Fail Forward Friday – "The Wrong Answer, Right Solution"
Episode: Fail Forward Friday – "The Wrong Answer, Right Solution"
Sometimes the best thing that can happen to your plan is for it to fail completely—it might just be making room for something even better. In this delightfully engaging episode, Heather Masters shares the hilarious and inspiring stories of two spectacular "failures" that became household names: WD-40 and Bubble Wrap.
With her signature wit and warmth, she explores how persistence, curiosity, and a willingness to reimagine our flops can turn disasters into discoveries.
What's Inside:
- The story of WD-40: how 39 failed attempts led to the 40th formula that changed everything
- Bubble Wrap's journey from rejected wallpaper to packaging revolution (and stress relief!)
- Heather's dad's brilliant "fix anything" philosophy: WD-40, a hammer, and super glue
- Why failure is often just misdirected success waiting for the right problem
- Three practical lessons about persistence, curiosity, and reimagining setbacks
- A fun challenge to look at your own "flops" with fresh eyes
Key Takeaways:
- Failure isn't final—it's just misdirected success looking for the right problem
- Persistence beats perfection every time (imagine if they'd stopped at attempt 39!)
- Get curious about your failures—ask what else they could become
Chapters:
- 00:16 - Embracing Failure as a Path to Success
- 01:15 - The Birth of WD40
- 02:39 - The Birth of Bubble Wrap
- 03:21 - Lessons from Failure
- 04:08 - Reimagining Failures as Opportunities
- 05:14 - Closing Thoughts and Future Episodes
Listener Challenge:
This week, identify something in your life that feels like a failure and ask: "Could this be my WD-40 or Bubble Wrap moment? What if it's just waiting to be reimagined?"
Join the Fun:
Share the most unusual thing you've ever used WD-40 or Bubble Wrap for! Heather confesses to using bubble wrap as emergency wall insulation—what's your creative re-purposing story?
Connect & Share:
- Tag us @ChoosingHappyPodcast with your fail-to-win moments
- Share your funny, surprising, or bizarre repurposing stories
- Visit www.choosinghappypodcast.com for more real talk about choosing happiness through life's plot twists
How You Can Support This Independent Podcast:
Please like, share with someone who may need to hear this today, and/or leave a review and support the podcast. I really appreciate it.
Tired of the same patterns keeping you stuck?
Check out the Pattern Breaker Coaching Program: www.choosinghappy.co.uk/pattern-breaker
Want to dive deeper? Drop me an email: heather@heathervmasters.com
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Transcript
Hello, and welcome to the Choosing Happy Podcast.
Speaker A:It's Fail Forward Friday, your weekly reminder that getting it wrong is just part of the beautiful, messy, human, and often hilarious journey to getting it right.
Speaker A:And here's the thing.
Speaker A:What if I told you that some of your biggest failures were actually just solutions waiting for the right problem to come along?
Speaker A:Sounds bonkers, I know, but trust me, we've all got those moments.
Speaker A:And let's go.
Speaker A:Deep in today's Choosing Happy Podcast.
Speaker A: Let me take you back to: Speaker A:The Rocket Chemical Company is is mucking about with rust prevention, trying again and again and again.
Speaker A:The smell of grease and chemicals hangs thick in the air.
Speaker A:Can you imagine it?
Speaker A:They're desperate and failures are piling up.
Speaker A:By the 39th attempt, you might think they'd throw in the towel, but they decided to try once more.
Speaker A:A 40th crack at it, and blimey, magic happens.
Speaker A:WD40 is born.
Speaker A:The water displacement from 40th formula.
Speaker A:Say that fast.
Speaker A:If you've ever fixed a squeaky door or rescued a rusted bike chain, it's probably WD40 you've got to thank.
Speaker A:My dad used to say you could fix anything with WD40.
Speaker A:A hammer and some super glue.
Speaker A:And honestly, I've lost count of the number of things I've sprayed, banged, or slapped together with that trusty trio.
Speaker A:It's like the Swiss army knife.
Speaker A:The DIY world.
Speaker A: Now, flash forward to: Speaker A:Imagine the excitement of Alfred Fielding and Mark Chavanis bubbling with anticipation over their textured wallpaper idea.
Speaker A:Now, can you just imagine this?
Speaker A:The smell of fresh paint, the hope of a sparkling new product.
Speaker A:Turns out nobody wants bumpy wallpaper.
Speaker A:Cringe and a flop.
Speaker A:Not one to give up, they tried their hand at making it into insulation for homes.
Speaker A:Nope, still no luck.
Speaker A:I mean, can you imagine the frustration, all of that effort?
Speaker A:But sometimes it pays to hang on, because gold is just around the corner.
Speaker A:Enter IBM, looking for a way to ship the delicate computers safely.
Speaker A:They spot that bubbly failed wallpaper and think, eureka.
Speaker A:And bubble wrap is born, saving devices and giving us all endless joy, popping those satisfying bubbles.
Speaker A:Come on.
Speaker A:I know you do it.
Speaker A:So both WD40 and bubble wrap were spectacular flops.
Speaker A:Until they weren't.
Speaker A:They weren't failures.
Speaker A:They were happy accidents, finding their true calling.
Speaker A:And there's a brilliant quirk quote that it takes a lifetime to create an overnight sensation.
Speaker A:Let's take some lessons from this.
Speaker A:Lesson one.
Speaker A:Failure isn't final.
Speaker A:It's just misdirected success.
Speaker A:Ever had a project flop only for it to spark something amazing later on when you come back to it.
Speaker A:Lesson 2 Persistence beats perfection.
Speaker A:WD40 had 40 goes at it.
Speaker A:Imagine if they'd quit 39.
Speaker A:Your breakthrough might be the that one try away.
Speaker A:And lesson 3 Get curious about your flops.
Speaker A:Ask what else they could be.
Speaker A:Curiosity might just turn your mess into magic.
Speaker A:Have a go at thinking laterally, not just in terms of what it could be used of, but what other industries might be able to use it.
Speaker A:And this week, take a look at one thing in your life that feels like a flop and ask could this be my WD40 or bubble wrap moment?
Speaker A:Is it just waiting to be reimagined?
Speaker A:Maybe your abandoned blog becomes a best selling newsletter?
Speaker A:Or maybe your wrong career path gifted you skills that you thank yourself for?
Speaker A:Play with the possibilities.
Speaker A:I'd love to hear your stories.
Speaker A:Ever had a project flop that surprised you?
Speaker A:Later a fail that turned into a win?
Speaker A:Share your funny, surprising or downright bizarre fail to win moments with us at the Choosing Happy Podcast or over@thechoosinghappypodcast.com or drop me a line.
Speaker A:So what's the most unusual thing you've ever used WD40 or bubble wrap for?
Speaker A:Personally, I once filled a drafty spot on the wall with bubble wrap in winter.
Speaker A:Didn't expect to become an accidental insulation pro.
Speaker A:And I'm off to lubricate a squeaky door and pop some bubbles.
Speaker A:Because sometimes the therapy as a can of WD40 and a sheet of bubble wrap.
Speaker A:Speak soon.
Speaker A:Thank you so much for taking the time to listen to this week's episode.
Speaker A:If you enjoyed it or think it would be valuable to others, please do share.
Speaker A:And if you really enjoyed it, please leave me a review.
Speaker A:It really helps the podcast.
Speaker A:All of the links are in the show notes and I look forward to seeing you next week on the Choosing Happy Podcast.
Speaker A:Sam.
