How failure helps you succeed - Lost Boys

Summary

Lost Boys Podcast Episode Summary

Title: How Failure Helps You Succeed
Hosts: Anthony Scaramucci and Professor Scott Galloway
Release Date: July 3, 2025
Website: www.lostboys.men

Introduction

In the episode titled "How Failure Helps You Succeed," hosts Anthony Scaramucci and Professor Scott Galloway delve into the personal struggles and failures that have shaped their paths to success. Unlike typical discussions laden with statistics or expert opinions, this episode is a candid exploration of their own experiences growing up, facing adversity, and learning resilience. The conversation aims to provide a relatable playbook for young men navigating similar challenges in America today.

Personal Stories of Failure

Anthony’s Journey

Anthony opens up about his tumultuous upbringing and the lack of a strong male role model in his life. Reflecting on his father's struggles, Anthony shares:

“At 12 years old, I remember this like it was yesterday because my mother still lives in the house I grew up with... He came home violent because he is completely out of control of his financial circumstances...”
[07:18]

This early exposure to financial instability and domestic violence instilled a deep sense of anxiety in Anthony, fueling his drive to achieve economic security. He recounts various jobs he held to support his family during his youth:

“Got myself a paper route, worked in a motorcycle shop, worked as a stock boy in the grocery store, worked on a stone dock when I was in law school during the summer.”
[12:04]

Despite these challenges, Anthony emphasizes the importance of perseverance through failures, sharing pivotal moments that tested his resilience.

Scott’s Struggles

Professor Scott Galloway mirrors Anthony’s sentiments by sharing his lowest moments, particularly his experience during his mother's battle with cancer:

“When I look back... that was one of them where I felt very, you know, I wasn't living up to my obligation as a man. It was humiliating.”
[04:56]

Scott speaks candidly about the emotional turmoil and feelings of emasculation he faced while trying to care for his ailing mother with limited financial resources. This period was a catalyst for his later achievements, highlighting how personal failure can drive one toward success.

Lessons Learned from Failure

Both hosts agree that failure is an integral part of the journey to success. Scott succinctly encapsulates his philosophy:

“My success can be distilled to one word: failure. And that is my willingness to endure failure.”
[09:03]

He recounts his entrepreneurial ventures, having started nine companies with two successes, underscoring the significance of persistence:

“One out of seven companies succeed so I started nine and guess what? I've had two wins.”
[09:10]

Anthony adds to this by sharing his own setbacks, including his tenure at Goldman Sachs:

“I got fired from Goldman Sachs... I never fit in there. Nice people, smart people. But I didn't fit in.”
[11:48]

These admissions highlight that failure is not only inevitable but also a powerful motivator for personal and professional growth.

Resilience and Overcoming Challenges

The conversation delves into the concept of resilience, emphasizing the necessity of enduring and learning from failure. Anthony reflects on the emotional impact of his failures:

“I felt like there was a ghost following me and my mom around saying, you're not worthy. You're just not worthy. You fucked up your mom up.”
[06:30]

Scott echoes the importance of mental and economic stability as foundations for resilience:

“You fix your own oxygen mask before trying to affix someone else's.”
[15:04]

This metaphor underscores the need for individuals to first stabilize their own lives before they can effectively support others.

Strategies to Support Young Men

Moving beyond personal narratives, Anthony and Scott discuss actionable steps to aid young men facing similar struggles:

Modernizing Masculinity: Scott suggests redefining masculinity to include emotional strength and community involvement:

“A more modern, aspirational vision of masculinity... the ultimate expression of masculinity, is to plant the trees, the shade of which you'll never sit under.”
[16:04]
Building Resilience through Failure: Encouraging young men to embrace failure as a stepping stone to success is a recurring theme. Both hosts advocate for a cultural shift that normalizes setbacks as part of the growth process.
Creating Support Systems: Anthony highlights the impact of mentorship and positive role models in fostering resilience:

“If you're doing well, you got to pull them with you.”
[16:04]

He emphasizes the role of peers and mentors in providing guidance and encouragement.
Access to Mental Health Resources: Addressing mental health openly and ensuring that young men have access to resources is crucial. Both hosts stress the importance of creating environments where seeking help is normalized and supported.

Conclusion

Anthony Scaramucci and Professor Scott Galloway conclude the episode by reiterating the power of resilience and the transformative role of failure in achieving success. They call for a cultural movement that redefines masculinity, fosters community support, and empowers young men to navigate their struggles with strength and perseverance. By sharing their personal journeys, they aim to inspire and equip the next generation of men to overcome adversity and thrive.

For more insights and resources on supporting young men, visit www.lostboys.men.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

Anthony on Financial Struggles:
“At 12 years old, I remember this like it was yesterday…”
[07:18]
Scott on Resilience Through Failure:
“My success can be distilled to one word: failure.”
[09:03]
Anthony on Emotional Impact of Failure:
“I felt like there was a ghost following me…”
[06:30]
Scott on Redefining Masculinity:
“The ultimate expression of masculinity, is to plant the trees…”
[16:04]

This episode of "Lost Boys" offers a profound and heartfelt examination of how personal failures can lead to significant personal growth and success. By sharing their vulnerabilities, Anthony and Scott provide valuable lessons and hope for young men striving to find their footing in today’s challenging landscape.

Transcript

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If you went on a road trip and you didn't stop for a Big Mac or drop a crispy fry between the car seats or use your McDonald's bag as a placemat, then that wasn't a road trip. It was just a really long drive at participating McDonald's. Welcome to this bonus episode of our podcast, Lost Boys, where my friend Professor Scott Galloway and I talk about how a generation of young men is falling behind and what we can do about it. In this bonus episode, we're not talking to any experts or quoting any statistics, but when we were talking, we both wound up discussing our own experiences growing up, the challenges we faced, our lowest moments and our failures, and most important, what we learned from those failures. Here's my conversation with my friend Scott Galloway. I think one of the things that's joined you and me in a number of different ways. I always remark to people how people bring your name up. I say, well, for whatever reason, I feel very close to Scott because we sort of, sort of grew up similarly on different coats. And we have these trials and tribulations, this sort of odyssey to get to where we are. And we have a lot of empathy in that thing. You know, I feel like you've seen the whole spectrum, Scott, in terms of the income strata. You've seen your mother struggle and now you sit here with a couple of houses and some financial independence. And so you're able to look through everybody in a way that sometimes when I'M talking to my rich friends again. I'm just being brutally honest. I feel like, wow, they're so sheltered, they don't see it. And if I'm talking to my poor friends again, being brutally honest, I'm like, wow, you don't realize that the rich people have problems too. You know, I'm in the Big Brother program. My big brother, my little brother is 43 today. And I'll just tell you this quick story. So I met him at 13. I helped him get through school. I paid for his Catholic education. He's an African American kid, fatherless, mother raised him, a couple of siblings. And my brother had a drug addiction issue. And I can remember the look on his face. He must have been 16 when I said, I can't meet with you. I'm taking my brother to drug rehab. And he was like, wait, what? White people living in like an upper middle class area, they have these problems too, you know, I think people fail to understand. And this is one of your great gifts, by the way. And again, this is not inflation, praise or whatever Richard said, but this is truly one of your great gifts. You see the whole continuum and you recognize, yeah, it may be easier or more convenient to be wealthy, but people are in a struggle no matter where they are on the income strata. And so I guess when you speak about this, what's the reaction you get? Like when you give a TED Talk on this, what's the reaction you get?