There is so much to learn from investments that went really well as well as those that went really poorly and so we asked some of the wisest creatives and entrepreneurs in the community to tell us the stories of their best and worst investments.

Cj And Leah Rivera

The best investment you can make as a photographer is undoubtedly in education and hiring a business coach. During the pandemic, we found ourselves with ample time to practice various aspects of our craft—be it composition, editing, or workflow. In those early days, we experimented with simple subjects, like a soda can, trying out different techniques until we discovered the style that truly resonated with us. After countless attempts, we finally honed our aesthetic and built upon what we felt looked best. Photography and videography evolve rapidly, which is why ongoing education is essential for mastering our craft. Another invaluable investment has been working with our business coach, Dr. Lori Baker-Schena. She consistently checks in on both our personal and professional growth, holding us accountable to our goals and ensuring we remain on track. Having someone who not only believes in our potential but also provides that crucial accountability has been instrumental in helping us stay focused and motivated. Read more>>

Erica Odom

My business, my books, my coaching program all relate to my personal journey. When I was 19, I bought my first investment property. At that time in my life I lacked a lot of knowledge when it came to finances and real estate. I bought my property for too much money, and I was a victim of predatory lending. At the time I thought this was the worst investment due to me feeling lost, discouraged, and having to make some difficult decisions, like having to stop making my mortgage payments in order to be able to sale my house as a short sale, because the value had depreciated so much, that I could not sale it for what I owed on the mortgage loan. I walked away broke, credit ruined, and feeling defeated. Read more>>

Danielle Famble

Best investment I made was in myself by taking the time to learn how to become a voice actor. At first I didn’t know how to edit audio and how to use the editing software. I spent hours on YouTube and Google looking into how connect my microphone to my computer and get “broadcast quality” sound. I knew this was important because this was during the pandemic in 2020. Before the pandemic, typically a voice actor would go into a studio and there was an engineer who would be responsible for doing these things. As a voice actor, my job was to show up and deliver my lines. This “new era” of voiceover required the voice actor to wear many hats and one of those was being your own engineer. I knew that spending time and investing in learning how to be the best editor I can be would reap dividends in my career because I could become more efficient. Read more>>

Sierra Georgitsis

The best investment I’ve made was an online course for search engine optimization. Before I launched my food blog, I brainstormed lots of creative ideas and strategies to grow my page and monetize it. I decided to launch a website which would be the main hub for my recipes and eventually become a consistent source of income. After researching ways to make this happen, I discovered that I needed to partner with an advertising service which would run ads on my website. In order to do this, you need a large number of website traffic per month. So my primary focus was figuring out how to grow my website traffic. Read more>>

Lizbeth Sinai Rodriguez Rodriguez

The best: MY EDUCATION But not just my professional education. I know that having an academic background, such as a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree, and certifications, is important. From my point of view, it’s a foundation. However, my advice is: if you want to stand out from the rest, you need to do more. Be curious, be creative, and stay hungry to learn new things. During COVID-19, I decided to invest more in my education. Following my curiosity, I started courses in Finance, Economics, Art History, French, Geopolitics, Photography, Politics, Writing & Publishing, and Foreign Affairs. At the same time, I increased the number of books I read each year—44 books—and even started drawing. In other words, I was like Leonardo da Vinci, exploring new things. At that time, I didn’t fully understand the purpose of it all, but I was certain it would be useful in the future—and it was true. My reality now is incredible, filled with international opportunities because of my past efforts. Read more>>

Angelica Kapsis

Eleftheria i thanatos – Freedom or Death. As an American-Greek woman, veteran, first responder, daughter, student, and teacher, I have been exposed to many facets of reality that determine the perception a population moves for. Perception being reality is in itself a perception, a perception of a majority nonetheless, and very relevant when considering business strategy and intended outcomes. Being privy to information that a lay citizen may not fathom, believe, or allow without resistance into their perception creates additional considerations when embarking on a venture of this magnitude. The objective: To resolve a crack in the framework that designates where I live and love from any “other” government structures, the “other” worldly perceptions that do not align and allow for the freedoms imprinted on me as an American in our democracy with the rite to participate in it. Read more>>

Lexx Lauray

The best investment I made was pouring into myself! Growing up, I was an active, happy, and vibrant kid with high-functioning ADHD. From elementary to high school, you would find me in jazz and marching band practices, Lacrosse games on Saturday, after-school drama club meetings, and quarterly week-long theater plays as the lead character! I have always had a passion for the arts, and I spared no second to indulge and learn something new. Then, the day came when I was going to graduate high school and my family questioned what I was going to do with my life. Well, of course, it’s obvious! I will be an artist! When I revealed this to my family, sadness swept across their face, but it wasn’t from a disappointment in me, they were sad for me! To them, Art is only a passion and not a high-paying one. They saw in me a life of poverty, starvation, and desperation but I didn’t see the same! Read more>>