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.

Quenisha Williams | CEO, Owner and Head Cake Designer

The most important lesson my business has taught me is to keep learning. Before I started my business and used to bake as a hobby to meet new people since I moved from a different state in my teens. Growing up with baking it was my way of making friends. As I grew up and had my sons it was my way of bonding with them. We would find different ways to create brownies and cupcakes, but what they did not know I was showing them how to cook and bake. As I taught myself how to create different recipes I did not know how to decorate. I had a conversation with my old manager about my idea and she gave me a chance to learn how to do the basics of cake decorating. Since I am a self-taught baker I wanted to go to culinary school but changed my mind and I enrolled in college and now I have a college degree in Business Administration. I have been in business for the last 5 1/2 years and I can honestly say that I have created some impressive creations over the years. In the 2023 I dibbled and dabbled and created my cookie creations. I taught myself how to create several of the viral heart cakes as well as using my Cricut to make different cake toppers to make them one of a kind for each one of my customers. Read more>>

Danielle McCurdy Hale | Realtor

My business has taught me to be fearless and believe in myself. Its taught me to be consistent and to work hard to ensure my clients have the best outcomes. Read more>>

SHAWANNA ANDERSON | Master License Cosmetologist, Desairologist & Full time Mortuary Science Student

The most important factor behind the success of my brand is G.O.D. Without God, there wouldn’t be me to have the success/ brand that He has blessed me with. Growing up within a Christian Seventh-Day Adventist household was and still is important. My grandmother taught me a lot and without her being the main teacher or guidance in my life, I wouldn’t know God for myself the way I do right now. If she didn’t embody Who God is and how He lived, I wouldn’t have chosen this path that I’m currently on. Even though my Mom and oldest sister was the niche for me to do hair and loving the beauty industry, my grandmother, Gladys Anderson, was the one who gave me the, “yes, you can”, when I dropped out of college after the third year to pursue my dream- becoming a licenced Cosmetologist. I thought heading for this specific purpose would be insurmountable. Once I got my Cosmetology License in 09’, I started to do more weddings, photo shoots, music videos, films/movies, celebrities and so much more. I even had my own salon for a few years in Brooklyn, NY. However, I always thought about finishing what I started when it came to college, so I shut down my salon and headed to work part time and get into school full time. Read more>>