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.

Saint Luna

One of the most unexpected challenges we’ve faced is staying consistent on social media. Early on, we focused on posting as much as possible, but we realized quality mattered more than quantity. Now, we prioritize content that reflects who we are, focusing on our original music rather than covers or trends. It can be discouraging when posts don’t perform well, but we don’t let that stop us. At the end of the day, our music is what sets us apart, and staying true to that keeps us motivated no matter how social media responds. Read more>>

Jarom Rogers

We were running a team of real estate agents and also flipping 4-5 homes a month. The market was really strong for over a decade. Feds decides to raise rates over night and nearly lost everything. We had every reason to throw in the towel and quit and give us. We were days, not weeks, days away from loosing everything but we kept fighting. We came across a solution that not only kept us from foreclosing on multiple homes but also kept our credit strong and bought us the time we needed to regain our balance to rebuild. Read more>>

Jocelyn Kimble

I had my own spa in 2020 I lost my son to suicide. It changed my whole life. I had to lean on the strength of my heavenly father. I had to close my spa. Then I went into depression. I fought my way out. I asked for strength to help me. I began to create my own line of facial and body products. I came up with bodybyja.org. It was very hard to fight my way back to pushing through. But I did. I had to learn how to reach for the best. It was very hard and i turned my pain into my purpose to my passion. Read more>>

Chris Hutter

In 2000 I moved to Arizona for health reasons. I was left disabled after being in two Major auto in 1986 and 1990. I am TBI (Traumatic Brain Trauma) and Physically disabledI. Once I settled in Arizona I got married, then decided to follow my passion and started working on trying to create a new genre of art which I call Abstract Graphics. I have been producing my art for twenty four years with no intention of stopping. While it may not be a genre yet my art is unique and different from most. Read more>>

Trishanna Cohen

I have faced so many things throughout exploring my creative journey. Problems such as the pandemic, finding out a tumor/cyst was in my ovary , having to move, loss of loved ones. This year actually I faced one of the most traumatic and troubling problem in my life. It broke me, made me not have the energy to continue in my craft. It’s actually something im still feeling the pain of currently. I wish I could go in depth as I like but I will say life is so unfair. Having to face and deal with things you’ve never thought of or could possibly happen to you. It took a lot for me to push through. I resolved with a great support system behind me. Helping me realize the strength I have inside. Speaking life into me when I didn’t even want my life. It took discipline. Making my craft more than a want for myself but also a necessity. I needed something to live for. So I continued and the more I did the more I felt I was contributing to the me I’ve always wanted little me to look up to. Read more>>

Shant Zadouri

Being a film major, I began thinking about doing my first independent short film in 2020. As I was in the beginning stage of working on my film, the Covid pandemic shut everything down. After some time, I began once again doing pre-production on my short film and I now was put in a position to do virtual casting. I originally was planning on getting assistance from someone with whom I had worked with before on a few projects, however, plans changed and I was on my own. I initially was intimidated of the idea of virtual casting, it was something that I had never done before and had no experience in, but I quickly figured out that if I don’t know how to do something, I needed to learn to do it on my own. I slowly got acquainted with some virtual audition websites and began setting up my project. Read more>>

James Coleman

Truthfully, the biggest unexpected issue I’ve faced is false support from peers and coworkers. I believe and was raised to treat others how you’d like to be treated, so I’m very conscious of liking and sharing posts, donating my time and effort to some who don’t have the budget to pay me, and participating in fundraising campaigns. I do my best not to score keep as I think that’s unhealthy but I just recently had my own fundraising campaign to help get my film, Isolation, into festivals and the lack of support was alarming and hurtful to me. I had directly asked individuals to, at the very least, share and they wouldn’t do that. I guess I just believed in the community and have felt I’ve done my part in contributing to others but it’s becoming more apparent that the people who claim to be in your corner, are not. It’s a lesson for me better to understand the balance between professional and personal relationships. It’s much healthier and better for my mental health this way. Read more>>

Nürnberg

In the creative journey of music production, unexpected problems often arise. One significant issue I faced was during the recording of an album where we were pushing the boundaries of sound and style. We had planned an ambitious session, collaborating with various artists in a unique genre fusion. The studio was booked, the lineup was exciting, and the energy was high. However, just two days before we were scheduled to record, one of the lead vocalists called to inform us that they had injured their vocal cords and would not be able to participate. Read more>>

 

EDWARD HOLDER

When I first started my trucking business, I struggled to find work locally and often parked my truck near my home. One day, I received a notice from the city’s code enforcement saying I couldn’t park in the neighborhood anymore, which prompted me to search for a new parking spot. Eventually, I found a warehouse where other truckers parked their vehicles, and it felt like a good fit. One day, while picking up my truck to make a delivery, I noticed the check engine light had come on, and I could feel the truck losing power—it wouldn’t go faster than 55 mph. When I arrived at my drop-off location and turned off the truck, I realized that it would barely move, only reaching 5 mph. Panic set in, and I called roadside assistance, but they couldn’t fix the issue on-site, so they towed my truck 10 miles to the nearest shop for $600. Read more>>