We asked some fantastic entrepreneurs and creatives to tell us about their first job in their field. Check out their stories below.

Krystin Rizzo

My first job in the field was as an intensive in home counselor. This job was as intense as the name implied and served high needs (and typically low income) families. To be frank, I was fresh out of grad school and desperately accepted the first offer that gave me a reasonable chance of paying my bills (hello student loans!). I had ‘on the job training,’ which really means I was thrown into the deep end of the pool without a float! It most definitely felt like that. Luckily, I had some colleagues give me some helpful pointers and I picked things up quickly. I don’t miss that job or that particular hustle (if you know, you know), but I am eternally grateful for the experience it gave me in learning community resources and meeting people where they are. PS-always ask if you should take off your shoes when you enter someone’s home! Read more>>

Ryder Nicholas

I’ve been fortunate to work with leaders who trust me to take on tasks I might not embrace on my own accord. 3 years ago, I left my interim teaching job with no plan of action or job lined up. Within 1 week, I heard through a family member that a sustainable conference production company, Green Fern Events, was hiring an Events Manager. I’d never worked in large scale events before, but I applied, stating my expertise of planning events for 60 high school students. I figured that experience would totally transfer to a 1,500 person conference! And, well, it did, but it did not come without a slew of anxiety and imposter syndrome. I’ve now produced 3 record-breaking conferences for the compost industry. Read more>>

Kelli Blinn

My first experience supporting someone in labor wasn’t a job in any official sense—I had no credentials, formal title, training, or paycheck.

But in January 2008, I was invited into something far more meaningful. One of my closest friends welcomed me into her home for the birth of her third baby—her first planned home birth. She knew I’d long been fascinated by all things pregnancy and childbirth, and she generously offered me a front-row seat to something I’d only read about or imagined. Read more>>

Dr. Chris Lee

My current “j.o.b” can only be described as learning to cook smores on the dumpster fire of my life. Making lemonade out of lemons, or whatever else you need.

At 23 years old all within 9 months, I was hit by a car and sent to the hospital, lost my best friend/Dad to suicide and found out I was going to be a surprise Dad. Soon after her birth I would be a single Dad.

Broke, broken, shitting bricks and completely utterly afraid of the thoughts in my head. Read more>>