KJR are once again revelling in the opportunity to sponsor the unique and successful event series so tactfully named F*ckUp Nights. A sentiment close to our hearts in the work we often find ourselves in with clients – preventing or fixing someone else’s ‘error’.

As big fans of the content from these events, we’re going to re-create the ‘short-version’ in words so anyone who missed out or wants a little refresh can indulge in the lessons of others. Here’s what we learnt in Melbourne on the 14th of February 2018.

1. Don’t throw money at problems

Chiquita Searle, founder of PR & Talent Management Agency CHIQUITA shared how chasing her fashion

passion led her to amazing places (like Paris), but ultimately into a slow-fade business coupled with an empty bank account. In the face of perceived opportunity, Chiquita made it rain, which as we all know, is extremely tempting to do. Judge, we do not. So, while the notion of needing to spend money to make money often rings true, we’ve learnt from Chiquita, and in our own work, that diligence always pays.

2. Trust your gut.

We’re not sure of how the physiology works on this one but the magic of a gut feeling can be invaluable in business. Dave Chung, founder and CEO of Limbr, found dollar signs in his eyes and made a big error in judgement when it came to getting his app off the ground. Having successfully followed his gut away from stable, generic employment, Dave ultimately found himself on the wrong side of a decision. So, while income and profit are important in any business, what about the cost of considering the wrong decision-driver? In his own words, Dave focused on the decision, not the space he needed to make it.

3. Find the f*ck yeah.

Third up was Chirryl-Lee Ryan, a transdisciplinary design practitioner – we won’t even start to contemplate what that means right now. Her story took a turn, and one we were happy to consider. People make errors or mistakes almost every day with little to no consequence, so when thinking about a big, fat, honest ‘FU’, surely there’s a scale on which they occur? Like pain? We’ve certainly seen some hit exceptionally high on the scale in our work (as the digital fix-it crew) but for most, the reality is often not as dire as the reaction. So dig deep, shake it off and find the FY!

4. Push the boundaries.

Then we met Leslie Miley. Straight out of Silicon Valley, this man has scored excessively high on the ‘FU Scale’ once or twice in his career. But it was a lesson from his childhood, a unique business venture as a 12-year-old, that taught Leslie about the power of curiosity and dedication. While he may have had a visit from the police, ultimately, he was not doing anything illegal. He was simply pushing the boundaries.

Congratulations to the F*ckUp Nights team for a successful start to the 2018 journey. We’re excited and intrigued to roll through this journey with you.

Follow F*ckUp Nights Melbourne on Facebook so you don’t miss the next event.