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

Peggy Willms

After working for 25 years in the wellness arena in Corporate America, I grew tired—tired of working long hours shining light on others and not being recognized for my efforts, concepts, and passion. After a tragic motorcycle accident resulting in my 21-year-old son needing to learn to walk again, I assessed what was really important in life. Ultimately, choosing to move to Florida from Colorado (a dream since birth) and capitalizing on all the skills I learned along the way propelled my passion and purpose to oblivion. The best decisions often come from times of turmoil. I am grateful for every one of my work experiences, which have led me to where I am today, changing and saving lives. Read more>>

McKenze Ocampo

I always say every job & volunteer position I’ve ever held had lead me to this place. For most of my adult life I’ve worked in the dental field. Which requires a high level of communication, compassion for people’s emotions and overall customer service. When my children were born I become very interested in Montessori education, I learned everything I could about it. After having an undesirable birth experience with my first & being told “You can’t just breastfeed a baby needs more than that” HA did I ever prove them wrong! I spent many years deeply involved with helping other mothers succeed in nurse their own babies, learning about natural birth and postpartum support along the way! Read more>>

Willow Li

I was the deploy lead for a young, well-funded contract recruiting platform with ambitious growth plans. We hired aggressively, building out large teams across all departments. We had a good group of talented people, and it seemed like the smart move at the time, with the funding flowing and the market booming. However, things changed quickly. The competition intensified, and our growth projections didn’t materialize. Suddenly, we were facing a harsh reality: we were overstaffed and burning through cash. It was a difficult and humbling experience. We had to make tough decisions, like letting go of talented people and scaling back operations. It taught me a crucial lesson: growth is good, but it needs to be sustainable. Always consider the long term sustainability and long-term consequences. Read more>>

Rochelle McConico

One of the most important lessons I learned at a previous job was embracing a growth mindset. A growth mindset is having the belief that abilities can be developed through dedication and work, rather than solely “being born with it”. This focuses on doing the work to improve one’s skills, rather than admit defeat because the talent isn’t there. Enjoying that process and iterating is where the magic happens. Expecting to be good at a skill immediately without any practice is something that is not very common. I found myself in a situation where I was learning a new and very difficult skill at a new job. I was not initially good at it, and many times felt lost and confused. I had a meeting with my mentor and was strongly encouraged to remember that practice makes progress. Read more>>

Carrie Madsen

I was a successful independent contractor choreographing musicals and fundraising events and teaching dance to youth throughout the SF Bay Area when an unexpected opportunity presented itself to work for a large church. The job title was Program Director and the job description was to run their popular Sunday Evening Service. It paid a salary with benefits which appealed to me since my work as a contractor was so much scattered hustle– but what really excited me was the potential challenge of designing and growing a program. I cut back on my choreography gigs to take the job. Read more>>

Frank Kitchen

For 9 years I worked at Lakeland Community College in Kirtland, Ohio. I was the Assistant Director of Student Activities. I wore multiple hats including being responsible for Diversity Programming, New Student Orientation, and Advising Student Organziations. My main purpose was to help students learn and grow outside the classroom and provided the resources needed to earn the chosen academic degree or certificate. My students often shared how I helped them live their personal and professional dreams. Then one day, they used my words on me. While preparing for graduation, one of my students, Damon Sams, shared words that changed my life. Read more>>

Mallory Dumond

In a world driven by individual achievements and personal success, my journey working on staff at my local church has been a transformative experience, revealing the profound impact of collective effort and selfless service. Surrounded by a dedicated team of 40 plus volunteers, together, we undertook the mission of serving hundreds of students from our community each week. Through this incredible journey, I learned the most important lesson at that job that has helped me as a business owner and that is the true heartbeat of any organization lies not in its programs or structures, but in the people who come together to serve a common purpose. Read more>>

Marissa Stiff

Once I moved to Dallas, I decided to work for a company to gain more experience in retail being that I have started my own pillow line. Early on I was harassed by one of the employees. Our job title was no different. He was instructed to simply train me but it was more than training. I was insulted on a daily basis. Everything I did, from the way I talk, the way I walk, the way I dress etc. I brought this to the owner’s attention on several occasions but I was always instructed to “just look over it.” It bothered me because things that he claimed I was doing wrong, the boss was reassuring me that I was indeed doing them correctly. Read more>>

Joe Vandal

After working at in the same bar for nearly 2 decades, I developed a deep understanding of the value of quality employees. My previous workplace felt like a family; not only within the staff, but also with our locals and repeat out-of-state clientele. Relationships and how you treat people matter from your co-workers to your patrons, especially in such a highly transient place. Retaining staff for over 10 years is very rare. Especially in the service industry, where we deal with all types of people day-in and day-out, employees need to feel cared for. Because, inturn, they’ll care more about what they are selling, the people they are helping, and the overall business in general. Read more>>

Sarah

Time is Money As a person who loves history, I take time to reflect on my business and previous employment. I’m always looking for ways to improve my bottom line, and I realize that time is money. Because I make one-of-a-kind pieces, I have to find ways to speed up the process. For example, most of my pieces have pockets. Rather than making two pockets for one piece, then making another piece with two pockets, I’ll make 50 pockets in one sitting. I’ll do the same thing with my Seams by Sarah tags, or with fabric dying and bleaching. This assembly-line process helps me shave several minutes off of each duster or hoodie, and those several minutes eventually become hours. I am a firm believer in balance, so I value those minutes I save, as they let me spend time with my family and friends. Read more>>

Bri Alexander

Before becoming a business owner, I worked in education and hospitality. I have always worked in busy environments around lots of different people. Over time, I learned the importance of connecting with others, truly seeing them, and appreciating their uniqueness. Everyone has a story we know nothing about and usually will share it when given a safe space. My job experience taught me interpersonal skills to connect beyond the surface. Moreover, I also learned to honor my own limits as a highly-sensitive person who enjoys working with people. haha. Read more>>

Heidi Bianchi

The biggest lessons learned are mistakes that happen and how those around you react. I have several event examples of things that have gone wrong and how those I am working with/for respond. Getting mad and upset does not help with quick and positive changes in a stressful situation I had 14 different managers in 12 years at my previous job. I learned a lot about what I wanted and needed in a manager and what those who reported to me needed. My team needed stability Read more>>

Grace Patterson

The most important lesson I have learned is to always be over prepared. Knowing your lines to perfection will give you the confidence to play and have fun during a scene. It’s easier to focus on the directors notes when you are confident in the dialogue. Read more>>

James Giarraputo

I got to experience first hand truly poor, borderline toxic, leadership. In growing into a leadership role there I made it my focus to never stop trying to be the best leader I could be. Read more>>