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.

Bylle Stasi

I feel like I’ve seen so much, especially in this town! I guess the strangest thing had to be the time I had a woman who was African royalty come in for lash extensions. Her appointment was booked online and her driver arrived a few hours before her appointment and paid me in cash for the whole service and then some. Read more>>

Alisa Venglinskaya

one Saturday morning, I received a call from an unknown number. A man started talking to me nervously. he asked if I work with brides? Am I free to come within a few hours and do makeup for the bride and a few bridesmaids? At first I didn’t understand anything… I calmed him down a little and asked him to calmly tell me what happened. Read more>>

Marya Khalil-Otto

When it comes to extraordinary tales, I have one that you might find almost unbelievable. Back in 2010, I was working at my father’s clinic, in Miami. Handling the phones meant I was the gatekeeper for all of Dr. Khalil’s calls. Read more>>

Cayla Ogbulie

In 2016, after working as the Spa Director for a cute little neighborhood spa, the owner informed me that she was leaving the business to pursue a different one. She asked me if I’d like to buy the company from her. She wanted to offer it to me before she put it on the market. After really thinking about it, I felt like it was the next natural step as I had been in the spa business for almost 15 years by this time. Read more>>

Kelly Corsino

One of the most significant moments in my real estate career occurred when I was introduced to a 90-year-old client who was looking to sell their stunning Santa Monica home. Read more>>

Kevin Marcus

Imagine being out in the middle of the northern Nevada desert on a documentary shoot. No one around for miles, the late autumn sun sinking low in the western sky, chill wind picking up, and you’re hopelessly stuck on a winding dirt road. I lived that moment while filming one of our recent documentary projects “On the California Trail: Preserving Gravelly Ford”. Read more>>

Alison Masson

What I love most about Metal Babe Mayhem is that I created a community of people from all walks of the earth worldwide who are united by our love for Music and Fashion. This love has bound a group of us together by blood! Literally, there are a dozen (and counting) people who have tattooed some form of MBM on their bodies for life! Read more>>

Brian L Watson II

During Covid my wife and I welcomed our beautiful baby girl in 2019. Months later, we both lost our jobs due to COVID. I was approached with an opportunity and my business partner and I took the risk and Hip Hop X was born. I was terrified at first because it was something new. Read more>>

Deirdra Jone

I’ve had so many ups and downs across the three businesses I’ve opened. The craziest time for me was March 2020 (like so many others), when I had just closed down my last company, and was about to launch the third; a hospitality uniform brand. Read more>>

Jak Dawson

In my journey as an entrepreneur, I’ve had my share of unexpected moments, but one story really stands out. Imagine this: I was going around my town, handing out flyers for my web design services, especially to businesses that needed some help online. I believe my calling is helping others with technology, and I wanted to lend a hand to local business owners. Read more>>

Bri Haug

Early into my tattoo journey, I received an unexpected diagnosis of Cancer. At first I thought this was the ending to everything I had been working so hard for, I was a new mother and early in my career. When I asked my doctors why this happened to me, they told me it was “bad luck, my lightning strike”. Read more>>

Sikhumbuzo Moyo

Back in 2019 I had to relocate to Atlanta from Indiana, with 3 months notice because my college was suddenly shut down and my only option to further my education was to relocate to their closest branch. Read more>>

Mike Goldstein

I once got asked for a pedicab ride while trying to take a bathroom break at a local bar during a busy weekend. It was a friends family friend who sought me out. I was surprised but humbled too. Now I just get recognized all around town but that was definitely a first for me! Read more>>