Having to overcome unexpected problems is a hallmark of entrepreneurship. Almost every business owner, artist, maker, and creative we know has had to deal with countless unexpected problems that arise in the journey and so we asked some brilliant folks from the community to share their stories of the unexpected problems they’ve faced along the way.

Katie McCahill

A notable unexpected problem… The Russian invasion of Ukraine has caused devastation on countless levels for so many people. While the impact the invasion had on my business in no way compares to the tragic losses suffered by so many, it did present an unexpected problem for my shop and my clients that I had to address, A lot of people are surprised to learn that many bridal designers produce their gowns in Ukraine. When I was opening this business and assessing various risks, considering an international crisis that would prevent the production of gowns was not something that crossed my mind. Read more>>

Justin A. Rodriguez

In filmmaking as a director you are faced with nothing but obstacles. That’s the job. One of the hardest obstacles that I can remember is just starting out. In your mind you are filled with doubts and uncertainty. In retrospect this is actually the fun part. Embrace this part because the canvas is blank and the optimism is high. Creativity is at an all time high because you don’t know your limits at this point. Here is when you can make beautiful mistakes and learn. A necessary step in order to get better, excel and further your career. Read more>>

alexis teran

Growing too fast. When I first started the business I knew it was a service everyone needed but I didn’t expect the clientele to grow so quickly. So many people saw value in it and although I’m very grateful ; I wasn’t prepared. I had to hire people fast and bring help on board a few months into the business. There were times I was overwhelmed but overall these are definitely good problems to have. Read more>>

Teresa Jennings

Performing real estate transaction makes the phrase “walking into the unknown” your reality. Everyone situation is different when purchasing a home. No matter I deep I was with knowledge on real estate, every transaction makes you feel like, a beginner. From the very beginning to the end is a huge possibility the transaction can go left. For instance, I’ve gotten an offer accepted, an inspection done, and earnest money delivered and one of the parties woke up on the wrong side of the bed and forfeited the whole transaction. So as a real estate agent you are pretty much walking on egg shells from the beginning to AFTER closing. lol Read more>>

Tareq Alawneh

As an entrepreneur, unforeseen challenges are going to constitute the bulk of your workdays. It might be something big, like a long-committed employee who decided to quit or a new competitor emerging in your area, or something small, like a deadline that’s getting pushed back due to technical issues. Learning to face and overcome these challenges without losing your cool or compromising your long-term goals is one of the most important — yet most difficult parts of becoming a business owner. Personalities who prefer to plan tend to have a harder time dealing with unforeseen challenges than personalities who thrive in an improvisational setting, but unexpected challenges are universally demanding. Read more>>

Julie Bravo

Running a small, independent movie theater in a very competitive city like San Diego has always been a struggle. Our older, 7-screen movie theater is located right between two giant 18 & 20 screen theaters located in busy shopping malls. Even in the most successful of times I have had to work outside the box with creative promotions and marketing initiatives to set ourselves apart from the big chain competitors. Read more>>

Wendy Means

The biggest unexpected problem I faced was physical, and at times mental, limitations and roadblocks. I let those things set me back decades at one point but I’m getting back on track I started off going to a fine arts school at 17, but quickly realized I didn’t feel challenged enough intellectually. I changed my field at 19 to what is today known as “digital media.” I had steady work in my field, but was involved in a car accident at 20, that changed everything drastically and immediately. It became very painful to work but I was told things would get better, so I kept plowing through. Read more>>

Kyron Goodwin

One of the times i lost all of my beats it was in the beginning though after a whole year soon as I hit 1 full year I had just lost all of my beats so it was up to me if i either wanted to just start over or just quit and try something new, but I decided that i couldn’t quit and that I needed to keep going on and move forward with everything, This was my passion at that point an time I just knew this is what I wanted to do and that nothing was gone stop me no matter what and no matter how long it takes. Read more>>

Nia Scott

Since a child, I always knew that eventually, I would be my own boss. I never knew how long it would take or what I would be but I just knew that I would be making my own legacy. Fast forward to 2020 things were going in the right direction for me my career was flourishing and I was happier than ever. Then suddenly we get hit with a Pandemic and things start to slow down and people are trying to figure out how they were going to make ends meet. Thank God I just started a regular job and used that time to really buckle down and hold on to what was important. Read more>>

Justine Johnson

I was taking photos at Sonic Bloom 2022. Dancing with each pace I felt the groove of people and music. An awkward step and a sudden, “snap” lead me to my knees in agonizing pain. After being taken to the hospital in an ambulance I spent the night there and received word for an MRI. “A bucket-handle torn meniscus,” the doctor repeated. But the ringing in my ear wouldn’t stop. “Surgery.” In August this will be eight weeks without being able to work. This has been this biggest challenge. I’ve had to remember my healing is more important then pushing it. My savings account dwindled, and my love sitting on a desk untouched. FOMO and a lack of self worth because my work is the last thing I can do. “One step at a time,” they said. Read more>>

Kevin Taylor

Whew! Like most endeavors people get into, there are always unexpected obstacles you face. I actually created a course for my music producers that I coach around this. I’ll dive into one of the most common, which is inconsistency! Basically, I didn’t realize how tough it would be to make sure I created on a regular basis, despite what life throws at you. Read more>>

Franki Lafontant

The most unexpected problem that we have faced on this journey is bringing our ideas into reality. Early on in this process, we believed it was going to be much easier to produce the clothing ideas we had. However, as we got deeper in, we realized that manufactures may not be able to bring all of the design ideas we have to life. This was very hard to come to terms with because we felt as if our creativity was being limited. We thought long and hard about how to overcome this obstacle. Eventually we came up with solutions to resolve matter, such as compromising with manufactures on design and material, finding local print shops that were able to complete the task, and lastly moving on from overly complicated designs. Read more>>

Laura McElfresh

Early in my journey I was managing to pay my expenses fairly easily, until I got to my first outdoor art show. It was out of town so I was planning to stay in a hotel. I had spent everything in my bank account to buy the tent, pay the cost of the booth, and frame and finish all of my art work that I planned to sell. I think I had about $20 leftover. It was not enough for gas, let alone to pay for my hotel. I was contemplating what to do. Should I cancel the show?, See if someone could loan me the money? I decided to sleep on it and see if I could think of a better solution. Read more>>

Aaron Allen

like they say when you start, not everyone is going to like you or support you, This statement i didnt pay attention to in the past when i start my creative journey as a author solely in 2015. Since then there has been jeolousy by other actors and creatives along with my stage name being taken. For example i came out as an author in 2015, but now if you search my name “Aaron Allen” you will see quite a few other people like new authors and actors who use the name my real name and stage name “Aaron Allen” after i came out with the name, as then in 2015 i was thwe only one with that name. Read more>>