Growth is exciting - but it’s also uncomfortable. And the discomfort? It almost always comes from one thing: failure.

Right now, I’m in the middle of a steep learning curve - building new software to support my programme. I’m leaning heavily on AI, but like any intense learning phase, it’s riddled with trial and error.

And failure. Lots of it.

The thing is: The right kind of failure is the path to sustainable success.

This isn’t the first time

Every time I throw myself into something new, the pattern repeats. I dive in, I learn fast, I fail often. Eventually, the failures become less frequent, the learning becomes embedded, and I emerge stronger and more capable.

That’s not just a personal quirk - it’s a pattern I see with many ambitious consultancy owners, too.

The problem is, we often treat failure like something to be avoided.

The mindset shift: Necessary vs. avoidable failure

Some failure is necessary. It’s how we discover what doesn’t work. It’s how we learn to navigate complexity.

Other failure? Totally avoidable.

That’s where guidance, frameworks, and support come in.

Our job as consultants is to help our clients avoid the unnecessary kind - while supporting them through the failure that has to happen on the road to growth.

And the same goes for you.

Scaling a consultancy = Navigating uncertainty

If you’re serious about growing your consultancy, you’re navigating a landscape with very few maps.

There’s no one-size-fits-all playbook.

Even if you're working with mentors or frameworks, you're still forging a unique path.

That means you’ll get some things wrong. And if you’re not mentally prepared for that?

The discomfort will derail you.

Not because the strategy is broken - but because your mindset is holding you back.

The bottom line

If you want to grow, you have to get comfortable being uncomfortable.

✅ Minimise avoidable failure by working with someone who’s walked the path.

✅ Embrace the necessary failure that’s part of real growth.

✅ And remember, every frustrating moment likely contains the insight you’re looking for.

As much as this is a note to myself, I hope it resonates with you too.