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.

Leah Layman | Photographer & Videographer

My business has taught me the importance of having genuine relationships with my clients. I truly care for every person I work with. The most gratifying I think is when a couple chooses me after I have photographed their wedding, to capture their family memories in the years to come. Read more>>

Lilly Talavera | Author & Inventor

The most important lesson my business has taught me is that when you choose to do things less conventionally, you are taking greater risks in life. I think life should be a great journey in which you have no idea what life will bring to you. When I look back on even just the last 5 years of my life, it has completely changed. I want to encourage those with experiences to share them with the world, even if your experience was something you’d rather forget or the best experience of your life. I want to encourage people to do something out of their element. I think writing is a way to document and record your life at a certain moment and to teach those that are not yet there. Choosing an eccentric business career and learning from your experiences is like experiencing a chapter in your book. Read more>>

Leslie Kell | Digital Artist

Persistence and faith. Building an artistic practice can be compared to chiseling through a wall. You have no idea how dense or thick the wall is, or how long it might take to break through, yet you keep chipping away. Some days that blind faith is harder to muster than others. But perseverance coupled with intention can break down those walls. One of my favorite quotes that has become a mantra of mine is attributed to artist Chuck Close: “Inspiration is for amateurs; the rest of us just show up and get to work.” Often, it’s in the work that you find the inspiration. Read more>>