How do you know when you should keep going versus when it makes sense to cut your losses and try something new? It’s a difficult decision most entrepreneurs and creatives have faced along their journey and so we asked some brilliant folks from the community to share their thoughts.

Devon Dabney Swan | Founder and Coach

This is a good question, and something I have recently been dealing with on a daily bases. The way I see it, if there is the tiniest piece deep down inside you that still wants it, or still dreams about it — Don’t give up. Don’t given in. There is a small piece of you that decided to start this journey. Find that small piece again, find that reason why, and hold on to it. It will get you through. Read more>>

Jessica Kalina | Photographer, Educator

It’s a funny thing… I have worn many hats throughout my professional life, and the path to each has almost always involved a moment or two where I’ve said that the price is just too high. Whether it’s that it’s taking too long to achieve my goal or that my self-doubt is getting the best of me, I have wanted to quit so many times. Underneath it is a desire to live the way I want to live and do what I want to do, so I have my little wobbly moment, take a pause, then keep moving forward on my path. Critical in this, of course, is that I am following my passions. Read more>>

Bridget Lamonica | Camera and Steadicam Operator

This is an interesting question right now. The film industry has just had two years of struggle, thanks to the (honestly understandable) Writer’s and Actor’s Strikes of 2023 and the distinct lack of work for many film professionals in 2024. There was a bit of a production boom after Covid protocols were put into place in 2020, in which every streaming service suddenly wanted tons of content, but since there was so much competition, they all cut back on production in order to re-evaluate their business model, which left a lot of film folks in the lurch. Read more>>

Morgan Tyler | Recording Artist & Songwriter

Truthfully, I don’t know if there’s ever a right time to give up on something that you genuinely want and dream about. Not if it’s your passion and it runs through your blood. There’s a common saying that goes around nowadays saying “It’s not on you it’s in you.” I think that reins true on everything but especially with goals and creative ventures. I think we as a society tend to forget that it’s okay to fail. Often times, you can argue it’s good to fail before you succeed, so that you can learn from your previous mistakes. I don’t think it does anyone justice to win on the first try and keep on winning and winning after that. How are you going to know how to adapt to your situation, or weather storms when you haven’t been given the luxury to see something not work out? That’s why I’m big on the word pivot. Never give up, and trust the process. Read more>>