Helping more people thrive doing what they love or are passionate about means helping more folks learn from those who came before them and so we asked successful entrepreneurs, artists and creatives to tell us what they would do differently, knowing what they know now, if they were starting over.

Domanique Burnett

I have a YouTube business so something I would do starting over. Would be being consistent and sharing my page more. I feel like when you’re being consistent things come to you faster and with the type of field that i am in you have to be consistent or else you’ll fall out of the algorithm. I believe that I’ve could’ve gotten to where I am now faster and probably much more further than I am now. Read more>>

Maya Peery

If I were to start over in my photography business, I would find my favorite type of event to photograph and pursue that rather than many different types of photography. The advice you hear from everyone is “keep practicing, keep shooting”, and while that is true, you should keep shooting no matter what, it is important to capture what you love. Read more>>

Reneaja Norris

During the time I was going to school to be an esthetician I was in a very confusing place. I was in the process of trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life and how I wanted to get there. I stopped in the middle of school to go away to Navy Bootcamp to try and create a better situation for myself and my boyfriend (at the time/ now ex) but I came back determined to finish what I started. Read more>>

Justine Esslinger

I’m a commercial photographer doing shooting in the lively town of Bozeman, or as some folks call it, Bozeangeles. I kicked off my photography journey in college, specializing in studio photography and lighting. After that, I took a leap and moved to Seattle, hoping to pick up some tricks of the trade from the pros around me. Turns out, getting them to spill their secrets wasn’t as easy as I thought. Read more>>

Julie Neumark & Holly Bowyer Marketing Agency

Julie: At M3, Holly and I have a saying that we developed early on—”lessons learned.” We actually turned it into a hashtag for ourselves! Basically, it refers to the gift of clarity we receive from choices we might make differently, given the chance. One of those lessons learned has to do with clearly defining our target audience. Read more>>

Jessica Hernandez Park

After 4 years in working on my business I have realized that marketing is far more important than purchasing equipment. Obviously you need tools to make your business grow however keeping a smaller menu of highly marketable tools will be easier to market and profitability can be achieved quicker. Read more>>

Sivram Jackson

In a world where the things we do characterize our entire life from start to finish; starting over always becomes a question that pops up. If I were to start over, what would I do differently to get me to where I am now faster; well for starters I’d tell myself to forget what everyone else is telling you about what you like to capture as a creative photographer. When I first started off, I allowed everyone’s views to drive the direction of my photography and I got to a point of being truly unhappy with the product of work I produced. Read more>>

Grace Harwell

If I were to start over or go back to the beginning of my career I would have definitely started my modeling career earlier. I got signed with Heyman Talent when I was 21 years old as a model. I feel if I had started earlier I would have definitely been further than I am today. I would have also got more training making me a better model. Read more>>

Keonte Bohanna

Firstly, I would allow myself time to grow because nothing good or worth having happens overnight. Stop thinking that the people closest to me should support me more than a stranger. Take the stress out of creating content, marketing, and brand voice. Allow my personality to be the very thing that attracts customers. Authenticity is key. Read more>>

Sicarra Black

Wow, where do I start? LOL! Honestly, what sticks out most is, following through no matter the outcome. I started my career in fashion almost 15 years ago as a fashion designer. It was such a frustrating journey, having experienced all of the highs and lows. Keep in mind I didn’t know anyone personally that had been successful at that point, whose journey could have revealed to me, that’s what the process looks like when you are starting from scratch. Read more>>

Breana Monét

Starting off, I feel as if I didn’t put enough thought and effort into my creative process. I have learned that planning and development is a truly integral part of the design process. I experienced this when developing my last collection, where I as able to devote the necessary time to that. I wish I could go back and just really have a well defined process when it came to the pieces I was making and designing when I first started sewing and designing. Read more>>