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.
Symiah Saulsberry
If I had the chance to start over, there are a few things I would do differently—starting with believing in myself and my business much sooner. Unlike the path many parents encourage—getting a college degree—I’ve learned that it’s not essential for every field. In mine, it wasn’t. If I knew then what I know now, I would’ve launched my business and started marketing right out of high school. I also would’ve invested time in studying different markets and used my resources to travel and explore cities to find the best location for growth and success for the services I provide. Read more>>
Sara Swabb
If I were starting Storie Collective all over again, knowing everything I know now, I would do a few key things differently — not because I have regrets, but because experience sharpens your instincts in ways nothing else can. First, I would start with a much clearer definition of the types of projects — and clients — we take on. Early on, I said yes to things that weren’t the right fit, simply because I thought I needed the volume or felt obligated to build quickly. Today, I understand how important it is to be intentional about alignment from the beginning — not just in terms of aesthetics, but also in communication style, respect for process, and shared values. Read more>>
Alexis Reed
In 2007, after practicing law as a commercial litigation and bankruptcy attorney for three years, I decided to make a career change. I was incredibly stressed and unable to sleep through the night. To attain the almighty “billable hour” – the mechanism by which most lawyers and law firms are paid – I had sacrificed healthy living, including proper eating habits, exercising, and spending time with friends and family. As I began suffering from migraine headaches, I realized I needed to leave the practice of law and transitioned into a career in legal recruiting. Read more>>
Spencer Capron
When I launched Capron Media, I relied too heavily on one-time contracts, which made every month a scramble for revenue. If I could do it over, I’d start with a subscription model to build steady, predictable income and scale sustainably. Read more>>
Jeff Himstedt
Truthfully I would have kept things smaller. In a world full of scaling and growth I’ve learned happiness for me is small. For a small business like mine, the overhead can be brutal. Read more>>
Shawn Michels
When I started my buissiness, which is in content creation I was honestly just doing it for fun. For context, my first content was a podcast with my cousin we recorded on our phones when I was 22! It had a viewership of just our friends and no one took it seriously. Not even myself, however as a kid I had experience in Social Media. I ran a sports graphics page, where I took high quality photos of popular NBA, NFL, MLB players and made my own graphic posters on Photoshop! Id collect cans all day, to cash in at the recycle, just to afford adobe each month, and grew my instagram @ESOD13 (Its still there) to around 5,000 followers. Read more>>