Every industry has its myths—stories insiders repeat until they sound like truth. But behind the slogans and the spin are unspoken (and sometimes unnoticed) realities – we asked some of the wisest folks we know to share what lies they’ve noticed in their industries.
Ashley
I’m over the notion that “touristy” is bad. With the rise of social media hype, I’ve seen the travel industry shift hard toward labeling anything and everything as “local” or a “hidden gem,” often with the implication that visiting well-known sites is basic—or even wrong. Read more>>
Tolga Onuk
I will be straight forward and tell you the truth: The eMobility and EV Charging industry in the US is not only falling behind, we are entirely losing the electrification race which will determine the next global power in the rest of this century. Most EV Charging companies in the US (other than Tesla) are not generating enough revenue to be competitive. Read more>>
Jessica Hesselton
That you have to conform to what THE WORLD wants, not what God wants for YOU. Being authentic, sincere and having integrity IS important. Having Witt, strong will, and tenacity IS a superpower, but NOT everyday , you have to portray a STRONG character. It’s okay to feel humility. Read more>>
Anisha Thomas
There are many lies told to our industry, but one commonly told to composers is that we need to work for free in order to build our connections and portfolio. This could not be further from the truth. In fact, devaluing your music can cause significant harm—even in the early stages of your career. Read more>>
Yevgeniya A. Yushkova
One of the biggest lies in the fashion and retail industry is the belief that problems can be fixed in isolation. There’s this idea that if sales are soft, you just fix the assortment. If margins are shrinking, you renegotiate with suppliers. If inventory is bloated, you improve forecasting. Read more>>
Kimberly Kelly
That you can’t have children or get older. I’ve believed that, but the way the fans consume their content these days proves people don’t always pay attention to those things! Read more>>
Honesty Taszhé
That being a filmmaker is easy. That you can pick up a camera or ‘you can shoot stuff with your phone,’ if you want to be a filmmaker. I haven’t been a fan of that commentary for a while because it’s not truly honest. Yes, could you make a film on your phone? Read more>>
Shekina Farr
The biggest lie is that confidence is a “mindset issue.” It’s not. It’s a systems issue. Women aren’t walking around unsure because we lack affirmations. The truth is we’re navigating environments that profit from our silence, our overwork, and our willingness to carry everything without visibility or credit. Another lie isthat “empowerment” can be packaged as a hashtag or a feel-good slogan. Read more>>
Tushar Joshi
One of the biggest lies the music education industry in India tells itself is that it truly values and prioritizes the educators who are the backbone of meaningful learning. In reality, many companies are run by businessmen who are disconnected from the core of music, focusing instead on profit and rapid expansion. Read more>>
Dave Clayton
That social influence is the currency to success. It’s frustrating to see social influence overtake experience when it comes to being hired for work, either as a designer or an educator. Creating a minute of social content is not the same as preparing content and standing on stage for an hour and educating others. Read more>>
Angel Theodore The Self-Care Catalyst
Interview Question: What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself? One of the biggest misconceptions in the self-care and personal development industry is that self-care lives on two extreme ends of the spectrum, and both are misleading. Read more>>
Katrina Herritt
The lie of the ‘starving artist’. I know plenty of artists and small business owners making a decent living from their craft and I think that fear of a life of struggle deterred me from pursuing art for too long and I’d hate for it to deter others from following their dream! Read more>>
Amy Yu
I would say a pervasive lie in our industry is the belief that ‘technical proficiency supersedes artistic value.’ Many composers are locked in a technical arms race, prioritizing massive sound libraries, cutting-edge software, and flawless mixing, under the assumption that technical excellence guarantees a great piece of music. Read more>>
Tia Metaxas
The biggest lie is that it truly cares about the customer — and that it’s transparent. Terms like ‘clean beauty’ or ‘ethical marketing’ are often used as buzzwords rather than values genuinely lived by brands. So much of what we do in marketing is sales-driven rather than problem-led. The industry often convinces people they ‘need’ things they really don’t, prioritising business goals over real solutions. Read more>>
Durk McGurk
I think people outside of the creative industry think you have to be especially talented to make it in the creative industry. You don’t. There’s poor taste everywhere. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Read more>>
Becky Connelly
The biggest lie is that foam padding is necessary for nipple concealment. Here’s the truth: foam padding was introduced into bras in 1947 for volume and enhancement—to create the pin-up silhouette that was popular at the time. But somewhere along the way, the industry started marketing it as the solution for nipple coverage. Read more>>
Alessandra Berry
It’s less about what the music media industry tells itself and more about the lies that other people believe about it. whenever we talk about NOIZE, people always ask us ‘But isn’t print media dying?’, but in reality it’s the exact opposite. Read more>>
Julia Penza
As a tattoo artist without personal tattoos, I have achieved significant success in my profession. However, the prevailing stereotype associated with tattoo artists continues to influence public perception. Read more>>
Victor Garcia
One of the biggest lies in the art and photography world is that we have to gatekeep everything: our knowledge, our techniques, our spaces, even our communities. There’s this idea that sharing too much somehow threatens your place in the industry, or that helping someone else grow means there will be less room for you. I don’t buy that. Read more>>
Paula Banks
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Traditional education loves to tell itself a few lies that simply aren’t true. The first lie is that creativity is optional, something you sprinkle in when there’s extra time. That mindset is one of the quickest ways to shut a child down. Creativity isn’t a bonus It’s the foundation of how kids think, communicate, problem-solve, and understand their own ideas. Read more>>
Helin Cetin
The biggest lie in my industry is that independence and owning your music isn’t beneficial to your career. Many people still operate with outdated beliefs about how money, fame, and power are built in music. In reality, when done correctly, independence gives you the leverage to negotiate from a place of strength, creating more safety and protection over your business and your art. Read more>>
April Spurlock
That hormones and insecticides/pesticides are safe to use for flea and tick control on our pets. There is data to support the many health issues and even deaths of pets. Just because they may be more convenient to use doesn’t mean they are safe – they are NOT! Read more>>
Alana Vorda
One of the biggest lies in the social media industry is that followers equal success. Yes, followers add credibility—I won’t pretend they don’t—but the obsession with big numbers is so misleading. Some of the strongest, most profitable accounts are the ones under 5K followers because they’re less boastful, more approachable, and they’re actually talking to their audience instead of flexing for them. Read more>>
Jeremiah Simmons
Many modern musicians are chasing an image of success. Social media and influencers feed into that, but true success is often quiet, personal, and far less glamorous than is often portrayed. Read more>>
Tim Carr
I hear this one a lot lately, and that’s ‘is cinema dead’? I assure you, my friends, it is not. But it’s changing. Vertical films are a format that really gets a big audience these days. Vertical films are shorter, dramatic and there are a lot of ‘episodes/parts’ to them. These films are specifically designed for mobile viewing. Read more>>
Robbi Gallagher
One of the biggest lies the fashion industry tells itself is that representation alone equals progress. We see diverse faces on the runway, queer creatives behind the scenes, and brands using the language of inclusion—but often the structure and decision-making at the top hasn’t changed. Read more>>
