Failing Forward

By Bethany Fiocchi Root

An exclusive look at what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur, and all the failures that happen along the way.

Get a front row seat to hear the rarely-spoken-of challenges behind the successes.... more

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FAQs about Failing Forward:

How many episodes does Failing Forward have?

The podcast currently has 11 episodes available.

Failing Forward episodes:

July 29, 2025 EP 10 - Britney Branch Britney Branch on Redefining Growth and Protecting Your Energy
In this episode, Bethany chats with Britney Branch, founder of The Boss Up Agency, about building a business from scratch, learning from fast growth, and aligning work with personal values. Britney shares how she pivoted from influencer marketing into full-service social media management during the early months of the pandemic. She talks about setting boundaries as a recovering people pleaser, and why maintaining a business takes more intention than starting one.
She also shares personal systems that support her mental health, including structured digital boundaries and routines that protect her energy.

CONNECT WITH BRITNEY BRANCH:
Instagram: @ itsbritneynicole_
The Boss Up Agency website
TIMESTAMPS:
01:19 Starting the agency during the pandemic
05:35 First clients and first pivots
09:30 Saying no to misaligned clients
13:40 Hiring, scaling, and hard lessons
19:20 Digital boundaries and mental health
25:20 This or That round
ABOUT THE HOST, BETHANY FIOCCHI ROOT AND OCEANVIEW MARKETING:
Oceanview Marketing is a boutique consultancy that helps funded SaaS, tech and service-based startups unlock millions in new revenue through strategic digital marketing, fast execution and experience-backed testing.
Led by Bethany Fiocchi Root, the firm specializes in validating product-market fit and building scalable systems for long-term growth. Learn more at oceanview-marketing.com.

🩵 STAY CONNECTED:
Follow Oceanview Marketing on Instagram
Follow this podcast on Instagram

👑 Know someone who’d love this episode? Share it with a friend or teammate who’s building something big.

This episode was produced by ⁠⁠AOLI.fm⁠⁠.
...more
29min
July 15, 2025 EP 9 - With Meg O’Neill on Social Media Visibility, Motherhood, and Building a Business Her Own Way
Meg O’Neill is a marketing and community-building expert. In this episode, she shares how her career evolved from nonprofit roles to entrepreneurship, how motherhood shaped her choices, and why showing up imperfectly online became her strength.
She talks about quitting a job that no longer fit, building a business during a busy season of life, and how her son’s autism diagnosis helped her trust her own path. Meg also shares why she ignores traditional advice like niching down, and how video and personal connection drive her work.
CONNECT WITH MEG O’NEILL:
Instagram: @megoneill10
TIMESTAMPS:
02:10 Early career in nonprofit work
03:16 Realizing that stay-at-home life wasn’t for her
04:10 Starting over in wellness and marketing
05:55 Quitting her job without a plan
08:30 Managing anxiety and burnout
11:04 Setting boundaries with clients
12:52 Parenting and building a business around family
17:10 Why doesn’t she niche
19:32 Using video to grow community
ABOUT THE HOST, BETHANY FIOCCHI ROOT AND OCEANVIEW MARKETING:
Oceanview Marketing is a boutique consultancy that helps funded SaaS, tech and service-based startups unlock millions in new revenue through strategic digital marketing, fast execution and experience-backed testing.
Led by Bethany Fiocchi Root, the firm specializes in validating product-market fit and building scalable systems for long-term growth. Learn more at oceanview-marketing.com.

🩵 STAY CONNECTED:
Follow Oceanview Marketing on Instagram
Follow this podcast on Instagram

👑 Know someone who’d love this episode? Share it with a friend or teammate who’s building something big.

This episode was produced by ⁠AOLI.fm⁠.
...more
21min
July 08, 2025 EP 8 - Lauren Perna on Turning Burnout Into a More Aligned Career
Lauren Perna spent nearly two decades in the corporate and nonprofit world before launching her own communications agency. Along the way, she navigated high-functioning anxiety, depression, and burnout, and learned how entrepreneurship could be a tool for healing. Today, she leads Lauren Perna Communications, a content studio serving clients in life sciences and beyond.
In this episode, Lauren shares how mental health shaped her path, what finally pushed her to leave her “dream job,” and how building a business around her strengths gave her the freedom to work on her own terms.

CONNECT WITH LAUREN PERNA:
Website
Instagram

TIMESTAMPS:
01:15 Living with anxiety and depression
04:20 Leaving her “dream job”
05:50 Taking a year off to reset
07:05 Starting her business during the pandemic
10:45 Experience doubts
13:00 Choosing the right niche and clients
16:05 Building the right team
21:10 If she weren’t a writer, she would be…
ABOUT THE HOST, BETHANY FIOCCHI ROOT AND OCEANVIEW MARKETING:
Oceanview Marketing is a boutique consultancy that helps funded SaaS, tech and service-based startups unlock millions in new revenue through strategic digital marketing, fast execution and experience-backed testing.
Led by Bethany Fiocchi Root, the firm specializes in validating product-market fit and building scalable systems for long-term growth. Learn more at oceanview-marketing.com.

🩵 STAY CONNECTED:
Follow Oceanview Marketing on Instagram
Follow this podcast on Instagram

👑 Know someone who’d love this episode? Share it with a friend or teammate who’s building something big.

This episode was produced by AOLI.fm.
...more
23min
June 23, 2025 EP 7 - Paige Burns on Starting Main Paige Media and Learning to Lead
Paige Burns walked away from a steady in-house video job to launch her own production company, and without a roadmap. Today, she runs Main Paige Media, a thriving storytelling studio that works with brands across industries.
In this episode, Paige talks about leaving the security of a salaried role, the pressure to do everything perfectly at the start, and the mindset shifts that helped her replace overthinking with action. She also opens up about early mistakes in hiring, learning to give direction without micromanaging, and how she built a business around her strengths, and not her weaknesses.
CONNECT WITH PAIGE BURNS:
Main Paige Media Website
Paige’s Instagram

TIMESTAMPS:
01:15 Quitting a full-time job to start her own company
06:08 The pressure to be perfect
08:40 Focusing on one lead only
14:23 Ready to start a business
20:00 First clients
22:55 Hope for the best, plan for the worst
24:20 Putting yourself out of your comfort zone
29:42 The hiring process she got right at first
38:02 Advice for people starting out
ABOUT THE HOST, BETHANY FIOCCHI ROOT AND OCEANVIEW MARKETING:
Oceanview Marketing is a boutique consultancy that helps funded SaaS, tech and service-based startups unlock millions in new revenue through strategic digital marketing, fast execution and experience-backed testing.
Led by Bethany Fiocchi Root, the firm specializes in validating product-market fit and building scalable systems for long-term growth. Learn more at oceanview-marketing.com.

🩵 STAY CONNECTED:
Follow Oceanview Marketing on Instagram
Follow this podcast on Instagram

👑 Know someone who’d love this episode? Share it with a friend or teammate who’s building something big.

This episode was produced by AOLI.fm.
...more
42min
June 16, 2025 EP 6 - Chris Ronzio on Building Trainual
Chris Ronzio started his first business at the age of 14, pitching corporate clients before he could even drive. Today, he is the founder of Trainual, a rapidly growing SaaS company that helps teams scale through improved onboarding and training processes.
In this episode, Chris shares the early mistakes that shaped his approach to business, how he transformed his company into a million-dollar venture, and what he wishes he had done differently in his first year. He also recounts an embarrassing story with Shaquille O'Neal and explains why he encourages young founders to think big.

Connect with Chris Ronzio:
Chris’ Website
Chris’ Podcast: Organize Chaos
Chris on Instagram

Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
02:12 Starting a business at 14
04:06 The first big mistake (and client disaster)
07:00 From video production to a scalable system
09:40 Why his 2015 launch flopped
16:54 Running out of money
21:31 Winning a $150K grant
27:26 Network is your networth
30:48 Embarrassing moment with Shaquille O'Neal

About the host, Bethany Fiocchi Root and Oceanview Marketing:
Oceanview Marketing is a boutique consultancy that helps funded SaaS, tech and service-based startups unlock millions in new revenue through strategic digital marketing, fast execution and experience-backed testing.
Led by Bethany Fiocchi Root, the firm specializes in validating product-market fit and building scalable systems for long-term growth. Learn more at oceanview-marketing.com.

🩵 Stay connected:
Follow Oceanview Marketing on Instagram
Follow this podcast on Instagram

👑 Know someone who’d love this episode? Share it with a friend or teammate who’s building something big.

This episode was produced by AOLI.fm.
...more
33min
October 26, 2024 Solo Episode: My Huge Secret
Follow along to hear about my HUGE SECRET... and find out how sometimes "negative" things can become the very thing needed for everything to fall into place.

...more
7min
March 17, 2024Episode 4 - The Boldest Move
From a lucrative CPA career to following a dream in her heart - learn how Amy Pocsik of Bold Moves and Women's Business League now lives a life that sets her heart on FIRE (and how she helps others do the same).
Grab my FREE Marketing Funnel Cheat Sheet here!
Follow Failing Forward on instagram here.
Follow Amy Pocsik:
@amypocsik

@boldmoves.co

@womensbusinessleague
...more
33min
February 23, 2024 Episode 3 - The Perfect Pivot
From a "junk drawer business" to a laser-focused company, learn how pivoting with purpose set Mallika up for success!
Meet Mallika Malhotra, The Brand CEO - an award winning brand strategist, mentor, and speaker. Mallika shares her learnings from multiple business ventures, and how she honed in on her "zone of genius" to create a thriving niche for herself in personal branding.
Follow Mallika here:
@mallikamalhotra.co (Instagram)
Facebook
LinkedIn
Follow Failing Forward Podcast here:
@failingforward_podcast (Instagram)

...more
39min
February 05, 2024 Episode 2 - A Summer Legend
What do engaged couples, packed Boston bars, and Howard Stern all have in common? They've all hired Chris Mathison and his talented team to perform during their special events!
In this episode, we dive into the world of entertainment with Chris Mathison, owner and co-founder of Summertone Productions.
Chris shares his journey managing 5-star bands like Beach Nights and Legends of Summer, revealing the secrets of aligning his business with the right people and the crucial art of seeking help along the way.

Find Summertone Productions here:
teamsummertone.com
And on Instagram here:
@beachnightsband @legendsofsummerband

Follow Failing Forward Podcast on Instagram: @failingforward_podcast
...more
26min
January 19, 2024 Episode 1 - 2 Odd Noodles
Paul Scrivens and Marybeth Santos from Pocket Business and Odd Noodle share what they've learned while building an online business over the last 8 years.
Listen for lessons on giving up too quickly, getting complacent with success (including a $140K product launch that Scrivs humbly glosses over), and not being in alignment with your audience.

Learn more about their businesses:
https://pocketbusiness.com/
https://oddnoodle.com/

Subscribe to the Failing Forward Podcast and follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/failingforward_podcast/
...more
45min

FAQs about Failing Forward:

How many episodes does Failing Forward have?

The podcast currently has 11 episodes available.