FailCraft

What happens when anunsolved 1969 Sicilian mafia art heist captures your imagination, leading to anine-year research and writing journey into the turbulent life, rebellion, andprofound spiritual grace of the Renaissance painter Caravaggio?   Margaret Philbrick is an award-winning author, poet, andlifelong gardener whose work examines the intersection of art, culture, andredemption. Her latest nove...

What happens when youenter the real estate market with a mountain of credit card debt right on theeve of the historic 2008 global financial crash—and instead of quitting, yourealize that having nothing to lose gives you the fearlessness needed to createlasting abundance?   Dr. Victoria Rader is a globally recognized transformationalspeaker, bestselling author, Ph. D. in Metaphysical Studies, and t...

Everyone tells youthat you need to forgive for your own peace, but almost no one gives you apractical, step-by-step framework for how to actually do it when someone hascommitted an unforgivable act.   Katharine Giovanni is a three-time award-winning bestsellingauthor, forgiveness educator, international speaker, and intuitive. A survivorof childhood trauma, more than three decades of sobriety, and...

What happens when youspend 35 years reaching the absolute pinnacle of academia—serving as adistinguished professor, authoring books on organizational creativity, andreceiving national medals of honor from foreign governments—only to leavebehind the safety of your expertise and embrace the uncertainty of writingmystery novels from scratch?   Dr. Nancy K. Napier is a Distinguished Professor Emerita...

What happens when youreach age 48 completely out of shape, realize that the window to take yourphysical health seriously is rapidly closing, and decide to go from strugglingthrough a local 10K to completing multiple Ironman triathlons and a 72-mile ultramarathonin your 60s?   Jeff Weiss is a business executive, ultra-enduranceathlete, and the author of Racing Against Time: OnIronman, Ultramarathon...

What happens when anentire generation becomes consumed by 15-second social media algorithms, losingthe ability to distinguish between provable facts and popular opinions whileforgetting the historical context that explains how our world works?   Barbara Ann Mojica is a historian, retired educator with over 40years of experience (serving as a classroom teacher, special educationspecialist, principa...

What if what weroutinely label as "human error" is actually a predictable outcome ofpoorly designed systems, and the culture of blaming individuals simply preventsorganizations from fixing root architectural flaws?   Adam Korga is a veteran systems analyst with two decadesin the IT trenches, author of the satirical IT Dictionary , andcreator of the Fuckup Almanac series. Acting as adigit...

What do you do whenthe school system writes you off as a kid, teachers tell you to your face thatyou'll end up begging on the streets, and you spend decades drifting throughjobs feeling like you were dealt a permanently bad hand?   James Lee is a healthcare professional, home healthaide, and author of New Beginnings . Growing up with anundiagnosed language-based learning disability, James fell...

What do you do whenyour mother signs away her parental rights at age 12, leaving you legallyemancipated at 15 with zero safety net, yet you refuse to become a statisticand instead transform that trauma into personal accountability and faith?   Branden LaNette is a Christian mindset coach, bestsellingauthor, speaker, and host of the Listen Bitch Podcast .After surviving the total breakdown of her f...

What happens when youdecode the chaos of financial markets, geopolitics, and global trends notthrough the lens of traditional finance formulas, but through the narrativeinstincts of theater, creative writing, and historical context?   Cameron Cowan is a futurist, market trends navigator,author, and founder of The Cameron Journal . Holding an MFAin Creative Writing and a diverse background spanning...

What happens when youhold a Master’s degree from Tufts University School of Medicine and spend adecade in global health, yet find yourself waking up every single morningbloated, exhausted, and deeply stressed despite counting every calorie andworking out five days a week?   Erica Ballard is a health strategist, executive wellnessmentor, and self-proclaimed "WellnessDe-Influencer." After...

What happens whenconventional 12-step recovery programs like AA fail to resonate because tellingyourself you are permanently powerless keeps you trapped in a cycle ofweakness, shame, and relapse?   Massimo Rigotti is an entrepreneur, recovery advocate, andauthor of Flavors of Confidence: A Reflection for Those in Need .Having battled the dual challenges of bipolar disorder and severe substancedepe...

What happens when alicensed clinical psychologist specializing in chronic stress reductionrealizes that the constant noise, visibility demands, and pseudo-connections ofsocial media are driving the very burnout, loneliness, and nervous systemdysregulation she treats in her clients?   Dr. Alana Atchison, PsyD , is a clinical psychologist, private practiceowner, and stress reduction specialist. In l...

How do you jump out ofa helicopter into the open ocean Navy SEAL-style and skydive from airplanes, yetstill feel utterly paralyzed by the simple act of being emotionally seen?   Angie Hawkins is an Inner Glow Coach, speaker, and authorof the raw memoir Running in Slippers . Despiteachieving high-performing success in corporate America, Angie spent decadestrapped in perfectionism and chronic people...

What does it take for anindependent writing and editing business to thrive for more than three decadesacross the collapse of print journalism, the rise of search engines, and themodern content economy?   LouiseHarris is a veteran journalist, editor,marketing strategist, author, and the founder of LAST Research & Editing . Since graduating from theUniversity of Maryland College of Journalism in...

What do you do when your life is hit bytwo divorces, two bankruptcies, business collapses, a near-death experience,and two battles with cancer—leaving you feeling like a pile of ashes wonderingif you are being punished by the universe?   Sue Paulson is a bestsellingauthor ( Magnificent Misery , The Healing Call of Cancer ),educator, and Magnificence Mentor. Having navigated catastrophic financialc...

Why do smart,hardworking young adults graduate college with degrees, land six-figuresalaries, and still find themselves living paycheck to paycheck with zerosavings?   Steve Short and Mark Schlipman —knownas the #GenZMoneyMentors —are the co-authors of the #1 Amazonbestselling book The Simple Road Toward Financial Freedom (featuring a foreword by Will Ferrell). Steve spent 30 years as a corporatee...

What happens when yougrow up as the daughter of an alcoholic swearing you will never repeat thosemistakes, only to find yourself battling a 14-year addiction—and later,watching your own child fight the exact same disease?   Jennifer Chase is a certified recovery life coach andfounder of Rise Addiction Life Coaching . Having experiencedaddiction from every angle—as the granddaughter of an abuser, d...

What do you do whenspecialized schools, doctors, and psychiatric experts insist that yourneurodivergent child requires physical restraint holds, heavy off-labelmedications, and eventual placement in a permanent group home?   Robert DeLena is an attorney, outdoor adventurer, andauthor of Without Restraint: Surviving Systemic Trauma and Finding Freedomin the Mountains , as well as a key subject of t...

What happens when ahighly sensitive man spends decades believing that feeling deep emotion makeshim weak, turning to chronic gaming, porn addiction, and people-pleasing justto numb the pain of not fitting traditional masculine expectations?   Vincent Hazenboom is a Dutch thought leader, emotional guide,and host of the HowToHeartShow . For years, Vincentlived trapped behind a stoic mask, struggling...

What do you do whenyour undiagnosed bipolar disorder fuels 20-hour workdays and rapid corporatepromotions by day, but plunges you into blackout drinking, arrests, and severephysical breakdown by night?   Todd Hagopian is a business turnaround leader, founder ofthe Stagnation Intelligence Agency , and author of The Unfair Advantage: Weaponizing the Hypomanic Toolbox .Having driven over $2 billion i...

What happens when yourphysical tics become so severe that they force you to punch hard surfaces,permanently lose the use of your right thumb, and endure a five-year creativeblackout—only to surrender to your craft and write a viral,university-acclaimed fantasy epic?   Kristof Morrow is a disabled U.S. Navy veteran,award-winning journalist, photographer, and author of the acclaimed novel The Second...

What happens when anambitious hip-hop artist realizes that his tough, ego-driven rap persona is justa mask hiding deep childhood trauma, depression, and mental exhaustion?   Rich Vysion (Richard Seeram) is a Bronx-born, Brooklyn-based consciouship-hop artist, mental health advocate, and author of From Victim to Victor: Transforming Trauma into Triumph .Growing up surrounded by traditional New York...

What happens when youspend years operating as a high-stakes transformation leader for global giantslike Shell, BP, and IBM—mastering the external art of corporate calm—only torealize you are over-functioning in survival mode while your personal lifefractures?   Camilla Calberg is an executive mentor, leadershipconsultant, and nervous system transformation specialist. Despite leadingmulti-million-d...

What do you do when aninfomercial publishing contract collapses overnight, leaving you holding anunexpected $85,000 bag of credit card debt with no way to pay it back?   Tommy A. Kilpatrick is an author, entrepreneur, and SoutheastAsia Marketing Director for MobileWise AI . Facedwith $85,000 in credit card debt after an infomercial deal went south in 2004,Tommy went down a legal rabbit hole to stu...