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

Stephanie Fox

I had worked in some positions where I’ve been asked to conduct evaluations in a way that did not feel clinically or ethically appropriate. I moved away from those spaces pretty quickly, as I am driven by integrity more than anything. Psychological testing is a special and powerful tool that we can use to answer difficult questions, and should not be used in ways motivated primarily by commercial gain. While all psychologists should act in an ethical manner and strive to provide high-quality services to our clients, this is not the case for every clinician and every practice. One of the main reasons I started my own practice was to provide testing in a way that met my own high standards for work quality, clinical care, and professionalism. Read more>>

Kayla Briscoe

One of the most pivotal lessons I learned came during a time when I was working as a line cook at a café in Baltimore in 2021. I had been in the restaurant industry for five years and was passionate about plant-based food, but I was living paycheck to paycheck, earning around $400–500 per week. While I loved cooking, I knew deep down I wasn’t being challenged or valued the way I needed to grow. Read more>>

Devin Long

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned—both in uniform and now as a business owner—is this: adversity is not the enemy; it’s the forge.

I served 15 years in the U.S. Army, completing multiple leadership schools, deploying, and leading Soldiers through some of the toughest environments imaginable. But the lesson that shaped me most didn’t come from success—it came from failure. Read more>>

Taree Jo McCabe

My story is not complete without recognizing the many small businesses that have guided me along the way. From rural farm management to women-owned boutiques, and most importantly, my current job within my family business—Bad Rooster Food Truck—I have always been surrounded by entrepreneurs of all kinds. Artists, authors, mold remediators, financial advisors—you name it. Read more>>

Raush Salhi

You know, the biggest lessons I’ve learned as a business owner haven’t come from things always going smoothly. In fact, it’s been the roadblocks and outright failures that have taught me the most. They’ve really been invaluable in figuring out how to navigate challenges. I actually shared a story recently with a group of solopreneurs that perfectly illustrates this. Early in my career, I had a boss who was incredibly difficult to get a hold of. She ran this big international marketing agency, and as her business development and marketing lead, I desperately needed her time to push important initiatives forward. Read more>>

Desiree’ Nixon

The most important lesson I learned when working in bridal, before starting my business, was to follow my clients’ lead.

As bridal stylists we of course, had sales goals as individuals and as a store, however, it never really felt natural to push a bride to make a purchase. Instead I would follow her lead. If she mentioned something she was considering, I would let her know the options we had available and let her try those on. If we didn’t have what she liked I would suggest a different location or even other stores, where she might be able to find something closer to what she had in mind. Oftentimes, my transparency led to them coming back to our store to give me and our store the sale instead. Doing this helped me to make the best sales when I wasn’t even trying to make sales. Many brides thanked me for my authenticity and transparency. Read more>>

Christi Wells

I was a House Manager & Nanny in College. I worked mostly with busy professionals with young children. They all valued the same things: Time, Family, & Passions. I use to think that money was the answer, but it was just a tool to have more of what was most important to them. It really changed my idea about time and money. Now I look at everything from a time lens. I operate my business being flexible with time, efficient with time, respecting my team’s time, and helping my clients reclaim their time. When problems arise, I decide if the problem is worth the time being frustrated over or just find a solution. When I watched the parents I worked with in College they outsourced what took time and redirected their time to what they were really good at. They were always well rested even though they worked very hard. The secret, prioritizing time and creating time! Read more>>

Nicole Pangborn

I worked as a Physician Assistant in Primary Care through the pandemic and was experiencing extreme burnout. I invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in my education to become a PA, as well as thousands of hours of hard work over seven years of school. The thought of doing something different was scary, considering all the time and money I had invested in this career path. Read more>>