Finding the key partners to work with can make or break your venture. After thousands of conversations with aspiring entrepreneurs, it’s one of the most common obstacles and risks holding folks back from pursuing their idea. So – we asked some of the smartest, most resourceful entrepreneurs in the community to share their lessons and insights to help inspire and educate the next great set of entrepreneurs.

Out Of Touch Productions

We both met each other our sophomore year of high school in our media technology class. After seeing how hard we each worked on our own respective film projects we decided it would be wise to work together. After that we continued working together on multiple projects until we got the idea to form this production company! Read more>>

Mz Jolie

I was asked to host a show for The Blueprint Cigar Lounge. I was told that if it went well, I would be asked to come back. The show did better than I had ever expected. It was a full house! I was asked to host shows every two weeks from that night. It has been a beautiful work relationship. This opportunity fell right into my lap like it was made for me. I couldn’t have asked for better. I have had the opportunity to see how my partner runs their business, and I have also learned so much about the cigar world! Read more>>

Brad Leavitt

Social media is a connector. For those of us that use that platform, it can open many doors that assist us in our business. Not only has it allowed us to find better building practices and sources to better run our business, but also connected us with some of the top vendors and manufacturers. This is more important than ever at this time in the construction market. Supply chain and labor is a major issue. It is very difficult to build homes with thousands of products. Read more>>

Rhoda Darius Miller

Not being a metalsmith myself, it was very important to me that the jewelry settings I used were coming from a reliable source, high-quality, and that they had good communication. I first started looking online at a few “popular” suppliers, but weren’t finding any that I felt totally comfortable with. After some time, I started to look locally – supporting a local business made sense and would potentially fulfill all the requirements I was looking for. I started my search in a local Facebook group, looking at jewelers/metalsmiths that had been recommended in the past – that’s when I came across Jenny, owner of Pure Life Jewelry. Read more>>

Natoshia Burkins

It’s key to find the right vendors in the fashion retail industry. There are manufacturers and distributors you can purchase your inventory from. When I started my business, I researched online for vendors. I followed a few influencers on YouTube and located some solid vendors. When you’re first starting out It’s so many things to figure out. I found out very early on not all vendors are equal. Read more>>

Patricia Chourio

One of the most important aspects of this business is how we build and maintain relationships with our partners. I was inspired by women artisans in Vietnam I met while living there and they are the reason why I decided to launch The World’s Corner. We purchase goods directly from them in small collections for a fair price, then send an additional premium when their entire collection has sold. This process allows us to build a meaningful business and personal relationships with the artisans. Read more>>