Inspiring Workplaces 
The Way Work Ought to Be!

#1,094- October 1, 2025

In her wildly entertaining biography, global icon Cher describes several touch points in her stellar career where she embraced her mistakes (insert Sonny Bono joke here) and pivoted during challenging situations to turn potential flops into massive hits. Her stories (and there are many I could Cher) are a fabulous reminder to look for the opportunities that might be lurking under the surface of an awkward moment or something that initially feels like a flop.   

In the early 1960s, Cher was singing backup on a Christmas album working for the late (and eventually disgraced) record producer Phil Spector. During their 15-hour recording days the backup singers often made mistakes, but even the perfectionist Spector was open-minded enough to take a beat and realize that the 'mistaken' hooks were actually better than what was originally planned, so he kept them in the final cut.  

During a three-week stint with Sonny at the Elmwood Casino in Windsor, Ontario in 1969, Cher flipped a difficult situation into a success that led to the creation of The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour. It was during a midnight performance to a sparse, drunken crowd who wasn't interested in hearing their music when Cher decided she'd had enough. She started bantering and joking around with Sonny and the band. No one was paying attention anyways, so why not have some fun?   

Lo and behold, everyone started listening. And laughing. A lot! It was so successful that from then on they decided to intentionally weave a lot more humor into their act, making their act as much about the humor as it was about the music, which is how they rebuilt their career and what propelled them to sign a deal for their own TV show. 

So, here's a question to ponder since you can't turn back time (oh yeah, I went there) on your mistakes: When you encounter a difficult or unexpected situation do you take a moment to consider the opportunity it might be offering you to turn a flop into a hit?