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.
Debbie Hansen-bosse

One of the most unexpected challenges I faced with The Flora May Foundation was the significant lack of awareness about our services. Despite the urgent need for support among parents dealing with adolescent mental health and substance abuse issues, many people simply didn’t know we existed. This was particularly frustrating because we had seen firsthand the transformative impact our programs could have on families in crisis, yet our reach was limited. Read more>>
Sunset Etc.

Being in a band is a journey unlike any other. When you are sharing this concentrated thing like music, you have to be able to go with the flow, there are a lot of interwoven frequencies with family lives, work, and balancing your passions. There are unexpected problems and obstacles and you have to nurture an environment where everyone can feel good about being in the project and that they very much matter to the equation. Read more>>
Megan Natoli

I am a flutist, educator, and arts administrator from Baltimore, Maryland, and I have lived with pain for a long time. Through college, graduate school, and several years of my career as a musician, I pushed through significant amounts of pain in the practice room and concert hall regularly. I assumed everyone around me was in as much pain as I was. I taught my flute students to look for the signs of pain in the practice room while I devalued my own. Always pushing forward. Over the years, I saw countless doctors searching for answers. I was told the symptoms I experienced on a regular basis were normal. I was told it was just anxiety. That it was all in my head. Read more>>
R T

As an artist, one of the most unexpected challenges I’ve encountered isn’t just about the creative process itself but about standing up for myself in the face of adversity. It’s a tough lesson that courage isn’t just about what you put on the canvas—it’s also about how you navigate the world around you. I’ll never forget the time my dog, Leo, was unlawfully impounded by the LAPD. It was an incredibly stressful situation that left me feeling helpless, especially when I couldn’t get a response from the LA Mayor’s office. It was like battling a faceless system, and it made me realize that being an artist isn’t just about creating; it’s about defending your property, your rights, and your voice. Read more>>
Tracy Lynch Britton

I am one of 3 girls and went to all-girl Catholic schools in The Washington DC area. I never had to compete with boys for anything. I never thought my desired career in show business would be easy, but I was always taught if you’re smart, you work really hard, and are a good, kind person – You WILL Succeed! I was a very good student and was awarded 5 college scholarships. My girlfriends from High School became highly respected and successful Doctors, Lawyers, architects, business owners, and scientists. I was a child actress I started acting/singing and dancing at a very young age – I loved theater – but movies were my passion. Read more>>
Viet Le

On Christmas 2019, I was delivered the worst gift; I got a call from the hospital telling me that my mom had just suffered a stroke. She ultimately lost 3/4 of her body’s function. On March 2020, as we all experienced it, COVID shutdown began – one month before my wedding. This is when I began to recede and stopped creating. I was uninspired. That creative flame that was in me was dying. Later that year, my mom passed… Read more>>
Jayime Jean

Im a true beliver that our past is what fuels us forward, most the time we say heal then let go, which is a wish, we never really let go because it is the truth, we just can find ways to transmute to grow after & whilst healing. At the begining of covid I lost my beautiful daughter just a week before her 22nd birthday. A grief and sorrow I was sure would take me into the shadow. After sometime of deep reflection, Dark night of the soul I say , along side music, and painting when i could gather the moments to get out of bed, I found a peace and grace in knowing and understanding I could think of her memories, her smile, her dreams and once the hues hit the canvas I could transport myself into a state of love, healing, hope, not understanding at this time i was developing my own way to distract or numb a bit, so I could move the shadow forward to heal. Read more>>
Bhg Productions

While not completely unexpected, we’d all agree that the biggest challenge in our creative journey is finding time to produce our collaborative ideas. Our group met and began collaborating in college. After we graduated into a pandemic and attempted to build our careers in a volatile industry like film, it came with several union strikes and 12+ hour work days. We quickly realized that making time to work together would require more commitment and dedication than it did when we were in school. Schedules have to align perfectly on top of trying to juggle daily responsibilities and social lives. Finding a time to be creative feels almost impossible. But seven years later, we’re still making it work. Even through the various life changes everyone experiences like moving, weddings, having kids, and changing careers. When there’s a holiday coming up or a time where we can film something in two days, we’ll communicate that with the group and do our best to make whatever project we’re working on at the time meet that deadline. Read more>>
Athena Dean Holtz

Over 30 years in book publishing I have personally learned the most in the crucible of unexpected problems and issues. Since I launched my second publishing company a decade ago, there have been many areas of the business that needed refining, reimagining, and yes, even reforming. Because I’d pioneered the independent publishing movement in the Christian publishing market in the early 90s, I have seen up close and personal so many industry changes and economic challenges unique to our industry as well as overwhelming opportunities to pivot. One that came up as a result of the pandemic was multiple printing price increases in a short span of time. The result was that hundreds of our authors were now in the red because their retail price did not keep up with the growing cost to print. Read more>>
Kerry Powers

Covid was the most unexpected, impactful event for our small business, and I definitely don’t mean to minimize what was such a traumatic event for so many people by saying that. I took over as owner (although I managed the business for a few years beforehand) in March 2020, the month that Virginia closed businesses for safety during Covid. Concerns over how to keep the business open were paramount. During this time, the shop had very little social media presence, zero online shopping opportunities for our customers and I immediately begin thinking of ways we could operate safely and efficiently. Read more>>