Most organizations are full of people rewarded for sounding certain. The executive with the answer. The founder with the five-year plan. The leader who never says, “I don’t know.”

But certainty and clarity are not the same thing. And organizations don't actually need leaders who know everything. They need leaders who can navigate what isn't known.

This week's Field Note explores that distinction, and the four questions worth asking before your next big decision.

If you can list every way your idea could fail, you might be the one standing in the way.

Lon White, co founder and CEO of Villari, spent 25 years as the person companies called when everything went wrong, and that same radar kept him from taking the big swing–until his co-founder's family lost $40,000 in one night to a scam. Now he's building the protection they couldn't find, betting on a long game while investors chase fast wins.

Hear how he turned chaos into a calculated risk and why it matters if you're building something of your own.

Do you have an entrepreneur story to tell? A point to make? An idea to share? We want to hear from you! Sign up to be a Hello Chaos guest today.

One way they’ve chosen to grow capacity is by apprenticing promising staff. In fact, that’s how Barnes and co-founder Matthew Morely grew into the business before founding a new company when the original one shuttered. 

So, John lets us in on all the little details that make an apprenticeship work. And, yeah, there are a lot of ‘em.

The South Carolina Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is one of the most comprehensive support networks available to Hispanic entrepreneurs and business owners in the state.

Through networking events, workshops, and its Entrepreneurial Empowerment series, the SCHCC gives members access to education and community that's hard to find elsewhere. Members also get consulting support across finance, marketing, and accounting, plus government advocacy through a dedicated Government Affairs Office. And for those who need capital, the Axeso microloan program offers simple access to funding for Hispanic-owned businesses and entrepreneurs.

Basic membership is free and open to all Hispanic-owned businesses in the state.

This is one of the resources inside our Resource Navigator, a growing library of tools, organizations, and partners built specifically for founders and entrepreneurs across South Carolina.

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