Having to overcome unexpected problems is a hallmark of entrepreneurship. Almost every business owner, artist, maker, and creative we know has had to deal with countless unexpected problems that arise in the journey and so we asked some brilliant folks from the community to share their stories of the unexpected problems they’ve faced along the way.

Therese Moore

As an owner of a small company, 3 bear Oats, one can always expect challenges whether that be supply chain issues, logistics, cash flow management, etc., however when your company is a frozen food product, the hurdles seem even greater and many, unexpected. Read more>>

VayaDee

You never really know what’s going to happen. The last thing I expected to do was run a whole business during what is still, an ongoing pandemic. Once the pandemic hit, everything slowed down which there wasn’t much I could do about that. So any weddings I had booked to take pictures for got cancelled, people weren’t requesting graphics like before and helping people with brand management fell off. Read more>>

Connie LoMonaco

We started as a band in 2018, while all still in NY and in High School. At that time it was easy for us to always get together to rehearse, make music, and just jam. We were very busy and active with our music and making new music. Now in 2022, (actually started in 2021 when three of us left for all college) but now in 2022 all of of us attend college and are no longer local. Read more>>

Marci Stewart

Traveling in a foreign country is exciting but also can be nerve wrecking. You can plan and research all your want, but something unexpected will almost always come up. It’s amazing to me how different travel is today than it was 15 years ago when I first studied abroad. Read more>>

Kris Crepeau

Back in 1998 I had finally figured out what I wanted to do for the rest of my life, I wanted to be a songwriter. So, I excitedly packed up everything I owned and moved to Nashville TN to pursue my dream. Things were going pretty well to start. I found myself an apartment, played out regularly and met some cool people. Read more>>

Ekaterina Khromin

Ekaterina Khromin was born in Leningrad, now Saint Petersburg, Russia where she attended the Imperial Academy of Art. Her art career in the USSR involved the illustration of numerous books and art conservation. Read more>>

Brandon Covington

There have been a couple unexpected challenges. The major challenge has been the lack of knowledge on how to run a business and understanding that not everyone is for you. If you are going to partner with anyone, it’s imperative to read the contract thoroughly as well as having a lawyer read through it. Read more>>

Addie Wales

When we first bought Ely Log Cabin, we weren’t planning for it to be a rental. If we had known it was going to be a rental, we would of planned further ahead. We had a few major upgrades that had to be made in order to rent out the cabin legally: Read more>>

Zachary Hinckley

The biggest challenges in the landscape industry is finding reliable labor force. The way we have been able to solve that problems is to apply for the H2B Visa program. The H2B Visa program is a federal program that was set up to help solve the labor shortage. Read more>>

Kamaya Chapman

My mother passed away in the peak of my entrepreneurial journey . She was my biggest cheerleader that surprisingly supported something that was near to her (wasn’t raised in a time of entrepreneurship) Read more>>

Chandra Fowler

Sanskrit Moon Yoga Center was founded in November of 2019. We had one beautiful year to establish our community. Then Covid happened. In March of 2020 we closed the studio for what we naively hoped would be a short period. In two weeks we managed to get our virtual platform up and learned how to hold space through the power of the internet. Read more>>

Nicki Kris

Pursuing music late in life has certainly had its challenges. The biggest issue that I wasn’t prepared for was and still is being taken seriously as an artist because of my age. I remember meeting with an A&R rep at Sony Music in NYC very early on in my revamped career. Read more>>

Debra Adamo

As an entrepreneur, you will encounter many obstacles/unexpected problems. It is part of the job and what makes it challenging and rewarding at the same time. Covid is definitely at the top of this list. Covid was unprecedented and a huge setback for many businesses. Read more>>

Monique Russell

In the Professional Coaching Industry, you have to be prepared for curve balls. The most unexpected problems earlier in my professional career that I’ve faced, was when I mapped out the client’s session and we totally focused on something outside of what was planned. Read more>>