The Plus One Theory
The Plus One Theory Podcast explores how small, intentional actions can create big, lasting impacts in our personal and professional lives. Each episode features inspiring guests sharing their experiences with kindness, resilience, and the transformative power of doing just one more, The Plus One Theory in action.
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The Plus One Theory
Episode 31: The Sacred Space Between Breaking and Becoming
Ever had your entire world collapse in a single day? That's exactly what happened when my thriving digital marketing business imploded after a misunderstanding led to every client canceling their contract simultaneously. The fallout was devastating, no revenue, unable to make payroll, damaged family relationships with my investor, and a complete loss of confidence in my abilities as an entrepreneur.
This raw, vulnerable episode takes you through my journey from spectacular failure to quiet resilience. I share how escaping into youth ministry gave me space to heal, and how it took nearly a decade to recover financially from what felt like career suicide. But what seemed like an ending was actually the beginning of something more aligned and purposeful.
The real transformation came when I learned to sit in what I call "frustration tolerance", that uncomfortable space between breakdown and breakthrough where our most important learning happens. This concept has become central to my new brand and message, "Delay the Binge," which explores how a simple pause before any automatic behavior (whether overeating, overworking, or doom-scrolling) creates space for awareness and choice. That pause is where your power lives.
Whether you're facing career setbacks, relationship challenges, or personal habits that no longer serve you, this episode offers a framework for turning pain into purpose. You're not alone in your messy middle, you're exactly where your next chapter begins. Remember, you don't have to be perfect. You just need to pause, breathe, and take your next plus one step toward reclaiming your story. Next week, I'll be interviewing podcasting veteran Robert Plank about consistency, resilience, and turning your message into movement.
Be a Guest on The Plus One Theory Podcast!
Are you someone who believes in the power of kindness, resilience, and intentional growth? Do you have a story about how small, meaningful steps have made a difference in your life or career?
I’d love to invite you to share your journey on The Plus One Theory Podcast!
This podcast is all about exploring how we can apply the Plus One Theory to create ripples of positivity and purpose in our personal and professional lives. I’m especially excited to feature guests who work in heart-centered careers—nurses, teachers, counselors, nonprofit leaders, caregivers, or anyone who dedicates their energy to helping others.
Your story could inspire listeners who are navigating their own challenges and looking for ways to take that next small step forward. Whether you’ve used kindness to overcome adversity, found strength in vulnerability, or applied intentional action to make an impact in your community, I want to hear from you!
Interested? Here’s How to Reach Out:
- Email me with a brief introduction about yourself and your story.
- Let me know how the Plus One Theory has played a role in your life or career.
Welcome back to the Plus One Theory podcast. I'm your host, pam Dwyer, and today's episode is a little vulnerable, a little gritty and a whole lot honest. We're talking about how we learn by messing up Yep, mistakes, missteps and full-blown failures. They're not the end of the story. They're the very place we begin again Smarter, stronger and more aligned. Again Smarter, stronger and more aligned. So if you've ever felt like the only one fumbling your way around, you're in good company today. Let's get into it.
Speaker 1:My first business wasn't built out of strategy. It was built out of passion. Empower Plus One started with just a few website clients, mostly small businesses, who needed help figuring out their online presence. And what I found early on was this Most people don't know what they want. They know what they don't want, but asking them to articulate a vision, that was a whole different thing. I would spend way too many hours designing what I thought their vision was, only for them to say, yeah, no, that's not it. It was exhausting and I was spending unpaid hours in labor only to have to start over again. So I came up with a process to help inspire, motivate, educate. I'd inspire them with visuals, motivate them to dream clearer and educate them on how the site would work. So we were all aligned.
Speaker 1:A friend that I an acquaintance, we'll call her saw how well this process worked and invited me to speak to a group of dentists who were struggling with digital marketing and training their staff how to maintain it. So I thought sure, why not? I'll help them all out. You know that one opportunity turned into a flood of new clients. Suddenly, I had more business than I could handle and I was flying high y'all. I was so excited. So I did what most new entrepreneurs dream of I was going to scale. New entrepreneurs dream of I was going to scale. I brought in a distant family member as an investor. We rented and remodeled an office space, filled it with sleek furniture, hired designers, copywriters, admins, the whole thing.
Speaker 1:But it all unraveled just as fast. The same friend who referred me to all those dentists. Well, she got upset over something I said at a meeting, a topic I had no idea was very sensitive. So, rather than talk to me, she told all the dentists that she had referred to cancel their contracts immediately. And they did, every last one of them. Payments were reversed, contracts were gone and in one day, literally one day, I was out of business. I couldn't make payroll, I couldn't pay my taxes. And that investor? Well, he came after me hard. He wanted his money back. Well, the family dynamic that once felt secure was shattered. We've never really been the same. We've come a long way, but it's not the same. But it's not the same. I was devastated y'all.
Speaker 1:So I did what I knew to do I ran. I ran into a whole entire new career in youth ministry. I served, I helped others heal and in doing so I began to heal. It took almost 10 years to recover financially, but I did slowly, one step at a time. I forgave, I rebuilt and today I run a quiet, steady business. It's not flashy, but it funds my writing and fuels my speaking and I'm proud of it.
Speaker 1:And here's what I know now that failure was my teacher. It didn't define me, it prepared me. That is the plus one theory at its core Using the pain for purpose and choosing to finish stronger. You know, I watched a video once with a message that stuck with me. It talked about frustration, tolerance, this idea that real learning only happens when we sit in the discomfort of not yet knowing that awkward, frustrating in-between space. That's where growth lives and it's messy, but that's the place where resilience is born.
Speaker 1:When Empower Plus One fell apart, I was stuck in that space for a very long time. I didn't know what was next. I didn't feel capable and I didn't trust myself to lead again. I felt like a failure, but I stayed in it. I didn't run from the frustration. I let it teach me I didn't run from the frustration. I let it teach me that space. It's sacred, it's uncomfortable, but it's where we figure out who we really are. If you're there right now, between the breaking and the becoming, hold on, you're learning, you're building resilience and it matters. This is the part I'm so excited to finally share with you. It's something new, something powerful, and it's changing everything about the way I show up in the world. It's a brand, a mindset and a message called are you ready?
Speaker 1:Drum roll, delay the binge. And no, it's not about food. It's not just about food. It's about anything we use to numb or escape overeating, over drinking, over spending, overthinking, overworking, even doom scrolling on our phones. These are the things we turn to when we're hurting or hiding, when something deep inside of us says I don't want to feel this right now, so I need some kind of escape.
Speaker 1:But here is the science when we delay the urge to binge just by a few minutes, we interrupt the brain's pattern. That pause, that's where your power is. It gives you the space to ask what's really going on here? What am I trying to avoid? What do I actually need? What am I hiding from or avoiding? It's rarely about the cookie you're about to eat or the wine, or the endless to-do list. It's about pain, loneliness, fear or shame. But when we delay, we reclaim choice. We move from autopilot to awareness. Delay the binge is about giving yourself the gift of one moment, one breath, one shift in direction. That's it, that's the practice, that's the power. And now it's part of everything. I teach, everything, I write everything, I speak, because I believe every person deserves to feel whole, to face what hurts and to rewrite the story. One small, intentional delay at a time.
Speaker 1:Before we wrap up today, I've got a little teaser for you. Next week on the show, I'm bringing on a guest I've been so excited to share with you. His name is Robert Plank. He's the host of Marketer of the Day and if you're in the podcast world, you've probably heard his name. With over 1,200 episodes, robert is an absolute master of storytelling strategy and finding the gold in someone's message. He recently interviewed me and I was blown away by his ability to ask questions that go beyond surface-level marketing into the real-life transformation. And next week I get to flip the mic and interview him.
Speaker 1:We're going to talk consistency, failure, resilience and how to turn your message into movement. It's going to be full of insight, inspiration and practical takeaways you can use right now. You won't want to miss it right now. You won't want to miss it. Thanks for being here today. I know this was a big one. We talked about failure, frustration and facing what hurts, but that's what this space is for real growth and real conversations.
Speaker 1:If you're in the messy, messy middle right now, If you're in the messy, messy middle right now, you're not alone. You're exactly where your next breakthrough begins. And remember this you don't have to be perfect. You just have to pause, breathe and take your next plus one step. I'm Pam Dwyer. This is the Plus One Step. I'm Pam Dwyer. This is the Plus One Theory podcast. And you, my friend, you are the one delay away from reclaiming your story. Oh and, by the way, here's a quick disclaimer the content shared on this podcast is for educational and inspirational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical, mental health or nutritional advice. Please consult a qualified professional regarding your individual needs. All right, now I'm leaving. Thanks for listening.