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.

Laredo Montoneri

When I started my photography career in New York City I switched from a corporate career, so I had many challenge to overcome. The thing that I mostly regret is not having spent enough time as a photographer assistant in order to get acquainted with the new reality. So if today I had to start over again, I would go find a photographer (that would suit my photography goal) to assist and to commit for a 3 years plan to stay there in order to get what no school can give you. Read more>>

Allison Harlow Clark

If I were starting over today I would try to lay out more of a plan for growth. I think a lot of small businesses start as some sort of side hustle and grow organically into something more. While many lessons are ones that you have to just learn by experience I do think it would be helpful to layout a overall plan for what you want to achieve in the next 3-5 years. Creating goals and benchmarks to track success can help you stay focused on the core goals for the business and get less distracted at everything else that comes your way. Read more>>

Kevin Michaluk

When I reflect on what I’ve done in my career to this point, if I were to wish I had done anything differently, what comes to mind is surprisingly the opposite of what you might think. Working in film is a marathon, not a sprint. In today’s instant-gratification, influencer age, it seems the top priority for creative professionals is to reach certain positions as soon as possible. The cinematographer, or director of photography, position, after director, might be the top role people tend to sprint towards now. When I first started working in the industry, I split my time between camera assistant and lighting department jobs. Read more>>

karina jimenez

As a stylist my career is very physically and emotionally draining. Knowing that Now, I would tell my younger self to better prepare for that. I would take work life balance more seriously. As a young stylist I would work insane hours and take every new client that was thrown my way in order to build my clientele. In hindsight, I would invest in more education to better understand my trade, which would allow me to concentrate, thrive and master skills, in order to build the niche clientele I have today a lot more rapidly. I would also take care of my physical health and emphasize that function is greater than fashion. Read more>>

Tyler Glass

As a stylist my career is very physically and emotionally draining. Knowing that Now, I would tell my younger self to better prepare for that. I would take work life balance more seriously. As a young stylist I would work insane hours and take every new client that was thrown my way in order to build my clientele. In hindsight, I would invest in more education to better understand my trade, which would allow me to concentrate, thrive and master skills, in order to build the niche clientele I have today a lot more rapidly. I would also take care of my physical health and emphasize that function is greater than fashion. My body is my tool, proper footwear and body position would ensure less ware and tear on myself. Read more>>

Gina B

I initially didn’t set out in life to dive into photography and etc.; as a matter of fact when I first went to college I had a more medical focus. I didn’t actually start shifting towards my current goals until approximately 3-4 years ago. If I was going to re-do my life up until now, I would’ve waited to go to college until I felt 100% confidence in answering the question “what do I want to be when I grow up?” Would I have gone to college in the first place? It certainly could’ve been an option but do I really need 4+ years of college to know how to run and market a business? Read more>>

Kyla Graves

If I were to start over today, I would do a lot of things differently. Personally, I did not know my passion was modeling until a couple years ago when I was in college. I did know however, that I liked the idea of influencing and I have always liked taking pictures of myself. I wish I had really utilized social media when I was younger, because it would have helped me build a platform from the very beginning. I had passions to do youtube and things like that, but I just never did. From a young age, I was shown that work would not be fun and that I need a good job that pays a lot of money if I want to live comfortably. This has always been in my mind, so I chose to pursue schooling in business and accounting. Read more>>

Darrell Smith

If I was starting over today I would focus more on building the right relationships. Relationships and the circles that you are in are so key to your success as a entrepreneur. Read more>>

Natalie Bloom

I wouldn’t compare myself to others. We all bring something unique to the table and trying to fit into a box that seems to work for other people will lead straight to under valuing your distinctive personal potential. I needed a lot of self-discovery and had many lessons to learn before I was able to tap into the woman I am becoming, someone I am proud of and excited for. I wish my younger self had had more faith in the process that led me here, being a creative person isn’t often a linear path. Read more>>

Antonio Villares

Starting over, I would focus on creating an objective overall image of my customer before I begin. Who are they? What do they want? How do they want it? Why? How quickly? Then, I would build the foundation of my business with that as a guide. Next, I would move on to creating a comprehensive business plan from A to Z and reinforce it with a minimum viable product. Then, it would be time to share it and seek investment, starting with my family and friends. Many good investors who believe in you hide behind familiar faces. Read more>>

Kevin Stevenson

Looking back, hindsight is 20/20. I’ve learned a few shortcuts that could have saved me several years of trial and error. So yeah, I feel like I could do a few things differently if I had the chance. And there is no reason to start doing things differently today, or tomorrow for that matter. I’ve lived a blessed life, working on amazing projects in the film industry. But, I don’t think I’ve tapped my true potential as a Director or Cinematographer. I’m just scratching the surface, waiting for my time to breakthrough. So, looking back, I feel that I could have directed more films if I had just taken the time to do the following. Read more>>

Ross Przybylski

If I could go back and do things differently, I would spend less of my time seeking publishers, funding and marketing opportunities, and more time getting my game released to market for sale. I’m not suggesting these things aren’t important – marketing is absolutely essential – but I think the degree to which I focused and stressed about these activities yielded less impact than the key activities I’ve found drive the most success: releasing a game (and updates) at frequent and regular cadences, participating in Steam festivals, and having key content creators in your genre play your game. Read more>>

Tia Nicole

If I were to start over I would’ve started out building my personal brand rather than trying to build an entire media production company. The reason I say that is because, I realize I relate and connect with people better as person rather than a company selling them something. This year I recently made a huge decision to transition my media production business into a personal brand. My personal brand allows me to be an influencer helping others solve problems in their personal and business lives while saving time and money. Read more>>