Jacob Stoller on Mistakes in Music: A Concert Train Wreck and Lessons Learned

My Favorite Mistake: Business Lessons from Failures and Success

In this bonus episode, Mark Graban sits down with author and speaker Jacob Stoller to discuss one of Jacob’s most memorable mistakes—a live performance mishap involving a botched page turn during a classical music concert.

As Jacob recounts, his decision to skip having a page-turner led to a "train wreck" moment in front of an audience, forcing the musicians to restart the piece. But this unexpected blunder turned out to be a surprising gift, making the experience more relatable and memorable for the audience.

Listen as Jacob reflects on how this mistake shifted his view on performance and connected him with listeners in a new way. Mark also shares his own story of a music slip-up, proving that even the most prepared musicians and performers can find themselves at a loss. This episode is a perfect blend of music, humility, and the valuable lessons we take from our mistakes.

🔗 Want to learn more about Jacob’s insights into performance and productivity? Check out his latest book, Productivity Reimagined: Shattering Performance Myths to Achieve Sustainable Growth, and listen to his full episode on the Lean Blog Interviews podcast.

⏩ Topics Covered:

The importance of learning from mistakes in any field

How to handle slip-ups and turn them into positive moments

Classical music, page-turning mishaps, and human connection through errors

Mark and Jacob's personal stories of musical mistakes and the lessons learned