Christine Escribano spent nearly three decades climbing the corporate ranks as a marketer, leading teams at some of the biggest media companies in the world. Throughout her career, the college dropout continually bet on herself—starting at 19 years old, when she was kicked out of her house, all the way to her rise in the business world. Escribano points to her work ethic, creativity, and “natural ability to pivot and problem solve.” In 2023, she placed her biggest bet: After getting laid off that January, she started her own interior design business and furniture studio, Cherry Home Designs, in Westfield, New Jersey. “I started to side hustle around 2022, when we bought our first vacation rental, where I was the lead designer, guest relations manager, carpenter, painter, all of it,” she told Founder Brew. “My husband and I did that, and that side hustle launched the furniture and design part of my life, and once [my former employer was] going through another round of layoffs, I was like, ‘I can’t do this anymore.’ It was just killing me.” We spoke with Escribano about the difficulties of starting your own business, advice for those thinking of taking the leap of faith, and the systems you need to get started. What would you say to someone who wants to bet on themselves but is afraid to take that leap of faith? Fear is actually the best fuel you can have. I would say fear is fuel. Fear will make you smarter. You’ll look at the things that you have to prepare for, you’ll anticipate and plan according to what those fears are telling you. Anything you experience in life may look like a failure, but it’s the lesson to the next thing…I fear waking up and saying to myself, “I coulda, shoulda, woulda, but I didn’t.” That is a greater fear than the fear of trying. Read more.—JS | 
