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.
Heather Acevedo
Some of the most unexpected problems I’ve faced in my business is my age, and being held back by other stylists. I always knew I wanted to be a hairdresser since I was five years old. I started my business when I was twenty years old. I woke up one morning and decide I no longer wanted to work for someone else I wanted to be my own boss and spread my wings. I was tired of being at the bottom, and lets be honest sweeping up and washing others color bowls wasn’t really my dream job. Read more>>
Octavia Toliver
Curating events is the most central part of what I do. It is also a large part of what brings me satisfaction because I am able to give attendees experiences that they likely haven’t seen otherwise. With that comes a certain level of unpredictability. Read more>>
Jules and Noah Ehlert
Noah and I started this business with the intention of working together and being our own bosses, so that our creativity wasn’t in control of any one else. Photography is a very creative field and being able to freely express that creativity was important to us. When it came to building this dream we realized just how different creatively we were at times. When we were just starting out, we lived in New York City and most of our clients were young actors trying to break into the industry. Read more>>
Michele Muzones
A little bit about me…I am a classically trained artist having received my degree in Illustration from Columbia College in Chicago. I freelanced as a product designer for the Bradford Exchange for 15 years before I started my sip and paint business in 2012. Art Rave inc is a mobile sip and paint company and in our pre-covid days we had a staff of 4 instructors and 6 assistants. Read more>>
Khaliah Rose
One of the most unexpected problems that I have faced as a creative is learning how to say “No”. When first starting off in the film industry I was ready to take off and learn as much as I could from every opportunity that came my way. Whether I needed to drive over an hour in rush hour traffic to make it to a set or had to go straight from school on set and not get home until 4 am. Read more>>
Kristen Ulla Grunewald
Life is full of challenges both personally and professionally and it is up to us as humans to struggle through them and to grow from them. Most personal growth comes from pain and it is never comfortable – but it is necessary. Every painful life event offers us an opportunity to be transformed. Art is a reflection of life and so these painful events can offer us artists an opportunity to push our art to another level. Read more>>
Joe Burakoff
The entire journey has been a roller coaster full of ups and downs. When you begin a new venture in an industry where there is no proper label for it (digital media, social media content creation, digital content creation) it creates all kinds of challenges. I think the biggest challenge has been keeping up with all of the aspects from website design to marketing to finances to creating something new in a sea of uncertainty. Read more>>
Aubrey Davis
“The Man” by Taylor Swift. I remember the first time I listened to the iconic song with the iconic line: “I’m so sick of running as fast as I can, wondering if I’d get there quicker if I were a man.” (I’m a big Taylor Swift fan) I never thought I’d be in a work environment dominated by men…not in a million years. Read more>>
Patrice Jackson
Patrice Jackson <[email protected]> 7:25 PM (0 minutes ago) to me One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced as a creative in the BIPOC community is professional equality. Being a black woman photographer, I have experienced inequality in opportunities. Lack of inclusion and diversity in photography and other creative endeavors continue to have an impact. We are all different, and we need to celebrate that. Read more>>