Risk is a topic that comes up a lot in our conversations with entrepreneurs and creatives, but a related topic is investments. Investments come in many forms – investing your time, money, heart and soul, etc. So, with that broad definition of investment in mind, we asked rising stars in the community to tell us the stories of the best or worst investments they’ve made.

Alex West

In my experience, the best investment is always in yourself. Before you can reach success and monetary wealth, you must invest in yourself. Mental, spiritual, and physical alignment is optimal, no matter the venture or juncture in which you are investing. I’ve invested in people, opportunities, and external energies in the past, only to be deflated because I was pouring from an empty cup. Invest in a nice cup, and fill it with your best self. When the time comes, you will receive a handsome return on your investment. Whether it’s business, career, monetary, or relationships, this investment principle can be applied. Read more>>

Ashley Chaney

When I first started getting into Voiceover work, I was using a $50 microphone, and draping a comforter over my head to drown out background noise. As you can imagine, this did not result in my the best performance or audio quality. I went to a workshop where the instructor made it very clear that if I wanted to get paid to do this work, I needed to a professional setup. Microphones themselves can cost thousands of dollar, and the same goes for isolation booths. I started with the highest quality microphone my budget would allow at the time ($250) and wouldn’t you know it, I booked a small gig using that microphone! Read more>>

Debra Nixon-bowles

Being a business owner or an investor during these uncertain times has its challenges. The fluctuating economy affects many things including consumer demand to investment returns, which makes it difficult to plan and execute long term strategies. It is important to understand the products and services that meet the needs of your targets. However, I do not regret being the CEO and owner of both a nonprofit organization, and for-profit businesses. My nonprofit, Women Called Moses (WCM) is one of the best investments because of the meaningful impact it has on the community, but when it comes to the funding side of things, it does not always exactly exceed the expectations. Read more>>

Jannah Mccall

Purchasing my first professional camera was the best financial decision I’ve ever made. I realized I needed a change when I was stressed out by storage problems and the quality of my content, which is why I bought the camera. I used to always use my phone to take pictures and record my YouTube videos, but I never felt satisfied with it since I always felt like something was missing. When I was in high school, I used to feel as like I had to have a camera in order to be accepted by the other creators because I was constantly being made fun of for recording on my phone. Read more>>

Mikaela Warde

My love for photography started when I joined my local 4-H club’s photography project. I took a break for a bit while going through high school and college, but when I was about to graduate college I thought, “I don’t want to pay someone to take my photos – I can do them myself.” Thus, my small photography business was born. I bought a kit from Costco and offered sessions to all my friends who were also graduating to build up my portfolio. After graduation, I moved back home, took a gap year and then started my masters program. All through this time I was doing sessions to help grow my skills and expand my knowledge. After I finished my masters I began pursing photography as a legitimate side business and not just a hobby. Read more>>

Thomas Lie

The best investment I had made in terms of time was essentially in the practice of patience which always ends up giving me a different perspective of things. This seems a rather simplistic reference but I it has helped me in so many areas of my photography and also professional work as a Research Microbiologist. And, I have experienced that the lessons learned from patience in both areas cross-pollinate very smoothly between them. Read more>>