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.

Reese Ryan

There are so many things I’ve had to learn (and continue to learn) along the way as a creative artist. The first of those lessons was that even as an author published with a traditional publisher, you aren’t just the talent—you’re a business and the product is you. As such, you’ll either need to learn a variety of tasks like marketing, social media engagement, website design, graphic design, etc, or you’ll need to hire people to take on time-consuming tasks that aren’t the best use of your time. Read more>>

Kenya Rothstein

I’m going to tell you about the unexpected turn that led me to create my podcast Thank You For Saying NO. The idea of the podcast existed long before the podcast actually came to fruition. The idea came about when I was studying law in Miami and looking for a job. I had this dream of working in Washington D.C. right after law school, practicing environmental law. Read more>>

Jacob Yacoub

There can be several unexpected problems or issues that can arise in a liquor store. Here are a few examples: Read more>>

Chenyu(Nora) Fang

The most significant challenge I’ve faced was the downturn in the special effects industry due to a prolonged strike by actors and screenwriters, lasting over half a year. This event was quite unexpected, particularly in my first year as a junior artist. The last strike of such magnitude was 15 years ago, and it was a striking coincidence to experience it in my debut year. Read more>>

Cassandra Swanson

I opened my salon and boutique in December of 2019. 3 months later Covid hit and we got shut down. To say I panicked was an understatement. I wasn’t sure how we were going to make our contract for deed payment on our building among other shop bills. With us not being in business long enough and not having any employees, we didn’t qualify for any financial relief. Read more>>

Shaela-Ashley Pierre

Navigating this journey has been anything but smooth. Stepping into the public eye brought a wave of challenges I hadn’t anticipated. The constant scrutiny, the feeling of being watched in every move I made—it was a reality check. Balancing the need to share my life with my audience while preserving my privacy became a delicate tightrope act. I learned the art of sharing enough to connect but safeguarding the parts of me that deserved solitude. Read more>>

Mark Fine

Nothing about them seemed friendly. Their unannounced intrusion into my office had startled me. Brawny, and dressed in government-issued grey suits, the two men were polar opposite to the long-haired, t-shirted guests that regularly visited me. I was 1977, and at the time I was the Label Manager for Island Records in South Africa. We had enjoyed amazing success with Cat Stevens. Read more>>

Erik Snyder

During the end of my time working as a lighting director / gaffer, I began to think of what it would take for me to finally feel fulfilled in life. I sat down and made a list and thought that if I checked all of the boxes, that I’d finally be happy. Some examples were making $100k+ as a full-time photographer, getting engaged, adopting a dog, opening my own photo studio, buying a nice car, the list goes on and on. Read more>>

Janice Lau

I’ve been diagnosed with severe depression and anxiety for years and it is always a struggle to get out of bed to do anything whenever I’m depressed. My biggest problem is that I get frustrated whenever I’m unable to create art due to that and then it leads to a creative block. I know people often say that artists can just create art through their depression, but it’s not the same for every artist. Read more>>

Angela Mohr

I think the most unexpected experience for me is that after my biggest reward (the French-German Youth Literature Award) it became more and more difficult for me to publish my works. I expected to take off now, but instead things went harder and harder from that point on. The quality of my art increased but my publishing possibilities went down at the same time due to the fact that I went too uncompromising in my works. Read more>>

Marcel Andre

Embarking on the creative journey reveals a unique challenge – the demand to pour a piece of your soul into each project. It’s more than a job; it’s a personal commitment. While other professions grapple with physical hardships, the mental strain of being an artist is often overlooked, making it a solitary battle. As a production designer and fashion stylist, there’s no set path to follow. Read more>>

Kexin

As a current MFA student with limited work experience, my internships at gaming companies left me shocked at the challenges faced by young female artists in the industry. I was surprised to discover blatant and malicious gender disparities in the gaming sector. Instances where upper management explicitly expressed a preference for hiring men and colleagues admitted favoring women based on appearance were particularly disheartening. Read more>>