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.

Billy Hume

The first big unexpected problem I encountered in my career was the change from analog to digital recording. Without going into too much technical detail I will say that doing this forced me to change how I initially recorded any instrument or singer – from the EQ/tone sound to the recording levels to understanding the impact of using hard drives.It also made me change the work flow with the artists. When we were recording to analog tape there was time during rewinding of the reels to make comments to the performer and let them catch their breath or maybe tape a sip of a drink. Read more>>

JuCoby Johnson

One of the biggest issues I’ve faced in my creative journey is the “success complex”. That voice in the back of my mind that whispers “Shouldn’t you be farther along by now?”. I let that voice get louder and louder until writing became the biggest source of my anxiety, instead of the healing balm it was in the beginning. I would sit in front of my laptop and become paralyzed by all the expectations I’d put on myself for whatever I was working on to be “successful”. Read more>>

Roxy Tart

My seamstress used to line all my garments with silver fabric because she loved that no matter what the situation was, I could always find a silver lining.  That’s important to me, finding the silver lining, the good, the positive in whatever situation I’m in. I wasn’t necessarily a happy child; we were poor, my stepdad was abusive, and the people around me always seemed to be upset about something, but I wasn’t unhappy either. I had friends, and family members that loved me, and the freedom to be as creative or weird as I wanted to be. Read more>>

Emily Dunlop

Learning that being a good actress doesn’t really have much to do with being a working actress was a gut punch to my eager naivety. Actors tend to start out with a raw, charismatic talent and spend all their time honing that; learning to be “good”. That’s definitely how I started. But what I’ve learned is that the actors who don’t graduate beyond the initial stage of developing their craft will, ironically, never get time to play in that space. That’s the fun stuff. Read more>>

Mike Dotson

Recently I was out capturing a local music festival. As with most festivals they span multiple days. During these days the are usually multiple bands playing their songs for the fans that traveled far and wide to see them and hopefully with a little luck and alot of work then can earn a few new fans. Read more>>

Barry Laminack

I was enjoying a great career in radio as the host of one of the most popular sports talk radio shows in Houston on ESPN Radio in Houston. The show was doing great and then the pandemic hit and everything changed. I would eventually lose my job on the show because of the pandemic, and at the same time would lose my source of income as a stand up comic because every bar/club/venue was shut down. Read more>>

Amy Borman

One of my first projects I worked on as a ‘newbie’ interior designer was working on the home of a young professional. This was a doctor in his last year of residence, also known as my brother. I had several years of school and many years working with top designers in the field . . I had worked for THE Mary Douglas Drysdale, in Washington D.C. I was ready for the challenge. Read more>>

Jeremie Zizi

Some problems I’ve experienced on my journey as a creative/model would be lack of communication, false promises/being lied to, bad time management on others, and being delayed in payment. A situation where I’ve experienced majority, if not all of the problems that I’ve just listed actually happened recently. A company that I’m working with (first company I’ve ever worked with) had me on the run around at first. The communication at first was iffy. Read more>>

Austin Hopkins

As an independent artist, I’ve faced many issues from. I never realized how hard it was to break out into the music industry until I released my first album in 2016. Up until that time, it was really just a hobby for me. My family and friends encouraged me to do more with my music, so I thought why not, it can’t be that hard can it? So, in 2015 I worked with my first producer and put together an album of my first recorded songs. I released it in June of 2016, thinking I’d put it out there, tell a few people about it, and gain listeners. What I really didn’t understand was the backend marketing and how to reach and retain followers. Read more>>

Rachel Bykowski

When I was in my late teens, I tried to shove all my creative energies into one box – playwriting. A “playwright” is how I packaged and presented myself. Much like trying to squeeze into a favorite dress from decades ago, I firmly believed that if I could not make myself fit into this category, then I was a failure. Theatre is my first love and writing plays comes naturally to me. But I also enjoy writing essays, blogs, editing videos, podcasts, and more. Read more>>

Lady OFLO

One of the most unexpected problems I’ve ever faced was my father getting sick. I was living on the East Coast at the time, and decided to come home to help take care of him. I dropped everything – my job, my music career, my apartment, my social life – all of it. And I became a full time, live-in caregiver for my Dad. Read more>>

LEX

One of the hardest things I’ve had to face is getting over my fear of performing. Back in 2017, I was interning at a studio in Midtown Atlanta; and my boss at the time owned an entertainment company. He hosted a weekly open mic showcasing the best singers he could find, and it was both intimidating and exciting for me to watch as a singer still new to the music and entertainment game. Read more>>

Asia Raychelle Givhan

Earlier this year, I got the privilege to finally launch my makeup brand called Beauty By Nature Cosmetics! Not too long after the launch date, I was served with a trademark infringement email on my brand name. I was devastated because I was new to the business and thought that all of my hard work went to waste. Now, I am in the process of going through a rebrand! Some may look at this situation as an unexpected problem but I am choosing to look at it as a blessing in disguise and an opportunity to do it right this time. To my up-and-coming business owners, please get professional help when trademarking your business! You will save time and money in the long run. Read more>>