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.

Francesco Libralon

“You know, when I first started out, I thought mastering different music genres, establishing a distinctive style, and honing production skills would be the way to go. Turns out, the real game-changer is effective client communication. Read more>>

Mary Beth Orr

On May 5 2018 I was T-boned on the driver side going through a stop sign on a rural road. I broke my C6 and C7 vertebrae, collapsed my lung, ruptured my spleen, lacerated my liver and kidney, sustained a head trauma resulting in a 3 day coma of which no one knew if I would wake up, and the worst of all….. bit entirely through my lower lip and lost my left front tooth. While this might seem the least of my injuries, being a professional French Hornist with a major orchestra, made this almost the worst possible injury I could have. Read more>>

Tora Woloshin

Within the entertainment industry, there are so many issues that occur unexpectedly. Most of the time, I have run into people in the industry who are only looking to take advantage of you. I have had to weed through and fight off many who were only trying to gain for themselves and throw you under the bus once they got what they wanted. Read more>>

Lucas Takano

One of the things I didn’t expect when I started working as a creative was the job as a freelancer. Understanding burnout, creative freedom, meeting clients expectations, communicating/negotiating jobs, business side of freelancing and balancing business with artistry. Read more>>

Cody York

A unexpected problem I faced opening a business in a small town was simply owning a business and being an openly gay man! Some people respect you for it and other want to prosecute you. People are quick to hate on you or your buisness due to the fact of who you are as a person. I never let that the things people said or thought of me influence my self worth or my buisness! I’m a very proud buisness owner for 5 years now and buisness is amazing Read more>>

Willow Hughes

I recently started my business with the primary goal of helping people. From the beginning, my aim has been to reach as many individuals as possible. Initially, I believed that focusing on marketing and increasing visibility was the key. However, I have come to realize that the most effective way to find the right clients or customers is through word of mouth. I have taken time to myself to reflect and am now ready to start a, “Rebuild”. Read more>>