Helping more people thrive doing what they love or are passionate about means helping more folks learn from those who came before them and so we asked successful entrepreneurs, artists and creatives to tell us what they would do differently, knowing what they know now, if they were starting over.

Tracey Watts Cirino

I would have started investing in my own personal and professional development earlier. There is always someone that knows more than you and that has accomplished what you are looking to achieve you can hire them to read their books or take their classes to get where you want to go faster. Read more>>

Kimberly Loving

If I could go back and start my entrepreneurial journey over there are a few things that I would have done differently. First, I wouldn’t have spent the amount of money that I did on trying to provide an expansive product line. I would have start with one item, probably lipsticks, and spent that money marketing the product. Read more>>

Nichole Richardson

If I were to start completely over, there are so many things that I would do differently. First, I would have become and LLC right away. It was a lot of back end work trying to transition everything from a DBA to an LLC 3 years in. Second, I would have signed up with my mentor as soon as my LLC was file and accepted. Get a business mentor in your industry, if possibly. Read more>>

Jennifer Peck Wheir

I would tell myself that growth can look like so many different things. When we first started, we had VERY little money- just enough to purchase our first roaster, a small order of green coffee, and the bags to put it in. It forced us to slow down and be more thoughtful about what we were investing in, because there wasn’t much to work with. Read more>>

Ashley Mari

If I were starting over, I would have taken more time to get the education and licensing needed to be in the hair industry. Although, I am self taught it does help open other doors, if you are fully equipped to work at a salon. I went to school for business and that did help with my idea of having my own salon. Read more>>

Kelsi Boyd

I would do a lot of things differently. I didn’t know how to run a business, so every day I was flying by the seat of my pants. I understand how to organize and operate better now, however, it’s still hard to back track at times. I have a hundred Excel files, photoshop artboards, and cosmetic formulas that still need to be better organized and edited, but it’s hard to carve out time for this while trying to stay on top of orders. Read more>>

Adam Marlar

Starting over, we would do a multitude of things differently. One major change would be to launch an Etsy site versus launching our own personal website. Our target market is such a niche group and using a platform such as Etsy would have made our beginnings much easier. Another major change would be how we approached our first Kickstarter campaign and the timing for it. Read more>>

Adolfo Jimenez

If I knew then what I know now… That’s a tougher question than it seems. I would have said, “screw it” and done the things I was afraid to do. I have learned, at this point in my life, that the worst that can happen if you fail is that you get to begin again, but this time, with more experience. I would have taken the plunge. I would be less cautious but more thoughtful in my actions. In other words, I would have been less of a wimp. Read more>>