(FAIL) UP

Zan Goodman has built a celebrated career as a design director in New York City, from Teen Vogue, Nylon, and CR Fashion Book to creative agencies like Chandelier, Mythology, and Yard, to her current role as the founder and design director of her own studio, Zan Inc. Her work has shaped the visual language of many of today’s most influential fashion, beauty, and lifestyle brands and has earned recognition from Vogue, NPR, and The New York Times.Along the way she has had to find her own equilibrium, learning where to compromise and where to hold the line. In this conversation, Zan reflects on the realities of creative leadership, what it means to be a creative translator, the cost of chasing bigger work, and how burnout forced her to rebuild on her own terms. She shares how trusting herself and her taste became the foundation for a more balanced, collaborative, and fulfilling creative life.In this episode:Growing up in downtown New York in a family of creatives and how that shaped her creative career and commercial sensibilityWhy she sees her role as a creative translator rather than a visionary dreamer and why the industry needs bothWhat she learned from working under Anna Wintour at Teen Vogue and Carine Roitfeld at CR Fashion Book and how those experiences taught her the importance of conviction and tasteThe power of trusting her instincts and why standing by her opinion sometimes means pushing back or walking awayThe burnout that pushed her to start her own studio and the realization that chasing bigger clients does not always lead to better workHow becoming her own boss taught her to protect her time, energy, and boundaries and the confidence that comes with saying noWhy she now defines success through collaboration and pleasure and how she learned to let go of perfectionism and take pride in the process itselfThe role of failure in creative work and why real creativity depends on experimentation, constraint, and the courage to let things goAn honest conversation about honing your craft, navigating burnout, and the quiet confidence it takes to hold your own in an industry built on reinvention.---------------Stay Connected with Alanna (Host) & Zan (Guest)MELIOR FUTURI Instagram: @meliorfuturiAlanna Lynch Linkedin: alannalynch(FAIL)UP Instagram : @failupbymeliorfuturiZan Goodman Instagram: @zangoodmanZan Inc Instagram: @zan.inc.studioZan Goodman Linkedin: Zan Goodman

As a former advertising executive turned psychotherapist for men, couples, and organizations, Patch McCormick knows all too well the paradox of wanting to feel like enough, while always striving for more.In this conversation, Patch unpacks the psychology of ambition and burnout, how early ideas about love and success shape the way we experience failure, and why so many of us only stop when our bodies force us to.Through deep reflection, and plenty of shared experience, Patch talks about what it means to rebuild a healthier relationship with achievement - one that allows room for healthy play, meaningful connection, and that elusive feeling of enoughness, without losing the drive that got you there in the first place.In this episode:Why achievement can become its own addiction — and how the constant chase to feel “enough” can take a toll on our mental and physical health.The slow erosion of burnout, what it feels like to “disappear from yourself,” and why the body often knows before the mind admits something’s wrong.How childhood messages about love, approval, and success shape the way we experience failure — and why so many high achievers can’t tell the difference between falling short and being unworthy.The paradox of ambition: wanting to feel like enough while always striving for more — and how that tension shows up in our work, relationships, and sense of self.Why burnout can make us want to burn it all down — and how to find steadier ground by adding “life rafts” instead of jumping ship.The role friendship and community play in recovery — and how the company we keep can help us navigate failure with more grace and honesty.How Patch helps people make peace with their ambition — learning to let it expand their life, not consume it.A grounded and thought-provoking conversation about ambition, self-worth, and learning to build life rafts before you need to be rescued.--------Stay Connected with Alanna (Host) & Patch (Guest)Alanna Lynch Instagram: @meliorfuturiAlanna Lynch Linkedin: alannalynch(FAIL)UP Instagram : @failupbymeliorfuturiPatch McCormick Instagram: @talktopatchPatch McCormick Linkedin: Patch McCormick

Senior Director of Marketing, Insights & Comms Hilary Fischer-Groban, has built her career leading through change — from helping legacy brands reinvent themselves to steering culture-defining start-ups through their next chapter.Known for her clarity, humor, and composure under pressure, she believes leadership isn’t about having all the answers, it’s about connecting the dots, explaining the why, and creating the kind of trust that helps people move forward even when things feel uncertain.In this episode, Hilary breaks down what it really means to lead on the “glass cliff” — those high-stakes moments when women are asked to fix what’s broken. She shares the signs to look for before you say yes, how to set yourself up for success once you’re in the role, and how to navigate the pressure without losing your clarity or sense of self.In today's episode:Why Hilary believes leadership starts with explaining the why, not just the what, and how clarity builds confidence in teamsHow she brings levity into leadership, by taking herself lightly and creating space for others to exhale during high-pressure momentsThe “glass cliff” — why women are often chosen to lead through crisis, and how she’s learned to navigate those roles without internalizing systemic failureHow she defines failure not as the moment itself, but by how long it lingers in your mind and how much it impacts your relationshipsThe emotional toll of leadership and the importance of separating self-worth from business outcomes — what it takes to regain calm and confidence when things go wrongWhy maintaining balance — physical, emotional — is critical to build long term resilienceWhy she no longer believes in “do what you love,” and how she’s redefining success in a way that actually feels sustainable.A sharp, funny, and refreshingly honest take on what it really feels like to lead on the glass cliff — and how to make it out the other side.--------Stay Connected with Alanna (Host) & Hilary (Guest)Alanna Lynch Instagram: @meliorfuturiAlanna Lynch Linkedin: alannalynch(FAIL)UP Instagram : @failupbymeliorfuturiHilary Fischer-Groban Instagram: @hilaryfgHilary Fischer-Groban Linkedin: Hilary Fischer-Groban

The artist and executive creative director, Gordon Hull, on longevity, relevance, and what it really takes to live a creatively fulfilled life.Gordon Hull first made a name for himself as the founder of Surface to Air — the cult-favorite creative agency and fashion label that helped define a generation of downtown cool in New York City. Since then, he’s brought his distinctive mix of art, humor, and humanity to collaborations with brands like Ralph Lauren, Adidas, and Tory Burch, as well as creative studios including Chandelier and Mother.Known for his punk attitude and relentless curiosity, Gordon has built a career that balances creative integrity with reinvention. In this conversation, he reflects on the desire to create and the quiet fight to stay true to his creative mission and personal values as priorities shift and the definition of success evolves.In this episode:Why failure has always been part of Gordon’s creative process — and how every misstep, idea, and wrong turn becomes raw material for the next thingWhat it takes to build a creative career that endures — one driven by curiosity and craft, not just recognitionThe tension between staying relevant and staying true to your creative mission — and the pressure of navigating an industry that is constantly reinventing How to tell the difference between self-doubt and intuition, and knowing when to push a project forward versus when to let it goWhy he believes the best collaborations are built on honesty, friction, and trust — not just shared tasteThe ongoing challenge of balancing artistic integrity with commercial reality, and redefining what success means when the metrics start to changeWhy he’s surprisingly optimistic about AI — and how he sees it expanding, rather than replacing, human creativityA candid reflection on creative ambition, relevance, and the resilience it takes to keep showing up — even when what drives you starts to change.--------Stay Connected with Alanna (Host) & Gordon (Guest)Alanna Lynch Instagram: @meliorfuturiAlanna Lynch Linkedin: alannalynch(FAIL)UP Instagram : @failupbymeliorfuturiGordon Instagram: @gordon_harrison_hullGordon Linkedin: gordonhull

The President of Sotheby’s Motorsport on leading through uncertainty, owning failure as a leader, and learning to balance vulnerability with authority.A lifelong theater kid turned luxury auction executive, Colleen Cash shares how her background in performance shaped her leadership and how she’s found success as a self-proclaimed spin doctor—reframing and repackaging setbacks not to disguise them, but to maintain momentum, protect morale, and move her team forward.In this episode:How Colleen’s theater roots taught her presence, adaptability, and the power of reading a roomWhat it takes to lead people older and more experienced, and earn their trustThe self-proclaimed spin doctor mindset: reframing failure as forward motion and keeping teams energized through uncertaintyThe risk of the silver lining: when quick reframing becomes avoidance, and why reflection still mattersBuilding learning cultures that turn failure into feedback rather than fearThe realities of leading in prestige industries built on perception, and how to stay groundedThe moment vulnerability reset trust in her team, and how she balances transparency with authorityAn engaging conversation about reframing failure, leading with conviction when you’re the youngest in the room, and finding the power in vulnerability.--------Stay Connected with Alanna (Host) & Colleen (Guest)Alanna Lynch Instagram: @meliorfuturiAlanna Lynch Linkedin: alannalynch(FAIL)UP Instagram : @failupbymeliorfuturiColleen Linkedin: @colleencash

Today’s guest is one of the most fascinating people you’ll ever meet, with one of the most unexpected career journeys you’ve ever heard.Alexandre Stipanovich is a neuropharmacologist whose PhD research on the molecular mechanisms of addiction was published in Nature. After completing postdoctoral work at Yale and Rockefeller Labs, he took a wildly creative detour into the cultural industries, designing cultural programming for creative agencies and luxury brands (where we had the great pleasure of working together), launching an independent record label, and founding a boutique event production agency. He now runs Cascades Analytics, a consultancy at the forefront of psychedelic science and the neuropharmacology of consciousness.In this episode, Alex explains the neuroscience of failure — why rejection feels so physically painful, how our brain chemistry shapes our appetite for risk-taking, and what science can teach us about creativity, ego, and bouncing back from failure.This episode blew my mind, and I think it will do the same for you.Alex breaks down:How failure activates the same parts of the brain as physical pain, and why it can feel painful and personalWhy brain chemicals like dopamine and serotonin influence creativity, motivation, and our appetite for riskThe delicate dance between ego and fragility in creative work, and how too much of either is never a good thingWhy some people spiral after failure while others grow — and how mindset, emotional regulation, and awareness determine resilienceHow embracing uncertainty and curiosity can turn fear into fuel for creative breakthroughsHow reframing failure as a natural part of the creative cycle could unlock more empathy, experimentation, and progressA fascinating and thought-provoking conversation that blends science and creativity, revealing what failure can teach us about who we are and how we grow.------Stay Connected with Alanna (Host) & Alexandre (Guest)Alanna Lynch Instagram: @meliorfuturiAlanna Lynch Linkedin: alannalynch(FAIL)UP Instagram : @failupbymeliorfuturiAlexandre Instagram: @astipanovichAlexandre Linkedin: Alexandre Stipanovich 

Known for his drive and charisma, Guy Griggs has spent two decades climbing to the top of some of the world’s most powerful media companies. When this episode was recorded, he was Vice President of National Sales at The New York Times . Today, he is SVP of Advertising Sales & Partnerships at CNN. But behind all of Guy’s well deserved career success, is a hidden pressure. Shaped by a childhood that demanded excellence, and by navigating the industry as a Black gay man, Guy has always carried the sense that he had something to prove. In this episode, Guy opens up about how those early experiences fueled his drive and built his resilience — and how he is learning to trade blind ambition for a motivating force bigger than himself, one rooted in faith, family, and a definition of success that finally feels like his own.We talk about:How early childhood experiences left him feeling he had everything to prove, and why that pressure became both a driver and a burdenThe identity piece — what it has meant to succeed in media as a Black gay man, and the resilience it demandedThe double-edged sword of people-pleasing, and how it fueled both career advancement and burnoutHis networking philosophy — why he sees every room as infinite possibility, and how genuine connection has driven his careerThe role of faith and integrity in his leadership, and why doing the right thing when no one is watching is his ultimate red lineRedefining failure from disappointment and shame into resilience and learning, staying positive through downturns, and how he bounced back from the toughest feedback of his careerA deeply personal conversation about ambition, identity and belonging, at the highest level of corporate America.-----Stay Connected with Alanna (Host) & Guy (Guest):Alanna Lynch Instagram: @meliorfuturiAlanna Lynch Linkedin: alannalynch(FAIL)UP Instagram : @failupbymeliorfuturiGuy Griggs Instagram: @guygriggsGuy Grigg's Linkedin: guygriggsIf this conversation left you wanting to think bigger, feel braver, and influence change in your own career, head to melior-futuri.com to explore our executive and leadership coaching programs, available internationally.

In this episode of (FAIL) UP, host Alanna Lynch sits down with celebrated arts & culture journalist, Julia Halperin. Julia Halperin has been asking tough questions about power, equity, and representation in the art world for more than a decade. She co-founded the Burns Halperin Report, the largest tracking study of its kind examining diversity in museums and markets, and is a contributor to The New York Times, Financial Times, Cultured, W Magazine, and The Art Newspaper. From 2017 to 2022, she was executive editor of Artnet News, where we first worked together.Behind her rigorous reporting is a personal story about perfectionism, people-pleasing, and how she found the conviction to stop putting herself last.In today’s episode, Julia opens up about:How her work as a journalist tries to answer the question “Why do we value what we value?” and what the data really reveals about progress (or lack thereof) for women, Black, and Latinx artistsWhy mid-career women are often overlooked in the art world, and how that reflects broader gender bias across industriesReframing failure as friction and how avoiding conflict early in her career taught her the importance of trusting her gutThe shift from perfectionism and people-pleasing to setting boundaries and making choices aligned with her own valuesHer take on the future of arts journalism, and why she believes individual voices will rise as legacy institutions shrinkAn honest and inspiring conversation about bias, value, and what happens when you stop living by other people’s expectations and start claiming space for yourself.Stay Connected with Alanna & Julia:Alanna Lynch Instagram: @meliorfuturiAlanna Lynch Linkedin: alannalynch(FAIL)UP Instagram : @failupbymeliorfuturiJulila Halperin Instagram: @juliahalperinJulia Halperin Linkedin: juliahalperin