Almost every entrepreneur has had to decide whether to take the leap now or wait– perhaps they wanted to acquire more capital, experience or connections. Given how common this predicament is, we asked some successful business owners to reflect back on whether they wish they had started sooner or waited for a better time.

Paul Julch

I’ve always loved fashion – but I didn’t really know that being a personal stylist was actually a job for a long time. Outside of the tv show What Not to Wear – I had never seen it done in ‘real life’. So, while it would have sounded like a great job for me earlier on, I pursued a career in retail. Read more>>

Christopher Rodriguez

Wilted Nurture is the result of my mental health struggles that manifested at a time where I thought I’d never be okay again. It was a pivotal moment for me as it became an every day therapy where I could let it all out in the clay and that’s where the faces come in. Read more>>

Deborah Griffiths

Ever since I can remember, I’ve dreamed of owning my own business. I grew up watching my parents run their painting contracting company—my dad handled estimating and supervising the crew, while my mom managed the books, payroll, and typed up proposals and contracts. Read more>>

Jacob Green

Hindsight is always 20/20. Architecture is a creative profession, but it’s also a business, and like many American businesses, it’s reflective of many of the social issues we are currently dealing with today. My story isn’t unique, and that’s the issue. Read more>>

Hannah Kwon

The short answer: I did and now I don’t. I don’t think I would have dealt well with how to navigate the real funky parts of the industry and even my why if I had started so young. Read more>>

Elaine Chaney

I wish I could go back and tell that little girl who always got in trouble for talking that her gift of gab would one day open doors she never imagined. Back when I graduated high school, the career options presented to us felt limited—doctor, lawyer, accountant, architect, business. All respectable paths, but to me, they sounded dull. Read more>>

Rebecca M. Fullerton

Technically, I started my art career in the early 1990s. While in junior high school, two teachers commissioned art by me. One piece was an acrylic on canvas painting and the other was an ink drawing. I was amazed and delighted that people wanted to pay me for things I had made. Read more>>

Ruth Antrich

My only other motivation in life was to explore the world – or rather, I desperately wanted to get as far away from London as I possibly could, and in 1974 I came to the USA as a tourist. Read more>>

Nicole Ng

The prompts became uninspiring and the deadlines took all the light out of the creative experience. I was so clearly and intrinsically motivated to create for myself, how I could possibly stay afloat as a professional artist creating on demand or on commission? So I dropped it. I collected my mediocre grades, and, aside from a few fleeting “what-if” moments, never really thought about it again. Read more>>

Jamie Miller

I didn’t start law school until my early 30s. Becoming an attorney was a lifelong dream, but before that I spent a decade in federal education grants. When I finally moved back to Oklahoma to attend the University of Tulsa College of Law, I brought with me years of real-world and professional experience. Looking back, I’m glad I waited. Read more>>