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.

Isaac Molina

My prior career has taught me quite a few things. However, there is one lesson I learned in said career I take with me in Real Estate. It may come as a surprise to some that I was not always a Realtor! I know, crazy right?? I was a Service Technician for a big company which distributed nurse call and intercom equipment. Lesson: “The customer is not always right.” Don’t tell this to my previous employer! Now, hear me out for a sec before casting some stones! My job was to respond to the issues the customer have, whether they “knew” what they needed or not. When I say “the customer is not always right, Read more>>

Margaret Parciak

Recognizing my worth and not trying to fit the mold has been one of the most important lessons I’ve learned. It’s helped me become a more driven, ambitious, and self-assured business owner. My previous experiences as a single mother working in the technology industry influenced and motivated me to start working for myself. Read more>>

Tom Valdez

The insurance industry is brutal. It’s very entrepreneurial and often times you don’t have a regular salary. It requires that you have lots of conversations with people, that are potentially uncomfortable. It requires a lot of putting your offer on the table. It requires that you hear “No” a lot. You don’t know when you will get paid or how much. For these reasons and more, over 80% of insurance professionals quit in the first 3 years – many in the first 3 months. Read more>>

Gregg Erwin

I believe the one thing that I learned from a previous job was back around 1992 in the fall. I’ll get to that in a minute. First I will say that something inside of me has always driven me to want to, and try to be the best at whatever I was doing all the way back to my childhood. I always tried to do more than the competition could possibly do. Read more>>

Georgia Perkins

Though I’ve long has a passion for health and wellness, my first job out of college was recruiting for an IT staffing and services company. The second I accepted the job, I just knew it wasn’t right, but I didn’t know exactly why or what it was that I wanted instead at that point. I slugged through what turned out to be a miserable corporate job experience, yet I can now look back on this challenging time with gratitude and clarity. Read more>>

Jeanetta & Ashley Brantley

A previous job that both Netta and I share that has taught us many valuable lessons that we’ve applied to our business was with RGIS. RGIS is a company that provides inventory services to other companies like Walmart, Target, HEB, Forever 21, Macy’s, etc. We worked as inventory associates or “Top Guns” for RGIS in San Antonio for two years, and it was the roughest 2 years I’d ever had with a job. Read more>>

Mighty Sanchez

Being a man of your word I use to cut grass for a few years as a teenager during the summer. My first year doing it I was not good at being a man of my word and saying that I will show up the next day but I would forget about a doctors appointment or an obligation that my mom set up before hand. After not being a man of my word a few times I had realized that wasn’t good for business and I got do better. Read more>>

Monique Henry

Back in 2005 I was interning for Sean John Ny, Ny. I was placed to assist some a few the executives for the clothing line. I notice some of the young ladies that started as interns with me quickly got part time jobs by dishonestly gaining their way to the “top”. When I found out how this was happening I made an exit. It was my childhood drive and passion that got me a spot to intern and I wanted to make sure that would always be the keys to success in anything I would accomplish. Read more>>

Caroline Ramos

I’ll start off with a preface that I run a Vacation Rental Investment firm called Host and Keep in South Florida focused on buying, selling, financing and managing short term rentals. We are now expanding into deal syndications and larger acquisitions with the sole purpose of renting them to travelers visiting Miami and its surroundings. Read more>>

Lilith Jane Luck

I have worked retail and customer service based jobs most of my life. No matter what is being sold, the biggest lesson I’ve learned is to listen, ask questions, consider feedback, and adapt. Every day and every situation is different. I’ve had to learn to go with the flow and read my frustration as a sign that I am out of alignment. If I am met with resistance, then it is my sign to relax and find another way. Read more>>

Natasha Baker

I definitely think the most important aspect of working with individuals who are entering into counseling, therapy, or other form of healing is establishing boundaries and adhering to them in order to maintain an appropriate relationship. Your clients are vulnerable and you have to be cognizant and respectful of that fact, honoring their boundaries while also honoring your own. Read more>>

Nicole Letts

Before becoming a freelance journalist and business owner, I spent almost a decade as a middle school language arts teacher. In fact, I have three education degrees, a few certifications, and countless hours of teacher leadership under my belt. But something about the profession never seemed right. I was good at my job…really good at it, but at the end of the day, it wasn’t as fulfilling as I wanted it to be, nor did it provide the flexibility I wanted in a day-to-day schedule. Read more>>

Evan Blackwell Helgeson

One of my favorite jobs I have had besides working full time as an artist has been in an interior design studio. I have always loved interior design and still pursue it on the side and as a hobby. It was a small design studio where we were constantly learning from one another which was really special. one of the most important lessons i learned in that job was the importance of working with the right tools, software, and workflow to make the final product come together in the clearest and best way possible for both you and the client. Read more>>

Nick Duffy

I’ve worked in the golf business for many years now. The biggest lesson I learned in my first role of an outside operations worker was how important it was to be on time. I was in college at the time and was working to make ends meet for school. The company had a policy of if you’re one minute late no tips. I was 10 and I made no tips. The rest of the staff did very well that day and a lesson was learned. Read more>>

Keisha Brown

I learned some great lessons from every job I had. The best lessons I learned was my worth, self love, and self awareness. I didn’t know how valuable I was to others. I applied my work skills to build my brand. At my previous job, I learned that I could easily be replaced. At that point, I knew I couldn’t settle anymore. I knew if I worked for someone else I would keep feeling unfulfilled. My Motto is, I live on purpose! I love on purpose! I am purpose! Read more>>

Ladeyah Duffy

The most important lesson I’ve learned at my previous jobs is to remain humble. Respect and good character go a long way. Without it the business crumbles, I’ve watched teams fail because management was rude and aggressive. Starting a business I’ve always remained humbled and respectful to my peers and greatness has come my way. Read more>>