Deciding to work for yourself is often cited as the best decision folks in our community have made. Hearing the same response over and over led us to ask them about the next best decision folks have made and we’ve shared their responses with you below.

Deviny Herrera | Baker & Dog Mom

To be my true self. Once I stopped trying to be fake nice like most people in my industry are, I felt like people were attracted to my authenticity. I do say things that upset people every now and then but I’ve found it more so brings all the right clientele to me. I have a very “f it” attitude which many people don’t expect but I think it brings joy to my life & business when I just take risks & do things other business owners tell me not to do. But I do it anyways. Read more>>

Abby Schissler | Orchestrator

The single most important decision that I made that has contributed to my success so far is to follow my vision, passion and purpose for the Bella Vista Estate. Since day 1 we have viewed Bella Vista as a platform to do good. We only want to make more money in order to give more money. We have never operated the business from selfish ambition, but instead from a heart to give 3 fold; to our family, to our Bella Vista family (employees), and to our community. All of the decisions that we have made have been carefully thought through and prayed over in order to keep these 3 in balance, and to be able to provide an amazing space for families and friends to connect for generations to come! When things get tough and we start to falter from the original vision, stress and complications flood in. When we stay true to the heartbeat behind the Estate, everything seems to work out even better than we could’ve ever hoped or imagined. Read more>>

Alexa Johnson | Photographer & Entrepreneur

The most important decision I’ve made in my business was the choice to invest to in myself and my company. Before I had a business that produced consistent income, I made the decision to invest. I’ve learned you must spent money to make money. In the beginning, I put money into good equipment and a great website. As my client list grew and my business began to generate income, I refocused my attention on education and coaching. Education has been the single most important aspect of the growth of my company, along with having a coach who has guided me through branding, marketing, and sales. Read more>>

Candice Ensign | Founder and Certified Equine Gestalt Practitioner

Making the decision to live a purpose driven life has been the biggest contributor to the success of our non profit organization. When one is living in their purpose, taking risks, assessing challenges, falling down and getting back and never quitting become a part of every day. I am driven to keep my promise to the horses and humans we support, this drives me every day to succeed and keep making a difference. I rise everyday asking myself who that I need to rise up and be so that I can continue to help horses and humans find their gifts and share them with the world, by doing so, they are inspiring other to heal and do the same. Together we are healing the world one life at a time. Read more>>

Madison Moorhead | Owner + General Manager of Apocalypse

The biggest contributor to my success would be starting out working for other companies in my field that were leading the way in the industry. Beginning as a student of the business model and taking note of what those companies were doing well and what could be improved has been incredibly helpful in the development of my company and my brand. I think our culture tells us that we can all wake up on our 18th birthday and become our own boss – a wise entrepreneur. My loved ones were telling me for years that I wasn’t living into my potential. I knew that I soon would, but I wasn’t ready. I needed to learn as much as possible about my field, cultivate discipline, and study business practices in general before I could step into my genius and become my own boss. Read more>>

Karyn & Tanya Mielke | C0-owners at Dandelions & Rust

Definitely the decision to not go it alone. Although we are the sole owners, we have created a meaningful community with our 30 plus vendors. Although we are not a co-op, we are collaborative. We not only appreciate, but depend on our vendor family to help us make the shop what it is. Nearly every day we hear about how “well curated” the shop is. Our response is always to give a huge “thanks so much!” and to give credit to all of the people that make it so. We quite literally could not do it alone. Read more>>