Helping more people thrive doing what they love or are passionate about means helping more folks learn from those who came before them and so we asked successful entrepreneurs, artists and creatives to tell us what they would do differently, knowing what they know now, if they were starting over.

Kaitlyn Hubbard

Being in the film industry exposes me to all different kinds of people with different backgrounds, skill sets and knowledge. I am typically a shy person, but if I could go back in time and start over, I would make the effort to jump right in and get to know people in different departments. Ask questions, learn what their creative process is and what their work ethic is like. Knowing these things makes my job as a Producer’s Assistant/Associate Producer a little easier as we work through the preparation and production stages of making a movie. Read more>>

Ovando Leslie

If I had to start over, I would leave university halfway through, find a mentor, and dive straight into building a business. Entrepreneurship has taught me that while everyone’s journey is unique, the path to success often follows the same pattern, you have to embrace failure, sometimes failing hard, before experiencing true success. The earlier you start your journey the better. Read more>>

Isaias Ayala

If I were to start over with what I know today, I would focus more on building communities and reading as much literature as possible. Every day is an opportunity to learn, to pick up new traits and skills that can not only be used for your craft but your general wellbeing. It’s important to find people are passionate and share similar values, even if they’re not in the same field as you. This shared burning desire to move forward will propel everyone in ways unimaginable, it’s a magical sensation that happens only with a high density of like-minded individuals. It’s easy to constantly try to upgrade gear or get trapped in the cycles of social media, but those dopamine hits will only last for so long. Finding genuine people who share your vision will push you to not only improve but to unlock new levels of purpose and passion. Read more>>

Stuti Sukhani

I would just try to trust myself more and allow myself to take a chance more often. I spent a lot of time early on trying to do things “right” – finding the correct jobs and trying to emulate a career path that I thought I was supposed to go down in order to find success. This often put me in positions where I found myself not fully immersed or enjoying the work I was doing. I’m learning now to leap to opportunities that truly excite me and help me grow my skills. Read more>>

John

If I were starting over, I’d do three things differently. First, I’d study finance and accounting right away. Having that foundation would’ve saved me years of learning the hard way and given me immediate fluency in spreadsheets and financial analysis—tools I use daily now but had to fight to master. Read more>>

Cori Miller

I would work backwards from the retail price I am looking to ask, and design and create the pieces from that perspective. Margins and markups are one of the biggest challenges for a designer selling DTC and wholesaling, as its almost impossible to remain consistent but if online, it’s essential for the retailers. I didn’t ask enough questions to manufacturers about pricing and ended up with exquisite pieces that are just too expensive, especially in a wholesale setting. Had I sought out alternatives to maintain the design keeping material costs in check, I would have been selling more product with better margins, much sooner. Read more>>