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.

Sandra Mack

That’s a great question. I think the approach to life and business overall is changing as we start to notice how essential well-being is, not only for our personal but also for the business performance. As someone who went through burnout but also loves to create and work non-stop on her business, I would choose to “slow down the pace” in which I’m building that business. I learned it’s not that much about speed or being fast, but rather focusing on the right direction. Read more>>

Chelsea McDonnell

I love this question! Looking back, I would focus more on connection and less on content. As a photographer, it can be really overwhelming scrolling social media seeing what others are doing and what you could be doing differently. I spent a lot of my time early on trying to create content for ads / instagram to expand my reach. I didn’t really have a brand voice yet or know what direction I wanted to go – I just had the goal of growing my business as fast as I could. Read more>>

Stella Guan

If I start over again, I hope to find a co-founder faster. I started both of my companies solo and now have co-founders which proved to be instrumental in fueling growth and getting the company onto the right track. The flip side is that it is almost impossible to identify a cofounder immediately just because you want to. It’s really similar to dating – you can look and look but if the stars are not aligned the right person won’t appear. Read more>>

Malissa “Lissy” Poeut

I feel like I start over every day. I intake and learn from new experiences and apply them to daily life and how I view and approach situations. We’re in a state of constant change if we accept them as opportunities for growth. I started my career at 21, I’m almost 27 now. The way I think about the world and myself is completely different, especially when it comes to how I invest my time into. Read more>>

Edward Cristobal

If i were to start over and do something differently is don’t let an obstacle change your trajectory. I was told from Highschool that I had to take a year off to build my portfolio to get into the school i wanted. At that time, we already got into the schools we applied for and taking a year off to build a video portfolio wasn’t going to fly well with my parents. fast forward almost a couple decades later, I picked a camera and started the journey. Read more>>

Mya Salau

If I were to start over and recreate my business today, I would rely more on my experiences with trial-and-error, rather than strictly following researched business advice and strategies on social media. In other words, I think it is beneficial to have some general knowledge when starting a business (e.g., finding products, building a website, marketing, Read more>>

Heather Green

Understanding that career success is directly related to emotional regulation would’ve allowed me to get further along the path and also enjoy the journey much more. When you have a strong desire to be successful, often there is some resistance that comes with that. Examples include proving someone wrong, imposter syndrome, and money blocks. Read more>>