Experience is often valued because of the lessons prior jobs have theoretically provided us with. While hearing about those lessons isn’t a replacement for actually experiencing it, we thought it would be very helpful to create a space where sharp and generous members of the community can come together to share stories and lessons learned at prior jobs for the benefit of others.

Krystal Simmons

Aside from being a full-time photographer for 3 years, I’ve also been a caricature artist for 17 years. One day I joke (?) I’ll write a book about what I learned from drawing retail caricatures. I’ve drawn in an amusement park, eventually traveled the country, and now I draw primarily at events. One of the most valuable things I think I’ve learned is- in business, and really in life, you get what you put out. And on the occasions you don’t, at least you learned something or had fun. Read more>>

Kayla O’Brien

In the local news business I learned that it’s okay to cut out things you may think are important in order to keep people’s attention. Most newscast stories are 30 to 60 seconds max. When creating a marketing video for a business, owners often want to list every accolade they’ve ever accomplished. Save it for your resume. A good engaging video that is going to attract the right clients is about them not about you. Keeping things simple and straightforward is almost always the right way to move forward. Read more>>

Hope Macdonald

I have considered myself an artist for as long as I can remember but I chose to focus on fashion and design when I went to RISD for my undergraduate degree. This was in lieu of more traditional fine arts training like my love for painting or sculpture but I felt like design was more ‘applicable’ to real life. I was also fascinated with the industry, culture and economy around fashion. Read more>>

Kia Colbert

The most important lesson I have learned is to trust in and listen to God. When you listen to Him everything follows in place. My previous job was going really well. I was accelerating in trajectory as it relates to professional development, I had autonomy over what I was doing, I had a phenomenal relationship with my supervisor, and I was comfortable. I was on the brink of working with my supervisor to secure another contract for the team, ad told myself I was going to stay there for another two years and then figure out what I wanted to do. Read more>>

Xavi Ocana

There are moments for creative greatness and moments for creative learning. The sooner you embrace this, the sooner you’ll be on your path to growth. As creatives, our job is not to be better but to learn better. Read more>>

Dr. Melissa Carver

Being a stripper for fifteen years certainly made me comfortable as a public speaker and being in front of a camera as a regular TV guest but it wasn’t what helped me the most. Working in a popular, prestigious club meant being around all walks of life, including celebrities on a routine basis. I learned that regardless of age, ethnicity, career, success level or bank account everyone has their own challenges. Read more>>

Ondrey & Mia Lawson

With a backgrounds in education (Mia) and program management (Ondrey), we have had many valuable experiences that have helped us as business owners. However, we would say that the most important lesson we have learned is how critical communication and teamwork are to business success. Read more>>

Erika Opalski

The most important lesson I learned from a prior job is everything. This lesson stems from my parents. They taught me to be kind to everyone because you never know who will be your boss one day and to pay attention. With every position I ever took, I put myself in a position to be challenged and pay attention. I learned the most from the times when I had to be creative because I didn’t have all the answers. Now I pride myself on being the jane of all trades but master of none. I learned early on that you get out what you put in. Read more>>

Erin Barber

In 2014 I was a field manager for a large organic vegetable farm in MidCoast Maine. My boss, the owner of the farm, had carved out quite a niche selling and delivering high quality produce to restaurants in Portland. On Fridays I would help him load up a box truck with the Chef’s orders and we would drive to the city and distribute the produce. Read more>>

Leah Embrey

The most important lesson/experience so far was learning how not to treat your employees. In one job I had in a gym, the owners treated the employees nice to their face, but would talk bad about them behind their back. It was branded as a company with tons of growth and opportunity, but when the employees tried to create those opportunities and bring new ideas to life they were consistently shut down. Read more>>