We asked some brilliant entrepreneurs, artists and creatives to reflect on lessons they’ve learned at prior jobs. We’ve shared highlights below.

Dr. Lisa Fernandez, Pt, Dpt

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned (or realized) over the years is that every job, position, assignment, client, patient, (etc., etc.) is important or relevant in some way to your future professional career. In essence, I truly believe that everything I’ve done in the past, and every person I’ve worked with (staff or patient) has helped me in some way and led me to where I am now in owning my own practice. I think it’s hard for us to look at “jobs” this way because most of the time we are so busy and focused on getting through the day/week/month that it’s hard to take a step back and appreciate what we are doing and learning. This happens especially in healthcare as it can be very demanding, physically tiring, and even cause burnout. Read more>>

Roberto Perez

It is always important to be grateful to the places that see you come up and that also gave you the formation to what you may have now become in your present business career, I for example had a very solid and contemporary foundation for the title insurance business that I am grateful to have been around a set of very diligent and organized ladies in the Escrow offices that I was employed at when beginning my career. This help me to be very clear on how the set up aspect of the business was supposed to be set up. Read more>>

Frederika Easley

Have you ever felt wronged…worked yourself up to address the issue, prepared to be met with defensiveness, only to have the other party immediately agree? And you still were not satisfied? Often times in life whether it be personal or professional situations, the fixing of a problem can be more about an emotional need than the remedy itself. And it is our personal responsibility to know and be able to articulate our needs. Goals may be two-fold but we must be clear on them and their motivations in order to truly resolve. Read more>>

Katie Miner

I got my business up and running in my late 30s — so had a ton of job experience before starting up. A part of me wishes I opened up sooner, but I’m grateful I didn’t because I picked up so many invaluable skills along the way…

In my early 20s I gained an important set of skills working as a server at an Italian restaurant. Experience in the service industry is invaluable because it’s all about customer service! What an awesome way to learn how to pivot and adapt to situations as they arise, interface with all types of personalities, and play different roles to suit different needs. Read more>>

Carl Bleke

I spent 5 years working sales for a major music retailer and one of the main philosophies they would constantly reinforce was ’sell clients what they need, not what they want’. The idea being that a client may come to you wanting to purchase something to achieve a certain goal, but if what they are looking for will not achieve that goal, it is your responsibility to work with and educate the client and ultimately sell them the best equipment to reach their goal. For technical matters, this was always pretty easy to identify and correct, but in situations that were more artistic and personal taste, it could defintely be a bit more difficult to navigate. Read more>>

Carissa West

I have learned many lessons over the years working for different types of massage establishments and business owners which has shaped me into who I am as a wellness center owner. The biggest lesson I have learned is that supporting my team is a top priority. If the team does not feel like I have their back then they cannot do their best in their job. Their job satisfaction is highly dependent on our relationship. People need to feel heard and understood. Read more>>