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.

Natalia Lapchenkova

If I Had to Start Over as a Hairstylist Today
When I first became a hairstylist, I was determined to succeed—no matter what. I started my career in 2006 at PR at Partners, cutting, coloring, and styling hair. From the very beginning, I felt something special when I was styling. Whether I was on stage, doing photo shoots, or creating wedding hair, that part of my craft made me feel alive, confident, and inspired.Read more>>

Heather Peralta

This is such a great question – If I had to start over again, I would definitely learn more business and marketing rather than perfecting my craft. My style has changed throughout the years and it’s always growing and evolving. I would focus more on the business and marketing side of it. Also, I would do more “free” shoots just to build my portfolio. What I did (after learning my camera, the basics, editing and practicing on birds lol), I started with Christmas mini sessions and charged $100. I got fully booked! I didn’t realize that I got booked because I was so cheap. Because I charged so little, the clients that came to me expected me to continue to charge $100 year after year. Having to market to a different audience takes a lot of work, which I’m still doing. Read more>>

Kitzia Lopez

I have been a mental health therapist for 12 years and in 2021 I decided to start a parti-time solo private practice with the goal of working full-time by 2026. In June of 2024 I decided to work towards that goal earlier than expected and began working at my private practice on a full-time basis. It has been a year since I started this full-time journey and I have learned more than I ever expected. If I were to start over, one thing I would do differently is to be more mindful of the growth of my practice, including taking more time to make big decisions such as hiring and office growth. Read more>>

Anna Thorner

If I were starting over, I’d begin with clearer goals. When I first launched, I didn’t really have a business plan. I had a general idea of what I wanted to do, but no actual structure. I just started taking on work and figuring things out as I went. That worked for a while, but looking back, it made everything harder than it needed to be. Read more>>