By Guest commentary Friday, November 6th, 2026

By Steven Fishoff

There comes a time in many people’s lives when they face a choice: remain where they are comfortable or take a chance on something they believe in.

For me, that moment came when I left an established career in New York and moved my family to Southern California. My daughter was just six months old. I was leaving behind the familiarity of an industry I understood, professional relationships I had developed and the security that comes with knowing your surroundings.

I wasn’t leaving because I lacked opportunities. I was leaving because I wanted to create one.

After years of working in the apparel industry, including managing a dress division, I decided to pursue something different: building a business of my own. That decision eventually led to the creation of Jenna Ashley Inc.

What I learned along the way has shaped how I think about entrepreneurship, responsibility and the importance of continuing to move forward.

Experience gives you knowledge, but ownership teaches you responsibility.

There is a significant difference between managing a business and owning one.

As a manager, you make decisions, oversee operations and work toward established goals. But when you own the business, the responsibility becomes personal.

Every commitment matters. Every customer relationship matters. Every dollar spent must eventually be accounted for.

You begin to understand that success isn’t simply about generating sales. It’s about delivering what you promise, managing obligations, protecting relationships and recognizing problems before they become crises.

Perhaps most importantly, you learn that making a decision and accepting responsibility for its consequences are inseparable.

That lesson applies whether you’re running a manufacturing company, operating a local restaurant or building a technology startup.

The courage to take risks must be balanced by the discipline to manage them.

Entrepreneurship is often romanticized as a willingness to take chances. But taking risks without understanding their consequences isn’t courage. It’s gambling.

A good entrepreneur must be optimistic enough to see opportunity and realistic enough to recognize what can go wrong.

Before accepting a major commitment, I believe business owners should ask themselves three questions: Can we deliver what we’re promising? Can we meet our financial obligations if circumstances change? And are we prepared to take responsibility if things don’t go according to plan?

Those questions may sound simple. In practice, they require honesty, particularly when an attractive opportunity makes it tempting to overlook warning signs.

Experience doesn’t guarantee the right answer. It helps you recognize which questions deserve attention.

Your reputation is built through decisions, not declarations.

In business, relationships are among the most valuable assets you can develop.

Customers remember how you respond when something goes wrong. Employees remember whether you stand behind your commitments. Suppliers remember whether your word can be trusted.

Anyone can make promises when business is good. Character becomes more visible when circumstances are difficult.

Sometimes protecting a relationship means accepting a short-term financial disadvantage. Sometimes it means acknowledging a mistake, correcting a problem or walking away from an opportunity that doesn’t make sense.

Those decisions rarely generate headlines, but they often determine whether people will want to do business with you again.

The past should teach us, not define our future.

One quotation I have carried with me is:

“The past is a place of reference, not a place of residence.”

To me, those words capture an essential lesson about entrepreneurship.

Every business owner accumulates experiences, including decisions they would make differently with the benefit of hindsight.

The objective isn’t to pretend those experiences never happened. It’s to learn from them.

Markets change. Industries evolve. Technology transforms how companies operate. The strategies that worked yesterday may not work tomorrow.

The willingness to reconsider assumptions, acquire new knowledge and adapt to changing circumstances is just as important as the experience accumulated over the years.

This is particularly relevant today, when artificial intelligence and other technologies are changing how businesses compete. Technology can provide information, improve efficiency and expand possibilities. But it cannot relieve an owner of responsibility for judgment, integrity or the consequences of a decision.

It’s never too late to begin a new chapter.

Looking back, I don’t believe the most important part of my move to California was the geographic distance I traveled.

It was the decision to accept uncertainty in pursuit of something I wanted to build.

Entrepreneurship taught me that success is not a permanent destination. It’s an ongoing process of making decisions, learning, adapting and accepting responsibility.

For today’s entrepreneurs, particularly those considering a new venture or an unexpected change in direction, my message is straightforward:

Respect your experience, but don’t become imprisoned by it. Take calculated risks, honor your commitments and never confuse a setback with the end of your possibilities.

The next chapter of your professional life may be the one you haven’t written yet.

• Steven Fishoff is a Southern California business consultant and entrepreneur with experience in business ownership, apparel manufacturing and financial markets.