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.

Anna Kameshima

When I first started my business Coord By Anna it was more of a “side gig” I had a full=time corporate marketing job and felt very comfortable with my full-time income. Wedding coordination was just a fun side hobby at the time so when I first started I didn’t spend a lot of capital or resources on setting up a website, or google ads or getting on platforms like The Knot, Wedding wire, etc. Part of the reason I didn’t do all of that initially was maybe some insecurity of mine that this could never be a full-time thing therefore didn’t need all of that “extra” stuff. And Instagram page was all I needed. Truthfully I probably talked myself into that position because I felt really comfortable in my job. Fast forward to now I no longer have that corporate job cushion and I’m all in on my business. I’m now having to play catch up spending resources on a website, setting up google ads, etc. I’m grateful that I was able to steadily grow only through organic social but had I had spent time to set things up more in the early stages I might be further along in-terms or reach and attracting more inquiries. Lesson learned is if you have a passion or side-hobby you want to monetize set things up properly even if you don’t have a huge client base already. Especially if you have the privilege of having another income source that you can rely on. Read more>>

Jamil Rashad

When building an established brand it is important to consistently feed your company as if it’s a living being. When I first started my brand I would have hot and cold seasons that hindered my company from growing how it was supposed to grow. There were so many distractions while attending Grambling State University. I found it hard to work on my actual clothing designs along with the back-end work to build an established brand. So I would have put more effort into becoming an official brand and spent more time finding manufactories . I would find myself spending more time making more clothes than I would be marketing my clothes. My reach on social media was limited and hindered my future success. Also listening to those who weren’t like-minded is something I wish I wouldn’t have done. There are plenty of people who will tell you your dream is lame or not going to work. It is important to always trust yourself and give the glory to a higher power. Read more>>

Chloe Pascarella

If I were to do it all over again…. This is hard! There are many things I would redo, if I had to start all over again with my business. Ultimately, I think I would have taken the time to plan and research more. When I started my press on nail business I was 20 years old, no prior experience, no degree and really no knowledge about what it meant to be an entrepreneur. If I would have taken more time to plan my business structure, set up a proper work flow and customer experience, with a professional launch plan, things would have gone much faster. I often tell my students now, how lucky they are to have so much education available to them on how to start a career in press on nails and how to be the best entrepreneur. However, I don’t regret how or when I started. I truly believe doing the best you can with what you can, at the time, is the BEST way to live your life. Without my courage and determination at 20 years old, my life now at 23 would look entirely different.  Read more>>

Dylan Ifergane

My journey in the fashion industry was undoubtedly challenging at the outset, characterized by a relentless cycle of trial and error. From owning nightclubs to fashion labels, there was more than a tad of a painful learning curve. Each misstep taught me valuable lessons, and I had to ensure that these did not jeopardize the stability or growth of my company. As we expanded to several thousand stores carrying our line, we found a degree of stability, even amid ongoing challenges – however, COVID & hyper-inflation didn’t help at all. Reflecting on my experience, one significant change I would make is moving to Los Angeles instead of remaining in Miami. Initially, I believed Los Angeles would serve as a vibrant fashion hub akin to New York City or my hometown Paris, but I quickly learned that California presents its own set of challenges, particularly regarding taxation, high cost of doing business, and the high cost of living – all the while not being nearly as relevant as far as the fashion world goes comparably to Paris or NYC. Although, I will admit the California the state itself is gorgeous, just horrifically managed.  Read more>>

Evan Moyer

The biggest change I would make in my business would be pricing. Prior to 2023 I had high prices and was proud of it. I have since realized that high prices do not equal high profits. Going back in time I would price my products for maximum profit. For all products this means a lower price than what I was charging in 2022. Another big lesson I have learned that would have been beneficial would be “efficiency = profit”. Prior to 2023 I never paid much attention to efficiency. The business made money most years and I wasn’t driven to make more money. I have since made efficiency a primary focus of the company and have completely turned the company around. From making money some months to making money every month.  Read more>>