One of the most under-the-radar benefits of entrepreneurship is its ability to build fortitude and make the entrepreneur a more formidable person. Challenges – particularly the crazy, unexpected ones that take on a life of their own – build character and confidence. And the unexpected surprises to the upside, the crazy good moments offer a high that’s hard to reproduce elsewhere. The charm and the challenge of entrepreneurship is dealing with the crazy things that happen and so we’ve asked some fantastic business owners and leaders to share some of their stories with us below.

Anthony Fuentes

I once had to drive four hours to a venue and I couldn’t afford a hotel. This is when I first started Comedy, but I was so hungry and so driven that I didn’t care so I drove four hours to the show. Did my set then drove four hours back And I had to do this two days in a row for $60 pay Read more>>

Kristine Schwartz

Hello!!! There were 3 profound events that completely shook my world prior to opening Refined Ritual and I this story may raise some eyebrows, but I’m telling you it CHANGED MY LIFE! I was laid off from my corporate position in 2019 and within a months time I opened Reinvent Your Hustle, my first company.  I was in a state of disarray and began to go to an Angel Intuitive Healer. With skepticism and being raised in a highly religious family I wasn’t sure if this experience was actually legit, however to my surprise on my 3rd session in a Chakra Clearing I entered what I now know as Theta state. It in this clearing that I saw all colors of the rainbow shift behind my eyes and at the end saw an image of 3 mountain tops. Of course at the time I had no idea what it meant, but it stuck with me as something to explore. Read more>>

Dr Nicole Bradford

The craziest story related to my business that came from an experience I had while attending Grambling State University. While attending GSU, I witnessed a wave of talented young ladies engaging with pageants, I felt a spark igniting within me. I returned to Austin, and decided to compete in the Miss Austin USA pageant. The first attempt didn’t go as planned, but instead of giving up, I returned with a fierce determination the next year. On my second try, the atmosphere was electric, filled with anticipation and excitement. As I stood on that stage, the spotlight illuminated my path, and I delivered a captivating performance that resonated with the judges and audience alike. When they announced me as the first African American Miss Austin USA, the crowd erupted in applause, and I felt a profound sense of achievement. Read more>>

Darick Rutley

As a licensed Residential Builder, I have a responsibility to perform my tasks the right way. I was called by a customer almost two years ago to come and provide an estimate on completing a remodeling project that had been abandoned by another contractor. When I walked into the house the first thing that I noticed was that some walls had been removed and a new stairway was in the process of being built. In Texas, there is a lot of attic space that is usually wasted and can be converted into what we call “habitable space”. This customer was trying to take advantage of that extra space and increase her home value by increasing her square footage. This was a good idea! However, she has a few issues: First of all, the first contractor convinced her to pay him for the entire job upfront (which is something that a customer should never do)! As a consequence to this bad call on her part, the contractor came up missing. Read more>>