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

Paul Gagner

As a business owner or manager, your staff is your most important asset. Most everyone thinks it is your customers, but without a happy, satisfied, and motivated staff, customers will not be satisfied. I learned that early in my career, almost 40 years ago, when I managed a busy outdoor retail store. Read more>>

Judith O’Donnell

Creating “reader love”, by catching and keeping someone’s attention – in written form – is assuredly the most important lesson I learned in my prior professional life.You see, my previous career was preceded by clerking for a Judge of New Jersey’s Superior Court. Every Friday was motion day. (A motion is an application by a party to a lawsuit for relief of some sort). Read more>>

David Regal

I continue to learn lessons, and I hope to never stop. I am at the point where part of me is delighted to be wrong, because that means I’m about to learn. A supposition I had is incorrect. I recall watching a stage artist at the top of his form, fail. Lance Burton, in front of a full house Las Vegas audience, had a trick fail. Read more>>

Barry Hott

Continuous improvement. This core value was a big part of one of my past jobs and it’s stuck with me and become one of my own personal core values and an infectious mindset that helps individuals and organizations that even if things are good, they can always be improved. Providing feedback on how to improve something doesn’t mean it’s bad or wrong, it just means it can be made better. Read more>>

Christin Jezak

An important lesson that I learned at a prior job is that every job has a purpose. Every single job I have ever had before working fully in the entertainment industry has helped me to take the next step in my career. Even the jobs that I thought I was not the best fit gave me a skill in my creative toolbox that I needed. Read more>>

Kate Knowles

Before opening my business, I was an elementary art teacher for 15 years. I loved my job and my kids, and getting to share the beauty of creativity all day was very special! As a teacher I learned the importance of being prepared for anything. (Fire drill? Check. Technology not working? Let’s go old school. Kids having a hard day? Let’s switch things up a bit.) Read more>>

VZN

Up until I believe October or so of 2023, I’d been working 40+ hours a week at whatever job could get the bills paid; doing so religiously since 2013 as a high school student. My parents have had jobs (as long as I’ve been around at least) and worked until retirement, and all I ever really knew was the idea of a “9-5” being the only way to survive. Read more>>

Carla Chalkley

The number one thing I learned from my previous jobs is exactly what I DID NOT want to do as a business owner. A lot of times business owners are only concerned with the bottom line, which I can definitely understand is important to ultimately run any business, but it’s not the ONLY important thing. Read more>>

Tiffany Escoe

Reflecting on my job history as a business owner, I’ve come to realize a profound lesson – there are no wasted experiences. If you ever peeked at our resumes, you might wonder how two people with such different backgrounds ended up leading a business in hospitality design. Read more>>

Reena Vokoun

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned from a prior job is to take chances, because you never know what might happen! I had always dreamed of working for one of the major athletic brands such as Reebok, and early on in my career, an opportunity to pursue it had presented itself. Read more>>

Chelsea English

The most important lesson that I learned from previous jobs was that in order to be successful, you need to be honest and reliable. There is no way around that because it stems from trust. If people cannot trust you, you will not be successful. It speaks to our character when we choose to be a person of our word and show up when we say we will. Also, communication is key! Read more>>

Sarah Wilson

I recently went to a dinner party and one of the guests asked the table about mentors. I loved hearing everyone respond to their mentors in work, life, marriage, and parenting. From a business perspective, I think mentors aren’t always a priority, but they should be. I’ve had a couple of mentors in my work life who taught me to push myself, supported my mistakes, and helped develop my leadership skills. Read more>>

Susana Baker Boey

I’ve been an overachiever since I was a kid finding validation in straight As and dean’s lists. As I entered the corporate world, report cards became performance reviews, and I worked tirelessly to impress and earn top marks. One day my manager called me into her office and asked me something no one ever had: “Can you please do less?” Read more>>

Erin Hughes

In the heart of the property management department, I discovered the true essence of a positive work environment – a lesson that goes beyond spreadsheets and sales figures. It was within the vibrant “work happy” culture, where the joy of realtors and fellow employees resonated, that I grasped the profound impact of finding joy in both the work itself and the people around you. Read more>>

Dana Sharpe

I learned the importance of an inventory system and organization from my previous job. I managed and tracked a wide range of products, with varying monetary values. As a result when starting my business I looked for a platform that had an amazing tracking system, and I landed on Shopify. Read more>>

Luciana Legato

I started working when I was very young. When I was 24 years old, I worked in a position with a lot of people in charge and a lot of responsibility. It was a very difficult time. Fortunately, in all my jobs I have found people and teams that have worked with me to carry out the challenges I have faced. Read more>>

Bri Davis

In the early chapters of my professional journey, I used to get jobs for either the paycheck or the experience, a classic tale of chasing dollars and résumé lines. The downside? I’d show up, but happiness wasn’t exactly in the building. On the bright side, my career path was like a carefully curated playlist – intentional and on the same wavelength. Read more>>

Kay’La Mumford

How to interact with people with a trauma informed approach and be mindful of how I interact with people. Most of the world is healing and most of us do not realize how their approach can be harmful or cause triggers. Being a birth worker truly helped me evolve my communication style and how I interact with people. Read more>>