We asked experts from a broad range of industries to open up to us about things they know about their industry but that we probably don’t and we’ve shared some of those responses below.

Nita Whitaker | Singer, Actor, Author, non-profit founder

One thing that industry outsider are unaware of is the constant hustle it is to stay creative and relevant in show business. Unless you are someone who is in a hit broadway show or a series regular on television, or have a movie career that can sustain you, we are truly gig workers. We get one gig and audition and audition for the next. I have two daughters who are both incredibly talented and paying their dues on the road to their creative dreams. Because I understand where they are, I can support and understand the highs and lows as their careers move forward. Read more>>

Pixie Brastki | Founder of Pixie Moons

The amount of work that goes into it. I make videos (Reiki, Astrology and Divination) as well create Art for my RedBubble platform. The “Behind the Scenes”. I tried to share some of that process with my Patrons, but it was only the technical aspect (ie, what I use, where I work – and even that has changed over the months). Read more>>

Armand Puszta | Model & Software Developer Student

That if you go to a fashion week from an other city, either milan, paris or london, you need to get like 4-5 shows to make some profit(except if it is one of the biggest shows because then it pays better), otherwise if you get less than that, you might not even balance your agency fees out. Read more>>

Stacey Dennick | Face painter, writer, editor, and instructor

Most people don’t realize how involved face painting can be. Those of us who are dedicated pros take classes, attend conventions (yes, on Zoom during Covid) and practice a lot. It’s so much fun, but also a business that requires a lot of office time scheduling, promoting, ordering supplies, etc. Read more>>

Teri Meredyth | Piano Technician/Rebuilder

Most people think of “piano tuners” when they talk about people who work on pianos. We call ourselves Piano Technicians, because most of us do WAY more than just tune. Maintaining a fine instrument involves regulating (adjusting) the action, for example, and voicing the hammers so the tone pleases the piano’s owner. It may also involve repair, and eventually, complete restoration. Restoring a good instrument is truly one of life’s joys for me! After nearly forty years as a self-employed Piano Technician/Rebuilder, I still enjoy the variety of work involved in my profession. Read more>>

Ashley Lowe | Multifaceted Spiritualist

Being an intuitive reader is actually a pretty draining this. Although I read cards, that’s not my only method of communicating with source. Every moment I get messages. I hear people’s prayers and unfortunately I feel when people are projecting on me. It is a very stressful but fulfilling gift to have and can be a little lonely at times. It takes a lot of work, education, healing and strength to do this type of work and it’s a constant battle of self. Read more>>

Tara Alice | Actor, Model & Soul Coach

The best acting class is life. Nothing that any acting class can teach you will ever equate to what life can teach you about the craft. Acting is not faking. Acting is being real under imaginary circumstances. Yes, I trained, I took classes, etc. It wasn’t until I experienced various ups and downs, and true growth in life that my craft started to shine. The secret is thoroughly getting to know yourself. Thats where the magic is. I will admit, it can be easier said than done. Another key is mastering the art of being in the moment. Read more>>

Brandon Baker | Social Media Influencer & Content creator

One thing most people are not aware of within the influencer space is the amount of work and man power that goes into creating, establishing, and maintaining a brand. As a one man team I am in charge of every aspect of my brand, Sir Brandon Nicholas. Meaning I am responsible for forging creative ideas, networking within the industry, and capturing, editing & distributing social content at scale. I am my own publicist, agent, assistant, creative director, copywriter, photographer….the list goes on and on. Not to mention being the figure head/talent for my brand. Read more>>

Sara Zacuto | Resale Curator & Shop Owner

I think the most common misperception is that reselling is an easy job. So much work goes into driving, sourcing, budgeting, cleaning, fixing, staging and photographing, posting, communicating with customers and shipping or delivering items. The easy part is definitely hunting for unique and vintage things, but the rest is like a full time job. I have two young kids, so I have to try to find time and energy to commit to getting things done, which after this last year has been quite a challenge. Read more>>

Jack & Kenau Victor | Techky Apparel Founders

People fail to realize just how intriguing tech really is and how much of an impact it has on our daily lives. We are heavily engaged on these devices hours at a time. It’s amazing how much time we spend on our phones, Ipads, watching our smart TVs, and the list goes on and on. However, people still seem oblivious to how intrigued they are by technology and the advancements that this industry has contributed to. Read more>>

Chelsea Kwoka | Voice Over Actor

Working in Voice Over in the Entertainment industry, I think people are often surprised when they find out how little time I actually get to spend in the booth recording. Most of my time is spent marketing myself to potential clients, casting directors, producers, etc. Otherwise I am negotiating contracts or following up on invoices (or looping in my agents to help with that!). People are not expecting to hear how much business is involved, and tend to believe actors sit around waiting for phones to ring! My voice is my business and brand and like any product, you can’t deliver something if people don’t know about it, so it’s a lot of metaphorical knocking on doors and putting myself out there to potential clients in varied ways. Read more>>

Wendy Childers | Wendy Childers & Billy Walsh | TC Raw Eats, Pet Health & Nutrition

People outside of the raw pet food industry probably have no idea the amount of steps and legality that go into it. It seems like a pretty straight forward industry, but there isn’t a Google search that you can do which tells you step by step instructions in order to make a successful business regarding pet food. There were plenty of walls we ran into when we first started. Licensing from so many different places was a huge eye opener that we had begun a highly regulated occupation. Read more>>

Aaron Kremen | Event Coordinator & Producer

The amount of time that goes into planning an event. For concerts/events, the show is the reward. Many don’t consider how much it takes to bring all of that together: The lighting, the coordinating, the bands/artists – it’s a lot. At the beginning, it’s a lot of your personal time, too. Read more>>

Dan Warner | Actor – Coach – Photographer

I think people don’t understand the amount of work and tenacity it takes to “get lucky” in this business. Preparation takes the pressure off of luck. I don’t know who said that, but it’s my favorite motto. Read more>>

Ryan PR Morse | Music Producer, Engineer, Entrepreneur at Access Analog

The life of a song, from creation, then producing, then recording, then mixing and then mastering. It’s easiest to relate to the writing of a song and then the process of recording it in a studio. And most of us have heard of famous producers and might have some notion of what they do. But mixing and mastering are often overlooked or misunderstood, and both steps are critical to the sound of a song. Artists put so much effort into creating their music, then capturing it in the recording studio. Read more>>

Ari Mason | vocalist, producer, and viola da gamba player

All of the inside jokes hidden in the music you hear. I have two sides to my career: I produce and release my own music, and I work with composers in television and film, singing and playing viola da gamba on their scores and occasionally producing. The composer with whom I work most often is a close friend of mine, and we’ve known each other half our lives. Read more>>

Aisha Cort | Entrepreneur & Scholar

One thing about candle-making that many are unaware of is the sheer amount of time and precision that goes into creating a candle that is suitable for you to bring into your home. The combination of curating fragrances, wick testing, curing the candles, finding the perfect ratio of wax to fragrance oil per fragrance, and then starting from scratch if after all that it’s simply not right— the process to get everything right for just on fragrance can take weeks. Read more>>

Kabrel Geller | I create a unique food experience

Most people only see the finished product: when they walk into a venue and see the beautiful experience that has been created, or only taste the food once it is brought to the table. It takes hours, days, many times weeks to create. Before getting into the Event industry I never realized the dedication and love most people feel towards each and every client. Well, maybe not EVERY we all have a story or two! No matter what a client pays for these artists and artisans to bring their vision to life, it could never be equal to the amount of time and dedication their vendors bring. Read more>>

Kofi Antwi | Writer

Finding an audience or community for our work. Without the engagement from the readers, authors or writers work wouldn’t evolve into a communal relationship between writers and readers. Read more>>

Kala MacDonald | Private Tantric Hatha Meditation and Yoga Coach – Global Retreat Host – Nonprofit Founder

The yoga industry is extremely, EXTREMELY unregulated. So many so-called yoga teachers, even very popular ones, around the world have nothing more than a 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) certificate, if that. You don’t need a high school education or the equivalent, you don’t need any accompanying college/university degree, and while the larger governing agencies within the yoga profession do “require” Continuing Education (C.E.) credits be fulfilled every so often, those programs are also often unregulated. Read more>>

rjhoff | Musical Artist

Working as an entrepreneur in the music industry, time management has become one of the most central parts of my daily life as a freelance musician. Living in a city like Los Angeles filled with creative people from all parts of the entertainment industry, you’re constantly meeting new people that you want to connect with and, in essence, use your time. Obviously it’s incredible to meet and connect with new people, but I’ve also found great freedom being more authentic with myself about the nights that I want to stay in and turn my phone off.  Read more>>

Charlie Frail | CG Supervisor & Generalist

I think the bulk of movie-goers today are unaware of the sheer number of people that it takes to get an idea up on the screen, especially within the field of visual effects. Ever watch the credits of a blockbuster film and see those huge blocks of names scrolling past under the title “digital artist”. There are typically hundreds and hundreds across several companies, and here’s the kicker: not everyone even makes the credits. But what do all these people really do? They create cg assets, they animate, they simulate fx like explosions and destruction, they composite the final image by combing through every frame at the pixel level looking for issues. And by the completion of a movie, a single artist’s contribution is often measured in seconds of screen time. Visual effects is very much a labor of love, a patient craft, and at it’s most successful, invisible to the movie-goer. Read more>>

Loly Noghreh | Personal Chef

As a Personal chef , people have this perception that I eat super incredible, well plated food all the time. Reality is that I get to taste all the amazing food I cook for my clients, but I don’t get to eat it . Most of the ingredients I purchased are high quality and super expensive. Clients pay for a service and meals that requires, logistics, dedication, love and passion. At home I want to eat simple comfort easy food. Read more>>

Keisha Tucker | Actor/Stuntwoman

A lot of the time Female actresses and stunt woman have less protection then men for their stunts. As there outfits sometimes show more skin. Read more>>

Charlie Stardom | Artist & Songwriter

No one is going to do anything for you. Learn and do it yourself or build a solid team. Read more>>

Frank Bauer | Actor

We have to have “thick skin” and get use to rejection. We audition with as many as 30 similar artists, and sometimes no matter how good we perform, someone else just fits the role a little bit better. Read more>>