Today, you are going to meet Andrew Thorpe King, the author of Failure Rules: The Five Rules of Failure for Entrepreneurs, Creatives, and Authentics. Andrew is one of those rare guests who has lived a lot of life, taken big risks, and can talk about failure in a way that feels honest, practical, and encouraging.

Andrew’s entrepreneurial journey started early and did not follow a traditional path. He built record labels, worked in the music industry, and learned what it means to bet on yourself before you have a safety net. He talks about the challenge many entrepreneurs face, trying to balance money and meaning. Sometimes you are doing what you love, but the money is not there. Other times, you are making money, but it feels empty. Andrew shares how he has learned to navigate that tension by building multiple pursuits and creating systems that support his bigger goals.

One of the most powerful parts of this conversation is when Andrew opens up about a low point that hit on two fronts at the same time. A business breakup and a divorce left him without a home, without an office, and living out of a hotel room. For many people, that kind of season would shut everything down. For Andrew, it became the space that allowed reinvention. He began writing the manuscript for Failure Rules, finished a spy novel, started a lead generation company in online lending, rebuilt parts of his music business, and reshaped his career into FinTech.

A theme that comes through clearly is that failure is not just something to survive. It can become the raw material for your next chapter if you learn how to separate your identity from what went wrong. Andrew explains how he uses “empty space” as a tool. Not as proof that you are behind, but as the incubation stage where new ideas can actually form.

We also talk about what success looks like for him now, how he celebrates wins, and how he thinks about building a life with layers and backups. Not from fear, but from wisdom. The goal is not perfection. It is creating enough stability and flexibility that you can keep moving forward, even when life punches you in the face.

If you have been through a setback, a pivot, or a season where everything feels uncertain, this episode will remind you that the road is rarely straight, but it can still lead somewhere meaningful.

Connect with Andrew: andrewthorpking.com
Follow on Instagram: @AndrewThorpKing
Get the book: Available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook wherever books are sold online.