As almost any entrepreneur or creative will tell you, unexpected problems are to be expected. Below, you’ll hear some incredible stories that highlight and illustrate the kinds of issues and problems entrepreneurs and creatives are dealing with everyday. It’s not easy, but the silver lining is that dealing with unexpected problems is one of the best ways to develop antifragility.

Alicia Lee

Being a business owner has it ups and downs, but some of the most unexpected problems I’ve faced in my business are education and financial issues because it cost to go to school and take classes that help you evolve in today’s luxury fashion and retail industry and it cost to successfully manage and operate a luxury company. how I have resolve those some of the most unexpected problems you’ve faced in your business and how did you resolve those Issues I work extra hours and jobs outside of my businesses to make extra income to pay for schooling and classes to get more education and support my vision as a brand and business owner. It has not been a easy road but a great journey that will build a new foundation for my families future. Read more>>

Katya Denisova

Thank you for inviting me to do an interview for Voyage again. Last time we talked about my journey of becoming a director of a traditional Russian and Eastern European dance group in Baltimore. I appreciated your curiosity about Kalinka Dance Ensemble’s history and the type of dances that we do. Back in 2021, we were discussing challenges associated with the pandemic, including our orders of folk dance shoes that were stuck on the border for ten months and our dancers’ feet had outgrown them by the time the shoes finally arrived in the US. Other challenges of the COVID closures was the loss of a large percentage of dancers, as well as the need to change dance studios, as artistic organizations that hosted us were continuing to go out of business. However, no one could imagine that in 2022, the year when Kalinka celebrated our 20th anniversary, the war between Russia and Ukraine would dictate that we had to pivot our artistic direction. But we did not. Read More>>

Brodie Peteran

Modern Sunday was built from our vision for a more sustainable and ethical fashion industry. Our goal is not just to create beautiful clothing, but rather to leave a positive impact on the planet. To us, that means reducing our waste in every way possible, using natural and deadstock fibres, having everything made to order in Canada, and ensuring every employee is paid a living wage. Read more>>

Jessica Heaton

The greatest unexpected problem I’ve faced on the creative pathway is that most of my job is not creative! There’s a lot of administrative work that has to be done to make my creative journey even possible. These things include scheduling, contracts, grant writing, paperwork, trainings, and more. At times, I have really resented all the administrative work required of me to make art possible for myself and for the others on my dance company, but as I’ve gotten more practiced at the administration, I’ve actually found that I do enjoy it. Read more>>

Rob Malloy

I wouldn’t characterize this as a problem, but more as a challenge that once addressed would allow me to make a greater impact on my family and my community. I am a father of 4 amazing children, a United States Airforce Veteran, an Adaptive Athletics Coach, a Certified Dating Coach, a Social Media Influencer, an Actor, and a Radio Personality. My dedication to my children even now that they all are adults is my first priority, but I have other areas that I want to make an impact on. Read more>>

Jorge Cruz

Having a business is a high risk decision. You must be born to become an entrepreneur to be willing for extreme sacrifices. I have had multiple up and downs, but here I will share some of the most challenging ones. Read more>>