We asked some brilliant folks from the community to tell us about the most important lesson their business or career has taught them. We’ve shared some of those responses below.

Joel Silverstein | Marketing Expert and Overlander

The number one lesson my career and business(es) have had is that you have to take the risk in order to reap the reward. I haven’t had my billion dollar buyout (yet) but I’ve learned enough to know that I have to keep trying. Read more>>

Ashton Lewis | Graphic Design & Digital Transformation Specialist

Don’t get caught up chasing perfection at the expense of progress. I’m sure many of us can relate to the sentiments behind this saying. As a creative person, I often find myself striving for excellence and battling my inner critic’s aversion to mediocrity. However, it’s important to strike a balance, just as this phrase suggests. I like to ask myself the following: What are the expectations of the people I’m working for (their goals and desired outcomes)? By aligning the expectations of both the client and yourself, you not only ensure the project moves forward smoothly but also find contentment with the end result. This doesn’t mean compromising; it means skillfully navigating the project to meet your client’s needs. Read more>>

Shannon Hames | Owner & Soapmaker

The most important thing that my bath and body business has taught me is confidence. As a small business owner, there are constantly things that pop up that you have never done before. When you haven’t faced a particular situation or you don’t know how to approach a new problem, it’s easy to go into a paralysis mode, feel a lack of confidence, or even start to wonder if you’re an imposter in your industry. But after taking the initiative to learn more and just go for it, you quickly learn that it’s probably not as dire as you first thought. Owning your own business provides a lot of practice for those types of situations. Eventually, you start to skip the self-doubting phase and just jump right to the “I can do this too” part. Read more>>

Gretta Fosha | Drowsy Water Ranch Family

Drowsy Water Ranch is successful because we have owners that are willing to share in the time, energy, and passion for what they love with their guests, staff, and family. Ken and Randy Sue bought the ranch in 1977. It was already operating as a dude ranch at that time but they added their own twist to the business. They raised their two sons, Justin and Ryan, at the ranch and mentored countless staff members along the way. There was never a part of the business they weren’t willing to do and they never asked staff do complete any tasks that they could not do or had not already done themselves. Read more>>