We asked some brilliant entrepreneurs, artists and creatives to reflect on lessons they’ve learned at prior jobs. We’ve shared highlights below.

Nichole Taylor

The most important lesson I have learned from a prior job was time management and communication. I knew having these assets would be crucial in starting my own personal brand and becoming consistent. When I worked as a coordinator for a new location, there was a lot to be done regarding the foundation that needed to be built. Although it was the administrative role within a franchise, it was still crucial to have the right skills to uphold the company’s’ image and revenue. Read more>>

Elly Vogt

One of my first jobs out of college was at a startup media agency. My role as an account manager was very sales oriented and I was reviewed based on the clients I obtained. This was hard for me at first since when I was offered the role I was under the impression it was a marketing, creative role, not sales. I was directed to be pretty pushy and direct to obtain clients but it felt misaligned for my personality. Once I started to be more of myself, honest and patient with clients, I actually did better in sales. Read more>>

Andrew Haener

I worked a lot of crummy jobs before I figured out how to make a living with visual art. There was a lot of dishwashing and coffee making in the beginning and I spent years and years feeling like I was throwing all my time away. It wasn’t until I made it out of the restaurant world and settled into my first desk job as a graphic designer that I realized the value of those kinds of experiences. All my time explaining menus and dealing with line cooks ultimately fine-tuned my communication style with my coworkers and gave my workflow a sense of urgency. Read more>>

Ronni Grandberry

An important experience that I learned at a previous job, is they don’t care about you. If you were to drop dead at work, your job would be posted by the end of the day, and everyone will go on with their lives as usual. I worked in the automotive industry as an assembly worker. In the summer the temperature inside of the warehouse could reach 120°. I watcher people faint and be carried off the line. Read more>>

Donika/Myra Brown/Hollis

Donika: The most important lesson I had in a job that has helped me in my professional career is to have a plan but to be open-minded for unexpected circumstances. I remember walking into a session as a trainee with a plan of how the session was going to go based on the case file. I had read and reviewed all the notes from the previous and current treatment team and I knew the interventions I would use. Read more>>

Jessie Belisle

Back in Montreal, I was working as an optician. I studied science. Everything I know about Art if self-taught. Back then, I needed to have a very strong work ethic, stay organized, and knew very well how to interact with clientele. It takes a lot of discipline to be an artist, especially nowadays having to take care of a website, social media, galleries, marketing… There is lots of work that needs to be done “outside” the studio, and keeping up with it is very important. It shows how professional and serious you are as an artist, and clients will feel more comfortable reaching out to you. Read more>>

Margaret Doherty

When I graduated graduate school in May 2014, I had this idea of seeing clients and helping people who wanted the help. My internship experience was based in a clinic where I was able to see clients for two years. I had a private practice mindset but yet could not find a job that filled those expectations. After a lot of resumes sent out and keeping in contact with a professor/mentor, I was able to land an interview with a local agency. The catch? It was for a Runaway and Homeless Youth Shelter. Read more>>

Alejandra Niedmann

Before becoming an Astrology Coach, my prior job was at a big Bank Corporation in Chile. Been there for 14 years, I started from the bottom and follow my career, always motivated to do big changes from the heart at that giant business corporation. Read more>>

Samuel Walker

I worked for LensCrafters from August 2017 until April 2019. I used income from this job to bootstrap what I thought to be my entrepreneurial endeavors. I built some really great friendships with my co-workers and our team was a dedicated one. Yet, as most retail jobs are, I found my stress at an all-time high. Lack of empathy for us associates due to sales goals only added fuel to the fire that was burning inside. Read more>>

Shelbi Neely

One of my very first jobs was at a Chick-Fil-A when I was fourteen years old and it completely shaped the way I view the food service industry. If you’ve ever been to a Chick-Fil-A you know that they don’t play when it comes to quality service. It’s deeply ingrained in their foundation as a company and a high standard they have set. When I became a manager around the age of sixteen there, I learned the ins and outs of Chick-Fil-A and became greatly appreciative of their standard. Read more>>

Jayme White

Prior to returning to graduate school to study clinical nutrition, I spent over a decade working as a Speech-Language Pathologist in the hospital setting helping adults recover from strokes, traumatic brain injury, neurological diseases, and a variety of critical illnesses. One of the most powerful experiences was helping my patients to regain the ability to communicate their basic needs and abilities we take for granted such as swallowing food. Read more>>

Tollisha Joseph

Having previous job experiences molded me for my journey in business ownership. I’ve worked in many industries before deciding to take the plug and become my boss, and the common thread that was revealed to me in all those experiences was the importance of handling people with care. In my final employee role, I was a training expert at a popular restaurant chain. In this position, I was responsible for teaching the newest team members about the company’s policies and procedures and ensuring they had explicit knowledge of the menu items. Read more>>

Talyn Gibbs

The most important lesson learned as a creative is having a work life balance. It is so important to not allow yourself to burnout and always put your happiness first. Being passionate about work and wanting to get the job done is such a great quality to have- but not at the expense of your mental health and work load. It is okay to ask for assistance, set boundaries and take breaks. There will always be another day to complete the task. Put yourself first. You will only be able to give as much as you have don’t allow yourself to become empty. Read more>>

AIR SKY

My important lesson was to get out of a job when you notice that you are no longer happy there. I was a Scheduler at a home health agency and I can honestly say that I hated that job. I was so unhappy and wanted to leave so bad. I can remember me crying before work and having to suck it up because this is what paid the bills. I was afraid to quit due to having those bills and actually making a living on my own. I will say that it produced a lot of blessings. With that job, it helped me get my first car in my name, my first one-bedroom apartment, and I was able to have extra money on the side for my music after ALL my bills were paid. Read more>>

Cameron Keeling

Cameron spent many years grinding the late-night scene in Westport. Playing for years in a weekly resident band at The Westport Saloon. In that formative time, Cameron was part of multiple groups including a band named Grassfed. They spent years honing their skills, getting the show ready for the road. After years of playing multiple times a week in Westport, along with many other venues in the Kansas City area, they did just that. Read more>>

Baba Fasanmi / Erwin Thomas

The first craft I committed to in my life experience was performance (Acting). I’ve been on stage since I was 15 years old, working on storytelling, using my body as an instrument, and developing a sense of presence, honesty, and intimacy in front of an audience. I’m classicly trained with a BFA and MFA. This laid the groundwork for finding ease in new situations Understanding what, no matter what, the craft is essential to develop a genuine sense of curiosity, composure, ease, and practice. Everything is a practice. Read more>>