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.

Minnie Little

First off let me start by saying that owning a business is no easy feat! In the salon culture it is typical for the salon to either be commission or rental-based. I decided to make my salon a commission based salon that provided autonomy. Upon hiring vetted stylus I learned that it was very common for a lot of stylus to have what I would consider PTSD from being a resident in toxic salon environments. I started my coaching business in April 2022 after having my business coach for a year. I have found it inspiring, difficult, and enlightening to help guide hairstylists out of the mindset of scarcity and ownership. When I say that this task is difficult, Read more>>

Enchanted Photography

For starters, Covid took us by surprise, as it did for everyone. We were in the midst of our first Spring as a photography team, and were excited to see where Spring would take us. When we were all able to come out of stay at home orders, that’s when we discovered our High School Senior Specialty. So that was a blessing in disguise and helped to hone in on our specialty. Also, in the midst of building our photography business further, Read more>>

Ellen Broen

The first unexpected problem I faced in my creative journey proved to be a pivotal one: sustaining a serious vocal injury. It required a clear choice; either I rebuild my voice, or I walk away from opera singing. I was an undergraduate student at the time, and had been waffling on many possible career paths that interested me. I knew I loved languages, people, storytelling, and travel, but that drew me to anything from a position at the UN, to the field of anthropology, to the world of opera. Read more>>

Dr. Asia Lyons

Being a business owner the biggest problem that I have run into is the unpredictability of projects. I won’t deny that there are plenty of ways to let organizations know that your company exists; funnels, advertisements, etc. However, moving someone from viewing my LinkedIn profile to signing a contract has not necessarily been a simple task. What I have done, and continue to do to solve this problem is to work on my mindset.  Read more>>

Breezie Castell

This is a combination of craziest story and unexpected problem. Entrepreneurs often are giving away things for free and it can be dangerous. One time there was a discrepancy on the scope of a project so I broke down all the services and products my client had received. It turns out the free things I kept doing for this client totaled almost $3k. Obviously I wasn’t charging her for the extra work, I just wanted to break down the actual value of what had been delivered. Read more>>

Rhonda Hight

When I began my business, What I did not know, so did not anticipate, where the slow seasons in this industry. I had to learn very quickly how to forecast the ebbs and flow of the business and plan accordingly financially. Secondly, I learned that nothing is final until the client’s check clears the bank. I would book work, and then be devastated when they decided to postpone or cancel the project because I was anticipating that revenue. To minimize the loss of revenue when this happens, Read more>>

Damaris Mccalley

The most unexpected problem I faced in my creative journey was a medical nightmare I faced which physically disabled me and was compounded by an unjust law in Texas called Chapter 74 Tort Reform. Oddly enough, although that law hits persons with Disabilities, children and the elderly injured in Texas by doctors and hospitals the hardest, placing a cap on damages and human suffering. It was enacted by a person with Disabilities like myself against our interests. That person is unfortunately our current Texas Governor Gregg Abbott. That led me to be the first Pro-se Litigant and Disabled Person to ever Challenge the Constitutionality of Tort Reform at the level of The Texas Supreme Court and now The U.S. Supreme Court. Read more>>