If you have ever thought of making the leap of launching your own business or becoming a creative, there will be many people in your life- from family and friends to a complete stranger who over hears your conversation – who will gladly share their advice with you, whether you ask them or not.

But at the end of the day, we have the power to make our own choices and create a life that will make us truly happy.

We compiled the worst advice our 5 female guests have ever received and what they learned from it.

Photo Credit Matt Rubin

Name: Tarajia Morrell

Occupation: Food Writer and Entrepreneur

Worst advice: “Nothings easy”. 

Of course that’s true. It does take hard work to do things, but there was also this implication that you would be thwarted at every turn, and that the world was out to get you.  That advice instilled in me a fearful outlook in which I was afraid of failure but also afraid of my own potential. And that’s a massive thing especially for young people, not wanting to figure out where the ceiling is because heaven forbid you should know and not think you could do anything.

Listen to Tarajia’s full interview here.

Photo Courtesy Meagan Morrison

Name: Meagan Morrison

Occupation: Travel Fashion Illustrator and Entrepreneur

Worst Advice: “If you’re going to be an illustrator, then you’re not going to be a traveler, they’re going to send someone else to travel.” and “Illustration is just a hobby”. 

Getting that kind of push back puts you in a position where you can either internalize that and accept it, or you can challenge that. I think persistence in order to be in this industry and to work for yourself as an entrepreneur is a thousand percent the key. Sometimes the talent is outweighed by just straight out persistence.

Listen to Meagan’s full interview here.

Please credit Shot for TagHuer by Xavier Ansart

Name: Raha Moharrak

Occupation: Public Motivational Speaker and adventurer recognized for being the first Saudi woman to climb the 7 summits.

Worst Advice: “Maybe if you tone it down or not show how smart you are or be a little bit less bold, then maybe you’ll find a guy that likes you.” 

It was from someone who was a senior in my family. It came from a good place in her heart. I think she was just trying to give me a solution to the biggest problem she thinks I have, which is being single.

Listen to Raha’s  full interview here.

Photo Credit Jose Wong

Name: Leah Shoup

Occupation: Translator and Social Media Influencer

Worst Advice: “Come back home and work a desk job to earn more money.”

Getting pointed to a different direction (from a nomadic lifestyle), I would just feel strangled without this flexibility. The experience that I’ve gotten through social media is leading me to being able to have these skills that could lead to possible jobs down the road. So that’s been really interesting, something that I got into out of interest is actually becoming a skill.

Listen to Leah’s  full interview here.

Photo Courtesy Kat Gaskin

Name: Kat Gaskin

Occupation: Entrepreneur and Social Media Influencer

Worst Advice: “Work only 4 hours a week” 

Reading “The 4 hour work week”, I realized that everything I had taken away from the book was hurting my mind set in terms of my business because it made me want to cut corners and take short cuts. And it made me want to work less hours on my business which is not me.

Listen to Kat’s  full interview here.