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.

Allison Merriman

I learned how to play mahjong several years ago from my mother. A few years later, some friends told me they were interested in learning how to play mahjong. They had taken a couple lessons but still didn’t really understand how to play the game. One friend told me it felt like, “work” and that she wasn’t having much fun. I knew that I could apply my experience as an elementary school teacher and teach adults how to play mahjong in a way that was engaging, instructive, and also enjoyable. Read more>>

Tom Owen

I did not follow a traditional path to becoming a full-time artist. Like many artists, I worked outside of the art world to afford to live and to be able to make art. Along the way, I learned important lessons that I use as an artist. My path to being a full-time artist was long and varied yet always focused in the education sphere. After 10 years teaching high school students religion and psychology and serving as department chair the last three years while teaching, I transitioned to corporate education first in the pharmaceutical research industry for 4 years and then another 22 years for a Fortune 500 property casualty insurance company. Read more>>

Brandi Wright

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned in my career came from experiencing the darker side of property management—and then seeing firsthand how a people-first approach can completely transform an industry that often forgets about the people involved. Read more>>

Jasmyn Raines

My first job in esthetics led me directly to where I am now! I was never the person who wanted to own a business and scale up, I was perfectly content working for another salon. When I spoke up continuously for myself and others when I felt we weren’t getting what we deserved, I was let go. I was completely lost and confused on my next step. Especially having a non-compete in place at the time. After a few weeks I knew what I had to do. Up was the only way to go! I started touring salon suites, planning for my business license, and grabbing any bit of inspiration on Pinterest that I could get my hands on. I started completely over with no clients and very few followers on my business page. It’s been two years now and I couldn’t imagine working for anyone else again. Read more>>

Robert Pinholt

The most important experience that shaped me as a business owner came from leading soldiers in combat with the famed Outlaw Platoon in Afghanistan in 2006-2007. Our infantry platoon had already endured months on the front lines when replacements began arriving to take the place of those who had been wounded. By then, those of us who had been there from the beginning had grown comfortable with the demands of the battlefield. We had adapted to the pace, the pressure, and the danger. But that adaptation came with a hidden cost: we no longer realized just how far we had come—and how far our new soldiers had to go. Read more>>

Chen Zhang

One of the most defining lessons I’ve learned as a 3D modeler came while working on Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. I was tasked with building the Mumbattan Bridge—an intricate, sprawling environment full of stylized geometry and tiny cultural details. At the time, I was relatively new to working on such a massive and high-profile production, and I remember feeling both excited and overwhelmed. I wanted everything to be perfect. Read more>>

Matt DeMaria

My first professional job was a dream AND a trial by fire. I had been hired as the music director for the 20th Anniversary Tour of Rent, a show I had idolized since childhood. The path to that piano bench felt almost serendipitous. But no amount of admiration for the material could have prepared me for what was waiting on the road. Read more>>

Laing Rikkers

One of the most important lessons in my professional journey stemmed from a personal loss. As a managing director at a private equity firm and co-founder and executive chairwoman of a medical device company, I was accustomed to navigating high-stakes decisions and leading through complex challenges. However, nothing prepared me for the sudden loss of my younger sister just months before the 2020 pandemic. Read more>>

Abigail Grubbs

Before starting my private practice as a therapist, I spent 2.5 years working as a Hospice Social Worker. Supporting individuals diagnosed with terminal illnesses and their families can be emotionally overwhelming—you’re surrounded by loss and heartbreak on a daily basis. But few roles are as profoundly meaningful or rewarding. Read more>>