We love grabbing drinks with our entrepreneur friends because they always have the craziest stories. Sometimes it’s a big, unexpected win. Other times it’s a problem that came out of nowhere and couldn’t possibly have been foreseen. There is so much to learn from these stories and so we asked some of the brightest entrepreneurs and creatives in the community to share some of those stories below.

Petrushka Bazin Larsen

When we opened Sugar hill Creamery, we had no experience as ice cream owners and operators. We found a space close to our house that was affordable but only 500 square feet. We decided to dedicate a majority of the space to customer seating. On the first day we opened, we had a line going down the block for four hours. When we closed, we didn’t have any ice cream left, which was exciting and terrifying because we planned to be open the next day and with the equipment that we had, it was taking us two days to make ice cream.  Read more>>

Theresa Taylor

Well, I have to admit that I never thought I would be sharing this particular story with anyone but, it is the most craziest that I could think of. And what’s even more bizarre, I still have the emails from this past client! Just to remind myself just how versatile I can be. Back in 2011 when I was living in Chicago, I was always putting ads on Craigslist for sewing projects. Rather if it was for dresses, alterations or classes. I would get random request from people asking for so many different things. Some things I took on and some I had to turn down due to reasons of late notice, lack of information or whatever. Read more>>

Corbin Smith

I’m a huge believer of blessings in disguise. I think that things happen for a reason and we never really know why until it comes to fruition. For me, it was getting my first camera and gear stolen from me. I decided to take my camera, both of my lenses and some other equipment with me to a pool day with some friends. That night, I decided – for some stupid reason – that it was better for me to keep my camera bag in my trunk rather than in my friends’ apartment. Upon returning to my car, I noticed my car had been broken into and a good amount of my items were stolen – including thousands of dollars of camera gear. Read more>>

Kate Mollison

When we think about workplace inclusivity, we commonly consider issues like religious inclusion, ADA accommodations, and even age/gender/race inclusion. However, we don’t think about grief as needing to be accounted for. Grief interrupts not only our basic cognition (mimicking signs of early Alzheimer’s in some instances), but it severs our biologically driven capacity to maintain social relationships. This erodes our self-worth, our sense of identity, and our productivity. Grief is still misunderstood and is often met with performance management tactics that are punitive. To create a truly inclusive work environment, we have to simply start by putting the “human” back into human resources. By understanding the science of grieving and creating workplace training that educates and supports the grief experience, we normalize it and protect retention and productivity in a more holistic and evolved way. Read more>>

Sadia

Creating a more inclusive workplace starts with a mindset that diversity isn’t just a checkbox—it’s a critical component of innovation and organizational success. One defining moment stands out from my journey in HR and as a Senior Executive, Human Resources Business Partner. Early in my career, I worked in a space where policies seemed inclusive on paper but failed to resonate in practice. For instance, the lack of flexibility around cultural or religious observances unintentionally created a divide between employees and leadership. Read more>>

Nicole Humber

Creating an inclusive workplace starts with intentionally fostering a culture where people feel respected, heard, and valued. It’s about more than just checking boxes or meeting quotas; it’s about creating a space where everyone can be themselves without fear of judgment, where differences are seen as strengths, and where support is given not just in times of success but also in times of challenge. Read more>>

Tamika Johnson

The craziest thing that’s ever happened to my business unfolded when the pandemic hit, and the world seemed to flip upside down overnight. I’ll never forget waking up one morning to cancellations and closure emails—all my event-planning gigs were gone. It felt like watching a domino effect of uncertainty. How was I going to keep my business afloat when the very foundation of what I did—bringing people together—had become impossible? Read more>>