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.

Tania Luo

I always believe what I have now is the accumulation of all my knowledge and past experiences, so if I did something differently, I might be somewhere completely different now, like being a programmer.

But there are still things that I want to change with my way of learning and developing my skills. I would love to be more proactive in the new opportunities and research more about the industry. At the beginning of my study, I was following what my professor asked. I laid a great foundation for my design skills. But after I graduated, I found that there are a lot more in the industry that the school would not teach me. For instance, I am currently in a very small industry called motion design. Read more>>

Alondra Varela

This is a great question, I think about this all the time. I launched my photo booth business with a 360 booth in October 2023, and by January 2024, I expanded by adding a basic iPad photo booth. Eight months later, I made a transformative decision to upgrade to a DSLR photo booth, and that choice completely elevated my business. The impact was undeniable—between October 2024 and December 2024, my earnings surpassed the total revenue of the previous eight months combined with the basic booth. This experience showed me the immense value of investing in high-quality equipment. Read more>>

Sarah-mei Chen

Relating to my journey as a certified lash technician and business owner, I would do one thing differently if I were to start over today. This one thing can change the severity of challenges I will soon face during my setup,

I would put my ego aside and embrace what I am unsure of. This means practicing the service, the art of lashing, over and over again and challenging myself to deal with various scenarios until I am comfortable tackling them in a real-life setting. Read more>>

Eduardo Jovanovic

If I were starting over as a DP, one key lesson I’ve learned is how much easier it is to get paid for the type of work you’ve already done. With that in mind, I would prioritize building my portfolio right away. This would often mean creating the first few portfolio pieces either for free or for very little pay in the specific niches I’m interested in pursuing. While I don’t advocate for unpaid labor, I’d approach these initial projects as an investment in my future career. A strong portfolio can open doors and establish credibility much faster. Read more>>

Bishop Elegino

I would focus more on building a sense of community within the creative world and be more personable with my community.
I feel like i’m starting to do this now 4 years into my career and i’m realizing that having a community supporting your dreams is the biggest motivation to keep going. Read more>>

Monica Gonzalez

If I were to start over knowing what I know now, I’d definitely do a few things differently! First, I’d invest in business advice and mentoring much earlier. Back then, I thought I could figure everything out on my own, but having someone guide me would’ve saved so much time and stress.

I’d also get really familiar with my numbers right from the start—things like budgeting, tracking expenses, and understanding cash flow. Oh, and I’d hire a great accountant right away! That alone would’ve made such a difference. Read more>>

Rebecca Forster

Mine is a story of two beginnings, each with self-inflicted wounds that kept me from moving forward faster. The first is my career in traditional publishing. I stumbled into the roll of author, and that good fortune was a double-edged sword. While I sold my first book, I had taken the path of least resistance to achieve the goal. After a colleague dared me to write a book, I pitched a publisher that didn’t demand an agent, had clear guidelines as to what kind of book they wanted, and one that needed a ton of inventory. In short, I had a good shot at getting a contract because the bar was low. When I decided I wanted to pursue writing as a career, Read more>>