Why Playing It Safe Is Holding You Back (and How to Fail Forward Instead) with Lorraine H. Marchand | 389

We talk a lot about dreaming bigger — but not nearly enough about what it actually costs to play it safe. Fear of failure keeps brilliant ideas stuck in our heads, careers stalled, and confidence quietly eroding. In this episode of This Is Woman’s Work, Nicole Kalil is joined by Lorraine H. Marchand, innovation expert, Wharton professor, and author of No Fear, No Failure. Together, they unpack why failure isn’t the enemy — avoidance is. From reframing fear as data, to designing smarter experiments, to creating cultures (and inner narratives) where learning beats perfection, this conversation is a permission slip to try, fail, learn… and keep going. If you’ve ever felt paralyzed by getting it wrong, worried about failing publicly, or trapped by environments that say they want innovation but punish mistakes — this episode is for you. We explore: Why fear of failure shuts down growth faster than actual failure ever could How to reframe failure as learning (and why that changes everything) Why women are more likely to internalize failure — and how to stop How to test ideas without burning it all down What “failing forward” looks like in real life (not just on LinkedIn) How to stop being afraid of other people seeing you try Because growth doesn’t happen without risk — and playing it safe has a cost. Thank you to our sponsors! Sex is a skill. Beducated is where you learn it. Visit https://beducate.me/bg2602-womanswork and use code womanswork for 50% off the annual pass. Shopify has everything all in one place, making your life easier and your business operations smoother. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at shopify.com/tiww Connect with Lorraine: Website: https://www.lorrainemarchand.com/ Book: https://www.lorrainemarchand.com/no-fear-no-failure/ LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorrainemarchand Related Podcast Episodes: 197 / Fear & Failure (Part 1) with Amy Green Smith 181 / Stress Less and Fear(Less) with Rebecca Heiss VI4P - Perfectionism and Failure (Chapter 6) If you found this episode insightful, please share it with a friend, tag us on social media, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! 🔗 Subscribe & Review:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices