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.

Sydney Linderman

Apart from technical aspects of my career, if I were starting over today, I’d focus less on perfection and more on the experience—both for my couples and myself. The truth is, photos don’t need to be breathtaking to make you feel something. What matters most is capturing genuine emotion and moments that reflect who the couple truly is. It’s easy to get caught up in trying to create something perfect for social media, but the real value is in documenting the authentic story unfolding before you. Read more>>

Lindsey Deschamps

If I were starting over today, I’d definitely focus on one thing at a time. When I first started learning illustration and business, I was all over the place – taking class after class with no forward direction. Now, I would choose one thing to focus on for 2-8 weeks at a time and try to get good at that thing before moving on to something else. Read more>>

Tia Evans

Golden Preserved was a snowball effect, a culmination of different skills and desires. It was years of different jobs and coming home to make art just for myself until it turned into art for other people.

I wish I had gotten there quicker, jumped in sooner. I see patterns of passiveness in my business today, opportunities in which it takes me a minute to take the plunge, like with upgrading something or introducing a new product. It’s a fear of investing in myself and the future of my business. Read more>> 

Tikresha Warren

If I were to start over what I would do differently would be investing more without having fear of failing, I would push myself more and promote myself more I also would take more criticism from more people that are entrepreneurs. Read more>>

Shanell Camp

If I were to start over I would definitely invest in a grant writer or attend a few classes at YouTube University to learn how to write grants. I would research to see what my business needed the most, whether its a social media manager, money for inventory, etc and create a financial plan and budget to determine how much grant money I would need. From there, I, or my grant writer, would apply to as many grants that I qualify for and watch the free money start rolling in. Read more>>

Gina Solorzano

If I had to start over today, the first and most important thing I would focus on is believing in myself and surrounding myself with people who believe in me. We are often our own toughest critics, and in my case, I used to think that perfectionism would help me grow as a photographer. But in reality, it only slowed me down. Read more>>

Mia Redwine

What would I do differently if I got the chance to start over is honestly a question I ask myself a lot and unfortunately I think is a very common question for creators in this space to contemplate. For me, I have struggled a decent amount with wondering if all the choices I’ve made up until this point in my career have been the right ones and although they may not perfect, I am pretty satisfied with where they have led me. I think if I were to have the opportunity to start over I would take more advantage of the education I was given. Read more>>

Matt Zechman

To start, I’ll say that owning a business was never a dream of mine. As my home roasting took off and I began getting orders from friends and family who tried it, the thought of creating a business was impractical. After some thought, I decided to just play it safe by thinking of a name, establishing an LLC, and getting a food license. That said, I was purely doing what jumped out at me as necessary, and unfortunately, financial responsibility and planning were not on that list. I’m a first responder, trained to react on a moments notice, where although planning can be done, every situation is different. I began buying what felt right in the moment, sold in stores that were easy to get into, and worst of all, stacked up credit card debt without any idea on how it would get paid off. Read more>>

Sarah Stevens

As an artist it’s natural to gravitate towards creation and to do that well and with passion, but as an artist who wants to make a living at what they love to do, it’s imperative to understand business and money. If I were starting over, I would invest more time in financial coursework {for entrepreneurs}, economics, and accounting. Read more>>