Calendar - Event View

INSPIRE 
Fail Forward, Fail Fast: Leveraging Design Thinking in My First Year of Business

Entrepreneurship can be messy, uncertain, and riddled with self-doubt—especially for those who don’t see themselves reflected in traditional business models. In my first few months as a small business owner, I often felt like I was fumbling through a process that wasn’t built for me. So, instead of forcing myself into someone else’s blueprint, I turned to design thinking to chart my own path.

In this session, I’ll share my story and explore how applying design thinking principles—prototyping, iteration, and human-centered problem-solving—helped me move through imposter syndrome, let go of perfectionism, and experiment with ideas one micro-step at a time. Failure wasn’t always graceful, but the process was organic—and it helped me build a sustainable business rooted in my values, strengths, and curiosity.

Attendees will finish the session with a practical framework for using design thinking to:

• Start before you feel ready
• Embrace progress over perfection
• Treat failure as data, not defeat
• Build a business that grows and evolves with you

Whether you’re just starting out or ready to pivot, this session offers practical tools and mindset shifts to help you experiment boldly, reframe setbacks, and confidently design a business that feels unabashedly you.

About the Speaker: Liz Vocasek, M.Ed.

Liz Vocasek, M.Ed., is a certified coach, consultant, and facilitator with nearly twenty years of experience helping individuals and groups around the world design lives, careers, and experiences that align with their passions, values, and strengths. As the founder of Liz Vocasek Coaching & Consulting, LLC, she blends life design, career strategy, diversity and inclusion, leadership development, and future-of-work principles to support dynamic personal and professional growth and transitions.

When she’s not helping others uncover their paths, challenge limiting beliefs, and build purpose-driven lives, Liz enjoys spending time with her Midwest and West Indian/Guyanese families, teaching her old dog new tricks, and exploring the world with her brilliant husband.