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.

Shemeka Wright | Actress & Entrepreneur

The most crucial lesson my career and running my business has taught me is that resilience is the key to overcoming challenges. Embracing setbacks as opportunities to learn and grow has been essential for long-term success. Read more>>

Caroll Lee | Founder & CEO, Provenance

The most important lesson is that mistakes are an opportunity to learn. A recovering perfectionist myself, I’ve had to teach myself that it’s more valuable to fail and learn from my mistakes than to stress about things being perfect from the start. I like to remind myself – don’t let perfect be the enemy of the good. Read more>>

Rocsii Woolley | Founder and CEO The Source LA

The most important lesson my business has taught me is the undeniable significance of building relationships. Throughout my entrepreneurial journey, I’ve come to realize that cultivating authentic connections is a necessity. The ability to establish and nurture meaningful relationships has proven to be a pivotal factor in the success of my ventures. Read more>>

Ardelle Aquino | Aesthetic Nurse Injector

I became an RN right at the beginning of the pandemic. The Covid unit I worked on was severely understaffed, and sadly A LOT of my patients did not make it. As a nurse working during the pandemic, we definitely saw more death than the average nurse ever saw in a lifetime. I would cry before and after all of my shifts. I HATED going to work. I knew that I couldn’t live like this so that’s when I decided to search for another field of nursing. I applied to my first med spa and got the job! As I worked longer in the aesthetic field I fell in love with it! It didn’t take me long to quit my bedside position and go full time in aesthetics. Now I’ve been practicing for over 3 years and could not be more in love with my career. Everyday I wake up knowing that I love my job! Read more>>

Joanna Hale-McGill | International Gospel Recording Artist & Actress

My singing career has taught me a great deal about people, those around me, those who support, and even those who don’t support. They’ve all been a major help to get me to where I am. People will be people, but its those that stand by you no matter what that helps build you. I found it to be very critical to allow someone to show you who they are along this journey. I’ve learned not to take advice from everyone because most don’t want to see you succeed, they want to hinder your progress or they simply just don’t like you for their own insecurities. Some people are seasonal in your life. Use your discernment to determine people are. Never ignore the red flags! Read more>>