FAILING & FALLING
Exploring what we can learn from what we do wrong.
A Podcast | by Author & Speaker Shannon W. Williams
ABOUT THE PODCAST
Failure is a language everyone speaks, but most of us struggle to admit it. Like embers in a fire that won’t quite go out—guilt, shame, and embarassment replay the moment, the decision, the mistake, over and over again.
Our minds become a maze of alternate endings, where every turn leads to another version of how things could have gone, leaving us trapped in fear and regret.
The Failing & Falling Podcast takes a second look at our stumbles and setbacks.
With candid insights and hard-earned wisdom, we unpack the lessons hidden in our failures and explore how to transform them into building blocks for healing, growth and success.
We believe—somewhere in the wreckage of failure, there’s a flicker of something new—a lesson, a shift, a spark of resilience waiting to be fanned into flame.
Join us for the journey. Click the button below to get started, or scroll down to learn more.
Cheers, friends. Here’s to getting back up . . .
ABOUT THE HOST
I've failed more times than I can count.
But these days, I’m less concerned with counting, and more interested in learning. If you’re like me, and you’re done trying to keep score or keep up, you’re in the right spot.
If you’re looking for the place where all the perfect people drink champagne and congratulate each other on their wins, you won’t find it here.
If you’re looking for Linkedin-style listicles promising overnight success, instant healing, or pain-free growth, you won’t find them here.
What you WILL find is an honest conversation about the human condition, and a genuine attempt to explore what we can learn from what we do wrong. You’ll be invited into the dialogue as I share my own missteps (in marriage, parenting, business – you name it), and sit with friends and colleagues who will do the same.
Here’s what you can expect:
1) Authenticity – to show you – you’re not alone.
2) Inspiration – to remind you – you’ve got this.
3) Strategy – to equip you – for success and lasting change.
Thanks for joining the conversation.
Our instinctive aversion to failure, our confusion about its different forms, and our fear of rejection keep us stuck. The way out starts with reframing failure and setting realistic expectations about it.
Amy Edmondson
SEASON 1 : SERIES 1
Flipping the Failure Script: Why Falling Short is Your Superpower
Most of us are afraid of failure, but what if we’ve been looking at it all wrong? In this episode, we break down why failure isn’t a dead-end but a launchpad for growth—and how the world’s most successful people use their setbacks as stepping stones. Let’s rewrite the way we see failure—so we can use it to our advantage.
Against the Odds: The Art, Science, and Spirituality of Resilience
Getting knocked down is inevitable, but staying down is more of a choice. This episode is all about resilience—how to process failure without letting it define you, build the mental, emotional and spiritual grit to keep going, and create daily habits that make bouncing back second nature.
The Science of Screwing Up: How to Decode Your Setbacks
Episode 2
Not all failures are created equal—some are worth celebrating, while others should be dissected and learned from. In this episode, we explore the different types of failure, how to tell the productive ones from the painful ones, and how to analyze setbacks without spiraling into self-doubt.
Forward Motion: Turning Mistakes Into Momentum
Failure is only wasted if we don’t learn from it. In this episode, we explore how to create a personal system for learning from your mistakes, so that every failure brings us one step closer to success. From the “failure audit” technique to real-world stories of transformation, we’ll learn how to stop fearing failure and start using it as a tool for growth.
About the book
Moving beyond failure requires just that – movement. But progress takes time, and forward motion rarely happens at the pace we wish it would. What do we do with the in-between, the middle – when we’re not where we used to be but still not where we want to be?
Meditations for the Middle offers a thoughtful guide for navigating seasons of change, uncertainty, and growth. A perfect companion to the Failing & Falling podcast, this book extends its honest conversations into written form – and even offers a prompted journal as an additional resource.
Through candid reflections and practical wisdom, Williams helps readers embrace the messiness of the middle with clarity and purpose and reminds us that failure is part of our becoming.
Meditations for the Middle will be available 07.01.26. Click the button below to learn more, or sign up to receive a free downloadable copy of Chapter 1, in early April 2026.
ABOUT SPEAKING
Keynote: Do the Hard Thing, Head-On
Avoiding challenges feels easier in the moment, but real growth happens when we face them directly.
In this powerful talk, Shannon shares honest experiences and practical lessons that help audiences push through obstacles instead of sidestepping them. The result? Greater resilience, deeper confidence, healthy change, and lasting success.
Book Shannon for your next event and give your audience the tools to tackle adversity head-on.
Other Keynotes:
1. Giving In isn’t Giving Up: Surrender as Personal & Professional Practice
2. Do-Overs & Second Chances: They’re for You, Too
3. Walking with a Limp: How Pace, Perspective, & Perserverance Work Together
Areas of Expertise:
Emotional Intelligence in Teams • Personal Brand • Brand Thinking & Culture • Leadership Development • Change Management • Spiritual Formation
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