"Failure"

Two things I enjoy nearly every single day are açai bowls and smoothies, and coconut water. One company I used to work for, and one company I know from the natural products industry.

Earlier this week I was surprised and delighted to read the news that Madonna invested in Vita Coco! I know the founder and some people who work for the company, and certainly they manufacture an outstanding product. Undoubtedly this investment will be wonderful for them, for both star power awareness and the resources required to battle the 'war at shelf' that's very real and quite challenging for independent companies. What I love is the story behind it...How a college drop out creates a company, works hard to make a superior product (I'm sure not without considerable struggle, and a few moments of staring into the abyss) when out of nowhere an unexpected door opens.

A few weeks ago, I read a story in the Economist called "The Harry Pottery Economy": "...The recession of 2008-2009 has been accompanied by bold claims about businesses' economic importance. As car makers teetered many people put it about that one in ten American jobs depended on the industry. The figure turned out to include taxi drivers. Similarly adventurous claims have been made for telecoms and road-building. As a single-handed creator of jobs and wealth, though, few can match the writer Joanne Rowling..."

When the first Harry Potter came out several years ago, I remember reading J.K. Rowling's personal story -- how a single mother was struggling with bills and debt, and sitting at a cafe with her child to warm herself as her home lacked heat, when the entire Harry Pottery story just popped into her head. And of course she then completed the crucial next step by then reaching for the gift -- she sat down and wrote it.

J.K. Rowlings' very moving commencement speech at Harvard University is worth listening to for the 'fringe benefits of failure.'