On to the Next Chapter: Writing the Follow-Up to Failing Upward
If you had told me a few years ago that I’d be sitting in a tiny Spanish café, sipping a café con leche while typing the opening lines of a follow-up book, I’d have laughed and asked if you’d been drinking absinthe. Yet, here I am.
The truth is, writing Failing Upward was like pulling my own teeth. It took 41 years of life, a series of heartbreaks, reinventions, and hard-won lessons to assemble enough courage and content to tell that story. It wasn’t just a book—it was a declaration, a catharsis, and a raw attempt to make sense of all the chaos.
But, something shifted when that book came out. The messages from readers, the Amazon chart-climbing, the “I laughed, I cried” emails—those weren’t just validation; they were fuel. They reminded me why I started telling my story in the first place: to connect. To show people that failure doesn’t mean the end; that there’s beauty in the mess.
Now, I find myself in a completely different chapter of life. I traded the familiar chaos of a 23-year photography career in Texas for the unpredictable, sun-soaked adventures of living in Spain. My days are spent wandering cobblestone streets, deciphering Catalan menus, and watching laundry sway on balconies like flags of independence…and let’s not forget the travel—gondolas in Venice, pastries in Paris, and a wild, sweaty night dancing with strangers in Lisbon. Life has never been this vibrant, this uncertain, or this deliciously alive.
If Failing Upward was about finding the courage to own my past, this next book is about embracing the unknown. It’s about the terrifying beauty of starting over—of leaving behind everything you know for the thrill of a new adventure. It’s about navigating a life where the GPS is a little wobbly, but the scenery is so damn worth it.
The first book took decades to shape because I wasn’t ready. I had to live it first. This time, the words feel like they’re bubbling just beneath the surface, waiting for me to tap into them. There’s a clarity to it, a purpose, a pull. Maybe it’s the magic of Europe, or maybe it’s just the heady realization that I’m finally living the life I used to daydream about.
So, here I am, riding the high of Failing Upward while staring down the blank page of book two. It’s exhilarating and daunting all at once. But, if I’ve learned anything, it’s this: the best stories come when you let go of the fear, lean into the chaos, and trust that the mess will sort itself out.
To those of you who’ve been with me on this journey so far: thank you. Thank you for reading, for sharing, for reminding me that vulnerability isn’t just terrifying—it’s worth it…and if you thought the first book had some wild stories, just wait.
The next chapter is just beginning.
One Love,
Matt Blum
