One of the best things about video games is the ability to restart – you can use your learnings to move faster and avoid obstacles. We often think about what we would do differently if we were starting over in business and we figured others probably think about this as well and so we asked the community to share their thoughts with us.

Anahera Patel

First and foremost, believe wholeheartedly in what you are doing. If your heart, soul, and mind are not fully invested, you’re not setting yourself up for success. Secondly, embrace every opportunity that comes your way, but always be mindful of your worth. There is a delicate balance between seizing opportunities that could open doors in the future and recognizing the value of your time and skills. Take a moment to reflect on this and understand the true worth of each opportunity. More often than not, saying yes in the early stages of your business will pave the way for something greater down the line. Read more>>

Caitlin Christensen

Starting a business is both exciting and challenging. As someone who has launched an established business and recently started a new one, I’ve learned a lot along the way. In this article, I’ll share what I did differently the second time around. Learn from my mistakes and follow these tips to get your business live and earning money faster than ever. Branding: Keep It Simple and Move On It’s easy to get caught up in the details when starting a new business, especially when it comes to branding. Read more>>

Chandia Defrantz

If I were starting over, one thing I’d do differently is to not overthink things. Writing has always been a passion of mine, and over the years, I’ve filled personal journals with countless business ideas and projects I’ve dreamed of launching. But too often, I got stuck in the planning phase, overanalyzing every detail and waiting for perfection. I talked myself out of so many opportunities because I was obsessed with everything being just right. Read more>>

Jennifer Henczel

For a long time my business was just a part time gig. I was constantly trying to turn it into something ft, and I just couldn’t do it. Success was always around the next corner. But then finally in 2012, I was able to break free and turned my side gig into my full time business and I haven’t worked for anyone else since. A big part of that was learning how to build thriving communities around my message, and how to leverage my message and expertise to generate recurring monthly income. I wish I had learned how to create communities sooner. Connection is everything! Read more>>

Katie Sikora

My brain immediately went to two distinct thoughts when presented with the idea starting over and what things I would do differently: 1) Get support for my mental health before I did anything else. Now that I have been in therapy on and off for almost a decade, I can look back and see how many of my decisions (or indecisions) were because of my then-undiagnosed anxiety disorder and the mental blocks that come with that. Read more>>

Kenzie Schrock

Starting over, I wouldn’t have second guessed & let fear keep me from jumping into the industry for so long. I wouldn’t have compared myself to everyone with a camera. Instead, I would come into it with more confidence and vulnerability. I have learned everyone is on their own path with their own unique style and personality. My creativity is completely different from every other photographer, even if we have close visions. Read more>>

Lynda Herrera Travis

If I were starting over today, knowing everything that I know now, I would have started brainstorming & building my own business rather than invest my energy into other people’s businesses. I earned my bachelor’s and master’s degrees, both of which I am proud of. But a common theme underlying degrees is “working for a company” rather than “running a company.’ I had an enormous amount of fun learning all that I did. Read more>>

Manuel Fernandez

I would migrate Gradually instead of dropping my Retail Job, this would help to be more selective with my clientele and grow my niche and network more effectively. Read more>>

Pierce Bembenek

Knowing what I know now, once I built up a strong enough portfolio of work and merchandise, I would have reached out to likeminded independent stores local and around the country sooner. Currently, we are trying to take a step back from vending at local markets and art shows and are starting to get wholesale going with a few stores. Another quick thing is know your demographic! Read more>>