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

Jonathan Alonso

I have always been in sales, so early on i developed the skills needed to always be a top performer in the companies i worked for. Read more>>

Alexis Peralta

Early in my career, when I worked for a state agency, they were launching a new initiative to incorporate business elements such as project management and Lean Six Sigma methodologies to enhance operations and processes, ultimately improving the customer experience.

One of the key takeaways I still hold onto today is not to be afraid of failure. We were taught that problems are gold because they present opportunities for improvement. That lesson helped me reframe failure in a different light. Read more>>

Sharon McCall

Like many professionals, there was a point in my career where I believed I had to do it all and always be on in order to advance. Running a 24/7 manufacturing operation reinforced that belief. I channeled my energy into success while neglecting my mental and physical well-being. Even relationships were often second to whatever the latest demands were at work. I relied on my partner’s patience and understanding that this was the price of long-term success and security for our future. Read more>>

Matthew Taylor-Winch

Time is fleeting. Ideas have an expiration date, so don’t wait to act on them. I’ve spent years in jobs, waiting to be noticed, thinking I deserved recognition. The truth is, recognition often doesn’t come without persistence. If you make something, keep making more. Looking back, I see that my drive to make things pushed me through the times when no one was asking to see my work. Money wasn’t the answer—though more is always nice. But the time you have to create your art is irreplaceable. Once it’s gone, you can’t get it back. Don’t wait to do it. Read more>>

Veronica Gomez

One of the biggest lessons I learned came from my time as a cardiac nurse—health isn’t just about treatment, it’s about prevention.

I saw firsthand how diet and lifestyle choices impact long-term health. Many patients wished they had made healthier choices earlier. That stuck with me.

When I started Pure Sprout Microgreens, it wasn’t just about growing greens—it was about making nutrition easy, fresh, and accessible. Microgreens are tiny but packed with nutrients, and they’re a simple way to add wellness to everyday meals. Read more>>

Nancy Cummings

For over a decade, I worked as the executive director of the La Grange Business Association, an organization in a thriving suburban community where I had the pleasure of promoting and supporting 300 or so small and independent restaurants, retailers, service businesses and nonprofit organizations in the community.

I learned a lot of important takeaways from that position – but the most impactful one was the realization that nobody works as hard as a small business owner. Read more>>

Jamie Brown

For many years, I worked for Nordstrom Spas. I credit my love for customer service related to my time employed with this company. The encouragement to go above and beyond to make someone’s experience memorable was empowering. If it was walking someone out to their car that needed help, grabbing a complimentary lunch for a regular client, or knowing all their favorite things to prepare for their visit. Read more>>

Angie K

The only other passion I’ve had besides music has been being a mechanic. The first job I had in that world was at a mustang only salvage yard. My boss was really tough on everyone but he had this way of making you feel so much more capable. He’d ask me to go pull a random part off a car or freight an engine to Canada and tell me to just kind of figure it out. When I did something wrong he’d really let me know too. There was no excuses with him because he truly believed I was capable of really anything… I just had to believe in myself and figure it out. As hard as it was to work there, it truly was one of the greatest learning experiences of my life. I started to deeply understand the value critical thinking. The skill of being able to solve a problem or figure something out without a set path or directions really helped me throughout my entire. Read more>>

Antoinette Barkley

Well, for me, I’ve been in many positions where I’ve been hired as a manager and at the same time, I lost those positions because they felt it was no longer needed because they didn’t want to pay me what I was worth.
So many of times I had to leave jobs just because I had to stand up for myself and not be done any type of way.

So the important lesson for me was sometimes people don’t value you.
That’s why I make it my business for my employees to grow in my compan Read more>>

While working as a Seattle Police Officer I learned more about human nature and both the light and dark side of humanity. Not only was this a life lesson, I also use it in my writing.

I realized police officers wear many hats; protector, comforter, enforcer, and listener.

To know the life of a first responder of any kind, firemen, EMTs, paramedics, military men, etc, you must walk in their shoes. Criticizing, judging, or Monday Morning quarterbacking is ignorance. Read more>>

Director Ab

I was working two jobs at the time. I was a part-time manager of 2 separate movie theaters and a full-time manager at FedEx. I was making excellent money but I wasn’t getting any sleep because I was working 65-80 hours a week and my social life and creative endeavors? Forget it, that wasn’t happening, I was living to work at that point. No type of self-fulfillment in my life. A slave to my employers. One weekend my friend had a bachelor party and I was the designated driver. I literally came home and took a 30 minute power nap, and went out. I took everyone else home and fell asleep behind the wheel when I was on the highway. My car hit the divider in the e-mail, the front passenger tire exploded, and I came super close to hitting the wall. Read more>>