Untold failures behind success

CHICAGO, Sept. 18, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Failure:Lab, an international movement showcasing personal stories of failure, is coming to Chicago on Thursday, Oct. 2. The one-of-a-kind format features a diverse blend of storytelling and music.

By sharing stories globally of individual vulnerability, Failure:Lab is working to eliminate the fear, stigma, and isolation around failure while removing roadblocks to communication, innovation and community.

"Don't let the name fool you. While the stories may be about failure, the event is really about courage, determination and the strength to get back up," said Failure:Lab co-founder Jordan O'Neil.

The special ingredient of Failure:Lab is its lack of lessons and canned answers to adversity. Speakers focus instead on their failure and the often harsh consequences, while leaving the introspection and feedback to the audience. The following storytellers will share their personal stories of failure at Failure:Lab Chicago:

• Max Wastler, an online store owner, writer, and television pilot maker. With his blog, All Plaidout, television pilot Made Right Here, and shop, Buckshot Sonny's, he strives to tell a uniquely American story.
• Nadira Kharmai, a multimedia marketing consultant, videographer, storyteller and professional model. She's passionate about LGBT advocacy and building positive relationships.
• Bahar Anooshahr, an Iranian-American woman who lived through the revolution and Iran/Iraq war. She left a career in oral and maxillofacial surgery to pursue her passion of writing.

Failure:Lab will take place at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 2 at the new Workshop Chicago on 935 W. Chestnut Street, Suite #530. Tickets cost $25 per person and are available online at http://goo.gl/MD6KtS.

Failure:Lab's success hinges on audience engagement, which takes place during and after the event through social media and organic conversations within the audience. During the musical/theatrical breaks, including performances by Wilson Whitley, Abbi Rajasekhar, Tony Sorrentino and Brandon Cunningham, audience members will have time to reflect and share their thoughts with others in the audience and via Twitter with the hashtag #FailureLab.

Failure:Lab co-founder Jonathan Williams said previous events in Grand Rapids, Detroit and East Lansing have brought rave reviews, and he expects a similar response at the Chicago event.

"It's counterintuitive, countercultural, and incredibly cathartic," he said. "You will fail. The real question is how will you respond?"

ABOUT FAILURE:LAB

Failure:Lab, an intimate evening showcasing personal stories of failure, is the brainchild of four Grand Rapids innovators who launched storytelling events last year in Grand Rapids, East Lansing and Detroit, Michigan. Failure:Lab seeks to pave the way for change in communities by eliminating the stigma associated with failure and encouraging intelligent risk-taking. The events are designed to let audiences explore failure and play a role in the story of turning failure into a stepping stone to the next big thing. For more information, or to invite the experience to your community, visit www.failure-lab.com.

SOURCE Failure:Lab