We asked some brilliant folks from the community to tell us about the most important lesson their business or career has taught them. We’ve shared some of those responses below.

Yan Simon | Pop musician, singer-songwriter

That no amount of external influence can help you if you don’t believe in yourself and your career. People can be extremely supportive, or, conversely, try to put you down every chance they get. At the end of the day, those people will continue going on about their lives, while you will be left to deal with your own. There has to be an innate, unconditional drive within you to continue building whatever it is you want your life to be, and it cannot rely on somebody’s approval or judgement. Read more>>

Zack Placencia | Self Employed Cinematographer

For me, starting my own business and creating a brand has been an unexpected journey of self discovery. When you begin a venture most of the time you think you just want to make money. But anyone can make money doing anything. So you have to ask yourself, “why am I choosing to make money through _______?” I’ve spent hours contemplating why I chose to have videos be the means of making an income. Why I wanted to work for myself. Read more>>

Calli Tansa | Arizona Based Portrait and Wedding Photographer

One of the coolest parts of photography is training your mind to turn the ordinary into art. As Elliot Erwitt says, “Photography is an art of observation. It has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.” Through photography, I have been able to find beauty in even the smallest things. I never would have looked at the side of an old post office and thought that it was cute before my business. Read more>>