Tinsley English shares one of the most important failures of her career: struggling to make the transition from successful individual contributor to effective leader. After realizing she was trying to turn younger team members into versions of herself, she invested in coaching and received difficult feedback about delegation, empathy, and emotional intelligence. What initially felt like a “gut punch” ultimately became some of the most impactful feedback of her career and changed the way she thought about leadership. 

The conversation also explores imposter syndrome, confidence, and learning to take risks on yourself. Tinsley English discusses being passed over for a major promotion and how that disappointment ultimately pushed her to reconsider the path she thought she was supposed to follow. That experience inspired greater self-exploration and eventually helped lead her toward writing, entrepreneurship, and encouraging others to recognize their own abilities.

Throughout the episode, Tinsley English challenges listeners to rethink what grit and failure really mean. Grit is not simply putting your head down and working harder. It is having the resilience to come back after a setback, learn from imperfect attempts, and keep moving forward. Her advice is simple: make friends with failure, remember that your first try is not your last, and don’t wait until you have everything figured out before taking the next step. Most importantly, “bet on yourself and double down.”