Failure is an unavoidable part of life — but for women, it often comes with heavier expectations, harsher judgment, and higher emotional tolls.
Dr. Tamara McMillan is a seasoned facilitator, consultant, educator, and transformational speaker. With over 18 years of experience across corporate, government, and higher education, she specializes in leadership development, self-mastery, and innovative problem-solving. Her doctoral research examined the impact of failure on women entrepreneurs, exploring how creativity and resilience shape their ability to persist, rebuild, and thrive. She equips women and organizations with practical, universal strategies for personal and professional growth.
In this episode, Tamara breaks down the three major themes that emerged from her research and shares the real stories behind how women redefine failure, ask for support, and stay persistently flexible — even in the face of constraints and gender expectations.
What you will learn from this episode:
Topics Covered:
01:02 – Tamara's career path across corporate, tech, pharmaceuticals, and higher education.
03:14 – Studying the impact of failure on women entrepreneurs through creativity and resilience.
04:10 – How she designed her qualitative, multiple case study research.
05:20 – Redefining failure into opportunity, growth, and "necessary steps."
06:50 – Why asking for help is harder for women — and why it matters.
07:32 – Being persistently flexible in goals, strategy, and business pivots.
08:26 – Building a powerful network before you need one.
09:40 – Gender expectations, family roles, and constraints women must navigate.
11:05 – Tamara's work today in coaching, cohorts, and strategic learning for organizations.
12:30 – "Give what you did not get": Tamara's call to women supporting women.
Key Takeaways:
"She doesn't even call it failure anymore. She calls it a necessary step." — Tamara McMillan
"As women, we're sent messages that asking for help somehow means we're not good enough." — Tamara McMillan
"They were persistently flexible. It wasn't rigid. It wasn't one way or the highway." — Tamara McMillan
"You have to build your network before you need it." — Tamara McMillan
"Give what you did not get. Many of us are here because we had to take it on the chin." — Tamara McMillan
Ways to Connect with Tamara McMillan:
Ways to Connect with Sarah E. Brown:
