We connected with some of the most resilient folks in the community and one of the most insightful questions we had an opportunity to ask centered around whether there was ever a time they almost gave up. Highlighting some of the responses below.
Gilde Flores
It’s never just one time. It’s more like an ongoing balance, learning to recognize that feeling instead of running from it. The urge to give up still shows up, but I’ve learned to see it as a signal. It usually means I’m heading somewhere that matters. That resistance, that discomfort, is the marker that I’m in unfamiliar territory, and that’s where the growth happens. Read More>>
Dominique Bianco
Yes — the past two to three years have been incredibly unrelenting, filled with rejection and hard truths. I found it really difficult to find a healthy balance between working and creating, and after facing countless rejections from applications and opportunities, I reached a crossroads where I felt completely unsupported. Read More>>
Yukino Boice
I almost gave up my passion during 2020. I started @hairandmakeupbyyukino in January 2019. By March 2020, the world had shut down from COVID. I had brides booked out for the entire year of 2020. I had to reschedule or refund all of them. The worst part, I couldn’t even tell my brides when I would be able to rebook them for another date. Read More>>
Jennifer Chassman Browne
If I’m being totally honest and vulnerable, every day I almost give up. I’ve pushed myself- a child and teenager who was so quiet and shy that she rarely spoke in public spaces-to do things that I had never dreamed about doing. Read More>>
Linh Judin
When wasn’t there a time? (laughs) I think every entrepreneur, parent, and creative has those moments. For me, it’s never really about giving up—it’s about recognizing when something needs to change. I’ve learned to allow myself to admit defeat when necessary, or to acknowledge when I need to pause, step back, or pivot. Giving up isn’t in my nature. Read More>>
Rasato Ma
The thought of giving up has crossed my mind more times than I can count—so many times, in fact. That voice in my head whispering, ‘I might not be able to do this,’ often felt like a sign that I should stop right there. I knew the outcome might be disappointing, or even futile—but so what? I still chose to try. Read More>>
Dylan Stevens
Absolutely- the first year or two I was full time with content creation was terrifying. I had leftover funds from working retail and my monthly check from the reserves, but as time went on this dwindled fast. Read More>>
Emma Rostykus
A singular time?!? Hahaha. No. But, there have been multiple times that I’ve almost given up! Still today, at 38 years old, I have my moments. The interesting thing that I’ve learned about giving up is that life has many different stages and journeys, and we transition to new things. I used to be much harder on myself than I am now. Read More>>
Lisa Hammett
Since starting my business, there have been times when I questioned if I was cut out to be an entrepreneur. When you’re scaling a business there are peaks and valleys. When things are great it’s exciting and energizing. When things are slow, it can be frustrating and stressful. Multiple times I’ve considered going back into a corporate position. Read More>>
Alicia Gavarian (Heinemann)
Viewing things in a black-and-white way, rather than embracing the shades of gray, limited my confidence as an entrepreneur. Early on, if I didn’t complete a collection or fell short of the sales I’d hoped for at an event, I became overly critical of myself. Were my pieces not made well? Did people not like my unique jewelry style? Read More>>
Shawn Maravel
Giving up has been appealing to me more than once in many areas of my life; novel writing, homeschooling, mending certain relationships, my own higher education, and I’m sure others areas that don’t immediately come to mind. And, you know what, I think it’s okay to “give up” for a season, as long as you reframe it as a pause or a break. Read More>>
Ambarish Nag
Yes, there were multiple times when I felt like almost giving up including a few months back. My career in India has been stagnant for a long time and the frustration got to me! These were times when I felt like giving up and go do something else with my life. Read More>>
Alex Wong
Yes, when I snapped my Achilles tendon and thought I may never dance again. Then I snapped the other side 1 year and 3 days later and I thought it was really a sign for me to find a new career as it takes almost 1 year to recover. Here I am about 13 years later still going strong! Read More>>
Fernando Reyes
I’ve had many successes over the years, but none of them came easily. Having never experienced failure during my banking career, I was determined not to let that happen as an artist—even during the most challenging times. Read More>>
