Finding the key partners to work with can make or break your venture. After thousands of conversations with aspiring entrepreneurs, it’s one of the most common obstacles and risks holding folks back from pursuing their idea. So – we asked some of the smartest, most resourceful entrepreneurs in the community to share their lessons and insights to help inspire and educate the next great set of entrepreneurs.

Dawn Tien

One of the most important vendors for me was my custom cabinetry makers. I made sure I have a few of them that I can count on because a big part of my services include interior architecture which includes cabinetry, built ins and millwork. I found one of my cabinet makers through Instagram. He actually followed my account and engaged through my content so I eventually reached out to him to do a project. I like that he also makes custom tables for me as well so he’s been helpful in executing custom furnishings as well. Read more>> 

Jillian Forsberg

In 2020, I was struck by a piece of rare history. A rhino named Clara, who toured 18th century Europe, dazzling peasants and queens and everyone in between. I was absolutely enamored with the story and sought a novel…but there wasn’t one. So I decided to write it. But when you write a book, and you want to get it published, you’re often dealt the cruel hand of rejection over and over again. In my journey, I received over 60 rejections from literary agents. But while attending a conference, I met the owner of a small publishing company. That publisher is History Through Fiction. Read more>>

Tom Kirkham

When looking for key vendors for our managed IT and cybersecurity services, we knew we had to find partners that aligned with our commitment to providing “best of breed” solutions. The process involved a lot of research, digging into each vendor’s reputation, and making sure their offerings were up to our standards. Read more>>