“The greatest mistake a man can ever make is to be afraid of making one.” (Elbert Hubbard)

In a recent interview, self-made Atlanta billionaire Sara Blakely, the creator of the Spanx undergarment revolution, gave a clue to her success.

Around her family’s dinner table growing up, each kid knew Dad was going to turn to them with a question. And they had to answer honestly.

“What did you fail at today?”

This was not the pouncing judgment of a perfectionist, it was a brave father who dared his children to be bold enough to fail. The way Blakely tells it, the only way Dad was disappointed was if you played it too safe in life. He wanted them to experiment, to dare to build, to create, inspire, and fall short.

Mr. Blakely knew something all truly successful people know: the only real risk is not risking, and the only real failure is giving in to your fear of failure.