Most people try to hide their mistakes. I know that I don't like admiting that I made a mistake. However, Bette Nesmith Graham built a fortune from her mistake. In the 1950s, Bette was a divorced single mother working as a secretary at a bank in Texas. Her electric typewriter made her faster, but every typo meant starting the entire page over. One day, Bette noticed that artists did not erase their mistakes. They simply painted over them. So she went home, mixed white tempera paint in her kitchen blender, poured it into small bottles and carried it to work with a tiny brush. She called it “Mistake Out.” Over time, other secretaries began asking for bottles. Bette and her son made them at home at night. She kept her job, paid her bills and quietly built something she owned. Then came the deliciously ironic part. Bette was fired after accidentally typing the name of her own company on a letter from the bank. The mistake that cost her job forced her to focus on the business her mistakes had created. Mistake Out became Liquid Paper. In 1979, Bette sold the company to Gillette for $47.5 million. If you're old enough you remember, "White out" and "Liquid paper" Her story teaches us something really important. Your next source of income may not begin with a brilliant business idea. It may begin with a small irritation you understand better than anyone else. Pay attention to the problems people repeatedly bring to you. Notice what you make easier, faster or less painful. Then ask yourself: Could I turn this solution into something I own? Bette did not begin with investors, a business degree or a grand vision. She just began with a stupid typo, a kitchen blender and the willingness to try. Your mistakes may not be proof that you are failing. Instead, it may be pointing toward what you should build next. What ordinary problem could you solve for someone this year? Your small idea may be more valuable than you think. With love, Vickie Helm