We’ve been fortunate to connect with so many brilliant, thoughtful entrepreneurs and creatives and we regularly ask them about the most important lessons they’ve learned over the course of their careers. We’ve shared some highlights below.

Jose Lawrence | Photographer, Creative, Business Owner

The most important lesson my business has taught me is that I have to be my biggest supporter and investor. When I first started my business I went into it knowing that not everyone would be able to see or understand my vision. Despite that I must constantly push myself forward to achieve my business goals. Being a business owner is very up and down. Some days you may have new clients calling you nonstop, others you may not get a call for weeks at a time. Its all about staying positive and motivated. Read more>>

Moe Ari | Licensed Therapist, Writer, Public Speaker, Authenticity Expert

“Authenticity is the key that unlocks the door to your dreams.” That’s the lesson I learned from my career. I spent a long time trying to pursue all of the traditional pathways to success. There were many people in my life that I viewed as successful mentors and I tried to immolate the steps they took to get to where they are now. Every time I met a challenge, I would try harder to make the path work, believing that my persistence would get me there. Read more>>

Tia Baldwin | Supplier

The most important lesson my business has taught me is to never dilute the vision. As an entrepreneur, it’s definitely a challenge to see the vision through until fulfillment. Even in the process of reaching your goals in business, it’s easy to forget how far you’ve come. Sometimes you feel the urge to feel disappointed or feel like you’re failing when you think about where you want to be but it’s so important to remember where you started. Read more>>

Dr. Elizabeth Taylor | Author & Researcher

As an author, I’ve had the opportunity to speak with veterans and to meet many wonderful and diverse individuals. My writing focuses on a World War II military installation in middle Tennessee, Camp Forrest. It was the fifth largest city in Tennessee and trained over 70,000 soldiers and housed over 20,000 German and Italian prisoners of war. I’ve learned so many aspects about World War II and the home front that are not taught in secondary and university systems. One of the most important lessons being an author has taught me, is that everyone has an important story that should be recorded for posterity. Our history extends far beyond the confines of textbooks, documentaries, and websites. Read more>>

Briana Charles | Pastry Chef & Cake Decorator

The most important lesson my career has taught me would have to be time management. Everything has to be timed correctly in this field. From measuring, mixing, baking, and cooling, to time in the fridge, on the shelf, decorating, or packaging, it all needs to be taken into consideration when you are trying to get that dessert in front of your client by the due date. I truly struggled with time management at the beginning of my journey, I almost missed a few deadlines because of it. Read more>>

Chef STAR Breathett | Chef & Owner

Keep moving forward! No matter what you see, No matter what you hear, no matter what you feel, or no matter what you have failed, always always always keep moving forward. You are actually father then you know! At some point in your business you begin to look at your failures and instead of doing an evaluation you forget that you even had the courage to start something that was only an idea in your head. Read more>>