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.

Anthony Teav | Mama Teav’s Co-Founder

Some of my earliest childhood memories revolve around my grandparents, who, like my parents, were immigrants fleeing genocide and war in Cambodia. I spent a lot of time watching my grandmother prepare lunch and dinner for our large family. We ate meals on mats and sheets spread out on the kitchen linoleum floor. She was an incredible cook, passionate and expressive through her food and occasional tongue lashings. Read more>>

Tova Mozard | Artist

I was born in Sweden but moved around a lot during my upbringing. My parents were artists and “hippies”. They wanted the good life with homegrown vegetables, living as a collective and prioritizing art and solidarity and friendship.
Almost as being each other parents and raising the kids amongst them together. I think it all became a bit too much and it ended for everyone in different scenarios. Read more>>

Valerii Makovetskii | Founder of Everytalent, serial entrepreneur and investor

Both my parents are from Ukraine. Although I was born in Russia, until I was 14, I spent every summer in a Ukrainian village with one TV for 5,000 people. It was during this period that I truly learned to work—from dusk to dawn, at any age. If you want to eat, first harvest. If you want milk, feed the cows first. Try to collect potatoes from two hectares of land, and office work will seem like heaven to you. Read more>>

Hsiaowen Hsu | Writer/Director

Growing up in Taiwan, a land caught between shadows of identity, I was nurtured in a traditional family with expectations etched in stone: to embody perfection as a student and a daughter. Though my teachers, classmates, neighbors, and family beamed with pride, I often felt like a whisper—present yet barely seen. The weight of meeting these expectations felt like my only way to prove I existed, and I feared the void of failure more than anything. Read more>>

Hannah Hyatt | Digital Media Artist | Actor | Storyteller

I’m from a little-known city in the Inland Empire, what we call the IE. Riverside is the sleepy desert gem at its heart, though it’s not so sleepy anymore—if it ever really was. To a passerby traveling to Palm Springs, where the 91 meets the 215, it might seem that way. But underneath it all, beneath that overpass, Riverside is full of life, with complicated and resilient people. People come and go, and some stay. Some leave and come back. Those who stay have cultivated a culture of creativity that draws on the land, the dust, the hot sun, and the unique sights and sounds of the IE. Read more>>

Ylva Erevall | Freelance Photographer

I’m originally from Sweden, and my upbringing has been pivotal in shaping who I am today. In Sweden, people value honesty and directness, which means getting to the point without unnecessary fluff. This approach to communication has been invaluable in my personal as well as professional life, making interactions clearer, faster, and avoiding misunderstandings. Read more>>

Jessie Frietze-armenta | Environmental advocate, entrepreneur, an

Growing up skating and surfing in North County San Diego, nature and action sports were outlets that allowed me to feel free and find my sense of self – places I could go to feel truly free from the worries of the outside world. Read more>>

Katie Novotny | Freelance Copywriter/Comedian

I’m from Naperville, IL, a Midwest gal through and through. I have a ‘Midwest’ necklace I wear every day. You know, in case I get lost and need to find my way home. My grandma was a singer for the Chicago Lyric Opera, my mom is a drama teacher, so I fell in love with the stage at a very young age. A former theater minor and community theater star herself, my mom started the Drama Club at my grade school. Read more>>

Micheal Carraway | Photographer & Videographer

Im from a small town called Longview, Texas. As a kid Id always have a camcorder recording any, and everything. It’s something id never realize id be doing in the future, even looking back I remember making small self videos for Youtube all through school growing up. Its taught me I have the personality to be in front of a camera, as well as the self confidence to even talk and express my feelings through art, and storytelling. Read more>>

Farah (firefly) Mitha | Singer, Songwriter, Actor, Speaker & Founder of Firefly World

Hi! My name is Farah Mitha aka Firefly and i’m a singer, songwriter, actor, speaker and founder of a youth empowerment brand/movement called Firefly World. I was born and raised in Ottawa, Canada, did my bachelors and masters degree in Physical Therapy at Queen’s University in Kingston, Canada and then lived in Toronto for several years prior to moving to LA to pursue my music and creative career. Read more>>

Meet Julie Ann | Retreat center owner and founder of the Punta Mita Wellness Village in Nayarit, Mexico

I am British and was born in the Shires (like the hobbits). Leicestershire is in the middle of England and has an ancient history, with many buildings over 500 years old. My Grammar school was in Market Bosworth where the battle of the roses took place in 1485 and the local pub is so old you have to bow your head to get through the tiny hobbit door. Read more>>

Cymere Lasean | Creative Artist – Specializing in Improv, Music, Dance, Acting, and Writing

I’m from Camden, NJ, and Sicklerville, NJ. Growing up in both the city and the suburbs gave me a unique perspective. Camden inspired my dreams and ambition, while the suburbs gave me structure and a focus on education. Read more>>

Daria Daria Marmaluk-hajioannou | World Music Performer and Recording Artist

You can probably tell by my name that I am a mixture of several world cultures. Although that was tough as a child, as I grew older I came to understand how each place and culture that I lived in taught me so many valuable lessons. It is amazing to see the world through both indigenous and ethnic eyes, each with it’s own unique take on life. Read more>>

Jieru Tang | Motion Designer & Illustrator

My name is Tang Jieru, and I am an illustrator and motion designer from China. I am currently pursuing dual master’s degrees—an MFA in Motion Media Design and an MA in Illustration—at SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design). My passion for art began in childhood, driven by a natural sensitivity to and love for drawing. According to my mother, when I was three years old, I covered our home’s walls with illustrations. Recognizing my talent, she enrolled me in art classes to learn the basics, marking the start of my artistic journey. Read more>>

Riccardo Malpeli | Musician

I’m originally from Italy, and my background has significantly shaped who I am today. Growing up in Italy, I was immersed in a culture rich in art, music, and history, which naturally influenced my passion for creativity, particularly in music. However, I always felt a strong pull towards the modern and innovative, which led me to move to California. This shift allowed me to blend my traditional roots with a more contemporary, forward-thinking approach to my work. Read more>> 

Ebony Richardson | Empowerment Strategist & Nonprofit Visionary

I’m from Compton, California—where my roots run deep. My grandfather bought our home with a VA $1 loan, and that house has always been my anchor. We moved around a lot when I was younger, but when I was about 12, my mom decided North Long Beach would be home. Still, no matter where we lived, Compton was always home in my heart. That place, that house, taught me about the power of community, legacy, and resilience. Read more>>

Robert Ingram | Creative Director

Im born and raised on the south side of Chicago Illinois. I was the youngest of four siblings navigating throughout a lower class neighborhood. Observing poverty, gang activity, drug use and violence consistently has an impact on your psyche. As a child you only could rely on your parents teachings or the bad choices you witness daily.  Read more>>

Sunshine Cooper

I was born and raised in Washington Heights, New York City, with a Bahamian heritage that has profoundly influenced my journey. Growing up in a creative household with three brothers who were all involved in artistic fields, I was naturally drawn to the arts. One of my brothers, an actor and film producer, exposed me to the behind-the-scenes world of fashion and film, including unforgettable experiences like movie sets and New York Fashion Week. These moments sparked my passion for makeup, and I soon began assisting at events, learning hands-on from seasoned artists. Read more>>

Chris Davis

To introduce myself, my name is Chris Davis, and I’m from Gary Indiana. My story is different as I’m not from a place known for its industrial developments. In fact, a simple search of the words ‘Gary Indiana’ and the first videos are titled “America’s Most Miserable City” and “The Scary End Of The American Dream”. Business Insider listed it at as the most miserable city in the US in 2019. Read more>>

Eugene Hook

I’m originally from a small town in central Ukraine, where my journey as an artist began in a rather unconventional way. At just 13, I did my first tattoo with a guitar string—a piece of art that my friend still wears proudly. This early start sparked a lifelong passion for tattooing, but my artistic path took several fascinating turns. Read more>>

Mike Campo

We are the grandchildren of Sicilian immigrants, so we take pride in everything we do, make, or put our names on! We all grew up working and hustling and loving serving people! Today everything is different, there is no action! I have to wait around like everybody else…..can’t even get food! Last week I ordered pasta with marinara and I got noodles and ketchup! Read more>>

Alyssa Alyx” Cassese”

I grew up in a small hamlet called Franklin Square as a third generation resident from a family who lived and bled Long Island. Despite being walking distance from Queens and quick train ride into the center of Manhattan, Franklin Square radiates suburbia and had always felt quite tiny. I guess I was kind of a Franklin Square nepo baby; the child of a former Homecoming Queen of my high school, the grandchild of the Chief of the Fire Department, and someone whose history was pretty steeped in the fabric of a “census-designated place” that isn’t even on the map unless you zoom in. Read more>>