We asked insiders and experts from various industries to tell us something they think outsiders are unaware of and we’ve shared a few of those responses below.

Tracy Musgrove | Licensed Cosmetologist and Salon Suite Owner

I think that most outsiders to the beauty industry do not realize that cosmetology and the licensing of it as a whole are constantly at risk. Texas, along with several other states have tried to pass legislation in the past few years deregulating the cosmetology industry. This means that a stylist or colorist would no longer have to carry a license. This puts not only our careers at risk, but the health and safety of our clients as well. Our training covers not only how to cut and color hair, but how to keep our clients safe from the chemicals we use, as well as communicable diseases and afflictions common to the beauty industry like lice and ringworm. As it stands, Texas was one of many states who recently reduced the number of hours required to get a license, from 1500 hours to 1000 hours. This is one of the reasons that I mentor students who have recently graduated cosmetology school or have recently gotten their license. Read more>>

Alfonso Aguirre | Acting Coach and Model

Most people focus on the results, what they can see. But they are unaware of everything that goes behind the scenes to make anything happen, whether it’s reaching a fitness goal, acting in a commercial or making a film. It takes investing hours of dedication and discipline that don’t normally produce quick results, and developing the mental strength and courage to keep learning and knocking on doors that in many instances won’t open. This makes some people give up in a short period of time. Successful actors learn to deal with disappointments because they understand that they don’t fit every role perfectly. There are several variables that determine who gets cast for a role, so the actor can only control the way he or she performs. One must keep learning and move on to the next opportunity. Spending too much time dwelling in past disappointments only helps growing self-doubt that will not help at all anyway. Read more>>

Michael Sneed | CEO & Founder of Sneedie Wonder Productions

The understanding of the work that is done behind the scenes. When so much content is being put out these days at a high rate. People tend to think that the work is easy and, that the projects are put out quickly, with no issues. That’s not the case. There is so much that goes into making a project come to life. Especially, in my position, where I do everything from production to editing. Everything is planned out and the details are important. From locations, lighting, pre-production, post-production. Then you have deal with technical difficulties and unexpected issues. Also, I have a family. So the balance has to be there. When the project is put out. It seems like it takes little to nothing to create it. But that’s totally not the case. I love creation process. But it is far from easy and takes a lot of work. Read more>>

Juliet McConkey | Singer-Songwriter

I think a lot of folks outside of the music industry world may be unaware of the many variations or levels I guess, of “success” there are. When I was younger, dreaming about playing music for a living, I never really considered it a viable option because I figured you had to be as huge a star as Beyonce. You had to “make it big”. I love writing songs and I love performing but I’ve never had a desire for stardom. In my early twenties I came to realize how many folks were out there doing it independently and making their own way and that’s when I decided I could actively start pursuing it as a career. That was only a few years ago and I have one record out since then, so I’m still very much in the process of figuring out what that’s going to look like for me. Even this early on I’ve learned how disheartening the business part of playing music can be and how a lot of shiny opportunities have a darker side of compromised artistic value. Read more>>