Emma Carollo
Founder, BlackBear Children’s Boutique
“For me, the hardest part of being an entrepreneur is trying to balance work with my family and personal life. Owning your own business takes a lot of time; there is always more you can do and it is really hard to truly ever turn it off.”
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Kelley Kempel[/caption]
Kelley Kempel
Owner and creative director, Hidden Path Creative
“As someone new to entrepreneurship, one of the biggest challenges has been finding community. Coming from a corporate environment, I had a team and coworkers with similar experiences to connect with every day. Building a business alone means seeking out relations with other entrepreneurs for support and friendship.”
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Nishant Deshpande[/caption]
Nishant Deshpande
Chief executive officer and co-founder, Investii
“The uncertainty. In startups, the ‘unknown’ pertains to pretty much everything, including salary, finding market, getting funding and the going concern of the company. A startup can go under without much notice. It’s scary (and obviously not ideal), but it’s the truth. To keep putting one foot in front of the other when the road ahead is pitch black is terrifying. While it’s hard, the joys of building products that people love makes it all worth it.”
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Tán Ho[/caption]
Tán Ho
Co-founder and chief operating officer, Fiveable
“Being able to stick to your original grand vision and idea while you have other people’s ideas and opinions thrown at you constantly. You can’t be so easily swayed by others, or you’ll lose in the end.”
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TrueMan McGee[/caption]
TrueMan McGee
Owner, Funky Fresh Spring Rolls
“What you don’t hear often is the cost of growth. Sometimes it’s less profitable to grow. Having a detailed plan of action still won’t help from the unknown but grit, experience and resilience will help get you there!”
