Hello, hello, thanks for tuning in today. I hope you're doing well. I hope you're taking care of yourself. I also hope you are working to create more freedom for yourself in the form of economic empowerment.

That's what we're all about here on Side Usal School. I'm your host, Chris Gellibow.

And of course, today is Friday. At least that is the day this episode is going out.

Episode 2,323. So Friday is failure Friday over here. A collection of short stories about mistakes, missteps, disasters, and of course failure.

You know, when I started this segment, I was worried that nobody would like it. When we first came out with failure Friday, I thought people would find it kind of depressing or discouraging.

But the interesting thing is it was kind of in response to a lot of listener feedback that I had over the years of people who said, well, it's great to hear all the success stories, but we'd actually like to hear about things that go wrong.

And I said, well, that's actually a great idea because not everything does go amazing, you know, just right out of a gate. And very often, in your entrepreneurial journey, you have to try different stuff. And some of your ideas don't work out.

Or sometimes, ideas is working out just fine, but something outside of your control, some external circumstance comes along to derail you.

And, you know, your only response then is what are you going to do? Like how are you going to, in fact, respond to that situation, which is outside your control.

So all that to say, it's been really fun to hear some of these stories. And I know from other listeners that they find it encouraging. I hope you do as well.

And without further ado, let's get into today's story. This one features, let's see here, we've got Manny Solomon from Ohio, Cleveland, Ohio specifically.

Manny had an idea and, you know, how to put it. It's good to have ideas, right? But not every idea is good. And that's just reality, you know, not every idea is good.

If you ever hear somebody that says every single idea is good, you know, they are not a side hustler because not every idea is going to, in fact, make money or be profitable or even be feasible.

So keep that in mind. As you hear, many story, many is actually, or formerly, the aspiring puzzle master of Cleveland. So with that, I'm going to hand it over to him.

Desperate to find the perfect side hustle, I had a eureka moment that I believed would make me the talk of the town. I would become the puzzle master of Cleveland.

My business model revolved around bringing puzzles and entertainment to events like corporate retreats and family reunions offering a unique and engaging experience for all.

Little did I know my ambitious endeavor would result in a tale of mishaps and misfortunes. I started by crafting a diverse range of challenging puzzles, riddles, and brain teasers that would cater to all ages and skill levels.

I invested in props, puzzle books, and even designed a puzzle master costume complete with a cape at a quirky hat adorned with question marks.

I was all set to bring the joy of puzzle solving to the people of Cleveland. To promote my business, I distributed flyers at local businesses, showcasing my services as the ultimate icebreaker and team building activity.

I eagerly awaited bookings excited to share my passion for puzzles with others. Soon enough, I received my first booking, a retreat for a marketing team.

Excited to prove my worth, I arrived at the retreat with my puzzles and props ready to dazzle the attendees. However, things took a turn for the worse when I realized that my puzzles, though meticulously crafted, were far too challenging for the group.

The cryptic riddles and perplexing puzzles left them frustrated and disengaged rather than entertained. At one point, the boss lead in the retreat even asked me to wrap it up.

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