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.

Nancy Beverly

My first TV show job was on a little show you may have heard of: Roseanne. I had worked with the show’s creator Matt Williams in summer theatre when I was in college at the University of Evansville (he’s older than I am but came back to direct a show). Through a series of magical synchronicities (Matt running into me here in Los Angeles and then accidentally calling me – my last name was right after Roseanne Barr in his Rolodex), I ended up on Roseanne as his assistant and the writers’ assistant. I thought things in show biz would always fall into place that easily. Read more>>

Brody Coates

I have loved dogs for as long as I can remember. I used to watch the Westminster Dog Show on Thanksgiving and loved seeing all the beautiful, well-trained dogs with their handlers. I was never able to have a dog as a young child due to living in apartments and moving while my mother worked on her degree. It wasn’t until she met my current stepdad that my dog dreams started to come true, as he was a lover of dogs and a breeder himself. I was able to learn and experience so much about breeding, raising, and training from him. He trained hunting dogs, but he never competed in the show ring. Read more>>

Ellen Brenneman

I cannot imagine being anything other than a working artist; it’s literally all I’ve ever wanted to do with my life. However, the dedication and love I have for creating often makes it easy to overlook the physical toll it takes on my body. It is not uncommon to find me painting for countless hours at a time without realizing how long it’s been since I’ve taken a break to stretch, walk, or eat. I have often pushed through physical discomfort and/or fatigue in order to keep creating, and unfortunately, this has resulted in multiple overuse injuries through the years. Read more>>

Cindy Gelormini

I have had to reinvent myself several times. 1) After having kids wanting to be self-employed so i started painting murals and faux finishes. 2) Years later the faux finishes were going out of style, so I went to work as a designer in a paint store. 3) When many of my clients were either buying or selling a home I decided to get my real estate license. 4) When the store I worked for went out of business I went out on my own as an independent color consultant and then wrote a book on how to choose paint colors. 5) After my autistic son went to heaven I wrote and illustrated an children’s book series and now do school assemblies, have a podcast and started a foundation to help other autism families. Read more>>

Vita N

I started seeking out a professional career in visual art at the beginning of 2020. I was only about six months out of high school and had a good roll going. Eventually I started selling my art on Etsy (stickers, art prints, clay sculptures, etc). I also began developing my social media presence using primarily TikTok. I then began posting long-form content on YouTube. I hadn’t felt so connected creatively since I was a kid. I could feel the excitement about all the opportunities coming my way. However, the past couple years have changed the trajectory of the foundation that I had built. This isn’t a bad thing. Let me explain: Read more>>