Everyone Makes Mistakes (And That’s Okay)
When I closed my first coffee shop in 2021, I felt like I had lost everything. I made plenty of mistakes, and it cost me my savings. That’s completely normal. Making a mistake doesn’t make you a bad person or a failure. It just makes you human.
What really counts is what we do after we mess up. Do we learn? Do we try again? That’s what separates people who grow from people who stay stuck.
My First Coffee Shop: An Expensive Lesson
Let me tell you about my biggest mistake.
In mid-2021, I opened my first coffee shop. I was so excited! I had big dreams of creating something amazing. But I didn’t really know what I was doing.
What Went Wrong?
I made three major mistakes:
1. I bought equipment I didn’t need
I wanted my small shop to look like Starbucks. So I spent thousands on fancy espresso machines and expensive furniture. Looking back, I could have started with much simpler equipment.
2. My menu was way too big
I created this huge menu with 30+ different drinks. I thought more options meant more customers. Wrong! It just meant more wasted ingredients and confused staff.
3. I bought too much, too fast
I ordered massive amounts of coffee beans, milk, syrups, and supplies. Half of it expired before we could use it. I was bleeding money every week.
By 2023, I had to close down. I lost almost everything I’d invested. It hurt. A lot.
Starting Over: The Press Day Coffee
After a few months of feeling sorry for myself, I decided to try again. But this time, I’d do things differently.
In mid-2023, I opened The Press Day Coffee. Same dream, smarter approach.
What Changed?
I learned to control my emotions
Before, I’d make decisions based on excitement or fear. Now, I take a breath. I think things through. I sleep on big decisions.
I moved slowly
Instead of trying to do everything at once, I took small steps. Started with just 8 drinks on the menu. Added more only when customers asked for them.
I asked for help
I talked to other coffee shop owners. I listened to my customers. I wasn’t too proud to admit I didn’t know everything.
I thought about the long term
Every time I wanted to spend money, I asked myself: “Will this help my business in six months? In a year?” If the answer was no, I didn’t buy it.
The Real Lessons I Learned
You Can’t Know Everything from the Start
Nobody is born knowing how to run a business. We all start as beginners. The people who seem like experts? They just made their mistakes earlier than you.
Think about it: before you learned to walk, you fell down a hundred times. Running a business is the same. You stumble, you learn, you get better.
Experience Beats Theory
You can read every business book in the world, but nothing teaches you like real experience. Getting your hands dirty, making actual decisions, seeing what works and what doesn’t—that’s how you really learn.
My first coffee shop failed, but it taught me more than any course ever could.
Listen to Feedback (Even When It Hurts)
When customers complained about my old shop, I used to get defensive. Now? I listen carefully. They’re showing me where I can improve.
Sometimes the truth stings, but it’s better than staying blind to your problems.
How to Learn from Your Own Mistakes
Want to turn your failures into success? Here’s what works for me:
Own your mistakes
Don’t blame others or make excuses. Just say “I messed up” and figure out why.
Ask yourself what went wrong
Write it down if you need to. What exactly happened? What would you do differently?
Make a plan to improve
One small change at a time. You don’t need to fix everything overnight.
Keep going
This is the hardest part. It’s easy to quit after failing. It takes courage to try again.
My Coffee Shop Today
The Press Day Coffee is still open. We’re not huge, but we’re profitable. More importantly, we’re growing steadily.
I still make mistakes sometimes. Last month I ordered too much oat milk and had to give some away. But these are small mistakes now, not business-ending ones.
Every day, I learn something new about my customers, my team, or myself.
Final Thoughts: Life Is About Growth
Life isn’t about being perfect. It’s about getting a little bit better each day.
Work on your strengths. Fix your weaknesses. Stay focused. Keep learning.
When you fall (and you will), get back up. That’s not just business advice—that’s life advice.
My failed coffee shop in 2021 was painful. But it led me to The Press Day Coffee, which is better in every way. I wouldn’t have one without the other.
So if you’re struggling right now, or if you just failed at something, remember this: your biggest lessons often come from your biggest mistakes.
Keep going. You’ve got this.
Have you learned valuable lessons from failure? What mistakes taught you the most? I’d love to hear your story.
