Have you ever failed so badly that you wanted to disappear? Like, never try again, never step out again, never risk looking like a fool again?
Maybe you chased a dream once, put yourself out there, and it didn’t just slip through your fingers—it crashed and burned spectacularly. And now, every time a new opportunity comes along, that old failure whispers, “Remember what happened last time?”
Oh, friend—I know that voice.
When I was 16, I had my shot at the big leagues—the Miss Missouri Teen Pageant. And let me tell you… I BOMBED.
I was so excited—mostly because I had no clue what I was getting into. The other girls? Polished. They had personal coaches, custom beaded gowns, and years of preparation.
Me? I walked in with a clearance-rack dress from Dillard’s Bargain Basement and thought, Well, this will be fun!
Then came the talent portion. I was set to sing and play the piano. This was my moment.
And then… I froze. Completely.
Midway through the hardest part of my song, my brain just short-circuited. I couldn’t figure out how to pull it back together.
Deer. In. Headlights.
The announcer, bless his heart, tried to rescue me:
“Ladies and gentlemen, she’s gonna take a short break and be back in just a minute!”
Wait… WHAT?!
They actually let me start over.
At that moment, every part of me wanted to disappear, to slink off stage, crawl into a hole, and never show my face again.
But then—I heard a small voice. A voice I didn’t recognize at the time, but I do now.
“Hey baby… go do it again.”
So I did.
Was it flawless? Nope.
Did I survive? Somehow, YES.
And here’s the crazy thing—that humiliating moment was actually the beginning of something bigger.
Fast forward 35 years.
Guess who recently got to interview the CEO of Miss America and become friends?
Guess whose show—The Nicole Crank Show—became the FIRST EVER TV show allowed backstage in the 102-year history of Miss America?
Yep. This girl.
Here’s what I want you to hear:
That failure? That moment that made you feel like you’d never step out again?
It wasn’t the end of your story.
Maybe it was just a seed—planted for something greater than you could see at the time.
Maybe it wasn’t even about you at all.
Maybe it was about the people you’re called to impact, the lives you’ll touch, the hope you’ll spread—because you dared to try again.
So if failure has been keeping you stuck… if the pain of a past mistake has whispered, “Never again”—
It’s time to stand back up, baby.
Go do it again.
What’s been holding you back from stepping into new opportunities, and how has a past failure shaped your journey to where you are now?
And I want to help you step into that boldness at Rock Star—our next FREE I Am Woman event.
Friday, March 7th – 7:30 PM in Earth City, MO
Friday, March 21st – 7:30 PM in West Palm Beach, FL
Come dressed in your wildest rock star outfit. Get ready to belt out some karaoke, strut your stuff, and step into the spotlight with your girl tribe.
Because your future is too sweet to let your past steal it.
See you there! Be blessed!
