One of the most important lessons we learned is that our lives and our businesses will teach us along the way. We don’t need to know everything on day one because the challenges we face on day will likely be ones we are already equipped to handle. As we overcome challenges we get better and better and as the challenges increase in difficulty so too does our ability to tackle them.

We asked members of the community that we admire to share important lessons their business or career has taught them and have shared some of those responses below.

Raquel Machado | Freelance Creative

If you don’t try you will never know . We spent a lot time thinking , talking but we need to put those words into action , someone told me : What is the worse that could happen?! . So I decided to go for it and put a stop to my fear of the unknown and trust more . Perfect love can cast away any fear , I always been passionate about helping others and to me this was my outlet but never in my wildest dream though I would be doing this . According to me I wasn’t the crafty type , I told myself .. you don’t have patience for that and now here I am . Read more>>

Kianne Hutchinson | Digital artist, muralist, photographer, wall art creator.

Do not stop. Whether it be experimenting with new styles, creating for yourself or, in the face of discouragement, deciding to do one more thing; being able to see the hints that you are still on the path you should be on and keep on going. Read more>> 

Hollie K. Henry | Esthetician, Professional Makeup Artist, and Educator

The most important lesson my business has taught me is to be open to opportunities outside of what I expected. I have learned that oftentimes we come up with a plan, which is important, but that plan will include a route to our destination. If we are so focused on what we think that journey looks like, we can miss out on opportunities that could lead us to our destination. That does not mean saying yes to everything, but before saying no, I take the time to see the potential blessing and opportunity for growth. Read more>>

Brandon Cruz | Musician, Educator, & Non-Profit Founder/Director

The most important lesson I have learned through this experience is that you must be patient and persistent in your core beliefs, while at the same time being flexible as situations come up unexpectedly. Read more>>