The Power of Staying Open After Disappointment: What F1 Taught Me About Success
- Jessica Erler
- Mar 26
- 2 min read
One of the biggest things entrepreneurship has taught me is to keep myself open after disappointment
The nature of being human is to close yourself off after your expectations have been crushed to protect yourself from having that happening again
I experienced my expectations not being met in business many times
You can get into a mentality of 'you see, it happened again, why even try'
It's easier to close yourself off than be positive and stay the course
You don't always win when you think you will, or at least not in the way you thought
But does not winning the way you thought mean you're losing?
I don't think so
I've been watching F1 a lot... kinda of obsessed with it, really

One thing I’ve noticed is that even the best drivers don’t win every race. They might have the fastest car, the best strategy, and still something unexpected happens... A crash, a mechanical failure, a split-second decision that changes everything
But do they stop racing? Do they throw in the towel and say, “What’s the point?” No
They show up again, recalibrate, and go all in for the next race. Because they know the game isn’t won in a single lap; it’s about endurance, skill, and staying in it long enough to see the bigger picture unfold
Entrepreneurship is the same
You don’t always win when you expect to. But that doesn’t mean you’re losing. Every setback, every disappointment, every “not yet” is sharpening you, preparing you, building you into someone who can lead the success that’s coming
So, if you’ve felt like giving up lately or questioned whether it’s worth it, this is your reminder to stay open. Keep going.
The win might not look the way you imagined, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t on its way 🏎️
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Now, who is your favourite F1 driver?
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