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.

Taylor Martz Paffett

As a destination wedding specialist, I knew the only type of wedding I could have for myself had to be a wedding in Mexico or the Caribbean! After the amazing proposal in Punta Cana by my husband, Will, the decision was made. We would be headed to Mexico in 10 months to say “I do,” Okay…… maybe before the proposal this decision was made. When you know, you know! The planning process and travel coordination was a breeze! I mean I do this every day. No stress. I am getting married at a gorgeous, new resort in Mexico to the man of my dreams with my best friends and family joining us. What could go wrong? Well…. about 5 weeks before the wedding I find out there was a fire at the resort we were headed to in just 5 short weeks. Peak season for travel. Limited inventory. Limited wedding dates. So what now? Well thank God I work in this amazing and crazy industry! There was no time to be sad or freak out. Guests bought their flights, we were flying to Cancun one way or another. Read more>>

Kiara Vincent

I decided to open my salon in September of 2019. I was comfortable in my in my salon suite, but I heard God say move! So I went hunting and found the perfect space. My uncle and I came up with a design for the salon. I wanted the salon fill like a fun family environment while also having a suite feel. We decided to do partitions between the stations. I’ll never forget my uncle saying that he was going to make them 6 feet apart. We finished the design and loved it. We were finally able to open in January of 2020! Then Covid hit and we had to close in March of 2020. I had no idea what I was going to do. I just knew that I had followed the instructions that God placed on my heart and if I left it alone he would do the rest. 3 years later we are fully staffed and continually growing. I’m forever grateful that I took the leap of faith! It has been one of my greatest blessings! Read more>>

Melissa Slorf

The idea for a small business incubator that operates as a non-profit business, can be confusing and hard to understand sometimes. Starting this non-profit franchise that has a unique model was looking bleak in terms of getting grants,let alone private donors to entrust you with funds. Read more>>

Phil Harding

As a young entrepreneur, I didn’t know how to pace myself. I was all in, all day long, every day (I’m still a little like that now). The first year after I bought NiTOR, I had to have both hips replaced. I was in recovery after my first surgery, still groggy from the drugs, fading in and out of consciousness, when I received an email inquiry from a potential customer asking about the benefits of our product. I remember thinking that just because I had just had surgery wasn’t an excuse for not replying immediately to a customer. I felt like every customer was worth making happy. So I laid there, trying to force my mind to focus on scientific and nutritional facts, trying with difficulty to coherently type them out in an email. I would type a line or two, pass out for several minutes, wake up with my phone on my chest, type another couple of lines, pass out, and so on. In this manner, I eventually got the email typed, proofread, corrected, and sent out. Each individual customer mattered that much to me, and that hasn’t changed. Read more>>

Brittany Wild

As the owner of Way Finder Cleaning Services, my entrepreneurial journey has been filled with surprises, challenges, and heartwarming moments that have truly shaped the essence of my business. One particular experience stands out—a story of compassion and connection that touched my heart in ways I could never have anticipated. Read more>>

Mike Steel

The craziest story of Idiot Racing is actually one of the biggest things that put us on the map! On June 12 2021, I raced in my first Baja 500. It was easily one of the best and wildest days of my life. I had built my first race car over the previous few months to the best of my (totally novice) ability, and was really excited to see what it could do! But when I got to Baja, I faced hill climbs inequivalent to anything I tested in Florida, boulders the size of watermelons, and sand pits deeper than any of our best beaches. By Race Mile 55, I had blown a ball joint, destroyed a front shock, rebuilt a carburetor, and, after the car was officially out of the race around midnight, I did my best to hide it behind some trees so I could go get my trailer to bring it back to the house we were renting. That’s when the actual crazy part starts! Read more>>