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.

Eliana

When I first dreamed of starting my own jewelry business, I was completely consumed by excitement and possibility. I spent years building the skills and resources I needed to bring that dream to life. Read more>>

Rebeca Martinez

In 2024, in the middle of my return to my social media food Instagram page (I had taken a hiatus with the birth of my child) and a short while after I changed my handle from BYUFoodie to Becalafoodie, I got an unexpected autoimmune illness that really rocked my food world. I was unable to eat food for almost 2 months. Once I had recovered, food was such a different experience for me. A lot of the times, I had to be very careful about where I choose to eat, because certain foods negatively impacted my health. Read more>>

Margareth Allegany Twigg

One of the most unexpected challenges I’ve faced came not from business itself, but from losing the very things that shaped my identity. My father, my body, and my sense of creative purpose. Read more>>

Maddie Smith

Baking isn’t a picture-perfect profession—it’s time-consuming, detail-oriented, and demands a flexible schedule that doesn’t always align with a typical 9-to-5. I had a good sense of this from working in the industry under others, but transitioning into full-time ownership of my own business brought a whole new set of challenges I hadn’t fully anticipated. Read more>>

Kathia Ramirez

I was fortunate to grow up in a school district that nurtured my artistic talents, supported by parents who encouraged my interest in the arts. Since middle school, I’ve participated in art programs and was often told I was talented. Read more>>

Jaci Davis

I’ll start by telling you that the majority of my body of work surrounds the theme of identity, usually manifesting through self portrait. The concept of identity alone can be a harrowing thing to face, but being vulnerable and brave enough to put it all out there for people to see is even harder. However, that is not the biggest problem I’ve faced with my work. As a matter of fact, I love telling my story and confronting other people with my reality. Most of my work surrounding identity has been about being raised biracial (African American and white) in a very tumultuous southern environment. Read more>>