We asked folks we admire to share one piece of conventional advice that they disagree with.

Chris Loving-Campos | Web & Graphic Designer

I’d have to say, “sacrifice now so you can enjoy life later.” This was the slogan and mindset I heard growing up. I come from a family of business owners and entrepreneurs. Growing up my family worked all the time, throughout the day, over the weekends and evenings with no end in sight. Obviously they were passionate about what they did but everything revolved around working. Vacations and time off didn’t exist. As I came into business for myself forging my own path, I completely disagree with that mentality. Sure, as entrepreneurs we need to work hard. We need to have drive and ambition, we need to put one foot in front of the other and we need to have systems in place to set us up for success. Read more>>

Greg Lefcourt | Barista/Co-Owner at Beleza Coffee Bar

That “the customer is always right.” There are many approaches to giving top notch hospitality and service while still providing education and learning opportunities for those who may need more information on particular topics (such as specialty coffee) when visiting our cafe. There is an ever-present goal to achieve the highest level of customer satisfaction without turning off customers with arrogance, attitude, or too much information. Read more>>

Sloane Ansell | Owner, Alpha Lit Denver

I whole heartedly disagree with the phrase, “The customer is always right” because it’s just simply not true! I believe that there is a respectful way to understand why a customer is feeling a certain way, and make it right while still holding true to your values. Read more>>

Estella Dawn | Songwriter/Singer/Producer

That as a musician/artist there is a window of time in which you must become successful. I remember having a phone call with a somewhat high up music executive and she said something along the lines of “you need to do X, Y, Z, because you’re running out of time to make it.” Indicating that there was somehow a time limit on me being able to have a successful career in music. That if I didn’t act right now, I was going to end up old and singing to my friends, family and dogs. Like any career, whether it be carpentry, graphic design, or bar tending, you start out with the understanding that you will build your skills over time. People don’t come out of the womb with a complete and in depth understanding of astrophysics or algebra. Read more>>