We asked experts from a broad range of industries to open up to us about things they know about their industry but that we probably don’t and we’ve shared some of those responses below.

Breezy Sharp | Actress

How much time and MONEY go into having an acting career. When you finally book a job, it’s great. But most have literally spent thousands on classes and workshops and headshots and other industry things by that point. It takes awhile to break even or make “profit” like you would easily in another type of job. Read more>>

Chrissandra Jallah | Photographer

Outsiders are unaware of the amount of work involved in photography, specifically wedding photography. Many people think we’re charging entirely too much money, that we just show up to press a button & slap a filter on their images. However, that’s not the case. There’s a lot of preparation that goes into what we do, with the majority of work being on the backend. It can be frustrating but I’ve learned to handle it. Read more>>

Vera Lotus Onatah | Siouan Spiritual Fitness Oracle

Counselors and Mentors have their own counselors and mentors. Oftentimes individuals are under the impression that we have all the answers because we’re in a position to help them with their challenges. There are days that I need the same level of motivational guidance and encouragement that I freely share with others. Read more>>

Ena Johnson | Herbalist & Hair Stylist

Enazi’s Elixirs is a healing botanical company that sell oils, plants, and botanicals, but we actually make everything – from “earth”! Our oils are made in house from natural organic oils, transformed through our tempering process, and bottled or (glass) jarred in our space. Read more>>

Tonya Bolden-Ball | Speaker, Life Coach, and Community Strategist

One assumption people think is that professional speakers (Keynotes, Moderators, Emcee, etc.) do not have to put much prep/cultivation time into their presentations and craft. That is so far from the truth. I have spent years cultivating my skill by way of education, certifications, and tons of research. Read more>>

Tamecka Adell | Hair & Makeup Artistry

There are a few things in my industry I could name, but I’d have to say learning how to run a business is something that I didn’t know much about…at first. Initially, I didn’t realize running a business was a thing. I primarily focused on or seem to recall most of the education that I knew of seemed to be focused on makeup techniques and not the components beyond the brush. I truly am the CEO, COO, CIO, CMO, CFO, and CTO (that is Chief Traveling Officer because I book my own travel accommodations when contracted for an out-of-town event). Read more>>

Sharonda Irving | Mindset and style coach

There are so Many amazing lanes in fashion .we see a lot of beautiful work from stylists, bloggers and influencers.. I am an Image Consultant. I offer style coaching and education about how to curate your unique personal style. Many people think what i do is the same as the other lanes. I can offer some of the aspects of those other areas, but I am primarily doing focused on teaching women style mindset and wardrobe strategies to use for their daily lives. Rather than a particular moment or event. Read more>>

Mood | Mogul

The success of fame does not equate to the leverage/ or length of your bank account. I think when most people view celebrities and all of the expensive things that they flaunt we tend to equate those materials with long money. Let me tell you that’s not true for most of your favorite celebs. Read more>>

Shirley Luu | Award-winning financial advisor, founder of Shirley Luu & Associates, bestselling author, national speaker on financial literacy, hands-on trainer, and wealth guru

That’s an easy question and it’s not just those outside of my industry, those inside of the industry aren’t aware of this either. It’s the 5-year retirement plan. No one talks about it. They never talk about how we can make money when the stock market makes money and protect ourselves when the market declines. Read more>>