Having to overcome unexpected problems is a hallmark of entrepreneurship. Almost every business owner, artist, maker, and creative we know has had to deal with countless unexpected problems that arise in the journey and so we asked some brilliant folks from the community to share their stories of the unexpected problems they’ve faced along the way. 

Taha Ghazipour

I was born in Iran and grew up there for 19 years. Ever since I was 6 years old, I knew deep down that I wanted to have a career as an artist in the United States. Read More>>

FANNIE AUSTIN

One of the most unexpected problems I’ve faced wasn’t a lack of resources, it was a hidden dependency that no one had acknowledged. I was working within a healthcare system where everything appeared to be functioning on the surface. Metrics were being reported, teams were active, and leadership believed operations were stable. Read More>>

Andy Pham (FAM)

One of the most unexpected challenges in my creative journey has been learning how to keep going in an industry where the competition is overwhelming. As a producer, you’re creating music in a world where thousands of tracks are released every single day. Standing out in that sea of sound can feel nearly impossible. Read More>>

Marco Pelusi

When I very first opened, we got super busy, super fast! We would run out of hot water often on a busy Saturday, and eventually I had to replace the hot water heater. However, we still had to deal with what was occurring, including clients who were being shampooed with cold water! But the truth of the matter is, it’s all how you handle things! Read More>>

Nanette Buchanan

I retired with plans to go deep into my writing, creating, publishing, and expanding literacy opportunities for my reading community and new schools. I moved from NJ to NC, and of course, it meant promotions to a new audience and venues. I was told you may not want to move, and that your plans to retire to a new avenue will be altered. Read More>>

Steve A Klein

Got into $250,000 debt (on credit cards and lines of credit) by financing client purchases. As a result, every time the phone rang, my secretary was handing ‘dunning’ call. Not only was I in debt, but I couldn’t make additional sales, because my mind was focused on the debt. I then developed a plan to deal with the debt. Read More>>

Nadia Zueva

I’m Nadia, co-founder and CEO of Aesty – an AI-powered styling app that helps you figure out what to wear from the clothes you already own. One of the most counterintuitive decisions we made was removing our free trial entirely. Every second app in the App Store has a free trial. It feels safe, standard, obvious. Read More>>

Allen Dillard

The biggest hurdle I’ve had to overcome in my ‘career’ of making skateboard videos is technology malfunctions or issues – cameras malfunctioning, vehicles self immolating, clips vanishing, heads being dirty, memory cards corrupting, you get the picture. At roughly 4:42 in 50 year old Kristian Svitak’s ‘Barge Hard: 50’ video part, he goes for a frontside bluntslide on some church steps. Read More>>

Savannah Kusak

I like to say that when you are self taught, you don’t know what it is that you don’t know. Let me explain. Painting involves chemistry and how you mix your paint and lay it down affects the chemical reaction. What I didn’t know when I first started was what I was doing wrong to create not so great chemical reactions. Read More>>

John McCaig

“In 2007, I lost everything — my home, my business, and the foundation I had worked so hard to build. That experience became a turning point. I made a decision to dedicate myself fully to understanding the systems most people never see — the strategies behind tax efficiency, asset protection, and true financial control. Read More>>

Jarrod Schulz

Early in my career, one of the biggest challenges I faced wasn’t performing inspections; it was keeping clients coming back. In the home inspection world, much of your work comes through real estate agents. Most buyers simply trust the inspector their agent recommends, so building those relationships matters. Read More>>