They say life isn’t about the things that happen to you, but about the decisions you make. There’s a ton of coverage about the best decisions people have made, but not nearly enough conversation about the tough decisions. We asked folks we admire to tell us about the most difficult decision they’ve ever had to make and have shared some of those responses below.

LaShayla Simpson | Chief Creative Officer & Mocktail Maven

The most difficult decision I’ve ever had to make was the decision to trust myself–my ideas, my vision, my intuition–without seeking the validation of others first. In areas that I feel comfortable (mainly creative spaces), I’m confident and go with what comes naturally to me. I’m a planner, super detail-oriented, and logistics are my jam. I love brainstorming, coming up with concepts from start to finish, and trying new things. Once I entered the entrepreneurial space, I felt like everyone else in business knew more than me. I was inundated by talk of funnels and email sequences and copy and best platforms to use for list building and CRMs and must-take courses and creating high ticket programs. Read more>>

David Stephens | Puppeteer & Banjo Player

Professionally speaking, the most difficult decision I’ve had to make was to leave New York City. I became a professional puppeteer because I was an obsessed Muppet fan as a child. Being a fan morphed into a hobby of making puppets and putting on my own shows. Gradually, I took that hobby more seriously and being a professional puppeteer became a full-time career. Read more>>

Nirayl Kyeison | Founder & CEO of Zella Mae’s

The most difficult decision I’ve ever had to make was answering the question “do I keep going or turn back?”. I’d suddenly and unexpectedly lost my granny, Zella Mae’s namesake, and nothing in me could process that. After her passing I found myself thrust back into this world that I was building except she was no longer there to discuss our favorite scents or laugh about the time she found me covered from head to toe in her favorite perfumed talcum powder. I felt like I was in the middle of the ocean just wading water. I finally said to myself “Girl, you have swim either way it goes so you might as well press on”. It wasn’t until I began to see this brand I’m building as her legacy, and mine, that I truly started to heal and move the business forward. Read more>>