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.
Jf Davis
I don’t think there was ever a time where I almost gave up. Very early in my career I was feeling alone in a new city and facing what I knew was a hard road. Read More>>
Shawn Michael Pridgen
Yes, there are times when I think about going back to a desk, not only for job security but also for survival. Working for oneself is not for the faint-hearted. Between the gatekeeping that occurs in so many publications, grant submissions, fellowship applications, galleries, contests, and identity groups, it’s very easy to become discouraged. Read More>>
London Clarke
No. I never gave up on becoming a writer. Somehow, deep down inside me, I knew that one day I would be published. As it turned out, the industry changed, allowing many of us who might not have had that shot of making it happen for ourselves to create, publish, and market our work. Read More>>
Ivana Kovacevic
There were many, many times when I felt like giving up. Near the end of my undergrad, I was doubtful of my chosen major and minor and thought of dropping my courses, switching to something entirely different. Throughout my TESOL certification, I wondered whether I’d made the right choice specializing in ESL because most of my friends were taking the public school route. Read More>>
Jose Taveras
To be honest, there have been times when I’ve created content for Real Relate and thought about giving up. Sometimes your content gets no views or engagement, and you feel completely discouraged. You start to wonder: Is it worth continuing this journey? Should I quit? Do people actually get any value from my content? Read More>>
Robert Adams
Absolutely. There were times in the early days when Patrick and I were working out of that little 12×16 shop, barely scraping by, and wondering if we could keep going. Long nights, financial stress — it felt like we were sacrificing everything just to keep the dream alive. And honestly, it happened again when I was released from WWE. Read More>>
Maria Yraceburu
There have been a couple of instances in my life when I tried to step out of a traditional earth lifestyle into mainstream contemporary America… and it nearly killed me. I lost my self esteem because I couldn’t orient to the linear gogogo and how people are accountable to illusional beliefs. Read More>>
V Kay
Ooo man! There have been sooo many times! It is not as easy as everyone thinks, and it is very hard to make money from it. Adding all of the Google algorithm changes and AI taking over, it is a hard grind all the time. However, this is my dream life, and even though there are many setbacks, I always push forward. Read More>>
Halima Hussein
I think about giving up maybe once every 2 months, especially with the podcast. It was my doubt and imposter syndrome of, ‘what does she think she is doing…her platform isn’t making a difference’. But then I remember, that “yes” people are listening. It takes one person and that one person will lead to five. Read More>>
Vero G.
Yes, there were many times when I wanted to give up on my personal life in things I was overcoming, and also other factors. But through God, he had pushed me to continue in my journey, and the faith I had gained really made me the person I am today. Read More>>
Stacy Heitman
Challenging times and mistakes can make for great learning opportunities. When I was in my early twenties, I joined a booth rental salon. I didn’t really have a clientele at that time and social media wasn’t a thing. It was the wrong career move for me. Read More>>
