To persevere or to pivot is a question that do-ers have been asking themselves since the beginning of time. It’s never a straight road when you are doing something new, blazing a trail, breaking a ceiling, or pushing boundaries, so it’s only natural to wonder whether to give up midway. How do you know whether to keep going or to give up?

Franklin Ng | Give up or Keep Going?

The short answer to whether you keep going or give up is “If at first you don’t succeed, try again.” This is an old adage that has served us well. If and when you hit an obstacle, you have to determine if the obstacle is even worth overcoming or if you need to go around it. We learned this the hard way and wasted a lot of time and money. Sometimes trying to overcome the obstacle is the obstacle and can take you away from even launching. Finances is often one of those obstacles that seem to cause people to give up. One example that comes to mind is when we focused on trying to make one particular design work. We spent months going back and forth with our manufacture because we wanted all the bells and whistles. Read more>>

Amber Andrews | Photographer & Digital Imaging Expert

I don’t give up, I think that’s a defeating way to look at a project. Instead, I find a way to adjust the expectation… can I change the scope in order to accomplish it in a different way? How can I learn from this experience? Read more>>

Julia Joun | Executive Director

This is a question that occurs every year. As a small nonprofit, there is never enough time, funding, and help. Like other arts organizations and food businesses, 2020 has been a difficult year. We have made it work no matter the circumstances for seven years. For me, the creative challenge of putting together a multi-faceted extravaganza of food and film is irresistible. Also, I really enjoy sharing food culture with the community. Read more>>

Weston Mosburg | Photographer

It all depends on if what you’re pursuing is fulfilling to you. If you’re working hard at something that is going well but you hate it, then you should quit. Alternatively, if you’re working hard on something you’re passionate about, but it may not be going as well as you’d like, that is the time to work harder. Which might mean stop and rethink how you’re going about it, or try it from a new angle. Keep going if it give you life and makes you happy, find something else if you don’t enjoy what you do. Read more>>

Vialet Rayne | Magical Creator, Healer, Teacher & Guide

This is a great question. It has definitely been a question that I have continued to ask myself this year. I always check in with myself and remember “why” I started the business and what the purpose was. I started Discover Your Spiritual Gifts to offer connection, sacredness and empowerment to the individuals that come to the center. I am deeply passionate about what I do and offer to our customers, students and clients. When you are passionate about what you do, I think it serves you in being successful and finding gratitude in what you do. As long as that passion is still in my heart and people are seeking us out, I will keep going forward. Read more>>

Andi Whiskey | Food & Beverage Branding Agency Director

Never give up. That’s just it. If you must end a current path that you’re on, make note of your successes and failures on the project, and change your trajectory. I’ve started and stopped a lot of businesses. I didn’t give up on any. I had to pull out of opening a salon/coffeeshop concept after putting over $40k into it, and finding out I had been screwed over in part of my investments into it. But I took the lessons learned, wrote them all down, and am preparing to redo part of that concept in the future in a way that will work better this time. I didn’t give up. I just changed paths because I didn’t like the path I was on. I’ve closed big businesses that were successful, profitable, and growing, because I realized that if I kept going, I wouldn’t be happy with the trajectory I was on. Don’t keep going just because you’re already on a certain path. Read more>>