Important lessons learned at a prior job

Experience is often valued because of the lessons prior jobs have theoretically provided us with. While hearing about those lessons isn’t a replacement for actually experiencing it, we thought it would be very helpful to create a space where sharp and generous members of the community can come together to share stories and lessons learned at prior jobs for the benefit of others.

Mona Garcia

I started my business with the struggle over my own weight. I was in a dark place and eventually it came to light. I’ve had several names and blogs when I first started my own brand. Trying to expand a brand for me during Covid was a nightmare. Everyone was social distancing and all college students were stuck doing work online. The only time, I could think was at the gym, as I had access to one, or at the park being physically active. I got time to partake in self care and from there, everything fell into place. I was able to heal an old injury that I had and get in the best shape of my life. Read more>>

Lori Cangilla

If you don’t ask, the answer is always no. And collaboration can be a beautiful yes. My first job as a psychologist was in a university counseling center that served the student population. The psychology department’s doctoral program also operated a clinic on campus that served both university students and the general public while providing training opportunities for the grad students. A good deal of my therapy experience and training up to that point was in group therapy. Groups can be difficult to launch without a large pool of potential referrals. Neither the student center nor the doctoral program’s clinic had been able to fill groups. I proposed that we developed a group collaboration. We were able to recruit potential group members from both services, making it much easier to get the number of clients needed to reliably launch groups. It also created the opportunity for our post-doctoral residents to get experience in teaching and supervising the clinic’s doctoral students in training, who ran the groups. The partnership lasted for years (beyond my tenure at the university), created important training experiences for future psychologists, and allowed hundreds of clients to benefit from group therapy. I learned that, even as a new university employee, I could bring together people across the faculty-staff lines and create something that would never have succeeded in a silo. This lesson in asking and finding collaboration partners has stuck with me throughout my career. Read more>>

Jessie Pollastrini

I’m never NOT learning lessons, but I’d have to say the most important one in my career thus far has been this; find your team, tribe, support system, whatever you want to call it, and accept their help when you need it. I started my career in Medical Aesthetics at your standard med spa. This clinic was a ‘turn and burn’ type environment, where it didn’t matter about the patient’s safety, outcomes, or experience, and only about the dollars coming in. This med spa was owned by a person who had quite the reputation in this industry, and she had her hands in everything there. I observed her struggling to let go of the reins and trust her employees, and it’s hard when there’s only one person who holds the answers to everything. Even seasoned employees were never empowered to use their critical thinking skills or trust their intuition and expertise. I noticed how vacations for owners weren’t common in this industry, and that they seemed to always work extremely long hours (first one to arrive, last one to leave right?!). Even the stress of owning and operating a med spa can show in your appearance and demeanor. I thought that this owner’s experience was singular, but this is an industry norm at this point. Read more>>

Arielle Gray

I just completed my first semester teaching at the college level. It feels like one of the worst mistakes in my life right now. Conversely, I needed it to happen. I needed to face the fear of teaching photography. To be the head of a photo classroom, to take what I myself have learned in the field, and spread that to others who may or may not be pursuing this professionally scared me. I was, overall, afraid of doing something I previously had no intention to do beyond grad school. I was afraid of really making mistakes. I made colossal mistakes in this experience but I learned a lot about myself throughout the last four months of teaching. Read more>>

Myia Treat

When you’re starting out in the entertainment industry, particularly in acting, whether on stage or in film, you’re bound to receive a flood of advice from well-meaning individuals on how to fast-track your career. One of the most common pieces of wisdom I encountered early on was to “say yes to everything.” The idea was that the more opportunities you seize, the faster you’ll climb to the top. Eager to make my mark, I took this advice to heart—perhaps a little too literally. In my first year of living in New York City, I said yes to every opportunity that came my way. I threw myself into over 100 short films, took on crew positions on various sets, performed in numerous stage productions, and even agreed to last-minute roles in plays giving myself little time to prepare. I was constantly moving, always juggling multiple projects at once. At the time, I thought that this relentless hustle would propel me forward and help me build a strong portfolio, but what I quickly learned is that, in the long run, it is okay to say no. Read more>>

Brandon Miller

When I was 18, I had just finished about six months working at McDonald’s while also graduating from high school. I wasn’t interested in following the typical path of graduating, then going straight to college. I wanted to work—especially now that I’d had a taste of earning money, even if it was just a little, at the Golden Arches. I wanted something closer to a livable wage, so I came across a job listing for Omaha Steaks. They were hiring outbound telemarketers. The idea of being a telemarketer didn’t exactly excite me, but the onboarding bonus caught my attention. I submitted my application and what little resume I had. A few days later, I got a call from the hiring manager at Omaha Steaks. They wanted to do a phone interview before bringing me in. Read more>>

Dr. Taurus Jackson

That is a good question. For me, I have faced a very diverse career path which has allowed me to draw from the various insights I’ve encountered. Among those various insights, the one that has shaped me into the professional I am today is that of adaptability. Adaptability is one of those things that is constantly evolving while also remaining constant as well. This means that as we go through life — whether personally or professionally — the more things change, the more they stay the same. Adaptability has served as a measuring stick for me to gauge or check my status at different stages of my life. It has allowed to reflect on lessons learned while focusing adjusting my actions going forward. The lesson surrounding adaptability is not just about embracing change, but excelling in it. By being open to new ideas, you can navigate even the most turbulent professional environments with confidence and creativity. Read more>>

Jalie Rhoda

I haven’t had my first official job yet since I’m still a teenager, but here’s what I learned in school. In 10th grade, I was too ambitious and tried to finish four months of homeschooling in three weeks. I made a plan, stuck to it, and completed around seventeen hours of school per day, which I don’t recommend. I felt so accomplished, and then, the burnout set in. I was so exhausted. Simple tasks were suddenly stressful, and it took a while to recover. The same thing happened to me that year in my art. I used to hurry my paintings instead of taking breaks and revisiting my art with fresh eyes. Every painting I rushed, I ruined. Creating rushed art left me stressed and tired because I didn’t take the time to enjoy it. I got discouraged because my art turned out terribly when I tried to speed through it, and I wasn’t making anything I felt proud of. Read more>>

Max Corona

I have always been the working type. Wake up, clock in and and dedicate my time and energy to my employer. After all this time I realized that I always put my job first and I see now that I had sacrificed so much of myself and and the important things in life for an employer. recently I realized that I was expendable to all other businesses. No matter how much I gave them it would not be good enough. It was as if dedicating time to my mental health and to my family was not beneficial to them and would become a conflict for them. Read more>>

Kristina Martinez

Sometimes you have amazing experiences at jobs and sometimes you have… learning experiences! I have two examples of past bosses that taught me what NOT to be as a leader and business owner. First, I had a boss many years ago that-to put it frankly-was a compulsive liar. It was the most bizarre experience having to work for someone who was constantly building her tall tales higher and higher for no reason at all. Slowly it became clear to everyone that we couldn’t trust her to do anything she said and would throw others under the bus to save herself. It created a toxic environment in which no one respected our own superior, and it felt like we were having to work against her to get anything done. Read more>>