So today is the 1^st anniversary of launching my blog on leadership, innovation, and failure.  I cannot even start to explain how much I have learned along the way.  My goal was to mix my ideas and my research trying to post at least one article per week.  Over the last year I have written 68 posts which have been read by over 5000 unique visitors to the blog.  I would like to offer a huge “thank you” to everyone who took the time to comment, provide feedback, or help share my articles with your networks!

Over the last year I have had twelve articles and interviews published.  I have done webinars, speaking engagements, and built out a small consulting practice.  Just a few weeks ago I finalized my book proposal which I am currently pitching to literary agents.  When I began this journey 15 months ago I had no idea how much I was getting myself into.  I was passionate about how organizations were not learning from their failures and I wanted to take the time shed a light on the shortsightedness of this strategy.

In a world that is bent toward innovate, innovate, innovate but where we dare not fail, I wanted to highlight the absurdity of the underlying paradox, expose why I believe it is fundamentally flawed thinking, and explain what steps each of us can take to do something about it.  I feel like I have made some good progress toward that goal.

Recently I came across an HBR post from author John Butman (@JohnButman) on the concept of an “Idea Entrepreneur.”  Similar to what John describes I wanted to “make a difference, to change the world in some way” with my idea.  The concept of an idea entrepreneur seems to hit the nail on the head for me.  Like every entrepreneur I was willing to do anything and everything to advance my work.  To be really honest this work has been exhausting!  There are always a “few more” things that you can do to make something better, to reach a few more people, to get out one more article.  This “few more” mentality has made it incredibly difficult to maintain a balance between my work and my personal life – family and friends.

Today though I am not going to worry about what else could be done.  I am simply going to enjoy what has been done.

Thank you again for all of your support along the way!

-Matt

P.S. Below is a map of all of the readers who have visited my blog over the last year.  A small goal for me is to try to get at least one person from ever country to have visited.  If you know someone from one of the gray countries please feel free to pass my URL along (www.matthunt.co).

Top 10 Blog Posts:

1. A Lesson In Leadership: How Circuit City Forgot the Value of Their Employees
2. After a “Failed Launch” in 2005 – P90X Fitness Program Earns Revenue of $700m
3. Silicon Valley has moved from tolerating failure to embracing it. When will the rest of us?
4. Target Misses the Mark – a Failed Holiday Partnership With Neiman Marcus.
5. Risk vs. Reward – How Compensation, Career Path, and Employment Stability Drive Innovation
6. Why John Sculley Was Critical to Apple’s Success – We All Have a Role to Play
7. Veterans Day Lessons: Leadership, Learning, and Failure From a Soldier’s Perspective
8. How One CEO Created a “Failure Wall” to Build a Tolerance for Failure Within His Organization
9. The Failure of Ron Johnson and JCPenney: Changing a Company vs Building a Company
10. Why Youth Can Be an Advantage in Being an Entrepreneur: My Interview with Bailye and Brynne Stansberry