The uncertainty of entrepreneurship causes many entrepreneurs to put off starting their business. For others, losing a job or other economic hardships push them starting their businesses earlier than expected. In our conversations with thousands of entrepreneurs we’ve seen so much variety in when, how and why people started their business and so we wanted to share a wide variety of views and reflections on the question of whether these folks wished they had started sooner or waited longer before starting their businesses.

Trinity Hinton

If I could go back in time I would have started my businesses sooner. I first fell in love with photography in high school but finances, at the time, didn’t allow for me to obtain the camera that I truly wanted. So I did a little bit here and there with drawing a variety of artwork for others. This is also around the time I came up with my Lifestyle Brand, E.P.I.C. CR3ATION. Read more>>

Candice Williams

My husband and I have always enjoyed capturing images. I purchased my first camera in 2009. I remember it like yesterday. It was a Kodak that I used to capture photos while we were at Myrtle Beach. I was so amazed with how they turned out. I purchased another camera several years later which I used to begin capturing family milestones and events. Read more>>

Denise Johnson

I was a stay at home mom with two little ones, when an opportunity literally fell in my lap. I needed to help a little financially and I got a DSLR camera from a family member. I spent the next few months practicing. I launched my business in 2014. I wish I had started my photography business long before. I remember growing up always having a camera in my hand, watching my father, learning from him, taking pictures everywhere I could. I even won a Polaroid camera when I was 8yrs old. Read more>>

Brandy Woods Snow

Oh man, now that’s a loaded question! In retrospect, I do wish I’d pursued my passion much sooner in life. I’d certainly have many more books on the shelf by now! However, I think things happen in their own times and for their own reasons. Let me explain. I wrote the first words of my first book Meant To Be Broken on a lunch break at my corporate-American job in 2005. Read more>>

Calvin Leonard

I would have to say sooner. I am very happy where I’m at right now. But I could be a lot further in. If I would have started sooner than later. Read more>>

Zoe Alexa

Yes, much sooner! While I have always had a hand in the art making world, it wasn’t until I was exposed to working in casting, welding, construction, timber framing, upholstery etc. that I found myself saying goodbye to the institutional art career I thought I had to admire and follow. Read more>>

Angel Jenkins

I started my salon suite this year after years of working in salons and with salon owners and I can’t help but to think I should have started sooner. During the Covid pandemic, salons shut down and when they reopened they had new rules on how they operate on top of clients being apprehensive to coming in to a salon and being around groups of people that they didn’t know. I think a salon suite would have been a perfect place for clients to be more comfortable. Read more>>

Alexandra Austin

I wish I started my photography business sooner. I officially launched in 2018, but I had been taking photos and posting content for a handful of years prior because photography and editing were hobbies of mine since I was young. When I think about how much I’d love to travel through photography work, I wish I had started sooner. Now that I am older, more desires have started to grow, Read more>>

A Michael-Holmgren

If you had asked me this question pre-covid, I would have easily said later. When I started Aurelia Michael Living, a life coaching company, I had no clue what I was doing. For 7 years, I had no marketing, assistance, or “formal” training. I didn’t know how to set prices, seek clients, or operate day-to-day business. But what I did know was how to help people transform their lives. Read more>>

Laura Ryan

I wish I had not let fear stop me from pursuing my career as a travel agent sooner. I’ve successfully opened 2 pet care businesses and had dreamed of helping people travel as a business not just a hobby for years. I was new to Florida and the pandemic started as a result I began to pursue my dream and began training. The plus side is during the beginning of Covid I had so much down time to focus on my training, the downside was it was a slow process to gain clients with all the restrictions. Read more>>

Chloe Anderson

Most of the time. I’ve wanted to be an actress and singer pretty much my whole life. I was inspired by Taylor Swift and when I saw NBT (Next Big Thing) on Disney Channel. I always loved performing and I begged my parents to let me be a child actor but it just never worked out. Read more>>

Jared Nagao

Yes! I definitely wished I had started Ghostlore of Hawaii sooner. The podcast had been a passion that I had been thinking of doing for several years. Being a fan of all things paranormal, that was the genre I started listening to when I first got into podcasts. However, after a few years, I noticed that it was rare to come across any story based in Hawaii. This surprised me because of how engrained the supernatural is in Hawaii’s culture. Read more>>

Sanja Zdjelar

From this point of view, where I am today, I say that it is good that I started my music business at the age of 19. Everything happens for a reason. Read more>>

Heidi Hornbacher

In many ways I wish I had started sooner. I am so impressed with the young creatives that come through our workshops, already so focused. I always wanted to write but I thought someone would tell me if I was “allowed” to really be a writer. I spent a long time waiting for permission while doing creative-adjacent jobs. I wish I had realized that no one gives you permission, you just have to choose and go. Read more>>

C.V.M

1. Honestly, I wish I had started creating at the level I do now when I was much younger. I can only image how far I’d be but I don’t regret the path I took to get here. Having a musically inclined family growing up, made it inevitable that I would develop an interest in music. However, it wasn’t until I joined the middle school choir in the sixth grade that I realized I wanted to make a career out of it. That encounter changed my life and truly sparked my love for music and the trade. Read more>>

Meli Tierra

I think that I started my creative career in a number of ways and in the time frame that made sense to me. I’m glad I started when I did and also am happy with the decisions I’ve made to gain other skills and learned about all sorts of things and traveled and have put my time into more than my music alone. Music and songwriting for me are personal accounts of the things I’ve experienced as I process them. The more I live, the more music I write. Read more>>

Aryy

When I was 17 I sent to the University because I thought I had to, because that’s how my family and my school prepared me to be, but I wish that I had just focused on doing what I want and started following a music career seriously back then Read more>>

Rose Starring

It’s always easy to regret wasted or misused time, but I like to believe that the best time to start something is the present! I used to spend a lot of time thinking that I was already getting a late start in my music career, but I don’t think such a thing truly exists in the music industry, especially today. I think that the perfect time is whenever you are ready – I wouldn’t be the artist that I am today without the time I’ve spent simply living life and becoming the person that I am now. Read more>>

Emily Fuchsen

I honestly wish I started investing my time into photography sooner than I did. I started Dark Trix Photography back in early 2018. I purchased a DSLR camera after wanting to take up photography just as a hobby. This was a year or two after taking a film photography class in high school. I really enjoyed taking photos but didn’t expect I’d go down the professional path. I wish I utilized being in high school and having a DSLR camera. Read more>>

Asia Banks

I really appreciate that fact that I was able to start my creative career earlier because it allowed me the space to grow. As creatives and business owners we go through a cycle of growing pains. This allows us to develop thick skin, knowledge and embrace challenges to avoid making the same mistakes later on in life. After a while we become the masters in our field because of the experienced we gain. Don’t get me wrong, starting a creative career later on in life has is perks. I love to call it ” The beginning of a new chapter” and you get to write your own story. Read more>>

Jennifer Ruckman

I definitely think that I started my career at just the right time. My kids are teenagers and more independent and I think it is so good for them to see me going after my dream career and literally building my brand from scratch. I love being a role model for them and showing them that there is value is loving what you do. Having a creative outlet, whether you monetize it or not, is so good for your soul. Read more>>

Domanique Burnett

Yes, because I feel like I would have been so much farther then I am now. I know everything takes time but I will tell anyone to always listen to your gut feeling. If your gut is telling you to do something don’t worried about how it’s going to get done. More than likely the way is already paved for you. When things get hard never give up and the best is yet to come. Read more>>

Emily Fischer

In retrospect, I do wish I began my career as an artist sooner in life. I let a lot of fear hold me back. I was afraid of how my art would be received by people, I compared myself to other artists and their skill, and I convinced myself that selling my art would never make money. It wasn’t until the pandemic hit that I had a lot of time on my hands. Read more>>

Annette Bates

I absolutely wish I started my creative career sooner! I allowed my fear of judgement from others get in the way of starting early. I have came to a point in my life where I am much more secure in who I am and just don’t care anymore of what others think. Read more>>

Sylvia Shanahan

As someone who is retired from business and now furthering my fine art career, I found this topic amusing. I had always wanted to be a fine artist as I was encouraged by winning several national awards in high school. One of the awards I received was a scholarship to an art school that eventually became the Cleveland Institute of Art. Read more>>

Rashad Todd

I completely wished I pursued my creative career full time earlier. However, there was obstacles I had to overcome, which made me take breaks. There were also many times of finding myself and knowing who I am, to be sure if the creative career was the route I wanted to take. In the beginning, I didn’t see the money in it and I love money ha-ha. I have been putting my all into my work and I notice that it is paying off. I have higher goals to reach, however, I am thankful for what I have accomplished thus far. Read more>>

FOH Podcast

Not actually wish we started our podcast sooner, more like wish we was serious from the beginning. We started when podcast first started but we didn’t take it seriously and if we did no telling where we would’ve landed. If y’all want to go check out our old episodes just look up “Da Truth If U Sayso”. Read more>>

Brennen Tse

I think I’m lucky to have found this passion while I’m young, as not many people discover photography until their older, nor have the resources to get camera equipment. I owe a ton of thanks to my parents for supporting me throughout my photography journey! I’ve found meaning and dedicated myself to this craft, and although I may get a bit obsessed at times I manage to keep it in check. Photographing moon alignments is just too cool! Read more>>

Danny Lewis

I had zero guidance, from anyone. I was also incredibly lacking in confidence. I remember being at school and literally in the middle of my Art A-Level being told ‘you’ll never work in a creative field’ by a teacher. This instilled into me a sense of needing to get a ‘normal’ job. After all it’s what everyone else in my family did, not one person I knew worked in a creative job. Read more>>

Jaison Wade

In highschool I was sorely focused on trying to fit in rather than be creative with my work, because I was doing music and youtube in middle school and high school. I was trying my best to fit in with the cool kids, but looking at where I am today it still worked out for me. Read more>>

Cole Johnson

Do I wish I stated my creative career sooner or later? Hmmm. I’d say I started it at the right time. I was always creative. I didn’t understand the full power of what my art would bring to the world. When I was much younger, I only thought the art I created was for me. Now, I realize that the best art is when others appreciate it. Read more>>

Todd Miller

Absolutely sooner. I wish that I had started much sooner. Like many in the first generation of college students though, I fell into the trap of going after a degree that would “get you a good, secure job.” But it wasn’t just that. It was the fact that it was hard to get a lot of information about what was available out there as far as school goes. You had to request a catalog of available degrees that was usually the size of a Sears Christmas catalog. Read more>>

Michael Booth

Sooner. I was always afraid of what people would think. To be honest I didn’t think I was good at music, I was my biggest critic, putting myself down constantly. There was a long period of time where I wouldn’t even look at a guitar or sing along with the radio because was afraid, but then it hit me a couple of years ago. “Screw it.” I got things weighing down my heart and mind. I need to get it out. Read more>>

Christian Zezza

I was fortunate enough to be surrounded by a very stimulating musical environment since my very young age, especially thanks to my dad who has always been a great music lover and my very first music mentor, at least for everything related to the music listening educational aspect. I literally started absorbing all sorts of music influences at a very early age, which eventually became my musical backbone later on in my career, especially in regards of music production and arrangements. Read more>>

Jonathan Woodle

My journey as a artist has moved quick and I am thankful for the outcome so far. The thoughts of what I could do better have def. haunted me time to time. The question that haunts me is ” do I wish I had started earlier.” The answer is YES! I complelty envy those who were capable of starting earlier than myself. I truly believe my outcome would have blossomed to the outcome i seek if had the early jump. Read more>>

Spencer Strain

Yes. I started writing poetry in 2007. At that time, I was going through a dark phase dealing with extreme social anxiety and depression. I never looked at poetry serious until I returned back to writing in 2017. Read more>>

Dena Dawson

I was diagnosed with cancer near the pinnacle of my career. I often think about how far I would have gone if I hadn’t hit that wall. Life has a way of dragging you where it wants you to be. I had to accept that. You can’t go back. Read more>>

Athena Vas

I think everything in life happens for a reason. Although we may wish we started something years ago, we must trust that it simply wasn’t the right time. I look at life like a ladder. We climb it in hopes to reach the top level of success. We must climb each level in order to learn and grow. Sometimes we can’t reach the next level of success unless we’ve learned what we need to learn in order to progress to the next level of our lives. Read more>>