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.

Kyle Schmidt

I believe I started my business at the perfect time. As I mentioned earlier, my passion for videography and social media has always been strong, but when I first began, it was more of a passion project than a business idea. I was still in college when I launched it, and that allowed me to learn in a low-pressure environment. It gave me the flexibility to experiment with different content styles and figure out what worked best for me. My business is an extension of myself, and it’s evolved alongside me every step of the way. I’m grateful that I was able to work through many of the early challenges while I was younger, learning valuable business lessons along the way. Now, as I’m further along in my career, I feel incredibly confident in what I can offer my clients—and it’s only going to keep improving! Read more>>

Janna Fackrell

Life’s path is unpredictable, isn’t it? Like many, I once wished to be further along in my career. I spent a decade in Los Angeles, immersed in acting—commercials, indie films, and the occasional TV show—and believed this was my calling. But life had other intentions. I got involved with the wrong crowd and lost my way, reaching a low that became my turning point. This rock bottom, surprisingly, became my salvation, opening the door to discovering something greater than myself and revealing my soul’s true purpose. These tough experiences were necessary for my spiritual and emotional growth, preparing me to hold sacred spaces where others can discover their inner light. During those days, my light flickered, barely bright enough to guide myself, let alone others. Read more>>

Mindy Mccombs

I began my adult career journey in education. After about 8 years, I knew that I needed to make a change. There was just a nudge that I attribute to my strong faith that made me take a leap. I began working with an organization building and structuring volunteer teams. Early on, after some incredible insight from mentors, I realized I could not do it on my own and needed to give away as much of my job as I could. Also, as those teams grew, structuring them in such a way that everyone felt cared for, needed, and known was essential. It is difficult to feel that when you are part of a huge team! So, as I began structuring teams, encouraging a healthy culture, etc. there were many opportunities I had to consult others. This sparked the idea to begin my own business, I realized that tools I have picked up and have been developed by those that have lead me, or simply by trial and error have built a great opportunity to help businesses and individuals accomplish their goals. Read more>>

Jusemc

Always wish that I had started my career sooner. I feel like there’s so much that I have to learn now and I’m kind of at a deficit, but in the same light I have so much more to talk about because of what I’ve experienced. I’ve painted, drawn, designed clothes and a plethora of other creative projects but, the thing that I found most enjoyable is in making music. I think if I had started making music before I went through so much self-development my music would not have been as true to myself as I wanted it to be. You kind of have to learn to be yourself. Although it’s always changing, it’s important to acknowledge and accept you. Read more>>

Christopher Diorio

Our band Shower Beers is a decently popular local band in a large metro market (New York City). We’re positioned as a fine opener pick for national touring bands within our genre, and have enough of a draw to fill 100-200+ capacity rooms on our own. Our streaming numbers are respectable and our music generally gets good reviews. A major reason we were able to achieve this level of success (which we feel when compared to the beginning stages of an artist are pretty good, but overall nothing crazy) is because the band started AFTER our members solidified revenue streams elsewhere. Read more>>