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.

Shea VanKeuren | Artist

The most important lesson that my business, ShadyWolf Designs, has taught me is to always keep changing. Keep evolving and looking for new ideas. Keep trying new things, new designs, new materials and color palettes. There is no reason to stay in a box. If something isn’t working or you don’t like it, move on and try something else. Don’t be afraid to start over! While my main business is jewelry making, I just love creating in general. I love making things with my hands and having a piece of art as the end result. Sometimes you also have a piece of mess in the end, and that’s okay too. Each experience of making something teaches you a lesson – how to do it better or differently the next time. Read more>>

Aisha Glenn-Bracey | Balloon Stylist

The most important lesson that my business has taught me is to just GO FOR IT. I’ve learned that we hold ourselves back thinking too much on the how or making excuses as to why something won’t work instead of just taking a leap of faith and following our dreams! For me, this business has made me Step outside my comfort zones and every time I do, I succeed. Read more>>

Nora Alwah | Social Justice Therapist & Coach

That the more congruent I am, the more successful business I have. Every time I’ve not fully listened to my intuition, there has always been some type of backlash. Something became suddenly more complicated, or I perhaps started feeling resentful at someone as I was not honoring myself. On the other hand, every time I have dared to fully listen and maybe invest in myself in ways that I didn’t think were possible, my business has always grown tenfold. So my practice is to ask myself the question: “Is this truly in congruence with me?”, and pay attention to the ways my body speaks, and honor the response. Read more>>

Bethany Webb | Mindset Coach + Author

To trust that life has my back. My career has taken some creative twists and turns over the past 15 years – from advertising executive to yoga therapist to bodyworker to B&B manager to painter to coaching to author…Some jobs were part of “the plan” and the majority just showed up when I was ready to meet them. A few examples… – I burnt out in my advertising career, which led me to quit my job and buy a one-way ticket to Spain. – I failed my first yoga training, which led me to launch my career as a private yoga instructor. – I was at war with my parents, which led me to attend a Byron Katie event that forever changed my life (and my career). – I found a bag of art supplies in the attic of my rental home, which led me to become a painter. – I was evicted from my home, which led me to go after my dream job of managing a B&B retreat property. Read more>