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.

Yanatha Desouvre

It was on the last day of shooting our short film, The Sweetest Girl. It was in the 2020 peak of the Covid 19 pandemic. Up to that point, all of our cast and crew attended rehearsal virtual table readings, took covid tests and we were ready to go shoot the film and officially wrap up. Even in the midst of a global pandemic, we had a safe and very fun set. However, something unexpected one of our cast members did not show up, Read more>>

Ashley Brissette

There are a TON of ups and downs in this business. Learning how to navigate unexpected issues in transactions or with clients is essential. Also being able to lean on other agents and teammates for advice is very helpful. I was working with first time homebuyers and after we started touring homes and submitting offers that kept getting rejected, they were losing hope. They felt defeated and were questioning if they should continue to rent and try and buy at another time. Read more>>

Eva Savageau

As a pain specialist and business owner, it’s not easy when unexpected problems or issues arise. I experienced an extreme one. It happened back when I decided to open my own practice, I was driving on the freeway in my small sports car and was rear-ended by a Ford F150. The accident tore my left rotator cuff. I had to have surgery, but after the surgery I developed Adhesive Capsulitis AKA frozen Shoulder. Read more>>

Angela Garmon

My business celebrates six years in June. When I started ARG Coaching & Consulting Group, I had no idea what I was doing. In 2016, my life was like the 1989 movie Field of Dreams with Kevin Costner and James Earl Jones. Do you remember that movie? Exciting, confusing, nerve wrecking, but I was eager to see what would happen next. Read more>>

Chari Viana

Hi, I’m Chari Viana. I am a very successful hair and makeup artist for 20+ years. So, last year I broke both of my arms at the same time and was out of work for 6 months. Yes I know what you’re thinking, how do you break both arms at the same time.. haha. Well, when you’re in your 30’s and think that going on your nieces hoverboard was a good idea that’s exactly what happens. You end up stepping on the hoverboard and the next thing you know your on the floor holding both wrists. Read more>>

Jillian Johnson

When you first come up with an idea to open your business it is such an exciting time. When you really have no previous experience it’s easy to be so excited you over look a lot of things you don’t even know would have existed. We opened in 2019 and as we began construction I remember being overwhelmed thinking, “Am I going to be able to do this?” But I kept pushing through, we finished basic construction just enough to pass inspections and get up and running. Once we passed inspections it was time to find employees. Read more>>

Carolyn Ellis

When I first got into abstract painting in 2012, I was 62, fresh off of 30 years of homeschooling six children. At the time I thought that abstract painting looked like an exciting hobby that would be fun, give me something to do, and, who knows, maybe even bring in a little money. In no way did I figure that painting would turn into an interior journey that would change who I am, lead to my engaging in life (and technology) way beyond the narrow little world I had inhabited for so many decades, and open up doors to a level of creativity and insight that, even ten years down the road, totally astounds me. Read more>>

Hellie Horror

Anything done in life will always have the positive and negative sides to it. A creative full-time career is something I’d always dreamed of since I was little. Being able to turn those dreams into a reality, I wholeheartedly believed that I would never have a bad day, as long as I woke up every day doing something that I enjoyed. ” I’d rather be poor doing something I love, than be rich doing something I hate.” Read more>>

Lyndsey Gantert

Opening and running a zero waste store has come with many issues with it being a fairly new concept or business in the retail sense. One of them being the amount of waste that comes from suppliers or distributors that are selling “eco-friendly, zero waste” products and navigating where to draw the line for the products we decide to carry and suppliers we decide to support. From the first moment of realizing this was going to be a hurdle, Read more>>

Katherine NUNEZ

I was known as a makeup artist in Miami Florida from 2011 to 2014 that owned KN COSMETICS AND FACE FUTURE INC. I worked in New York Fashion Week, Fashion Designers, did some work for Tiffany and Co and music videos to promote my work and market my brand. Which sadly due to bad business decisions we closed it down. Read more>>

Dylan Mierzwinski

I’ve been a working artist for around 6 years – for me that looks like painting and drawing artwork that my agent licenses and sells for commercial use (love her), as well as crafting my best works via creative courses that I share on the creative learning platform, Skillshare. When I decided to ‘go after’ being an illustrator, I figured the biggest problems would be: getting noticed, having work stolen, and dealing with taxes/money. I was right, those things are hard, but when it comes to unexpected problems, that’s where it got really juicy. Read more>>

Sue Snape

My business was built to educate children of all ages, but specifically I was teaching an after school program, IN elementary schools, four days a week. I had one day of Personal Chef Clients and I did catering on the weekends. I opened a space called The Food Studio six months before Covid shut the world down. Read more>>

Brandon Greere

I remember when I was just getting my foot in the business I was dealing with this company overseas far as production goes at the time I didn’t know how to do the production side of the business so it was all trail and error so I had spent so many thousands of dollars trying to get production done the money didn’t come easy I worked a job to get the money so I didn’t have it to waste I gave them the lay out on how I wanted things Read more>>