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.

Erin Avant

I’d never stop doing what I love, no matter how loud the doubt gets, or who’s holding the microphone.

I wrote my first completed novel in my early twenties, wild with excitement and ready to take the publishing world by storm. I sent out eighty queries. I poured over four versions of my letter. The most personal response I got was a single, brutal: ‘Not for me.’ Read more>>

Alen Kajtezovic

If I were starting my videography business over today, knowing what I know now, I’d do things way more intentionally. Back then, I was just trying to make it work—saying yes to every shoot, undercharging, doing everything myself. It taught me a lot, but I’d skip a lot of that if I could. Read more>>

Sally Steponkus

If I were starting over today, I wouldn’t have jumped to a huge office and larger staff. I had a core group of team members (a Director of Operations and two junior designers) who had been with me for quite a while but when when we got super duper busy, I decided to move us to a large office with a second floor for a fabric and wallpaper sample library, parking spaces for everyone, and a bigger kitchen and lunch area. Instead of pacing projects and creating a waiting list, I hired two design assistants at once, who were great and we were able to tackle all the work fast, but I also increased my payroll a lot and had more people to oversee. I felt like I had to manage personalities and temperaments and didn’t get to enjoy the normal pace of design work. Read more>>

Morgan Hampel

If I were starting over today, the first thing I’d do is kill the scarcity mindset. That held me back more than anything else. When you grow up without much, it’s easy to think small—to ask “what can I afford?” instead of “what’s possible?” But that mindset is a ceiling. And the truth is, whether you want to go big, medium, or small—you’re going to spend time and energy either way. So if you want to go big, go big. Don’t take the scenic route. If your goal is Florida, don’t stop in Arizona just because it’s closer. Go straight there. Read more>>

Cindy Quayle

As a self-published author, I wish I had gotten a small business loan before I had published my first book to spend on advertising and marketing material. A lot of writers, including myself, focus on the creative aspect of writing instead of the business of publishing. It takes time and money to learn the business end of writing. Read more>>

Shannon Leahy

If I could go back and give myself one piece of advice when I was drowning in work, it would be this: Stop thinking you have to do it all yourself. The best decision I ever made wasn’t just hiring help—it was learning how to build a team that made my business better. I used to think hiring was just about getting things off my plate. Turns out, that’s the slow way to grow. Read more>>

Leanne Kassandra (Leanne K. Beauty)

If I were starting over today, I’d focus on simplicity and strategy. I’d niche down sooner, invest in branding early (cards, flyers, social media/booking site etc.), and build strong client relationships from day one because they chose me as their artist and making my guests feel beautiful and honored is so important to me. Most importantly, I’d trust the process and remember that passion backed by consistency always pays off. Read more>>

Chara Ho

If I could go back and start over, the main thing I would’ve done differently is simply that I would’ve started much earlier—before I felt ready, before I felt that I’d ‘achieved’ enough to justify the decision. They say it takes 10 years to be an overnight success, and that’s something I wish I had heard earlier, knowing now that it’s really a marathon — not a spring. Back then, I was so caught up in fear—fear of failing, fear of being judged, fear of looking foolish—that I held myself back and kept delaying my own dreams. Read more>>

Melinda Cea

If I were starting over today, I would make self-discovery my top priority.

Some may label this as “self-help,” but in reality, it’s about diving deep to understand who you are, what you truly desire, and most importantly, why.

When you know yourself at a core level—your motivations, passions, and values—you can discern whether you’re chasing a dream that’s authentically yours or one imposed by family, society, or other influences. Often, we’re conditioned to pursue things that don’t align with our unique gifts, and that conditioning creates so much delay, and obstacles that keep you from tapping into our true potential.

Here’s how you know if a dream isn’t genuinely yours: it feels uninspired, Read more>>

Erica Ballard

If I were to start over again, I would give myself space to build my business. Entrepreneurship has become so sexy lately and so many coaches are pushing people to leave their jobs to start a business — claiming it’s the only way to regain your time and life back. I no longer believe that, but I fell for that messaging when I started out. As a result, I rode a financial rollercoaster and turned something I loved (i.e. wellness and coaching) into something I needed to work. I can see now that I could have skipped a lot of business and life heartaches if I let myself build my business slowly on the side until I was ready to go all in. Because, I would been have caught the messaging mistakes and mindset work in real time. Read more>>

Jacqueline Snyder

If I were starting over today, knowing everything I know now, I would take a completely different approach. When I earned my BFA in Fashion Design, we learned how to create products, but only a fraction of what it really takes to be an entrepreneur. The focus was on working for someone else, not on building and scaling your own business. Looking back, I wish I had been taught the full entrepreneurial journey from the start. Read more>>

Stacy Salpietro Babb

When I was in college studying for a BA in Psychology, I stumbled upon Tarot and Witchcraft. It became my main focus; I can remember thinking that college classes were cutting into my time to learn Tarot and to read all of the books that I wanted to read. The semester that I started to read Tarot cards, my cumulative GPA for the semester was a 1.4. Read more>>