Entrepreneur and founder of F*ckup nights Toronto
“Failure is our greatest teacher, greater even than success.”
If you’re not failing, you’re failing by default.
Never mind these being words to live by, Marsha Druker has made them words to work for. As founder and director of F*ckup Nights Toronto, Marsha works within communities that are embracing and destigmatizing failure.
After returning home from working abroad, coming out of a relationship, moving back in with her parents and looking for a job, Marsha felt like somewhat of a failure herself.
Looking for inspiration from F*ckup Nights, a global speaker series she had discovered in Tel Aviv, Marsha was shocked to find that it didn’t exist in Toronto.
“Something sparked in me… having lived in Startup Nation, I was looking for my next step, and just decided to go for it.”
Her passion for the concept of learning from failure and celebrating resilience propelled Marsha to launch F*ckup Nights Toronto.
“Failure in general is still seen as taboo, and people are ashamed to talk about it. But it is actually our greatest teacher, greater even than success.”
With events happening in over 300 cities worldwide, Marsha is one of thousands who are flipping the conversation around failure.
“The idea of F*ckup Nights really resonates with me. It is a night of no filters, and no judgement, where an amazing community of people gathers to learn and grow together.”
Marsha describes even herself as having a contentious relationship with failure. “Launching this series changed me as a person. As a more reserved individual, this has been instrumental in getting me out of my comfort zone. F*ckup Nights pushes me to face my fears and embrace the challenges that come my way.”
The overlying message Marsha believes F*ckup Nights spreads is that failure should inspire us. As human beings, we are all flawed. The challenge is to use our flaws as fuel to move forward.
RANDOM RAPID FIRE WITH MARSHA
1. Power or Influence
2. Tattoo or Piercing
3. Fame or Fortune
4. Respect or Love
5. Useless talent? Knowing every Friends episode by heart
Marsha Druker grew up in Ukraine and later in Woodbridge, Ontario. She learned about F*ckup Nights when working for a startup Tel Aviv, and, upon returning home, decided to launch a Toronto chapter of the speaker series that shares stories of professional failure in over 300 cities. After running for 1.5 years in Toronto, Marsha also launched a chapter in Kitchener-Waterloo. She looks forward to the continued growth of both chapters.
Follow Marsha at:
@MarshaDruker
@FuckupNightsTO
Interview by Adina Samuels
Photo credit to Jodianne Beckford