There is so much to learn from investments that went really well as well as those that went really poorly and so we asked some of the wisest creatives and entrepreneurs in the community to tell us the stories of their best and worst investments.

Allie Vasquez

I purchased my first home in February of 2008. I was 22 years old and I bought a 2-bedroom condo. After 6 months, I checked on the value of the home, and almost lost my mind because turns out it was the worst time to buy. My home had lost a third of its value and I was devastated. 5 years later, when my family outgrew the condo, I still couldn’t sell it because I was still underwater on the mortgage. Read more>>

Lex & Julianna Taylor & Zinchenko .

Lex Taylor: One of the best investments I’ve ever made is in myself. I realized about five years ago that there are many ways to build a successful life. My path doesn’t have to be concrete. It can be limiting to think that you must stick to a career that aligns with your degree. I struggled and felt like a failure at the time because I wasn’t doing that. Read more>>

Delilah Dominguez

The best investment I have made as a business owner in terms of both time and money has been in educating myself and my staff. Investing in educational courses and workshops has helped us to grow. Fleur Society has been a great tool in educating my staff on new design techniques, sustainability and instillations. Learning together allows us to become a stronger team and also allows for more creativity. Read more>>

Marilyn Nolte

One of the best investments I made was going to Dallas Market and flying down one of my best friend’s, Becca, to help shop. Having a second set of eyes and opinions I think is a huge factor to the company’s success so far. It also made the trip far less stressful having somewhere there to talk about the buy with. I can’t imagine doing a buying trip solo! Read more>>

Chan Hsu

I’ve always wanted to be an entrepreneur… Own my own business. Be my own boss. Two years ago, I was a recent college graduate working as a waitress while browsing prospective career options, then COVID hit and life as I knew it stopped. I lost my waitressing job and was living at home with my family. Rather than allowing this to be a disaster, I decided to take the opportunity to pursue my dream of entrepreneurship. Read more>>

Khrystiana D.

The worst investment is also my best investment, which is, playing into creativity. My Mommy tries to creative every single product that I can dream of, and sometimes that makes it really hard. For example, I have a product called “Dream”. I make it in lipgloss, lotion, bath bombs, and pretty much everything else I carry. It’s our best selling flavor, because it looks and smell just like an orange creamsicle. Read more>>