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.
Miami Andrews (a.k.a. Calvin Cruz)
I’ve been doing drag since I was 16 (started 2017) and although you knew the social and political climate at the time wasn’t the best you at least knew you could go to the club or brunch and be in a community where you felt safe and protected by your peers. As the years have gone by i would have never thought we’d be facing issues of performing in front of a certain age group or even facing the fact that walking from our car to the gig means we could be attacked and ambushed just for doing our job. Although there is no quick and easy resolution we can still fight back and register to vote for the upcoming election, call our state representatives, protest, and donate to the ACLU drag defense fund. Read more>>
Jeremy Anderson
At some point I had a online bakery business by the name of King’s Royal Recipes. While the business was great while it lasted, there was often times where shipping became an issue for me. No matter how much bubble wrap and warning labels I used, it seemed as if the shipping companies had it out for me. Now of course, they didn’t but it sure did feel that way! My items were very delicate but they were also protected so that my customers would be satisfied when they received their product. I had to get very creative when it came to packaging, shipping containers and also choosing which company to use. It took me some times but I definitely found out what my best options were and what I needed to do when these type of problems arrived. I also made sure my profit margin covered the extra expenses it took to protect my products and reimburse consumers if anything bad was to happen. Read more>>
Valerie David
I was honored to perform my new solo show that I wrote titled Baggage From BaghDAD: Becoming My Father’s Daughter in its first fully realized production at the Stockholm Fringe Festival in September 2022. I had no idea the impact it would have on me. This is the true story of my Middle Eastern Jewish family’s inspirational journey of being forced to flee from religious persecution during the 1941 “Farhud” pogrom in Baghdad and how they began a new life in America. The play is an homage to my dad and my courageous family. Read more>>
Cooper Cercy
In the beauty industry, how you present yourself matters & in the skincare world, your face is your business. In this day and age, with social media and unrealistic beauty standards, the pressure is higher than ever to look or be a certain way. Add another layer with becoming a business owner + skincare professional and the stakes are even higher. With this comes great responsibility, and even greater mindfulness. Long story short, dating back to Aesthetician school and cutting straight to the now, I’ve struggled with my own skin and health issues. It began with severe grade 3 acne (for reference the acne scale is 1-4) and eventually led to psorasis. Read more>>
Lori Rock
As a planner who tends to see the positive side of things, I found myself surprised when unexpected challenges would arise. Customers who were unclear about boundaries particularly created challenges for me. In the end, the paperwork and the clear communication turned out to be the solution for me. Here is the story – I was working with an international customer to produce a series of animations. It was a big project, and very exciting to be putting a whole series together. The Statement of Work I provided was very simple and easy to follow. But it didn’t include clear limits for the production process – like the number of drafts that would be included within the scope. Animation produces multiple deliveries that need approval before reaching the final product, so this got out of hand very quickly. Read more>>
Jennifer Morilla
Scaling too fast! Its a good problem to have, and Its a BIG problem to have if you don’t have the right mentorship or you aren’t going ‘slow’ enough to see the disaster. I would say one of the hardest things has been pivoting and shifting quickly enough to CATCH myself. The biggest changes I’ve made is making fast decisions in my business and adapting accordingly. Read more>>
Claudia “Aziza” Gibson-Hunter
I think the largest problem I faced was that my education did not give me a notion of an art ecosystem, how it was organized, the various roles within it, how to engage it or how to leverage oneself within it. When I graduated from my MFA program, I felt as if I was wondering around in a desert. What made it even more frustrating was that I was meeting other artists from various colleges, art schools and programs that were in the very same situation. Many
took on teaching to formulate some type of financial stability, others took all sorts of jobs while attempting to continue their creative lives. Read more>>
Paulette Brockington
As a dancer I was always drawn to ballet. And it seems that others felt I should pursue modern or contemporary or jazz or tap. I went all in and started my own group so I could do what I wanted. But funding, of course, depends on how others see you. When I got into swing dance I realized that it was a scarlet letter in the dance community. It was bad enough that I did musical theater but adding Ballroom then Lindy Hop to the mix was unforgiveable. I would go to theater auditions and the director would point out that it was a “straight show” or at a musical theater audition “did I know there was no music?” But I dabbled in both of those worlds pretty successfully. But once I started doing social dance I decided I needed to keep that under wraps if I wanted to keep working. Because quite literally no one would book a social dancer. They are looked on as unprofessional. There’s a stigma that puts those dancers lowest on the totem pole in dance. Read more>>
Shayla Johnson
Whew!! Unexpected problems and/or issues can and WILL happen! A lot of times, we think that we are prepared for the unexpected, but we never really are. There was this one time I was gathering all of my packages to go out the next day. I just knew all of my shipping labels were on the right packages! Boy, was I wrong! One of my long time customers reached out to tell me that she loved her products, but it wasn’t what she ordered. I responded with my apologies and got her correct order shipped the next day! All I was thinking is “OMG, who else has the wrong order?” “How could I do this?” Maybe about a week later, my customer who was a new customer, reached out about her order being wrong and boy was she HOT; she needed her package for the next day! I apologized and made it right and LUCKILY, she lived in my city and I was able to hand deliver it to her! Read more>>
Raelene Penman
Many people believe they have the skills to be a dog trainer, while dog owners often lack the knowledge of what to seek in a professional trainer. Unfortunately, by engaging these self-proclaimed “dog trainers,” owners often unknowingly put their dogs at risk due to the lack of expertise these individuals possess. Over the past year, I know of several dogs that ended up in the hands of the wrong people. I have asked the owners when they contact me why they chose to have these “trainers” work with their dogs. I’ve been told, they were cheaper, they were closer, my friend had them train their dog, and they did good but now I realize they didn’t have the experience to deal with my dogs issues. Read more>>
Mat Ollig
As an artist, my journey has been filled with unexpected challenges, especially after a harrowing incident several years ago where I nearly lost my hand. I was helping my brother with his metal lathe when a 27-inch piece of metal violently whipped out, striking my hand and ripping open the thumb joint. Miraculously, I was holding my phone at that exact moment, and it absorbed the majority of the impact… by bending 20 degrees. In a one-in-a-million chance, I managed to avoid any nerve damage, cut tendons, or broken bones. The ER doctors put everything back, sealed up my thumb, wrapped my hand in gauze, and sent me on my way. Read more>>
AC
Some of the most unexpected problems always happen when there is a lot of free time. I try to stay focused and away from distractions. A lot of things will be sent to slow you down, you just gotta keep your head high and moving forward. Family, friends, and even your lover could change on you in an instant. I don’t think there’s a way to prepare for these situations, just don’t let any weapon formed against you prosper. Read more>>