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.

Saryah Beard | Resin Artist

My business/career has taught me that patience is always key. There are going to be days where everything is slow. There are going to be days where you just want to give it all up. You want to give up your dreams just because nothing is going the way you want. You want to give up because you’re still in a place that you thought you would’ve been out of. You lose focus and sight on what your heart desires, but I learned that you have to stay strong. You have to keep your head held high, and keep going no matter what obstacles may arise. I learned that the storm doesn’t last forever. Read more>>

Jada Dukes | Hairstylist

The most important lesson that my business, LocsByJada has taught me is… I would have to say is to always remain authentic in any and everything that I do. I was so worried that people would not like my hairstyles. I would look up pictures of different hair stylist’s work and try to do exactly what they did. Not because I was just a fan of their work but because I was unsure of my own work and usure about the techniques I depended on to get the look I wanted to achieve. I felt as though my work was not good enough, so I tried to be like other hair stylists. One day I had an epiphany! I remember telling myself that this was not how I was going to run LocsByJada. Read more>>

Gwen White | Owner gwenwhite.com

The most important lesson I have learned is to be patient and meet people at their level. What this means is if there are inquiries about your business, answer them right away. Don’t leave the customer in a lurch, but at the same time understand what it is they are asking. If there is a problem and the customer is mad, ask them why are they mad and what can you do to fix the problem. Never get upset with them…they could be having a bad day and you were the next one in line that happened to get the bad treatment. There are times that the business will not be lucrative. Go back and see the ebb and flow of the business. Plan for those peaks and figure out how to make the low points more profitable. Most of the time the business is cyclical- you just need to pay attention. Read more>>