Having to overcome unexpected problems is a hallmark of entrepreneurship. Almost every business owner, artist, maker, and creative we know has had to deal with countless unexpected problems that arise in the journey and so we asked some brilliant folks from the community to share their stories of the unexpected problems they’ve faced along the way.

Martiniano Martinez

I had worked for several companies throughout my career, but I had never come across a boss like Roxy. She was the best boss I had ever had. Roxy was the store manager of a large clothing distributer where I worked as a sales rep. From the moment I started working there, I felt welcomed and appreciated. Roxy took the time to get to know each of her employees and their strengths. She would often praise them for their hard work and dedication, which made them feel valued and motivated. Read more>>

Seth Kaye

As an independent artist, nearly every step of my creative process rides on my shoulders. Oftentimes that’s a lot of administrative and managerial responsibility that might seem out of place in the creative life, but it all boils down to the fact that, if you have a job to do – creative or otherwise – you’ve just got to get it done. At the end of the day, if you don’t have goals that you can distill into a series of tasks, then nothing will get done and your art might not be shared. Read more>>

Alexander Duong

We make our crackers with the most sustainable, tasty, inclusive ingredients possible. One of the unexpected problems we faced in our business is the Ukraine-Russian War. Ukraine produces the majority of the world’s commercially available sunflower seeds and we used those very seeds for our sunflower oil. Upon the start of the war, I had some conversations with our vendors and partners to confirm our supply chain and we were told don’t worry. Read more>>

Sarah McCoy

I have been working at earning a full-time living from my small business. To start at the beginning, I studied graphic design in undergraduate school and graduate school both at The University of Iowa. Between undergraduate and graduate school I worked full-time as a graphic designer in a corporate design group at a hardware/software company in Austin, Texas. Read more>>

Courtney Stanley

I launched my keynote speaking business at the beginning of 2020 and never anticipated the storm that would come soon after. Within three months of my first year of entrepreneurship, nearly 80% of my contracts fell through due to the pandemic’s impact on the live events and conference industry. The wrecking ball that appeared during this chapter initially left me feeling lost, desperate, remorseful and stressed beyond measure. Read more>>

Justin Walker

I set out on a mission with the intention of opening up Downtown Greenville’s first tattoo studio. When South Carolina legalized tattooing in 2004, the zoning laws that were created to regulate the amount of tattoo shops made it impossible to open one up within downtown. However, I believed it could be done and someone was going to do it so I was determined to be the one to do it. Read more>>

Sarah Cogan

This shocked me when I started working as a professional in film and tv: most film programs don’t teach filmmakers about design or how it tells a story, and the programs who do usually spend very little time on the subject. With little resources available out in the world to understand design or how the process works, filmmakers don’t know how 1/3 of their filmmaking process even works. Read more>>

Evan Wargolet

When you start of anything new, there are challenges you never expected to face. My clothing line Conquered Kings, was founded with the idea of functional yet fashionable items. Things you can wear to the office, going to dinner to working on your car, without the need to change. That is the aspiration, and one I still believe needs to be served. Read more>>

William Taylor

Well I started the brand taylormade and went thru the step to getting it trademarked. I processed all the paperwork and started selling clothes. A year later after having an amazing year papoose showcased one of the sweatsuit on love and hip hop. 3 weeks later I received a seized to assist letter stating I have to stop using the taylormade logo. I had 90 days to seize it or I was going to be sued. Read more>>

Dawn Young

In early 2022, I had the privilege of photographing an engagement session for a beautiful couple who had recently returned to their hometown from California. As a photographer, one of the things I love most about my job is meeting new people and establishing meaningful connections. During the session, we hit it off and quickly became friends. Although I wasn’t initially interested in shooting weddings, this couple convinced me to photograph their fall nuptials. Read more>>

Crooked Ways

Being in a band can present plenty of unforeseen issues since you are working closely with multiple other people on literally everything. The variables of things that can go wrong or that you need to work through increase with each person that may be in a band because it is four different lives working towards the same initiative. Read more>>

Monty Cime

Unexpected problems come up all the time. From last-minute band dropouts to band members having conflicting plans, being a musician will quickly teach you to not only expect, but plan around the unexpected. Ultimately, though, what will make the difference is how you handle both yourself and the situation. Read more>>

LaToya Wilson

Some of the most unexpected problems I’ve faced with the SHEE Foundation are finding funding and support. I thought for sure, this is a non-profit and people will flock to support the cause! To my dismay, this was not the case, and it continues to be a struggle. On a daily basis, I am working with President Tiffany Washington, and Strategy Resource Manager, Lisa Nolan on ways to fund the organization. Read more>>