The Gap Year that Almost Became a Career Gap
The Gap Year that Almost Became a Career Gap  
Podcast: Embracing Marketing Mistakes
Published On: Thu Oct 02 2025
Description: Marketing professionals aren't immune to making classic business mistakes, especially when personal projects cloud professional judgment. Our guest Katie Tucker, a Customer Insight Strategist, and Author of Do Penguins Eat Peaches, shares how her family gap year adventure led her to create a course without proper market validation, only to be unexpectedly saved by the COVID pandemic's timely intervention.World tour with family generated Instagram following and many questions about how to plan family gap yearsCreated a comprehensive course teaching practical and psychological preparation for family travelSecured impressive media coverage in The Times money sectionFailed to properly validate the business idea beyond supportive friends and familyCOVID pandemic intervened before full launch, preventing potential business failureWorking in market research didn't prevent making the same mistakes she warns clients aboutPersonal connection to the project made objective assessment more difficultSometimes you need to make mistakes to learn valuable business lessonsIs your strategy still right in 2026? Book a free 15-min no obligation discovery call with our host: 👉 [Book your call with Chris now] 👈Subscribe to our newsletter👉 Subscribe to our newsletter here. 👈 Follow Chris:X, TikTok, LinkedInFollow Will:LinkedInFollow The Show: TikTok, YouTube