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.
Tina Swithin
As an advocate for family court reform, I have made it my mission to expose the controversial theory of “parental alienation” and the experimental treatments—like reunification therapy and camps—that are marketed as cures for this pseudo-theory. For years, I had heard stories of the horrors surrounding reunification camps, but nothing could have prepared me for the message I received on October 20, 2022. That night, a brave 15-year-old girl named Maya Laing reached out to me on Instagram, desperate for help. Read more>>
Andrilisa Read-iglesias Lopes
It was 2020, we were mid-pandemic and I found myself jobless with a grapefruit sized fibroid (benign tumor) dangling on my uterus. I had started the year working as the Recreation Director at an Assisted Living Community for the elderly, creating and running a monthly calendar of 350+ therapeutic arts activities and special programs with a team I managed. But my health took a turn for the worst as soon as the year began. Alopecia, Chronic Idiopathic Hives, Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Asthma all sat next to me as I engaged in a staring contest with Death while I waited in line for surgery to remove the ball of muscle that would not stop growing. Read more>>
Carissa Smith
The craziest situation that happened to me and my business is going viral while still making my product on a small handmade scale. Since we are a made-to-order business, going viral is both amazing and challenging. We were getting hundreds of orders every day while making our patches on a one-needle hobby embroidery machine and manually changing out each color. My patches range from 3-16 colors each, and when the machine finishes with one color, the machine stops, and you have to manually change the thread to the next color. Additionally, after making these patches one color at a time, we hand-cut out every single patch. Before we bought our 60-needle commercial embroidery machine, my husband and I worked 13-18 hours, 7 days a week, for months to avoid getting behind on orders. Obviously, this is not a sustainable business model or way to live, even if you enjoy the work. At this point, I had already purchased my commercial embroidery machine but was waiting on the delivery, which took 1 month. Read more>>
Olga Wilhelmine Munding
A few times in my life, I have had certain divine interventions, and here is a story about one of mine that is connected to a wedding. I was hired to play a small family wedding and play violin (“When a Man Loves a Woman”, in case you wonder) for them at their home in the countryside of north Memphis. The day was overcast despite being the end of June, but it was comfortable temperature-wise. The ceremony itself was simple, sweet, and filled with personal touches, and was followed by a family supper. Read more>>
Ashley Kuhler
Chicken posting got quiet around here after Chris Kuhler was injured during our first butcher day. Mostly a pride thing and we didn’t know how we’d keep moving forward. We had moments of “is this a sign”, “Now we can’t finish”, and “Nothing has been easy”. When things keep stacking up, it is easy to stay focused, but hard to believe you are following a calling. I am posting graphic images, so skip if you can’t take blood and injuries—just sayin’! Read more>>
Nancy Marmolejo
When I first started my business, I focused on leveraging the power of visibility so more people could know who I was. I had a baby at home, had quit my job, and needed to fast-track everything to get my business rolling. I researched and found influential journalists and media outlets and decided to pitch my business origin story to them, thinking I was The Sh** for being a Latina founder of a coaching, training, and consulting business. Read more>>