The case for displaying your failures

INC. THIS MORNING The case for displaying your failures Good morning, Melissa Bernstein, the co-founder of educational-toy company Melissa & Doug, was a perfectionist from the start. As a kid, everything she tried, she wanted to master. Every grade had to be an A. "Life was very black and white. It was success or it was failure," Bernstein said on Inc.'s What I Know podcast this week. "I believed once something was put in the 'failure' bucket, it was there forever." Bernstein was terrified of taking risks, because she was terrified of failing. This bore out in her entrepreneurial career: After launching Melissa & Doug, she designed dozens of product ideas per week, and then felt crushed if one of them hit shelves and didn’t sell out. As her business grew, she began to realize that very few of her designs would become such huge commercial successes that they'd remain on shelves for years. And that’s when she began to change how she looked at flops. Today, behind Bernstein’s desk is a shelf full of her “failure” toys that didn’t sell or make it to market--and she’s proud of seeing them every day. Listen to this week’s episode of What I Know to [learn how Bernstein reframed failure and shifted the trajectory of her now-iconic $500 million business](. SPONSORED CONTENT [You Mean Those Aren’t Lash Extensions?]( You’ll be hearing that a lot with this mascara, which has over 11,800+ five-star reviews. Thrive Causemetics’ Liquid Lash Extensions Mascara™ instantly delivers a show-stopping look, while creating healthier and longer-looking lashes over time through its clean, nourishing formula! [Get 15% off of your entire first order now](. JOIN US: What does recovery really look like for entrepreneurs? Join Inc. for a town hall discussing practical ways to anticipate and manage the unexpected, shore up internal and external relationships, and identify resources and opportunities to help you successfully navigate these fast-changing times. - Wednesday, May 5, 2021, 3:00 pm Eastern Time - [Reserve your free spot]( HERE'S WHAT ELSE I'M READING TODAY: President Biden wants to spent [$1.8 trillion to buoy families](. He won’t get it without a fight. --Inc. Here’s [how to build an e-commerce platform for Gen Z]( according to StockX CEO Scott Cutler. --Inc. Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes: Free markets are a myth, and [the U.S. needs a new form of capitalism](. --CNBC Moped-sharing startup Revel is planning to launch [a Tesla-only ride-hailing service]( in New York City. --The Verge On this week’s Founders Project podcast: This startup’s credit card [lets you earn bitcoin](. --Inc. ONE MORE THING: These are [the five most important lessons]( from Stanford Business School’s most popular class, nicknamed “Touchy Feely.” --Inc. Want to help us make Inc.com an even better resource for entrepreneurs? [Take this 10-minute survey](. --Cameron Albert-Deitch Reporter, Inc. How are we doing? Send me ideas and feedback at [calbertdeitch@inc.com](mailto:calbertdeitch@inc.com?subject=), and [sign up for daily text messages]( from me. Become an [Inc. Unlimited subscriber](. [Click here]( to forward to a friend. This email was sent by: Mansueto Ventures 7 World Trade Center, 29th Floor New York, NY, 10007, [Unsubscribe]( • [Update Profile]( • [View in Browser]( • [Privacy Policy](