striving for perfection and beating ourselves up when we don't achieve it.

By drawing from my own real-life experiences, courses I've attended, and books I've read, my aim, through Fail Forward, is to give you hope and inspire you to stop fearing failure.

If you like what you hear in the Fail Forward podcasts, You can follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/failforwardhenri

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/henri-ghijben-539132101/

TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@failforward12

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/henrighijben/

Fail Forward is the weekly podcast hosted by entrepreneur and family man Henri Ghijben. In each episode you'll hear from Henri and guests as they share real-life experiences of positives born from failure, reflections on the lessons learned from 'losing it all, and what fuels Henri's desire to help others overcome personal and business challenges in order to create the lives they want to live.

Who is Henri Ghijben?

Growing up in Bury St Edmunds, Henri's first memorable experience of failure left him with the lasting ability to never get lost. It proved to be the first of many times Henri would fail forward. But it wasn't until he faced losing his home, business and possibly even his family, that he realised the truth.

Failure is only negative if you don't learn from it.

Against the odds, Henri has rebuilt from rock bottom. He's now on a mission to help others avoid making the same mistakes he did, to help those facing failure see that there is a way back and that by failing forward they can enjoy success again.

Ever thankful for the love and support of his family, the loyalty of his team and the help of business owners who helped him when the chips were down, Henri now lives in Southampton where he runs HRG Tree Surgeons, has growing property management and investment businesses and runs mentoring programmes for business owners, entrepreneurs and directors who are on their own growth journeys.

You can follow him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/failforwardhenri

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/henri-ghijben-539132101/

TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@failforward12

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/henrighijben/

It takes more than determination and long hours to build a sustainable business.

Setting the scene for the rest of the season, this episode reflects on my journey from leaving school with no qualifications, bouncing from job to job before setting up my own business in my 20s, growing it to a team of almost 50 and then losing it all.

But that's not the end of the story. Armed with a "What went wrong?" document, I made peace with the uncomfortable recognition that I just wasn't good enough and set about rebuilding my life, my family and my business.

I was determined to fail forward. That whatever came next, I wouldn't waste the lessons I'd learned and I would do things differently this time around. But it goes deeper than that. I came to the realisation in 2021 that my story isn't actually that unique.

People lose their businesses, homes and families every day. But not everyone has the help and support they need to rebuild their lives. Fast forward several years (and a pandemic) and I'm well on the path to building a network of businesses that will allow me to give back to the community of Southampton and to help people facing the same challenges I did.

You can follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/failforwardhenri

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/henri-ghijben-539132101/

TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@failforward12

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/henrighijben/

In this first episode of Fail Forward, I'm interviewed by Amy Rowlinson about the experiences that inspired me to launch this podcast. A world-renowned podcaster herself, Amy heard my story in 2021 and has been pivotal to moving the project forward.

You can find out more about Amy here: https://www.amyrowlinson.com/