It’s wild out there and the struggle is real. Entrepreneurship is no joke, everyday is a new challenge, a new up, a new down, it never stops. The action, the drama, the energy is addictive and it’s why so many never want to retire from entrepreneurship. We’ve asked some very talented entrepreneurs to share some of those crazy stories with us.

Preston Lewin

Entrepreneurship can really throw some wild curveballs, and one of the craziest things we’ve faced was something I never imagined when I first started my business. We go above and beyond to work with our clients—unlike a lot of companies, we’re flexible with payments, we move things around, hold off on collections, whatever it takes. As long as clients communicate with us, we’ll do anything for them because we genuinely care about the people behind the purchases. But, sometimes, despite all that, there are still people who take advantage. Read more>>

Scott Jennings

In the rollercoaster journey of entrepreneurship, I’ve encountered many highs and lows, but nothing quite compares to the saga of trust and betrayal that unfolded with someone I considered not just a business partner, but a friend. Imagine this: you’ve built a business from the ground up, pouring your heart and soul into it, often working without pay, driven by the vision of what it could become. Now, picture a key investor, someone who’s not only a significant shareholder but also a guest at your wedding, someone you’ve trusted with weekly strategy sessions and shared values. This was my reality with Mina Mishrikey, the head of investments at Merida Capital. Read more>>

Lisa Bickett

This interesting little story takes us back to almost the beginnings of our company… We had been thrilled to stumble upon (and then research!) the wonders of Portuguese cork, it’s renewability and the beautiful and wondrous things that could be made with it. We followed the trail to Portugal, and began our quest for more knowledge and discovery in Lisbon. Thinking we had found a fountain of “cute” cork things that people in the US would love to learn about and own, we set out one day on the purely touristy venture of climbing the hill to Castelo de São Jorge – St. George’s Castle – to, well, see a castle, and the city of Lisbon from above. Tired and out of breath at the top, I noticed a little old lady with a cart, selling her wares to tourists – cork, of course. Read more>>

Stacy Rae Mednick

I have been in the health and fitness business for over 40 years and looking back now it’s hard to believe that I’m still as passionate about it when I stared as I am today:-) As a young teenage girl that needed to get in shape I started exercising at the local gym in my neighborhood at the time and fell in love with how I felt and the energy that I got from exercise. Life at home wasn’t the greatest so my escape to the gym to feel better about myself became my new after school passion and one that would chart the course for the rest of my life.  During that time at that little neighborhood gym one of the owners who was a women started to take an interest in me and was very kind to me. She also noticed that I had a passion for fitness at a very young age and invited me to teach me how to instruct fitness classes. Back then those would be called aerobic classes it seems like a lifetime ago. At the time I was very surprised that the owner was taking an interest in me but, at the same time very excited about the opportunity. Little did I know that little gym in my neighborhood so long ago would change my life forever. Read more>>