We asked some brilliant entrepreneurs, artists and creatives to reflect on lessons they’ve learned at prior jobs. We’ve shared highlights below.

Joey Roppo

In my previous job I worked for my Uncle’s marketing company that sold promotional products and offered other marketing services to businesses. Even though I knew this wouldn’t be my long term career I took away multiple lessons from this job that have carried with me to my current career as an influencer/entertainer. For context, this was a small family run marketing company that my uncle had started with his brother about 20 years ago. I worked very closely with my uncle (the CEO of the company) and learned so much from him about running a successful business namely: Problem solving, delegating/empowering your employees, customer service, and work life balance. Read more>>

Uduak Ekpo

One of the valuable lessons i learnt in my previous job is how to manage time and keep stock. When i worked in the bank it was a rule not to carry over work to the next day. We were made to respond to all emails and tasks that cannot be finished must have a holding response and timeline to finish. Read more>>

Austyn Anderson

My entire life before mortgages revolved around customer service and the best client experience. I was in the service industry and customer service for 14 years before getting into mortgages. One of the biggest things I learned in that journey was to take care of your guests to the best of your ability and always do the right thing – even when it’s hard. I spent years taking care of people, building their trust, and proving that I was reliable. When I got into mortgages that was my main focus. Read more>>

Jennifer Flyn

In my first professional job out of college, I was working as a marketing and communications coordinator. The job was great because I could use my creative and artistic skills and also learn how to juggle multiple committees and departments’ needs. I was coordinating with a variety of personalities, some more intense than others, and quickly found myself struggling a little because I wanted to please everyone and prove that I was good at what I was doing. Because of that, I took a lot of their feedback personally, and it wasn’t necessarily criticism, but that’s how I perceived it. Read more>>

Kimberly King

Well, my previous job was working for the United States Postal Service. Been working there for 5 years and the money was pretty good but the experience was overall stressful. But while there I learned about the company through the different positions I worked in as well as the company meetings and overall culture. As an Artist, I learned how packages are managed at the post office. And from there I was able to educate myself on how to ship my artwork a bit better in order to ensure a great delivery. Read more>>

Melissa McNerney

As a producer, every project I take on presents challenges and a series of “firsts”. I like to say no matter how much experience you have as a producer (or in most jobs for that matter), each new project is loaded with scenarios and challenges never faced before – it’s your skillset that will get you through each time. Read more>>

Becca Dilley

I used to be a camp counselor. And not like a “one summer I worked at camp” situation. I was (am?) a person who loved camp so much that I just stayed and kept working there. A good summer camp teaches you many many things – a sense of shared humanity, a respect for hard physical work, and the importance of a positive attitude. Read more>>

Heather Starke

In my previous career before starting my business, I worked for the Chamber of Commerce. It was through this experience that I was able to develop a vast network of professional contacts for just about anything that myself and my clients could need. These are people that I’ve sat down with 1-1 and got to know enabling me to provide excellent referral services for my clients. It was this same network of wonderful people that allowed me to be successful as a start up from the very beginning. Read more>>