One of the most important lessons we learned is that our lives and our businesses will teach us along the way. We don’t need to know everything on day one because the challenges we face on day will likely be ones we are already equipped to handle. As we overcome challenges we get better and better and as the challenges increase in difficulty so too does our ability to tackle them.

We asked members of the community that we admire to share important lessons their business or career has taught them and have shared some of those responses below.

Maribel Valadez | Crafting Business

Our crafting Business has taught me the unimaginable; literally blood , sweat and tears goes into owning a business. It’s hard work and dedication. It’s a bunch of late nights and self doubt, it’s a bunch of why ‘s ? As in why did I do this in the first place ? The wanting to give up. The lack of support. The negative comments. It’s learning to accept failure and that not everything comes out good on the first try. Trust me !! You will have good and bad days. Read more>>

Anthony Vanegas | Pawnbroker; Small Business Owner

With 30+ years in the pawn industry, it’s difficult to narrow down just one lesson and label it as the most important. This industry is humbling, challenging, but always rewarding. I tend to think that at the end of the day or at the of our careers, we’ll reflect and ask ourselves… Does what I spent my life doing matter? Did it impact someone’s life for the better? What is the legacy that I’m leaving for my family, my team and my customers? For that reason, I would say that the most important lesson that this industry has taught me is to not forget your “why.” WHY do you get up and do what you do each and every day? And WHY do you make sure that the job gets done the way you want it to?
Everyone has a different WHY and their WHY usually defines HOW they do business. Read more>>

Megan Berry | Cosmetologist/hairstylist/makeup artist

The Most important lesson my business has taught me was never give up. I keep God first in everything i do for my business and remain humble. It also taught me patience, nothing happens over night. success takes time and patience. What i like about my business is have clients that go and come and some stay but i don’t let that discourage me. Even on slow/bad weeks i look at the positive side of the business. Read more>>

Jaha Jefferson | Hairstylist

The most important lesson I learned as an entrepreneur is Patience! Before I started my business I had absolutely no patience, I wanted everything to happen now and after my first year of being an entrepreneur I quickly realized the difference between then and now. I now let things happen naturally and trust the process, as where before I would just make a decision and think about the consequences later. Now I appreciate all the bumps in the road and my past failures. Not saying I have it all figured out now but I know more now than I did before. Read more>>

Jeanni Nguyen | Esthetician/ permanent makeup artist

To alway be patient and never up. No matter how hard things get you have to push and try again until you succeed. Read more>>

Mikki Kunttu | Designer

I believe it is the realisation that nothing is separate from each other. What I mean by this is that there is no separation with the so-called private self and the work self. I believe you manifest your values all the time and everywhere and the real aim should be to create a life that simply supports your values and have values that support your way of living. I’m not a big believer in success in terms of money and fame, for me the real success is to live a balanced life and to find ways and processes that help one another heal and to find our potential as human beings. Art and creativity for me is right in the core of that. Read more>>