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.

Grace Lougen

Recently, we did a short weekend tour through NY, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia. We were supposed to play in a small town in Pittsburgh, but a huge storm had knocked out power in the town, and everything was closed. We stopped at a gas station and chatted with a lady in lane, telling her that we were in a band and supposed to play here. It was a really pleasant conversation, and we gave her some ice to help her keep her food and drinks cold at home, as well as some merch. She was extremely grateful and still keeps in touch with us on social media! Read more>>

Melissa Ochowicz

In February of 2020, I held the keys to what felt like the beginning of a dream…our very own storefront. It was the culmination of years of passion for fashion, thrifting, and building a family business. We had plans, excitement, and a vision of opening a women’s high-end consignment store that would bring something new and needed to Oshkosh. Read more>>

Chelsea Escamilla

In 2022, I built and opened my own salon storefront in San Diego. It was a huge leap a vision I carried for years finally standing in front of me, real and alive. But I didn’t stop there. By 2023, I decided to stretch myself even further. I chose to manage the salon while living bi-coastal, splitting my time between San Diego and Miami. Read more>>

Kris Lazarov

One of the most unbelievable experiences of my career happened just a couple of years after I opened my shop. A client had brought me a small antique desk and chair to repair and refinish—fairly straightforward work that I completed in just a few days. The final step was to apply a coat of polish lacquer, which I did at the back of my shop before leaving the pieces outside to dry. Read more>>

Erica Connolly

A musical changed my career trajectory! In 2022, I saw the musical Come From Away for the first time. It’s the true story of all the flights that were grounded in the tiny town of Gander, Newfoundland, during the attacks on September 11th, 2001. The musical shares the many beautiful ways the community and passengers united during a tragic time. I was so touched by this musical that two months later, I decided I’d go to Gander, Newfoundland, to experience it for myself. My trip just so happened to be timed with the yearly migration of the icebergs from Greenland. Every year, icebergs break off the glaciers in West Greenland and spend up to three years riding ocean currents and eventually, some end up on the shores in Newfoundland. Read more>>

Vivian Harris

Recently becoming unexpectedly unemployed and no luck with submitting applications, I had to find a way of independence. Since hair braiding has been one of my self taught gifts since the age of 8. I put my energy into building a hair salon brand. So, I opened VIP Essentials Salon early part of 2025. I had recently graduated with my Masters degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Graduating with honors of 3 honor societies and fraternity Phi Sigma Pi I was eager to hit the ground running! I began to search for a space that I could open up a hair salon. I met with a guy who had a commercial space available for rent. He presented an opportunity of renting out two of his suites. Read more>>