There is so much to learn from investments that went really well as well as those that went really poorly and so we asked some of the wisest creatives and entrepreneurs in the community to tell us the stories of their best and worst investments.

Emily Mann

The investments I’ve made into getting an outside-of-my-house professional studio space and hiring help managing the studio and making art has been the best money spent on my business. The studio space itself allowed me to expand the type of work I make, create functional production systems, helped me separate my work and home life, and importantly enabled me to bring in other people. Read more>>

Stephanie Kirby

Honestly the worst investment I made also turned into a big blessing. In 2021 I hired a marketing expert to help me build an email funnel to help me sell my online Shadow Work courses. Most of what this expert wanted to do felt ethically out of alignment with me and my business. I do feel like he was very professional and courteous but the whole experience left a bad taste in my mouth and skewed my view of marketing in general. Read more>>

Makayla King

I once took a $650 lace closure class that was LOOK & LEARN. never again. this was years ago so $650 got a class was alot to not be hands on. I walked away with so many unanswered questions because i am a hands on person. Read more>>

Keilissa Bridgett

My best investment by far would have to be my sneaker collection. I’ve been collecting sneakers since 2013 and today I have a little over 60 pairs. People might find it strange when I use the word sneakers and investments in the same sentence (especially my mom) but a fact that people don’t know is that sneakers hold their value very well and the resell market for sneakers is a lot bigger then most would think. Read more>>

Jeff Miguel

I’ve made a couple crucial investments. One was to purchase a variety of quality instruments. I’ve been able to record and perform whenever there is a need simply because I own a flute, clarinet, baritone, soprano, alto, and tenor saxophone. Similarly, buying home recording gear and live sound gear have paid themselves off time and time again. For me, I just thought of what I wanted to be doing, and then took the risk of investing in what I needed to be able to do those things. Read more>>

Latosca Asberry

(A message to my startup friends) We all know that having/starting a business is a “fun” roller coaster within itself. If you grow up in my Era (the 90’s), we were taught things that cost more, have more value, last longer, and could be considered luxury. By being a startup funds are limited and our biggest (and free) resources is social media where we have no choice but to take them at face value. Read more>>