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.

Willow Li

That’s a great question! It’s interesting to think about what could have been. If I could go back in time, there’s a part of me that wonders what it would have been like to start sooner. Maybe I could have captured a larger market share or gotten ahead of some competitors. Read more>>

Marlyn Naylor

Looking back, there are moments when I wish I had started my business sooner. The feedback and experience I gained from planning various events for family and friends made me realize the potential earlier on. Read more>>

Katey Hodge

If I could go back in time, I would have started my business sooner. I opened my salon suite in 2016 after working in a chain salon in the mall for eight years. Read more>>

Serena Li

This is a great question. As a founder, I constantly think about what-if’s. I think about what life would’ve been if I didn’t start a business (probably I’d have more savings); Read more>>

Lucas Tabaka

I launched my photography business during high school, earlier than I had anticipated. Capturing portraits brought me immense joy, prompting me to turn my passion into a business endeavor. Read more>>

Annaliese Corbett

As someone who has been in the beauty industry for nearly 7 years, I truly think that everything will happen on the timeline it is meant too. I believe every job, position, lesson is all for a purpose. Read more>>

Rita Fortino

Honestly, I’m a firm believer that there’s never a perfect time; nothing in life will ever be perfect. If I think about it, I would have loved to start my marketing agency earlier while still working on projects for others, but now looking back, I realize that everything happens when it’s supposed to happen. Read more>>

Markeysha Donald

I definitely wish that I would have started this business sooner! I started this business during the pandemic and I was working for the hospital, so I got to see the worst parts of what the pandemic did to our society. Read more>>

Catreace Woods Yolanda Lopez

If we could go back, we would have started our business sooner but at the same time we feel like things happen when they’re supposed to. We started SOCA Cake Design last year but we had always had the dream to do so early in our culinary careers. Read more>>

Courtney Kimble

You know, I’ve sometimes wondered if I should’ve started my business earlier, like a lot of other folks in the game. But looking back, I’ve realized that every step of the journey has its own timing. Read more>>