I find the word failure really strange.

I believe that the people who never failed never tried. There have been moments in my life where I’ve tried, and “failed” — because I’d never done something before, or I’d set the bar too high for myself, or I was juggling too many things, or I just wasn’t well-equipped to accomplish the task set before me.

But the next time I’d try that same task — whether it’s hosting an event, singing live at a gig, going on a great date, or starting a business from scratch — I’d always have so much more confidence, wisdom, insight and skills to do a better job.

So many of us are afraid of failing, because we see it as final, or fatal. Life-defining. But it’s not. It’s only a very, very small step in our journey to growth, wisdom and success. There are so many ways “failing” can benefit you in business. Here are a few.