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.

Betty Lehman

When we are children, at some point during our school years, we are asked, “What do you want to do when you grow up?” I never knew my answer until I was 25 years old. For rather silly reasons, I decided I wanted to become a CPA and went back to college for an accounting degree. I started with a Big Eight CPA firm in 1980. Read more>>

Katie Wade

One of the most unexpected problems we have faced as a pet care company is airborne viruses! When we think about working with dogs we often have thoughts of tail wagging fun and sloppy kisses. In reality there is so much more to working with dogs than just playing with them or walking them. In our daycare we see anywhere from 40-50 dogs a day, all of which are placed in a pack of about 20-25 dogs. Read more>>

Kate Dawson

My entire career as a designer/decorator was an accident. People have told me my entire life that I should do this, but my heart was in the performing arts for many many years… and so it just wasn’t something I’d ever seriously considered. But after my son was born, and we moved to the burbs, I grew more and more disenchanted with the life of a performer. And I really wanted to have some time to just be a mom. Read more>>

Tay Walker

In the music industry there are a lot of unexpected issues you will run into, it becomes part of the journey and you get used to it. When I joined the band for the internet. I quit my schooling to go on tour. This was scary because I had already invested time and money into my education but I knew that music was the ultimate end goal so it was an easy decision at the time. After realizing money was not going to come in immediately I started worrying about how I would support my self. Read more>>

Bruce Smith

I would say one of the most unexpected problems I’ve faced, is getting support from the people I desperately wanted to support me. When I started Essential Discourse Podcast, I expected my loved ones, friends, and other people close to me to be the ones who would not only support my efforts and work, but also provide me with encourage me along this journey. Read more>>

Brennan Brinkley, Nicole Low, Tyler Kula

The most unexpected problem we encountered was how quickly our account went viral on TikTok. While it’s probably the best “problem” to have, the demand for more content became extreme after posting just a couple of videos. In order for the quality of our videos to be consistent both visually and comedically, it takes us a minimum of 2 weeks to put out a new video because we are simply a team of 3 people with full-time jobs. Unfortunately in this age of social media, we sensed the urgency from both the fans and the platforms to put out content more frequently or we’d be doing a disservice and possibly ending our run short. Read more>>

Charlie Watts

The camera I use to photograph auras is call the Auracam 6000. The camera is a very specialized, sensitive, temperamental device. Created by Dr. Guy Coggins in the 1970s, the AuraCam 6000 gathers data from you via hand sensors that take electro-dermal and temperature readings to create your aura portrait. Our camera goes by Dottie, and she came to us through a serendipitous estate sale. Read more>>

Ayr

All of COVID man. It was super crazy because I was doing so many shows, dropping a lot of fire music and content, and I was prepping for a tour at the time too. The world shut down and that literally made all the hard work and lessons I learned about the business futile. Things have changed, people have changed, and the industry has changed too. Read more>>

kodi delaney

Throughout my childhood, I’ve always had a passion for painting and drawing. In high school I had an amazing mentor who helped me master my craft while also helping me apply for awards and scholarships that would help set me on a path to be an artist as a career. She always gave me so much creative freedom, and under her tutelage I really thrived. Read more>>