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

Mohammed Alshehhi

In the military, I absorbed a crucial lesson that has stayed with me: the strength of teamwork. The notion that one person’s mistake impacts the entire unit, resulting in collective consequences, is a principle that has continued to shape my outlook on collaboration even today. This mindset has become ingrained in my approach to teamwork, influencing how I perceive my teammates. Read more>>

Vanessa Smith Torres, AIA, NOMA

Early in my career, began to feel frustrated. I didn’t feel that I was growing the way I had expected. Over time, I began to accept that maybe I wasn’t as talented an architect as the men around me who I saw on the path that I wanted to be on. It wasn’t until I saw an amazing young designer who I knew looked up to struggling the same way I was. What we had in common was being women in a male dominated field. That’s when I realized two very important things. First, that firm leaders can respect you and still hold unconscious biases that stifle your growth. Read more>>

Shannon DiRuzzo

I am trained as a veterinarian and started working at a traditional small animal practice in Alaska. After 1 year I knew that I would not be able to thrive and be content in this type of structure. So I quit my job and started Alaska Veterinary Relief Services, where clinic owners would fly me all over the state to run their clinic while they were away. I got to see alot of the state, that I would have been able to see or experience in my previous position. Read more>>

Colin Pinkney

During training for my first management position in the hospitality industry, our CEO would always say, “if you aren’t taking care of the customer, then you better be taking care of someone who is.” Some times leaders climb the ladder of success and forget the common denominator of any succesful organization is it’s people. This philosophy informs our core value of loving people. Taking care of my staff and volunteers is a top priority for me and it carries throughout our mission. Read more>>

Phillip Cunningham

One of the fundamental beliefs I have focused my business around is that moments matter, people matter, you matter. At any given moment your entire life can change, and when it does the only thing that matters are the people standing next to you. Life is full of joyous and sad times, and we need to take time to appreciate the people in our lives that bring us joy. Celebrate your accomplishments and milestones. The goal of my company to capture that joyous moment for you to enjoy again later and share it with others. Read more>>

Joyanna Rose Gittings

Not exactly a job, but when I was in school studying Set Design and Costume Design, throughout the course of the program we were required to spend the course of each stage production working in a different capacity, so we could experience about every job there was to work; everything from lighting crew to wig making to stage management to rigging and tech direction. Read more>>

DeNai Jones

I founded Petunia Pickle Bottom 23 years ago when there was a very small “white space” in the baby and juvenile industry. I was newly out of college with my husband and he was hungry to start a businesses. We were young, had nothing to lose, no house, no kids, just innocent freedom and concurrently started two successful businesses. Read more>>

Angie Sanders

I made the switch to the government contracting industry in 2016 when I worked for the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization. From there, I was brought on as a contractor to the Administrative Office of the US Courts to build out a communications program for their Administrative Systems Office. I was able to grow that program from just an idea to a staff of five contractors and two additional government FTEs to support the office’s three portfolios. Read more>>

Sam Vallone

One of the most important things I’ve learned while editing is the importance of sitting down and just watching the footage before you start cutting it. I like to get things done quickly, and in editing, you’ve got to take your time. I often used to rush through my first pass of a film, and this caused the final product to suffer. As a result, I’ve drilled it into myself that I have to sit down and watch. Read more>>

Judy Tincher

I was burnt out and exhausted and a key piece of my program had just fallen apart; my team was disappointed, I didn’t have a solution at hand, and my mentor wasn’t picking up the phone. It was my dream job: coordinating operations and administration to engage youth and young adults in outdoor service work. The work was inspiring and energy giving, and in five years, I had doubled the program operations and expanded into new fields. But, that growth was taking a toll on me; this was the first night it kept me from sleeping. Read more>>

Natalie Borton

Experience is always superior to any class you’ll ever take. I always knew my passion lied within my camera and entrepreneur ambitions, but I thought it felt out of reach because I didn’t study business in college or videography. However, after graduating and working in the marketing world for years at a few different companies, Read more>>

Amanda Hennessey

For many years I was a professional actress, acting in plays, films, commercials, and industrials. (Industrials are those training videos that companies create for their employees). As an actor, you not only play many roles on the stage and screen, you also play many roles as a creative entrepreneur. Read more>>