Our brains are designed to keep us safe however, fear is just a feeling. We let it consume us from overthinking and can be changed in the matter of seconds if we allowed it to.
The Fear of Failure is one of the most common restraints that holds people back from pursuing great ideas. Imagine if we could become totally free from the fear of failure. Imagine what we could then manifest and create. In this interview series, we are talking to leaders who can share stories and insights from their experience about “Becoming Free From the Fear of Failure.” As a part of this series, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Cameron Biafore.
Cameron is the founder of Cameron & Partners, a Management Consultancy Firm based in Dubai, UAE. Cameron and her team have been transforming work cultures, and the way executives lead all around the world through her unconventional approaches and strategies. She has spent nearly 10 years living around the world building businesses, and leading 10s of thousands of professionals casting a vision of freedom. Experiencing everything from homelessness, being robbed and lost, to spending weeks on super yachts with billionaires, networking with the world’s most elite, and everything in between. Cameron lives by the notion that “fear is just a feeling” and does not let fear get in the way of success regardless of circumstance. She’s made it her mission to teach this way of thinking to people everywhere.
Thank you so much for joining us! Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’?
Thank you for having me! I grew up always deeply pulled by the desire to grow and succeed. Back when I was 20 years old, I received news that I wouldn’t receive funding to finish my college education. This crushed me. After endless failed attempts to find the funding, I chose to redirect myself to all the potential possibilities elsewhere. This led me to eventually booking a one way ticket out of the country with the goal to find myself, my purpose, and what success really meant to me. This decision took me around the world, living and learning amongst different cultures and countries. In the many years abroad, I faced many lessons. Lessons from deportation, robbery, getting fired from jobs, starting businesses that crumbled, my own irresponsibility with money, and even hostage. In these examples of extremes, I learned an important lesson about failure. You only fail if you choose, and you only fail if you give up. I applied this way of thinking to everything I’ve done since these events, and found myself experiencing growth and success in extraordinary ways.
Can you share with us the most interesting story from your career? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘take aways’ you learned from that?
One that comes to mind right away was an event that I experienced back in 2017. I got deported from Australia after living there for a few years. Long story short, I left the country to go on a visa run to Thailand where I spent all my cash partying for a week thinking I would return home to a few deals going through. My passport was flagged when I arrived back to Australia, my things were searched, I was interrogated for 3 hours, put in a cell for 12 hours, and the ultimate decision was to deport me due to visa complications.The process was terrifying and I had no backup plan. This was at the start of my entrepreneurial journey when money was already sparse. During this time, I recognized how important it was to make better financial decisions, to have a back up plan, and to allow myself to ask for help especially when I felt stuck. I learned it wasn’t the end of the world, rather it was the beginning of a new version of myself, taking the very difficult circumstances and choosing to grow with the new information and experiences I gained in such a challenging time.
You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
Resourcefulness — Solving problems, looking for solutions, and applying different approaches to everything has always been the main factor in my success. In times of homelessness, I was able to find a job within hours from taking assertive action and solving the problems at hand.
Responsibility — Recognizing when I was at fault, or when my effort was lacking ownership. Back when I was leading thousands of people at a time around the world through training I found the best results were when I gave everything 100% and acknowledged when I didn’t.
Adaptive — When things don’t go right, go left. Focusing on what can be controlled or changed rather than fighting what isn’t working. This has been key to positive growth and momentum in all my projects
What are the downsides of being afraid of failure? How can it limit people?
Failure is such an ugly word and holds so much weight. I invite whoever is reading this to first choose to have a different relationship with the word. I never use it. You won’t hear me say it, and I won’t ever beat myself up for something not working out. I have in the past, and this is what I concluded:
What if I saw everything as a lesson? Turning the focus on the new information that was gained. This can lead to better decision making skills and outcomes.
If I started anything already in fear, the outcome would reflect that. Going in with an intention that it might not work out would have my brain looking for all the ways for it not to work out, the initial thoughts becoming validated, and I would continue to live in limit. Doing this is a choice.
Our brains are designed to keep us safe however, fear is just a feeling. We let it consume us from overthinking and can be changed in the matter of seconds if we allowed it to. Here are a few examples of what happens when we choose into our limits instead of pushing through the temporary discomfort of a situation:
- Time is wasted and life is for living
- You close doors
- Can lead to depression and dissatisfaction
- Regrets , wondering what if
- Frustration, anger, resentment
- Keeps you from beautiful relationships
Keeps you from experiencing everything you dream about - Anxiety
- Can grow cynical
In contrast, can you help articulate a few ways how becoming free from the fear of failure can help improve our lives?
Doors of opportunity will begin opening all over the place.
It can teach you how to have a more open minded approach and begin seeing more possibilities in everything.
Change perspective, change the story, change your life.
Here is the main question of our interview. In your opinion, what are 5 steps that everyone can take to become free from the fear of failure”? Please share a story or an example for each.
The famous Greek philosopher Aristotle once said, “It is possible to fail in many ways…while to succeed is possible only in one way.” Based on your experience, have you found this quote to be true? What do you think Aristotle really meant?
I interpret this as commitmentment. Success comes to those who are committed to whatever they are doing. Not just trying, but ALL IN in finding the ways something can work, and optimizing until it does. When we stop at the first couple of roadblocks rather than approaching what we are doing differently, of course it won’t work out. It takes discipline and commitment to achieve what we want. This naturally can feel scary, inconvenient, and requires applying ourselves in ways we haven’t before. That is why most people stop. It’s uncomfortable. But what if you didn’t?
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the greatest amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I would cast the vision of FREEDOM! That is what I have actively done for nearly a decade now from a young age. Personal, mental, emotional, financial, and physical freedom. I have a passion for being an example of possibility for people every day. Anyone can live an extraordinary life, with simple perspective shifts, commitment to learning new skills, and recognizing we are living in a cage with the door wide open, i believe the world will be happier, more fulfilled, and experience more joy.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Message me on instagram! I love staying connected there @cameronbiafore
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent on this. We wish you only continued success.