For most of us its hard not hear, "all I do is WIN" in the background.  We're taught losing isn't an option and that second place means failure.

Even when we have enough sense to understand failing forward is the quickest way to learn and as most would say, "required in business," no one ever talks about experiencing ultimate failure. Lifelong dreams that are met with the highest expectations for years that you think about it so much that it would pain you significantly not to have it. What happens if you don't achieve it? what if there is no plan b?

I couldn't think of a better person than my childhood best friend, Rontel Batie, to do is first interview about experiencing true failure. The kind of failure that leaves a temporary hold but a long term pain that will have you questioning yourself for years to come.

Anyone that knew Rontel closely, ourselves included, knew by this age Rontel would only be found in one place.......congress. He would be sitting high on capitol hill looking out for us, "little folks." We knew this to be certain because Rontel had been working on this for well over 14 years. Before we left high school, he knew. He knew he'd run for office one day. So he spent every waking moment as a senior in high school and every year after fighting for the only thing he knew he was created to do.

Except, it didn't. In 2018, Rontel ran for congress and failed. He had to drop out before he truly got a chance because of broken promises and unworthy bank account. This was failure glaring him in the face. But what happened years after is what's remarkable and unexpected........it was something even Rontel didn't expect.