Merrill Dubrow: My name is Merrill Dubrow, CEO of M/A/R/C Research and a 35-plus year veteran of the Insights Committee and the host of our podcast, On the M/A/R/C. Welcome to another Merrill-ISM segment. You won't have as much success if you can't handle and understand failure. Of course today's Merrill-ISM starts with a story. I was speaking to an entrepreneur, an all-around good guy and the EVP of Sago, Ted Pulsifer, and he shared some comments with me regarding a recent panel I was on at PS Exchange, which is an invited-only event put on by Michael McCrary, and the team at PureSpectrum. And frankly, guys, a big shout out to the entire team for putting on a great event. And again, thanks for including me as a presenter. Back to the story, Ted said lots of nice comments to me, and I want to read them and highlight a comment or two. Ted said, quote, 'I always appreciate the opportunity to watch Merrill present. In addition to his keen sense of humor, I am always really drawn to how candid and vulnerable he is. It's rare to have a panelist or presenters speak so openly about accomplishments and deep dive into lessons learned and mistakes made. We often fall for perfection in the pursuit of perfection, but you are gifted that with Merrill. Every time he presents, I can't help but take away a few practical tips that above all, are highly relatable. Meters are far from perfect, but I tend to follow the ones that are real, humble and relatable. I highly suggest you take in a speaking session from him, and if you're blessed enough to get the chance.' The comment I want to highlight is leaders are far from perfect. And first of all, I want to say thanks to Ted, I really appreciate. He's an all-around good guy to get chance to talk to him. He's got a big brain, and he's very passionate. But back to the comment that leaders are far from- I would suggest it's OK not to be perfect. I would strongly argue that it's OK to make mistakes, as long as- wait for it, wait for it, you understand why. You can analyze appropriately what happened so you can learn, and as important, share the experience. If you can openly share it at a conference with your company or leadership teams, chances are you understand what happened, why the mistake happened. Understanding maybe what you do in the future, you come to terms with the decision mistake and the failure you had if you can do this. Most true leaders want to teach. They want to share their experience and help others learn and hopefully not make the same mistake. Frankly, that's what I wanted. And it sounds Ted, I was a little successful in doing that at PS Exchange. Ted, thanks again for sharing your comments. Today's segment, you won't have as much success if you can't handle and understand failure. My name is Merrill Dubrow. Thanks for listening to today's podcast. I look forward to hearing from you. Stay well, stay safe, and please, please stay in touch.