One of the best things about video games is the ability to restart – you can use your learnings to move faster and avoid obstacles. We often think about what we would do differently if we were starting over in business and we figured others probably think about this as well and so we asked the community to share their thoughts with us.

Mino Diodati

If I were to start over today, I’d focus on testing our marketing numbers much earlier and spend less time and money on product development. To give you a bit of context, we launched SoftBliss in April 2024, and it’s been quite a journey. My business partner and I have been living in China for several years, so we had a good grasp of product development. Read more>>

Alexandria Kasparian

If I was starting over, there are so many thing I’d do differently. Being a creative in 2013 is so different then 2024, I’d would first tell myself to not to worry about having the best camera, equipment and programs and to master the talent first with what you have. It will pay off in the long run. Start a portfolio and find a mentor as soon as possible. Someone who will challenge and push you to be better for yourself. One way to grow faster, is not being afraid and reaching out to more people in the industry, just by networking you can make some friends and connections for life at the end of the day. Read more>>

Jerell Tanner-brown

What i would do is capture every moment. This day in age social media is the major platform. Content is needed to stay relevant and consistency. So i would literally save all my photo/video in an archive to post them day and eventually the algorithm will locked in. As well volunteering/ advertising & promotion can all be free. Networking is the Biggest Key Read more>>

Liyah Sumner

I didn’t get into photography with the intention of starting a business and it wasn’t until after my first paid client that I decided to go that route. I spent a lot of time in the beginning trying to be an entrepreneur while thinking like a hobbyist, so there were a lot of mistakes made and lessons learned. Read more>>

Jay Graves

If I could hit rewind on my entrepreneurial journey, armed with the wisdom I’ve picked up along the way, I’d fail faster and ditch playing it safe. I’d dive headfirst into risks and invest in a coach or mastermind group from day one. That intimidating upfront cost is nothing compared to the growth when you’re on fire for what you do. I’d pitch my story to everyone I met, making sure no one missed what I’m all about. My social presence? I’d crank it up with daily videos, weekly ‘Go Lives,’ and posts that scream the value I bring to those who need it. I’d show how I could take them to the next level by sharing the ‘what’ and letting them crave the ‘how. Read more>>

Coco Chen

If I were to start over with Toasty Toasts, I’d take a different approach. Initially, I was too cautious, which slowed down growth. I designed a fun, competitive card game that sold over 2,000 copies in the first year, but looking back, I see that trusting the early demand and scaling production sooner would have allowed me to reach more customers faster.  I’d also focus more on building excitement before launching the Kickstarter. While the campaign was successful, I could have done more to engage potential backers early with teasers, sneak peeks, and social media content. Creating a buzz before the launch would have given the campaign a much stronger start. Read more>>

Gwendolyn Young

Wow, this is such a great question. For me, there are a few things I would have done differently based on the insights and experience I have now. The top three that come to mind: – I would have built and leveraged strategic relationships and partnerships. My business has been largely referral based for years, which is amazing, because it shows that our clients value our service, work and relationship so much that they want to tell others about us. These partnerships have been integral to our business being able to grow, hire more team members, and increase our brand visibility. Read more>>

Mary Spencer Veazey

I started my own side hustle when I was in 3rd grade. I saw a need and I fulfilled it – for a price. When a teacher gave us a study guide, I would fill it out, type it up on my family’s computer, and then I would print them out and bring them to school. I would then sell them to my classmates for $5. When I went off to college, I decided to start writing on a blog. I loved to write, but I felt so self-conscious about sharing on the Internet. Who did I think I was? I slowly started sharing more and more, but it took me a while to finally say what I wanted to say each time I wrote and not care what everyone thought. Read more>>

Sarah Gautiere

I am proud of the way I started in this industry, but if there were something that I learned along the way that I would do differently it would be getting a business credit card sooner. I immediately set up my business bank account but didn’t consider how beneficial building my business credit score is. As my small business continues to grow this will help if I ever need to secure a loan, receiving lower interest rates & having a good reputation with vendors & lenders. Read more>>

Brenda Pond

I would have done my homework and read reviews on employees who I have worked with in the past. I would of not hired them to work for me. You have to be careful who you partner up with in business. My business would off taken off at least two years ago had I known then what I know now, but we all learn from our mistakes. Read more>>

Eric Cogorno

A FEW things that have helped me a ton what I wish I knew sooner…. 1. Focus first and foremost on personal development. Making YOU better as you improve yourself and your “skills” for work. If you want to make a million dollars…..YOU…..need to be the kind of person who makes a million dollars. 2. Focus on WHO not HOW. Find OTHER people to work with right away….people to supplement the things you are not good at. 3. Gain CLARITY on what you want your dream life to look like in 5,10,20,50 years. Reverse engineer what you want to do to get to that dream end goal. What does your perfect day look like? Read more>>

Kukana Ana

If I start over again, I will spend time creating a clearly defined goal and treating my social media creator journey as a business. I didn’t begin as being a social media influencer/creator could be my career and I could make a living. I would have spent more time developing my brand name if I had known. Sometime later, I thought of changing it to align with my lifestyle, but I was afraid of losing my followers, so I stayed. If I start over again, I will network with industry resource people, learn, and invest money in developing my strategy. Instead of having the brand reach out to me, I will actively reach out to the brand to promote myself. I will also collaborate to create more visibility if the brands are slightly related to mine instead of staying narrow only to the niche. Read more>>

Jamal Etienne-harrigan

If I were to start over today, knowing everything I know now, my focus would be on growing the business bigger, better, and faster. First, I would start with a solid brand identity from the beginning, avoiding the rebranding process I had to go through midway. I’d ensure that every dollar I used, whether from loans or investments, was tied to tangible revenue growth. A well-thought-out business plan would be my foundation, ensuring I could scale strategically. Building a team would be an immediate priority, allowing me to delegate tasks and avoid the pitfalls of going it alone—especially since not being in the same market as my family and early support system created a disadvantage. Read more>>

Angie, Eleazar Yoh, Chinne

The beginning of Angie Hairr is a journey. My business partner and I met at my former place of employment. We had the first job of envisioning what it was that we wanted. a clear goal, a clear plan, a clear vision. If I said that was the process we took to a “T”, I would be lying. We had a slight idea of what we wanted. I had my instagram page already running and we decided to go for it! I really did not have an actual name. However, the passion was there, the lit spark could not be estinguished. A planted seed. The idea was there. We ran with it. Read more>>