The Setback Cycle: How Defining Moments Can Move Us Forward

by Amy Shoenthal

Forbes contributor Amy Shoenthal’s revolutionary strategies for working through life’s inevitable setbacks, supported by research and personal stories from today’s most prolific founders, leaders, and experts.

How do you know if you’re going through a setback? And once you realize you’re in one, how do you work through it?

Some of the world’s most prominent leaders attribute their setbacks to the reason they found success. Their lowest moments paved the way for their creative rebirth. Through the four phases of The Setback Cycle—Establish, Embrace, Explore, and Emerge—Amy Shoenthal guides readers on how to make sense of their experiences, gain clarity on what comes next, and move confidently into future endeavors. That framework, developed through research and conversations with scholars, psychologists, neuroscientists, and executive coaches is supported through the deeply personal stories of founders and leaders like fashion icons Stacy London and Norma Kamali, fitness instructors Robin Arzón and Kendall Toole, chef Palak Patel, non-binary beauty influencer Cyrus Veyssi, and inspirational founders like Cate Luzio, Erica Taylor, Amanda Goetz, and more.

Whether you’re stuck in a rut after a breakup or trying to navigate an unexpected professional transition, The Setback Cycle offers guidance on how to take yourself through your toughest moments and forge a stronger path forward.

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction

232 pages, Hardcover

Published March 19, 2024

Reviews

[Mandygerz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so excited to read this book! Amy is an incredible mentor, and always speaks authentically and candidly. I’ve been lucky enough to learn from Amy, both personally and professionally, and am so excited for others to be able to experience/benefit from her wisdom and personal experiences. I know this book will help so many people find their path and am so excited to dive in!

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amy asks the right questions of the right people in the Setback Cycle. This book is filled with stories of overcoming adversity and lessons learned. Each chapter has a tool I can apply to my own life or a tool I will keep in my back pocket for the future. I’d recommend this to anyone who has encountered a setback, which is everyone

[Amy Kugler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is everything I was looking for in an inspiring and actionable read. Amy is a master storyteller and the impressive collection of women’s stories in this book is amazing. This is an incredible book to buy for any person in your life, because we all face setbacks.

[Lindsey Epperly Sulek · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the minute Amy described the setback that set in motion her own writing "hobby" (and Aliza Licht's magnificent observation of "last name syndrome"), I felt entirely seen. I have a hunch that anyone who has encountered a setback of their own will find themselves in these pages, too. This book has given me additional words to process my previous setback cycle; if you're looking for similar healing, you've come to the right place.

Not only that, Amy does such a magnificent job of sharing each individual's story that I now feel like I have a dozen new friends, all of whom have been in exactly my shoes. The messages of hope and tangible practices (thank you for thoughtful, not-cheesy exercises!) had me highlighting and stopping at each section to think through my own next steps in my current phase of life.

Very, very well done. A must read, in my opinion.

[Mary Carp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed reading these stories of resilience and creative rebirth! And they’re woven into an actionable list to help propel you through any of your own setbacks, tiny or life-changing. Great book, Amy!!!

[Becca Magnusen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can’t wait for my copy of this book; it feels like something I didn’t know I needed and now it feels essential! I love the author’s speaking and writing style and look forward to reading, learning and growing from her advice.

[Zibby Owens · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author's book outlines strategies to work through life’s setbacks to accomplish something more. The author interviewed some of today's most incredible founders, leaders, innovators, and people working to solve some of society's biggest problems to gain insight. She also shares personal stories of founders and leaders like fashion icons Stacy London and Norma Kamali, fitness instructors Robin Arzón and Kendall Toole, and others. She also spoke with executive coaches, neuroscientists, and psychologists - all to thoroughly explore what a setback is and how transformative it can be in someone's life, especially in business and careers.

The book talks about The Setback Cycle—Establish, Embrace, Explore, and Emerge to guide us all through our own transformations. Establish can last a short time or a long time, depending on how long it takes to admit what you're experiencing. People who recognize setbacks can more easily identify problems, work through the Establish phase, and complete the cycle to reach the other side. Embrace is when you've acknowledged the situation and have to deal with it. Explore is when you try to understand why the problem is happening. And then you Emerge and come out the other side with a new understanding. The book also offers advice on how to push ourselves through challenging moments to come out with insight on how to move forward.

To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at:
https://www.momsdonthavetimetoreadboo...

[Lisa Pizzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t wait to read this book after seeing Amy speak at a conference and getting to be in a small breakout group with her. Her speaking style is dynamic, she’s so passionate about bo7ncing back from a setback and all around a lovely person to have encountered! Can’t wait for the book release!

[Vanessa Carter · Rating 2 out of 5]

I could connect with the ideas and stories within this book, though I couldn’t relate to them. The author’s style came across as an influencer-author; a term I coined while reading, describing a writer who looks to profit and publicize their day to day experiences and encounters; using repetition, recycled concepts, breakdowns/snapshots to draw in. When I saw the author’s actual social media, I thought of her less in this light actually. The delivery process more grand than the message pitched. Everyone’s a salesperson, everyone’s a writer. I do think I’m the outlier though, and this book would be a hit for many mainstream modern gals specifically. I’ve referenced the women in whiskey story and the “don’t touch your face, don’t touch your 401k” a couple times socially since reading, and from the author’s social media; responding with our hobbies for what we do, I’ve brought this one up more. I go all in on my takes. Perhaps, when I was reading passing some author judgements - I was within the purview of female founder takedowns that Amy expands on under Emerge, Light the Way Forward, Girl Boss Glorification. “Because when a woman succeeds, too many people - including other women - resent her for it.” We can count on this author to be a trailblazer of whatever the next trendy conversation is. Trad wife, lip stick wearing while laundry folding, we see you and the attention you’re pulling for, author-influencer. One can really reflect on the distinctions between an author v. writer. I would say Amy hits more on the author category from my POV, but I know she takes great pride in being a writer and I honor that for her, as someone who also loves writing. Nothing personal. Literally, this book is just snippets of peoples’ experiences. Her intentions seem there though - I honor her for that again and like her most for this. Useful frameworks and questions for revisit.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am lucky enough to call Amy a mentor, and I respect her outlook—on life and in business.

Amy’s written for Forbes and interviewed hundreds of founders, CEOs, Peloton instructors (my personal favorite), and other leaders and cultural tastemakers at the top of their industries about setbacks, failures, and the resilience it takes to power through. The Setback Cycle is a wonderful distillation of Amy’s learnings and advice over her 20-year+ career.

This book is great for people across industries, but also for anyone encountering a personal setback. The Setback Cycle can apply to almost any situation in life, and it has helped me reframe my own thinking, and inspired me to start anew with the advice of those who have done it before me.

[Jenny Magic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a thoughtful and actionable plan for dealing with the inevitable plateaus and dips that we all face. Highly recommend.